Chapter 25 Amber

It was Amber's last day in Bishops Harbor. If she could have accomplished a revenge plan completely alone, she would have done so, but unfortunately, since she needed Jackson's financial expertise, that meant she'd have to share the diamond money with him if she wanted his help. She would still end up with enough money to take care of herself for life, and Jackson didn't know about the gems she still had hidden. Those would be 100 percent hers. Besides, being too greedy could get you in trouble. As her father was fond of saying: Pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered. Of course, that was the only smart thing she ever heard him say. She and Jackson had finalized their business arrangement yesterday and formed an LLC in which they were equal partners. They named it Delancey-Flynn. Amber liked the sound of it. A former prison friend of Jackson's, Hugo Bennett, would be their front man. He was charming, British, and apparently a consummate con man. If all went as she hoped, the LLC would soon own a part of Daisy Ann's business. It was a long shot and hinged on two things: her hunch about Daisy Ann's partner, Wade Ashford, being correct and Valene Mart's interest in buying out the company. Amber had no doubt that Wade was crooked; Jake had admitted that much. What she didn't yet know was if she'd be able to get the leverage she needed to make him dance to her tune. After her meeting tomorrow she'd know for sure. Then she'd move on to the second part of their plan. She wasn't too concerned. If this plan didn't work out, she'd come up with another way to make Daisy Ann pay. Amber was good at revenge. There was always a way.

She walked outside to the deck overlooking Long Island Sound and breathed deeply. She would miss this view, but when she finished what she set out to do, she would have a new view, one that belonged to her and her alone, far away from this small town and its small-minded people. She wasn't the same stars-in-her-eyes, naive young woman she'd been when she'd first stepped foot in this house. Back then, she'd thought living here with the charismatic and powerful Jackson Parrish was the ultimate prize. Now she knew that true success and power came from being independent. From having the money and influence to do whatever you wanted, wherever you wanted, and answering to no one. Thanks to those beautiful little rocks, that's exactly what she now had. A thrill of anticipation ran through her at what lay ahead, when the buzz of conversation made her turn around to see Chloe and the girls walking toward her.

"The girls would like to take a swim. Is that okay with you?"

"Is Jax still napping?"

"Oui, madame."

"Fine. Just make sure you take his monitor with you. I've got a busy afternoon."

"When is my mom coming over?" Bella asked, moving in front of Amber, her little hands on her hips.

"Chloe, take Tallulah outside. Bella will be out shortly."

"Let's go sit down for a minute," she told the child. Bella followed her over to the sofa and sat.

"She's coming soon. But I want to prepare you."

Bella looked at her suspiciously.

"Your mom didn't really want to come. She said she was having so much fun with her friends drinking and…stuff. But your dad told her how much you miss her. She said she didn't care, but he finally talked her into it. So don't be surprised if she doesn't stay long. She doesn't really love you that much."

Bella stared at her a long moment. "You're a liar! My mom loves me very much."

Amber shrugged. "Really? Is that why she almost let you drown? If your dad and I hadn't come along, you might be dead right now. But it's not really her fault. She has an addiction. She cares more about feeling good. That's why she drank all that whiskey and took those pills. I feel sorry for her, but still, I'd watch my back around her if I were you."

Bella's lower lip trembled, and tears sprang to her eyes. "I hate you!" She jumped from the sofa and ran outside. Amber laughed. She'd planted a seed. No matter how much Bella wanted to believe Amber's words to be untrue, she wouldn't be able to forget them, and a small part of her would always wonder. She'd probably talk to Tallulah, who would confirm Amber's assertion. Amber had had a long talk with Tallulah last night, explaining that Daphne had had substance issues in the past. Poor Tallulah looked heartbroken when Amber told her that her mother had been forced to spend months in a sanatorium because she'd almost hurt Tallulah as a baby. Amber might be gone soon, but the damage she'd done to the mother-daughter relationship was her parting gift to Daphne—a gift that would haunt them all long after Amber's departure.

Before leaving the next morning, Amber went into Jax's room. He was awake, staring up at the mobile over his head. She walked over to the crib and picked him up. He rested his head on her shoulder.

"Mama."

For a brief moment, she felt regret. Could she really leave another child? She hadn't given her other son much thought, even though he'd been Jax's age when she'd left him. She'd grown fond of Jax. The way he looked at her so adoringly, the way he lit up when she entered a room. But if she took him, then Jackson wouldn't help her with the plan against Daisy Ann. And then where would she be? No, it was better this way. Besides, if she ended up missing him too badly, she could always come back and get him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and put him back in his crib. He began to fuss and she quickly left the room and went downstairs to the car waiting to take her to the airport.

