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Aiden and I pray before we head into the courthouse, where Reggie and the team are waiting for us. I’m immensely relieved when we’re escorted through a private entrance because of Aiden’s fame. I didn’t want to have to explain why I was carrying a gun, even though it would have been allowed the moment I showed them my Shining Knight credentials.
“Right this way, Mr. Shaw. They’re waiting for you,” the guard says, gesturing to a secure room.
While the lawyers are discussing the last-minute details, Aiden’s phone rings with an incoming email. I glance over his shoulder to see who it’s from and ask if he recognizes the sender.
“No, but whoever sent it attached a video.”
I whisper low into my comm. “Jerry, are you seeing this?”
“Yeah. Let me send a link that will allow me remote access to Aiden’s phone. I’ll scrub it to make sure it doesn’t contain any malware before you open up the file.”
I tell Aiden what Jerry said, and as soon as the link comes in, Aiden downloads the program. Aiden’s screen starts flickering as Jerry navigates through his phone.
“It’s clean. Go ahead and open it,” Jerry says a minute later.
Aiden does as directed, gasping when the camera pans around, and Swank comes into view. Swank is bound to a chair; his chin touching his chest and blood dripping down the side of his face. A synthesized voice says, “If you want to save your friend, you’ll do as we say. When the time comes, don’t put up a fight, or otherwise, you’ll meet the same fate.”
“Can you trace that, Jer?” I ask, hoping he can work his magic quickly.
“It’s going to take me some time to locate their IP address, but they can’t hide from me.”
Time is the one thing we don’t have, and I have a feeling this is all coming to a head.
The bailiff knocks on the door to escort us down the hall. Reggie gives Aiden a few words of encouragement before we follow the legal team to the courtroom, where Patricia and Gerald McFadden are waiting for us.
Patricia sits prim, proper, and dressed to impress; her hands folded on the table in front of her. When she glances our way, she looks like that cat who got the cream, and it’s at that moment that I know she has something up her sleeve. I don’t find out what it is until I’m asked to take the stand.
Patricia claims that Aiden and his parents are endangering Penny by not creating a safe environment and have failed to remove her from the dangerous situation. She feels that the time has come for her to step in and take action, despite having signed away her rights. She claims that she did so under duress, but she had held on to hope that Aiden would have Penny’s best interest at heart.
Aiden’s lawyers counter by explaining that action has been taken, hence the six bodyguards hired for protection. They purposefully refrain from including me in the number stated.
Gerald clears his throat, “Two times in the past month, Penny has been subjected to possible life-threatening conditions. Not only was she in the general vicinity when a shot was fired at her father, but also when a known stalker managed to infiltrate the ‘secured’ home. If that isn’t bad enough, Mr. Shaw became engaged after a mere four days to a woman with ties to the local mafia. Let me introduce Exhibit A.” The same picture of me with the O’Sullivans that was in the envelope is put on the screen.
One of Aiden’s lawyers argues that I had no idea who the men were when they approached me, which is why I didn’t appear to be nervous.
McFadden smirks at Aiden, who remains calm and composed in front of me. “Unfortunately, you don’t have any proof to back up your argument. ‘A picture is worth a thousand words,’ and this one speaks volumes.”
“In fact, we do have proof,” another of Aiden’s lawyers says. He plays the video of the entire conversation, and McFadden’s eyes widen. However, instead of being taken aback, he almost looks happy.
“I don’t know how you managed to get this recording, but all this proves is that Aiden is associated with local criminals, and Penny is in more danger than we originally thought.”
Eventually, I’m asked to take the stand, and my integrity is questioned. I’m blindsided by the amount of information McFadden has regarding my childhood experiences, and I have to wonder if my mother sold me out. Other than Aiden, she’s the only one who would have had the details.
My greatest fear is confirmed when McFadden says, “Gretchen Jones, now Gretchen Wilson, has openly admitted that she groomed her daughter Savannah Jones to marry wealthy, giving credence to the accusations that Savannah is only after Aiden’s money and doesn’t care about Penny’s welfare. What do you have to say to that, Ms. Jones? Or should I call you Ms. Anna Blackwood? Why would you need to hide your identity if you weren’t trying to scheme your way into a life of luxury?”
I keep my face neutral as I answer despite the rising temperature of the blood flowing through my veins. “As you clearly pointed out, my childhood was controlled by a woman with an agenda. That agenda was hers and hers alone. I used an assumed identity upon my arrival in Savannah because I didn’t know that my mother had changed. I felt I needed to do whatever I could to avoid an unnecessary encounter with her.”
Gerald walks up to me and then leans casually against the banister. “Might I ask how much is currently in your bank account, Ms. Jones? Actually, don’t answer that because I already know. You have nearly two million dollars in assets, and it begs me to wonder. How does a ‘nanny’ have so much money? If you aren’t luring wealthy men with your undeniable beauty, then how did you come to have so much?”
Aiden and Reggie both nod, permitting me to reveal who I am to the judge. “I’m not a nanny. I’m actually a protection specialist currently working for Shining Knight, headquartered in New York City. I spent nearly eight years working for the FBI prior to my current position, and because I lived out of a suitcase for most of that time, there was no need to spend frivolously. Through solid investments and savings, I created a nest egg for when I retire. I don’t need anyone else’s money because I have plenty of my own. I live within my means and work hard for everything I have.” I look pointedly at Patricia during the last part of my statement.
Gerald is genuinely shocked this time, having had no idea about what I truly do for a living. He looks a little nervous now that he knows. He doesn’t ask any more questions, but one of Aiden’s lawyers does. “Ms. Jones, as a security expert, do you feel that Penny is in danger by living with Mr. Shaw?”
“Aiden has done what any great father would do. He has gone out of his way to ensure the safety of his daughter. In my professional opinion, Penny would actually be in more danger living with Patricia since she doesn’t have the means to provide the same level of protection.”
I’m excused from the stand, and I retake my seat directly behind Aiden. I begin to think all might be lost, but then a man hands a folder to Aiden’s team of lawyers. They ask for a minute to peruse the documents and then ask the judge for permission to submit additional evidence that just came to light.
Handing the folder to the judge, Aiden’s lawyer says, “Let the record show that Patricia Shilling is associated with the O’Sullivans. If you look closely, you’ll see an exchange between Mrs. Shilling and Conor O’Sullivan in progress. Inside, there is also documentation that she was recently diagnosed with Anhedonia and had been prescribed low-dose ketamine to manage the symptoms. Anhedonia is the inability to feel joy, Your Honor. If you look on page two, you’ll see the doctor’s notes regarding Mrs. Shilling’s abuse of the medication and his refusal to continue that particular form of treatment. Based on the photograph, it appears as if Mrs. Shilling has taken it upon herself to self-medicate. Can you imagine what would happen if a child were to come into contact with such a substance? I shiver at the thought.”
