Now that the toast was in front of me and I could smell the enticing aroma of coffee, I was starving. I picked up the toast and attacked it with more gusto than I would have thought possible when I was entrenched on the couch. Leslie gave me a pleased nod and bit into one of the cookies.
“These are great,” she said. “You couldn’t have possibly made these.”
“Toffee, chocolate, something or other,” I said in between bites. “Lucille brought them over. She bought them from some new bakery downtown.”
Leslie took another bite. “She’s awesome. I need the name of that bakery.”
“And cheat on the Storybook Café? I’m shocked.”
She shrugged. “What can I say? I’m all about spreading the love.”
“So what’s up?” Leslie asked. “I got seven texts from you last night when my plane landed but you didn’t respond back and they were not exactly comprehendible. Something about Cullen—you need me to beat some sense into him for you?”
I felt a tingling of warmth run across my skin. Leslie always had my back.
“You know I appreciate the thought,” I said, “but I think this time I was in the wrong.”
“You… wrong. Wait. I need to get out my phone so I can record this.”
“Oh, shut up, Lovari. I just hope I haven’t done too much damage.”
Leslie took another bite of her cookie. “Lay down on the couch and tell Dr. Lovari what happened?”
FORTY-TWO
I sat perfectly still as the makeup artist reapplied one of my wayward lashes. She’d just gotten it into place when my phone, which I’d thankfully found in the bathroom, buzzed.
“Cullen,” I gasped, almost knocking the glue from the woman’s hand.
“Sophia.”
Momentary disappointment filled me as I realized it wasn’t him.
“Lucille? You almost here? It’s almost your turn for makeup.”
“Sorry, love. We’re runnin’ a little behind. Móraí was late rollin’ out of bed this morning. Poor thing, she’s still not feeling well. Could ye send the girl over to her place and I’ll meet her there.”
I cupped the phone to relay the message.
“Sure, but have you spoken to Cullen this morning?”
“No, why? What’s happened?”
“Nothing. Everything’s great,” I said, wanting to kick myself. I needed to change the subject. “Is Móraí going to be all right to join us? I didn’t even know she was sick.”
“It’s nothin’ contagious. She just hasn’t been able to shake this cold since she got back from the trip. Must have been that fresh mountain air of yers.”
“Mountain air of mine?” I repeated almost in sync with shouting in the background.
I could hear Lucille cup her hand over the phone. “Oh, just a minute, John!” She addressed me again. “Sorry, dear. What did ye say?”
“When did Móraí go to the mountains?”
“Um, with you and Cullen last month. She and Liam were headed to Montreal. Wasn’t that where ye’s were?”
“Yes, but they weren’t with us.”
“Oh well,” Lucille said and then paused, mumbling to John. “I guess we just assumed they were joinin’ ye. Anyway, I think the cold has moved into her chest, but she won’t see the doctor.” Lucille paused again and I heard someone calling her name. “I’m sorry, Sophia, I’ve got to go. John can’t find somethin’. He probably tossed it. Men… We’ll see you at the rehearsal.”
She hung up and I glanced back down at my cell. Cullen still hadn’t returned any of my calls or texts.
“I just need to finish a couple of things and then I’ll be on my way.” Aedeen interjected as if realizing I’d forgotten she was still there.
“Sure. I just need to do one more thing.”
If Cullen was calling off the wedding then I needed to know.
Cullen, I know you’re still upset. I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please call me.
My phone vibrated a second later.
All is brilliant, Aeval. I apologize if I had ye worrit. I’m just on my way back. I was lookin’ after somethin’ in Dundrum and I didn’t have service on the mobile but I’ll be to dinner on time. Tá grá agam duit. How ya feelin’?
My heart flip-flopped as I read it.
I feel as if my entire body has a headache, but I’m so relieved to hear from you and I love you too. I just had the weirdest conversation with your Ma. Did you know they thought Móraí and Liam were on vacation with us in Tremblant?
Daphne, who’d been quietly curled in my lap, jumped down and began pawing frantically at the door just as my phone began ringing in my hand.
