Murphy looked across at Jim and smirked. “Is that so?”
Tasha was irritated by him too now. “Yes, that is so.”
She glanced across at Jim who interjected as he placed a tray of coffee down on the table. “I had a very casual relationship with Mickie that started about a year ago and ended when I met Tasha. Mickie had been a friend for over twenty years since she dated my brother, but after they separated, she made it clear that she had feelings for me. I was married at that time with a baby and had no romantic interest in Mickie and she accepted that, I thought, and we remained friends. However, some twenty years later, last summer when we were on vacation with a group of friends, we got together. For me it was a fling, no more, but for her it was more. We met up fairly regularly, but it was never more than a casual relationship for me. I never viewed Mickie as a potential girlfriend never mind a future wife and as I say I ended my casual relationship with Mickie after meeting Tasha, but we remained friends for a while.”
“Was there a cross over in your relationships with Miss Winters and Miss Adams?” asked Murphy, his smirk growing.
“Is that relevant?” asked Jim.
“Yes,” replied Masterson.
Shrugging, Jim answered, “I met Tasha on the Friday, in New York and I think we both thought our meeting would be casual, but on the Sunday Tasha flew back to L.A. with me and I told Mickie I’d met someone I thought I could have a permanent future with and that she and I would have to go back to being friends, no more. She’d never liked any of my previous wives, but she and I retained a friendship that was independent of my marriages and I assumed it would be the same with Tasha. But a crossover, no.”
“Miss Winters, how would you describe your relationship with Miss Adams?” asked Masterson seriously.
“There wasn't one, not really. I originally believed Mickie was a man, with the name,” Tasha began, not adding Jim’s deceit in allowing her to believe Mickie was anything other than a man because apart from its irrelevance in this, she didn’t need to rake over it again. “She wasn't a regular visitor here and her name probably only came up once before I met her at Jim and Bobby's birthday party where I realised she was a woman. She was unpleasant and made it clear that she didn't like me and when Jim and I first got engaged she was on the wedding guest list, but I had her removed. I figured I was only going to do it once so why have people at my wedding who despised me. She hired a P.I. who followed me when I returned home to London for a couple of weeks and tried to use the information she had against me by showing Jim photos of me with an ex-boyfriend. What she hadn’t realised was that my meeting with my ex had been pre-planned and was something Jim was already aware of, rendering her photos useless. It seems it was during this time that her man contacted my parents and also tried to dig dirt from my friends, but to no avail.”
“So, there was no dirt to find, is that what you're saying?” asked Masterson making her laugh.
“I guess that depends what your definition of dirt is, but Mickie didn't uncover the kind of dirt she was looking for.” Tasha hoped she’d managed to remain cool, but diplomatic. “She wanted something that would taint Jim’s view of me and make him rethink his decision to marry me. She was unsuccessful in that mission.”
Both detectives nodded while Jim smiled across at her. Bobby looked ready to intervene, but she had already decided that she had probably said as much as she was willing to and more than enough for the detectives in their search for background information.
“I think we are done, Miss Winters,” began Masterson. “We have spoken to Michael Rose, the P.I. and he has confirmed his investigation in London and we are still looking for Miss Adams, but your father is quite clear that she paid him to stop you marrying Mr Maybury.”
Tasha swallowed hard, still hoping her father’s part in this might be proven untrue, but in reality she knew it couldn’t be because he still saw her as nothing more than a payday.
The detective offered her a sympathetic smile before continuing. “He has confessed to following you around L.A. for a couple of days before he watched you on the night of the crash. He saw you leave here and park in the lot of a convenience store where he received a message from Miss Adams to say enough was enough and he should do something to stop your marriage. He decided the something was to cut your brakes, which he did before observing you watching some children playing with their families in a children's playground. He then followed you back to your car and pursued you as you headed up into the hills and we believe he ran you off the road, although, he has yet to admit that he did that deliberately. He admits his part in things, so I think his conviction is guaranteed…” he paused. “But with respect, your father was purely the gopher in this. Miss Adams is the brains behind it and manipulated your father so is far more dangerous than your father could ever be.”
Tasha stared at the police officer's summing up and agreed with him because he had never threatened her life as she'd been his cash cow, but Mickie had no need for Tasha before and certainly would have none now.
“If you're interested, your father has been assigned a public defender, but he may need someone a little more, erm, expensive.” It was Murphy’s turn to offer her a sympathetic smile now before he glanced across towards Bobby.
“Then maybe he should have thought about that before he tried to kill my fiancée. In fact, I think you should lock him up and throw away the key. Now, if that's all?” asked Jim angrily.
“Yes, of course. Thank you for your time and co-operation.” Masterson got to his feet and waited for his colleague.
Jim escorted them to the door and while they were alone Bobby said, “Tasha, I don't know whether you're considering representation for your dad, but if you are, promise me you’ll square it with Jimbo before you act or you could be the shortest serving wife he's had.”
“Really?” Tasha’s nervousness was clear to them both.
“You know he doesn't like things keeping from him anyway, but he is all for the death penalty as far as your dad and Mickie are concerned so...”
“I get it. Thanks, Bobby.” She smiled as Jim returned.
“Right, that's me off to court, catch you later, Jimbo. Tasha, give Abby a call, she misses you,” he called as Jim followed him out of the room.
“Okay and thank you,” replied Tasha as she heard the front door opening then closing.
Jim slumped down next to Tasha and pulled her close as he kissed the top of her head, “Are you okay?”
“I suppose so. This is all such a mess, isn't it?” she asked nervously.
“Hey, you're not to worry about it, any of it, baby,” he told her seriously, tilting her chin so she had to look at him.
“I'll try,” she replied. “Do they know about Mickie and the cancer thing?”
“The police?”
