Retribution (18 page)

“Does that answer your question, Mr. Peters?”

He cleared his throat. “Yes, I believe it does.” He paused. “I would think that you might understand how much trouble you could cause by contacting me, Mrs. Evans. Clearly, your ribs have suffered enough.”

“That’s exactly why I need to know why Marie wanted a divorce. I need to know if he treated her the way he has treated me.”

“That knowledge will do more harm than good.”

I shrugged. “Maybe, but I have a right to know what could happen if I decide to file for divorce, or better yet, if I stay and hope that he turns over a new leaf.”

“The mere fact that you’re sitting in my office tells you more than I ever could.”

“I
need
to know what she told you, Mr. Peters. I’m begging you to help me find the answers I’m seeking.” Even I could hear the desperation in my voice.

He sighed. “Very well then.” He glanced down at the papers on his desk before looking at me again. “When Mrs. Evans came to my office, she explained exactly what her situation was. Once I understood, I started on the paperwork immediately. Mrs. Evans gave me a detailed account of the last few years of their marriage, making it clear as to why she not only wanted a divorce, but why she’d come all the way to Richmond to find a lawyer. Your husband is a very powerful man, Mrs. Evans. I’m sure you’re aware of that.”

“Indeed, I am,” I said.

“Robert’s power reaches far and wide—not only with the law firms in the area, but also with government officials and your local police department. Marie knew that if she went to anyone in Morgantown, Robert would find out immediately. She planned to pack her things and leave the house while he was away. The divorce papers would be waiting for him when he returned, and Marie would stay in a location that he wasn’t aware of. You see, the bruises on you are not the first I’ve seen from Mr. Evans. Marie also had bruises.”

“He beat her.” The words came out of me as nothing more than a whisper.

He nodded. “Yes, he did. He also abused her emotionally. The woman was a wreck, inside and out, but she hid it very well. Still, she was determined to escape since her son was over eighteen and could escape as well.”

“How long did the abuse go on?”

“Years,” he stated.

“Why would she stay with him for so long then?” I demanded. “How could she live through
years
of abuse?”

“Because she loved her son, and she was doing her best to protect him. She feared that, if she left, Robert would fight for custody and win. She didn’t want to leave her son alone with his father.”

I shook my head. If I told Cooper what Marie had done for him, he’d never forgive himself.

“In the year prior to her coming to my office, the abuse had intensified greatly. Marie also learned that her husband was having multiple affairs with other women. One of those women was her best friend.”

“Sandra,” I said, annoyance clear in my voice.

I remembered Marie’s best friend very clearly. She’d berated me in front of an entire room of people the first and only time I’d met her. Later, Cooper had shown me photos of Sandra and Robert together.

“Yes. Marie had had enough, which is why she sought me out. I wasn’t one of the many lawyers in her husband’s pocket. I was far enough away to be a safe choice.”

“So, what happened?” I asked.

“Two days before I was supposed to send the divorce papers to Robert, Marie died.”

“In a car accident,” I stated. “An accident that happened while Robert was out of town.”

He nodded. “Indeed.”

“A woman secretly files for divorce from her abusive husband, but before the papers could be served and the community found out that their marriage wasn’t as perfect as it seemed, she was killed. That doesn’t sound suspicious at all.” My sarcasm was clear.

“I see we have the same thoughts on that matter. In addition to her…untimely demise, Marie had left a letter with me that she wanted sent to her son if something happened to her. Obviously, Marie had realized that there was a chance that something could happen to her.”

“He had her killed,” I said. It was true after all.

The man before me believed the same thing that Cooper did.

“There is no proof of that at all. Mr. Evans was in a different city when it happened. Plus, car accidents are a common occurrence. They happen daily.”

“He made sure that it would never fall on him. Everyone assumed that he and Marie were still happily married. No one would even think about him hurting her.” I paused. “But there’s one thing that I don’t understand.”

“And what is that?”

“How did Robert know about the divorce if you hadn’t sent the papers yet? He obviously did since I found these.”

The lawyer’s eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn’t catch.
Guilt?

He looked me straight in the eyes. “As I said before, your husband is a very powerful man. Anyone who goes against him is a fool.”

It clicked then. “He came to you, didn’t he? He threatened you.”

His eyes flashed again, and I knew for certain that I saw guilt in them.

“It seems Robert was having Marie followed. He paid me a visit and made it quite clear that he had…several friends in high places. More specifically, he had several former clients who owed him favors. Your husband is a defense attorney, so I’m sure you can figure out what kind of clients he meant.”

“He did threaten you!” I said, suddenly sick to my stomach.

“He asked why his wife was coming to see me. I had no choice but to give him an answer. Not only my reputation, but also my life was on the line. I’m not proud of what I did, Mrs. Evans. I hope you’re aware of that.”

“If he had Marie followed, he might be doing the same with me.”

My heart sank. He could already know that I was here.

“That is a very real possibility. My suggestion is that you do not return to my office again.”

I leaned forward until my chest pressed against his desk. “I need
proof
that he was involved in Marie’s death. Do you have anything, anything at all, that could help me?”

He hesitated for a moment. “What you’re doing is dangerous. Think this through before you decide to go after your own husband.”

“I’ve been thinking very clearly ever since his fists and feet landed in my ribs and my face. Now, do you have anything that could help me?”

“The only things I have are the voice recordings of my sessions with Marie. Her fear of her husband would be enough to launch an investigation, but there’s nothing that would actually prove he was involved.”

“Give them to me! Maybe there’s something on the recordings that will help us.”