“Cullen? That was quick.”
“Sorry to bother ye, Ms. Marcil. It’s Garda Lynch.”
“No problem,” I said, getting up to let the cat out.
“We need to talk.”
“Is it about Loni? Was I right about how she died? The details I mean.”
He hesitated.
“Ye were correct. She died fighting her attacker and she was found lyin’ in a pool of blood just as ye described, but this isn’t about—” He hesitated and then let out a heavy sigh, as if deciding how much to tell me. “There’s been another discovery.”
“Tonight is our rehearsal dinner. Do I need to come in?”
I contemplated asking him if this was about Bexx Senior’s involvement, but a whir of noise in the background prevented me from speaking and I could have sworn I heard a female voice whisper Cullen’s name.
“Ye’re not with Mr. O’Kelley, are you?”
“No. Why?”
“All right. I’ll call you back.”
He clicked off.
I glanced at the time; the rehearsal was set to start at three p.m.
“You seem upset; do you hate your makeup, or is it your hair?” Aedeen asked, running the thin edge of her brush across my lips.
It tickled and I instinctively twitched my fingers, almost reaching to wipe it away.
“No, goodness no. It’s amazing. I’m still a little headachy.” I closed my eyes. “I’m probably just tired, not to mention Penelope should have been here by now.”
“One of the bridesmaids?” Aedeen questioned.
“Yes.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Well, speak of the devil. Come on in,” she shouted.
I smiled up at her, knowing it was probably just Leslie returning with the tea she’d promised a while ago.
I turned to look as a familiar man filled the frame.
“Hello there, sexy,” Aedeen cooed.
Funny, I had never really thought of Liam as sexy, but staring at him now in jeans and a t-shirt, his hair slicked and styled back, I could see how he might be considered attractive. It was a rugged sort of look— kind of a bad-boy-Colin-Ferrell vibe.
“Aedeen, it’s been forever, lass. How ye doin’?”
“Good. Just workin’ away. Gettin’ loads of business from yer family lately. Ye’re looking deadly, still, I see.”
“Ye, too.” He smiled sheepishly and I wondered if he’d had a fling with her.
“Last time we ran into each other, I think ye were still donnin’ the uniform,” she added. “I was sad to hear you left...”
Liam had turned his back to me and I wondered if he’d given her a look, the way she stopped talking so abruptly.
“Higher callin’ and all that,” he mumbled. “And how’s the woman of the hour?” he asked, marching across the room to envelop me in a big hug.
I looked down to make sure I wasn’t exposing anything. I was still in my robe. “Good. What are you doing here? Is everything all right? Cullen didn’t send you to call off the wedding after all, did he?”
“He’d be a fool if he did. No, I’m just the tea-delivery fella. The lass, Leslie, said yer stomach's upset. You need to confess something?”
“No, nothing you don’t already know.”
Concern creased his eyes. “Somethin’ troublin’ ye?”
> “I still haven’t heard from Penelope.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but ye mustn’t let it dampen yer day—probably just an emergency back home that dragged her off in such a fashion. Although I do wish I’d walked her inside, now,” Liam went on, his voice tight, as if the words hurt to say. “My stomach was rollin’ and I just dropped her off like a cad. I didn’t even see her get inside the lobby…”
“It's fine, you were sick. She probably just ran off with that new boyfriend of hers. Anyway, I just got a call from the garda.”
Surprise laced his eyes. “Who, Lynch? What’s he after?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. He just said he wants to talk.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Aedeen cut back in. “But I’m all finished here, so if you’re happy then I’m gonna take off.”
“Definitely, thank you so much. And if you see Leslie downstairs, could you send her in? She’s been gone half an hour.” I turned back to Liam, adding, “She’s probably trying Penelope’s cell again.” I forced a smile and took a sip of my tea as the door closed. It tasted bitter, but at least it was hot. “I just keep asking myself what could be so important that it would keep Penelope away.”
“I think maybe I know,” Liam said.
