Reed Family Box Set Page 12

— John 14:27 NIV

  Prologue

  Two Years Ago

  Toni Reed sensed the next few minutes would not go well for her.

  As soon as Paul Lambert’s handsome face turned red, she knew. His blond side-swept bangs lay plastered across his forehead. The charmer’s usually playful blue eyes gleamed bright with anger. He shouted, “Were you trying to sabotage me?”

  “No!” She backed away from Paul’s piercing stare bumping into the chair. “No,” she yelled, her eyes wide with fright. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. This must be what it feels like to be in the room with a wild animal where any sudden movements could result in a strike. The crazy thing was Paul had never laid a hand on her before. She tried to convince herself he would calm down and walk away.

  I’ve seen him like this before.

  Toni glanced at the wall behind Paul. Less than a month ago, she watched in horror as he punched a hole in the wall above his entertainment system. Books and DVD’s crashed to the floor as Paul swept his arm across the top shelf. The hole had since been covered up with one of her paintings, all the items neatly put back in place and not a word said about the incident.

  Taking a deep breath, she tried to appear calm. “You know I would never do anything to sabotage you. I want you to look good. We talked about this last night. Remember? You said it was an important point.”

  Paul stepped forward, “I had it under control. You’re trying to say you could do it better. That I don’t know what I’m doing. You made me look like an idiot.”

  That’s not how I remember it. Why is he blowing this out of proportion?

  Her heart pounded when she saw Paul’s clenched fists. Toni shook her head. “No, no…I just wanted to make sure you told him the benefits you could bring to his company.”

  “You wanted me to appear like I was desperate and didn’t know my own company. He will never invest now.”

  “That’s not true. You did a great job and —” Before she could finish her sentence, Paul grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall. She cried out in pain as her head bounced off the hard surface.

  “You ruined everything! I saw the look on his face.”

  The back of her head throbbed as she tried to focus. She wheezed, “What is wrong with you?”

  Paul’s hand came across her face.

  He’s crazy!

  Anger surged. She was no match for Paul’s size, but she had to get away from him. Lifting her right knee, she shoved it up as high as she could into his groin area.

  Paul groaned from the impact and loosened his grip on her arm. “You — “

  Toni wrenched her arm away and wasted no time moving around him. She had to get out of there. Her bag was on the coffee table. She grabbed it and moved quickly to the front door. As soon as she reached it, she felt a strong hand grab her shoulder.

  She screamed and turned, swinging her heavy bag across Paul’s face.

  He stumbled from the blow, but it didn’t prevent him from reaching. He wrapped his arms around her body. Toni felt her feet lift off the carpet. She struggled and screamed. Suddenly her body was thrown across the room, crashing into the coffee table.

  She cried out in pain as she felt something snap in her arm.

  Through her tears, she saw Paul looming over her.

  God, help me!

  Chapter 1

  Two Years Later

  Wednesday, June 7 at 12:45 pm

  Do you feel safe?

  Toni chewed thoughtfully on her chicken salad sandwich as the question lingered in the air awaiting her response. She swallowed, lifting her napkin to her face slowly to wipe her mouth. The answer should’ve been a simple yes or no, but her mind was flooded with confusing thoughts.

  She sensed her older sisters, Asia and Jo, anticipating her answer. It was Jo’s turn to make their weekly lunch, so they were assembled around her kitchen table for their get together. If their mother were here, Toni would not have the luxury of time to thoughtfully give an answer. Her mother’s stare would have demanded a quick response despite the fact Toni was twenty-seven years old. Thankfully, their mom was hundreds of miles away enjoying a much needed vacation.

  Toni knew her sisters were trying their best to be supportive without being pushy. Everyone seemed to be more protective lately, bringing their motherly instincts to the surface. Only ten minutes younger than her twin brother, she understood the protectiveness came with the territory of being the baby of the family. It also didn’t help that the anniversary of her assault was just around the corner.

