Free Ties That Bind by Kathryn Shay Page B

again. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
    Hurt by his careless dismissal of what she needed to talk about, she sat up, stayed there a minute then swung her legs over the side of the bed. The window was cracked open and she shivered a bit. Rising from the mattress, she walked to the bathroom. When she got to the doorway, Reese called out, “Dray, I’m sorry.”
    Turning, she looked at him; her heart swelled at the sight of everything she’d always wanted in a man. Still she had some pride. “You’re sorry for what, Reese? For dismissing my feelings? For making love to me like you weren’t even there?” She lifted her chin. “Or worse yet, like you wished I was someone else?”
    He just stared at her. No denial came from his mouth. She shook her head, then stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door.
    She’d be damned if she cried in front of him. Facing herself in the mirror, she also made a promise. “And I’ll be damned if I let you have him back, Kate Renado. Not without a fight, at least.”
    o0o
    BY TUESDAY, WHEN they’d wrangled an appointment to meet with the warden at Longshore Federal Correctional Institution, Reese felt better about facing Kate again. He’d managed to put her out of his mind, make up to Dray for his thoughtlessness, and spend an even-keeled two days away from his ex-wife. They hadn’t seen each other since Saturday, but had spoken on the phone about the press the case was getting, the progress the cops had made, and any new information that had come to light. Yesterday’s newspaper article had been mostly about the police investigation into Bingham’s death. The New Jersey cops had spoken with the warden and some of the inmates, which was exactly what Reese and Kate planned to do today.
    Once inside the Longshore facility, the four met up outside Warden Evans’s office. Kate’s lawyer greeted them first. “Bishop. Marcia.”
    “Carl,” Reese said. “Nice to see you again.”
    Kate greeted Marcia.
    All four of them were on friendly terms, even though the other two attorneys had represented Kate and Reese in their divorce proceedings. Ironically, given how angry they had been at each other, neither he nor Kate had wanted to cheat the other out of anything. The settlement had been amicable, making the whole thing even more heartbreaking.
    A tall gray-haired man, with a kind smile and a shrewd mind, Carl Wakefield crossed to Marcia Schmidt and began a quiet conversation. Reese’s lawyer, Marcia, only came up to his shoulder but matched Carl’s intellect and sophistication easily.
    Reese took the opportunity to study Kate. Her peacock-blue suit set off her dark coloring, though she was a bit pale today and her brown eyes were muddy with fatigue. He knew he didn’t look much better even though he’d put on a blue power suit. “Come sit, Kate.” When she did, he asked, “You okay?”
    “No. I’m a wreck. This is going so slow. I want it over.”
    He sighed. “Me, too. It’s been a rough few days.”
    “Do you think…” She stopped speaking when a female inmate opened the door to the warden’s office. “Mr. Bishop? Judge Renado? Warden Evans is ready for you.”
    They both rose, and he felt Kate lean into him. He grasped her arm. “Easy.” They walked into the office, close together, seeking the comfort of the other’s nearness.
    The warden’s private domain was paneled and held a wall full of books. The room smelled faintly of furniture polish. There were pictures on a desk, behind which sat a very attractive woman. She reminded Reese of a young Mary Tyler Moore. Her smile was pleasant. “Hello, Judge. Mr. Bishop. Nice to see you again,” she said to their lawyers. When all were seated, Evans nodded. “You want to talk about the Anna Bingham case.”
    Reese’s lawyer: “My client fully denies the allegations in her alleged suicide note.”
    Kate’s: “Mine, too.”
    “Yes, I expected that. I imagine you have questions for me.”
    Kate leaned forward.