by Brenda Novak
“He wasn’t good enough for you, anyway, Zoe. An old guy like that…I never could understand what you saw in him.”
She saw safety, security. But she doubted someone as young and successful as Colin could relate. He’d never had to fight for survival.
In any case, what she’d believed Anton could provide had been an illusion. He’d let her down as much as the men who’d come before him. Maybe more.
But she couldn’t blame it all on him. They probably would’ve broken up months ago if she’d allowed herself to see him for what he really was. He’d given her a nice home to live in, went to work each day, and avoided drugs and alcohol, but he didn’t fulfill her.
She thought of Jonathan and the desire she’d experienced when he’d brushed his lips against her neck. That had brought about a reawakening, had shown her that she’d closed off her sexual self too soon. “I guess we weren’t as well-suited as I thought.”
“He didn’t leave you high and dry, did he? You’ve got money? Because if you don’t, I can lend you some.”
Any trace of the bad feelings she’d had toward her neighbor disappeared. She didn’t want to borrow from him any more than she wanted to borrow from Anton. They didn’t know each other well enough, and she couldn’t imagine Tiffany would be happy about it.
Still, it was very nice of him to offer. “I’m okay for now. Thanks for checking.”
“Where are you staying?”
“At a motel.” The Lexus Motel.
“Which one?”
She smoothed the wrinkles from her clothes. “Just a little twelve-room motel downtown.” She’d seen a couple of those last night, and even before that, back in the days when she’d had a meal or two at Loaves and Fishes.
“You mean that one off Sixteenth Street?”
“I didn’t pay attention. I just pulled in.”
“Oh.” There was a pause. “What’s the latest on Sam?”
“No change.”
“Really? The police can’t tell you anything?”
She started the car and cringed when the gas gauge stopped at half a tank. “Just that they’re doing all they can.”
“It’s not enough.”
“I feel the same way.” But maybe there was nothing more they could do. Even Jonathan couldn’t figure out what’d happened, what’d gone wrong.
“I’ve put together a small search party with some of the attorneys and secretaries here in the office. I thought we’d visit the neighborhoods surrounding ours tomorrow morning and pass out Sam’s picture, then comb the vacant land next to our development.”
Just when she’d decided she didn’t like Colin, he made another grand gesture. What was the matter with her? She needed friends. And she couldn’t afford to be too selective. Especially with people who were willing to help. “The police are supposed to be out there looking today, but…it can’t hurt to go over the same ground.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“I really appreciate the help.”
“No gratitude necessary. But can you come over for dinner tonight so we can create the routes?” he asked. “I’ll pick up some maps over lunch.”
If he was taking the time to do this, how could she refuse? “Sure. When would you like me there?”
“We’re seeing some old friends at nine, so…why don’t we do it at six?”
It was an early appointment, and he wasn’t planning on making a night of it. That meant the meeting couldn’t be construed as anything but business, which wiped out the last of her misgivings. “Six works for me.”
“Great. See you then,” he said and hung up.
Zoe sighed as she pressed the End button. Anton was history; the neighbor she hadn’t liked very much, except for a few unexpected moments, was friendlier than ever. Her daughter was still missing. She had little money, no home and no job. And she couldn’t forget her hotel stay with Skye’s investigator. She was so lost, and he seemed like the only person she could cling to.
How could so much have changed in a few short days?
Instead of calling Skye again, Zoe decided to drive over to The Last Stand. She put the car in gear and bounced along as her tires encountered the deep ruts she’d traversed last night. But her phone rang before she reached the highway, so she stopped to answer it. “Hello?”
“Zoe? It’s Jonathan.”
“I know.” She’d recognized his voice instantly. “How are you?”
“Hopeful,” he said. “It’s a long shot, but I think we might have a lead.”
CHAPTER 19
“What do you mean you invited Zoe over for dinner?”
Tiffany was supposed to be starting her ten o’clock rounds, doing a room check to make sure none of the old folks had wandered off. But Colin’s call had caught her staring longingly at the candy bars inside the vending machine. Occasionally, she broke down and bought one. She’d sneak it into a bathroom stall, eat it fast, then flush the evidence because she didn’t need any of her coworkers teasing her about cheating on her diet or, worse, mentioning the breach to Colin.
“Exactly what I said,” he replied. “Have it ready by six.”
She lowered her voice so that anyone who might come upon her wouldn’t hear. “We can’t have Zoe over.”
“Why not?”
She rattled the keys in the pocket of her smock, which went to the door that locked the Alzheimer’s wing. Although she wasn’t assigned to that section, she had to keep the keys with her at all times to accommodate guests. Most days it seemed pointless to tote them around. The Alzheimer’s residents received few visitors. But everyone who worked at the home had access—to make it appear less prisonlike to those who did happen to come. “What if she goes upstairs, Colin?”
“She’s too polite for that. And we’ll be with her the whole time. She won’t go anywhere.”
“This is unnecessary.” In her mind, inviting Zoe into their home went beyond reckless to foolhardy. But Colin seemed to be getting more and more foolhardy. These days he had a constant thirst for stimulation and seemed to feel invincible. That combination was going to get them both in trouble.
