Jess put bread into the toaster, “Sure maybe after I eat.  We could use my room.”  She was going to have to talk to him.  Firstly, he was her best friend and not just in Hollywood, and secondly he was her guest her, and thirdly they were going to be together practically 24x7 while doing Harts in Time over the next three months, and probably longer.  They had to make-up and sooner was better than later.  She gave her head a slight shake.  He probably didn’t even know they were fighting.

*****

Ben walked into his home office and closed the door.  It was nearly 8:30 and he had so many things to do that he wasn’t sure where he wanted to start.  He picked up the phone for the landline that was in his office, clicked the talk button, and dialed the number for the offices of Luciano and Bellini.  When the receptionist answered, he greeted her and asked for Daniela.  His cousin picked up.

“Ben, what’s up?”

“Hey, Dani.  I don’t know if the gossip made its way to you yesterday, but Jamison Parker is my biological son.  I need to update my will accordingly.  Can you put something together?  I have the Garcia trial starting Monday, but if you send me a text when it’s ready, I’ll come by and pick it up.  I can read it and get it signed and notarized at the courthouse if I need to.”

She laughed.  Daniela was the youngest of Vinnie Luciano’s four children.  She and Ben were born only a few months apart, and they’d grown up more like brother and sister than like cousins.  They’d even gone off to college and law school together and her cousin’s exploits were legend back in the day.

“Yeah, I heard.  I’m guessing there’s a little more to the story than what I heard from Papa though.  Is Jamie going to change his last name?  If so, can get the ball rolling.”

Ben laughed, “I’ll tell you all about it someday.  We haven’t talked about all of the particulars, but you’ll be one of the first to know.  Have you seen uncle Sal today?”

“I think he’s in his office.  You want me to reroute your call?”

“That’d be good.  Thanks Dani.”

Ben sat down and began flipping through some papers in the Garcia file when Sal picked up.

“Luciano.”

“Uncle Sal, it’s Ben.  I have some things I’d like to run by you on the Garcia case.  I’d like to invite you to join us for the game tonight.  I thought maybe we could talk a little on the flight.”

“Sure, Nipote.  Tell you what, I’ll drive your Navigator to your house tonight and ride with you to the airport.”

Ben had completely forgotten that he still hadn’t gotten his SUV after giving the keys to Uncle Sal on Tuesday.

“Sure, that’s good.  We’re spending the night in St. Louis and flying back tomorrow afternoon.  I can get you home when we get back.”

“Anything I need to do in the meantime?”

“No, it’s just some jury selection strategy questions that I want you to take a look at.  We plan to leave the house around 5:00, so I’ll see you then.”

Chapter 23

Ben had just gotten off the phone with Uncle Sal when his cell phone rang.

He checked the caller id, “Tanner, what’s up?”

“I’m with Duncan.  He’d like to talk to Jamie today before you all leave for St. Louis this afternoon.  Can you come by this morning?”

Even though Duncan had told them to check with him before leaving town for the game, Ben was a little surprised.

“Sure.  Tell him we can be there within the hour.  Tanner, call me when you leave him.”

“Will do.”  Tanner ended the call.

As Ben began to stand, there was a quick rap at the door.  It opened and he looked up to find Lane standing in the doorway. She was wearing yet another pair of leggings, a long sweater, and riding boots.  Her long strawberry blonde hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders.  He gave her his full wattage Bellini smile and walked toward her.

She smiled back at him, “Are you going to be working all day today?”

He kissed her, “I hope not, but Tanner just called and I need to take Jamie to talk to the detective investigating Coach Ferguson’s murder.”

“I’d almost forgotten about that,” she sighed, “almost.”

What she meant was that she hadn’t thought about the mess yet today.  But then again, she’d only been up for half an hour.

“Okay, I can be ready in just a few minutes.  He’s a minor so he can have a parent with him, right?”

Ben put the index finger of his right hand under her chin and lifted her face so she was looking at him.

“He’s going to have a parent with him.  And I’m a lawyer, so two birds with one stone.”  He bent and kissed her again.  “It’s just routine.  I don’t want you to worry.”  He whispered as he pulled her close to him.

“Are you telling me I can’t come?”  She asked.

How was he going to answer that?  The truth was he’d rather she not get involved, but Jamie was her son too.  Luckily, the ringing of his cell phone saved him.  He looked at her, “This is Tanner, I told him to call after he left the detective.  Let me just talk to him and then we can discuss whether or not you need to come along.”

“Tanner, what’s up?  Why does Duncan want to see Jamie?”

“He wants to have him look at a photo lineup.  They might actually have this thing figured out and they want to ask Jamie if he remembers seeing anyone in the parking lot when he found Harper Monday or maybe in the halls Tuesday when he found the coach.”

Ben looked at Lane and gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

“That’s good.  Are you still there or are you on your way someplace else?”  Ben asked Tanner.

“I’m in my SUV.  Regardless of what Duncan says, unless there’s an arrest and a confession, I plan to follow that team bus to St. Louis this afternoon and I’ve got a couple of things to do before we leave.”  Tanner replied.

Ben ended the call and looked at Lane.

“Tanner says they want Jamie to look at some photos and see if they can jog his memory about seeing anyone either in the parking lot Monday or the halls at school on Tuesday.  Tanner says they might have it figured out.  That means they have a suspect and want to see if Jamie can place that person at either of the scenes.”

He put his hands on either side of her face and looked into her sky blue eyes.

“I wasn’t telling you that you couldn’t come along.  What I’m saying is, I’ve got this.  You can stay home and spend time working on Evie, you know, talking to her about moving down here.”

Lane looked up into Ben’s eyes, studying his face.  “You’re sure they just want Jamie to look at some photos and ask him some questions about whether he remembers seeing anyone?”

Ben dropped his hands and pulled her close to him.  “Yes, at least it’s what Tanner told me.  If it turns out to be anything else, I’ll call or text you.  Now, I told Tanner I’d have Jamie there within an hour.  I need to get him and we need to go.”

She trusted Ben.  He was her husband, the father of her youngest son, and the best criminal defense lawyer in the metro.  She knew that Jamie couldn’t be safer or better cared for and yet, she was Jamie’s mother and it had always been her job to protect him.  What was it that Ben had told her last month when the police questioned Jess?  She needs a lawyer, not a mother. Lane leaned back and looked at Ben, “Okay, go.  But call me as soon as you finish or if it’s more than just a photo line-up.”

Ben bent and kissed the top of her head before leaving her to find Jamie. As father and son walked toward the garage, Ben looked at Lane, “I love you, Red.” Then he and Jamie were out the door.

Lane shook her head and whispered to the empty room, “I love you too.”

Gabe and Jess were running lines, rehearsing for their movie in Jess’s room and Evie was in the hearth room reading.  Lane walked into the hearth room and sat with her friend.

Evie looked up from her e-reader and smiled at Lane, “You know that man really loves you?”  She was thinking, “How many men would fly the ex-mother-in-law of his bride to the wedding reception, let alone invite her for Thanksgiving and have her stay in his guest room?”