Love, Lies & The D.A. (12 page)

I pause
for another moment through an awkward silence, giving him some time to tell me what’s
on his mind. He says nothing. It feels like we’re both waiting for the other to
make a move.

“Get
home safely,” I say, kiss him on the cheek, and before I know it, the elevator
doors are closing in front of me as I wave goodbye. For a day that ended so
rough, the night was actually very pleasant. Within fifteen minutes, I’m in
bed.

*     *     *

Thank
goodness, she’s home and safe. Seeing her practically unconscious on the news
tonight, I admit, had me very worried. I was even more surprised when Megan
called and told me that she was at the house.

I told
Mom I wouldn’t be coming for dinner because of a motion I was preparing for the
next day, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see her with the rest of my
family. Now, I’ll have to pay the consequences for that dinner and stay up all
night preparing for work tomorrow.

I got
to see the quiet side of Jada tonight, and I wonder if it’s because she wasn’t
feeling well, worried about her case, or maybe that’s a side of her that exists
but I’ve never gotten the chance to see.

The
more time I spend with her, the more she intrigues me and the more tempted I am
to ask her out. Unfortunately, she was the one who reminded me tonight of what
I am risking every time we spend time together, no matter how innocent or
chance the meeting might be.

*     *     *

My
Bobbyphone
wakes me early the next morning.

“I’m
fine. Don’t worry,” I answer.

“Are
you sure? You didn’t look so good on that news clip that I saw.”

“Still
checking up on me while on vacation?”

“Yes.
What happened?”

“I was
leaving Charles’s office and all these reporters surrounded me… Let’s not talk
about it. I just had a panic attack. How’s the trip going? Did you ask her
yet?”

“It’s
going great. Mom loves her, and I am officially engaged.”

“Yay.
Congratulations.”

“And
she loved the ring. You were right.”

“Great.
I am so happy for you.”

“So
how did your meeting with Charles go?”

“I don’t
want to ruin your vacation. We’ll talk about it when you get back.”

“Tell
me.”

“I’ll
give you the highlights. He’s been screwing Koto for almost nine months. He was
having an affair with a married woman in Las Vegas. He stole at least ninety
grand from our wedding account, and he inflated his monthly expense costs to me
by about twenty-five grand a month. There’s more, but let’s leave it at that
for now.”

“I can’t
believe what I’m hearing.”

“Neither
can I.”

“I
usually have good instincts. What the fuck happened this time around.”

“I
feel like such an idiot. I don’t know how it was possible for us to spend that
much time together and I never ever suspected a thing.”

“You
trusted him. Next time, I’ll have to do some homework, that’s all.”

“Go
enjoy your vacation. I have to go get my car then I’m heading back to Tahoe.
Give Mommy a big hug and a kiss for me, please.”

“I
will. I love you. Be careful on the road.”

“I
will, love you back.”

Later
that morning,
I get the company driver to pick up my car and
return it to the penthouse. Within an hour of the car arriving, I’m on my way
to Lake Tahoe.

As I
drive, my phone rings.

“Hello.”

“Hi,
Jada.”

I
immediately recognize the voice, although I don’t know why she’s calling.

“Koto,
what could possibly make you think I would ever be interested in anything you
had to say?”

My
instincts tell me to pull over and record our conversation. I use the media
voice recorder on my phone and press record. It takes only seconds before I am
driving again.

“I’m
so sorry for what I did to you.”

“You’re
not sorry. You’re sorry you got caught.”

“It
was a mistake,” she cries.

“A
mistake?” I laugh sarcastically. “That’s pushing it… A mistake is you and
Richard having too many drinks and somehow you end up having a one-night stand.
It is most definitely NOT you fucking my fiancé for nine months and going on
trips together.”

She remains
silent for a few moments then replies, “How did you find out?”

“That’s
irrelevant.”

“We
were going to end it once you were married.”

“Oh
please. I’m supposed to believe that the two of you had no respect for a
supposedly monogamous relationship, but all of a sudden, a piece of paper would
make a difference. To top it off, after I caught you two red-handed, you
continued to see him. You never had any intention of ending anything.”

“How
do you know I saw him?”

I
completely ignore her question and remain silent.

“Jada,
I’m sorry. It was never my intention for things to get so out of hand.”

“What
were your intentions? Did you not intend to fuck him? Did you not intend to go
on trips with him? Did you not intend to ruin a fifteen-year friendship? Or did
that just not matter to you?”

“I
didn’t intend to hurt you. I didn’t intend for you to find out about this
business.”

“
Ohhh,
so what I don’t know won’t hurt me. You’re pathetic. You are a sorry excuse
for a human being. Do me a favor and lose my number. I won’t allow you or the
memories that you and Richard left me with to continue to hurt me.” I don’t
give her a chance to respond. I end the call. I am pissed. The thought that she
could call me to tell me this garbage and it should somehow make things better
infuriates me further.

My
phone rings immediately after I hang up.

“What?”
I think it’s her calling again.

“Jada?”

Charles?

“Charles,
I’m sorry.”

“What’s
wrong?”

“Koto
just called me. I hung up on her. I thought she was calling back.”

“What
did she say?”

“I
recorded the conversation. I’ll send it to you.”

