Evidence Not Seen (Love Is Book 9) Read online

  “Really? Is that you?” She briefly touched his sleeve. “Did you pass the bar exam on the first try, too?”

  “As a matter fact, I did.”

  After a moment, Melanie said, “I’m impressed.”

  “You should be,” Jeff replied with a grin. “After all, someone has to do the work those celebrities bring in.”

  “Yeah, and I’d bet mister-sloppy-drunk William Bentsen doesn’t carry his share of the load, not unless he’s a lot different at the office than he is on a date.” Melanie pulled at the front of her blouse. “And to think, I bought this new top and had my hair done for him. What a chump I am. Should’ve listened to my dad.”

  “Your father warned you not to go out with William?”

  Melanie exhaled noisily. “Not him specifically. Dad has always told me to stay away from cops and lawyers.”

  “So what made you ignore his advice? William’s good looks, or was it his charm?”

  “I’ll bet you knock ’em dead in the courtroom with your quick wit and snappy repartee.”

  With a chuckle, Jeff replied, “Well, you said you like sarcasm.”

  “I used the word ‘tolerate,’ not ‘like.’” She shifted in her seat. “In a couple of miles, we’ll come to a farm road. Go left, or southwest to be more precise.” After a moment, Melanie added, “Gretchen talked me into going on a blind date. You know William’s a cousin to the Meyer family, right?”

  Wondering how he’d missed this tidbit, Jeff silently tucked it away for future reference. Now I understand why the Wilcox chauffeur was assigned to take William home instead of giving this girl a lift.

  “Anyway,” Melanie went on, “having a date and going to a fancy Christmas party both sounded like a good idea at the time. Now I wish I’d stayed home and played checkers with Dad.”

  Jeff rarely spoke without thinking, but something about Melanie’s humor and honesty disarmed him. “You live with your parents?” Oops, I didn’t need to sound so shocked.

  “We lost Mom ten years ago. I have a little bungalow behind my dad’s house.” Her voice grew stronger. “After I graduated, I lived at home to pay off my student loans. By the time I could afford an apartment, Grandma had passed away. I realized how lonely Dad would be, living out here by himself. So I decided to move into Grandma’s house and stay, at least for a while.” She smoothed her perfect flip. “Having separate houses works out so Dad and I each have our privacy, and I don’t have to let nosey people make me feel like a weirdo because I haven’t flown the nest.”

  Jeff glanced toward Melanie. “I didn’t mean to imply anything.”

  “It’s okay. Next driveway on the left.”

  As soon as Jeff turned, he heard a cacophony of raucous barking. “Do you breed dogs?” he asked.

  “Not if we can help it.” Melanie laughed. “Everyone has dogs out in the country, don’t you know that?” She glanced around and sprang from her seat. “I see Dad’s not home yet. I’ll open the gate.”

  In the glow of his headlights, Jeff watched as she swung open the metal gate that guarded the driveway. At her command, the gaggle of dogs stopped barking and wagged their tails.

  “Straight ahead,” she said as she settled into the passenger seat. “I could walk from here if I didn’t have on these stupid high-heeled sandals.”

  Jeff crept past a rambling stone house sitting about a hundred yards from the road. “This one?” He pointed to a small, white cottage not far behind the main house.

  “Yep. Home sweet home.”

  Before Jeff could switch off the engine, Melanie opened her door. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a grumble bug all the way here. It’s not your fault I let Gretchen persuade me to go on a doomed-to-failure date.” She put the thin strap of her sequined clutch over her wrist. “Thank you for bringing me home. I really appreciate it.” After springing from the car, Melanie said, “You can turn around behind house. It’s a lot easier than trying to back out. Don’t bother closing the gate. Dad will shut it when he gets home.”

  “Good night, Melanie,” Jeff said. “It was nice to meet you.”

  She leaned inside the door frame and made eye contact. “Same here. Good night, and thanks again.”

  Jeff watched as she walked away without a backward glance. Nice figure. She flipped on a light, let a hound inside, and waved before shutting the door. Driving back through town, he wondered why Melanie needed someone to fix her up with a blind date. For some unknown reason, her term “grumble bug” made him smile. Funny girl, different. Maybe he’d need to check her out. When he was able to cut down on his work hours someday.

