My plan would be over way before it even began.
I’d worked too hard. I couldn’t let that happen.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
There were three rangers in the main station. It appeared they’d just woken up, dumping creamer and sugar into their coffees with sleepy faces.
As I peered through the window, I made out a room for security in the back. Was it occupied? Was someone watching?
There was no way I’d be able to get in there with three men on duty. I walked away grudgingly and made my way toward the lake. I sat on a bench for a little over thirty minutes, watching the windows of each cabin across the lake light up. The volunteers and soon-to-be moms were waking up now. Some were already out and walking about.
I stood up and took a different trail to get back to my cabin, but I didn’t go straight in. I waited, until I saw Arabel, Faith, and Xena leave.
When they were gone, I made my way inside, trying to keep my nerves from frying. Lola was already fully dressed as she stood in front of her bed, pushing a diamond stud through her earlobe.
She wore brown hiking boots, black shorts, and one of the Ladies with Passion shirts I had modeled for the photo shoot.
“Oh, hey, Ivy. You’re up early,” Lola said when she spotted me coming in. “You hangin’ in there?”
I smiled at her, trudging to my bed. “Kinda. I couldn’t really sleep last night. Woke up around four this morning and went to the Night Mommy cart. Grabbed a snack and sat by the lake.” I winced regretfully. “I know there are cameras here, so if you see me on one of the security screens sneaking a couple of snacks, I hope you can forgive me.”
Lola laughed. “First of all, that cart is for everyone at camp. We refill them if needed, so there’s enough to go around. Secondly, the cameras here are turned off during the week of Ladies with Passion, other than in the cafeteria and front entrance.”
Oh my goodness, Marriott! Never had I felt so religious! The cameras didn’t work. They didn’t work! This was more than enough reason to break out in gospel.
“There was an incident about two years ago,” Lola continued. “One of the rangers—who was terminated—took footage from our week at camp and uploaded it online. It was a video of one of the moms going into premature labor. She was screaming at everyone. Hysterical. It was a mess. To keep me in his good graces, the owner of the camp made an agreement that cameras would be off for the week of Ladies with Passion so that it could never happen again. Not only that, but when the mom in labor saw it, she filed a lawsuit against the charity so . . . that didn’t end well. I value the moms-to-be and like for them to have as much privacy as they can, so when we’re at camp, cameras are off. I don’t have time for another lawsuit.”
“I can’t believe that asshole did that.” I wanted to squeal. This was great news, and I know it’s horrible to say, but thank goodness for the mom who drew the lawsuit. If it weren’t for her, the cameras would still be on. No one would ever know I was on that trail.
“Speaking of, I actually might stop the Night Mommy cart next year,” Lola said, cutting into my thoughts. “Not many moms flock to it anyway.”
“Maybe they all just so happen to sleep really well between the hours of midnight and five a.m.,” I offered.
Lola huffed a laugh as she bent over to tie her boot “I wish that were the case. No, a lot them tell me they can hardly sleep with so much kicking at the ribs, their constant urge to use the bathroom, and so on.”
“Valid point.”
Lola sighed. Shrugged. “Probably best to save that money, fund it into something else . . .”
Silence rained down on us. “May I make a suggestion?” I asked, filling the void.
“Of course. Anything. What are your thoughts?”
“Well, if I were pregnant and waking up at least four times a night, I think I’d go for doughnuts and cookies and something sweet over veggie chips and dried fruit.” My smile was sugary sweet. “Not that anything is wrong with those choices, and I do think you should still keep them as an option, but those aren’t exactly midnight snacks I’d keep around, you know?”
Lola appeared stunned—taken off guard, almost. What? Did I hurt her precious pride? “You know what, Ivy?”
Ah, shit.
“That makes perfect sense. It’s a lot of work being pregnant.”
Oh.
“Yeah, there is so much the body goes through, and comfort food can work miracles. Maybe I’ll start incorporating those sorts of snacks we women love to indulge in, but also keep the healthy snacks as an option too. Some chocolate and popcorn here and there.” She stepped closer to me and held my upper arms with a toothy smile. “You are so smart. Always on your toes. I’m so glad you came to camp this week. It’s nice having a younger mind to bounce ideas off of.”
