"Here's where we are. Two choices. I tell Helen or I don't tell her. If we tell her she's going to fly home from some impossible place in Mexico and I don't want to do that because this is not an emergency. A fact she won't believe because you can't tell Helen anything when it comes to her kids. So the other choice is I don't tell her until she's docked in Miami on Friday. But if I don't tell her, then I have to make sure that everything she would have done if she were here happens so when she yells at me I can assure her it made no difference that she took care of her career while the rest of us took care of this business."
Laura let out a stunned breath, hoping she had kept up. "You believe me then?"
"Hell yes. The agency that sent the woman to Helen didn't properly vet her. My guy in New York found a conviction-a conviction, mind you-for her on just this kind of thing. She did two years for theft in New Jersey, including art. Apparently when she realized the hammer was going to drop she loaded up the car with valuables and took off. So God yes, I believe you. Especially since my guy didn't even turn up a traffic ticket for you."
Daryl touched the papers in front of him. "Our firm has a power of attorney from Mrs. Baynor for certain financial affairs. Using that, we're in the process of closing all access to household accounts that Grace Olmstead has, and changing passwords for online trading accounts in case a list has fallen into her hands. We're also making a quick spot check to ensure that nothing unusual has transpired in the accounts we monitor. I believe that financially all is secure."
"I'm relieved," Laura said. "This was only a couple of hundred dollars-I mean the cash she said she gave to me. But I didn't know where it would lead. It seemed such a small amount for the risk and I worried that it was only a fraction of what she could do."
Cass indicated the folder. "Daryl has a few statements for you to sign. They're for the file and just state what you told me. Whether Helen presses charges or not is going to be up to her. But the first thing she would do is protect the kids. So that's what I'm going to do. They know me and I'll pick them up at school. I'm on the emergency list to do that, and so is a backup person from the agency that sent Grace, but it's not like I'm going to trust that sleazebag operation to do it and not tell Grace. So really, if I'm not going to tell Helen, then I have to be here. Before that, I'm going to meet with the security company and have them supervise and escort Ms. Olmstead from the premises, with the help of the local police if necessary. They're sending a locksmith and the cars will be re...whatever it is they do to make new codes for the door remotes. I've already faxed the school their documentation to bar that woman from being able to pick the kids up from here on out. So. I think I've covered all the bases."
Laura nodded. As Cass had spoken she'd glanced over the papers Daryl wanted her to sign. She was attesting to the veracity of photographs she'd taken, copies attached, and that the summaries of the conversations she'd overheard and engaged in were accurate. She felt fine signing them.
"I have one question for you, Laura," Cass added. "This will be unpleasant with Olmstead. But Helen is such a stickler for consistency and continuity. Every day the kids have to have the same routine. Even more, Julie's diet has to be as controlled as possible. I can't just take them out for pizza for the next four days. Will you be comfortable being around while that woman is removed so you can keep doing what you do? Helen loves what you've contributed to the family so far. She told me so."
Laura blinked. "Of course-I mean I was planning to make snacks and dinner as usual. I sometimes hang out after dinner if they're looking for company or I have something I want to prep for the next day. We play poker for pretzel sticks. And I'm teaching Justin how to cook and helping Julie start an organic herb garden for a school project."
"Wow." Cass cocked her head. "Overachieve much?"
Laura shrugged. "I enjoy the time with them."
"You've already said more about the kids than Grace did the entire time I was there after my surgery. Helen swore she was efficient-"
"She certainly seemed so," Laura said. "The electrical work in the living room is nearly done. Though I wonder now if Grace made private arrangements with the contractor."
"That's something to check-the quality of what's been done," Cass said to Daryl. "The more the merrier."
He nodded and made a note. "I think we're done here."
He and Cass rose to shake hands. Laura felt shellshocked.
"Can you give me a lift to the Baynors'?" Cass had turned to Laura. "Daryl fetched me from SFO and I'd rather not rent a car when I know perfectly good ones are waiting at Helen's. I like her Saab. If I'm stuck here I might as well put the top down and drive to the beach when the kids are at school every day."
"Of course," she agreed, bemused by the rapidity with which Cass was managing to sort out everything. Once in the car, Cass asked for a more detailed description of the conversation she had overheard. As they neared Woodside, Laura explained that she needed to make a stop.
"There's some produce I want to get. Do you have any food allergies?"
"Heavens no, but I've been trying an immune-system support diet while trying to put back just a few more pounds."
"Lots of dark leafy greens and bright oranges on the plate?"
Cass smiled. "You got it."
"I'll do my best to make that delicious. Justin is turning out a regular supply of desserts, so I think you'll find plenty of calories to tempt you."
"Justin cooking. I have to say I'm amazed."
She coasted into a convenient parking place. "Do you want to come in with me?"
Cass pointed at Makes Life Worth Living. "No, I need a java fix. I don't know what that was in the pot at the accountant's, but it was not anything resembling coffee. Would you like some?"
"Thank you, yes-I'd love whatever the roast of the day is with steamed milk."