“Please
keep that information to yourself. It can be illegal.”

“Really?
Shoot. It’s still recording. Hold.”

I pull
over and stop the recording. I immediately email the file to him.

“Sorry.
I emailed it to you.”

“I was
calling to make sure you got in okay last night.”

You
sure? You sure you’re not concerned about me talking to your son about my case?

“I
did. Thank you for last night. I’m on my way back to Lake Tahoe now.”

“That’s
a long drive; be careful on that road.”

“I
will. Thanks for checking in.”

Over
the next
few months, as the temperature grows colder, I now spend
most of my time at Lake Tahoe, returning to San Francisco once every other week
to check on things at the office.

When I’m
not working, I spend my days with my camera on the lake. There is so much
beauty to discover here. As the seasons change, it gives me a chance to
photograph old scenes in a new light.

I hate
to admit it, but I often feel lonely. There are times when I miss Richard, or
the man I thought he was, and the person I thought was my best friend for
years. Bobby I miss all the time, but I realize that he is starting a new life
of his own, and I want to respect his space.

I
suppose a few months ago, if Richard had not been murdered, it would be as
simple as making new friends. However, I now question everyone and their
motives. David and Kat did invite me for dinner twice. They admitted they were
aware of my dilemma and my case, but I am still careful not to talk about that
part of my life or discuss any details with them.

The
investigators have uncovered new evidence, but more and more Charles warns me
that the police seem determined to paint the picture of me as the angry ex who
killed her lover for revenge. They have not been exploring any of the many
other possibilities that the investigators have uncovered.

Because
of laws in the Cayman Islands, it has been difficult to get more details on who
the signatories are on the account there, or any of the account info, but legal
channels are being pursued to try to get that information.

Unfortunately,
the time of death was about within an hour of my leaving San Francisco, so it’s
close enough for the police to believe I had something to do with his murder.

When
the investigators questioned the
other woman,
she was tightlipped and
refused to talk, so that makes us all believe that she has something to hide.

It’s
been frustrating because I want to move on with my life. Even though I could
conceivably do so, I am well aware that this constant ongoing investigation by
police would complicate that process. I don’t know that my life will ever be
able to go on as usual with this hovering over my head.

On two
occasions while in San Francisco, I’ve been accosted by reporters asking for
comments. I think they finally realize that I won’t talk to them, neither do I
regard them as my ally, so now they deal mostly with Charles and my PR
department. That said, there are still a few persistent reporters that leave
weekly messages at my office asking for exclusive interviews.

I was
surprised one day when I was in San Francisco. I received a thank you card from
Sally Preston, Richard’s mother. The note inside was most telling. It read:

I am
thankful to you for the flowers,

and I
know you have nothing to do with this.

However,
I cannot say the same for the rest of my family.

For
this reason, I ask that you please keep

your
distance until they can get some sort of healing.

Closure,
the word so many people like to use,

is something
I don’t know we will ever get.

Thanks
again.

Sally

Receiving
that from her meant the world to me. However, it appears that I have an uphill
climb with the rest of his family. I hope I will never have to prove my
innocence in court. However, should I have to, I hope that the evidence the
investigators have uncovered will be enough for them to believe in me. Some
have asked why I should care what they think. But I do. I care what everybody
thinks. My reputation is not something I can simply ignore. That said, I
realize that I will never be able to get everyone to see things through my eyes,
and that is something I am learning to work through every day.

Since
Jonathan dropped me off at my penthouse all those months ago, I have only seen
him probably two or three times on the streets of Lake Tahoe driving. I did run
into him and his brother one day at lunch at a downtown café, but we kept our
conversation to “hello” and “how are you?”

I
have thought about him at times. If I’m being honest, I think about him all the
time, and one day, I realized that I no longer refer to him as
Mr.
Asshole
in my head. I’m trying to remember when that changed,
but so much time has gone by since we’ve had any meaningful exchange, it’s hard
to remember.

I
admit that, at times, when I go out, I keep hoping that I’ll see him—even if only
for a minute. After all these months, I realize my brother was right. I do like
him. There are so many issues with that, though. He’s the DA, I’m still fresh
out of a relationship, I’m a suspect in a high profile murder case, and… he’s
the DA…

Beyond
that, I have gone through moments where I feel extremely guilty for being
attracted to another man within days of my ex’s death. I don’t understand how
that’s possible. I thought I was so deeply in love with Richard. It’s possible
that the hurt he caused me forced me to see him in a new light. I know all the
new information I’ve found out since then definitely has.

It’s
nearing Christmas and I am not looking forward to it. It’s been almost three
months that I’ve been alone. Solitude has become my closest companion. Being alone
at Thanksgiving was difficult enough. A part of me wants to invite Bobby and
possibly my mom for the holidays, but I don’t want to intrude on their lives or
possible plans. I’ll think about it over the next few days
…
I’m
afraid to let my mother come up here. She might realize what serious trouble I’m
in. Lake Tahoe is a ways away, though… Perhaps she will return home none the
wiser.

Weeks
later, I
prepare for the arrival of my mom, Bobby, and Val. They
arrive later this afternoon and will be spending a couple days for Christmas. I
can’t wait to see them.