“What? Really? Well, quit holding out on me.”
He stared back at me. There was something about his expression. It was serious—everything about him was grave.
“Have you spoken to Cullen, lass—asked him if he knows?”
“Why would Cullen know?”
A deep, heavy sigh escaped his lips. “Ye’d better sit down.”
“Liam, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”
“I didn’t want to have to tell ye this, but there just isn’t any choice. Cullen has a—how shall I put this?— history.”
I looked Liam square in the face. “You’re kidding. You think he’s cheating on me with Penelope?”
“It’s more than that, I’m afraid. I had my suspicions when yer ex turned up dead, but I just didn’t want to believe it…but now this.”
“What are you talking about, Liam? Cullen didn’t hurt Nick.”
“How do ye know?” he asked gently. “Didn’t ye say he attacked him?”
“He was provoked! Nick was lurking outside our windows,” I insisted. I looked down at my slippers. They were light and fluffy—just the opposite of how I felt. “I did find Nick’s hotel address in Cullen’s office. It was on the matchbook Nick had given me,” I whispered, my certainty wavering.
He looked at me accusingly.
“I swear I never meant to keep it.”
“Cullen must have found it and thought ye were seein’ him. Were ye?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. No, you’re wrong. This is all wrong.” He had to be. This was his brother we were talking about. He must be joking, playing some kind of last-minute trick on me.
“Come on, lass, get real. How else do you explain the engagement ring? It’s made from the Delhi Sapphire.”
I paused.
“What are you talking about? How do you know about that?”
“The night after the proposal dinner, I overheard you telling Leslie.”
I closed my eyes against the recollection; I had poured my heart out to her, but it was impossible. Cullen was not the bad guy. I had already made my decision on that.
Liam’s eyes flashed as if he could hear my thoughts, but his voice was soft. “I’m sorry to have to tell ye these things, Sophia, but Cullen has been unstable since he was a lad. I wanted to warn ye, but I just didn’t know how.”
My eyes narrowed. “How do I know you’re not lying?”
“Why would I lie? He’s my brother and I love him but he’s sick.”
“Sick?” I demanded, my suspicions sharpening. “Why is this the first I’m hearing about it?” The letter popped into my head and I realized this wasn’t exactly the first time. Nick had tried to warn me. “Why haven’t you said anything before? Why would your mother and father let us marry if he’s so sick?”
“Why do ye think? He’s their baby boy. They want the best for him. It seemed like he was gettin’ better, but now that this has happened and… Well, I can see the truth, even if they refuse to.” The floor seemed to tilt, and I grew lightheaded.
“Is that why you followed us to Tremblant?” I asked, almost accusingly.
He looked confused.
“Your mother just mentioned it.”
He looked down. “I didn’t realize she knew. Yes, that was the plan, but Móraí wasn’t feelin’ well so we only lasted the first two days in Montreal, then we headed back home. I wish we’d made it there; maybe I would have been able to prevent your little accident.”
I ignored the implication. I refused to even try to wrap my head around why Cullen would puncture the tires on our own vehicle. It’s not like he knew I’d need to run out unless he threw out the cream cheese.
“Cullen killed Nick, and now you think he’s killed Penelope, too. Why would he do that?”
“Maybe she found out about Nick. Didn’t ye say she was some sort of reporter?”
“A travel reporter, sure, but—” My head swam with confusion. My stomach was churning. I thought of Nick’s smashed-in face and gulped my tea in an attempt to steady myself.
“You really believe your brother’s capable of such violence? And you think Penelope is…” I could barely get the words out, “hurt or dead?”
Liam’s mouth curved down and he nodded. “I’d bet on it.”
How could he be so calm right now? I thought of Loni Switzer’s book in Cullen’s study. I’d believed his explanation after last night—assumed Nick or Bexx Senior had mailed it to set him up or torture me. I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut to stop the spinning.
“Cullen couldn’t be a murderer—he just can’t be.”
The home phone rang as if on cue.
“Don’t bother with it, luv, not right now,” Liam said.