When Laura got back to the car, Cass told her, "While you were gone this willowy blond creature walked past the car three times, and if looks could kill..."
"Oh. That was...an ex. Sort of."
"I gather it didn't end well."
Laura kept her voice steady. "No, it didn't. We turned out to be incompatible. Is my being gay a problem for you?"
Cass blinked at her. "Sweetie, I'm gay. Helen told me you were-plus there's the bumper sticker on the back of the car."
Laura grinned. "I forget it's there."
The closer they got to the Baynors' the quieter Cass became. On the last turn, where Laura had stopped to gather her wits before delivering her special snack to Helen on the day of her interview, one of the security patrol vehicles was parked. Cass waved at Laura to pull over.
She waited in the car while Cass talked to the guards. After a short conversation they proceeded to the house. The guards swung around to the front door while Laura went around to the side. The minivan wasn't there.
"Grace isn't home," she told Cass.
"Good. The locksmith is about fifteen minutes behind us."
Deciding that it would be a good idea to stay on Cass's good side-the woman was a buzz saw, Laura thought-she headed for the kitchen and stayed there. The locksmith arrived. Another car with more security people arrived. She overheard Cass saying something about "landlord's right of entry" as she and two guards headed for Grace's apartment behind the garage.
The pumpkin she was working on for soup was cut down to chunks and in the oven to roast when she finally heard Grace's voice. She'd been met, apparently. From the window over the sink that looked toward the carport, she saw Grace gesticulating wildly, heard plenty of shouting and a short while later a police car arrived. Then it got very quiet.
When she next returned to the window all the security and police cars were gone. So was the minivan. She glanced at her watch-it was already time to fetch the kids at school.
When Cass returned about thirty minutes later she had the chance to observe the trio as they approached the house. The twins looked drawn and somber. Cass walked as if someone had put fifty pounds on her
thin shoulders.
They all brightened at the vision of Laura's English muffin cheese snacks with thin slices of heirloom tomatoes on top. The kids didn't seem much inclined to talk and headed to their rooms, probably to text friends.
Cass slumped at the table and rested her head on her arms. "Wow. That was absolutely the strangest thing I've ever had to do for a client. Or a friend."
Laura set a freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of her.
"You are a beautiful human being," Cass said, sitting up again. The circles under her eyes were dark and pronounced. "The kids were shocked more than anything, but it turns out neither of them liked Grace. They're feeling vulnerable, though."
"I can get that. You had her arrested?"
"Oh yeah. The thieving bitch had Helen's mother-in-law's gold-plated tableware collection under her bed. The storage box alone would go for about five hundred. I figured it was grand theft given the price of gold and called the cops, and then there were pieces of Helen's jewelry she hasn't missed-expensive pieces she didn't put back in the safe. They were insured but some were heirlooms from her husband's family."
"Sounds like Grace was planning to get out of town soon."
"Maybe. I'm glad she didn't." Cass had another sip of coffee. "Divine-what is this?"
"Jamaican Blue Mountain."
"May all the blessings of the saints be upon you. And you've sweetened it just right. I'm going to need four more cups of this to make it to nightfall."
"You look all in."
"The flight left New York at four a.m. and I didn't sleep before then. I'm so glad it's behind us-the worst part. Until Helen gets home and skins me alive."
Uncertain if the skinning might include her, Laura set about the next stage of the pumpkin soup. Keep cooking, she told herself, and hope for the best.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"Have you had a good week?"
Helen tucked her notecards from her final lecture into her beach bag and looked up at Karolina. She was framed by a floodlight, making her hair a deep, rich topaz. Though the physical sensation of desire had not diminished over the last couple of days, she no longer felt as if she might lose control over her hands, even though at the moment she wanted in the worst way to touch Karolina's hair.
"It's been so great. The Honduras are beautiful. And all the people have been really good and interested and sincere."
"You were dynamite. So was Trevor." Karolina's voice dropped. "But between you and me, the Havens are headed for divorce court. The chill was palpable."
"I thought so too."
Karolina opened the door for Helen as they left the small theater and turned in sync in the direction of the elevators that would take them up to their suites.
Helen felt a sense of relief mixed with disbelief that it was already Thursday. At sea all day as they sailed back to Miami, it would be the last afternoon spent sunbathing, and the last one spent near Karolina and the source of such profound temptation. While they had snorkeled together yesterday she had found herself searching Karolina's words and gestures for some hint that she was likewise attracted. At least she'd gotten a little more mature about the situation. At first she'd been so poleaxed by her own attraction that she hadn't even cared if Karolina might feel it as well.
She did feel more in control, and the last couple of days she'd had plenty of time to think, imagine, even fantasize-and take stock of the situation. What if she kissed Karolina? What if they danced together in one of the ship's discos? What if someone made a scene about the two women "flaunting" their desire for each other? She might have thought all these years that she empathized, that she understood how it felt when Cass mentioned some idiot harassing her and her ex when they had held hands while walking down the street. But there was a world of difference between empathy and reality. Cass and Laura-and Karolina-carried some measure of that fear around with them most of the time. She understood now why Cass went on cruises and vacations every so often with only other lesbians.
