Tic Tac Toe (A Suspense Novel)

by Kel E. Mitchell

  “A mistake!” Tweed shrieked, “I’ll have you know that nobody would ever think of marrying me as a mistake!” Her pulse was raging. How could this be happening to her – it was unimaginable! Her family had been elated when she and Max got engaged. She fantasized often about the life of leisure that she would have as his wife, but now she was frantic because it appeared that wasn’t going to happen. She wanted to know what had made him change his mind. “Please, Max,” she pleaded in a well-trained voice, “I know that you love me, so why in the world would you want to call off our engagement?”

  “I’m calling off our engagement because I’m not in love with you. I’m sorry if I hurt you, Tweed, but you deserve to know the truth.”

  She was seething, and her usual seemingly perfect façade was shattered. “You’ll be sorry. I know that you’ll change your mind. You just better hope that I’m still around when you do!”

  “I won’t be changing my mind.”

  She stood stunned for a moment and finally realized just how final Max’s last statement had been. She had never seen him quite that certain about anything before. Fuming, she stormed out of the kitchen and hurled the front door open in the entryway. She found Luke standing just outside the door on the porch – about to knock.

  Luke knew the minute he saw her that Max had already broken off their engagement. He studied her intently for just a moment and realized that she wasn’t nearly as attractive when she was unhappy.

  “Get out of my way! Do you mind?”

  Luke stepped aside so that she could move past him on the porch. He grinned, enjoying her lack of control. He called after her in a voice of feigned innocence, “Where you off to, Tweedy? Is it time for you to fly away?” She turned around and glared at him, and Luke’s grin became even larger.

  “Oh, shut up. You know perfectly well what just happened, but let me tell you something. It’s just a matter of time before Max realizes he’s made a huge mistake.”

  “Oh, Max knows that he made a mistake. It’s just a shame that it has nothing whatsoever to do with you!” With that, Luke turned around and walked into the house and closed the door firmly behind him.

  Chapter 15

  Paris

  “All right, that’s it! I’ve put up with this long enough,” Phyllis proclaimed in exasperation to her niece. Irene was still in her bedroom well past noon with the blinds drawn. She had been depressed ever since she had arrived at her Aunt Phyllis’s home in Paris almost three months ago. Phyllis tossed back the ivory and ice-blue printed damask duvet and walked to the window, where she pulled back the blinds, allowing the sunlight to stream brightly through the windows. Irene leaned up on her elbows to find her aunt watching her from across the room. Phyllis was a dignified and polished woman. She was poised, confident, and even a little eccentric. She was tall and slender – and typically wore designer clothes and jewelry. Her black hair was smooth and straight – cut blunt to her chin. She always looked crisp and pristine – the epitome of good taste. Phyllis was a no-nonsense woman who got what she wanted, and what she wanted right now was for Irene to stop wallowing in self-pity. “Sweetie, trust me – no man’s worth crying that much over.”

  “I wasn’t crying,” Irene responded unconvincingly.

  “Sulking amounts to nearly the same thing. Do you want to tell me what happened so that we can move on and be done with it?”

  Irene shook her head as she whispered, “No, please don’t make me tell you what happened.”

  “Your father told me enough. He told me it had something to do with that boy who grew up with you. What was his name again,” Phyllis said, stopping to think for a moment. “Ah yes, Maxwell isn’t it?”

  Irene nodded, “That’s right. Maxwell Frost.”

  “And?” Phyllis prodded.

  “And nothing. I told him that I was in love with him, and I thought that he felt the same way . . . but I was wrong. He was actually engaged to someone else. Satisfied?”

  Phyllis observed her niece’s distraught face and said compassionately, “I’m sorry dear. It’s not easy to recover from a broken heart, but sometimes you just have to let it go and try to move on.” Phyllis paused a moment, walked toward Irene, and sat on the edge of her bed. “I love you, darling.” She placed her hand lovingly on her niece’s cheek. “I want to help you, but you have to let me help you.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “By letting go of the past . . . of Max. Don’t you think it’s time you did?”

