Page 45 of Steal My Heart
“What is going on here?” Frank’s voice boomed through the house. The boys stiffened and paled. Violet’s eyes hardened just as Frank barreled into the room. “I heard that he was questioning my sons.”
“That’s quite enough of your blustering, Frankie. Sit down.” Damn, Violet had snap, and she wasn’t afraid to use it. “Boys, you can go, but I want to talk to both of you tonight.”
“Yes,” they each said as they hurried out of the room like the hounds of hell were after them.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Frank demanded, standing at the edge of the table, looming over it.
“Sit down!” Violet snapped. “You have some explaining to do.” She grabbed the photograph copy off the table and sent it sailing toward Frank. “You thieving little piece of shit.” She vibrated with rage as she stood, the two of them glaring at each other down the long table. “I’ve done everything for you all your life and you steal from me?”
Frank lifted the page and set it down once more, swallowing hard before steeling himself.
“You were seen with that by your son. He just told us.” Violet looked like she was about to explode, and Hilliard took her hand. She squeezed it, and Hilliard winced at the pressure.
“I didn’t break in here and steal your things,” Frank said smugly. “And I was with friends then. The police talked to me, and I not only had an alibi, but so did my boys. So whatever these two are peddling is pond scum.”
“It’s okay, Violet. I’ve got it from here,” Hilliard said. He smiled at her, hoping she’d calm down and relax. He didn’t want her hurting herself, because if he was right, those boys were going to need her. “So I think it’s time for you to cut the bullshit. I know you’re involved in this. Did you rob your own mother?” He couldn’t keep the look of distaste from his face. “What kind of man are you?”
If Frank’s head grew any redder, it might burst into flame. “Of course I didn’t.”
Hilliard leaned forward. “Then why did you frame Brian for it?” At least this piece of the picture was clear. “You took thispiece of jewelry from your mother, and you placed it in Brian’s truck. Then, when the police came to verify it,youconfirmed that it was one of the pieces stolen. Not your mother.” He passed the report from the police to Brian.
“You didn’t,” Violet said gently, her hand in front of her mouth. “Why would you do that?” She stood. “Why?” she yelled, her voice carrying through the entire house and, Hilliard expected, clear out into the street. “Tell me! Why would you do that?”
Frank held his posture straight for a few more seconds before his shoulders slumped. “I was protecting my family. When I heard about the burglary, I knew that Kevin and Kendall had been out with those friends of theirs, and….” He swallowed.
“You thought the boys were involved in the burglary and you took matters into your own hands. You planted evidence in Brian’s truck in order to implicate him.” Hilliard stood and leaned over the table. “You picked as your victim a man who was grieving the loss of his grandfather?” He shook his head and held Frank’s gaze and saw fear filling his eyes. “And let me guess, you broke into Beverly’s house to plant the napkin ring to try to throw renewed suspicion on him.”
Frank hung his head, defeated. “I had to do something….”
“You thought the police would arrest him again? They can’t. Double jeopardy. That was your biggest mistake. You overplayed your hand.”
Brian had his phone out and left the room. Hilliard knew he was calling the police. At least with this, they had enough to vacate the conviction. All Hilliard needed to do was find a local attorney to act as sponsor and he could submit the paperwork to vacate the conviction on the grounds of new evidence. It would take time to get a court date, but they had more than enough to clear Brian.
“I….”
Violet stood still, shaking, and Hilliard helped her sit down. Frank stood and looked like he was going to leave. “Stay here. The police are probably on their way, and after what I have to tell them, they would only hunt you down anyway. It would probably be best if you went willingly.”
Brian returned, and once Frank sat again, Hilliard went out into the hall with him. “Grant is on his way.”
“Good.” Hilliard smiled, and Brian hugged the life out of him.
“I didn’t think this was possible,” Brian whispered. “After everything.” He shook in Hilliard’s arms for a while. “I want to beat the living hell out of him for what he did to me.”
“I know” was all Hilliard could say. “But you can’t. He’ll pay for what he did in so many ways.” He would make sure of that. “Why don’t you go wait for the police? You don’t need to see him if you don’t want to.” Hilliard gave him another squeeze and then backed away. He wanted to stay with Brian, but it was best if Brian wasn’t with Frank right now.
“What else was I going to do? I had to protect the boys,” Frank was saying.
“Except I don’t think they had anything to do with this,” Hilliard told him. “Your sons would never hurt their grandmother. I’m willing to bet that she is the only good thing in their lives. You, on the other hand, don’t care who you hurt.” He drew closer. “And now you’ve ruined Brian’s life, as well as your own and the boys’, because they are going to spend quite a bit of time without a father and your sorry ass is going to be in jail. Beverly and Brian will press charges for breaking and entering. You broke into Brian’s truck, planted evidence, and framed an innocent man.” He smiled. “And I suspect that Brian will bring a civil suit and can easily take every cent you have or will ever have.”
Frank paled, and for a second Hilliard thought he might pass out.
“Is it really that bad?” Violet asked.
“I’m afraid so. He stole years from a man’s life. Someone who was innocent all along.” Hilliard was so angry on Brian’s behalf that he wanted to lash out at Frank—and at Violet for taking his side, but then, Frank was her son, and just like Brian had Beverly, Frank was going to need someone in his corner.
A firm knock pulled him away, and he opened the front door to let Grant and a deputy inside. Hilliard gave Grant a brief recap.
“And he admitted all this?”