In the Name of Glori (The Redemption Series: Book 3)

by Maeve Christopher

  Plus, Cat invited me to lend my voice to their next praise and worship album. I told her I was in. Not only was it more money in my pocket, I figured the Man Upstairs would take note. I was even thinking of going to church with the family on Sunday mornings. Maybe all Cat’s prayers were paying off. Or maybe I was just desperate enough to finally look to God. Cat had told me a year ago that people often find God when they’re at their lowest and most desperate.

  Anyway, no matter what work there was to be done, Camellia insisted the entire family meet at the Clemente home every Sunday. Luckily, the weather was fantastic, and everyone was in a good mood, despite the Aldridges and my mother, who had pestered everyone all week.

  Cindy’s older brother, Doug, was our producer, and he’d been in town a while preparing for the concert and the release of our albums. He was invited to join a volleyball game Eduardo instigated. Unfortunately, he found himself in the middle of a bunch of wacko guys that would sooner kill each other than lose a point. Cisco and Raphael were every bit as competitive as Eduardo, David, and Jimmy. Doug didn’t know what hit him.

  Well, I suppose he did. I remembered a time at the Bainbridge mansion in Beverly Hills when Eduardo got a game going, and Cindy’s brothers came out of it a bit worse for the wear.

  The girls and I arranged our lawn chairs and sat watching them, cheering and laughing our rear ends off, while we played with the triplets. Poor Doug, mere mortal that he was, looked like he was going to pass out. About that time Joe, our manager, appeared to call us to the terrace. Joe got the show on the road when he was hungry. Plus, my mother had thrown herself at him too, so he probably would have used any excuse to get away, even for a minute.

  Everyone dashed for the food and settled on the terrace with their plates. My mother, Camellia, and Maria wandered over in the midst of conversation about how you can’t protect your children from themselves. Cat grabbed Debbie’s hand, and I got a bad feeling. I jumped up to intercept my mother.

  Mom’s voice shot across the terrace. “Yes, I don’t know how many times I’ve told Glori to be careful who she associates with. I warned her Tamara’s father was a drug dealer. I warned her—”

  David rushed over to his wife, and Debbie looked like he’d shot her through the heart.

  ***

  As soon as David and Debbie left, I threw my mother into the car and drove her back to the Aldridges’ place. She was blathering a mile a minute, but I didn’t pay one whit of attention to what she was saying.

  I hauled her suitcases out of the closet and tossed everything I could find into them, as she chased me around the room trying to put things back.

  I emptied the bureau drawer by drawer, and she started screaming. I marched over to her and pushed her onto the bed. “You listen to me you bitch, you’re on the next plane outta here. And consider yourself lucky if the General doesn’t come after you and have you shot.”

  I threw more clothes at her. “And if they do decide to let you live, don’t bother to tell me about it. I don’t care. I don’t care if I ever hear from you again. As a matter of fact, I don’t want to hear from you again. Go back to Hawaii with your boy toys and martinis. And leave me and my family alone.”

  I left her in the middle of the pile and stalked out of the room to try and calm down enough to make reservations for her immediate departure.

  ***

  When I called Debbie on Monday to try and begin to apologize for my mother, Sally told me David didn’t go to work that morning. And they’d been in the bedroom most of the day. So I hoped they were working things out, if you know what I mean.

  Raphael and Cindy drove us to the airport, where I said good riddance to Mom. Eduardo and Jimmy had given her a good talking to—she called it an interrogation—and I think she decided not to blab about Senator Everett again.

  Fortunately, the whole incident went right over George and Marion’s heads. They thought Debbie wasn’t feeling well because of her pregnancy. Thank heaven for small favors.

  I guess George didn’t believe his old friend Senator Everett could be a drug dealer. He probably chalked up my mother’s outburst to her ditzy personality.

  But Debbie always thought of Tamara as a friend, and someone she looked up to. Once that “drug dealer” term was out there, Debbie would have known David had something to do with Senator Everett’s death.

