"Well, Carol can certainly help you with that." She removed the saucepan and poured the contents of a berrylike concoction into a bowl and set it on the counter. "You two sit down. I set the dining room table thinking you'd probably want to enjoy the view."
"Will you be eating with us, Abby?" Claire said. "You're welcome to, you know."
"Thanks, but no. I have errands to run. Since you won't be needing me for a while, Rob and I are taking the kids skiing up at Mount Baker. They had six inches of new snow up there, and we're anxious to hit the slopes."
"I wish I was going with you, but not to ski. My thing is hanging out in the lodge by the fire and watching it snow." Claire turned to Helen. "Do you still ski?"
"Occasionally. J.B. and I plan to do some cross-country up at Mount Bachelor this winter."
"Wouldn't it be fun if Fabian and I could join you? He loves to ski and . . ." Her voice drifted off when Abby sent her a disapproving look.
Helen excused herself to freshen up and a few minutes later joined Claire at the table. Abby had already gone, leaving a card next to Helen's plate with the nutritionist's name and number. Helen tucked it in her pocket. A nutritionist. Helen was beginning to like the idea.
Claire bowed her head and Helen followed suit, asking the blessing on their food and thanking God for bringing them together, then asking for protection for Paddy.
For several moments Helen savored the delicacy of fresh chilled salmon and the three dips Abby had made to enhance the flavor. A creamy herb dill sauce, a wild mountain blackberry compote, and a macadamia and pineapple chutney.
"So how is it?" Claire reached for a goblet of V-8 juice.
"The food? Exquisite."
"Not that. I meant being married to J.B."
Helen moved a piece of fish around on her plate. She and Claire had once shared everything, even their most intimate thoughts. Now she found it hard to confide. "Trying at times," she said finally. "It's not easy living with a man who's never been married. To be honest, it's been more of a struggle for me to adjust than for him. I'd gotten used to living alone."
Not wanting Claire to get the wrong idea, she added, "Other times I wonder how I managed without him. I love him so much, Claire. More than I thought possible."
"As much as Ian?"
Helen frowned, uncomfortable with the question, yet at the same time wanting to answer. "Not more or less. It's just different. Ian was married to his job, and though he loved me, he was never completely with me. Even during our most intimate moments, I could tell his mind was on other things. Do you know what I mean?"
Claire nodded. "Preoccupied. Every man I've ever known has been like that, even Bill."
"Hmm. Not J.B. When we're together, J.B. seems to block out everything else and focus on me or whatever we're doing or talking about. He makes me feel important."
"Validation."
"What?"
"My therapist says everyone needs to feel validated or important. That's why I've married so many times. According to her, I'm still looking for approval and for someone to make me feel as though I count. It’s probably a residual from childhood." She flushed. "Sounds like you and J.B. are happy."
"You could say that. Deliriously so most of the time."
"I'm glad. Frankly, I didn't think J.B. would ever marry. There was a time I thought about trying to snare him for myself."
"Really?" Helen chuckled at her choice of words, imagining J.B. caught in a snare and hanging upside down from a tree limb. "And why didn't you?"
She sighed. "You introduced me to him, remember? Back when Ian was still alive. My second marriage was in the process of falling apart. I developed a crazy crush on J.B. After Harry walked out on me, I called to invite J.B. to dinner."
Helen raised an eyebrow as a twinge of jealousy snaked into her veins. "I didn't know that. Did you two date?"
"No. He declined the invitation. I decided not to pursue it. Not that I didn't find him appealing. J.B. was handsome, but he apparently didn't feel anything for me. I never was good at rejection, so I convinced myself he wasn't my type and that he undoubtedly had a woman in every port. I needed someone more stable and safe." She hesitated, and then added, "And look what I ended up with. A long string of losers."
"He wasn't, you know. A womanizer, I mean. When J.B. asked me to marry him, I questioned him about his reputation. He said it was easier to let people believe him to be a playboy. It kept him from settling into a relationship with anyone. He also told me he'd been in love with me long before Ian and I married. He kept silent because he knew how Ian felt about me. He valued our friendships far too much to say anything."