When Amber arrived at Dallas Fort Worth International the driver she'd prearranged was waiting with a sign bearing her name. She walked over to him.

"Grab my luggage. It's with the porter over there." She pointed. "I'm going to the ladies' room, then I'll meet you outside."

When she exited the airport, she was assaulted by the humidity. She'd forgotten how damn muggy Texas was. The last time she'd been here was for Jake's funeral over three years ago. Instead of being comforted as his widow, she'd been met with scorn and suspicion, not only by his daughter but also by all their snobby friends. Not one person offered Amber any condolences; instead, they'd all appraised her with hostility and suspicion. She had made Jake a happy man in the few months before she shot him. He'd admitted to her that he had all but given up on love, that he thought he was past that stage of his life. She'd brought romance and hot sex and adoration to a man who was past his prime. She'd saved him from a future of decline and, most likely, illness. Wasn't it better that he died before he became too old to enjoy his hobbies? And he'd died doing something he loved best: hunting. She'd made sure the shot would make his end swift. The whole experience in Dallas afterward had been unbearable. She'd been forced to slink out of town, her belongings in trash bags, after Daisy Ann had pettily confiscated the Bottega luggage Amber had purchased, not realizing the AmEx she'd used belonged not to Jake but to his daughter. Well, she was back, and this time, she'd be the one with the upper hand. She slipped into the black SUV and breathed a sigh of relief to feel the cool air.

"Here's our first stop." Amber handed the driver a piece of paper with an address, leaned back, and closed her eyes.

"Should take us 'bout half an hour to get there, ma'am. Hope you had a good flight. You here on business or pleasure?"

"I'm not the chatting type. Just drive." Why did service people think it was charming to talk to their customers? It was irritating as hell.

"Yes, ma'am."

She dozed until the car came to a stop in front of a gray-and-white craftsman-style home on a small lot.

"I'll be a little while. Just sit tight until I'm back."

He nodded. He was learning, Amber thought.

She walked up the steps to the wide front porch where a wicker table and potted plant stood between two rocking chairs. She mentally prepared herself to play the concerned do-gooder. If she didn't have an outstanding warrant back home hanging over her head, she'd head straight to Hollywood, because she was an excellent actor. Whatever role she took on, she wore like a second skin. It was so easy to become whatever someone needed her to be. It was exhilarating, this ability to make others see her in whatever light she chose. It made her feel powerful. Amber rang the bell and waited, feeling like she was going to wilt in this heat. She was about to ring it again when she heard heels clicking and the door opened. An attractive brunette, a little heavy on the makeup, wearing designer jeans and cowboy boots stood there.

"Amber?"

Amber smiled. "Yes. You must be Nancy."

"Come on in."

Amber followed her into the open interior with its shiny wood floors, built-in bookcases, and cozy window seats. The scent of a vanilla candle filled the air. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were one big space, and they sat at the dining room table where a dish of homemade muffins, plates, and cloth napkins were already placed.

"Would you like some iced tea?"

Amber nodded. "Love some, thanks."

Nancy filled a glass for each of them and brought them to the table.

"You said on the phone that Jake told you about my husband?" Nancy said.

Amber recalled her conversation with Jake and how he'd been so disgusted to learn that Wade Ashford had stolen a patent from Nancy's husband, Shane Ellis. "Yes. I'm so sorry that Jake wasn't able to help you. Honestly, I was so devastated after his accident that I completely forgot that you had called him for help. It wasn't until a friend of mine mentioned Wade's name as a potential investor in her business that it all came rushing back."

Nancy gave her a sad look. "I'm so sorry about your husband. It was just terrible. I read about it in the papers. Jake Crawford was a well-loved man here in Dallas."

Amber pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. "It was just horrible. I'll never be able to forgive myself. He wasn't supposed to be in front of me. I don't know why he ran ahead, and then he didn't have a safety vest on…" She put her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

Nancy put a hand on Amber's back. "There, there, honey. It's okay. You don't have to talk about it. I know what it's like to lose your husband in an accident."

Amber looked up. "Look at us, two sad widows." She sighed and played dumb. "Well, anyhow, I thought I would try to help you on behalf of Jake. I remember him telling me that Wade did something shady to your husband. But I can't recall the exact details."

Nancy nodded. "That loathsome man stole my husband's invention. It's his fault Shane's dead. He may as well have killed him with his own hands."

Amber could see the anger in the woman's eyes. Her whole demeanor changed as she started talking about what happened.

