For Revenge...Or Pleasure?

by Trish Morey

  ‘Absolutely—and I sure deserve a deal of congratulating. She sure made me sweat it out, waiting for her decision.’

  Grace laughed, slipping her arm through the Mayor’s. ‘Goodness! It was only a few days. He actually asked me at the foundation Gala on Saturday night as he was leaving—wasn’t that sweet?’

  Jade had to get out of there, and fast. She whispered a hurried but honest excuse that she’d come home early because she was feeling off-colour before she bolted to her bathroom just in time to lose the contents of her stomach. Far too much was happening tonight for her body to be able to cope with something as pedestrian as digesting food.

  She sat there in the dark for a long time afterwards, wondering about—angsting over—what she should do. The Mayor’s behaviour was beyond repulsive, his actions utterly reprehensible. How could he have behaved that way—committing an act like that with some wannabe actress barely out of her teenage years—on the very night he’d gone on to ask Grace to marry him? What kind of man was he? And what kind of lousy husband would he make?

  Her heart went out to Grace. How could she tell her? How could she dash her dreams?

  She sucked in a deep breath as she collapsed onto her bed, her battered stomach bruised and aching but at least feeling more stable. Now it was just her mind that churned sickeningly.

  Only one thing was clear—Grace was going to need her support more than ever once she was told the truth. And Jade would give her every bit of support she could, and she’d make doubly sure that people like Loukas Demakis couldn’t touch her. His mad accusations and his bizarre need for revenge for the sad tragedy that had taken Zoë from him were the last thing Grace needed right now.

  She squeezed her eyes shut as she curled into a tight ball on the coverlet.

  She didn’t want to think about Loukas!

  At least not without anger. He’d used her as a means to get to Grace—to destroy Grace—and he’d told such hideous lies, made such crazy claims. It was okay to be angry.

  Anger was what she wanted.

  Anger was what she needed.

  White-hot anger that would scorch the truth of his actions into her consciousness with an acid burn—only that way could she let herself think about Loukas.

  Only that would take her mind off this huge sense of loss, this overwhelming sense of betrayal.

  He’d made himself out to be a different person than he was. He’d made out that his advances to her had actually meant something when they hadn’t. He’d tricked her into having dinner with him, tricked her by promising one million dollars to the foundation. And yet he didn’t care anything for those children with birth deformities, the kids with bone or facial imperfections who had grown up being freaks and outcasts in their own families and their own communities. The kids whose families couldn’t afford the fares to get them to the clinic, let alone the cost of surgery. The kids who otherwise didn’t have a hope.

  He’d found the one thing to ensure she’d agree to go with him, the ideal bait to hook her with, and he’d used it unconscionably to bend her to his will. And she’d gone along with it. She’d fallen for the bait and in the end he hadn’t even had to reel her in. She’d all but wrapped the fishing line around her throat herself. She’d offered herself to him on a plate.

  One million dollars. The only good thing to come out of this whole sordid affair.

  Her eyes snapped open in the darkened room. Assuming he’d made the promised donation!

  She hadn’t followed up on the delivery of the cheque—hadn’t asked him about it in the heady glow of their lovemaking. Why would she, when she’d trusted him completely?

  What a complete fool she’d been!

  ‘Grace, we have to talk.’ Jade stood nervously in the sunny breakfast room, her hands clammy, her head pounding. She’d been relieved to see the Mayor’s limousine gone this morning, even though it meant she couldn’t put off what she had to do.

  The older woman glanced at her watch and finished her early-morning cup of espresso. ‘Better make it snappy, then, Jade. We’ve both got a full list today. Mind you,’ she added, peering over the newspaper at her, ‘I must say you still look a little peaky. Still not feeling well? Do you want a cup of coffee?’

  She shook her head, ‘No, thanks. It’s not that, Grace. It’s actually about your engagement.’

  Grace put the paper down. ‘I was so delighted to see you home early last night. But it was sad you had to rush off like that. Charles was quite worried about you.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Jade said, her eyes finding it hard to stick on the older woman’s.

  ‘It doesn’t matter. As it happens I need to talk to you too. Charles thinks we should have a big party to celebrate, and he was wondering whether you might be able to help—you did such a fabulous job organising the Gala.’

  ‘Grace, I really don’t know if that’s such a good idea.’

