Case One ~ The Deceit (Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter Book 1)

by Lori Zaremba

  She didn’t want to tell him how frightened she had been earlier when thinking he might be hurt. She was glad he was able to help Patrick. “Thank you for being there for Patrick today.”

  He searched her eyes. “Of course.” He raised his brow, seeming to sense something else was on her mind.

  “I was worried. I’m glad you are okay too,” she blurted.

  He smiled gently, and his fingers spread through her curls to the back of her head. He touched his lips softly to hers, causing the butterflies to dance in her stomach. As he deepened the kiss, she opened her mouth so he could gently probe with his tongue.

  Her hands explored the powerful muscles of his back. Jason’s lips trailed along her jaw then back to her mouth. She was disappointed when he pulled away from her and rested his forehead on hers.

  “Behave, Gertrude,” he teased, running his hands down her back to rest on her hips.

  She tossed her head back and sighed. Grabbing his hand, they went inside together, where the aroma of fresh perking coffee greeted them. Trudy was relieved since she wanted to have her wits about her when she went through the evidence.

  Leaving Jason in the kitchen, Trudy went to check on Patrick, who Dana had made cozy on one of the couches in the study.

  He did not want to be alone in his room, and she knelt beside him, realizing Patrick was not that much older than Aaron. Looking young and vulnerable, and never knowing violence in his young life, his soft brown eyes were wide in his pale face.

  She held his hand. “Are you hungry?”

  He shook his head. “No. Maybe I’ll eat something a little later.”

  Before she stood, she tucked the blankets around him and pressed her lips to his temple. Satisfied that there was no high temperature, she left him to doze.

  Trudy joined Leslie and Dana in the next room and sat with Leslie on the cozy love seat. The two put their heads together and started comparing the newspaper articles and notes they’d found earlier that day.

  Trudy was exhausted. She rested her head on her friend’s shoulder, noticing how bony it was. “Damn, girl, you need to get some meat on your bones. This isn’t very comfortable.”

  Leslie elbowed her in the ribs. “Shut up. Don’t you worry about my shoulders when you have beefcake in the other room to lean on. So…are you going to tell us about your all-night date?”

  Trudy thought about last night and smiled stupidly, giving Leslie all the answers she needed.

  “I don’t kiss and tell.” Trudy laughed and stretched her arms up to the ceiling to soothe the knot in her back from sitting before leaning forward to grab her cup of coffee from the sofa table.

  Dana studied a paper she held in her hand. Her silence intrigued Trudy into asking, “Did you learn something, Dana?”

  Dana looked at Trudy, but her thoughts were clearly somewhere else. “I found some information about Douglas’s company, DHT Building International.” She sat on the edge of the sofa like she was preparing to bolt. “Douglas was equal partners with Jon DePaul and Sheila’s husband, Frederick Hoffman.” Dana leaned forward, folding and unfolding the paper in her hands. “I found the bid for work, as well as the plans they submitted to design and build the 333 Michigan Avenue building. They ultimately were outbid.”

  She showed the schematic to Trudy, but when Trudy reached for the paper, Dana clutched it back to her chest and jumped to her feet.

  “Dana? Are you all right?” Trudy asked and then called out to Dana again when the psychic stormed from the room and slammed out the front door.

  “What’s gotten into her?” Leslie asked next to Trudy.

  Shaking her head, Trudy climbed to her feet. “I better go check on her. God knows this case is making us all a little crazy.”

  Trudy padded out to the foyer and peered out the glass panels of the front door. She watched as Dana walked in a complete circle on the front porch. Her hands flailed in the air, while she nodded her head in some kind of agreement. Trudy could tell she was in an intense conversation with someone.

  “What the hell is she doing?” Leslie asked over Trudy’s shoulder.

  “What she does best, my friend.” Trudy paused, looking over at Leslie, whose face was now pressed against the glass. “She’s speaking with a dead person.”

  Chapter 17

  Douglas

  March 1927

  It was a warmer than usual day.