  Toni adjusted her glasses and attempted to smile. “It’s been almost two years. No worries. I’m sure he’s moved on. I certainly have.”

  Sort of. Sure, she’d moved on in many areas of her life, but she still wasn’t interested in dating.

  Asia, the oldest of the Reed clan, shook her head back and forth slowly making her long ponytail swing like a horse’s tail. She never held back her opinions. “That’s because he had no choice. The judge filed a no contact protective order against him.” Folding her arms, she took on a same similar stance she used in the courtroom when questioning a witness. “Seriously, do you really want Paul Lambert to have access to you again?”

  Jo, who was in her first trimester, rubbed her pregnant belly. “We’re not trying to gang up on you, sis, but Asia is right. You need to give this some thought.”

  “Because if you don’t renew this protective order, it’s going to be hard for a judge to issue another one,” Asia warned.

  Toni loved her sisters and knew they meant well. “I know, I know. I’ll give it some thought, but I doubt I will ever run into Paul Lambert again. With his good looks and charmed life, I’m sure he’s not thinking about me.”

  Jo smiled, “If he was smart, he would know not to come up against the Reed family again.”

  They all laughed. The Reed family was known as a crime fighting family. Despite being on a leave of absence, Jo was a homicide detective. Asia worked for the district attorney. Toni’s twin brother, Cori worked as a crime scene investigator. To top it all off, their dad was the former chief of police for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

  It wasn’t until after Paul assaulted her that Toni found out he was bipolar. She just knew on occasion he appeared to be on an energetic high, working long hours a day on his startup company. She assumed his irritability and angry outbursts were the result of stress. She learned the hard way that Paul had purposely stopped taking his meds on the notion that he didn’t need them anymore.

  Her family insisted she file charges. From the very beginning, neither her parents nor her siblings liked Paul. Toni was blindly convinced, in her love-infatuated state, that maybe her family didn’t appreciate her dating a white man. Even now, she wanted to kick herself for being so naive. Her mother had warned her there was something lurking under Paul’s surface. Everyone could see it, except Toni. Only after landing in the hospital with a bruised face, cracked ribs and a broken arm did Toni finally see the light.

  Paul was like no other man she’d ever been with, not that she had been with many men. She could count on one hand the number of boyfriends she’d ever had. Paul was the son of the Lambert family, a descendant of old Southern money. Determined to make his own way, Paul was actively recruiting investors for his startup during the time he dated Toni. She never found out if that one investor Paul wanted desperately on board came through after that night. More than likely, if Paul lost the investor it was due to her assault getting picked up by the local media.

  Still, Paul didn’t serve a day in prison. He got off with court ordered rehabilitation and a protective order to have no communication or contact with her. Though she hadn’t heard from him, her six months with Paul had left a lasting impression. She often wondered if he’d stayed consistent with his medication or if he had hurt anyone else.

  Toni rubbed her left arm. Thankfully, she was right-handed. If she had been unable to do her work, she would’ve s
lipped into a deeper depression. Still being able to paint was her therapy.

  Jo stood up, clearing dishes off the table.

  Asia watched Jo. “How are you doing, Jo? I know you have to be itching to get back to work by now.”

  Jo placed the dishes on the counter and opened the dishwasher. She looked up. “I have my days. Right now, I’m just happy to finally be over this morning sickness.”

  Asia shook her head. “I don’t see how you do it. I would be crazed right about now.”

  Toni was grateful the conversation had shifted away from her to Jo’s life. Jo decided to take a leave of absence after a difficult homicide case last fall. The timing was perfect to work on her crumbling marriage with her husband, Bryan. From what Toni could see, her nephew B.J. had blossomed having his mother at home with him and was looking forward to becoming a big brother.

  Toni’s iPhone rang in her bag. She reached inside, pulled it out and peered at the screen. For a second, she froze.

  Why is he calling me?

  She got up from the table and walked towards the French doors that led out to Jo’s patio. She answered on the third ring, “Hello?”

  “Hi, Toni. It’s Cam. It’s been awhile.”