“It’s my pleasure, Lola.” It was anything but.
“Would you like to take a walk with me before going to breakfast?” Lola inquired as she picked up a blue folder. “There are a few other changes I’ve been thinking about making and I’d love to get your thoughts on them too.”
That was a lie. She had no one else to ask to take a walk with her, and if Keke were here—which she would have been if I hadn’t pushed her—she would have asked us both to join her.
But there was only me. No one else. The way it should have been from the start.
“Sure,” I said. “I’d love that.”
But, of course, the walk couldn’t even begin for us. As soon as we walked out the door, we saw women rushing toward the trail. The trail Keke took. The trail I followed her on.
“What in the world is going on?” Lola took a step forward, watching the pregnant women move quicker than they usually did. “Shouldn’t everyone be heading to breakfast?” She took off after them.
I followed behind her, making sure to keep close.
“Ladies, what’s going on?” Lola asked, catching up to two of the pregnant women walking together.
“We heard one of the volunteers was involved in an accident,” one of the women said, winded. “By the cliff, where you can see the ocean.”
“Jesus,” Lola whispered. She excused herself from the pregnant women and jogged ahead. I jogged with her until a crowd came into view. Lola pushed her way through the crowd. I stayed close behind her. When she was finally in the front, she came to a halt and looked down.
“Oh my God! Keke!” she screamed. It was a bloodcurdling scream. One that made my ears ring. A scream I would never forget. She rushed to the side of the cliff and started to climb down the rocks, but one of the rangers told her to stay back.
“I am the organizer of this entire event! She is my friend! What the hell happened to her? Is she okay?” Lola demanded.
“Ma’am. I need you to stay back while we take care of this.”
Lola did as she was told, pressing her knuckles to her lips and staring down at Keke’s body. I came up to her side, looking down with her.
Keke was still there, yes, and there were also more rangers down there. Two were picking up her body and putting her on a stretcher. I frowned as they moved her. Why would they do that if she were dead? Wouldn’t this be considered a crime scene? The body can’t be touched unless . . .
“Lola!” I looked past Lola and Vonyetta was rushing toward us. “I was looking all over for you!”
“Vonny! What happened to Keke?” Lola screeched, climbing back on the trail and to steady ground.
“I’m not sure, honey! I got here about twenty minutes ago and the rangers were talking to one another on their walkies in the main hall. I heard them say someone was below the cliff and I followed them here, saw this.” Vonyetta closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her chest, as if her heart was physically breaking.
“Keke takes this trail every morning when she’s here at camp. W-what would change?” Lola asked Vonyetta, desperate for answers.
“Don’t panic, sweetie. I spoke to one of the rangers. They’ve already called for an ambulance, but right now
they’re taking her to the nursing hall to patch her up. The ranger who found her said she was still breathing!” Vonyetta’s plump face broke out in a smile. “By the grace of God, she’s still breathing, honey!”
Wait . . . WHAT? She wasn’t dead? How was that even possible? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was relieved about it. Death would have resulted in an investigation, and I didn’t need that right now.
Lola bubbled out a hysterical laugh. “Vonny, are you sure? She’s breathing?”
“By the grace of God.” Vonyetta pulled Lola in for a tight hug.
I couldn’t help but stare at them both. This was good news . . . right? Why was I suddenly nervous about all this?
Keke was still alive. Still breathing.
She was going to wake up eventually. What if she remembered everything? What if the damage wasn’t as bad as I thought? What if she did see my face after all? The sleeve of tattoos on my left arm? Caught the smell of my shampoo?
Fuck.
This wasn’t good, Marriott.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Only . . . Keke never woke up.
No. In fact, the ambulance arrived and took her away. She was still unconscious.
Lola freaked out. She insisted that she catch a ride to the hospital with Keke to look after her, make sure she was okay, so she hopped in the ambulance and left with it.
Even while unconscious, Keke was still in my way.
“Welp,” Faith said, watching the ambulance become smaller in the distance. “What the hell are we supposed to do now?”
