At the other end, the telephone rang and rang. No one picked up. She was beginning to hate the phone. Why couldn’t people damned well be home to answer? Where was Grant at this hour, anyway?
“No answer,” she told Lachlan, “and he doesn’t have voice mail.”
“Keep trying. Let’s go.”
In the living room, Rachel stopped to pick up her purse and keys. A glance at the softly ticking grandfather clock made her pause. “When will we be back?”
“The drive there will take us roughly seven hours, so sometime tomorrow afternoon, if all goes well.”
Rachel’s stomach knotted. Sometime tomorrow meant she was going to miss work. And missing work meant she wouldn’t be there to guide her team, nor help tackle the huge pile of outstanding graphics. Plus, the illustrations she’d done last night had yet to be handed in.
Dashing off now would leave her department in the lurch and might even jeopardize the release date. People were counting on her, praying for her to save the day, and she’d be letting them down, big-time.
But …
This was Em, the sweet-smelling cherub she’d brought home from the hospital bundled in pink flannel, the laughing little girl who’d blown out the candles on her sixth birthday and announced, “I’m going to be a fairy.”
This trip to San Diego was probably crazy. But for once, work would have to take a backseat. Tonight, no matter what the consequences were, she had to put her personal needs—her own wants and desires—first. She couldn’t continue to shoulder the entire burden for both her company’s success and Em’s life. She couldn’t continue to let guilt split her in two. On the drive to San Diego, she’d leave Nigel a voice mail, explain what had happened, and hope for the best.
“All right,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat and reaching for Lachlan’s hand. “I’m ready.”
The sun was just creeping over the horizon when Drew and Em pulled up outside of her dad’s condo on Sixth Avenue. Although the motorbike was made for touring and was amazingly comfortable for long hauls, her legs shook when she dismounted.
“He might not be up yet,” she said into the helmet mike. “It’s still pretty early.”
“Let’s buzz him and find out.”
Em removed her helmet and shook out her hair. “Maybe we should go grab breakfast first. My dad’s not a morning person.”
Brushing a stray lock out of her eyes and peering at her, Drew said, “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? To visit your dad?”
“Yeah.” She smiled at him. “Thanks.”
He kissed her on the lips, cool and quick. “I’d do anything for you, sweet. You know that.”
They entered the building holding hands, and Em punched in the call number at the ring station in the lobby. After the third try, she shrugged. “Not home or not up. Let’s go to IHOP.”
“Try one more time.”
She sighed, but did as he suggested.
And got a groggy, grumpy response. “Who the hell is this?”
“Dad, it’s me, Em.”
“Em?”
He sounded so baffled and dubious that she added pointedly, “Emily, your daughter.”
“Oh.”
“Can I come up?”
He didn’t answer, just hung up. But a second later, the door buzzed, and Em tugged it open. She tossed a weak smile at Drew. “He’s not really himself until after he’s had a cup of coffee.”
The man who opened the door at her knock was a tousle-haired version of the man in her favorite picture. Somehow, dressed in a faded brown T-shirt and blue striped cotton boxers, he managed to look just as handsome as ever. He was still her dad.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and breathed in a blanketful of old memories along with his Polo cologne.
“Hi, princess.” He hugged her in return, a familiar, exaggerated squeeze that lifted her toes off the floor and made her giggle. Then he released her, glanced at Drew, and frowned. “What’s up? Where’s your mom?”
Not quite ready to launch into all the explanations, Em shrugged. “Back in San Jose. Her job’s keeping her pretty busy.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”
“School’s a bore. I’m taking a coupla days off.”
Her dad glanced again at Drew, more curious than judgmental. “And this is … ?”
Em introduced them, then added, “We were wondering if we could bunk here for the weekend. Hang with you, do some shopping, you know?”
“Your mom doesn’t know you’re here, does she?”
“Come on, Dad. You know what Mom’s like, totally freaking out over the slightest change in her schedule. I couldn’t tell her. Not until I got here.”