"Shane was always tinkering with things. Fancied himself an inventor of sorts. Had turned our garage into a workshop. Coming up with ideas for this and that. None of it really took off. He was project manager for one of Wade's construction companies. Shane saw a good friend get injured when a nail from a nail gun malfunction penetrated his protective goggles. So he started working on improving them. Took him five years but he finally perfected the design. Problem was, we didn't have the money for prototypes and distribution. So he went to Wade to see if he would invest."

"When was this?"

"Six years ago. Shane came home one day all excited. He said Wade loved the design and wanted to go in on it with him. Fifty-fifty partners. Wade would put up all the money. Have the goggles manufactured, help with advertising and sales. Sounded great. He told Shane not to share the design with anyone, that someone could steal it. He said he'd do all the legal things too. Get the patent."

Amber knew where this was going.

"Wade is the one who applied for the patent?"

Nancy nodded. "Yeah. Only he put it in his own name, didn't add Shane. 'Course we didn't find that out for a while. It seemed like all was going great. They started producing them, sales were through the roof. And then he gave Shane a check for a hundred thousand dollars and said he didn't need him no more."

"That's horrible. What did Shane do?"

"There was nothing Shane could do. We went to lawyers; he filed an ethics complaint, but nothing worked. He'd given Wade all the original documents and drawings. Wade Ashford made millions."

Amber was stunned. How could Shane have been so stupid not to keep proof of his ownership? "Are you sure he didn't keep anything? Early designs? Emails to Wade? Nothing?"

Nancy shook her head. "If he did, he didn't tell me."

Amber took a tiny sip of tea, thinking. "You said he died in an accident. What happened?"

"The day Wade showed his true colors, Shane called me. He was inconsolable. He said he was going to stop for a drink and then come right home, but he never got here. I'd gotten a text from him saying he was coming home, but then he was killed in an accident on the way—crashed into a telephone pole." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "If that criminal hadn't screwed him over, he'd still be alive."

Amber digested this information, her mind racing. "I assume the accident was investigated. There's no chance that…"

Nancy shook her head. "Yes, of course. But I've always wondered if there's any way Wade had something to do with it. I can't prove anything. This whole thing has just eaten me alive. I was four months pregnant at the time. I miscarried." Nancy pressed her lips together and Amber could see she was trying to hold it together. "I've lost everything," she finally said.

"I'm so sorry," Amber said and then had a thought. "Maybe Shane did have a copy. If Wade was responsible in some way for the accident, it would mean Shane might have had proof that Wade didn't want to come to light. Did you go through all his things from his office?"

"Yeah, but Wade owns the construction company he worked for, so even if there was anything, he would have taken it."

"What about a home office? His computer?"

Nancy gave Amber an annoyed look. "I know you wanna help. But of course I went through everything. I'm telling you, there's nothing anywhere." Her hand went to the necklace she was wearing—a gold dragon encrusted with blue-and-red stones—and she rubbed the pendant between her fingers. Amber had noticed her doing it earlier, like a nervous tick or something.

"That's a beautiful necklace." In truth, it was kind of odd looking and something about it made Amber curious.

"Oh, thanks. It's not real. Shane gave me plenty of real jewelry. But this was the last gift he gave me."

"That's sweet. Was it a birthday gift?"

Nancy shook her head. "No, in fact, he kind of made a joke of it. Said it caught his eye and he hoped I wouldn't think it was cheap, said he had a feeling it was a good luck charm. And then one day when I was taking it off it came apart." She lifted it over her head and pulled a tiny bar on the side. "It's a flash drive. He put a picture of the two of us on it. I was hoping it might have information on it, you know, some kind of file pertaining to the patent or something, but there's nothing. Just the photograph."

A lightbulb went off in Amber's mind. "Could I see it?"

"Um, okay, sure." Nancy handed it to Amber.

"Do you mind if I take a look on your computer?"

"I guess not. I'll grab my laptop."

She was back in a minute with it. When she turned it on and slid the flash drive in, it was just as Nancy said, a picture popped up of Nancy and Shane.

"Can I try something?" Amber asked.

Nancy slid the laptop over to her. Amber used a shortcut to open the flash drive's folder. No files showed up. But Amber knew a thing or two about computers. During her tenure working for Jackson's assistant at Parrish Industries, she'd learned plenty about how to corrupt, hide, and password protect files when she was gaslighting his assistant in order to replace her. She went to the view tab and poked around in advanced settings before checking for hidden files, folders, and drives. That's when the screen populated.

"What is that?" Nancy pointed to a file labeled Development.

"I have a feeling it's the ticket to taking down Wade Ashford."