He grabbed the putter from his golf bag and then hit his ball much gentler, hoping to at least get a birdie out of this. But his ball sailed again and ended up a good feet on the other side. His golf partner, the current majority owner of the mill, allowed him to take his final tap-in to finish the round one-over-par. Another par for Charles.
It was now the owner’s time, who still had a chance to birdie, but his ball was in a precarious position. He studied the hole. As he studied it, Charles’s cell phone rang. When he saw it was from the Inn, he thought about Jenay and immediately answered.
“Sinatra,” he said.
“Mr. Sinatra?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“It’s Megan Townsend, sir. I hate to disturb you.”
Then why was she disturbing him? “Yes?” he asked.
“It’s Miss Jenay, sir.”
Charles stood erect. “What about Miss Jenay?”
“They took her away.”
Charles frowned. “What do you mean they took her away? Who took her away?”
His fellow golfer stopped and looked at him. Charles moved further away.
“Who took her away?” he asked again.
“The police.”
Charles could hardly believe what she had just said. “The police?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why?”
“They said she was the one. They said she stole the jewels.”
She sounded crazy to Charles. “What jewels, Meg? What the hell are you talking about?”
“The guest jewels in the house safe were stolen, sr. The police was called because Miss Jenay said to call 911. But when the police came they searched each and every room, including the VIP suite where Miss Jenay is staying. They found the jewels in her suite. They found them in one of her suit cases, sir.”
Charles was dumbstruck. He was so floored that he felt as if the world was tilting on him. “Where is she now?” he asked his bookkeeper.
“In jail, sir. They took her away.”
Jenay? In jail? His heart slammed against his chest. “I’m catching the next flight out. I’m on my way,” he said, and killed the call. Then he informed his golfing partner that he had an emergency and had to leave. And as he hurried to his golf cart to get out of there, he immediately phoned his oldest son, Brent.
Brent was surprised by the call. “Dad? What’s up? Still in Saginaw?”
“Where are you?” Charles asked as he drove toward the front of the course.
“I’m at my apartment. I just finished my last class.” He was in college, at the University of Maine in Orono.
“Get to Jericho,” Charles ordered. “A friend of mine has been wrongfully arrested. I want you there with her. I want you speaking up for her until I can get there.”
“Wrongfully arrested? Who, Dad? Miss Abby?”
“Her name is Jenay Franklin,” Charles said. “You get to that station now. Let her know I’m on my way.”
“Sure, Dad. Yes, sir,” Brent said.
Charles knew his son was shocked. He’d never been this concerned for any other woman before. Even Charles was a little shocked himself. He hadn’t known Jenay long enough to be so certain of her innocence. But for some strange reason even he couldn’t fathom, he was certain. He was as certain of that lady as the flesh on his bones.
It had been hours. Brent had been waiting and waiting. He knew those assholes had already processed her, but because he was a Sinatra, and he was Big Daddy’s oldest kid, he knew they were determined to drag it out. When his father got there, things would change. They wouldn’t dare disrespect him this way. But he was a twenty-two year old senior in college. They didn’t give a damn.
He smiled when the doors to the Jericho police station opened, and his brother Tony, who was a couple years younger than he was, walked in.
“Dad called you too?” Brent asked him.
“Yeah,” Tony said as he took a seat beside his brother. “But I was still in class. You’ve seen her?”
“They claim she’s still being processed in. She can’t see any visitors until she’s been processed.”
“You know that’s a bunch of bull, right?” Tony asked.
“Hell yeah I know it,” Brent responded. “They don’t like Dad so they figure they’ll sock it to us.”
“And you still want to be one of them?”
“I still want to be a policeman after I graduate,” Brent responded. “Absolutely! What’s so wrong with that? Because some cops don’t know how to take their oath seriously doesn’t change anything for me. One day, after I’m working here, I’ll run this place. I’ll get rid of the bad apples then.”