“Better call her right now,” he said. He strode into his kitchen, paying no attention to the dirty dishes stacked in the sink and old Chinese food cartons on the counter. Digging through a jumble of stuff in the cupboard, he found a tin of coffee and set a pot to brew. “She’ll be worried.”
Leaving in the middle of the night had been Drew’s idea. Em shoved her hands into her jeans pockets, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I don’t think she’s up yet.”
He opened the fridge, sniffed the milk in the carton, wrinkled his nose, then put it back. “Hope not, or I’ll have the cops at my door. Black coffee okay for everyone?”
“Dad, I’m fourteen. I don’t drink coffee.”
He smiled wryly. “Water for you, then. Anyway, princess, this is not a good weekend for me. If you had called, we could have arranged something fun, maybe in a week or two.”
“Dad … ?”
He glanced at her.
“I miss you,” she said. “I just want to be with you.”
Tweaking her nose, he smiled. “I miss you, too.”
“Can’t I stay here? I won’t be any trouble. I can do your grocery shopping, clean up the apartment, do the laundry …”
Her dad shook his head. “I told you, honey, this is not a good weekend for me. I’m not even going to be here. I’m headed out of town.”
“That’s okay. I can get a lot done while you’re gone. By Monday, this’ll look like a whole new apartment.”
Her dad handed Drew a cup of coffee. “You’re old enough to have caffeine, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Jeez, don’t call me sir. Makes me feel old. Honey, it’s really sweet of you to offer to clean up, but you need to be back home with your mom, going to school.”
“You dropped out of high school when you were fourteen,” she reminded him.
“I got kicked out. Trust me, there’s a difference. And I went back later and earned a college degree.”
“Then maybe I could go to school here in San Diego.”
The coffee cup halted just short of her dad’s lips. “What?”
“It’s not working out with Mom,” she said slowly. “I want to come and live with you. Full-time.”
His eyebrows disappeared under his mop of chestnut hair and he gave a short laugh. “With me? Here?”
“Yeah.”
“No chance.”
The stab went deep and Em’s shoulders hunched. Outright rejection. Wow, she hadn’t expected that.
“You don’t want that, princess. Living with me is a bitch, just ask your mom. I’m out a lot. Hell, I barely sleep here.”
“I can help you. I won’t be any trouble.”
“Honey,” he said, shaking his head. He sent a sheepish grin in Drew’s direction. “No offense, but having a teenage girl living with me would cramp my style. You know what I mean?”
Deep in her pockets, Em’s fingers grew cold. She did know … and yet she so didn’t. “I thought you loved me.”
“I do love you. More than I’ve ever loved anything in my life. But looking after you full-time? I’m not up for that.”
Her blood started pumping again, hopeful. “But that’s just it. You wouldn’t have to look after me. I’m not a baby, Dad; I’m fourteen.”
“You don’t get it, princess. Looking after you requires time and money. Money I don’t have. Hell, I don’t even have a car right now. I’m begging a lift to the beach with friends this weekend.”
Em frowned. “You’re going to the beach?”
“Overnight at a beach house in Malibu, actually.”
This was supposed to have been her dad’s weekend with her. It had been planned for weeks. “But you were supposed to be coming to San Jose this weekend.”
“That didn’t work out.”
“Because you decided to go to the beach with your friends instead?” she asked with growing dismay.
“Come on, Em,” he said, cajoling. “You’re making it sound worse than it is. These are important people, the in crowd. It’s not every weekend I snag an invite like this.”
“It’s not every weekend you get to visit your daughter, either.”
“Yeah, but I can see you anytime, honey. This party is a one-time deal. I already told your mom I’d reschedule.”
“You’d rather be with your friends than with me.”
“It’s not like that.”