  ‘You’re too modest, you know. I thought it was an inspired idea. I know it was such a lot of work for you, but couldn’t you do it as a favour to me?’

  Jade hauled in a breath and dropped herself into the closest chair. ‘Look, Grace, are you sure about marrying Mayor Goldfinch?’

  ‘What on earth do you mean? Of course I’m sure. Why? Do you have a problem with it?’

  ‘Well, I’m really worried about something I saw at the Gala, but I’m not sure how to tell you. It’s about the Mayor.’

  Her face hardened. ‘What about the Mayor?’

  ‘I saw him—at the Gala—with Rachael Delaney.’

  Grace’s face looked blank. ‘And?’

  Jade licked her lips. ‘And…they were making love.’

  ‘What? Oh, Jade, no way!’ Grace shook her head, lifting herself from her chair as she folded the newspaper on the table into four. ‘Why on earth would you want to tell me something ridiculous like that?’

  ‘Because I saw them.’

  ‘Well, you must have seen someone else. Because there’s no way he’d be having it off with anyone—least of all Rachael. She’s just a child.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Grace.’

  ‘Well, I don’t believe it. And why wouldn’t you have told me before if you had seen him? Why wait until now?’

  ‘I didn’t want to hurt you! But when he said you were getting married I couldn’t let you go through with it. I couldn’t keep quiet any more. Can’t you see? That’s why I felt so sick last night—I was upset for you.’

  Grace was shaking her head, her hands smoothing down her slim-fitting skirt. ‘I don’t believe it. Charles is a total gentleman. And I can’t for the life of me work out why you’d want to say such a thing.’ Then she looked up, her eyes narrowing. She gave a little mocking laugh. ‘You’re not jealous of me, are you, Jade? Because I’m getting married?’

  ‘No. Of course not!’

  ‘Not even just a little bit? Maybe it’s Charles you want for yourself, perhaps? Or are you jealous of me finding love when you’ve got no chance? Not with that scar—not around this town.’

  Grace’s words sliced into her psyche like razorblades, deep and painful and unnecessary. ‘No. You’ve got it all wrong.’

  ‘Or are you worried you’ll lose your apartment and have to move out after the wedding?’ Grace hesitated, her tongue poised on her top lip. ‘Actually, that’s not such a bad idea, come to think of it. Maybe it would be for the best. I won’t want you here with Charles if you’re going to say such things.’

  ‘But Grace—’

  ‘No, Jade. I’ve made up my mind. I think it’s time you moved on.’

  Jade dropped her office phone back onto its base, momentarily confused after speaking to the bank manager. But after the trauma of her meeting with Grace it was no wonder she couldn’t think straight.

  Somehow she’d negotiated the traffic and driven herself to the clinic, and somehow she had to get through today without thinking about everything that was falling to pieces around her.

  But first she had to hold her raw nerves together a
nd deal with a new problem. She’d had the bank manager repeat the figure three times. She’d heard him right. The foundation’s bank balance was lower—much lower—than what she’d expected after the last trustees’ meeting, and the six-hundred-thousand-dollar figure told her one thing for certain—no way had Loukas deposited the promised funds.

  In scorching anger she reached for her phone again. Right this minute it didn’t matter that he’d deceived her. It didn’t matter that they’d parted on such terms. And it didn’t mean a thing that her argument with Grace might mean she wouldn’t be around to see the money put to good use. The most important thing right now was that scores of children would be denied the help of the foundation because Loukas had lied to her.

  Damned if she’d let him cheat those children!

  He answered on the second ring.

  ‘We had a deal,’ she snapped.

  A heavy silence followed her statement.

  Then, ‘What of it?’

  Her fury increased tenfold. ‘I expected you to follow through with your end of the bargain, regardless of anything that happened between us. That’s “what of it”.’

  ‘You’re talking about the money?’

  ‘Of course I’m talking about the money! You promised one million dollars for the foundation!’

  ‘And I take it you believe I didn’t follow through on my promise?’

  ‘I know you didn’t.’

  Another moment’s silence. ‘I see.’

  ‘Is that all you have to say? “I see”?’

  ‘Well, from your tone I take it you wouldn’t be likely to believe me anyway if I told you I delivered the cheque to your legal people myself?’

  ‘Don’t give me that. The money should be there. It’s clearly not.’

  ‘Then…might I suggest there may well be another reason why the funds have gone missing?’