  Douglas breathed in the gentle spring air and listened to the sounds of the city around him. Walking into the park with Abigail and their two children, he felt that his life was right again. The family had been in Chicago for over a month now. Usually, Abby and the girls didn’t accompany him on his business trips, but his wife wanted to visit her nephew, who had moved here a few years back, and she wanted the girls to see America.

  Douglas’s company was working on the final details for the bid they were presenting to the city council for a building on Michigan Avenue. Douglas knew his design was damn good; he just wasn’t sure what the other contractors were putting in their proposal. So now all he needed to do, on the advice of his attorney, Eric, was wait. He smiled fondly down at Abigail.

  The pain was still there for the loss of their son, but together they were able to get through the worst of it. Martha and Madeline, now eleven and nine years of age, raced ahead as they drew near the park, where they heard the call from an ice cream vendor.

  “Daddy, we want ice cream!”

  He pulled a coin purse from his coat pocket and handed each girl a nickel, telling them to get whatever they wanted.

  Abigail raised a questioning eyebrow. “Before dinner?”

  He studied her perfect heart-shaped face set with wide indigo eyes that still took his breath away. Her soft rosebud lips quivered with laughter as she tried to be stern.

  He caught a strand of her silver-blonde hair that had escaped the neat braid at the back of her neck. He covered her lips with his own and was amazed at how his heart still skipped a beat when they kissed. It had been a slippery slope, but holding her now, he felt that they were on solid ground. Holding hands, they walked to the nearest bench so they could keep an eye on the girls as they pushed two younger children on the swings in the playground. It was a beautiful Chicago day. The promise of spring was in the air, and he sat back and let the sun warm his bones as he admired the beautiful park-like setting and the lake beyond.

  Then he saw her, resplendent in a vibrant navy shift suited for a spring day. Her hair was ablaze in the sun, and even though she tried to keep the little hat on her head to hide the fiery locks that she wore in a sassy short bob, the wind wouldn’t have it and gave her away.

  Vanessa Wilcox Holland walked toward him unknowingly, pushing a stroller that held a little boy of about four years old with hair a shade or two darker than Vanessa’s own. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as he almost willed her to walk his way.

  Memories flooded him of the sweet time they had spent together and the agonizing months after he left her. He couldn’t move and held his breath and waited for the moment Vanessa’s eyes met his and recognition settled on her lovely face.

  Her eyes flickered with confusion, sweeping from him then to Abigail and then back to him. They were at a point of no return where it would be too awkward to not say anything to one another.

  Vanessa said, “How do you do?” in a calm voice that would fool anyone other than Douglas.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Vanessa.”

  Douglas quickly introduced Abigail and said, “Abigail, this is Vanessa Holland, Sheila Hoffman’s cousin. Remember, I told you about her husband Carlson.” He turned back to Vanessa. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you, Douglas, and it’s nice to meet you, Abigail.”

  Abigail gave her a quick smile and a curtsy, but she could not take her eyes off Chase. “Your child is beautiful.”

  “This is Chase.”

  Douglas noticed Vanessa looked nervously at Chase and then back up to him. Chase held hi
s arms out to Douglas, as he wanted to show him the toy monkey he clutched in his hand. He fixated on the hair, and Abigail’s beautiful blonde locks drew his attention.

  Vanessa spoke a bit nervously as Abigail knelt to be at eye level with Chase. “He’s infatuated with hair, so be careful. The little guy sure likes to grab and pull.”

  “How old is your son?” Abigail gazed up at Vanessa.

  “He is soon to be four.”

  Abigail said, “He’s such a big boy.”

  Vanessa replied, “He takes after his father.” Vanessa rambled on nervously. “I mean, from what Carlson’s mother has told me and his baby pictures, Carlson was quite a chubby boy.”

  Vanessa looked down, murmuring an endearment, and Chase rewarded her with a big smile.

