“Hi there,” the woman responded with a rehearsed smile. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Just fine thanks.”
Sarah Jane dried her hands. She wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. She was dying to ask Luke who this strange woman was and then tell him all about the unusual conversation she’d overheard. She tried to hide her impatience and looked calmly into the mirror as she pretended to fix her hair. She noticed that the woman appeared to feel more comfortable now as she seemed to realize that Sarah Jane’s presence was nothing to be worried about. Sarah Jane knew she could leave at this point without arousing her suspicions. She ran her hand through her hair one last time and smiled at the stranger again as she said, “Have a good one.”
The woman told her to do the same, and with that, Sarah Jane walked out of the ladies room and down the hall. She was careful to keep her pace slow in case anyone was watching. She walked into her office, found herself alone, and shut the door. She pulled out her cell phone and sent Luke a text message. She told him she needed to talk with him and to meet her at her apartment that evening after work. He wrote back immediately and asked if everything was okay. Sarah Jane replied that she didn’t know for sure but to make sure that no one was following him tonight.
Chapter 45
“I’m not coming tonight,” Luke explained over the phone to Max. “I got a message from Sarah Jane asking me to come to her apartment tonight. It sounded urgent. She told me to make sure that I wasn’t followed.”
“It’s no problem if you can’t make it,” Max replied. “Just make sure that you two are careful. I have a bad feeling about this. I’ll keep my cell phone on me in case you need to get in touch with us.”
“We’ll call you if anything important happens that can’t wait until later. Otherwise, why don’t you give us a call when the party’s over or when you and Irene can slip away without everyone noticing, which isn’t likely since the two of you can’t go anywhere without the whole world noticing,” Luke joked.
“Tell me about it!” Max became serious and said, “Keep us posted. Be careful, Luke.”
“We will – you too. Who knows who you might run into tonight at your uncle’s party.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Max reassured. “We’ll be in touch.” Max hung up his phone and looked in the mirror as he tied his black, bow tie. Blake’s annual dinner party was scheduled for that evening. It was one of the biggest functions of the year for Boston’s social elite. Anyone who was anyone – or anyone who thought they were anyone – would be in attendance. Invitations to the event were highly sought after, and it was disconcerting what some people would do to make the list. Max had the responsibility of helping his uncle play host to the hundreds of guests who were expected that night, a role that he managed with ease. He put on his black, tuxedo jacket, left his apartment, and headed to his uncle’s home. When he arrived, a number of people were already there.
As Max moved about the room from group to group, he interacted with his Uncle’s guests. Blake’s home was beautifully decorated for the grand occasion. The furniture had been cleared out of several rooms to allow for numerous tables that were set with bone China, sterling silver, elegant, fresh-flower centerpieces, and engraved place cards. An entire room was devoted to a concert band and dance floor, and the hum of the music could be heard throughout the house. Max scanned the room – the crowd getting larger and larger – to see if Irene had arrived yet. He was deep in conversation with some of his old college friends when several of them suddenly stopped paying attention. His gaze followed the rest of theirs across the room toward the entry to see what was causing the commotion.
Irene had just entered the spacious entry and was being greeted by Blake. She wore an elegant, emerald-colored, floor-length gown that clung to her slim curves. Diamond chandelier earrings completed her ensemble. She could easily have put any Hollywood starlet to shame. Max watched her face light up in response to whatever Blake was saying – her features even more beautiful than usual because of her radiant smile. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He couldn’t believe that the little girl he’d known and loved like a sister had turned into such an intoxicating beauty.
“Who’s your uncle talking to, Max,” his friend Todd Matheson questioned. “I’ve never seen her before.”
“That’s because she’s been living in Europe for the past several years.”
Another friend, Jeremy Woods, let out a slow whistle and smiled appreciatively. “You certainly don’t see many like that in real life – do you?” Jeremy continued, “You never mentioned who she is, Max.”
Max grinned audaciously at his group of friends and said, “You’re right. I didn’t.” With that, he left the stunned men and walked over to where Irene stood, still talking with Blake.
When he approached Irene and Blake, he placed his hand on the small of her back to get her attention and said, “I’ve been looking for you. You look amazing.”
“Thank you, Max,” she responded. She surveyed his handsome appearance and said, “You don’t look bad yourself.”
“Will you please excuse me, my dear?” Blake asked Irene. “I really should try to mingle with some of my other guests.”
“Certainly,” Irene said.
“Save me a dance?” Blake questioned, as he gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving.
“Of course,” she responded sweetly.
“Max, stay with Irene and make sure she isn’t accosted,” Blake instructed his nephew. “I’m afraid that some of your college friends may be a little overeager to meet her,” he finished with a laugh.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her,” Max replied.
When Max and Irene were alone, she looked around briefly and then asked, “Where’s Luke? I thought that he was coming tonight.”
He spoke quietly so that they couldn’t be overheard. “Change of plans. He’s meeting Sarah Jane at her apartment later. It sounded like it was urgent.” She looked worried, and he went on, “Don’t worry. He’ll call us if it’s important.”
