Forever After (Unrestrained 5)

“I wonder where Richardson is.”

Lara shrugged. “He’s a free spirit. I’ll call his lawyer and speak with him. It would be nice if the detectives could talk to him. Once they talk to Dave, he’ll confirm that you were together for the entire evening at the fundraiser. When they get a couple of falsehoods from her testimony, it’ll put all the rest of her dates in doubt.”

“I hope so,” I replied. “Dave will confirm that we were together the entire evening. I even dropped him off before I went home. Unless there was someone who could confirm that Lisa was there, she could provide no evidence that she was even at the event.”

Lara nodded. “I’m going to walk the rest of the way,” she said and squeezed my arm with affection. “You go home to your beautiful wife and baby and forget about this, okay? I’ll take care of this list.”

“Thanks,” I said and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “You’re the best.”

She smiled. “I am, aren’t I?”

We laughed and then parted. As I walked down the street to the parking garage, I was glad Lisa picked an event that I could account for every minute of my time. She made a big mistake. She lied about everything, of course, but that lie was one I could prove. That had to count for something. If she lied about that, why believe anything else she said?

I arrived at my car and got in just as a light snow started to fall. Eager to get home to Kate and Sophie, I was glad that the meeting was over. I’d do my best to forget about it, like Lara suggested, but I doubted I could. Not until they officially cleared me.

Until then, the case was a dark cloud over my day.

When I got home, I saw that Kate and Sophie were taking a nap so I went to my office and sat down, flipping through my contacts so I could find Richardson’s cell and call him. It was a long shot, since he was probably out of the country and using a different cell, but I thought I’d give it a try.

I dialed the number and got an answering machine.

A female voice gave a message:

Mr. Richardson is currently out of the country on business. Please leave your name and number and a brief message and he’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

The voice sounded a bit throaty, and I tried to remember if I’d met any of his staff but came up empty. Whatever the case, I left a message and hoped that he’d call me back the next time he checked his messages.

Chapter 18 : Kate

Over the next week, Drake was in a different mood – one that I hadn’t seen before during the entire time we were together. He seemed on edge, his silences prolonged, his focus on making sure that his dates and the dates Lisa provided the police were taken care of. I tried to assure him it would all turn out in the end, but he seemed unsure.

On Friday, after Drake arrived home from a trip to meet with Lara, we sat in the living room after Sophie had gone down for a nap, before eating the dinner Karen had prepared. I'd sent her home early, having had a nice nap and feeling more like I could handle things on my own. He’d come in, his shoulders covered with snow, and plopped the mail onto the table in the entry. I met him at the door and helped him off with his coat.

“How did things go?” I asked when we went to the living room. He sat down in the middle of the sofa and spread his arms out over the back. His face was a bit flushed, like he was upset.

“All right, I guess,” he said, his voice discouraged. “How can you prove a negative? Lara and I have been combing over all my schedules, cross matching with the dates Lisa claimed we were having our secret trysts, but it's impossible to prove I wasn't with her on some of the dates.”

I knelt at his feet, my hands on his thighs, trying to encourage him.

“Drake,” I said imploringly. “You weren’t with Lisa. Period. Once you cross off enough of those dates on the list, the police will know. McDonald will know and they’ll clear you of any involvement. You have to believe that.”

“I do,” he said and pulled me up off my knees and onto his lap, where I sat with my arms around his neck. “There’s so much fallout for me due to the case. The news reports are brutal. The stories she’s telling people, which are being leaked to the press…” He shook his head. “It makes me look like a bad guy. Doctor Dominant. Doctor Dangerous. Doctor Discipline. People in the public believe that if you’re a man and in the lifestyle, you’re a sadist. They don’t listen once they hear Dominant.”

He sighed and glanced away, as if he couldn’t face me.

“Don’t worry about those descriptions of you. They’re great for headlines,” I said and brushed hair off his forehead, “but they’re not true. Anyone who knows you, knows they’re exaggerations." He finally turned back and met my eyes. "You’re Doctor Delicious. Nothing more," I said and kissed him. "You should be Doctor Pleasure and Doctor Multiple Orgasms, if the truth were told.”

He smiled a bit at that. “I wish Richardson would get in contact and confirm what I told the detectives.

“Did you try to call him again?” I asked.

He nodded. “I did, but he’s still out of the country, apparently.”

“He’ll get in touch and he’ll confirm everything.”

I could tell he didn’t believe it. I remembered way, way back when I first saw Drake in the bar before I went to my father’s fundraiser. Dawn had said he was Doctor Dangerous. He was anything but dangerous. With him, I had felt so much pleasure. I found myself when I was with him. I felt safe. I knew I was loved. My insecurities and self-doubt vanished, because he helped me to see my strengths. Now, I had a family and a budding future as an artist. My MA was almost finished. Once it was, I could probably get a job at a newspaper or online as a journalist.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Drake said and raised his eyebrows. There’s a letter in the mail for you from the Ballantine Gallery.”