  Toni couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. She’d recognize his deep voice anywhere. Detective Cameron Noble was her brother’s best friend. They’d known one another since they were kids. “It’s been a few months.” Not that I’m keeping track. “Is this an official call?”

  Cam cleared his throat. “I need your assistance on a case. I saw the great work you did for Jo last year on her case. Your composite really helped them find that guy.”

  After her assault, Toni had taken a forensic art course at her dad’s suggestion. A little hesitant about it at first, she soon realized she’d found her niche alongside her siblings. Composites weren’t always easy to sketch, but she had a few successes that resulted in arrests and eventual convictions. “Sure, when do you need me?”

  “This case is time-sensitive. I have a woman who was assaulted last night, possible concussion. She refused the doctor’s recommendations and left the hospital instead of staying the night. I convinced her we could help her since she saw her attacker’s face.”

  Toni turned to see Asia and Jo watching her through the French doors. She smiled and waved. They both turned away. The irony of their conversation a few minutes ago about her own assault fell on Toni. Momma always told her God would work out what happened to her so she could help someone else. Maybe this was her chance.

  “I can be at the station in thirty minutes, depending on lunch hour traffic.”

  “Thanks, Toni. I’ll see you soon.”

  She walked back inside the kitchen to find questioning looks on her sisters’ faces.

  Jo asked, “Everything okay?”

  Toni nodded. “That was Cam. Or, I should say Detective Noble. A woman was assaulted last night. They need a composite of her assailant.”

  Asia waved her hands in the air. “Ooh, how nice. If I wasn’t ten years older, I definitely wouldn’t mind being in Detective Noble’s presence on a more casual basis.” She winked. “Cam grew up to be a nice looking brother.”

  Toni grimaced. “Who happens to be Cori’s best friend.”

  Asia pursed her lips. “And… Look, one of us needs to be settling down with a nice man. I’m about to hit forty wide open. You, little sis, are still in your twenties. Don’t waste time.”

  Jo shook her head. “Don’t pay any attention to her. Her biological clock is a ticking time bomb. You take your time.” Jo arched her eyebrow. “This composite Cam asked you to do, isn’t this going to be new for you?”

  Toni picked up her bag off the table and swung it over her shoulders. “Yeah, I can handle it. Look, I got to go so I can make my way through this traffic. Thanks for lunch, sis.”

  She reached down and hugged Jo and walked over to hug Asia. She kind of wished their mother was there today too. Toni could’ve used a Vanessa Reed specialty hug. There was nothing quite like a mama bear hug when she was moving outside her comfort zone.

  Up until now, she’d only done a composite sketch with witnesses not with a victim. She knew a thing or two about wanting justice.

  Can I deliver the results this woman needs?

  Chapter 2

  Wednesday, June 7 at 2:27 pm

  Before Toni climbed out of her car, she looked in the rearview mirror. She left Jo’s house so fast, she hadn’t taken the time to assess her appearance. Her curls had not been affected by the humidity too much. Usually she wore her hair up, but today she opted to let her hair hang down her shoulders. Toni wasn’t much for makeup, but she needed something on her lips so she applied a tinted lip gloss she kept in her bag. Finally, she pulled her glasses off and wiped off the smears.

  It had been awhile since seeing Cam in person. She grew up with him like he was a brother so she wasn’t sure why she was fussing about her appearance. Sure, at one time she was crushing on him, but that was so long ago. He was never interested in her anyway. She was her brother’s artsy twin sister. Toni shook her head as if to clear her runaway thoughts.

  Girl, let’s go!

  She reached in the backseat of her red Toyota Rav4 and grabbed her backpack. Toni always kept a notebook and a sketchpad in the bag in case inspiration struck. Unfortunately, today’s sketching had nothing to do with her usual art. As she walked towards the building, Toni tried to place herself in the woman’s shoes she was about to meet. She remembered the pain and embarrassment she felt when her family came to see her in the hospital. They kept telling her it wasn’t her fault, but the entire time she questioned what went wrong.