“Us?” he asked.

I bit my lip and cursed myself for my stupidity. “I, uh…have a friend helping me with this.”

“I would be very careful with who you consider your friends, Mrs. Evans. Everyone has a price.”

“This friend doesn’t. I can assure you of that.”

“Very well. Give me a moment to collect a copy of the flash drive.” He stood and walked to the door.

Once he disappeared, I let my shoulders slump. The reality of my situation was suddenly very clear to me. Mr. Peters was just as afraid of Robert as I was. He had threatened the man for helping Marie. He’d scared her lawyer enough to convince him to give Robert the papers that had sealed Marie’s fate.

When Mr. Peters returned a few minutes later, I sat up straight again. I couldn’t let him see just how messed up I was inside over all of this.

“Here’s the drive. All of my meetings with Marie are on it,” he said.

I stood and took the thumb drive from him. “Thank you for your help. I truly appreciate this. I hate to leave so abruptly, but I need to return home before I’m missed.”

“I understand,” Mr. Peters said as I walked past him. “Mrs. Evans?”

I turned back to him. “Yes?”

“Watch your back.”

I floored it all the way home, terrified that Robert already knew where I was or that Cooper would call and ask me when I would be home. I made it back to the house in record time. When I parked the car, I quickly climbed out. The thumb drive in my pocket felt like a ten-pound weight. My hands shook as I climbed the stairs and walked to Cooper’s room. I didn’t want to tell him where I had been, but I needed his computer to pull the audio files from the thumb drive.

I knocked on his door, but he didn’t answer. I carefully opened the door and peered inside. The room was empty. I sighed in relief as I walked in and flipped the lights on. I practically ran across his room to where his computer sat. I sat down in his chair and turned his system on. While I waited for it to load, I pulled my phone and charger out of my purse and grabbed the drive out of my pocket. Once the monitor displayed the desktop screen, I plugged my cord into the computer and my phone. I shoved the drive into the computer and waited for the file location to pop up.

When it loaded, I saw that there were four files on the drive. I sighed in relief. I had worried that there would be several. Listening to four would be much easier than going through ten or twenty.

I copied the files over to my phone and pulled the drive out without bothering to disconnect it properly. I did the same with my phone. I threw everything into my purse and shut off Cooper’s computer. I didn’t want him to know that I had been in his room at all. I wanted to listen to the files on my own first. Then, I would come clean about everything I had found out. I knew he would be angry with me for not telling him anything, but I hoped that he would understand my reasoning. I didn’t want to give him false hope.

I stopped by my room to grab a pair of headphones before dashing down the stairs and back out to my car. I left the house and headed into the main part of town. I needed to listen to everything Marie had to say, and I knew I couldn’t do it at the house. Robert or Cooper might come home early and catch me. Neither of them could know what I was up to.

I pulled into the parking lot at Starbucks and walked inside. I had no idea how long it would take me to go through the files—I hadn’t taken the time to see how long each file was—and I needed to stay alert.

I stepped up to the counter where a pretty blonde was standing. She smiled when she saw me.

“Can I get a venti Americano, please?” I asked.

“Sure.” She punched a few buttons on the register and gave me my total.

I swiped my card and took the receipt she handed me.

“Thanks,” I said as I moved over for the customer behind me.

“I need one venti Americano,” she called.

“Sure thing, Chloe,” another girl said as she grabbed a cup.

I tapped my foot impatiently until my coffee was handed to me. Without a word, I hurried back out to my car. Once I was back inside, I locked the doors and pulled my headphones out of my purse. I plugged them into my phone and put them on. My hands shook as I unlocked my phone and pulled up the files. Before I could lose my nerve, I pushed play.

“Today is March fourth, two thousand thirteen. This is session one with client Marie Evans.” Mr. Peter’s voice filled my ears. “Marie is here to seek legal council about a divorce from her husband, Robert Evans. Marie, why don’t we start at the beginning?”

“Why are you recording this?” a feminine voice asked. Marie sounded slightly alarmed.

“I record all sessions with my clients in case I need to listen to our conversations again. I assure you that I’m the only one who will hear this recording.”

“All right then,” Marie said. “As I’ve already told you, I’m here to speak to you about filing for a divorce from my husband, Robert Evans.”

“And you’ve traveled all the way from northern West Virginia because your husband is a lawyer in your town?”

“Correct. I want to keep this completely silent until everything is ready, and the papers are filed. Since my husband is so well connected, that would be impossible if I worked with someone in Morgantown or in the surrounding communities.”

“I understand. So, why don’t you tell me the circumstances for this decision? Also, tell me about Robert.”

“Robert and I have been married for over twenty years. We have one son who is in college. We’ve lived in Morgantown our entire lives, and we are very immersed in our community. My husband owns his own firm with several lawyers and employees working for him. I’ve spent my life raising our son, Cooper, and volunteering on local committee boards.”

“And what has brought you to the decision to file for divorce?”

There was a long pause before Marie answered, “I’ve watched my husband change over the years. As his career took off and he quickly made a reputation for himself, he started to grow distant. Distant turned to cold, and cold turned to cruel. Over the last several years, my husband has abused me, mentally and physically. I also recently learned of several instances when he has been unfaithful to me with both unknown women and some whom I am familiar with. One of those women is my best friend, Sandra Buckhannon, who is married to Robert’s best friend, Brad Buckhannon.”

“You have proof of his infidelities?”

“Yes, I have several photographs.”

“Did all three of them have each other followed?” I said out loud. “Jesus.”