Faith, Vonyetta, Arabel, Xena, and I were standing near the gates of the camp. We’d watched them load Keke into the ambulance on a stretcher, witnessed Lola have a meltdown and tried to soothe her, and now the entertainment was gone.
“Camp will continue,” Vonyetta confirmed in a strong voice. “I have the schedule for today, and I’m sure it’s what Lola would want. Let’s occupy the expectant mothers, keep them distracted from what happened on that cliff.”
“That sounds really good,” Xena said, then blew a breath. “Lola should really consider having liquor around for us. I could use a few hard drinks after all this.”
“I still can’t believe she fell,” Arabel murmured as we turned and walked toward the cafeteria.
“I can’t believe she was still breathing,” Faith added. “That cliff is dangerous.”
“Y’all know Keke is strong. She’ll stumble or fall, but she won’t ever quit on herself.” Vonyetta’s voice was proud. “The Lord was watching over her. She will survive this. I feel it in my spirit.”
I rolled my eyes, trailing behind them.
“Ivy, you’ve been really quiet all morning,” Xena said, slowing her pace to walk next to me. “You good?”
“Oh yeah. I’m good,” I assured her. “I mean, that was really scary. I’m just worried about her, you know?”
Bull. Shit.
“Yeah. I am too. I mean, the girl is extra as hell and all, but the last thing I’d wish is for her to get hurt like that.” Xena slowed her pace as the other women kept walking. “You wanna know what I think, though?” she asked me in a quieter voice.
“What?”
“I don’t think this was an accident.”
My heart shot up to my throat. I locked on Xena.
“Keke pissed somebody off. Got under their skin. With her attitude, somebody probably got mad and pushed her off that damn cliff.”
I worked harder to swallow. “Who would do something like that?”
“I don’t know. Keke thinks she’s number one to Lola. Hard to say, when Lola has so many friends around. Could be any one of us.”
“No way. It had to be an accident. She fell.”
Xena stopped walking and focused on my face. “Lola said Keke has never gone close to the cliff—that she used to jog with her in the mornings last year and always stayed on the path to get to the lake. She didn’t fall on her own. Someone wanted her down there.”
I stared right back her. What did she know? There was no way she saw anything. If she did, I was going to have to get rid of her too. I couldn’t have any loose ends when it came to my plan and I had no problem getting rid of a childish photographer to keep my name clear.
“But who knows?” Xena chuckled. “My boyfriend always tells me I watch and read too many conspiracy theories, and don’t get me started on Law and Order. All that shit is probably getting to my head.”
“Ha. Yeah.” I tried to relax. It was hard to do.
“Anyway, I heard they’ve got cinnamon rolls today from Benny’s Bakery. Have you ever had them? Girl, they’re so good. We gotta grab some before they’re all gone.”
Xena took me by the hand and rushed past the other ladies to get to the cafeteria. She didn’t assume I was a suspect of her conspiracy theory, otherwise she wouldn’t have been ready to shove cinnamon rolls in my face.
That was good. The last thing I wanted was to bring Xena into it, Marriott. Enough blood was shed for the day. Xena wasn’t really in my way. In fact, I kind of liked her. All she cared about was her camera. As long as it stayed that way, she’d be safe.
Matter of fact, all of Lola’s friends would be safe if they minded their own business.
* * *
I was curious when Lola would return to camp, or if she even would.
What happened that day was embarrassing, to say the least. Rumors were already spreading, journalists popping up at the front gates firing questions at Vonyetta, who insisted they leave during their private event.
With so much heat, I figured Lola would cower and never return—let her staff handle it all—but around nine the same night she was back.
I was the only person in the cabin, on my cell phone, scrolling through Corey’s Instagram. I had to keep tabs on him as well. He was just as much a piece in this little chess game of mine as Lola was.
When she walked in, Georgia trailed in behind her with the straps of a plastic bag in hand.
I climbed off the bed. “Lola?” I gasped.
Lola sat on her bed and pulled the comforter over her legs and thighs without a word. Georgia came up to her and handed her the bag, and Lola immediately tore into it, taking out a pint of ice cream. I knew the brand. It was a vegan ice cream. She sponsored the company and the ice cream on her Instagram often.