  Sometimes she still reviewed that night over and over in her head. She had sat and watched Paul present the proposed app to the investor. She sensed something was off with Paul. Despite his talkativeness, she’d noticed he wasn’t focused, often going off topic. She assumed his behavior was related to being nervous. After hearing him go on and on about the pitch for weeks, she practically knew it herself. Being her overly helpful self, Toni tactfully tried to highlight Paul’s main points.

  She was haunted by the fact that maybe she should have never tried to help.

  Toni cleared her throat. That was the past. It was time to focus.

  Drawing a composite sketch was not easy with witnesses who often didn’t remember as much detail as they thought. She would have to use her training to carefully ask the victim questions that were going to be uncomfortable for both of them.

  She welcomed the blast of cool air as she entered the police department. For a while, she was nervous that somehow she received preferential treatment because her dad was the former chief of police. She did consider it a privilege, but was also happy that she’d proven her skills to be useful a few times as well.

  Toni rounded a corner and saw Cam talking on the phone at his desk. He looked up as she approached, winking to acknowledge her presence.

  Her heart fluttered a bit. She didn’t know if it was her nervousness about seeing the victim or the way Cam winked and flashed his smile at her. She might have thought she’d outgrown her schoolgirl crush, but Asia was right. There was no denying Cam had grown up to be a chocolate masterpiece. Toni blew out a breath to calm her nerves. As she approached, Cam hung up the phone.

  Cam stood, but his smile faded. “Are you okay?”

  She hated how her face always betrayed her emotions. Toni nodded. “Yeah, sure. It’s been a couple of months since I did a sketch, you know.”

  “I don’t want to push you. Cori said this might not be a good idea.”

  If her brother were standing there right now, she would’ve punched him in the shoulder. They might be twins, but that didn’t mean he knew her that well. “Did he?”

  Cam shifted his feet and looked away. “Well, I know what happened to you a few years ago.”

  “I’m here to help. What’s her name?”

  Cam eyed her for a few seconds. “Ms. Lew
is. Jade Lewis.”

  Toni shifted her bag to her other shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”

  “She was on her way home from an event last night. She thought she was the only person in the building. Assailant attacked her from behind. There was just enough light for her to see his face as he was making his exit.”

  “That’s a blessing she saw his face. I’ll make sure she feels at ease with me first.”

  Cam flashed his smile again. “I know you’ll do fine, Toni. You have a way about you that I’m sure she will appreciate.”

  Her face flushed from Cam’s comments. Mumbling, “Thanks,” she headed around the corner towards the room where she often did her sketches. She knocked on the door and opened it.

  When Toni entered, she saw a small, petite woman with her head on the table. Her brown hair was pulled away from her face. As Toni approached, the woman turned slowly to face her. Toni pushed her glasses up on her nose. Jade Lewis was probably a pretty woman, but at the moment, the right side of her face was a mixture of black and blue bruises. Toni observed the woman watching her. Her eyes were dull at first, but something flickered in her eyes.

  She’s angry. Toni hoped the woman’s anger could be channeled to reveal the face of her assailant. It was critical to Toni that she help Jade find the person who did this to her. She held out her hand, “Hello, I’m Toni Reed. I’m here to help you identify your attacker.”

  Jade shook Toni’s outstretched hand. She eyed the bag where Toni had her sketchpad. “So, I have to tell you the same things I told the detective?”

  Toni pulled out the chair across from Jade. “I’m afraid so. Are you ready to get started?”

  Jade rubbed her arms as if she were cold. She observed Toni taking out her sketchpad and drawing pencil. Lately, Toni had been trying out a drawing app on her iPad, but she still preferred good old-fashioned pen and paper.

  She knew she needed a different approach today and said a silent prayer. Her teacher, the now retired forensic artist, Bobby Askins, would tell her to make sure the victim was comfortable talking. She prayed for God to not only put Jade at ease, but herself as well.