  “He reminds me so much of our…oh, dear.” Abigail stood abruptly and excused herself to check on her daughters.

  Douglas said to Vanessa, “It still happens sometimes. She gets overwhelmed by the loss of our son.”

  Vanessa smiled tightly. “After having Chase, I completely understand.”

  They exchanged a few pleasantries before she asked, “What brings you to Chicago, Douglas?”

  He smiled cordially. “We’re bidding on a project downtown.”

  Douglas saw the quick flash of something wistful in her eyes before she swept her lashes down. When she looked up again, he could tell she was still unsettled.

  Vanessa excused herself. “I have a meeting I have to get to.”

  After she left, Douglas wondered why Vanessa appeared so flustered, other than the fact that it was a little awkward meeting your former lover and his wife in the park.

  He stood watching her as she strolled away, and he couldn’t help but admire her curves. Time had been kind to Vanessa, and she was more beautiful than ever. He shook himself from where his mind was going and turned to search for Abigail.

  When he finally caught up with her, she was distraught. “I’m sorry, Douglas, but that boy looks so much like our Dennis.”

  He pulled her into his arms. Douglas did give a pause, as he also had noticed the resemblance, and he shook his head he started to put the math together.

  He’d never told Abigail about his relationship with Vanessa. He only informed her about when he met her and Carlson in New York City, at his business partner’s home.

  He wanted to tell her about his affair in those raw months when he first returned, as they were brutally honest with one another. With the help of the local clergy, they found a way to forgive each other and themselves. He loved Abby so much, and he didn’t want to lose her again.

  He didn’t want to even open his mind to a possibility that Vanessa’s son may be his. He shook his head. “Let’s go see what the girls are up to, shall we?” Holding Abby’s hand, he pulled her along to where the girls were tossing rocks into the pond.

  ***

  DHT Builders International was becoming a well-respected corporation worldwide, so Douglas often had to attend functions with the very wealthy and elite to secure financing for local projects.

  The Chicago projects were no different. At several of those functions, he was in the presence of Vanessa. They remained cordial, but they always seemed to stay as far away from each other as possible.

  Douglas did note that Vanessa seemed a bit nervous when he was about. He guessed it was because of the secret affair they had shared. Perhaps she still had feelings for him, but no matter what the reason, he decided he would stay as far away from Vanessa Holland as humanly possible so there would be no more regrets.

  He couldn’t help that his eyes stared at her loveliness, and sometimes it was long enough for her to notice. Sometimes he wondered if she would still taste the same, if her lips were as soft as before, or if she still had that little sensitive spot at the base of her long neck.

  Yes, it probably was a good idea to stay far, far away.

  He strode into his hotel suite one day to find Abigail pacing, a bundle of nerves, as he approached her.

  “What’s wrong, my dear?”

  Abigail paused to give him an intense glare. “I ran into that woman again.”

  “Who?”

  “Vanessa Holland.” She explained, “I visited Raul Dupree’s shop to order a few dresses, and while I was there, Vanessa strolled in with her son.” Looking up at him, she said, “Vanessa was very kind, but once again, I noticed the resemblance between Chase and Dennis. The resemblance is uncanny, and I can’t shake it.” She paced in front of the window and then turned toward him. “Were you intimate with her?”

  This took Douglas by surprise. He stood motionless before walking to her. He pulled her close and rested his chin on her soft alabaster hair.

  Abigail spoke again. “I would understand, Douglas, if you were. That was when we were both at our worst, and I pushed you away. Please tell me the truth.”

  Douglas had no choice. He had never lied to Abigail about anything. Maybe he hid the facts, but never could he lie to her face when she asked him a direct question. He told her a part of the truth, that he and Vanessa did indeed sleep together, but he omitted the part about how close they were and the friendship they developed while they were together in New York.

  She looked up at him. “That’s your son! Chase is your son…he is our son.” She walked away to start pacing again.

  Douglas looked at her and said, “No, listen, Abigail, we can’t be sure. Carlson and Vanessa had just married.”

