by Linda Gerber
“Please have a seat,” Mrs. Mulo said. “May I offer you something to drink? To eat?”
“No, thank you.” I perched uneasily on the edge of one of the wicker chairs, and she took the seat opposite. I remembered the first night I had seen her in the lobby. I hadn’t noticed then that her inquisitive eyes were the same deep blue as Seth’s. I tried to ignore the little tug in my chest when I thought of him.
Mrs. Mulo leaned back in her chair. “I’m pleased to see you again, Aphra. Seth has enjoyed visiting with you. He’s told us so much about you.”
I’ll bet, I thought darkly. Still, hearing his name gave me an unexpected thrill. I wanted to blurt, “Oh, really? What did he say?” but I asked instead, “Do you know my mother well?”
She pressed her lips together and folded delicate hands in her lap. At length she answered. “As well as can be expected, I suppose.”
“Where is she?”
Her eyes widened for an instant, brows arching, but she hid any further reaction. “I’m sorry. I can’t—”
“Does she live in West Bloomfield?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”
“How does she know about your secret? Is she involved?”
Mrs. Mulo reached across the table and took my hand. “Aphra, I can’t answer your questions. I’m sorry. Your mother has worked very hard to keep our . . . secret safe. I realize that is not what you came to hear, but please know that digging further could place us all in very real danger—yourself included.”
Before I could process what she was saying, she glanced up. “Ah. There you are.”
Victor Mulo—the possible murderer—walked into the room. My hands went cold.
“What is this Mata Hari doing in my house?”
I blinked. Was he talking about me?
Mrs. Mulo shot him a look. “Victor, please.”
“Please, nothing!” He pointed a finger at me. “You! Knowing the danger our son faces, you lure him up into the hillside—”
“Lure?” I pushed back in my chair. “Is that what he said? Excuse me, but I didn’t lure Seth anywhere. He followed me. Uninvited, I might add.”
“Please. You think I don’t know your kind?”
“My kind?”
“Victor, please. This is Natalie’s daughter!”
He snorted. “Is that supposed to mean something to me? Natalie betrayed us. Her daughter—”
“We don’t know that she betrayed anything. We—”
“How else could this girl have known?”
“Stop!” I scraped my chair back and stood. “My mom didn’t tell me anything. How could she? She hasn’t spoken to me in four years.”
Mr. Mulo’s brows lowered, and he frowned like he didn’t understand what I had just said. I should have stopped then, but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Besides, you betrayed yourself. You know, yesterday? On the beach?”
He flinched and exchanged a look with Mrs. Mulo. It was all the reaction I needed. In that moment, I had no doubt. He was the one who had killed Bianca. All at once, my bravado crumbled. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I’d gotten too close. Would Mr. Mulo feel the need to silence me the way he had Bianca? I backed to the door.
"Look, I won’t tell anyone who you are or what you did, but you . . . you can’t stay here anymore. Just . . . go!”
With that, I spun to run out the way I had come in. That’s when I saw Seth in the hallway, watching me with a sad frown on his face. He looked achingly wonderful in his jeans and T-shirt. Made me want to forget everything that had just happened and stay right there forever. But of course I couldn’t do that. I pushed past him and out the front door.
He could have tried to stop me, but he didn’t.
Wind whipped my hair into my eyes as I ran aimlessly down the path. Angry tears slid down my cheeks. I swiped them away with the back of my hand. What was I supposed to do now? Everything I had known as truth had crumbled like a house of sand. I had no one to trust, nowhere to go.
“Ho, Aphra, I been looking for you!” Darlene caught my arm. I hadn’t even seen her. “Where you been?”
I pushed away. “Not right now. I need to be alone.” She looked me over, no doubt taking in my tears, and shook her head. “No, honey. That is exactly what you don’t need.” She wrapped an arm firmly around my shoulders and drew me close. I struggled to get away, but she only tightened her grip. “Hey, now. You’re gonna hurt my feelings. I’m not such a bad listener, you know.” She glanced up at the darkening sky. “Tropical storm moving in. Come on. We can go to my place. I got Häagen-Dazs in my freezer. Chocolate. What d’ya say?”