“Who say’s I’m worried,” Irene countered as she tried to hide her unease.
“Come on, Irene,” Max whispered in her ear. He tried his best to hide the satisfaction from his voice. “I know that look. Just admit that I still know you better than you think.”
She moved back just enough so that she could see his face. Her lips twitched, and her smile held a hint of flirtatiousness. She looked meaningfully into his eyes as she said, “Maybe.”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
“Perhaps,” she replied.
The two of them stood still for several moments as they looked at one another, each of them trying to decide what was going through the other’s mind. It was at this inopportune moment that the Richards spotted the two of them. Max noticed them approaching and couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Their timing was unbelievable. Tweed wore a revealing, red cocktail dress that left very little to the imagination.
Tweed linked her arm through Max’s possessively as she said, “There you are, Max. We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Haven’t we?” she said looking at her parents.
“We certainly have,” her father responded. Max tried to remove Tweed’s hand from his arm, but she only held on tighter to prevent him from doing so. Tweed glanced at Irene but didn’t acknowledge her. Max looked at Irene imploringly – silently asking her to understand his uncomfortable predicament.
Irene – amused and unfazed by the crassness of the Richards – said confidently, “Well, I’ll just leave him to you then.”
When Irene turned to leave, Max tried to extricate himself from Tweed. He said quickly after her, “Irene, I’ll come with you.”
Irene looked back at him and smiled mischievously. “Oh, no – you enjoy yourself.” Irene walked hurriedly away from the Richards, as well as a stunned Max, to the bustling room where the band was curren
tly playing and noticed several couples already on the dance floor. As she scanned the room to see if there was anyone she knew, she bumped into a man. “Oh, excuse me sir.”
“I beg your pardon,” he responded. Irene was about to move on when the man said, “You’re Irene Duncan, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m Dr. Archibald. We met a few days ago at the country club,” he volunteered.
Irene recognized him and tried to hide her apprehension as she said, “Oh, yes, of course. It’s nice to see you again.”
Dr. Archibald’s gaze moved toward the dancing couples and then back to her as he asked, “Would you care to dance?”
Irene’s heart began to race, and her hands turned to ice. Dancing with him was about the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew that she couldn’t appear anxious. She tried to keep her voice steady as she replied politely, “With pleasure.” She placed her hand in the crook of his offered arm and let him lead her out onto the floor. Irene knew that this dance with Dr. Archibald would test her in a way no other performance ever had – or ever would.
Chapter 46
Even though she was expecting Luke, the quiet knock on Sarah Jane’s door still startled her. She walked quickly over to the door and looked through the peephole to find him waiting outside the door. She opened it quietly, grabbed his hand, and pulled him inside. She glanced nervously up and down the hall to make sure that no one had seen him enter her apartment building and then shut and locked the door. She had been holding her breath, but now she let out a deep sigh. She turned around to find Luke watching her worriedly. “Are you sure that no one followed you here?”
“I’m sure.” Luke waited a few seconds before he spoke again because he expected her to start her explanation. When she didn’t he continued, “Sarah Jane, you better hurry and tell me what’s going on.”
“Here, let me take your coat,” she said. He removed his heavy coat and handed it to her. “Why don’t you sit down,” she said as she gestured to the couch, “while I get us something to drink.”
When she returned with the drinks, he took one from her and set it on the coffee table – not bothering to touch it. “What’s going on?”
“Did a woman visit you at work today?”
Luke thought for a moment and still not understanding how Sarah Jane’s question was relevant responded, “Yeah, Max’s ex-girlfriend, Tweed. She always comes to see me at work. That’s nothing new. Why are you asking?”
“What does she look like?”
“She’s tall and has bleached blonde hair.” He paused and thought how else to describe her. “I don’t really know how to describe her except that she’s overdone, and plenty of her is probably fake.”
“She’s got to be the same woman then.”
“The same woman as who?” Luke questioned, his face confused.
“The same woman that I met in the bathroom at the courthouse today. Do you have any pictures of her?”
He pulled out his wallet and found a picture that was taken after his high school graduation. The picture was of Max, Tweed, himself, and Irene, who had attended their commencement exercise. Luke removed the picture and said, “Hang on. I’ll have to see if I can get this sticker off her face. I love this picture, but I got sick to death of seeing her.” After a few seconds, Luke got the sticker off and then handed the picture to Sarah Jane. “Is this the woman you saw today in the bathroom?”
“That’s her all right.”
He paused and then said, “Okay, now that we’ve established that you had the unfortunate experience of meeting Tweed Richards today in the bathroom – why is that such a big deal?”
“I overheard her talking on the phone.”
“Well, that’s not too unusual. I would have been more surprised if she hadn’t been talking. Nothing can get that woman to shut up,” he said.
“No, Luke,” Sarah Jane responded as she tried to explain, “I heard her talking on the phone with Bryson Walker.”
His smile vanished. “What?” he questioned in a state of disbelief.
“Do they know each other?”
