THEO AND REED'S BABY FEVER : Book Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Theo closed his eyes and counted to ten. He sat down and rubbed his temples. Opening his desk drawer he pulled out a bottle of generic aspirin and popped two in his mouth, washing them down with soda pop. " My husband is not a porn star. He's a respectable responsible tax paying veterinarian. He's a very good man. One erotic picture doesn't mean porn. And I didn't kill that woman. I didn't kill anyone. "

" You were there. In her office. The police arrested you. That's what the news said."

" Yes but it doesn't make me a killer. I'm a clumsy man with bad timing who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. " He paused and drummed his fingers on his desk top. " How long did you work for Vanessa?"

Joan closed her eyes briefly. The look on her face seemed very pensive. " I met Nessa in college. I went to London on a scholarship. I was very smart as a girl. She was..... She was...... quite magnetic. Magnificent. Everyone noticed her. Her body was small but her personality was huge. "

" Everyone noticed her including you? '

" Yes. Including me. We became friends. After school I stayed in London on a work visa. I worked as a secretary. Nessa went to law school. She is , was , an excellent lawyer. She truly did care about people and their issues. She cared about fighting discrimination. She said I was invaluable to her. I worked at her agencies for years. That's why she asked me to work at the one here. I was invaluable. "

Theo sat back and listened to her talk. Her eyes were still closed. She seemed lost in her memories.

" You loved her. "

Her eyes opened. He was not so stunned to see they were glistening with tears. He offered her a Kleenex from the box on his desk. She took one with a grateful nod and dabbed at her face. " I suppose I did. She never returned my feelings. The only woman she loved was that woman. Samantha Martin. " The woman's name was spoken with avid wonder and resentful bitterness.

" In the office that day she didn't seem like she loved Samantha. "

Joan sniffed. " Of course not. Samantha still loved Nessa or claimed to but she had killed that emotion in Nessa. Made her so cold. "

" How so? '

" By cheating on her. Oh she claimed it was a mistake but Nessa was so hurt ! It was worse because Samantha is bisexual and it was with a man. The man isn't even straight. Apparently he's still in the closet. Nessa said he was so far in the closet he had mothballs for neighbors. "

Theo was stunned. Samantha had cheated on Vanessa with a man? No wonder the woman was so hateful. If Reed ever cheated on him he would be devastated. He would never forgive Reed. He would just want to lie down and die. Of course that was no excuse to allow Benji to suffer. And he said as much to Joan.

Joan shook her head at him. " Nessa loved Benji. He is her biological son after all. Samantha only adopted him. Nessa was going to divorce Samantha and get full custody of the boy. Samantha was fighting it. I don't know why. She really didn't care about the child. You heard her that day ? Braces for a baby with not that many teeth. How stupid did she think we were? It's obvious she wanted the money for something else. Maybe drugs. She seemed the type. She was a artist after all. "

" This man. Did Vanessa ever mention his name? Who he was? "

Joan sighed deeply. " No. She hated him though. She said she hated him and wanted him to suffer. For an eternity. Those were her words. An eternity. " She swallowed and began to cry. " If you didn't kill her then who did? The police have no idea. I don't think they care. They are idiots. I just need to know. Who did it? Why ? If I had only been there....... I had a dentist appointment. If I had been there......"

Theo went to the sobbing woman and held her quietly as she cried. As she mourned.