"Wow. Lucky you. Two Mr. Rights in one lifetime. Of course, I feel pretty fortunate to have found Fabian." Her eyes clouded over for a moment, Just as suddenly, she brightened. "What took J.B. so long to ask you to marry him? Eleven years is a long time to wait."
Helen gazed thoughtfully out the window at a hummingbird feeder, not sure how to answer. "I think he wanted to, but I couldn't let him in. I didn't want to be hurt again."
"I can relate to that." The sad look was back. "So how is the rest of the family?" Claire asked before Helen could get a word in.
Helen filled her in on the latest news, including Jason's new job as a homicide detective. "They're expecting a baby in March."
"Must be exciting being a grandmother. I'm going to be one before long."
"Megan's pregnant? I didn't know she'd married."
Claire bit her lip. "Almost nine months. And no, she isn't married. I keep bugging her. So does Peter, her boyfriend. But she says she's not ready for a commitment. Kids. She and Peter make a great couple."
Helen wasn't surprised. With the marital problems her mother had, it was no wonder Megan avoided marriage. Still, Helen hated to see couples resist traditional lifestyles, especially when children were involved.
"Is Kate's husband still flying?" Claire asked, drawing Helen from her thoughts.
"Yes, but enough about my side of the family. I want to hear more about yours. You promised to tell me about this new you."
"There isn't all that much to tell. Dad about hit the roof when he found out about the surgery. He thinks I've gone daft. But I had to do something. I was always dieting and overeating, dieting and overeating. Well, last year I decided no more. Actually, my doctor decided I needed to lose some weight." She shrugged.
"So I hired Abby. Actually, I stole her from one of Dad's spas. I also hired a trainer, or should I say, trainers. I went through four before I found the right one. Choosing a trainer," she babbled on, "is as important as choosing a husband."
"I imagine that's true in some ways."
"For the first six months I did really great. Lost about thirty pounds, and then hit a plateau. Couldn't seem to drop any more. I thought it might be depression, so I spent a couple weeks in Europe at our resort in France. When I came back, I got my facelift, and once that healed, I went on a cruise. That's where I met Fabian."
"Your new husband." Helen felt as though she'd encountered a whirlwind.
"Oh, but he's so much more. He happens to be a trainer and was between jobs and filling in as an instructor on the cruise I was on. As you can see, he's worked wonders."
"Where is he? You said something about a business trip."
"Yes. Um . . . let's go into the living room. It's easier to talk there."
They cleared the table and moved to a large sitting room that boasted a mauve wing chair and a fainting couch along with a mismatch of tables and a rocker. A collection of photos in brown tones, some old and some made to look old, hung on one wall and spilled over onto a curio cabinet full of porcelain dolls. Helen recognized most of the people in the photographs. Paddy and Gwen, her own mother and father, Claire and Bill, Megan, Richard and his family. There was even a wedding photo of Helen and Ian and snapshots Helen had sent of her children and grandchildren.
Among Claire's many husbands, only Bill had been included in the collection of pictures
. There was one face she didn't know, and her gaze rested on it. A warm smile lit the handsome young man's dark brown eyes.
"That's Fabian." Claire picked up the frame and dusted it with her sleeve. "He used to be a model."
"Nice smile."
"Nice everything," Claire countered.
"What is it, Claire? You tell me how great he is and at the same time look like you're about to cry. You said something on the phone earlier about his leaving and taking your car and jewelry. It looks to me as though he's gone and you're still in a state of denial."
Claire closed her eyes. "I know it looks bad, but... he didn't do it, Helen. You've got to believe that. He's not a thief. Fabian wouldn't just leave me. Something terrible has happened to him. I just know it."
Chapter Four
Helen retrieved several tissues from a nearby end table and tucked them into her cousin's hand.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry. I can't seem to talk about him without falling apart."
"You don't need to apologize, Claire. You can cry as long and as hard as you want to around me. You know that."
