Shattered Dreams (6 page)

“And now you’re defending the lady? So, which is it? Saint or killer?”

“Merely giving you the details.” Jimbo shook his head and took another bite before he caught Jason’s eye, and an indolent grin settled over his face. “The Carters’ catalog company’s sales have been doubling yearly. Did ten million last year, and netted over three. From what I’ve unearthed after talking to those in the know, she earns it and hubby spends it. You do the math. Isn’t that what you hired me for? Details?”

“But you’re glossing over the most important one. I would’ve thought the detail that she’s Crystal’s sister would speak the loudest.”

“No, Roberts. What speaks is the information I gathered. And if certain assumptions are accurate, she’s a saint on paper if I ever saw one.”

“I didn’t know you were into saints.” Jason bit into his sandwich and chewed, eyeing his friend. For some reason, the reverent way he spoke about Claire annoyed him. When he swallowed, he added, “But I can understand it. Only a saint would put up with you.”

“Don’t give me your psycho-babble bullshit, and don’t give me any saints. I prefer women who have sinned a little. You know that.”

Jason’s only response was to shake his head and offer a ready grin.

“What?” Jim asked, his eyebrows slanted.

“Take it from me. You don’t want a sinner long term,” he replied. “It can be painful when they can’t stop sinning.”

“Now you see why I stay single. Saints like Claire Carter don’t interest me.”

“Just as well.”

Jason couldn’t stop the quick burst of a chuckle erupting straight from his chest, unwilling to admit to how relieved he was at Jimbo’s answer. He pushed from his mind the thought that part of why he was so amused had nothing to do with humor.

“Now, finish telling me what you found out.”

“Thought that was enough to give you a clear picture. Looks as if there’s recent activity on the charge, but it’ll take a bit more time to get that info. Not much more to tell right now. I’ll keep on it. Finances look good. Everything’s held in joint accounts, which surprises me given his penchant for gambling. Company’s a partnership lasting several years. All I can say is
hubby must be good in bed for the saint to stay with the sinner for so long.” Jimbo gulped half his drink and then smiled. “You’re not interested in this saint, are you?”

“No.” The sharp retort hung in the air as Jason briefly wondered why it sounded so forced. He added smoothly, “I’m only doing Crystal a favor. You know. For her going all out and getting Elise off my back.”

“Didn’t she bill you for that?” His eyebrows quirked, adding more amusement to his smirk.

“No. She was evasive about the information she unearthed, information even you didn’t find, I might add. She and Elise met for drinks, and the next thing I knew, the papers were signed without a peep. So I owe her.”

“Okay,” Jimbo said, still grinning. “I’ll swallow. But a word of caution, old buddy.” His grin faded. “Don’t get involved with Crystal’s twin.”

“I don’t need a warning.” Jason snorted. “I’ve got my hands full dealing with Elise’s shit to even think of getting involved with a woman
,
especially a married one like Claire Carter.”

“She’s trouble. If she’s put up with him and his ways for this long, he’s either got something on her or she’s in love with him. And saints tend to love the wrong men.”

Jason swore under his breath and took a long drink of Coke, noting Jimbo’s skeptical expression. The feeble denials hadn’t fooled his friend. But he simply ignored both the look and the warning, refusing to believe he actually needed either. The lady was definitely not a viable candidate for any relationship he’d consider, even if she weren’t married.

“Just keep digging,” he said before returning to his lunch.

• • •

Once back in his office, he punched in the office number Claire had given him. “Claire? Jason Roberts here.”

“Any news?” From both the speed she picked up and the anxious tone of her voice, she had to have been sitting by the phone waiting for his call.

“Some. Got a call from Deputy Snyder.” He didn’t disclose any of the information he’d learned from O’Malley, nor did he say anything about the drugged champagne or the blood bag. News like that should be offered in person. “He’d like to meet with you. To be on the safe side, I’ll go with you.”

“I’m quite capable of driving down and talking with the deputy on my own.”

“You’re my client, remember?”

He smiled at the audible sigh hitting his ears.

“I haven’t paid you a dime,” she said. “Remember?”

“I told you, I’m doing this as a favor to your sister.”

