“I hope that’s true.” Megan stared at Rodney, letting her eyes bore into his. “I really hope that’s true.”
Rodney was staring straight ahead in the interview room as his lawyer said almost the exact lines that Angela Calvo’s had recited to Drew and the sergeant who was assisting him.
“Mr. Carpenter?” Drew tried to speak directly to Rodney. “Mr. Carpenter?”
Megan watched from behind the glass, willing her ex-husband to do the right thing. For his own sake and for his kids.
For once in your life, Rodney Tucker Carpenter…
“You have no reason to speak to my client,” the lawyer said, “as he will not be volunteering any information today or ever. Like Ms. Calvo, he is retaining his right to remain silent. Therefore, all your questions—”
“I know your kids, Rodney.” Drew ignored the lawyer and spoke directly to Megan’s ex. “And I’m telling you straight, I don’t think this guy is looking out for you.”
She felt tears come to her eyes. Listen to him. Please.
Drew’s words finally broke through Rodney’s frozen expression; he turned to look at the detective. “You know my kids?”
“I know Trina and Cami and Adam,” Drew said. “They’re good people, man. They deserve a father who plays things straight. A dad they can be proud of for doing the right thing even if it’s tough.”
Megan bit her lip so hard it was probably bleeding. Please listen. Please listen to him.
The lawyer started putting papers in his briefcase. “I’m ending this right now. Rodney, don’t say a word. He shouldn’t even be directing questions to—”
“Angela hired him.” Rodney spoke to Drew and nodded toward the lawyer. “She didn’t even ask me; this guy just showed up the day after they arrested her and started telling me what to do, what to say. If I ask for another attorney, can I get one?”
“Are you saying that you’d like to formally fire Mr. Gregson as your attorney of record and ask for a public defender?”
The lawyer looked panicked. “Rodney, you have to be joking. A public defender?”
“If that’s all that’s available right now, then yeah,” Rodney said quietly. “I might talk to Megan about finding me someone local though.” He glanced at his old lawyer. “Someone who’s going to work for me.”
“If that’s the case,” Drew said, “then I think we can postpone this interview so you can find counsel of your choice.”
The lawyer’s tone had turned less pleading and more menacing. “Be very careful with what you’re doing right now, Mr. Carpenter. Be very careful which friends you choose to align yourself with.”
Drew stood and moved between Gregson and Rodney. “Was that a threat, Mr. Gregson? From a member of the bar? I believe I’ll be reporting that to my superiors.”
The corner of Gregson’s mouth turned up. “Do what you like. I’m done here.” He looked at Rodney. “And you’ll regret this decision. I promise you.”
Rodney stood to his full height and looked down at the fancy lawyer. “Yeah. I don’t think I will. Tell Angela I’ll mail the stuff she left at my place to her office. I don’t have any interest in seeing her again.”
Megan felt her knees give out and she sat down hard.
“Way to go, Rodney.” She closed her eyes and nodded. “Way to go.”
Chapter 29
Two months later…
It was a Dusi family dinner like no other. Not only was it baptism day for Toni and Henry’s daughter, but it was a wedding party too.
Not a wedding mind you. Just the party.
The only nod Toni made to traditional bridal wear was a short purple veil that matched the vintage dress she wore to Vegas the weekend before, when she and Henry got married at the Elvis drive-through chapel.
Katherine, Baxter, Megan, and Nico had accompanied the unconventional wedding party out to the desert in classic convertibles they’d borrowed from Toni’s father. It was a weekend of friends, laughter, and one very loud baby interrupting the wedding ceremony from her car seat.
Toni was ecstatic.
Of course, spontaneous friends having spontaneous weddings meant Megan had been given three days’ notice to plan a classic-car wedding-caravan weekend and less than two weeks to plan a reception with Toni’s family, Henry’s family, and all their friends and family from Moonstone Cove.
Katherine patted Megan’s shoulder as they sat at a corner table, surveying the friendly madness. “You did an amazing job.”
“Thank you. I think it works pretty well, and all the right people are here to celebrate, which is the point. Let’s not talk about the hoops I had to jump through to make the food and the cake happen.”
She’d be paying back those favors in blood and possibly her firstborn child.
Sorry, Trina.
Katherine sipped a glass of straw-toned sparkling white from a narrow glass flute. “Of course, it helps to have a gorgeous house in the middle of a winery at your disposal.”
“That does help, yes. I’m not saying I’m dating Nico for access to his event venue—I mean his house—but it doesn’t hurt either.”
Toni walked over and plopped next to Megan and Katherine under the oak tree. “You’re awesome, Atlanta.”
“You bet your butt I am.” She glanced sideways at Toni. “Are you happy?”
Her friend grinned. “In this crowd? I’d have to wear a suit of armor if I wanted to avoid all the joy beams bouncing around this place.”
“Can I tell you,” Megan said, “I’m honestly a little surprised you two got married at all.”
“Well.” Toni made a face. “Both our families are very Catholic. And I never really minded the idea of being married, it was the getting married bit that rubbed me the wrong way. When Henry suggested the drive-through chapel, I knew that was the perfect way to go. It’s not a traditional Catholic wedding, but we can always sort that out later, you know?”
“Any fallout from your mom and dad?”
“Are you kidding? They’re just thrilled we’re not living in sin anymore and our child is no longer a bastard.”
Katherine almost spit out her wine. “You have such a way with words.”
Megan asked Katherine, “And how about you, Professor? How are you these days?”
Katherine smiled softly. “I am very content. My life is excellent. My work is rewarding. My visions are still… very unpredictable. However, I do foresee all my friends finding their own unique happiness and choosing to share with me.” Katherine smiled. “That makes me not just happy and content but privileged.”
Toni and Megan exchanged wide-eyed looks.
“Holy shit, Katherine. Way to turn on the waterworks,” Toni wiped the corner of her eye. “Why you gotta be so eloquent?”
“One thing though,” Megan said, “you left out that your husband is a complete snack.”
Katherine frowned. “I don’t know what that means.”
“He’s a hottie,” Toni said. “The original unicorn husband.”