Page 63 of Romancing the Rumrunner
They got to Maude’s car, courtesy of her new fiancé, and slid inside. “Where to?” Maude asked, knowing without having to ask that they weren’t going back to her place.
Jessie thought for a second. She had no idea what had really happened or where Tony might be. But she knew who would know. She gave Maude Tony’s mother’s address.
His mother opened the door before she had a chance to knock. “Saw you pull up,” she said. “He’s not here.”
“What’s happened, Mrs. Solomon?”
His mother held the door open and Jessie and Maude trailed inside, but Jessie was too anxious to sit.
“He was arrested,” his mother said, getting right to the point.
“What?” Jessie whispered, sinking onto a chair. “Why?”
“For obstruction of justice.”
Jessie shook her head, a lump forming in her throat. “I don’t understand.”
Mrs. Solomon sighed and sat down. “It’s fairly easy. He loves you.”
Jessie’s head jerked up. “But he…he didn’t…what did he do?”
Mrs. Solomon smiled. “Well, I expect he finally told that dumbbell Jameson what to go do with himself.”
Jessie knew her mouth was hanging open like a carp, but she couldn’t seem to process the abrupt turn her life had taken. Too many emotions warred within her. The love that she’d tried to deny bubbled up, her body fairly pulsing with it. But the doubts were still there, the little voice in the back of her head whispering that he wouldn’t do such a thing, not for her, not after all the lies she’d told, the mistrust and betrayal between them. And yet…beneath it all was something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. A glimmer of hope.
“Jameson said Tony told him there was no evidence, that he didn’t have anything on me. But he did. Photos, files. I know he did.”
Mrs. Solomon sat forward and took Jessie’s hands. “If he did, then I’d guess they are ash at the bottom of his fireplace about now.”
Jessie closed her eyes and let her head hang, the enormity of what Tony had done for her hitting her like a hundred pound sack of flour. Mrs. Solomon squeezed her hands and Jessie looked back up at her.
She studied Jessie’s face, looked deep into her eyes. “Anthony told me what happened, what he did. I know he hurt you. But…my son has had a hard time of it. He made a mistake that he’s spent years trying to make up for. No one will let him forget it, least of all himself. And he worries too much about me. But he’s a good man. Whatever he’s done, it’s because he thought he was doing the right thing. Never forget that.”
Jessie nodded, her throat closing around the tears that threatened, once again, to fall.
Mrs. Solomon watched her for a moment. “You must be something special for my boy to give up everything he’s worked for.”
Jessie shook her head. “I’m nothing, no one. I don’t want him to ruin his life for me. I don’t know why he’d do this.”
Maude snorted. “The man just went to prison for you. I’d call that love.”
Mrs. Solomon laughed. “I’d have to agree.”
The small spark of hope flamed brighter in Jessie’s heart and she ducked her head, trying to sort through all the emotions roiling through her. “Do you know where they’ve taken him?”
Mrs. Solomon pushed herself out of her chair and retrieved a slip of paper off the counter.
“Don’t tell him I gave it to you,” she said with a wink.
Jessie took the paper and Mrs. Solomon enveloped her in a hug. “Give him a chance,hmm?”
Jessie gave her a tremulous smile, her heart filling with warmth, and nodded.
She and Maude drove in silence to the jailhouse. Jessie’s head spun. The magnitude of what Tony had done for her finally sank in as she saw the bars and guards crawling all over the place.
Maude pulled the car over in front of the building and parked. “I’ll wait for you out here.”
Jessie nodded, but didn’t make a move to get out. Her heart thundered in her chest.