“I have to. It might be Cullen,” I said, racing to pick it up.
“Is this Sophia?”
“Yes.”
“Hi dear. It's Mrs. Nole.”
“Oh, Mrs. Nole. How are you?” I said, feeling deflated. I should have listened to Liam. This lady could chat all day.
Liam perked up in his seat and mouthed to me, “Here, I’ll take it?”
I shook my head no.
“Good. I got a message that Cullen had tried to reach me.”
“Oh, did he? It’s nothing really. I was just being silly but I thought maybe someone had messed with my tires, and you mentioned something about Cullen changing them.”
“No, not Cullen, dear. It was another man. He told me he was changing your tires because they were flat.”
“What did he look like?” I asked, feeling my throat constrict.
“I don’t know. He was wearing a ski mask, which was odd, but it was cold up there.”
I looked up at Liam. He was so composed. The room swayed and the cup slipped from my fingers.
I thought I heard someone shout, “Get away from her!” and then the china shattered.
FORTY-THREE
W hat happened? Leslie thought, rubbing her head. She was sprawled out on the floor, half under the table. A tea cup lay shattered nearby. She recalled having her makeup done, then she’d left Sophia to go call Penelope. She’d been making tea when someone showed up. Father, no it wasn’t her father. Geez…why am I so groggy? She licked her lips, trying to call up some saliva. She could taste the tea, a tangy, metallic taste.
She pulled herself up off the kitchen floor, running her hands over the sweater she was wearing. She felt the cell in her pocket and pulled it out, doing her best to focus on dialing. Scrolling through the last number she’d called, she hit send. Instantly, her phone began ringing. And then another phone began ringing. It was loud, but muffled, and coming from inside the wardrobe. She opened the door and moved several coats to the side. The ringing stopped. She hit send again and t
ucked her phone back into her sweater before searching the pocket of a red hoodie.
She reached for it, clumsily knocking something long and hard out of the pocket, along with the phone, to the floor. She bent over, trying to keep the spins at bay. A used positive pregnancy test was next to the phone. Ewe. Why would someone keep this? Was it Sophia? Was she pregnant? Why hadn’t she said something? She picked up the mystery phone. Her vision was beginning to clear. This had never happened to her before, then again, she’d already thrown up once today. She saw a ton of missed calls from Sophia on the mystery phone. Whose phone was this?
Cullen’s name appeared. It was the last text sent. She looked at the last message in the conversation.
Can you come to the chapel? There’s something I need to show you.
She scrolled through a few other texts and recognized her own cell number from just a few seconds ago. This didn’t make sense. This was Penelope’s phone. Why were she and Cullen texting? She suddenly had the urge to strangle that blonde bimbo. She debated on running upstairs and showing Sophia. But it would break her heart if Penelope and Cullen were screwing around. Not only that, but having a baby. Speaking of babies, Leslie’s nausea grew and she momentarily wondered if another trip to the bathroom would be necessary. What had she been thinking last month? She was too old for reckless one-night stands. Now she was more than three days late. Oh well, her problems would have to take a backseat for the moment. She saw car keys on the table. She didn’t know who they belonged to, but she grabbed them up. Based on Penelope’s texts, if she wasn’t here then she was most likely holed up at Liam’s. What a dirt bag Cullen was—leaving his mistress at his brother’s place. And how could Liam cover for him—or did he even know what was happening? Well, she was going to go and have a nice little chat with Penelope.
The fresh air felt amazing as she stepped out the front door. There were two vehicles in the drive, but Aedeen was the only one who’d driven there. And wasn’t Aedeen’s car blue, not black? She racked her brain for a moment, trying to remember. Then she noticed Cullen’s Landrover. Blood instantly surged through her veins as she realized he was home. She contemplated marching back inside to confront him. No, she’d speak to Penelope first. Men were all too quick to deny and manipulate if you didn’t have all the facts. She hit the unlock button on the keys and the car flashed and beeped once. Perfect.
Cruel Fortunes Omnibus: Volumes One to Four Page 43