Well, it wasn’t like I had a whole lot of other options. I allowed Darlene to lead me to her place. Like the rest of the staff, she lived in an apartment on the property—except, as a manager, she didn’t have to share with anyone. She had a bungalow near the lounge. She’d done it up in an island motif that was about as genuine as her accent, from the tropical leaf-print wallpaper to the fake bird-of-paradise on the bamboo coffee table. True Darlene.
Once she had me settled on the wicker couch with a bowl of mocha almond fudge in my hands, she sat back. “Now tell me,” she said. “What’s going on?”
I stared out the window to where the wind clinked and moaned through the bamboo chimes hanging from the ceiling of her lanai. "Nothing,” I said finally. Nothing I could tell her about, anyway.
“Aphra . . .”
I shoveled a scoop of ice cream into my mouth so I wouldn’t have to talk.
Darlene waited. I swallowed my ice cream. She waited some more. I licked my spoon. She cleared her throat. “Aphra. Talk to me. Your father said you were—”
“You’ve been talking to my dad?”
“He’s very concerned about you.”
I smacked the bowl down on the table so hard the spoon clattered against the ceramic. “Concerned about me? He ruined my life!”
“He did what he thought was best.”
I drew back against the couch cushions. “Wait. You knew about it? You knew he was keeping me from my mom?”
“I don’t know all the details, but listen—”
“No! Not if you’re just going to take his side.”
“Come on now. There are no sides. You need to trust your dad.”
I snorted. “Trust? Trust is for people who earn it. Four years of lying to your daughter does not cut it.”
“He was trying to protect you.”
“By letting me believe my mom abandoned me?” My voice grew shrill. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to grow up thinking your mother never loved you?”
“Actually, I do. But I didn’t have a father who cared enough to try to pick up the pieces. You don’t know how lucky you are.”
“Oh, yeah. Lucky me. With an absent mom and a dad who can’t even be straight with me about why she went away.”
Darlene reached for my hand, but I pulled back.
“You’ve got it all wrong,” she said.
“Oh, like you know! You’re only taking his side because he’s your boss.”
“Honey—”
“He made her go away, did you know that? And he never gave me any of the cards she sent. What kind of a father does that? What kind of a sadistic, twisted, rotten, underhanded—”
“Your mother was involved with some dangerous people, Aphra.” Darlene’s voice rose to match my own. “Your dad hoped that by coming here, she could leave them behind. Start over. But either she couldn’t or she wouldn’t come. She made the choice to stay behind.”
“No! I don’t believe it.”
“His main concern was you, baby girl; you’ve got to believe that. Your mama loved you, but she could have hurt you. You can see that, can’t you?”
“No, I can’t.” "I’m so sorry, honey.” Her voice was all soft and gushy now. It made me want to hit her.
I just shrugged and looked away.
“And I apologize for this, but there is one more thing I need to speak to y
ou about.”
I snorted. “Sure. Why not?”
She cleared her throat. “Your father is a little concerned about your relationship with that Smith boy. You can’t be sneaking out with—”
“You don’t know anything about Se—Adam! And I have not been sneaking out!” Well, okay, I actually had, but I hadn’t snuck out to meet Seth. It just kind of happened that way.
“Honey, listen to me. Your father says these Smiths are shady characters. Very evasive. I need you to promise you will—”
“Give me a break. If he thinks they’re so dangerous, why would he let them stay here in the first place?”
She chewed on her lip. For the first time, she looked doubtful. “I’m sure he—”
Darlene’s two-way squawked, and she jumped at the sound. She shot me a “hold on” look, pressed the receiver to her ear. “Speak.” Her face fell as she listened. “Yeah? Yeah? No!” She turned from me slightly, cupping a hand over the receiver. “No,” she said in a low voice. “Do not move him. I’ll be right there.”