  “I’m afraid to. I’m afraid to let go of the memories we shared. I’m worried that if I do, I’ll have nothing left to remember.”

  “That’s not true. You’ll never forget your mother – and how much she loved you. You haven’t even begun to realize what awaits you.”

  Irene burst into tears and wrapped her arms tightly around her aunt’s shoulders. She sobbed for a long while, releasing all the pent up emotions that had been inside for so long. Phyllis said nothing, just kept her arms around her niece while she cried.

  Chapter 16

  Boston – Two Years Ago

  “What should I do?” Tweed whined. “Whenever I go and visit Max at work or at home, he’s polite but never acts like he’s even remotely interested in me.”

  “That’s because he’s not,” Luke responded without hesitation or sympathy. Initially, he had allowed her to vent and complain, thinking that it would help her get over Max faster – but he was wrong. Tweed had been trying to reconcile with Max for nearly four years, and in the last few months she had stopped by Luke’s office once a week to rehash. Today Luke had officially reached his limit. He no longer cared if he crushed Tweed’s hopes and dreams. Her relationship with Max was ancient history, and she needed to come to terms with that fact and move on. “Look, I’m sure Max would find your undying devotion heart wrenching, but I don’t – so, cut the crap. You’ve been having plenty of fun since your engagement ended.”

  Tweed was sitting on the edge of Luke’s highly polished desk. He had just recently started clerking for one of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justices by the name of Judge Lowe. William Duncan had been appointed by the governor to the Supreme Court a few years prior, and Luke knew he probably got the job because of his connection with Duncan which reaffirmed to him the good old saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know.” Still, Luke thought it wise to err on the side of caution and not mention Max’s name in front of Duncan in case he didn’t take kindly to discussing the man who had hurt his daughter. However, with Tweed stopping by every week, Luke was quite certain that Max, Tweed, and Irene were all catapulted to the forefront of Duncan’s mind.

  “What do you mean I’ve been having plenty of fun?” Tweed questioned seeming very offended that Luke would dare to make such a suggestion – especially one so loaded with sexual innuendo.

  “Look Tweedy, I wasn’t born yesterday, okay? Guy’s talk, and there’s been plenty of talk regarding you and your escapades.” He paused smiling, enjoying her self-consciousness. “I mean just look at you. Why else would you be curled up on my desk like a little sex kitten when there are three chairs next to it?”

  “You flatter yourself if you think that I’m flirting with you!”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I wouldn’t dream of flattering myself when it comes to you. I know that you’re not sitting like that for my benefit.” With that comment, Luke looked back down at his work.

  Tweed was wearing red high-heeled shoes and a very short skirt – her legs crossed and tanned, even though it was the middle of winter. Her blouse hugged her body, leaving little to the imagination, showing her curves to the best of her advantage. She was trying to pretend like she didn’t know that she drove all the men at the courthouse crazy – including Luke. Luke admitted that she made him crazy, just not in the same way as the other guys. Luke was annoyed by her and her presence. He could barely wait for her to hurry and give him the weekly up
date so that she would leave.

  Luke looked up from the document he was reading and spoke to her like he very much doubted her intellectual ability. “You’re sitting like that to drive the three men standing outside of the room crazy. Maybe even the judges will stop and take a look at you as they walk to and from their chambers. I mean you are quite the sight.”

  “Thanks for the compliment,” she responded sarcastically, smiling arrogantly. “Nobody’s ever complained before about my looks.”

  “I guess it’s all a matter of personal preference. For some guys you may be just the thing they’re looking for . . . me on the other hand, not interested.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  “Try.” Luke paused and then grinned. “I’ve always preferred classy to trashy.”

  “Luke that is without a doubt the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me. I’ve put up with your crap for years because you’re such good friends with Max.”

