Betrayal by Fern Michaels Page B

slapped her in the face, it wouldn’t have been as shocking. “What?”
    â€œYou heard me. Sara told Don and Debbie that I touched her inappropriately.”
    â€œThis has got to be some horrible joke. Why would Don do this to you? To us?”
    â€œI’ve asked myself that same question more times than I can count. He was serious, Kate. He said Sara told him I’d touched her when we visited them in Florida. Said it’d been happening for a long time.”
    Kate turned ten shades of white, then red. “That little monster! Why would she do this to you? There has to be a mistake, Alex. I’m going to call Debbie myself. I’ll clear this thing right up.” Kate hoisted herself up from the chair she never quite remembered seating herself in. She grabbed the phone from Alex.
    â€œDon’t, Kate. Don was serious. He wouldn’t joke about something like this.”
    â€œThen what? You’re supposed to sit back and do nothing! I don’t think so! This could ruin our lives, Alex. Have you thought about that?”
    â€œThis is as much a shock to me as it is to you. I don’t know what to think at this point. I suppose I should wait to hear from Don again.”
    â€œDid he actually say he would call you back?”
    Alex thought for a minute. “No, he didn’t.”
    A sharp knock at the back door caused Alex to drop the phone. Kate about jumped out of her skin. “Who’s there?” Suddenly paranoid, she peered through the curtain, hoping that whoever was there would just go away.
    â€œKate. Alex, it’s Gertie. Open up.”
    Gertie. Jay. Bella and her puppies. Had it only been an hour ago that they’d celebrated the birth of the tiny creatures? It seemed like days.
    â€œGertie, sure, come in.” Kate unlocked the door, which she didn’t remember locking. Was this what fear did to a person? Did you do crazy things that were out of character and not remember?
    â€œYou two look worse than Bella. Gosh, was the champagne that bad?” Gertie asked.
    â€œSit down, Gertie,” Kate said.
    â€œYou two want to tell me what’s wrong? Neither damn one of you look worth a plugged nickel.”
    Kate glanced at Alex, silently asking his permission to tell Gertie what they’d just learned.
    â€œAlex just got off the phone with Don. It seems Sara’s been having anxiety attacks since she got home. They . . . She said that Alex had touched her.” Kate let out a deep breath and inhaled.
    For once, Gertie was at a loss for words. She stared at Alex, then back at Kate, her warm brown eyes filling with fire.
    â€œWell, I hope to hell you’re not gonna take this sitting down! Have you talked to the girl? What in the world would she do something like this for, what would she hope to gain? I knew that kid wasn’t right the first time I laid eyes on her. She’s always been on the sneaky side, even as a toddler. What can I do?”
    Gertie was being Gertie. Thank God. Kate and Alex needed her unabashed common sense now more than ever.
    â€œI don’t know what to do, Gertie. I’ve never even imagined being accused of something so horrendous in my life.”
    â€œYou’re gonna need a lawyer, I can tell you that. My brother ought to be able to recommend a good defense attorney. I’ll call him right now.”
    Gertie’s brother was a first-rate attorney, known far and wide in North Carolina. Sadly, he didn’t do criminal law.
    She took the phone into the living room. She spoke to her brother for five minutes, then returned to the kitchen. “This is gonna get a lot worse before it gets better.”
    â€œI knew today was too good to be true. It’s time for old Alex to fall.”
    â€œAnd I’ll be there to catch you, Alex. You can count on it,” Kate said.

Chapter 8
    â€œS ince the child maintains the alleged molestation took place in Florida, if this goes to trial,