Darlene signed off, pursing her lips. “Well . . .” She smiled shakily and stood. “There’s . . . ah . . . a little problem I need to take care of. You wait for me here, okay?”
I shrugged.
“You get hungry, help yourself to anything in the fridge.” She hurried to the door, but paused with her hand on the knob and looked me in the eye. “Promise me you will stay right here.”
“Fine.”
But promises easily made are easily broken.
As soon as she disappeared down the path, I began to have second thoughts. It’s not that I don’t respect Darlene. Generally I do. But it was clear she was going to take my dad’s side on everything, so we really didn’t have anything else to talk about. I eased out her door and shut it firmly behind me.
The wind had picked up. Dark clouds boiled overhead. Darlene may have been right about the storm, but she was dead wrong about everything else, and I wasn’t going to hang around to be lectured.
Up ahead I saw Hisako, long black hair dancing tangos with the wind. Her face was set in a serious frown, and she looked about as lonely as I felt.
She glanced up and saw me watching her. Crap. I cussed under my breath and gave her a polite bow. I would have turned away then, but she gestured to me to wait. I sighed. The last thing I wanted was another forced conversation, but four years of conditioning dies hard. She was a guest. I waited.
“Looks like rain,” I said as she neared.
She studied the sky for a moment, then shook her head. “Soon. Not yet.” She held out her hand. “Come. Walk with me.”
I hesitated. “But the storm . . .”
“I don’t mind the little wind.” She slipped her hand into the crook of my arm. “Come.”
We walked silently, though my mind was anything but quiet. It was on overload after everything that had happened that day. So much so that I didn’t even hear Hisako when she finally spoke to me.
“Aphra-chan. Are you here?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Do you want to talk?”
I shook my head. I wouldn’t know where to start.
Hisako stopped walking and looked me in the eye. “In Japan we have a saying, ‘Iwanu ga hana.’ It means to not speak is a flower. But there are times, Aphra-chan, when it is not a flower. There are times you must speak the things in your head.”
“I’m fine, really.”
She regarded me for a moment. “Yes, you are strong. But know this, silence is not always bravery.”
“I’ll remember that.”
She smiled. “I am sure you will.” Hisako deftly changed the subject. “All your guests are prepared for the storm, ne?”
“Yeah. Everyone should be snug in their villas.”
As if on cue, thunder growled overhead. Hisako peered up at the darkened sky. “It will start soon.”
“Yeah. I should probably go help bring in the awnings and stack the deck chairs.”
“Perhaps the work is already done.”
“Probably.” I felt a little guilty for not helping prepare for the storm, though I don’t know why I should have, after what my dad had done.
She bowed when we reached her villa. “Thank you for the walk, Aphra-chan. We will talk again later.”
I bowed in return and high-tailed it back toward the Plantation House just as the first fat raindrops fell.
I had nearly made it to the courtyard when Seth stepped out from behind the trees. He took an aggressive stance, chest all puffed out in anger. I drew up short.
“Came to thank you for your compassion and understanding. ” His lip curled up on one side in what could best be described as a snarl. Water ran in rivulets down his face. He didn’t seem to notice. I did. It slicked back his hair and clung to his eyelashes. I wanted to brush the raindrops from his cheeks, his chin, his lips.
“I thought I told your family to go away,” I muttered.
“Yeah, well, we’ll be on the next charter out, thanks to you.”
My heart plummeted. That was what I wanted, right? But if the Mulos went, the answers about my mom went with them. “You can’t leave yet. The storm—”
He laughed without humor. “Make up your mind.”
I stared up at him, blinking away rain. “Where’s my mom, Seth?”
He looked away. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie to me! How did you know her? Tell me!”
“I can’t.”
I stepped back. “Then go ahead and leave. Just go.”
“Whatever.” He threw a wad of soggy blue fabric at me. “I brought you your shirt.”
