Chapter 6

The rain had started while she was at the doctor's house, and now it tapered off to a light shower.Still, Liberty placed the Cadillac's windshield wipers on the quick swipe mode.She had no idea why she had bought such an expensive car, but the minute she saw the sleek and elegant sedan with its rich mica-black exterior and its smooth bisque-hued suede and leather interior, she knew she had to have it.Most attorneys drove Mercedes and BMWs, not to impress clients per se, but to establish an air of respectability, dependability and prestige.With the Caddy, Liberty felt all that and then some.She felt almost regal.

Now after she negotiated the turn on her street, she eased the car up the driveway and flicked the button to open the garage door and turn on the overhead light.Liberty bought her Caddy right after she bought her two-bedroom condo in Windsor Terrace Estates.The two seemed to go together, and both purchases made her feel grounded for the first time in her life, independent, mature and responsible.

After years of bouncing around as a renter, she had finally put down roots, even though she now had a mortgage and car payments that ran into four figures each month.That meant more aggressive tactics to procure clientswell-paying clientsso she could afford the rent of her office space as well as make sure her employees received regular pay checks.So far, business had been good, the money coming in.But if the litigation climate changed, Liberty would forego her own salary and cut back expenses in order to keep her business afloat.

Now as she eased the Cadillac into the garage, she glanced in her rear-view mirror and noticed a dark figure coming out of the bushes near the front walk.He continued up the driveway, moving toward her.Liberty immediately pressed the button on the driver's door to make sure all the locks remained engaged and then rummaged on the floor of the passenger side for the metal pipe she kept there just for situations like this.

Girl, don't panic, she kept telling herself, even when she couldn't find her pipe.Glancing into the rear-view mirror again, she saw the dark figure standing behind her car, right at the back bumper.He began to flay his arms up and down to attract her attention.

Sitting up, Liberty let out a sigh of relief and relaxed her shoulders when she recognized her so-called assailant.Damn Preston Durrell!She couldn't believe her one-time lover had been waiting for her in the bushes of all places!Anger replaced her agitation and fear.

When he came up to her car door, she rolled down the window and immediately cursed him out."Damn you, Preston!What the fuck are you doing here at this time of night?"

Despite her berating, Preston offered an easy-breezy and attractive smile."What do you think?Looking for you, girlfriend.You don't answer your phone, so I got to come out in person."

Liberty had placed her phone on silent mode for the ceremony, and then forgot to turn it back on after she returned to the office.Just as well.She didn't need to take calls from guys like Preston who popped in and out of her life whenever they felt like it.And Preston Durrell remained the worst of the bunch.No wonder their relationship had soured, although Preston refused to give up on her entirely even after Liberty told him to get lost when she found out he cheated on her.

"Just what do you want?" she growled, gathering up her purse and briefcase.

"To talk to you girl, what do you think?You can at least ask me in and give me a beer."

"How about I don't ask you in and give you a belt right now?"

As Liberty opened the door a crack Preston took hold of the handle and opened it wider.His confident smile never wavered as he offered his hand in a gallant gesture to help her out of the car.

Preston Durrell spent ten years on the Washington, D.C. police force, mostly in narcotics and on the gang unit.But after a bullet from a drug suspect's .38 special slammed into his side and he had to have surgery to remove a damaged kidney, Preston was reassigned to a desk job, no longer able to do any physically-demanding work.Used to street action and abhorring the idea of being a desk jockey, he decided to quit the force and become a private investigator.As a cop, Preston had cultivated quite a few contacts in the underbelly of the capital and now continued to utilize their services when needed.He also possessed quite a proficient knack for obtaining information off the Internet, particularly from "secure" government sites.He also loved to buy the latest in spy gadgets.

A boy and his toys, Liberty often thought, but she had a hard time saying no to this boy.Tall and muscular, Preston had the looks to go with his suave, devil-may-care attitude.He need only give her one of his sexy, pouty glances with eyes the color of rich chocolate and she usually melted, acquiescing to his requests, personal as well as professional.But tonight Liberty felt too tired to put up with his antics, let alone respond to any sexual overtures he would invariably try.Pushing away his hand, she got out of the Caddy and made sure to swing her briefcase "accidentally" at his chest, knocking him off balance.

"Hey!" Preston cried as he caught himself before crashing into the garage wall and knocking down her small supply of gardening tools."What's up with you, sista?"

"Nothing you need to worry about.Now, unless you tell me what you're doing here in five seconds or less, I'm going inside, alone, and locking the door behind me."

"Okay, okay.I want to discuss a case with you since I just found out you're involved with my client, or at least peripherally."

With her house key in hand, Liberty paused at the door that led to her utility room.She gave the P.I. a look."Who's that?"

"Let me in and then I'll fill you in, baby."He gave her a broad smile seething with sexual innuendo."And maybe later I can fill you up."

Liberty shoved the key in the lock."Five minutes, Preston.That's all you're getting from me tonight."

He let out an exaggerated sigh."Okay, I'll take it."

"You bet you will."She pushed the door open and then turned on the light.As she strutted past her washer and dryer, she told him, "And close the door behind you."