  Chapter Four

  After marking a red X across January 13, Rosemary smoothed a wrinkle between the magnets holding the calendar in place. She closed her eyes, and leaned her cheek against the cool metal of the refrigerator door. Less than two weeks left. The twenty-fifth didn’t count, because it was his release date.

  At four o’clock, the oven timer buzzed, although Rosemary was already prepared. She’d drawn the drapes, locked the doors, checked for plenty of tissues in the dispenser, and poured a glass of water. With everything ready for her husband’s telephone call, she sat at the end of her sofa, waiting. On the second Sunday of each month, Rosemary was almost able to convince herself it hadn’t been twenty-seven years since she and Keith spent their evenings together, in this same cozy space.

  When the telephone rang, Rosemary answered immediately. “Person-to-person call for Mrs. Rosemary Galloway,” the crisp voice announced.

  “Speaking.”

  “Will you accept charges from—?”

  “Yes,” Rosemary interrupted. She had no interest in the stranger’s words. “Keith?”

  “Hello, darling. How are you?”

  A smile spread across Rosemary’s face as she leaned against the sofa’s worn cushion. “I’m fine, sweetheart. How about you?’

  “As well as can be expected,” Keith replied. “How’s Jeffrey?”

  “He’s wonderful, as always.”

  “We have to get that boy married off to some nice girl so he can get busy giving us a houseful of grandkids.”

  “Don’t I wish? You will be able to help me with that pretty soon.”

  “How’s his health?” Keith asked.

  Rosemary’s fingers twisted the fringe of a throw pillow. “Perfect. I don’t even think he’s had a cold this winter.”

  “You know how I love hearing that. What have you been up to?”

  “Oh, nothing much.” Rosemary grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “Teaching, cleaning house. Getting everything ready. Keith, about your release, how does it work?”

  “I don’t know a thing.” He sounded tired to her. “There’s a church group standing by to give me a ride to the bus station. I should have enough money for a ticket home, and I’ll call you when I get to town.”

  “No,” Rosemary said, tapping the telephone table with a fingernail. “No. Jeff and I will be waiting for you at the prison gate. We have it all planned.”

  “But honey, you don’t even know what time.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We want to be there. I want everything to be exactly right as soon as you walk outside that gate. Every last thing. Keith, I’m sorry it’s been so long.”

  “Let’s not talk about—”

  Rosemary heard an abrupt buzz indicating the end of their call. When her husband’s allotted telephone time expired, they were disconnected. She never adjusted to missing the opportunity to say goodbye. However, the institution’s picky rules didn’t matter anymore. A week from Friday, she and Jeff would whisk Keith away from the prison farm forever. The prospect of being able to sit in their own living room and talk as long as they liked overwhelmed Rosemary. Dear God, can he possibly still love me?

  After a good cry, Rosemary went to her bedroom. Catching her reflection in the dresser’s mirror, she studied her image for a moment. Her hair was still dark, though unruly strands of white stood out here and there. Keith never cared much a
bout appearances. He now had a bald patch spreading outward from the crown of his head. Her husband always said he admired laugh lines because they gave a face character. She certainly had a few of those. With a sigh, she gathered a stack of books. She still had a lesson plan to write and papers to grade before tomorrow.

  An alien thought assaulted Rosemary while she spread her materials on the small desk in Jeff’s old room. What if Keith wanted separate bedrooms? She swept her eyes across the single bed, the bookcase, and the faded cowhide-print curtains. Maybe she should move her things into Jeff’s closet, so Keith could occupy the master bedroom. Just in case.

  Chapter Five

  Jeff turned up the collar of his coat in anticipation of the cold wind. It was bad enough to have a court date scheduled for the middle of January. Now, after wasting most of the day in pointless conferences, he’d ended up with yet another delay. He’d invested months of meticulous research to build Mrs. Meeker’s case against the Buffalo Nickel Energy Consortium. He was ready to confront the giant corporation in front of a judge and get this business finished.