He put a hand on her arm, but Em jerked away. This was not at all how she imagined things would go. All the way here, she’d imagined a sweet reunion, an eager acceptance. But the cozy picture of her and her dad living together, hanging together, having tons of fun, had just exploded in a giant ball of flame.
He was just like the others—a liar.
He didn’t love her. She’d been replaced by … friends.
Backing away from her dad, she reached for Drew. He gathered her against his chest, hugging her, understanding immediately what she needed. At least he loved her.
“I guess I made a mistake coming here,” she said.
Her dad nodded slowly. “If you had called first, we could’ve planned something special. Maybe another time?”
“Sure.”
“Not Thanksgiving, though. I’m busy that weekend.”
Em stiffened. Thanksgiving hadn’t even been on her mind, but his words robbed her of breath. Thanksgiving was for families, but her dad would rather spend it with someone else. Not her.
“Okay,” she said, completely numb.
Her dad chucked her under the chin, smiled, and said, “Sorry, honey, someone’s picking me up in a half hour, so I’ve got to hop in the shower. Why don’t you call your mom, then go grab some breakfast?”
“Sure, great idea.”
He kissed her cheek. “Call me next week and we’ll make a date, okay?”
“Yeah.”
And then he was gone, down the hall to the bathroom without another word—without even waiting to see them out.
Drew dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Wasn’t what you expected, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“I’m really sorry about that.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“No, but I feel for you, sweet. I want to take away the pain, make everything right again. You don’t deserve to be treated like shit. And this world needs a fucking wake-up call to remind everybody how screwed up it is. I can help you make that happen, Em, if you let me.”
Em felt as if she were being sucked into a deep pit of black syrup. She struggled to stay afloat. “They’re all phony hypocrites.”
“Every last one of them,” he agreed softly.
“And everything will be better when it’s all over, won’t it? We’ll be in a better place?”
“You bet. Nirvana, Em. A beautiful haven with no more pain. Eternal peace. I’m ready for it, aren’t you? This place sucks.”
He tugged her over to the hall closet. “I bet your dad can help, in his own way.” He opened the door and reached up.
Her heart beat with the slithery rhythm of a snare drum as he pulled down a scoped hunting rifle, a silver handgun, and several boxes of ammo. “The knife we’ve been practicing with is good but, really, nothing beats a bullet.”
“How’d you know those were there?” she asked.
“They sang to me.” He smiled at her. “If you listen carefully, they’ll sing to you, too, Em. Can you hear them?”
Strangely, she could. Soft, sweet lullabies that encouraged her to close her eyes. What Drew offered sounded so good, so soothing. It promised a distance from the pain, like an out-of-body experience—a distance she desperately craved.
She stopped resisting and let herself be drawn into the darkness. “Let’s do it.”
16
He didn’t need to be nearby to finalize a lure, but watching the events unfold in person never failed to pump a sweet burning sensation through his veins. Drusus glanced at Emily’s pale face as he slid off the bike. “Stay here, sweet. I’ve got a little business to attend to.”
She said nothing; just stared straight ahead.
He smiled, pleased with her level of enthrallment. Then he removed his helmet and crossed to the open door of the gas station. The sun was already beating down on them, heating the air to a balmy hundred degrees. A perfect day.
The gas station attendant lifted his head.
“Drew. What brings you out here?”
“You do, Mark, my friend.” Drusus glanced around to make sure they were alone. He sent a primal wave at the surveillance camera, killing the live signal and the footage recorded just prior to his arrival, then another wave at the door to lock it. “You do.”
Mark’s voice dropped an octave, eager and urgent. “I did it. I injected rat poison into every loaf of bread in the store, and I’ve sold at least a dozen of ’em so far. Those bastards in town will regret ganging up on me and getting me fired from the bank.”
Drusus turned to the long-haired man behind the counter. The portal to his thoughts was perpetually ajar now, after weeks of steady invasion. Drusus slid in without any effort at all, coating everything in dismal gray as he passed.
