Chapter 23
“Help you?” Duane asked the man behind the wheel of the U-Haul, then grinned widely. “Hey, Jason Black, I’m going to go out on a limb here, but based on you driving this U-Haul, you’re here permanently?”
“Yes. I talked with Erin two months ago before I went back to DC to clean up my life back there. She said I could move into a cabin over on Broken Two. I wanted to stop in and tell Erin I’ve arrived.”
“And DC?”
“In my rearview mirror. I dealt with the problem of someone breaking in and trying to claim it was their house. Pressed charges, sat at her trial, then went to her arch nemesis and gave her the commission to sell my town house. I have my clothes, my bedroom set, and a few other things. I’ve been talking with Erin, and she said she’d clean it out except for the appliance. I want to tell her I’m here.”
“Park at the end of the vehicles and go in and talk to her. She’s in her office.
” Jason did as instructed, and when he got out of the truck, he stretched, then walked stiffly toward the back door of the main house.
He went down the hall and wrapped his knuckles on the doorjamb.
He laughed when Erin looked up, gave a scream, and came running around her desk toward him.
“You’re here!” She laughed as she hugged him, then stood back and studied him intently. “You look exhausted.”
“I am. Who knew selling my town house, quitting my job, and dealing with a psycho could be so draining. But it’s all done.
The person who broke into my home was dealt with by a court of law, and she’s serving time.
” He grinned. “I contacted her arch nemesis to commission her to sell my home. Then I had to discuss my leaving my job with the President, he wasn’t happy, but he allowed it. ”
“As in the President of the United States?”
“Yes, with his permission to resign, I went to my boss and told them. See, I can say this now, but I was appointed to my position at the DOD by the President. Not this one, but one that served our country three terms ago. Because I was specially appointed, I needed their permission to leave my post on good terms.”
“Good for you. You’re here permanently?”
“Yes, I only have a couple of issues though.”
“What’s that?”
“One, may I still move into one of the cabins on Broken Two? Two, can I get someone to go into Fool’s Gold with me tomorrow to bring me back? I drove a small U-Haul here and I don’t have a personal vehicle.”
“Why the hell not?” Erin asked, outraged that he wouldn’t have a vehicle.
“I lived in Georgetown. I worked in DC. Because of what I did, I had a driver for everything.”
“Ah, so now you’ll need to find a vehicle to purchase.”
“Yes. I have to have the U-Haul at the dealer by ten in the morning, and I thought that whomever went with me, we could stop and check out some vehicle for me to look at. I didn’t think I wanted a truck, but after staying here before, I think I’m leaning that way.
And my third issue is when I start the case against Royal and his cronies, may I use the barn we used before? ”
“Yes, but just like before, if we have a dinner or get together there, then you’ll have to gather up your papers.”
“That’s fair. Which cabin can I use?”
“Any, Caleb and Katherine are still sharing one. The Montgomery twins won’t be here until later in the year, and they’ll be over at New Double. Caleb’s doctor friend is taking one of the cabins, she’ll be here sometime in soon, so that leaves two of them empty.”
“Have you heard from Kevin or Ilsa?”
“Kevin is still in Seattle. I didn’t catch the exact numbers, but he said he’s going to stick it out there until he reached a certain number of years on the force.
Something about an increase in his pension if he sticks it out for a few more months.
As for Ilsa, she’s due here within the next two weeks. ”
“Okay, I only have one more question.”
“What’s that?”
“Would it offend you if Ilsa and I shared a cabin?”
“You’re both consenting adults, so I see no problem with it. Are you two an item?”
“We want to be, but were unable to do anything because I had to get back to DC.”
“Well, as long as she agrees, I have no problem with it. As I said, there are two cabins available. Because you told me what you were bringing, I had the furniture removed, and left the appliances in one of the cabins. Again, pick whatever one you want, and we can always move the furniture to the other cabin if you want that one.”
“Thanks Erin. I should be settled this week, and will be able to start working for you Monday morning.”
“Good, because I have a meeting with my lawyer on Wednesday.” They shook hands, and Jason left. He went back out to the road, and went to Broken Two from the highway, and when he arrived at the cabins, he smiled when he saw Katherine arriving in a golf cart.
“Jason,” she said with a wide grin and hugged him when she got closer. “You’re here permanently now?”
“I am. I just need to know which cabin to choose.”
Katherine took him to the two Erin had mentioned, and he walked around it, then stood on both the front and back porches.
He liked the setting of the empty one, and within an hour there were well over a dozen people helping him unload the trailer.
It saved him a lot of time by having all the furniture taken to the proper room, so when everyone left, he only had to deal with the boxes of clothes and linens.
Thank goodness Mrs. Hastings had been so organized and thorough when she’d labeled the boxes as she helped him pack.
The only furniture he had brought with him was his bedroom set, and his favorite chair for the living room.
He hoped Ilsa had gotten the hint when he had told her what he was bringing, and she brought a kitchen table and the rest of the living room furniture.
It wasn’t that he was cheap, it was just that he hadn’t owned anything other than his chair.
Since he had never been home, working fourteen to sixteen hours a day, he didn’t need it.
Jason took the next week to settle into the cabin, return the rental truck, purchase a personal vehicle for himself, and by Monday morning, he was ready to hit the ground running. Erin met him at the barn/office he had used prior, and had three boxes of files waiting for him.
“This is everything I have,” she said as she pointed to them. “Start with this box.”
“Any particular reason why?”
“It’s what started it all.”
“I don’t know if I understand.” She told him what had happened after the accident that took her parents’ lives and her hand, and how Paul Miller, Sr. had taken advantage of her and Ducky, and how she caught them, and their trial and conviction.