“Are you kidding? Tiff—” He swore in frustration. “Hang on a sec. I need to close my door.”
As she waited anxiously, she imagined him rounding his desk and quietly closing the expensive, heavy door to his swanky office. She’d been the fat girl others made fun of in school, yet she’d married a lawyer—one with a prestigious firm. She was so proud of Colin, of their home and what she’d become. She loved bumping into people who knew her way back when, enjoyed their reaction when they realized who she was and how much she’d changed. That actually had more to do with the reason she didn’t want Zoe in her house. This was the first time her husband had been so taken with another woman. Tiffany couldn’t let the infatuation continue; it could get out of hand.
He came back on the line, but his voice was so low she had trouble making out the words.
“What?” she said.
“I know what I’m doing.”
“I understand it makes us look good to help, but…why can’t you plan the search routes on your own?”
“Because I want her to see how hard we’re working. If we can win her loyalty, she’ll be the first to defend us if accusations ever arise.”
“Then do it at her place, with Anton. His loyalties are important, too.”
“She doesn’t live there anymore. She left that old tight-ass last night. I told you they’d never get married.”
This wasn’t encouraging news. The thought of Zoe being available spooked Tiffany. “We could still meet her off-site. How’s it smart to invite her into our house when…when you know why we shouldn’t?”
“It’s a preemptive strike. I’ve been thinking about Rover. If he does wake up and starts running his mouth, he might come up with a few key details. If any of those details match us, Zoe could get suspicious. We live right next door to where Sam went missing, after all. So we open our home, make her feel she can move
around freely in it. By the time she leaves tonight, she’ll be so convinced we have nothing to hide she’ll immediately discount any similarities as coincidence.”
“But why tonight?” Tiffany complained. This was her one chance to recapture her husband’s full attention, to convince him she hadn’t lost her ability to satisfy him. “I don’t get off until five. And then I have to go to the gym.”
A voice, cracking with age, interrupted. “Tiffany? Tiffany Bell, is that you?”
It was Mrs. Floyd in 32-D, just around the corner.
Tiffany covered the receiver to respond to her. “Yes, it’s me. What do you need?”
“I can’t reach my blanket.”
Mrs. Floyd made up any excuse to draw Tiffany to her bedside. Usually Tiffany didn’t mind. She understood the loneliness suffered by so many of their residents. But it wasn’t sympathy that motivated her to duck into Mrs. Floyd’s room today. She wanted to avoid the searching eye of her boss, who constantly roved around the home and could come upon her at any moment.
“Here you go.” She spread the blanket over the old lady’s feet.
“Tiffany?” Colin said.
“What?”
“Forget the gym for today and stop at the grocery store to buy whatever you need. Grab some tri-tip that’s already been grilled. Then you’ll only have to make a couple of sides. And don’t forget to get some munchies for the guys.”
“Who’re you talking to?” the old lady demanded.
“My husband.” Tiffany put a finger to her lips to indicate quiet. “So they’re still coming?” she said into the phone. “Tommy and James?”
“You told me you wanted them to. Are you changing your mind now that you have me all excited?”
“No, of course not.”
A shadow darkened the doorway and yet another voice interrupted her conversation. “Tiffany?”
Tiffany looked up to see her boss. “Yes?”
“Focus on your work.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll get off right away.”
“Make it now.” Folding her arms, Amanda Hargraves waited to see that Tiffany followed through.
“I have to go,” she told Colin.
“Just have the house ready, and make sure you’ve taken precautions with our new pet,” he hurried to add.
She glanced nervously at Amanda. “The usual?”
“Two pills this time. I don’t want any surprises. This is going to be a big night.”
It promised to be quite a party, all right. But as Tiffany ended the call, she couldn’t say she was looking forward to it. Her only hope was that Colin would be pleased, that it would put him in a great mood for a weekend at the cabin.
Mrs. Hargraves gave the inside wall a thump to show her approval of Tiffany’s obedience and moved on, but the bedridden Mrs. Floyd continued to watch Tiffany with interest. “There’s nothing like being happily married,” she said.
Tiffany shoved her cell phone in her pocket and smiled. “No.”
“You’re madly in love?”
“I’d rather die than live without Colin.”
A faroff look entered the old lady’s rheumy eyes. “I felt the same way about my Richard, God rest his soul.”
The difference was that Tiffany meant it literally. And, because of Zoe, she was facing the worst threat of her life. She should never have taken Sam. Colin wouldn’t have gotten so swept away by their neighbor if she hadn’t tried to cover up for one mistake with another.
Despite Mrs. Floyd’s complaint that it had been over a week since they’d played pinochle, Tiffany excused herself and returned to the vending machine, where she bought two candy bars and ate them both.
* * *
When she arrived to meet him at the hospital, Zoe wore an attractive sleeveless blouse with a pair of jeans that accentuated her long limbs and slender figure. But she wasn’t wearing her engagement ring. That wasn’t a detail Jonathan wanted to notice, but the tan lines on her finger as she opened her car door told him its removal was as rare as it was recent. Why was it gone today?