Claire nodded and stared at something outside, then slowly swung her gaze back to Helen's. "Greg Curtis, Dad's lawyer, says I need to face facts. Admit that Fabian is long gone and isn't coming back. He wants me to press charges against him, but I can't. Not yet."
"Tell me what happened." Helen took her hand and led her to the couch as she might have done with a child.
Claire settled back. "That's what I've been trying to understand. We were happy together, Helen. I know he loves me. He's different from the others. With them, well, it may sound odd, but I knew they would leave eventually. Maybe deep inside I even wanted them to."
"And you still married them?"
"I was lonely. I needed a man in my life, or thought I did. I know it sounds sick. That's what Megan says, but I need someone to love me."
"Loneliness and grief are a terrible thing. We react to it in different ways."
"Yes, but you've been through it, too, and you managed to escape without making a fool of yourself. You're just stronger, I guess."
"Not stronger. I found other ways to cope. Remember, I was forty-five when Ian died. We'd been together a long time. Our children were grown and we had grandchildren. My roots are deeply imbedded in my family and in faith. It may sound trite, but without those two anchors, I don't know what I would have done. Kate made a place for me in her home whenever I needed them. I spent a lot of time on my knees in anguish as well as in prayer."
Helen picked a piece of lint off a throw pillow she'd been holding. "You lost Bill at a much younger age. You were very young and vulnerable."
"And wealthy. A dangerous combination." Claire gave her a wan smile. "Thank you. I hadn't looked at it that way before. My roots were practically nonexistent. Dad and Richard were great at first, but I became too much of a burden for them. Especially with Mom having cancer.
"And Greg. He tried so hard to make sure I'd be taken care of financially. Before he died, Bill made Greg promise to look out for me, and he's been wonderful. I didn't want to be a burden to any of them anymore, and I desperately needed someone to love. Church wasn't the answer. How could I worship the God who took Bill away? You can only endure platitudes about God's will for so long."
"I know how that can be." Helen sighed. "It took me a long time to see that God's perfect will isn't death and suffering. His ultimate goal for us is eternal life with him." She set the pillow aside. "That's a topic we should save for another time. We need to get going, and you haven't finished telling me about Fabian."
Claire stood and walked to her photo gallery. Picking up the photo of Fabian, she hugged it to herself. "I admit I haven't had good judgment where men are concerned, but Fabian is different. We love each other but no one believes me. Too many misses, I suppose."
"So how did he disappear and when? What was he doing?"
"He left last Monday to go to Paradise and talk with Dad. He was going to patch things up."
"Patch things up? I take it Paddy didn't approve."
"That's putting it mildly." Claire set the photo back and returned to the sofa, where Helen was still sitting. "Dad was furious when he learned I'd gotten married again. Threatened to cut me out of his will. Dad was always doing that to both Richard and me. Not that I cared. I have plenty of money without his inheritance."
"Fabian wanted to set things right?" Helen wondered about the man's motives.
"Yes, but not because of the inheritance, like everyone seems to think. We, Fabian and I, would like to get into the health resort business. Not your typical spas, but something like Paradise. We thought maybe Paddy would be interested in selling Paradise to us, since he's retiring. He sold most of the other resorts." She blinked back tears. "Oh, Helen, I should never have let him go alone. Something awful has happened to him."
"Wait a minute. Back up. He went to see Paddy. Did Fabian actually talk with him?"
"Yes, but I don't know what happened after that. He came back to the dock to pick up the car, and the attendant at the marina parking lot saw him leave. We haven't heard from him since."
"How was his talk with Paddy? Did they argue?"
"No, of course not." Her fist tightened around the worn tissue. "At least, I don't think so. According to Dad, the meeting went fine. He called me after Fabian left and said he may have misjudged Fabian. Dad was impressed with our presentation and wanted some time to think about it. I was thrilled. Dad said Fabian left the island around four in the afternoon. Only he never made it back here. The next morning Dad called to say the money in his safe had been stolen. He accused Fabian. I'm sure Fabian didn't do it. He'd only been to the castle once, and as far as I know he didn't even know Dad had a safe." She stared at the now shredded tissue. "It's been over a week."