“Wow, okay, what are the other two boxes?”
“The dealings I had with Royal Pain in my Ass, contracts he signed to use my stud services and things he tried to pull over the years. The last file is my dealings with the SPCA and Miller, Jr.”
“Okay, I’ll go through these, I only have a couple of questions before I begin.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you still deal with the SPCA?”
“I do. I am the person they contact when they are called in and they have a horse in need of sheltering and fostering. I bring them here, put them in quarantine until they receive a clean bill of health, and I fatten them up and work with them. Nine times out of ten, I’m able to make a monetary donation to their agency, and I’m able to keep the horse.
That’s how I got all the horses on Broken, with the exception of a couple from the slaughter house.
Oh, and I only make the monetary donation in order to keep the horse if the owner is found guilty of neglect or cruelty toward the animal. ”
“Okay, that’s good to know. What is the meeting about on Wednesday?”
“My lawyer is saying it’s time to go to trial. The case has finally come on the docket and he wants to discuss what we will do going forward.”
“Ah, and you want me up to speed.”
“Yes.”
“I can do this. Trust me, Erin, I won’t let you down,” Jason said with confidence and when she nodded, he made a pot of coffee and settled down with the first box at his feet, a clean pad of paper, and several pens.
Jason got to work, and it took him two days to go through all the information, grateful about how thorough it was.
When he went with Erin to the meeting, he saw relief on her lawyer, Liam Nester’s face, and when he admitted that he was only an estate lawyer, and didn’t deal with criminals, Jason reassured him he had everything under control.
Thankfully, he had taken the foresight to apply for his license to practice in Colorado way back when he was prepping for the Grayson trial.
He was able to produce the license for Erin and her lawyer to see.
He and Ilsa had done it at the same time.
He hoped Ilsa was able to get her license so they could take on this case together.
Liam gave him everything he had, and even the name of the DA trying the case. When they left his office, Erin looked at him with raised brows. “Do you want to go to the DA’s office?”
“Is that why you had us drive separately? I handle your case, and you go back to the ranch?”
“Yes, I hope you don’t mind?”
“Not at all, I actually think that’s for the best. I’ll swing by there and see if I can’t have a word with him, then I’ll stop by your office at the main house to let you know what I learned.”
“Thanks, Jason,” Erin said with relief in her expression, and turned on her heel to walk down the sidewalk to her truck.
At the DA’s office, Jason was led into the office after a five-minute wait, and he didn’t waste either of their time.
“I’m Jason Black, and I’m taking over the case for Erin Riceman against Jason Royal, Paul Miller, Jr., Philip and Ernie Firth.”
“Wow, this is new, can you tell me what experience you have?”
Jason was prepared, and handed him over his license from DC, Maryland, Virginia, California, and Colorado, along with his resumé. He liked that the DA’s face was blank. When he finally looked up, he shook his head and whistled. “Want to come work for me?”
“Not really, I just worked for the United States taking out an evil Director in the FBI out in California. When Ms. Riceman told me about her case, I told her I would take it.”
“No offense, and you can tell me it’s none of my business, but how would you know Ms. Riceman if the case was in California?”
Jason explained what he could, and when he finished, he saw respect on the other man’s face. “Damn, welcome to the team. I don’t have to tell you that this is going to be a nightmare?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jason told him about the information he had about Jason Royal purchasing illegal arms in California from an undercover agent, and how that agent’s handler had sent him with Royal back to Colorado with said arms. How Royal was arrested on Erin’s property with the guns literally in his hands.
“I have the undercover agent, retired now, here in Colorado. He’s Erin’s head of security. His handler in the FBI is in jail for other crimes, but he is willing to testify against Royal if need be. I also have the sale of those guns marked as evidence in this handler’s case.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come work for me? Hell, with what you just said, you can have my job, based on that resumé I just read, you’re more qualified than I am.”
“Thanks, but no, I’m happy here. I owe Erin for allowing me to stay, and who knows, maybe once this case is done we can talk again.
I don’t think Erin will need my services regularly, but we can discuss me working for you.
Also, before we go any further, I have to say I have a colleague arriving within the week, and she will be my second chair.
Or your third chair, however you want to work it. ”
“Is she any good?”
“She worked as a defense attorney in California for at least twenty years. Yes, she’s good.”
“Bring her by, and we can talk. This case is on the docket, but the actual trial date isn’t until early May. We’ll have plenty of time.”
“Who is the lawyer for Royal?”
“A public defender. His accounts were seized, so he has no money, and his friend who helped out is sitting in jail in Wyoming, with his accounts frozen. They have to get court appointed lawyers.”
Jason gave an evil grin and nodded. “I’ll call you when Ilsa arrives and I talk to her about this case.”
“Good. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Black.”
“Jason, please call me Jason.” They shook hands, Jason left, and because it felt right, he stopped by the diner, and had a leisurely lunch before heading to the grocery store to pick up supplies.
While he had been back in DC, he had told Mrs. Hastings about him learning how to cook, and she helped in his education by also teaching him, and she had put several of his favorite dishes in a recipe book.
He had asked her about grocery shopping, and she had educated him in how to do that by making him go with her several times so he could get the hang of it to be able to do it by himself successfully.
He arrived home and swore when a vehicle was parked in front of the cabin in the space he always parked.
As he disembarked from his truck, a figure exited the truck, and he grinned.
Instead of saying anything, he opened his arms wide and laughed when Ilsa slammed into him.
It didn’t take long for him to slam his lips over hers.