Page 65 of Two Hearts' Ploy

“And none of that’s true, Robin,” Jake said gruffly. “Wren. I discovered earlier today that your father had a stipend set up with your business manager years ago. That explains the money missing in your account. It stayed in place because Mason tricked your business manager with an updated digital version of your father’s original agreement, supposedly signed by you, when he took over the firm once Senior died. Junior must have withheld the stipend from Robin and your mother and collected the money himself and even bumped it up when you made changes to your will. We’re talking about five grand a month, which ain’t too shabby, even these days. Your father just wanted to keep your mother away from you. He knew she was pregnant, but he was unwilling to believe that the child was his, so the money was basically there to pay her off so you wouldn’t be distracted.”

Wren sighed, studying Robin, who was looking forlorn. “I was told that Mom desertedme.I didn’t deliberately stay away from her, Robin. Dad was as bad as Mom in so many ways. But Mom obviously wanted the money more, otherwise she would have still tried to see me.”

Robin nodded. “I tried to hate you, Wren. But the more I was around you, the more I realized that what Garrett was telling me just couldn’t be true. You were always great to me. And then when I saw how much you cared for your new boyfriend, who was just a regular guy, I realized that I really didn’t know you at all,” Robin said gruffly. “Mom talked about you all the time, like you were some kind of angel, so I suppose I was jealous too. Mom might have been getting some money, but I guess she could have been gullible, and Garrett might have been onlygiving us a portion of it to live on, even then. He was always in our lives.” Robin sighed. “We got married when I was only sixteen. Mom was so proud.”

Jake sat back with a video recorder.

“Well, let’s get some statements from you for the record, Robin. I’m going to try my best to keep you out of jail,” Jake said gruffly.

“I appreciate that,” Robin admitted. “But like I said, I’ll take what I have coming.”

Jake nodded.

“What did Mason tell you about his scheme?”

“Just that he’d come up with a plan to get what he thought I deserved as Wren’s sister, which I immediately didn’t want anything to do with. But he was my husband, and he wouldn’t let it drop until I gave in. He promised that we’d move, and he’d buy us a nicer house where we could start over and we’d go on vacations, and he’d give me what I wanted most – a family,” she said softly.

“I wonder what he did with all the money he was already pilfering?” Jeff said grimly to Wren. “Geez, he ran a law firm.”

“I’m pretty sure that he ran it into the ground,” Robin admitted. “He barely went to work, and most of his clients left when his father passed away. When he came up with this scheme, he sent me to cosmetology school, which was the first nice thing he’d ever done for me.”

“Because it had a purpose,” Wren said, nodding.

“Yes. He also spent money like he had it, and never seemed to stop, so he must have had some other source of income.”

“Wren already mentioned that he was tapping into the charity accounts that the firm was supposed to be distributing,” Jake observed. “We’ll get a hold of all his records and tax returns. That should tell us more.”

“I’m not sure, but I also think he might have started gambling,” Robin admitted.

“Maybe he was into something else that was illegal,” Jake said, becoming thoughtful.

“Maybe,” Robin agreed. “I also think he was doing cocaine but hiding it from me. We weren’t around each other much after we were married – until he made me go along with this scheme. I’d had a little training with cutting hair so that’s how I got along financially after he planted me in the family home and just left me there on my own after Mom died. The utilities were paid, so I really couldn’t complain. Luckily, I had a few friends. Garrett didn’t seem to really care what I did as long as it didn’t reflect badly on him.”

Jake heaved a sigh.

“So, what was next, after cosmetology school?”

“He sent me here to California. I have no idea how I was able to get ahead as a makeup artist so quickly, but maybe he knew someone. He was always so sneaky. There was a girl from our hometown who he said he once dated that made it big as a producer. He was cheating on me and didn’t even try to hide it anymore. After living here for a few years, I realized that he would do anything for money. Maybe he was even blackmailing someone. It was strange how he seemed to have so many people wrapped around his thumb in Lawton.”

“I tend to agree with Robin. I knew Garrett when I was a teenager,” Wren admitted. “When he asked me to go out with him, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. It was like he was threatening me each time I saw him after that. But I can see how he could have fooled Robin. He could be charming when he wanted. I don’t think his father ever realized that his son had a dark side.”

“That’s it exactly,” Robin replied. “He had a dark side – that you were never prepared for when it came out.” Tears suddenlyfilled her eyes. “After those people at the studio ended up dead, by the hand of the musician I made a deal with on behalf of Garrett that included an offer of a bunch of money since I’d heard through the grapevine that he was having trouble after a divorce, I discovered that it really was intentional. Garrett had given Chad Winslow specific instructions and tools to redirect the wiring. Garrett even bragged about it.”

Jake nodded. Even though the recorder was going, he was still taking notes.

“When I heard that Chad Winslow was found dead, and that he’d been shot, I knew that Garrett was behind it. Collecting guns was one of his hobbies. I tried to back out on his scheme and even wanted to go to the police – which of course I didn’t tell him – but Garrett said that I’d be the one charged with the murders. Garrett had found a way to set me up. He called and told me that there was an envelope for Chad that he’d left inside my purse – instructions about what he’d hired Chad to do. There were witnesses who saw me with Chad on Sunday night when he was packing up instruments with a bunch of other musicians at the venue where Wren had performed on Friday. Then he was supposedly heading off to the studio where the fire happened, to do some recording with another band and vocalist. And that’s the thing. Garrett was back home in Lawton when everything happened, so of course, I believed him, when he said that I would be the one to be blamed. That’s one thing I knew for certain – Garrett always followed through with his threats,” she said gruffly, rubbing the side of her face.

“He’s hit you?” Wren asked gently.

“And more, but…well – I was his wife,” Robin said in a shaky voice.

The room went silent.

“Sometimes he took it pretty far, but in my mind, I was beginning to realize that if he wanted something from Wren, Imight have to be alive for that. Garrett must have shot Chad because Chad probably wanted to go to the police after he realized what he’d done. I’m sure Garrett gave some perfectly plausible excuse for what Chad would be doing with the wiring and mentioned nothing about fire.” Robin said.

“And if Chad was as desperate as you thought he was for money, he might have convinced himself that it was no big deal,” Jake said.

Jeff nodded. “Crossing wires can also cause a power outage. I could see someone, even a guitarist, not being too well informed about wiring unless it was related to powering up his instrument or speakers.”

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