As he finished his call putting off yet another client, he noticed several plastic garbage bags, all stuffed to capacity and stacked to the ceiling in her backseat. If they contained trash, it was an odd thing to put in a Lexus. And if they didn’t…“Everything okay?” he asked as she got out.
“Fine.” With a nervous smile, she closed the door. “What’s going on?” She eyed the entrance under the covered drop-off area as if eager to draw his attention away from her vehicle. “Please tell me no one’s seriously hurt. Especially Sam.”
She knew he would’ve told her if Sam was here, so he wasn’t in a hurry to explain. Not when her clothing and personal possessions were piled in her car as if she’d hauled them out of Lucassi’s house in a hurry. “Someone’s definitely hurt,” he said. “But it’s not Sam.”
“Then why are we here?” Assuming an air of total absorption, she moved past him as though she expected him to follow, but he didn’t budge. Maybe he hadn’t been able to find the leads he needed to figure out where Sam was. But it wasn’t hard to guess what was going on with Zoe. In her passenger seat, he could see the sundress she’d worn yesterday draped over the bag he’d hefted around on their trip to L.A. There was also a blanket and pillow shoved down in the foot space.
“You moved out last night?”
When she turned, a pained expression rumpled her brow, but she shrugged. “As luck would have it, Anton and I aren’t perfect for each other, after all.”
He hoped to hell he hadn’t caused the breakup with that little stunt he’d pulled in the hotel. “I could’ve told you that. But I’m still surprised by the sudden reversal.”
“You could’ve told me that we weren’t right for each other?”
It was his turn to shrug. “I don’t like him.”
“Apparently everyone could see we were a mismatch but me,” she grumbled.
Just yesterday, he’d wanted to kiss her, touch her. And he’d made it a point to show her that, whether she’d initially realized it or not, she wanted him, too. Now she was toting her belongings around as if she had nowhere to go.
Shit…“What happened?” he asked.
She studied him for a second, then apparently decided to be honest with him. “It had nothing to do with you, so don’t stand there looking so guilty.”
Nothing to do with him? That was hopeful. He was supposed to be helping her, not making her life more complicated. “Thanks for letting me off the hook, but I could use an explanation.”
“There’s not a lot to say. People change. Needs change. This came in a…moment of clarity.”
His phone rang again, but he ignored it. It had been ringing all morning. His clients were going nuts, but none of them had more pressing business than finding Zoe’s child. “Are you sure it’s the type of decision you should be making now?”
“It was mutual, so not my decision alone. And I don’t think there’s any question as to whether it’s the right one.” Her gaze followed an SUV that turned in at the entrance and crept down a row of cars, searching for an open space. “The timing could’ve been better, of course,” she added ruefully. “But the situation with Sam…It’s brought out the worst in both of us, made us recognize that we’re not very happy together.”
“And the fact that we shared a hotel room didn’t set him off—”
“It didn’t even come up.” She rubbed her palms on her jeans. “Please, don’t worry about San Diego. I owe you an apology for putting you in such an awkward situation to begin with. I should’ve gotten my own room.”
She was establishing some emotional distance, and he told himself he should be relieved. He had no business getting involved with her. But logic rarely curbed desire, and it didn’t now. “I didn’t mind sharing.”
“I know.” She cleared her throat. “Shall we go in?”
Not yet. He had more to say. “Nothing happened when we were together, Zoe. You said I didn’t have anything
to do with it, but if this breakup is your own guilty reaction to wanting me, you didn’t act on—”
“It’s not guilt. I have a history of picking the wrong guys, okay?” She motioned in a careless manner. “And this is yet another example. Breakups don’t hurt that much anymore.”
This was the first woman he’d wanted to make love with since Sheridan, and she’d just told him she was too jaded to care. It was a warning sign—one he planned to take seriously. “Skye told me Anton’s different from your usual, uh, love interests.”
“He is. Which is why I forced it. But I found that a loveless relationship isn’t much of an improvement over the kind I’ve had in the past. Without love, there isn’t enough depth to survive a major challenge.”
“So you’re okay with leaving him.”
She hiked her purse up. “I won’t find any peace until I have my daughter back, but…I’ll survive the breakup. I’ve had plenty of practice in that area.”
He lowered his voice. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because you would’ve offered to put me up.”
“Didn’t you need a place to stay?” he asked with a glance at her car.
“That’s too much to ask of you.”
He gave her a skeptical frown.
“And…I would’ve agreed,” she finished.
“What’s wrong with one friend helping another?”
“You’re not my friend. You’re my private investigator.” Her attention shifted to the person who’d just parked the SUV, but he wasn’t close enough to overhear. “And we would’ve wound up sleeping together.”
He wished he could deny that he’d take advantage of her presence in his house, but if she looked at him the way she’d looked at him in that hotel lobby, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to resist. She’d been with Anton for months, yet she was as lonely as any woman he’d ever met, and she didn’t even know it. He wanted to satisfy her hunger—along with his own—but his track record wasn’t any better than hers.
