“Why didn’t you? You’ve sure had enough of them to choose from.”
Bradford clenched his fists.
“And you don’t have to worry about being married to one anymore,” she added, “because I’m leaving.”
Bradford’s eyes widened. “And going where? With him?”
Barbara was silent.
“Fine, leave. You won’t survive for a week.”
“He doesn’t like it, naturally,” Barbara said to Marilyn. “But this isn’t about Bradford’s feelings. It’s about mine.”
“My God, Barbara. What’s gotten into you?”
“Some common sense.”
“I would say just the opposite. This is insane. You’re giving up being Mrs. Bradford Bentley to be with some kid. I don’t care how cute he is or how good he is in bed. This is nuts.”
“Noah really cares about me. He treats me like a queen.”
“So keep screwing him on the side, girl. You don’t have to leave Bradford.”
Barbara smacked her lips impatiently. She was sorry not to have her best friend’s blessing but that wasn’t going to change her mind. At least Veronique was supportive. Veronique seemed to understand her need to be with Noah in a way that Marilyn didn’t.
“Where does Noah live?” Marilyn asked.
“Near Fourteenth and U Streets.”
Marilyn laughed out loud. “You’ve got to be kidding. Barbara, you won’t last three days down there.”
“You sound like Bradford,” Barbara said stiffly. “I’ve spent a lot of time there with Noah. I happen to like it. It’s hip, trendy.”
Marilyn threw her hands in the air helplessly. “If you’re determined to go through with this, I hope you have a damn good lawyer. You’re going to need every dime you can get out of Bradford to live with Noah.”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned while spending time with Noah, it’s that there are more important things in the world than money and status,” Barbara said.
“Like what?” Marilyn demanded.
Barbara rolled her eyes skyward.
“I WONDER WHAT that’s all about,” Veronique said as she pedaled the exercise cycle.
Jolene frowned and looked in the direction that Veronique was staring.
“Barbara’s friend Marilyn seems to be awfully upset about something,” Veronique said. “She just jumped off her treadmill, and she and Barbara walked off together in a huff. Looks like they’re in the middle of a heated discussion.”
“Interesting,” Jolene said. “Barbara’s always so staid and controlled. I know the two of you are friends, but I’ve never gotten along with her all that well.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Jolene stiffened. She wondered if Veronique knew about the heated affair she and Bradford had had a couple of summers ago. Knowing how ripe Silver Lake’s grapevine was, Jolene wouldn’t be surprised. “I have to ask just what you’ve heard, Veronique.”
“Mmm. Well, I don’t know if it’s true, Jolene, but I believe in being blunt and now that I’ve gotten to know you I’m sure you’d prefer it that way.”
“Go on.”
“There are rumors that you and Bradford were—ah, how should I put it?—once an item.”
Jolene hesitated. Her first instinct was to deny the rumor. But she decided against that. Veronique was a woman of the world, and if the two of them had anything in common it was that they believed in being up front . . . to a point.
“I regret it, but yes, it’s true. Barbara and Bradford’s marriage isn’t as peachy as it seems to be on the outside, and, well, Bradford is an attractive and powerful man and he was available. In fact, he’s strayed so often that I almost feel sorry for Barbara.”
“I wouldn’t.”
Jolene turned and stared at Veronique. “Excuse me?”
Veronique smiled slyly. “Would it surprise you to know that Barbara is having an affair?”
“Yeah, right. And I’m taking my vows to become a nun next week.”
Veronique laughed. “It’s true.”
“Barbara is having an affair? Barbara Bentley?”
“The one and only.”
“Where did you hear that, Veronique?”
“I’ve met him. He’s a very attractive younger man in his thirties.”
Jolene peddled the bike slowly and stared ahead with disbelief. “For the first time in my life, I think I’m speechless.”
“Is it really that surprising, given what Barbara’s been through with Bradford?”
“Hell yeah. I didn’t think the broad had it in her. If Bradford finds out, he’ll be pissed.”
“I’m sure.”
“He counted on Barbara being the dutiful wife no matter how much he fooled around,” Jolene said. “Well, well. Sounds like he’s getting back some of what he’s been dishing out to her for years. Now I feel sorry for Bradford. Payback can be a bitch.”
“Yes, it can. But in my opinion, Barbara deserves some happiness. And Bradford, well, he has no one to blame but himself.”
PEARL OPENED A locker and tossed her gym bag in. She hadn’t been to the club since the break-in, or much of anywhere else except the salon. She couldn’t get what happened off her mind, yet thinking about it made her stomach turn. As the cops said, it didn’t seem like robbery was the motive. Her safe had been untouched and instead of stealing her valuable equipment and supplies the thug had trashed everything. Why would someone do that to her?
But Patrick was right. She had to get on with her life. Let the cops look for the criminal, let the insurance company pay for the damages. She needed to focus on rebuilding the shop and getting her life back together. Even if she had to get a part-time job until she was up and running again, she couldn’t let this thug ruin her life.
She exited the locker room and walked down the hall to the exercise room. All the working out the past year had done wonders for her figure. She was a naturally big woman but now she was down to a size 12, the smallest she had been in years. She still had that to be thankful for, and she wasn’t going to let her unhappiness over the break-in ruin that. She’d get back into her exercise routine and look better and better.
