Family_Ties_by_Lisa_Gray

Chapter 4-1

Chapter 4

Evan stood, dumbfounded. This couldn’t be happening. Everything was finally going his way, and now this tsunami of s**t rolls in. His career, his credit, his mother’s care, the office, Lacey’s job—everything hinged on the community center project going through. And this bizarre scheme the lawyers had cooked up threatened it all.

Moments later, Lacey was in the conference room demanding to know what was going on. “Well, give! What did they want with you?”

Evan sat down. He shook his head, and looked up helplessly at Lacey, unable to process what had just happened. “I’m not sure I can even get my head around it. But I think I’m in a lot of trouble.”

Suddenly bristling with protectiveness, Lacey demanded, “Are they suing you?” When Evan didn’t reply, her voice got louder. “Did they threaten you? Do you want me to call the police?”

Evan shook his head. “No. At least not now. I don’t think they’ve actually done anything illegal. And besides, everybody knows the Carmodys own the police and city hall and half the county. Lacey, I think I’m screwed.”

“So what do they want from you?” At Evan’s continued silence, Lacey stamped her foot. “If you don’t tell me right now, I’m going to explode!”

Evan pushed the prenuptial agreement towards her. “They want me to enter into an arranged marriage with the local crown prince, Danny Carmody.”

Lacey’s eyes grew wide, and she made odd, sputtering sounds. Finally regaining speech, she burst out, “Marriage? That’s crazy!” She dropped into the chair. “Marriage? Unbelievable. And to Danny Carmody?” Her expression turned thoughtful for a moment. “Although I have to admit, he is quite a prize.”

“Lacey!”

“Sorry. I’m just saying. Have you ever met him?”

Evan’s voice dropped. “Once. A long time ago when we were kids. I was only nine years old, and he must have been about sixteen.” Evan shuddered, his thoughts quickly skittering away from the memory of that day.

“So, you don’t even really know the guy. Why does he want to marry you?”

He shook his head. “I doubt he does. No, the two families are trying to extort my cooperation to create some happy little bond between them. They’re holding up funding for the community center until I agree to this. And they’re well aware of how stretched my finances are. They even mentioned my mother’s bills coming due at the assisted living facility.” Evan clenched his fists. “I’m trapped, Lace.”

She looked worried as she grasped his right hand and uncurled his fingers to wind them around hers. “So what are you going to do? I’ve already used up the money you gave me furnishing the office and buying supplies. And like it or not, they’re right about your mom’s rent coming due.”

He rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “I know. I really should never have tried to stay in this town. I should have taken my mother and found some place for her in another state.”

Lacey patted Evan’s hand. “You couldn’t take her from here. If it wasn’t for Dr. Duchamp’s friendship with her and the discount he gives you, you’d have to house her in a county home, not a private facility. Someone as sweet and fragile as Simone couldn’t survive in a place like that.”

Evan stood and started pacing the length of the small room. “I know that. Damn it, Lacey, these people have no right to interfere with our lives again. Those bastards treated us like dirt even when my father was still alive. I can’t let them use me for their own purposes like…like I was just some merchandise for sale. But how do I fight them? When the almighty Carmodys decide they want something, it would take a federal decree to hold them back.” Evan froze. A federal decree? How about a federal law enforcement agency? Suddenly he turned to face her, a wicked smile forming on his lips. “Lacey, your old roommate—Barb, was it?—didn’t you tell me her brother was in the FBI?”

“Uh, yeah. And I heard he had some kind of run-in with the Carmodys. And lost.”

“Yeah, well that could be a plus. Maybe he’d like to have another chance at them.” Evan’s thoughts were racing, weaving plans and examining possibilities. “Can you try to find him for me? At the very least I’m going to need some discreet advice from someone outside the circle of the Carmodys’ influence. And a federal agency might be my only hope. While you track him down, I’m going to call Jack Denton and get his version of events. I’m not going down without a fight.”

Lacey grinned at her boss. “I’m on it. She grabbed the plate of cookies and plunked it down in front of him. “I used the really good quality chocolate—it works miracles. Now eat.”

Evan managed a weak smile. “And a miracle is just what I need right now.”

“So let’s find one.” She jumped up and headed out of the conference room.

Evan was already dialing. When the receptionist answered, he said, “Jack Denton, please. Evan Dwyer calling.” After a very long wait, Denton finally answered the phone.

“Hello, Evan. I know what you’re going to say, but there’s nothing I can do.”

“You could honor the agreement we had,” he retorted, not bothering to disguise his anger.

Denton sighed. “I’d like to. But our agreement was dependent upon receiving the bulk of the funding from the city. And the city was getting the money from the Carmodys. As I understand it, that’s stalled now for the foreseeable future. I’m sorry, Evan, but none of us can go forward until this is resolved.”

“Can’t your attorneys do anything to fight this? You want that community center as much as I want to design it. And the city desperately needs it.”

“Even if I could find funding elsewhere, I don’t have the influence to go up against the combined forces of the Carmodys and the Dwyers. I have to live in this town and do business here. I’m sorry, Evan. But right now, everything is on hold until they say it isn’t. I don’t want to start looking for another architect, so settle this as quickly as you can. I’m counting on you—and so are the residents of the city. Good luck.” The call disconnected.

Evan slammed the phone down so hard the plate of cookies flipped off the table. He buried his face in his hands. Damn. This day had started filled with such hope. How had things gotten so bad, so quick? Looking up, he was embarrassed at the mess he’d made. He crawled around and picked up the cookies, dusting them off and arranging them neatly back on the plate. It wouldn’t do to piss off the one person who was on his side.

Lacey called from the front office. “Evan, I found a number for Barb’s brother. His name is Agent Rick Jablonski. He’s on line two for you.”

He picked up the phone. “Hello, Agent Jablonski. I’m hoping you can help me.” He explained his situation and tried to answer the agent’s questions as best he could. With a surge of bitterness, Evan admitted the lawyers hadn’t given him the courtesy of an explanation—they’d just conscripted his life and told him not to be tardy to his own hanging.

Evan hadn’t really expected the FBI to be too concerned with his dilemma. So the ill-concealed excitement in the agent’s voice surprised him. Jablonski concluded their conversation by saying he would consult with his superiors in the Organized Crime division and get back to him soon.

Spending the next three hours alternating between fits of temper and helpless frustration, Evan tried to think his way to a solution. Not expecting it to be of any use, he nonetheless studied the prenuptial agreement. After plowing through it, he felt sorry for whatever poor slob actually ended up marrying Danny Carmody—the prenup read like a set of rules for prisoners of war.

Lacey spent the time on the internet pulling up every bit of information she could find on both the Carmodys and the Dwyers. Over sandwiches she’d had delivered from the sub shop down the street, they pooled their information and tried to come up with escape plans. It was a depressingly unproductive session.