"Have you reported him missing?"
"N-no." Her watery gaze met Helen's. "Maybe the others are right. I should count my losses and move on. But I can't shake this feeling that something's wrong."
Something was wrong, all right, Helen mused. The guy's a crook. She puzzled over the information she’d gleaned from Claire. "I'm still confused. Regardless of whether he's missing, as you seem to think, or has taken off with Paddy's money, why haven't you called the police?"
"How could I? They'd take one look at the evidence and think he was guilty. What if he's innocent? Besides, I couldn't bear the embarrassment. The media would have a field day over my getting taken in again."
"Did Paddy report the theft?"
She shook her head. "I don't think so. I asked Dad not to call the sheriff. I wanted to give Fabian a chance to prove himself. I was so sure he hadn't done it. Dad was pretty upset. Fortunately, he wanted to keep things quiet too."
"I'm sorry, Claire. I have a hard time believing Paddy would go along with that." She was surprised and disappointed in both of them. "The matter should have been turned over to the authorities. If Fabian did abscond with your money, you've given him the freedom to hurt someone else. You should have at least called me."
"You're probably right about that. I did think about calling you, but I didn't want to drag you into it. And I knew you'd insist we go to the police."
There was no point in belaboring the issue. Helen took another track. "Earlier you said your jewelry was missing. Fabian was still with you when it was stolen?"
"Yes. It was the Friday before he went to the island. We had a break-in. The police said it was an inside job. The basement window had been smashed from the inside to make it look like someone had broken in."
"Did they suspect Fabian?"
"Yes." She splayed her fingers and looked at the large diamond on her right hand. "I told them he couldn't have done it because he was with me that evening."
"And was he?" Helen knew the answer before Claire answered.
Claire's unsteady gaze met hers briefly, then returned to the ring. "You know me too well. No." She pressed her lips together. "He was out shopping. Don't l
ook at me like that. I was afraid they'd suspect him. He didn't do it."
"Claire, how can you be so sure?"
"Because he was angry with me when he found out I'd lied to the police. He accused me of not trusting him."
"And did he tell the police the truth?"
"No. He went along with me."
"What does Paddy say about all of this?"
"What do you think?" She ducked her head. "He says I should forget it and move on and be thankful Fabian got away with as little as he did." She clasped her hands. "I can't believe Fabian would leave me."
"What makes you so sure? You're contradicting yourself all over the place."
"I've had a lot of experience with being set up and deserted. Each time I told myself it wasn't true, but deep inside I wasn't surprised, not really. With Fabian, I didn't feel that way."
"Maybe you were too much in love to notice."
"No. Fabian is different. For the first time since Bill died, I felt secure and loved. Really loved."
Helen ached for her cousin, wishing she could give her the answers she wanted. "All right, I know you think he's innocent, but let's suppose he did take the jewels and Paddy's money. How much money are we looking at altogether?" Helen asked.
"With my car, maybe six hundred thousand dollars."
"And how much is the resort worth?"
"Paradise?" She shrugged. "Fifteen million, give or take."
"You said you wanted to buy it. Would it have been in your name only?"
"No, We were going in together. Fabian had an investment fund. He said he could come up with five hundred thousand to start. I was to come up with the rest and we'd get a joint loan for the balance. We were going to own and manage it together." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Why do you ask?"
Helen frowned. "It's possible Fabian was conning you. On the other hand, if he had a chance to own a percentage of Paradise, it seems odd he'd take so much less. Did you give him your share of the money?"
"No. He never asked. Greg thinks Fabian was lying about having the money. He's certain Fabian was afraid I'd find that out, so he ran. Greg was going to check on Fabian's financial status and get back to me. That was yesterday. I imagine he'll let me know when I see him today."
A Haunting Refrain: A Helen Bradley Mystery (Helen Bradley Mysteries Book 4) Page 4
