“Wickham was hired to direct LBS’s video.”
“And why don’t I believe that was a coincidence?” Linda interrupted “Oh, wait, I know! It’s because he’s a scumbag who would do anything he could to screw you over.”
Charles hid the smile he couldn’t repress behind his hand. “We suspect Wickham learned about Lizzy and Will’s relationship, but that’s just a guess based on what he told us.”
“Go on.”
“LBS flew down to Tampa yesterday to shoot a video. Everything was fine until today, when Elizabeth was stopped at the airport, searched, and found with drugs.”
“Help me out here; is there any chance the drugs were hers?”
Darcy’s eyes narrowed as Charles answered, “None at all. She’s clean.”
“And Wickham?”
“Wickham was on the flight back to New York with them.”
“He rode with Lizzy to the airport as well,” Jane volunteered.
“Why was she in the same car as him?” Darcy hissed.
“Winnie was there as well,” Jane answered softly.
Linda continued. “Now, we know that Wickham was in the car and on the flight with Lizzy. Do we have any other reason to suspect him?
“He said some pretty provocative things at the airport,” Richard answered.
Linda was making notes on a legal pad. “What kind of comments, how provocative?”
Richard shrugged. “Enough that I punched him in the jaw.”
Linda looked up and held out her palm to Richard, who slapped it. “Wish I was there.”
“He said she would be going to prison,” Darcy said quietly.
Linda looked at Darcy and lifted her eyebrows. “Well, that’s pretty telling, isn’t it?”
“Wickham was searched but he was clean.”
“Sadly, he’s not that stupid. If he was, my job would be a lot easier.” Linda looked at her notes. “Okay, I think I have enough. I’m going to go over there now.”
“I’m going with you,” Darcy announced firmly.
Linda looked at Caroline, then Charles.
“No, Darcy. You can’t do that,” said Caroline.
“Why not?”
“Because, they won’t let you. She only gets to see her lawyer, and besides, Will, right now this is nothing. It’s probably not even going to be picked up by the press. But if you go, it’s going to be news. Big news.”
“Charles is right,” Linda added. “Write her a letter, and I’ll slip it to her.”
Darcy looked from Linda to Charles. Charles nodded and, frowning, Darcy walked to his library.
“Okay,” Linda said, turning to Charles, “who is she to him?”
Charles smiled. “She’s the love of his life. Can’t you tell?”
Linda sighed. “She must be to make him act like this.”
“I better check on him,” Charles said as he followed Darcy into the library.
Darcy sat at a desk, staring into space, a blank sheet of paper in front of him. “I don’t know what to write. What do you say in a situation like this? I want to apologize and beg her forgiveness, but…” He sighed, disgusted with himself.
“Don’t beg for her forgiveness.”
Darcy ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “You’re right.”
“Good. Now, write this down.”
Dearest Elizabeth,
I wish I could be there with you, but I can’t. This note is all I can do. Linda is the best lawyer I know. I trust her completely and you can trust her too. I will not rest until you are back here, safe in my arms. Please be brave, and know that I’m with you in my heart.
All my love,
Fitzwilliam
Darcy handed the note to Charles, who read it, sealed it in an envelope, and gave it to Linda, who was waiting in the living room. He then returned to Darcy and shut the living room door.
“Will, let me help. I know what you’re feeling.”
Darcy looked at him in disbelief. “How? How can you know?”
“Because I’ve been there. Remember? My dad? I went through all of this. You’re feeling angry, terrified, guilty, and helpless.”
Darcy looked down at his desk and his hands began trembling. “She trusted me, Charles. She trusted me, and I let that monster destroy her.” His voice was a harsh whisper. “I’m so afraid. She’s in jail, all alone. I would give anything for her to be here, and safe. What if, what if she’s…”
Charles could see what Darcy was so afraid of that he couldn’t even say it. Charles put his hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “I know. It’s hard. Get it out. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m afraid that she’ll be convicted, that she’s going to prison. What if Wickham is right? What if she does go to jail and it changes her? What if she blames me?”
Charles nodded. “Those are all reasonable fears and I don’t blame you for being terrified. It sounds like you are afraid of losing her as well.”
“I am going to lose her,” he said in a dead voice. “I can’t expect her to forgive me for this. It’s just like before. I just got a chance to love her, and she’s being ripped away.”
“Do me a favor. Try to reverse the situations. Imagine that an old enemy of hers framed you. Would you hate her? Would you even blame her?”
Darcy looked at Charles incredulously. “Never. I love her. I will always love her.”
“There’s your answer, Will. If I know Lizzy, she probably just wants to get back to you, not to hate you.”
Darcy put his head in his hands and thought. “All right.”
“Are you going to deal? ’Cause Elizabeth needs your help.”
Darcy nodded. “I don’t know how I’m going to cope if she’s not released.”
Charles nodded. “Fair enough. We’ll deal with that if it happens. One step at a time.”
Elizabeth had been waiting in the interrogation room for almost an hour by the big clock that hung on the wall, an hour with nothing to keep her company but her own thoughts.
Talking to Darcy had been a mixed blessing. It was good to know he was helping her, but the pain and fear in his voice had made her all the more frightened.
She started when the door opened and a tall blonde woman walked in. “Ms. Bennet? I’m Linda St. Andrews. I believe Will told you about me?”
Elizabeth felt her heart lift with Darcy’s name. “Yes, yes he did,” she said quickly.
Linda smiled and held out an envelope. “This is for you.”
Elizabeth took the blank envelope and opened it, pulling out Darcy’s letter. She gasped as she recognized the handwriting and read it, eagerly devouring each word. She looked tearfully up at Linda and said, “Thank you,” in a tremulous voice.
Linda gave Elizabeth a reassuring smile and a tissue. “Feeling better? Now, let’s get down to work.”
A half hour later found them sitting with the police, going over questions. Elizabeth answered them all honestly, but it was clear the police were growing annoyed. After another fifteen minutes, the two detectives left in a huff.
“What did I do?” Elizabeth asked.
“Nothing.” Linda shrugged, going over her notes. “Cops hate that. They want you to trip up and be guilty. Innocent people make them nuts.”
“What’s going to happen?”
Linda looked up and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand sympathetically. It was clear that she was terrified. “They’re probably going to move you to a holding cell, where you get to spend the night.”
“Tomorrow you will be arraigned before a judge. That is when you will plead not guilty and bail will be set. Then you can go home to that man who is missing you so bad.”
“Will? Is he okay?” The color drained from Elizabeth’s face.
“He’s very concerned. Didn’t he tell you that in the letter?” She gestured to the paper in Elizabeth’s hands and Elizabeth nodded. “What about the trial?” she asked fearfully.
“Well, we will have to see about that,” Linda said in a businesslike tone. “I’m going to try to get the charges dropped, but that’s going to be tricky. The good news is that your fingerprints aren’t on the packet, there were no traces of residue on your hands, and with any luck Wickham’s prints will be on the packet. Add the fact that you have agreed to drug testing and that you agreed to let your bag be searched and I say we have a pretty strong case.”