Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry(97)
Still wrestling with her for control of the gun, he tried to bring it lower and turn it in her direction. She forced it level. A deafening sound filled the car as the pistol discharged.
Suddenly, the vehicle began to accelerate. Glancing forward she could see Oscar’s head slumped to one side. She could feel her wrists aching from having used them to break her fall to the sidewalk the previous evening.
Junior’s strength was prevailing against hers. She could feel the bumping as the SUV ran over an obstacle. Out-muscling her, he maneuvered the barrel of the gun until it was almost at her chest.
Next came the crash. Gina and Junior were thrown forward into the backs of the front seats as the SUV plowed into a tree trunk and came to an abrupt halt.
Gina was semiconscious, at first unable to move. Every part of her body hurt. She saw Junior stir, lean forward, and reach for something on the floor. Lacking the strength to fight again, she struggled to open her door, almost falling out as she did so. She turned back to see Junior raising the gun toward her again. Then she felt a strong hand pull her from the vehicle and force his body between her and the backseat of the car.
“Police! Don’t Move!” the patrolman screamed at Junior as he pointed his firearm at him.
Gina staggered toward another cop who was running to the scene. She had her hands over her ears in an attempt to silence the ringing in them. I’m safe, she thought. Thank God I’m safe.
Epilogue
Four months later
Gina and Ted held hands as they climbed off the trolley that had taken them through the mangroves to the bar on the beach in Pelican Bay. Marian waved and gestured them to the table she and Gina’s father had reserved.
After hugs and handshakes Marian said, “I want to see that gorgeous ring your father told me about.”
Gina held her hand forward, proudly displaying the engagement ring Ted had given her on Christmas Eve.
After they were seated and had ordered cocktails, Gina’s father said, “We’ve been following some of it in the papers, but bring us up-to-date on what’s going on with those scoundrels at REL.”
Gina laughed. “Where to begin. Of course you know Brad Matthews was fired the day the story broke. Losing his job is the least of his problems. Fourteen women have filed sexual abuse suits against him and REL.”
“Frederick Carlyle, Jr., is in even bigger trouble,” Ted added. “He’s been indicted for three murders that he’s trying to blame on his chauffeur. And of course,” he looked at Gina, “for attempted murder.”
“The chauffeur never made it to the hospital alive, so he’s not around to defend himself,” Gina said.
“Dick Sherman, the CEO, got fired. He’s insisting he’s entitled to his huge severance package. REL disagrees. The lawyers are going to have a lot of fun with that one,” Ted said.
“What’s going to happen to the one who was going around scaring the women into taking settlements?” Marian asked.
“That was Michael Carter. From what I hear, he’s trying to cut as many deals as he can,” Gina responded. “He’s agreed to testify against Carlyle Jr. and a slew of others.”
“The editor who tried to get you to stop investigating, I hope he got what he deserved,” Gina’s father said.
“REL fired him as soon as they found out he had taken a bribe to kill the story. He’s suing and, of course, the lawyers are fighting,” Gina replied.
“There it goes,” they heard a woman from a neighboring table say.
Their attention turned toward the water. There was near silence as they and other patrons beheld the wonder of another magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the orange glow began spreading outward across the distant clouds, Gina glanced over and saw her father’s hand cover Marian’s. At the same instant she felt the warm caress of Ted’s hand on the back of her neck. The moment was punctuated by the words of a song that had been written almost one hundred years earlier:
There’s a somebody I’m longin’ to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who’ll watch over me