  As he opened the massive door to leave the courthouse, someone shouted his name.

  “Yo, Jeff Galloway. Quit trying to act like you don’t see me.”

  He took a hard look at the tiny woman buried in a bright red shawl thrown over her dark ankle-length coat. “Melanie?”

  She smiled and pulled her wrap tighter. “Am I glad to see you! Jeff, I’m in a pickle. My car won’t start, and I have to be somewhere in a few minutes. Could you give me a ride?”

  “Why not?” Bumping into Melanie settled his dilemma about whether to go back to work. With the Meeker case on hold, Jeff saw no reason, aside from habit, to return to the office this evening. He motioned across the street. “I’m in the Uptown Garage. Where are we going?”

  “Wow, you park in there? Right next to the courthouse?” Melanie’s eyebrows shot up. “I wondered who could afford to pay the rates at that place. Now I know, high-priced attorneys.”

  “Perhaps you should stand on principle and refuse to ride with such a fat cat.” He bounded down the steps, ignoring the possibility of ice patches.

  Melanie caught up with him and tugged at his sleeve. “Wait, Jeff, please. I’m sorry. I really do need your help. I have to get to Children’s Hospital to see a client right away.”

  He couldn’t keep from smiling at her earnest, frost-kissed face. “Let’s go, then. In this traffic, we’ll be lucky to get there in under a half hour.”

  She shrugged. “Probably.”

  “You look different,” Jeff said as they settled into his sporty car.

  “Maybe it’s my hair,” Melanie answered, unwinding her shawl. “I always put it in a bun when I go to court.”

  “And you’re wearing glasses.”

  “Oh.” She removed her heavy-framed spectacles and tucked them into her tote. “I got these at the drugstore. They’re supposed to give me an air of studious maturity, lend weight to my testimony, you know?”

  Jeff chuckled, amused that Melanie imagined she could make herself appear matronly. “Family court?”

  “Yes. Your heater gets warm fast. I’m halfway home before I can feel hot air on my feet.” Melanie shook her arms free from her coat. “Child custody case. Both parents are nuts, but the father has a tiny shred of responsibility. So I’m hoping he gets the kids. You have no idea how dysfunctional some families are.”

  “You might be surprised. What’s the plan for your car?”

  Melanie scrunched her face. “My dad is on his way to try to get it started. He said he would leave a message for me at the hospital reception desk, and I’ll decide what to do next. First things first, I have to see Keenan.”

  “Sounds like you’re clueless as to how you’re getting home.”

  She nodded. “I’ll find a way.”

  Jeff turned in to parking lot and checked his watch. “Twenty minutes. Not bad time from the courthouse.” It was cold and about to get dark. He couldn’t leave her stranded here. Someone backed out of a space near the hospital entrance. “Good parking karma,” he crowed.

  “Luck often triumphs over brains,” Melanie muttered, as she pulled on her coat. “No need to park your car. I’ll just hop—”

  “No way,” Jeff interrupted. “My mother taught me better than to desert a damsel in distress.” He glanced at the imposing building before them. “Even though I hate hospitals worse than licorice.”

  “How bad is that?”

  “It’s nasty and I absolutely despise it.” Jeff squinted his eyes. “I’d starve to death before I’d eat licorice.”

  She chuckled. “Can’t be any worse than I hate coming across like a helpless ninny, but under the circumstances all I can say is thank you. Again.”

  Walking into Children’s Hospital, Jeff experienced a chill unrelated to the weather. The coldness came from deep inside, resurrecting memories of being small and helpless.

  The receptionist at the brightly lighted front desk smiled. She dropped her glasses, allowing them to dangle from a silver chain. As soon as Jeff and Melanie reached her low counter, she held up a note. “Message for you, Miss Clark.”

  “Thank you.” Melanie quickly unfolded the slip of paper. She pressed her lips together and looked at Jeff.

  “It’s more than a dead battery,” he guessed.

  “Must be. Dad’s having my car towed.”

  Jeff resisted the urge to hug Melanie. “Let’s go check on your client. Then I’ll take you home.”

  “You’re on the verge of changing my opinion of attorneys.” She squared her shoulders. “Keenan’s on the fourth floor.”

