Chapter 23
Ben had just gotten off the phone with Uncle Sal when his cell phone rang.
He checked the caller id, “Tanner, what’s up?”
“I’m with Duncan. He’d like to talk to Jamie today before you all leave for St. Louis this afternoon. Can you come by this morning?”
Even though Duncan had told them to check with him before leaving town for the game, Ben was a little surprised.
“Sure. Tell him we can be there within the hour. Tanner, call me when you leave him.”
“Will do.” Tanner ended the call.
As Ben began to stand, there was a quick rap at the door. It opened and he looked up to find Lane standing in the doorway. She was wearing yet another pair of leggings, a long sweater, and riding boots. Her long strawberry blonde hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders. He gave her his full wattage Bellini smile and walked toward her.
She smiled back at him, “Are you going to be working all day today?”
He kissed her, “I hope not, but Tanner just called and I need to take Jamie to talk to the detective investigating Coach Ferguson’s murder.”
“I’d almost forgotten about that,” she sighed, “almost.”
What she meant was that she hadn’t thought about the mess yet today. But then again, she’d only been up for half an hour.
“Okay, I can be ready in just a few minutes. He’s a minor so he can have a parent with him, right?”
Ben put the index finger of his right hand under her chin and lifted her face so she was looking at him.
“He’s going to have a parent with him. And I’m a lawyer, so two birds with one stone.” He bent and kissed her again. “It’s just routine. I don’t want you to worry.” He whispered as he pulled her close to him.
“Are you telling me I can’t come?” She asked.
How was he going to answer that? The truth was he’d rather she not get involved, but Jamie was her son too. Luckily, the ringing of his cell phone saved him. He looked at her, “This is Tanner, I told him to call after he left the detective. Let me just talk to him and then we can discuss whether or not you need to come along.”
“Tanner, what’s up? Why does Duncan want to see Jamie?”
“He wants to have him look at a photo lineup. They might actually have this thing figured out and they want to ask Jamie if he remembers seeing anyone in the parking lot when he found Harper Monday or maybe in the halls Tuesday when he found the coach.”
Ben looked at Lane and gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.
“That’s good. Are you still there or are you on your way someplace else?” Ben asked Tanner.
“I’m in my SUV. Regardless of what Duncan says, unless there’s an arrest and a confession, I plan to follow that team bus to St. Louis this afternoon and I’ve got a couple of things to do before we leave.” Tanner replied.
Ben ended the call and looked at Lane.
“Tanner says they want Jamie to look at some photos and see if they can jog his memory about seeing anyone either in the parking lot Monday or the halls at school on Tuesday. Tanner says they might have it figured out. That means they have a suspect and want to see if Jamie can place that person at either of the scenes.”
He put his hands on either side of her face and looked into her sky blue eyes.
“I wasn’t telling you that you couldn’t come along. What I’m saying is, I’ve got this. You can stay home and spend time working on Evie, you know, talking to her about moving down here.”
Lane looked up into Ben’s eyes, studying his face. “You’re sure they just want Jamie to look at some photos and ask him some questions about whether he remembers seeing anyone?”
Ben dropped his hands and pulled her close to him. “Yes, at least it’s what Tanner told me. If it turns out to be anything else, I’ll call or text you. Now, I told Tanner I’d have Jamie there within an hour. I need to get him and we need to go.”
She trusted Ben. He was her husband, the father of her youngest son, and the best criminal defense lawyer in the metro. She knew that Jamie couldn’t be safer or better cared for and yet, she was Jamie’s mother and it had always been her job to protect him. What was it that Ben had told her last month when the police questioned Jess? She needs a lawyer, not a mother. Lane leaned back and looked at Ben, “Okay, go. But call me as soon as you finish or if it’s more than just a photo line-up.”
Ben bent and kissed the top of her head before leaving her to find Jamie. As father and son walked toward the garage, Ben looked at Lane, “I love you, Red.” Then he and Jamie were out the door.
Lane shook her head and whispered to the empty room, “I love you too.”
Gabe and Jess were running lines, rehearsing for their movie in Jess’s room and Evie was in the hearth room reading. Lane walked into the hearth room and sat with her friend.
Evie looked up from her e-reader and smiled at Lane, “You know that man really loves you?” She was thinking, “How many men would fly the ex-mother-in-law of his bride to the wedding reception, let alone invite her for Thanksgiving and have her stay in his guest room?”
Lane smiled and absent-mindedly rubbed her baby bump. “I know.”
Evie looked at Lane, “Are you really doing all right, dear?”
Lane smiled. “Yes, I’m fine, feeling less fatigued every day. Which is good because ‘that man,’ as you call him, has a tendency to pick me up and carry me to bed if I fall asleep anyplace else.” Lane laughed. “I fell asleep in the car Monday night and he carried me in and put me to bed. When I awoke Tuesday morning, I told him he had to stop carrying me and he told me I’d just have to get used to it because he would not wake me up.”
Evie laughed. “He’s a good man.”
Evie hated to admit it, even to herself, but Jamie was right, Ben Bellini was a better husband and father than Philip Parker had ever been.
Evie’s cell phone rang and she excused herself to answer it. “Hello?”
A male voice was on the other end of the line. “Hi.”
She immediately recognized the voice, “Phillip?”
“Yes. I know you’re with Lane, can you talk?”
Evie looked at Lane, smiled, and motioned toward her room. As she walked she responded, “Yes, what’s going on?”
“You know that the Illinois Governor signed the marriage equality bill last week. Ralphie and I are getting married between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I’m calling to give you a heads up and invite you.”
“Have you spoken to Phyllis?” She asked. Phyllis was her daughter, Phillip’s sister.
“No, I wanted to talk with you first and while you’re still at Lane’s. Do you think the kids will come?”
Phillip hadn’t been close with his kids since he’d left their mother, and quite honestly, Evie wasn’t sure why it seemed so important to him to have them there. She shook her head. She’d often acted as a sort of go between for Phillip with the children, but this was something he needed to do himself.
“You do know you’re going to have to call them yourself and ask, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course I will, I just wanted to know what you think. Ralphie really wants them to be there.”
Evie smiled, Ralphie had never had children of his own and, from what she gathered over the years, it was Ralphie who frequently urged Phillip to have a relationship with the kids.
“Phillip, you’re going to have to call them and ask. Jess is home for the weekend, but she’s leaving the country Monday. I don’t know where she’ll be spending the holidays. I suggest you phone Lane. You know she’s always been your best advocate with the children.” She paused. Should she tell him that Lane had married, that she was pregnant, and that Jamie wasn’t his son after all? “You should wait until after the weekend though, there’s a lot going on here. Jamie’s football team is playing for the state championship later today and everyone is getting ready to make the trip to St. Louis.”