My face flushed hot. I must have dropped it when we were up at the cove. I threw it back at him. “Drop dead.”
He didn’t attempt to catch it, but let my shirt fall into the mud.
“Forget it.” I tried to push past him, but he grabbed my wrist.
“Aphra, wait.”
“Let go of me.”
He didn’t let go. Instead, he pulled me to him so that we were standing face-to-face—or, in this instance, face-to-chin. I pushed against him, but he held fast. “Listen!”
I glared up at him and he glowered down at me, and when our eyes met . . . well, I can’t say exactly what it was. Some sort of chemistry or electricity or something completely unrelated to science zinged between us. A look of surprise crossed Seth’s face. His expression softened, and I could have melted right there.
“Aphra, my dad didn’t do it.”
“What?”
“The girl on the beach. That’s what you think, isn’t it? That he killed her?”
I swallowed.
“He didn’t do it, and he would have tried to save her if he could, Aphra, but it was too late.”
“Then . . . why did he just leave?”
Seth shook his head. “We can’t be seen. You know that.”
Yes, I did know that. What I didn’t know was why. “Seth—”
“Aphra!” Darlene’s voice cut through the air, driving an immediate wedge between Seth and me. Literally. We must have jumped about three feet apart. She stood at the head of the path, with hands on her hips and murder in her eyes. I watched as those eyes went from me to Seth to my shirt on the ground and back up to me. Her nostrils flared with indignation.
“I’ve been looking all over for you!”
“I’m sorry, I . . .” My face burned as I bent to retrieve my sodden shirt. “What is it?”
“Something’s wrong with your dad,” she said. “You had better come with me.”
CHAPTER 9
Darlene stalked back to the Plantation House without another word. I mumbled good-bye to Seth and ran after her.
“Wait!” I grabbed her hand. “What is it?”
“You promised, Aphra,” she said. “I asked you to stay put.”
“But the storm. I . . . thought I should go stack the deck chairs and—”
“That’s not what it looked like to me.” She pulled away and sto
mped up the stairs onto the lanai.
“Darlene! What’s up with my dad?”
The anger cracked as she turned to look at me, and I caught a glimpse of the worry behind it. That scared me even more. She ran a hand through her wet hair. “I don’t know what it is for sure. He’s having trouble breathing. I think he might be having some kind of an allergic reaction. We’ve got to get him to the hospital.”
“How? The closest one is—”
“I know. That’s what I need you for. After Mr. Watts came in, Frank went back to the city to grab Junior. They should be coming in any minute. You need to get up there and tell Frank to wait. I’ll get Jack ready. Send Junior down to help me get your dad to the landing pad. We’ve got to put him on the return flight to the city.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice. I threw down my shirt and raced around to the side of the lanai, where the guest cart sat in the middle of a huge puddle of water. I sloshed to the cart, slid onto the seat, and reached down to turn the switch. Nothing. I tried again. Not even a whimper. Battery must’ve been dead. Probably shorted out from the rain. I took off on foot.
Rain lashed against my face and ran in rivers down the hill toward me. The steps were slick with mud. I stumbled and fell twice, the second time scraping my shin on the sharp corner of one of the stone steps. By the time I limped to the top of the hill, the helicopter was sitting in the middle of the giant painted circle, rotors turning slowly in the wind.
Frank was already unloading boxes from the cargo hold.
“Hey, Frank! Where’s Junior?”
He waved to me and shouted over the wind, “Hey, darlin’! Had to leave him back in the city.” He looked over my shoulder. “Where’s your daddy?”
“That’s why I’m here. He’s sick! Darlene says he needs to go to the hospital, and she wants you to wait so you can take him back with you.”
“No can do.” He closed the door and fastened the latches. “This bird’s not leavin’ the ground till the storm passes. Squall just about took us down comin’ ’round the Point. Too dangerous.”
“But he needs a doctor!”
“He’ll need a mortician if I try to take off in this wind.” He opened a small compartment and pulled out a length of rope.
