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I sighed. “Brandon and the entire staff will be there, Liz. I won’t be by myself.”
“Okay, if I don’t hear from you every half hour I will be there with the police.”
I was now irritated. “Whatever happens, please don’t call the police.”
She was silent for a minute and then apologized. “Sorry, I forgot about that.”
“Okay, I have to go. I have to get there before the contractors. I’m already late.”
Liz was now a bit more subdued. “Okay. Be careful and I love you.”
“I love you more.” I hung up the phone and headed straight for my Buick.
The ride to the ranch was peaceful. I was looking forward to getting the master bedroom done. I wasn’t sure what shape the ranch was in. The last time I was inside, there was broken glass, paper, and dirt everywhere. The police really went out of their way to make a mess. I got tired of thinking about the raid and drifted back to my gynecology visit the day before. The doctor detected something abnormal during the ultrasound. I was a little worried although the doctor assured me it was probably nothing to be worried about. I had an appointment scheduled and was eager to find out if everything was okay with my baby.
I still had not decided whether to tell Chris. He had enough on his plate and I wasn’t sure if I wanted him in our lives. Chris had enemies and the last thing I wanted was for his drama to affect my baby. I still had anxiety from the interrogation room.
I was about twenty minutes away from the ranch when Chris called.
“Are you going to the ranch today?”
“I’m about twenty minutes away, why?”
“I was hoping you could do me a small favor.”
I grew apprehensive. “Sure, what do you need?”
“Do you have the music box with you?”
Okay, doesn’t sound like anything crazy. “Yes, it’s in the trunk of my car.”
“Great, can you meet me at Beans and Buns beside Barnes and Nobles in Highland Park before you go to the ranch?”
“Yes, sure.”
He hung up without saying goodbye.
I parked in front of Barnes and Noble, got my travel tote with the music box out of my trunk, and walked to the small coffee shop just next door. I was surprised to see Chris’ lawyer Peter when I walked in. I recognized him from a few days before at the precinct. He had gloves, he took the music box out of my travel tote and carefully placed the music box and its contents into a big clear bag. He sealed the bag and took the gloves off. He thanked me and walked away as if he was Perry Mason getting ready to crack a case wide open.
Chris was on the phone when I walked in, I wasn’t sure who he was talking with but it sounded serious. Chris’ brow was wrinkled and he didn’t acknowledge me when I walked in. When Peter left, I wasn’t sure what to do. I decided it would be best if I headed to the ranch to meet the contractors. I walked out of the store and headed for my car. I opened the door and was about to slide into my seat when I heard Chris yell, “Sam!”
I turned and watched him run from the coffee shop to me. “Thank you,” he said. “I really appreciate you giving me the benefit of the doubt. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t know what to make of all this.”
Trust me, Mr. Brooks, I am still skeptical of you.“No problem, we all need some grace.” I gave him a smile, got in my car, and drove away.
My instincts were kicking in. I wanted to insulate my baby from whatever was going on. I did believe Chris was innocent, but I also saw firsthand how easily everyone around him could get affected. I was now fifteen minutes away and late. The trades were waiting on me.
* * *
Everything was coming alongas planned: the floors were done and the painters were doing the final touch-up before leaving for the day. I wanted to start staging but I was tired and the fumes from the paint were not good for me or the baby. I cracked a window to get fresh air in and headed to the garage to start examining some of the furniture I planned to stage the next day. I was barely halfway to the garage when my phone rang, it was Lizzie.
“Hey, Sis, what’s going on?”
Lizzie was annoyed. “You missed your last check-in.”
“I know I am sorry. I meant to text.”
“What time are you leaving?” She sounded concerned.