  She interrupted him. “Just married?” Lowering her voice, she hissed, “Why would a woman have an affair or sleep with somebody else shortly after getting married? It’s unheard of, unless there was a problem.”

  Douglas walked toward her and put his hands on her shoulders.

  Abigail jumped back as if he shocked her. “No! Don’t touch me, please don’t touch me. I have to sort this out.”

  She looked out the window for a long while watching the busy street below.

  “Every fiber in my body is telling me Chase is your son, and if you won’t do something about it, I will!” Douglas never saw her eyes so wild as an expression of madness settled over her face.

  He grabbed her hand before she could leave the room. “Stop, Abby, we need to talk this out.”

  He finally got Abigail to agree to let him do it his way. He wanted to do some research.

  “We don’t want to blow up lives here until we are sure.”

  Douglas was almost relieved when it was time for Abigail, Martha, and Madeline to head back to England.

  He needed his space to figure this mess out. Abigail made him promise he would not give up his research and not give up on his son.

  Douglas tried to speak to Vanessa several times, but every time he would go to her house, he would either find that she was upstate or not at home at all. Almost daily he would send a note to her residence requesting a meeting, but to no avail.

  Douglas became unsettled. He knew his wife wanted this, and he wanted to please her. He also wanted to know if indeed he had a son, and by looking at photos of Chase, the resemblance was truly uncanny.

  One morning, he again tried to reach Vanessa. He walked up the front steps of her Calumet Street home, and just as he entered the front porch, the door opened, and there was Vanessa with Chase, who was ready to take a morning walk.

  “Good morning, Vanessa. How are you this fine morning?”

  Vanessa looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. “I’m fine, Douglas. How are you?”

  “You have been avoiding my request for a meeting.”

  “Douglas, I have met your wife, and I do not want to be involved with you in any way. I don’t want to jeopardize your relationship, and I am in a relationship myself.”

  “Is that why you thought I was calling you?” He studied her closely and waited for her to reply.

  “Why else?” Vanessa questioned, as she started carefully with Chase, down the steps to the walkway below.

  Once at the sidewalk, Vanessa slipped the cloche over h
er hair and also pulled a cap out of her bag to place on Chase’s bright head. She then took the toddler’s little hand, and they made their way slowly down the walk.

  In a few strides, Douglas was at her side.

  “I told her about us,” Douglas blurted.

  Vanessa looked at him with a slightly raised brow. “Well, that’s good, I suppose. Honesty is important in a marriage.”

  He stopped her. “What I want to know is…did Carlson know about us?”

  He saw a flash of anger in her eyes as her cheeks turned a slight pink.

  Douglas was quick to continue.

  “When you and I had a relationship, Abby and I were in a terrible place. I found comfort in your arms, and you, you are so damn beautiful.” He paused as his voice caught. “You made me feel needed and loved again.”

  Vanessa slowed her pace and placed her hand gently on his arm and gasped as he pulled his arm away.

  His expression hardened. “What I don’t understand is why you did it. You were newly married. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “It seemed to make sense to you then,” Vanessa said quietly. Looking up at him, she spoke in a steady voice. “Listen, Douglas, I fell hard for you. I don’t know why. Carlson and I, our fathers arranged the marriage. It took a while, but the love between us grew. When you were in my life, he had distanced himself because of me…and my need for space. However, after you went back to London and I returned to Chicago, he was there waiting for me. With patience, we started to appreciate and become very fond of each other, and after that, we were inseparable.” She paused to clear her throat. “Douglas, I think meeting you made me realize how wonderful love could be.”

  When he didn’t respond, she went on.

  “You taught me so much…and you hurt me a lot.”

  He waited for her to continue.

  “When Abigail called you back to London, you did not give it a second thought. You went to be with her. Sure, I was hurting, but then I realized that’s how Carlson felt about me. He just wanted to give me time and space. I was very immature. I didn’t know how to handle it.”