She opened the door to the exercise room and spotted Barbara and Marilyn talking in a corner. Barbara saw her immediately and waved her over. They hugged warmly and Barbara reintroduced her to Marilyn.
“I’m so sorry to hear about what happened to your salon,” Marilyn said. “It’s terrible.”
“Thanks,” Pearl said. She let out a deep breath. “It’s been rough, but I’m hanging in there.”
“Any word yet on who did it?” Barbara asked.
“Yesterday one of the officers working the case called and said they had a good lead. He didn’t say who.”
“Do they know why they did it?” Marilyn asked.
“They don’t think it was a robbery ’cause nothing was stolen,” Pearl said. “Beyond that . . .” She shrugged.
“So it was just vandalism?” Marilyn asked. “Teenagers?”
“I only saw one man and he wasn’t hardly any teenager. He had to be well into his thirties.”
Barbara shook her head. “It’s so strange. Like I said the other day when we talked, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with the salon.”
“Thanks, but I’ll manage. I have insurance and a little money saved. If it takes too long to rebuild, I’ll have to start looking for another job. I hope they catch whoever did this soon. That’s what I really want.”
JOLENE SAW PEARL walk into the exercise room and her heart picked up a beat. She had definitely not expected to see Pearl back here so soon. She would have thought the woman would be at home sobbing into her pillow.
Jolene was thankful she hadn’t heard from Brian for several days now. He had her really worried when he kept calling and bitching about the money. Maybe she’d finally got through to him that exchanging money now was the dumbest thing they could do.
“There’s Pearl,” Veronique said. “I
wonder how she’s doing after what happened.”
“She looks fine to me,” Jolene said.
“As soon as I finish my second twenty minutes here, I’m going to go over and say hello to her.”
“Hmm,” was all Jolene could manage.
“Did you ever go to her salon before the break-in?”
“Me? No.”
“I’ve always admired people who start their own businesses, and to think she did it while raising a son alone.”
Jolene rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Not that again, she thought. It seemed that all anyone wanted to talk about these days was Pearl’s mighty accomplishments. “The way people always go on and on about that, you’d think she had invented a cure for cellulite.”
Veronique gave her a puzzled look, and Jolene regretted the words the minute they’d left her mouth. When the topic was Pearl, she was going to have to do a better job of keeping her fat lips zipped.
She hopped off the bike and wiped her face with her towel. “I’ve got to run. My mother is meeting me here for lunch. I introduced you to her last week when we ran into you in front of the house.”
“Yes, you did. Lovely woman.”
“She was thrilled to meet you. She’s helping me plan my Christmas party. And thank you again for agreeing to be the guest of honor.”
“I look forward to it. I’m always up for a good party.”
“I’ve been out of circulation for a while but I’m back now,” Jolene said with pride.
Veronique smiled. “Good for you.”
“Well, I’m off,” Jolene said. “My mother should be here any moment, and I don’t want to keep her waiting.”
ALMOST THE MINUTE she walked away from Veronique, Jolene spotted two police officers at the entrance to the exercise room talking to one of the club’s receptionists. That was odd. She had never seen police officers in the club before.
One of the officers was a heavyset black man who appeared to be in his thirties; the other was a slim, younger white man. They both looked her way as the receptionist pointed in her direction.
“Oh, shit,” Jolene muttered. For a second, she wanted to turn and flee in another direction. But running would only make her look guilty.
The officers approached, and Jolene’s heart beat so rapidly she thought it would pop out of her chest.
“Jolene Brown?” the black officer asked.
“Yes?” she said, trying to sound calm.
He held out his badge, and Jolene glanced at it. But her head was spinning and she couldn’t focus. He could have been holding out a rat for all she knew. She gripped the ends of the towel around her neck to steady her feet. Get ahold of yourself, girl. There is absolutely no evidence against you.
“I’m Officer Harrison. This is my partner, Officer Byrd. We want you to come down to the station to answer some questions.”
For a moment Jolene thought she had fainted. Then she realized she was still standing on her feet. “Um, may I ask what this is about?”
“It’s in connection with Brian Watson. He’s been arrested for the break-in at Pearl Jackson’s hair salon. We want to ask you a few questions.”
Jolene reached out and held on to the wall to steady herself. Both officers saw her sway and they jumped forward to lend her a hand. “Are you all right, Mrs. Brown?” Officer Harrison asked.
Jolene waved them away. “I . . . I’m fine. I think I’m a little dizzy from just getting off the exercise bike.”
“Are you sure?” Officer Byrd asked. “Would you like some water?”
“Yes, that would be good.”
She stood in silence with Officer Harrison as Officer Byrd went to fetch water. Jolene didn’t really need the water but she did need time to sort this out and get herself together. How the heck had they connected Brian to the break-in? Had that asshole really gone to the cops?
She thought of calling her lawyer, then decided against that for now. The officer said they wanted her to go down to the station and answer some questions. He didn’t say she was being arrested. If she asked to call her lawyer now, it would raise suspicion.