“Mr. Roberts
—
”

“Jason,” he said, cutting her off.

“Jason.” She paused and added in a curt tone, “I’m not stupid. Let me guess. Your office is in a high-rise in Boca. I’m betting on a top floor with an ocean view, and that doesn’t come cheap. I’ve decided I’d rather not be in my sister’s debt.”

“Then I’ll bill you what I was planning on billing her.”

“I’m not sure I want you as my lawyer.”

“You want me as your lawyer. Trust me.” Jason swiveled around to look out the floor-to-ceiling window at the panoramic ocean view. His grin spread. “Besides, Jimbo only works for me. He’s found out a few interesting details. We can use the drive to update you. I told him to keep working, but like I said, he only works for me.”

“Sounds like a bribe, or even a threat.”

“Take your pick. I use what works.”

She sighed and remained silent. He held his breath, not completely sure of the outcome.

“I guess I can keep you on for another day or so.”

His smile returned. “Good. I’ll drive. How’s three o’clock sound? I know we’ll hit traffic, but that’ll give me time to tie up a few loose ends.” When she neither agreed nor disagreed, he went for broke. “I’ll pick you up. We’ll go to dinner afterward. I bet you haven’t eaten a decent meal all weekend.”

“We’ll see,” was all she said before hanging up on him.

Jason rolled her comment around in his brain and stared unseeing out the window. “Yes, Mrs. Carter. We will see.”

Chapter 5

Claire checked her watch. Two forty-five. Mr. Roberts would be here shortly.

Instantly, her thoughts shifted to the pushy attorney. She had faith he’d help her find her answers. But now that she could think more objectively, a few things bothered her
—
like the way he’d sidestepped her inquiry about Crystal without explaining their connection. She didn’t trust her sister, for good reason, and she wasn’t about to trust him.

When her buzzer sounded, she tapped the button. “Yes, Amy?”

“Gordon Wilson’s on the line. Says it’s important.”

“Okay.” Claire closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The last thing she needed was a call from her financial planner.

“Gordon? I’m surprised to hear from you. I thought we took care of business weeks ago. Is something wrong?”

“Why are you selling off your portfolio?”

“There must be some mistake. I’m not selling anything.”

Dead silence permeated the line.

“Gordon?” A feeling of foreboding settled in the pit of her stomach when he remained silent. “Are you still there? What makes you think I’m selling?”

Finally, Gordon cleared his throat. “Claire, I don’t know how to break it to you, but there’ve been several Internet trades on your account in the past two hours. Half your stocks have been sold and the proceeds sent to another bank.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I put a hold on the account and called the minute I caught it. Thank God I happened to be going through your files, checking to see which stock to sell in order to buy the stock you asked me about, remember?”

“Yes. I remember the conversation. But I didn’t authorize any other transactions.”

“Would Carl be selling off? It
is
a joint account, and he has the right.”

“I don’t think so,” she said, not wanting him to know that Carl had disappeared. “We haven’t discussed our conversation. Usually, he lets me handle the money side of things.”

“I’m aware of that.”

Claire expelled a large breath. The man didn’t know the half of it. Despite coming from wealth, Carl Carter had no clue about earning money. No clue as to saving or investing it either. The only thing Carl was good at was spending. The headache she’d tried to avoid loomed larger than ever.

“Can you keep the hold? I’m not sure if or why Carl made the transactions,” she lied, knowing full well the bastard was trying to rip her off. “But he’s unavailable right now.”

“Okay,” Gordon said. “E-mail me a request, and I’ll keep it for as long as I can. If someone’s gotten hold of your security information, you might want to consider placing the remaining shares into another account for protection. I’ll also start an internal investigation to try and find out where the trade was initiated. But I gotta warn you, that’s like finding dirt in sand.”

“I will. Thanks, Gordon. I owe you.”

Claire hung up and sat back with closed eyes, blocking out pain.

At least Carl wasn’t dead. Yet why would he take what he already considered his? She was amazed he even knew how to access the stocks, much less have knowledge on how to sell them. He’d never been interested in them before. If nothing else, this confirmed the idea of him disappearing on purpose. Once again, she could kick herself for not divorcing his ass instead of giving him one last chance.