  “Why have you put up with it, and why do you keep coming here? Is it because you think that I’ll put in a good word for you?” Tweed sat there silently, knowing she had been caught in her trap. That was one of the reasons that she had come to see Luke, and it appeared that he’d known it all along. “I have something to say about you, all right. I just can’t promise that it’s good.” With that, Luke started reading once again, noting to himself how much longer it takes to read when you’re being interrupted.

  Tweed glared at Luke and slid off his desk. She smiled seductively at the other three men just outside the door who hadn’t been able to take their eyes off her. Then she turned back to him and hissed, “I’m never speaking to you again, Luke Tredsley!”

  Luke didn’t glance up from his work this time. “Promise?” There was no response. He knew that she was still there but that she was just too flabbergasted to speak, and he continued, “Okay, see you later, Tweedy. My guess is that you’ll be back next week.” He looked up and smiled devilishly, “Same place, same time. If that works for you, why don’t I just go ahead and pencil you in now.” With that, Tweed grabbed her purse and stormed out of the room.

  Chapter 17

  “How’ve you been? How’s work treating you lately?” Luke questioned as he sat down opposite Max at a booth in their favorite diner. They’d loved this place since their college days. The poor lighting added to the dingy feel, and no one but the locals seemed to know just how fantastic the food was. They hadn’t seen each other for some time due to their intense schedules. Luke was swamped with work since accepting the position with Judge Lowe, and Max seemed to work non-stop at The New England Post. Max had been with the newspaper ever since he returned to Boston after completing graduate school in New York. Max ran his uncle’s newspaper these days, and he was very skilled at it. Following the deaths of his parents, everything in his life had gone according to plan – everything except for Irene.

  “Work’s fine. Busy, but fine.”

  “I wish I could say the same. Perhaps I should mention that Tweed showed up again today wanting to know what your problem is and when you are finally going to come around.”

  Max shook his head. “It’s been four years. When is she going to finally get the message?”

  “You’re kidding, right? I mean you of all people should know that although Tweed’s easy on the eyes, she’s a little slow in the head,” Luke grinned.

  Max responded laughingly, “Man, what was I thinking?”

  “You weren’t, well at least not with your brain,” he joked. “Maybe that was your problem all along.”

  “Give me a break. I was a senior in high school when we started dating. Even you’ve got to admit that on the surface, Tweed seemed like a good idea.”

  “It’s just that after you scratch her surface, you realize that there’s not much underneath – just hot air!” Luke became more serious and cautioned Max, “You do realize that she’s going to keep stopping by my office to ask about you. What do you want me to do? Any chance that you’ll change your mind?”

  “No chance. I’m not into her anymore. I realize now that I never really was and am never going to be. She’s not what I want.”

  “It’s lucky that you realized that before you got married. Most people don’t find out that they can’t stand someone until after they’ve been married, but by then it’s too late.” Luke sighed dramatically. “Ah, the joys of marital bliss.”

  Both friends sat in silence for several moments. Luke could tell that something was on Max’s mind. He seemed pensive. Finally, Max asked, “So, how’s working with Duncan? How’s he doing? Do you see him often?”

  Luke knew what Max was really driving at with that question. He knew that Max didn’t care about how work was going. What he really wanted to know was if Duncan had mentioned anything about Irene, but Luke was going to make him spell it out. “I see Duncan pretty often. He seems like he’s doing just fine.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  Luke looked at Max with a puzzled face. “Do I?” Just then, Luke’s face spread into a meaningful grin. “What are you really asking, Max?”

  “I can’t believe you’re going to make me say it.”

  “Why can’t you believe it? Since when have I purposefully done anything helpful?”

  Max nodded. “Good point.” He paused as he worked up enough courage to ask the question that he desperately wanted to know, “Has Duncan said anything about Irene? How she is . . . where she is?”