Officer Byrd returned with a small paper cup of water and Jolene took a few sips. “Better?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you.” Jolene took another sip to stall for more time. Maybe she could delay this. She had to delay this. Her mother was coming and people were beginning to stare.
“Are you ready now?” Officer Harrison asked.
“Um, well, this is really not a good time. You see, my mother is on her way to meet me for lunch. Maybe I could—”
“I would strongly suggest that you postpone your plans, Mrs. Brown,” Officer Harrison said firmly.
“Oh. Well, I guess I could do that, although I don’t know how much help I would be. I don’t even know Pearl all that well. I mean, I heard what happened to her salon. It’s awful. And I haven’t seen Brian Watson in ages.”
“We’d still like you to come down and answer some questions,” Officer Harrison said. “When are you supposed to meet your mother?”
Jolene glanced at her watch. “In about twenty minutes. She’s coming from Washington, D.C., and she’s probably already left home. I can’t call her because I don’t have her cell number with me.” Jolene immediately realized that she should have waited for them to ask her to call her mother before she told that lie. Chill, girl, she told herself. This is no time to lose your cool.
Officer Harrison eyed her with doubt. “Officer Byrd here can wait and bring her down to the station to meet you if you’d like.”
Jolene shook her head vehemently. Hell, no. She was on shaky terms with her mother as it was. If her mother was met by a police officer when she arrived, she would probably march straight back to her home on the Gold Coast and write Jolene off for good.
“No, um, if you really need me, I guess I could have a neighbor of mine who’s here look out for her.”
Officer Harrison nodded, and Jolene looked around for Veronique. That was when she realized that everyone in the club had stopped what they were doing and was watching her. It was as if everything going on in the room had been freeze-framed.
Jolene tried to ignore the attention as she walked toward Veronique. But she was horrified to discover that Veronique, Pearl, Barbara, and Marilyn were all standing together. She had no choice but to approach all four of them. Pearl’s eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her head, and Veronique nodded in stunned silence as Jolene asked to see her privately.
“Those officers want me to go to the station with them for a minute,” Jolene said after she and Veronique had stepped away. “Can you meet my mother when she comes and tell her that I won’t be able to make lunch?”
Veronique nodded. “Of course, Jolene. Is everything all right?”
Jolene’s mind raced to come up with a quick fib. “Um, it seems that the alarm at my house went off or something.” She leaned in close to Veronique. “I don’t want my mother to get upset. Just tell her that I’ll call her as soon as I can.”
“Yes, I understand. Don’t worry about a thing here.”
“Thank you.” Jolene turned and walked back toward the officers. “Will I have time for a quick shower?” she asked. “I’ve been working out for an hour.”
“You’ll be fine,” Officer Harrison said firmly. “Just get your belongings and let’s go.”
Jolene straightened her back, lifted her chin and tried to ignore all the stares boring down on her as she followed Officers Harrison and Byrd through the door.
“WHAT WAS THAT all about?” Barbara asked as soon as Veronique returned to the group.
“She said her burglar alarm went off, and the officers want to take her to the station,” Veronique said. “Her mother is meeting her here for lunch, so she asked me to look out for her.”
Pearl frowned. “It seems strange that they would take her to the police station about her burglar alarm going off.”
“Yes, it does,” Marilyn agreed.
Barbara turne
d to Pearl. “Do you think she may have had something to do with the break-in? I mean, you are seeing Patrick.”
“I have no idea,” Pearl responded. “But the police said that since nothing was taken, the break-in looked personal rather than like a random crime.”
Pearl shook her head. Jolene had never liked her much even before she began seeing Patrick. But to think that Jolene would do something this spiteful was truly frightening.
“I had no idea that Jolene was so conniving,” Veronique said.
“Let’s face it,” Barbara said. “She’s a bitch.”
“I pray that she didn’t have anything to do with this, for Juliette’s sake,” Pearl said.
BARBARA HANDED THE pair of four-carat diamond earrings back to the blond clerk behind the glass counter at Tiffany’s. She stared at the earrings and thought for a moment while the clerk waited patiently.
More jewelry was the last thing she needed. But since moving in with Noah a week earlier, she hadn’t had much besides shopping to fill up her days. Noah was always out teaching or showing houses, and she was left alone in a tiny house in a strange neighborhood. He put in more hours selling real estate in the evenings than she had realized.
“I’ll take them,” she said and whipped out her black American Express Centurion Card.
The clerk smiled. “Of course, Mrs. Bradford. I’ll be right back.”
The clerk took the card and jewelry and walked toward the cash register. Barbara realized that she had been in the store so often over the past week that the clerks knew her by name. At least Noah made up for his long absences when he came home. She smiled at the thought of the previous evening when Noah had come in around nine and they’d had pizza by the fireplace and made love until midnight. Then they’d talked until two in the morning, discussing everything from selling houses to which sex positions they’d like to try next. He always made her feel so young and alive.
She glanced at her watch. Another four hours to kill until Noah came home tonight. He had said he would try to get back by seven-thirty, so they could go out to dinner for a nice change. Neither of them cooked much, and if she had to eat another pizza or microwave meal she thought she would go mad.
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