  ***

  Tuesday morning Cindy and I got word via Nita that David was out of work again. My stomach did flip-flops. I figured I’d really done it this time.

  Debbie was a frail creature, and her recovery from anorexia was fragile. She’d had a breakdown of sorts about a year ago when she discovered one of David’s old flames, a gorgeous woman spy, was back in town. He hadn’t cheated on her, but it was a scary time.

  Of course, yours truly was the one who literally drove her right into the middle of that little realization. Now I’d done it again. Debbie’s happy little world was on its ear.

  When any of us phoned their house, Sally told us they weren’t taking any calls, and they’d be in touch soon. I must have apologized to Sally a hundred times, and all she said was she’d give Debbie the message.

  By Wednesday, everyone was downright worried. Nita told us Pearson was totally bullshit because he was down to two guys. I supposed the General was thrilled with me by now. He knew the whole story.

  ***

  Wednesday morning Alain blew past Eduardo and Jimmy and headed straight to his desk. He began rifling through his drawers and loaded his personal effects into a duffel bag.

  “What the fuck?” was Eduardo’s greeting.

  “What are you doing?” Jimmy stood over him.

  “I resign.” It sounded strange. The words created a wave of nausea.

  “You can’t just resign.” Jimmy looked aghast.

  “You’re right. I can’t just resign. I need to beat the crap out of that bastard.” He dropped the bag, brushed by his colleagues and collided with David as he tore into the hall. The impact threw each of them to opposite walls.

  David looked worse than he felt. His concern for his friend overtook his need to find Pearson.

  Eduardo ran into the hall between them and grabbed David’s arm.

  Alain helped drag David back into his office, pushed him into his chair, and sat on the edge of his desk. The duffel bag at his feet reminded him of the fury he was swallowing.

  Jimmy closed the door and leaned against it.

  Eduardo stood beside him. “Pearson’s pretty well lost it, between you two being gone for days, and what happened this morning.”

  David let out a breath. “He terrorized my wife. What else happened?”

  Eduardo stared at the bag at David’s feet. Apparently the zeal to discuss whatever had happened that morning was evaporating. “He terrorized Debbie?”

  Alain didn’t need to hear the story. “I say we go beat the shit out of Pearson.”

  David wordlessly started from his seat only to be set upon by Jimmy, as Eduardo grabbed Alain.

  “Look!” Eduardo braced himself against Alain in an attempt to keep him from leaving. “Okay. David, you first. What happened with Pearson and Debbie?”

  David rubbed his eyes. “He had the audacity to walk into the doctor’s office this morning and threaten her. If I wasn’t concerned about upsetting her more, I’d have shot the bastard there and then. He pretends to be all concerned for her welfare—but all he’s thinking about is the allies pulling the plug on us.”

  Eduardo glanced at Alain and must have decided not to go there. He cleared his throat. “There’s gonna be a Congressional investigation into Everett’s death.”

  As lousy as this news was, it was easier to cope with than Pearson harming Debbie.

  Eduardo gave his report time to sink in. But it was obvious David didn’t give a shit anymore.

  Eduardo snapped his fingers. “Did you hear me in there?”

  “They should investigate his life, first. What’s this?” He jostled the bag with
his foot. “Going on a trip, Dusseault?”

  Alain smirked. “A long trip.”

  ***

  “I think I ruined David’s career. He didn’t say that, but I think I did.” Debbie was hysterical on the phone. I could hear Papa Roberto and Raphael in the background trying to soothe her.

  Cindy and I were at work in my office in the Monchsberg, and we darted to the elevator and up to Papa’s apartment. We found her heaving into a china bowl that Papa had produced. Raphael was holding her from rolling off the sofa. Not a pretty sight.

  Cindy knelt in front of her and held her by the knees. “What happened?”

  Papa helped her wipe her face with a soft towel.

  “The General—he came to Dr.Raich’s office this morning and said David had to be back at work in two hours or don’t bother coming back. He was so mad, he told me to stop sniveling, and act like a grown woman. And if I couldn’t do that, I could ruin my husband’s career. I think he’s furious with David. And David’s furious with him.”