  Jeff squeezed back old fears as he pressed the elevator button.

  “Feel free to wait outside if you like,” Melanie said. “This little guy has been through a lot. He refuses to talk, and he can be a handful.”

  Jeff nodded. He was determined to stay close to Melanie until he could escape from this place that reeked of disinfectant and bad memories.

  Melanie gestured toward a small lounge, but made no objection when Jeff followed her into the brightly decorated room. “Hi, Keenan,” she said as cheerily as if she was greeting any child—not one lying with his leg in a cast. The boy’s big brown eyes rested on Melanie for an instant, then shifted to Jeff.

  Forcing a smile, Jeff said, “Hello, Keenan. My name is Jeff. I’m glad to meet you.”

  Melanie chatted with the little boy, asking him about his day and what games the nurses played with him. Body language suggested Keenan heard her words, but the child offered no spoken response.

  “I see you have a teddy bear,” Jeff said, stepping forward, lightly touching the stuffed animal resting at Keenan’s side. “What’s his name?”

  Keenan stared at Jeff for a long moment. “Brat,” he whispered.

  “Brat’s a lot nicer than my teddy bear, but mine’s pretty old. His name is Charlie.”

  Melanie’s startled look shifted from Keenan to Jeff and back. “Tell us more about Charlie, Jeff.” She used a hand motion to indicate she wanted further words to flow.

  “I was very sick when I was three years old. Charlie stayed with me in the hospital. I liked having him there. How old are you, Keenan?”

  The child held up four fingers.

  “Four? You’re a pretty big boy. My teddy bear Charlie is a fraidy cat.” Where are these words coming from? Jeff took a deep breath. “I had to keep Charlie with me in the hospital so he wouldn’t be scared. I bet you take care of Brat to keep him from being afraid or lonely, too.”

  Keenan cuddled Brat close. “Uh huh.” Then he turned away and pulled the sheet over his head.

  Melanie patted Keenan and said goodbye before pulling Jeff into the hallway by the hand. At the elevator, she dug a package of tissues from her tote and dabbed at her eyes. “You got him to talk. I could kiss you.”

  “Go right ahead,” Jeff replied with a smile.

  Melanie sniffled. “Don’t be so literal. You’re a miracl
e worker. The nurses and I have been trying to get a response from him for a week now. How did you know what to say?”

  “I didn’t,” Jeff confessed.

  “You’re full of surprises, Jeff Galloway. Do you remember the way to my house?”

  As they exited the hospital’s glass doors, Jeff curled his fingers around the keys in his pocket. “I remember the directions, and it’s a long drive. How about a detour to get a bite to eat first?”

  “Great idea, provided there’s a pay phone. I don’t want Dad to worry if he beats me home. He thought I was catching a ride with my office mate.”

  “Why didn’t you?” Jeff asked, opening the car door for Melanie.

  “For the first time in the history of the world, Bernie left work early. On the same day my jalopy decided to conk out. Go figure. When it rains, it pours.”

  As Jeff settled behind the steering wheel, Melanie buckled her seat belt. “I’m paying,” she said. “No sense arguing. So don’t take us to any place too pricey, okay?”

  “You don’t need to buy my dinner,” Jeff objected.

  “What did I just say about no argument? Seriously, you’ve rescued me twice, and best of all you got Keenan to talk. Two trips out to the country with gas up to fifty-five cents a gallon? It wouldn’t be right for you to pay for our food on top of everything else.”

  “Let me see if I understand.” Jeff flashed a smile in Melanie’s direction. “You want to treat me to dinner, but only within certain limits.”

  “You could say that,” she replied with a chuckle. “Remember, I’m a thrifty public servant on a tight budget.”

  “How do you feel about Italian?”

  “Mmm. Love it. My favorite, as a matter of fact.”

  “I know just the place.” Jeff turned onto the highway access road. Stephanie hated Italian food. Too messy. Odd, he hadn’t thought about Steph lately.

  Chapter Six

  Pea gravel crunched under Jeff’s tires. “Here we are,” he announced. “Papa Pomodoro. Have you ever been here?”