Dead Giveaway (Stillwater Trilogy #2)(66)
Author: Brenda Novak

"Thank you for coming," Grace said and beckoned her inside a grand foyer.

Grace had her hair in a messy knot and wasn’t wearing any makeup, but she had deep blue eyes like Clay’s and the same elegant structure to her face. Few women looked so beautiful right after giving birth. Perhaps Grace wasn’t as slender as usual, but she’d always had a curvaceous figure, and a few extra pounds only added to that effect.

"Good to see you," Allie said. "How’s the baby?"

Grace smiled. "Fine. She’s sleeping in her bassinet upstairs. I’ll bring her down and let you take a peek at her when we’re finished here."

"And the boys? Are they around?"

"No, I had Kennedy take them over to Grandma and Grandpa Archer’s for a visit. They didn’t want to leave the baby, of course, but I’m not ready to let her go out."

Allie remembered the joy she’d experienced at Whitney’s birth. She also remembered wanting to share that joy with her husband–and how negatively he’d reacted. He’d spent most of the first few months working late or going out with his buddies because he couldn’t stand the care and devotion she lavished on their child. "There’s nothing like having a baby," she murmured.

"No," Grace said. "There isn’t."

Allie adjusted the strap of her purse. "I’m sorry about Clay. And I’m especially sorry that it had to happen at a time like this."

Worry clouded Grace’s eyes. "I doubt the timing was a coincidence."

"You think the mayor and the Vincellis were hoping to catch you at a weak moment?"

"I do. They’re hoping I won’t be available to help him. But I won’t let them get away with what they’re doing. Clay doesn’t deserve to go to prison."

"I know."

"We’ll meet in here," Grace said, taking her to a drawing room that contained a large sofa and two chairs. Two walls were covered by built-in bookshelves and the other two walls had very large windows with expensive, heavy draperies. Allie might have commented on the beauty of the room, which was tastefully decorated in cranberry, green and ivory, but there were two people seated on the sofa staring up at her. Two people she hadn’t expected to see: Madeline Barker and Irene Montgomery.

"Hi, Allie," Madeline said. "Come and sit down."

"Good to see you, Maddy," she said.

"I’m so glad you’re willing to help us."

Irene’s red, splotchy face suggested she’d been crying. Allie tried to convince herself that Clay’s mother was only upset about his arrest. But the way her lips tightened made Allie think Irene blamed her for what had happened to Clay.

No doubt all three women had heard about the time she’d spent at the cabin with him. And no doubt they all knew how her father had reacted to finding them together–or she wouldn’t be in need of a job.

Feeling extremely self-conscious, she took a seat in one of the chairs across from them.

"His arraignment’s on Tuesday," Grace announced, adjusting the volume on the baby monitor which sat on the small table next to her.

"Any idea what they’ll be asking for bail?" Allie asked, since she was likely the only one who hadn’t heard anything about this.

"I’m guessing half a million."

"That’s outrageous!" Madeline cried.

Grace’s eyes glittered with righteous indignation. "Kennedy told me they’re going to claim he’s a danger to society."

"How does Kennedy know that?" Allie asked.

"His mother told him. She’s so well connected she hears everything."

Allie tried not to look at Irene. "And if they get a high bail…"

"We’ll cover it," Grace said. "Clay mortgaged the farm to be able to clean the place up and do some repairs, but it’s been several years since he did that and it wasn’t a large note to begin with.

He has plenty of equity. So we’ll refinance when I run out of my own money."

"He has clear title to the property?" Allie asked.

"He bought us out a few years ago," Madeline explained.

"Getting back to the subject…from what Kennedy’s mother says, they’re going to throw everything at us they possibly can," Grace said.

"Beth Ann’s testimony won’t stand up," Madeline said.

"Beth Ann’s sticking with her story?" Allie asked in amazement. She’d assumed that Clay’s visit to Beth Ann’s trailer might have changed the other woman’s mind.

"That’s the rumor," Grace said.

"Aren’t–aren’t they still seeing each other?" Allie felt herself flush as she became the center of attention.

Madeline stared at her blankly. "He’s seeing you, isn’t he?"

"Not really," Allie admitted.

Irene dabbed at fresh tears. "The Vincellis are using Beth Ann, and she’s not strong enough or smart enough to stop it. They’ll coach her, and the attorneys will coach her. You said that yourself just a minute ago, Grace."

Grace ignored her mother. "What else do they have that’s new, Allie?"

"Nothing," she said. "Unless they can come up with the remains, a murder weapon, fiber evidence, something, I don’t think they have much."

"Jed Fowler could change his testimony," Grace said.

"What makes you think he might do that?" Allie asked.

"Someone called here this morning."

"Who?" Allie and Madeline spoke in unison.

"He wouldn’t identify himself."

They all scooted forward. "What’d he say?"

"That Jed’s the one who shot Clay at the cabin."

"No! Jed would never hurt Clay," Madeline argued.

Allie didn’t respond. She stared at Grace. "Is that all he said?"

"No, he claimed there was proof but then disconnected before he told me what it was."

Jed’s cap. Joe had known about it last night at the pool hall, soon after Allie had told Hendricks she’d found it. Had Joe or Hendricks called Grace?

If so…Allie’s jaw tightened. Hendricks had acted as if the cap was unimportant. But maybe he didn’t know that it played a significant role in what was happening. That someone was going to use it to lean on Jed, hoping to persuade him to change his story so they could build a stronger case against Clay.

Allie’s heart began to pound as she saw the brilliance behind such a plan. If the situation was what she imagined it might be, Joe, the mayor or whoever else was out to get Clay, had played her like a pawn. They knew she’d take the attack at the cabin personally, that she’d search for evidence. So they’d planted what they wanted her to find. And not only had she found it, she’d reported it and turned it in. She’d done that a few minutes ago, on her way to Grace’s house. The fact that she’d found the cap, someone who was friendly with Clay and an ex-police officer to boot, lent Clay’s opponents even more credibility.