“Is there anything else you’ll need, Mrs. Maxwell?” Georgia asked.
“No. I’m okay, G. You can take the truck back to the mansion.”
“Okay.” Georgia stepped back and looked at me. Pursing her lips, she turned away and left the cabin.
“Lola, are you okay?” I asked.
“Shit! Georgia forgot the damn spoon,” Lola snapped.
“Oh, here.” I rushed to the minibar in the corner, where the miniwine bottles and mimosa mixes were. I grabbed a spoon in plastic wrap and walked back to hand it to her.
Lola accepted it, then sighed. “Thank you, Ivy.”
I sat on the bottom of her bed as she took the lid off her ice cream, as well as the seal. She stuck her spoon right into it and scooped some into her mouth. She made a gagging noise and spat the ice cream right back out.
“Ugh. Oh my God. Okay. That is disgusting. If they didn’t pay me so well, I wouldn’t be endorsing that shit.” She capped the ice cream and shoved it back into the bag, then she tossed the comforter off her legs and made her way to the minibar.
She filled a plastic cup with wine and downed it, then she poured another but took it down slowly. She finished it, though. After one more pour, she was pacing back and forth in the cabin with her cup, staring down at the ground.
“Is Keke okay?” I finally asked, and she slowed her pace, side-eyeing me.
“Far from it. She has a severe concussion, as they said, and not only that, the doctor doesn’t know when she’ll come to. He said it could be days. Weeks. Hell, maybe even months because it’s so bad.” She sat on the bottom of Keke’s bed, nursing her wine.
“Lola, I’m so sorry.”
>
She went on as if she hadn’t heard me. “They stitched her up, put casts on the broken bones. Broken arm and broken shin. I’m sure she’ll be covered in bruises tomorrow.”
I remained silent.
“The only thing I can’t understand is how she fell. I mean—we’ve been going to this camp for years. Keke has walked that trail, jogged it, sprinted on it, and not once has she fallen.” Lola’s brown eyes shifted up to lock on mine. “You were out this morning. You didn’t happen to see anything, did you? Maybe someone else was out there too?”
“No, I didn’t see anyone,” I responded with a shake of my head. “Why? Do you think someone caused this?”
Lola swallowed hard and stared me in the eye before dropping hers to the cup of wine in her hand. She took a big swig. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions. For all I know, maybe Keke tried something new and got too close to the edge. But . . . well, never mind.”
“No.” I stood up and moved closer, sitting on the rug on the floor right in front of her and giving her all my attention. I was the friend she needed right now. The one who wouldn’t judge and would only listen. “You can tell me anything.”
“Can I?” she probed, and for a moment there was something hostile and defensive about her. I wasn’t sure if she was directing that hostility toward me or if she was just upset about the situation.
I hesitated.
She let out a wet gasp, shuddered a breath, and then said, “Ignore me. I’m just a mess.” That, she was. “It’s just that there are a lot of volunteers here who don’t like Keke. They all think I favor her, that I put her first, but it’s not that at all. I mean, do I have a weak spot for her? Of course I do. She and Bailey mean a lot to me. But when it comes to the charity, I try to separate that, you know? But Keke, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, likes to hover. She doesn’t believe in keeping the distance, and I don’t want her to think I’m purposely trying to avoid her, so I just let it happen.”
“I understand.”
“The police came to the hospital. Talked to me.” She swallowed. “They asked me things about Keke, if she may have had any enemies at the camp, or gotten into an argument with anyone. I lied. I told them everything was fine, and that I was sure it was an accident, but . . . I don’t know. Something in my gut is telling me this was no accident—that someone had it out for her. But . . . why would they do something like this? Try to kill her? I mean . . . I just don’t get that. Keke can be obnoxious and self-absorbed at times, but she’s a good person. She has a good heart. And oh God, Bailey,” she cried, throwing her head back and squeezing her eyes shut. “Keke’s mother came with Bailey to the hospital and the poor girl didn’t even know what was going on. I mean, can you imagine a sweet four-year-old girl not having her mother? Bailey is the one who relies on Keke the most. Without her, she’d be motherless.”
The Perfect Ruin Page 11