So, she thought, on top of being scared by the enormity of her attraction for Karolina, she got to be afraid of repercussions from strangers and loved ones. She was fearful of what the kids might say, of what fans might think. Who would choose this kind of fear on top of the already treacherous waters of dating and relationships? She was starting to understand why some people fought it. She honestly didn't know what she was going to do. She'd faced fear before, like her fear of heights and the opening night terrors, and had never let it stop her. This was certainly a new role for her.
"Were you going to wear something formal tonight?" Karolina was leading the way to the main atrium which left Helen to admire her shoulders and back before she caught up at the elevators. "There's our reception before dinner."
"I can't decide," Helen admitted. "I have a cocktail dress and a full-length gown. I think the gown is too heavy, but I'm sure a number of the other women will dress to the nines."
"Want me to take a look at it?"
"Sure. I had the steward press it, but it's velvet-the bodice is anyway. Velvet on a cruise ship?"
"It sounds elegant and very you."
They got on the same elevator with some of the women from the workshop Helen had just finished, and they all chatted until she and Karolina exited on Helen's deck. Only as she turned the corner to her cabin did it sink in that she'd be alone with Karolina. Was a discussion of clothing the lesbian equivalent of etchings? She honestly hadn't even thought of luring Karolina to her cabin under some pretext. As she slid the key card into the slot she stifled a laugh. She'd been brought up to understand that a good girl waited for the man to make the first move. So what happened when there was no man to make the decision? For Pete's sake, it was humbling to feel like a gauche teenager all over again, worrying about the rules and what people would say.
She set down her bag and quickly opened the closet. She wondered if she was blushing. She didn't dare make eye contact with Karolina. "It's right here."
Karolina held the long black gown at arm's length. "It's sleeveless, though I see what you mean about the velvet. One step outside and it'll be wilted."
"It was cold in New York when I packed it. That's all I can offer in my defense."
"What's your other choice?"
"No one has seen this one yet." She reached into the closet for the last unworn cocktail dress. "Little black dress number three."
Running her fingers down the silk, Karolina said, "This is lovely. Tell you what, I'll go with a short dress as well and neither of us will feel so odd girl out."
Not about the dress, at least, Helen thought. "Deal."
As she hung the dresses back in the closet, Karolina crossed the suite to look out the sliding door onto the balcony. "I never get over the color of the sky out here."
She joined Karolina and focused on the horizon. "I feel foolish for waiting until I was nearly fifty to see it."
"It's never too late to do something new."
"I've definitely learned that on this trip."
Karolina turned her head but Helen kept her gaze on the view as Karolina said, "You tried snorkeling yesterday. That was brave of you."
She blinked. "That's right, I did."
"Isn't that what you were talking about?"
"No. Yes, I mean-this has been a trip full of new things." Don't blush, she warned herself. Hoping to head off the physical flush, she thought about curtain tassels.
"For me too."
"But you've sailed through the Caribbean before, haven't you?"
"Many times. But..."
Helen couldn't help it. She met Karolina's gaze and her normal intake of breath turned into a gasp. How on earth did the woman make her eyes smolder like that?
"This is the first time I've been tempted to mix business and pleasure. And I got a good look at how desperate and cheap it comes off when someone's advances are unwanted. I don't want to be that person."
Thoroughly confused, and her heart beating inexplicably loud in her ears, Helen said,
"I'm not following you."
"I don't want to be a Eugene. It was bad enough you had to deal with him."
It took Helen a moment to realize what Karolina meant. She swallowed and found it impossible to speak.
"There is the small matter that you're straight, but I really didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I really hope that I didn't. You didn't seem to mind."
"Mind..." Helen echoed.
"Mind that I flirted with you. Oh heavens." Karolina gave an odd half-laugh. "I am out of practice-you didn't realize I was flirting with you?"
"No," Helen said honestly. "I was trying too hard to keep my hands off you."
There was a crackling silence. Then Helen realized what she'd said.
"I'm not-I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry. It was inappropriate. Please forget-"
Karolina silenced her with a fingertip on her lips. Helen shivered and saw gooseflesh prickle along Karolina's arm. She closed her eyes.
"Helen." Then, just as softly, "Please look at me."
She forced her eyes open, feeling naked in ways that weren't about clothing, stripped bare in a place that had never been opened before. Her lips felt hot and swollen where Karolina's finger still rested on them.
"I have a rule about straight women," Karolina said. "But I want in the worst way to break it with you. I knew I was in trouble the moment I saw you."
Karolina's finger moved across her lips, then she cupped Helen's jaw. Helen couldn't stifle a convulsive swallow.
"You look terrified."
"That may be what passes for sexy for me," Helen managed to say. "At least at this stage in my life."
It was impossible to talk when Karolina smoothed a thumb over her lips. There was a hint of a smile in her eyes. "This is fair warning. I'm going to kiss you on the count of three. If the answer is no, please say so now."
Helen stared at her.
"One."
She took a deep breath.
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