“Excellent work.” He located the idea he’d planted in Mark’s subconscious and sparked it to life. “Now it’s time to wrap things up.”
The fellow’s eyes immediately took on a vacant quality, and he ripped open the loaf lying next to him on the counter. “I’ll be famous,” he said, grabbing handfuls of slices. He stuffed them into his mouth and began chewing. “They’ll never forget me.”
“You’re right about that,” Drusus agreed. Tomorrow’s headline would be quite spectacular: ELEVEN PEOPLE DEAD, SIX SERIOUSLY ILL IN HOSPITAL. The rat poison he’d given Mark was highly toxic, available only on the Chinese black market, and the local doctors would struggle to cure the sick, losing two more before the week was out. “Especially with that YouTube video you made. Great job.”
He watched the attendant’s face turn purple and his eyes bulge. He stood back as a spectacular amount of vomit spewed forth, covering the countertop and spilling down the fellow’s shirtfront. Violent spasms racked Mark’s body, taking him to the floor, a small display of candies crashing to the linoleum alongside him. Drusus waited patiently for the jerking to cease and the light to drain from Mark’s eyes. Then he stepped toward the body. When his work was done, he exited the store, slid onto the seat in front of Em, and drove the bike back onto the highway.
Yes, indeed. An absolutely perfect day.
“I can’t believe it. He’s still not answering.” Rachel tossed the cell phone on the dash, frustrated.
“There’s your reason,” Lachlan said, pointing ahead to several cars parked on the street. “Isn’t that him with the suitcase? Next to the red convertible?”
“Yes.” Amazing. One glance at her old wedding photo, and Lachlan had him memorized. Then again, Grant’s looks had always been his strong point. She clawed at the door handle. “Block the car. Don’t let him drive away.”
The instant the Audi halted, she leapt out and darted between the parked cars. “Grant, wait!”
Her ex-husband glanced up. The couple in the red Sebring, a middle-aged man and a voluptuous younger woman, looked up, too.
“Rachel.”
“Have yo
u seen Em?”
Grant nodded. “About a half hour ago, with her boyfriend.”
Rachel sagged. “You let them go?”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to hang on to them.”
“If you’d answer your goddamned phone, you would know. I’ve been trying to reach you since midnight.”
“I was sleeping. Is that a crime?”
“When it comes to your daughter being in danger, yes, it is. Would it have hurt you to answer?”
“I went to bed late and I had the ringer turned off. So what? I talked to her just a few minutes ago and she was fine. As usual, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill. She’s not your dad, Rachel. She’s not going to die the minute your back is turned.”
Rachel’s gut knotted at the mention of her father. But she didn’t allow Grant to sidetrack her. “Wrong. The guy she’s with is a nut. There’s a real possibility he’s going to hurt her.”
“He looked okay to me.”
“Really? A guy in his twenties is dating your fourteen-year-old daughter, and you think he looks okay?”
“Rachel.” Lachlan’s deep voice came from behind her.
Her ex glanced over her shoulder, frowning. “Who’s this?”
“Lachlan MacGregor. A friend. What kind of father are you, Grant? I said the guy Em is with is in his twenties. Doesn’t that bug you at all?”
Grant shrugged. “He seemed to really care about her.”
“Care about her? He wants to ki—”
“Rachel,” Lachlan whispered in her ear, his breath a warm tickle in her hair, “I know he’s pushing your buttons, but we need information, not an argument.”
He was right. She stepped back until she was leaning against his firm chest. The sense of security that swept through her at his touch brought tears to her eyes. Forcing her volatile emotions to the back of her mind, struggling for a calm voice, she asked Grant, “Do you know where she went from here? Where they were headed?”
“No, I assumed they’d head home. I suggested breakfast, and I did tell her to call you.” Her ex studied the lay of Lachlan’s arm around her waist. “You two living together? ’Cause if you are, I don’t need to pay alimony anymore.”
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