Page 39 of The Billionaire's Special Relationship

Then Stuart looked at Tabby. “But why would the security guard give you a copy? You didn’t have any money to throw his way.”

“But you did,” Tabby said.

JK frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Stuart wasn’t there.”

Tabby pulled out Stuart’s wallet and looked at him. “You left this behind, remember?”

Stuart smiled. “Ah,” he said as he received it from her.

“Two years ago you said you never carried cash. But you had a big wad of cash in that wallet last night. Thank God.”

“So you took Stuart’s money and paid the guard?”

Tabby nodded. “I had to. And I used his money to put gas in his car too.”

“How much did you pay him?” Mel asked.

“A thousand dollars,” Tabby said. “And even then he still didn’t wanna do it. But because he knew me, he went on and did it anyway.”

“I’m sure that grand helped more than his knowledge of you,” Mel said.

“Alvin’s not like that. He doesn’t like to do the wrong thing. But Itold him they were trying to blame me for a crime I didn’t commit. That’s the main reason he did it.”

JK and Mel glanced at each other. They both wondered if Tabby took that grand for herself.

But Stuart took her hand and squeezed it. “You did the right thing, babe,” he said to her, which caused his employees to glance at each other yet again. They’d never seen Stuart treat a woman so kindly, and with such kid gloves. “But who’s this Alvin?” he asked Tabby.

“You remember. He was the tall black guy sitting in the office and was talking to me while you checked in. I went to school with his sister. Once I realized you needed proof of a timeline, I thought of Alvin and hurried to the office and asked for his help. I told him they were trying to claim I committed a crime so he could think he was helping me. Somebody might have paid him to wipe the tape clean after I got that tape, I don’t know what happened after that. But I have the proof right here,” she said, waving that flash drive around.

JK stood up and hurried over to her. “May I?” he asked.

Tabby looked at Stuart. Stuart nodded for her to hand it over to him, and she did.

While JK and one of his assistants went to upload the flash drive into Stuart’s TV, Stuart looked at her. “Is this Alvin supposed to have feelings for you?”

“Alvin? No way! He’s way older than me.”

Mel and JK looked at Stuart. It didn’t seem to bother her about Stuart being old enough to beher father, but the age of some security guard in Larkin was a problem? If that wasn’t a red flag that he just might have a gold digger on his hands, they didn’t know what was. But then again, Mel thought as he continued to look at his longtime friend, it didn’t seem to bother Stuart either.

But it did bother Stuart. He wasn’t showing it, but their age gap was a definite concern. But it was mainly because he still wondered if she had the emotional maturity to navigate his world without crashing and burning from its harshness. Despite her independence and confidence, he still viewed her as very innocent to the ways of the world. And very vulnerable.

But when JK began playing the video, they all were relieved that it showed exactly what it needed to show: That Stuart and Tabby checked into the Larkin Inn at seven-thirty-three last night. Then the camera at the end of the breezeway showed them entering their motel room a minute later. JK did a fast-forward through the video as it showed that same motel room door closed all night long. It opened again at eight nineteen that next morning, with Stuart and Tabby walking out, Tabby rushing back in to get his wallet and keys, and then the FBI showing up. It was clear, irrefutable evidence.

But JK had been a criminal defense attorney for decades. He needed airtight evidence. “Are there any back doors or back windows of any kind inside thatmotel room?” he asked.

“None,” said Stuart.

“Praise God!” said JK. But then he looked at one of his assistants. “Get our guys to that motel right away, and specifically to room 14B. Have them film the entire room, close and far-angle, so that it can be clear to the DA that there were are no way in or out except by that one door. Then have them upload it directly to me as soon as they film it.”

“Will do,” the assistant said and began making the phone call.

“Save five copies,” JK said to another assistant, “and then rack it up. Send it to your phone first, and then send it to mine.” He pulled out his phone. “I’m calling the DA right now.”

“But it’s night time,” Tabby said.

“I’m Stuart Jacobs’ attorney. Oh she’ll take my call,” he said happily and Mel and the legal team laughed as JK moved further over to hold his phone conversation.

Stuart, relieved that they were making progress, leaned back looking at Tabby. When she turned back and looked at him, he had an overwhelming sense of appreciation in his eyes. “Your quick thinking got to that video before whomever it was had a chance to wipe it clean. Thank you,” he said heartfelt.