  Luke suddenly became very serious when he saw just how difficult that question had been for Max to ask. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Max. He hasn’t said anything to me about her, and I doubt that he will, considering we’re friends.”

  Max nodded his agreement. “I thought that’d be the case, but I just had to check.” He paused, deep in thought. His voice sounded weary. “It’s been four years, Luke. Four years since the last time I saw her, and I’ve tried everything I can think of to find her. I never thought that she’d stay away for so long, and now I don’t know that she’ll ever be back.” He paused again, reflecting on the last time he’d seen Irene – the night she left his Manhattan apartment. “I wonder how she’s doing – what she’s doing. I wonder how she’s changed in the past few years.”

 

  Chapter 18

  Paris – Six Months Ago

  “It’s so good to see you, Daddy. It feels like it’s been forever!” Irene hugged her father exuberantly. She was so excited to see him. Although they talked on the phone and emailed regularly, Duncan wasn’t able to visit Paris as often as he would have liked. He always visited her because Irene refused to return to Boston – not because she didn’t love and miss her home and father – but because she couldn’t bring herself to confront her past – a past she had worked tirelessly to bury over the years while living in Europe.

  “It’s so good to see you too! I’ve missed you!” Duncan returned his daughter’s hug and then stood back holding her hands so that he could see how much she had changed since the last time he’d seen her. She certainly took after her mother. He couldn’t believe how incredibly beautiful she’d become. Phyllis and France had obviously agreed with her. Phyllis had never married and didn’t have any children of her own to pamper, so she saw to Irene’s education in areas that had been neglected, due to the fact that her mother had died when she was just a child. Phyllis also helped develop Irene’s fashion sense, and she encouraged her to start dancing again. Ballet once more became Irene’s passion in life, and after several months of rigorous training, she was back in top form. She graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, after which she secured a spot as a principal ballerina with the Ballet Company of Europe which performed throughout Europe. Her colleagues and acquaintances genuinely adored her. She was admired for her exquisite beauty and remarkable talent, but it was her infectious charm and zeal for life that people found most
captivating. In many ways, she was experiencing life for the first time. Phyllis’s confidence and glamour had rubbed off on her, and she had changed from a self-conscious, unpolished, and heartbroken girl into a beautiful, sophisticated, and confident woman. Her transformation had happened so gradually that even Irene couldn’t tell just how marked the difference was. Although her appearance had changed in many ways, her bright silver-colored eyes were exactly the same. Her dark brown hair was longer than ever but was no longer unruly. It hung in loose curls down her back. Today she was dressed casually – but still modern and trendy. She wore snug jeans, a black sweater that hugged her trim body, and black pointy-toed shoes.

  “Duncan,” Phyllis questioned as she walked into the elegant library, “When did you get here?”

  “Just a few minutes ago.” They greeted one another with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “I trust you had a good trip? Well, let’s go into the dining room for lunch while we hear about it,” Phyllis suggested.

  “That sounds great,” Duncan agreed.

  The three walked together into the dining room. It was furnished beautifully, and a dazzling crystal chandelier hung from its high ceiling. Centered under the chandelier was a long and ornate dining table. At the far end of the large room, French doors opened onto a terrace. The three enjoyed catching up while they ate. “So, Duncan, how’s everything in Boston?” Phyllis questioned. “Work treating you well?”

  “Work’s been a little more stressful than usual lately – that’s why I can only stay a few days – but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  “Well, I should certainly hope not,” Phyllis teased. “I can’t imagine your not being able to handle anything. You always did enjoy poking your nose into other people’s affairs even when they were none of your business.”

  “Some of my clerks have proven to be a slight challenge recently.”

  “Why? Are they not up to your level?” Phyllis joked. “Don’t be too hard on them, Duncan. I mean . . . I’m sure they’re just not as interested in your cases as you are. I mean – no offense dear – but most people don’t care how those things turn out, including your clerks. If it’s not directly affecting them, then why should they care?”