  I squelched a laugh. “Sniveling?” Yeah, I had to admit, Debbie was talented with those tears.

  Raphael got up so Cin could sit beside Debbie and hold her. “Is David back at the base now?” Cin asked.

  “Yes.”

  “So don’t worry then. He won’t lose his job. The General is probably just in a bad mood. Apparently Alain is off somewhere on an assignment, so he’s shorthanded and short tempered. But you’ve got to quiet down, honey. You don’t want the babies you’re carrying to be all upset.”

  It was a while, but Debbie finally calmed down enough to talk. We lounged in Papa’s cozy sitting room, just us girls. I couldn’t resist the chocolates that were artistically arranged on a tiered candy dish. I had fuzzy slippers on, a quilt around me, and a snapping fire in the huge marble fireplace.

  I asked the question that’d been on my mind since this latest incident. “I was so worried about you, hon. Why didn’t you talk to anybody for two days?”

  She stretched her legs onto the cushy ottoman in front of her, and gazed across at me. “Well—last—last year—David and I decided to be completely honest with each other. Dr. Raich thought that would be a very good idea.” She nodded for emphasis, the way she always did.

  I choked back a laugh, and Cin gave me her “don’t mock Debbie” look from her seat beside her. That was when Debbie had learned about David’s sexy spy girlfriend—another time they’d disappeared behind closed doors for days. Yeah, that’s a good one—the anorexic and the assassin being completely honest with each other.

  Debbie waited for me to get over myself. “Well I started sharing my journaling with David, and it helped. And he was completely honest with me, too. But it’s hard to do that when you shoot people for a living, I think.”

  Cin and I stared—incredulous. It was the first time Debbie really ever acknowledged to us that her husband’s job description was anything but superhero.

  Debbie’s pale blue eyes looked like they were a million miles away. She drew her quilt tighter around her shoulders and spoke to the fire. “David is such an enigma. How can he be the sweetest, most caring man on earth with me, with our family—and to the world—a cold blooded killer called Cupid?”

  A tear escaped down her cheek. “I should have known about Senator Everett. I probably did deep down, but I couldn’t let myself go there until Jenny forced me with that announcement.” She gagged a bit.

  Cin offered her some water.

  She settled back into her chair. “I remember our wedding day. Tamara and her mom were late to the reception, and they were so sad, so devastated. They almost didn’t come. Her dad and her best friend Kendra had been murdered just a few months before.”

  The fire seemed to mesmerize her. “I introduced Tamara to David. And I took her hand, and I told her that he should work on her dad’s case. And then I took her over to General Pearson and asked if he could put David on the case, because I knew he could find the man that did it. And the General said he’d see what he could do.”

  Another tear fell onto her cheek. “And all along, the killer was right there. The killer was Cupid.”

  I could hear the breath wheeze in her lungs, from my seat all the way across the fireplace. “He said to me, ‘Sweetheart, you must understand, Senator Everett was a criminal who was responsible for the deaths and misery of untold numbers of people—including children.’ But why couldn’t he arrest him and put him in prison? Why did he have to shoot him and throw his body into the sea? Why?”

  The chocolate was beginning to creep back up. My eyes burned. “Why?” I didn’t really mean to say it out loud.

  Debbie looked at me. “He told me he’d been deep undercover for three years. He became one of them. He behaved as viciously as they behaved. His superiors gave him the order to eliminate Everett and his bodyguards. He knew the order came from the highest level, and he trusted that he should follow it. He’d seen the way Everett operated, and he didn’t have a problem carrying out that order. And then he told me he still believes he did the right thing. And then he told me he was sorry he hurt me. And then he asked me to forgive him.” She didn’t bother to wipe the tears off her face.