She glanced at her watch before she stood and grabbed her briefcase. Too late to call the attorney and cancel. She might as well meet with the deputy in Key Largo to see if he’d uncovered Carl’s whereabouts, and then go from there. She walked out of her office.

When Amy looked up, she said, “Can you make copies of these and make sure Gwen gets them? Put the originals on my desk.”

“Sure thing,” her assistant said in her perky voice.

Watching Amy sashay away to make copies, Claire now wondered about the office gossip. During their last big fight, Carl had denied there was anything going on, and she’d believed him, mainly because Amy didn’t seem like the type to sleep with another woman’s husband. But what if the rumors were true? After all, sleazy men like Carl tended to take advantage of innocence. Claire was proof of that.

The elevator doors opened. Jason stepped into the reception area and strode up to Amy’s desk where Claire still stood. Funny, she hadn’t paid attention to his looks during their meeting, and didn’t remember him being so attractive. She definitely noticed now that her fears over Carl floating in the ocean were officially snuffed out.

Claire heaved her briefcase’s strap over her shoulder and pushed out thoughts of Carl and his misdeeds. “You’re prompt, Mr. Roberts.”

“I try to be. And it’s Jason, remember?” He pinned her with a stare and grinned.

“Jason,” Claire murmured grudgingly, struggling with her reaction to that beautiful smile, one adding an element of innocence to his demeanor. In a conscious effort, she clenched her fist, stilling the urge to brush away an errant lock of black hair that fell over his forehead, wondering if it felt as soft as it looked, and also wondering why he had such an effect on her.

“Shall we go?”

Mutely, she nodded. It wasn’t so much boyish charm that made Jason so attractive. Claire was used to charming men like her husband. It was that he seemed so oblivious to his charm and so totally different from Carl, who used charm to manipulate.

While discreetly glancing at him, she noticed Jason was dressed much as he’d been the day she’d met him. He wore South Florida’s summer business uniform, neatly pressed Dockers and a short-sleeved polo. His clothes emphasized a physique radiating strength and stealth. She thought it odd how the shirt’s navy color highlighted those intense blue eyes, which added to his innocent, boyish appearance while contrasting so starkly with the powerful man lurking within.

For heaven’s sake, she wasn’t some infatuated teenager with her first crush. Claire gave herself a mental shake and followed him to the elevator. Didn’t she have enough on her plate in dealing with Carl without being enamored with one of Crystal’s friends?

Once the elevator doors closed, the space immediately diminished in size. Her lungs wouldn’t inflate. Though staring straight ahead, her senses seemed heightened. She felt Jason’s presence as if an electrical current surged nearby. The hairs on her body tingled at the exact moment the tangy aroma of deodorant mixed with aftershave wafted under her nose.

The doors opened and they headed for the glass entrance. When he stopped to hold the door for her, she rushed past, relishing the bright Florida sunshine, and thankful to be out in the open where she could finally breathe again, no matter that the temperature and humidity were stifling.

She sighed and slid into the passenger side of his silver Mercedes. It was going to be a long afternoon.

• • •

Twenty-five minutes later, while driving south toward Key Largo and after just exiting the turnpike, Jason glanced at Claire, who stared out the window, a solemnity etched into her expression. He’d endured her silent treatment for most of their brief association and should be used to it. In reality, her silence alone didn’t bother him. What bothered him more was the sense of impending doom emanating from her.

“I don’t think he’s dead,” he said, hoping to ease some of the anxiety that hung about the car.

Her shoulders stiffened and her body tightened. Even her hair looked stiff. “I already know what you think, so tell me something different.”

“Okay.” A slight smile tugged at the edges of his lips and turned into a full-on grin. Claire’s irritation was a huge improvement. She was much easier to deal with when her body language shouted bristling annoyance rather than dread. “How long’s he been cheating? And why’d you keep it from me?”

Oops
. Smooth move and definitely the wrong questions he realized too late as her chin jutted defiantly and angry green eyes flashed daggers of fury aimed directly at him.

Yet, she didn’t answer. Instead, after throwing her mental barbs, she returned her attention to the window and kept it there, silently gazing at the passing scenery once more. Only this time her demeanor revealed an outraged edge.