“Not that I’m aware of. I mean, I thought they maybe knew of each other since she’s visited the courthouse so many times, but I didn’t think they even knew one another’s names or that they were good enough friends to talk on the phone.” Luke shook his head as he tried to absorb this startling revelation. “I can’t believe this. Okay, why don’t you start at the beginning? What happened in the bathroom?”
Sarah Jane proceeded to explain the events that had transpired in the bathroom in detail to him. After her explanation, she studied his face as he tried to make sense of all that had happened. “What do you think Luke?”
“Well, it certainly sounds like the two of them are involved in some sort of relationship, even though I didn’t know it. I can’t say I’m surprised. Now that I think of it, the two of them actually seem perfect for each other.”
“How so?”
“They both drive me crazy.”
“So, what now?”
“I don’t like that they seem to want to hide the fact that they know each other – and that they know each other well. Why are they trying to keep it a secret?” Luke shook his head. “I just don’t get it.” He thought for a moment. “If Tweed mentions to Bryson that someone overheard her today in the bathroom and she describes you, he’ll know that it’s you. Just try to act casual.” Sarah Jane nodded. “Since Tweed seemed so worried that someone overheard her, it’s safe to assume that the two of them are up to something. We should be careful talking too much at work since Bryson will probably be ultra paranoid around you. Don’t try to find out anything else for a little while. Just lay low until he thinks that you’re no one to worry about.”
“What about you? What are you going to do?”
“Bryson and Tweed have no way of knowing that we’re working on something together – unless they followed me here tonight – which they didn’t,” he amended quickly when he noticed the look of concern on her face. “They’re going to be watching you – not me. You know what that means don’t you?”
Sarah Jane took a deep breath. She shook her head. “Please tell me that you’re not thinking what I think you are.”
“Well, if you’re thinking that the only way to find out anything about Bryson would be if we went through his stuff at work, then I’d say we’re thinking the exact same thing.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“Well, you know what they say,” Luke said with a confident grin, “great minds think alike!”
Chapter 47
After their dance, Dr. Archibald escorted Irene off the dance floor. “Thank you,” Irene said politely as she tried her best to hide the fact that she couldn’t wait for this ordeal to be over.
“The pleasure was all mine my dear. I assure you.”
She smiled graciously and then said, “Will you excuse me?” Dr. Archibald nodded, and Irene turned around and swiftly walked out of the room and down the hall. She needed a moment alone.
She walked into a bathroom and shut the door. She leaned back against the door as she tried to steady her breathing. She was shaking from the thought of possibly having just danced with her father’s murderer. She took several deep breaths and when she felt calmer, she moved away from the door and looked into the embossed, filigree mirror. Her skin was pale, and she pinched her cheeks in an attempt to give them some color. As much as she would have liked to, she knew that she couldn’t hide in there the rest of the night. With that reasoning, she collected herself as well as she could and opened the door to return to the party.
Irene walked out of the bathroom and rounded a corner where she ran straight into Max. He held her by the shoulders to steady the two of them. “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Thanks for leaving me alone with the Richards clan,” he joked. “Where have you been?”
�
��Nowhere. I just finished dancing with Dr. Archibald.”
“How did that go?” Max asked, his concern evident.
“I can’t remember ever feeling more unnerved in all my life. I thought for sure that I’d faint before the dance ended.”
“Did you?” Max said trying to lighten her mood.
“By some miracle – no,” she replied.
He lowered his voice. “Did you find out anything?”
“No. He acted as though the first time he’d ever met me was at the country club.”
“Wasn’t it?”
Irene stopped for a minute. “Actually, I guess it was. I’d heard his name before, but now that I think of it, the two of us had never met until a few days ago.”
Max took her hand in his supportively as he questioned, “Are you okay?”
“I think so. I just needed a minute to calm down.”
After a few seconds, he changed the subject. “Well then, Ms. Duncan,” he said with an engaging smile, “may I have the next dance?”
She grinned as she reminded him, “Max . . . you don’t know how to dance.”
“Didn’t you know that you don’t have to actually dance anymore? Someone told me once that all dancing is nowadays is swaying back and forth to the music.”
She tried to recall why those words sounded so familiar. Suddenly she remembered where she had heard them before. She had said them to Max when she taught him how to dance for his high school prom. She couldn’t believe that he remembered that night – it was such a long time ago. Irene couldn’t hide her surprise.
Max looked intently into her eyes and said, “How about it Irene? I promise that I’ve improved since then.”
She tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear and smiled up at him as she said softly, “I’d love to.”
As Max accompanied Irene onto the dance floor, he noticed that Tweed, her parents, his college friends, numerous guests, as well as Blake had all stopped to observe them. Max hadn’t danced with Irene since the night that she’d taught him how, and he honestly didn’t care if every single person at the party stopped to take a look. Paying no heed to the numerous observers, he slid his arm securely around Irene’s waist and took her hand in his. At first, she seemed tentative, but after a while she relaxed in his arms, and he drew her closer. He rested his head against hers and closed his eyes as he relished the moment of what it felt like to hold her close once again. It had been a long time since he had held her like this – but now that he had, Max knew that he never wanted to let her go.
Tic Tac Toe (A Suspense Novel) Page 13