  ***

  Pearson pushed Jimmy along with the door as he entered the office and dropped a file on Alain’s desk. David stood. But it was Alain who lunged at Pearson. He felt the jolt of his friends jerking him back, and Pearson punched him hard in the gut. The surprise of it knocked him backward, and the four colleagues fell to the floor, toppling into a pile. Pearson’s sleeve was clutched in his hand.

  As he got up, Glori’s seam-tester job offer popped into his mind. He looked at the sleeve in his hand and began to chuckle. He straightened up to face Pearson, only to receive an impressive blow to the left jaw.

  He turned to face his friends and was distressed to see Eduardo attempting to control a nasty bloody nose. Alain handed him the sleeve. “Sorry about that.”

  As he turned back to the General, Pearson began his verbal assault. He pointed to the file on the desk. “There! There’s the file you’ve been hounding everyone for. I spent hours of my valuable time tracking the damn thing down. Like I have time for this shit in the middle of the worst crisis this organization has ever faced. I need my head examined to give a crap about any of you! So here it is. Read it! But if you have an ounce of sense, you’ll put the past in the past, go marry Glori, and get to work on that legendary baby Christina. Maybe that’ll keep the two of you out of real trouble for half a second. You’ve got two weeks to straighten up. Then the lot of you—get back to work!”

  Pearson grabbed his bloody sleeve from Eduardo. “That is—assuming any of us have a job when Congress gets done with us.” He left the room.

  ***

  The concierge notified Papa Roberto that General Pearson was there to see Debbie, and her face turned even whiter than usual. Cindy cradled her in her arms and told her not to be afraid. Papa said she didn’t have to receive him if she didn’t want to. Yeah, Papa Roberto was kind of formal like that. After that day, I always seemed to use that expression about “receiving someone.” It was cool.

  But Debbie did receive him because she was into feeling her feelings and letting them go, just like her psychiatrist, Dr. Raich, always said. Plus, I’m sure we were all dying to know what was going on.

  The General clasped her hands the way he did with me. It must have been his way of impressing the ladies. “Debbie, I was way out of line this morning. I’m so very sorry I upset you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

  Debbie was pretty well practiced at forgiving people, so she said she would. Then Papa served tea, and I guess everything was supposed to be right with the world.

  “Is…is David okay? His…job?” Debbie’s voice was tiny, and it disappeared into her teacup.

  Pearson looked up from his biscuits. “Of course, Debbie. He understands we’ve been under some extra stress lately. You mustn’t worry.”

  She persisted. �
�Is Alain coming back?”

  Pearson glanced at me. “I don’t know, Debbie. I don’t know.”

  Every nerve in my body reacted. Thank God I was sitting down, or I would’ve fallen down. “I thought you said he was due back in October?”

  “Things change, Glori, and it seems Alain has decided to move on.” The General sighed.

  I was glued to my seat. My legs were rubber. I could at least blot at the mascara that no doubt would be dripping on to my cheeks. Moving on. How could he do that so easily?

  ***

  It was nearly midnight and Alain managed a grim smile as he walked past the concierge of the Monchsberg Hotel. The Monchsberg, which was renowned for its outstanding security, was no match for the man they thought was still one of their own. He let himself in to Glori’s office and turned on the light.

  She was one of a kind, all right. Samples of every conceivable luxury product that could have Glori’s name on it were piled everywhere. He examined a photo of her on a news magazine cover—her beguiling green eyes perfectly surrounded by her signature makeup. He had to smile. She was the ultimate brand. His brand of woman.

  Then he caught the headline. “Glori Coulson Establishes the Christina Fund to Save Infants in Need.” He dropped into her chair, and his heart pounded. He remembered Jimmy laughing about Glori telling Aubrey she would “actually save” the babies. He had no doubt she would. She would accomplish whatever she set out to do. Glori was an original, and he wanted her desperately.

  He looked up at the wall and saw the framed lyrics of her song, their song—Living One Minute at a Time. He thought about their first moments together, and the promise of a very satisfactory fling. How did it turn into love? Was it love or extreme lust? It was love. It was still love. He remembered her telling him about Christina.