  ‘Don’t you dare start that again! I heard enough of your lies and accusations last night. You’re not getting out of your commitment that easily.’

  ‘I assume that means Grace has denied all knowledge of what’s happened to the funds. That’s if you’ve even consulted Grace.’

  ‘Grace has nothing to do with your failure to deposit the money.’

  ‘So you haven’t asked her? You should. She might have something very enlightening to say.’

  Jade shook her head, more at herself than at the arrogant voice on the other end. No way was she going to be swayed by his lies and diversions.

  ‘This is about you,’ she said into the receiver, ‘not Grace. And you made a promise—one million dollars for the foundation if I had dinner with you. I kept my end of the bargain.’ With interest, she thought bitterly, resenting herself for the way she’d fallen so readily into his bed, but determined not to let her stupidity deter her from what she had to do. ‘Now I expect you to keep yours.’

  ‘I’ll sort it out.’

  ‘Make sure you do—today!’

  She broke the connection, her hands trembling, all of her shaking, as she gave herself up to the aftermath of the phone call.

  Damn the man!

  The clock on the wall told her she had less than thirty minutes to get herself under control before her first patient. She searched her desk for her schedule, trying to replace the chaos of her mind with order. Her eyes found the list, registering the first name with a sense of creeping unease.

  Pia Kovac.

  Why, today of all days, did she have to be scheduled for laser surgery?

  Reluctantly she reached for the file.

  CHAPTER NINE

  SOMETHING was wrong. There was a disturbance coming from inside the surgical rooms. Jade heard a clatter, a crash, and then a theatre sister pushed out through the doors, the expression on her face a mixture of fear and panic.

  ‘Dr Ferraro!’ she called, her eyes lighting on hers. ‘Thank God you’re here. Come quickly.’

  ‘What is it?’ Jade asked, breaking into a run behind the turning nurse.

  ‘Something’s wrong with Dr Della-Bosca,’ she replied breathlessly, pushing open the swing doors through to the scrub room and into the prep room beyond. ‘She thinks she’s doing a breast augmentation, but you’re down for laser surgery on this patient. When I tried to tell her, she went mad.’

  Oh, my God!

  Jade took one look inside the room and froze as she took in the bizarre tableau in front of her. Boxes of medical supplies and instruments were scattered all over the floor of the room, in the centre of which stood Grace, felt-tipped pen in hand, calmly marking out lines on the naked breasts of the blonde girl lying on the trolley.

  The girl seemed completely out of it, and fear cranked up inside Jade—she wasn’t down for a premed before her laser treatment, so what the hell had Grace given her?

  But before she could take care of Pia, it was Grace’s condition that worried her more right now. The apparent calmness with which she continued with her geometrical markings was at complete odds with the scene of devastation all around her.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Jade asked, knowing for all Grace’s apparent air of normality that something was desperately, frighteningly wrong. Quickly she turned to the theatre sister, mouthing the word ‘security’ and seeing her brief nod before she backed purposefully out of the room.

  Then she looked back at Grace, and what she saw in Grace’s eyes made fear and anxiety come together inside her like a tangled, stinking clump of seaweed, pushed up by the tide and left to decompose on the shore.

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ Grace assured her. ‘We don’t need you yet.’

  ‘But Pia is my patient this morning.’

  Grace looked up from her work and over at Jade. ‘You’re not even gowned up. I might as well make a start if you’re not ready.’

  She had to be ill! Her behaviour was too far out of the ordinary, yet too calm for all that had happened between them this morning.

  Then Jade reassessed the tiny pinpricks of the older woman’s eyes peering out at her, and in one heart-sinking moment the tangled seaweed ball inside her congealed into something much more knowing.

  Drugs. While everything she knew about Grace begged her to be wrong, her brain screamed that there was no question that this woman was under the influence of a mind-altering substance. She’d taken something—most likely some kind of opiate—to make her so calm and make her pupils look so unnaturally pin-prick-sized. But from the way she was behaving, the way she was so far out of control, she must have misjudged and overdosed herself.

  Oh, Grace, she thought, blaming herself, her heart heavy for her friend even as concern for Pia was foremost in her mind, what have I done?

  She moved closer to the woman, keeping a steady eye on the encouraging rise and fall of Pia’s chest, fuelled by the welcome sounds of commotion outside. Help was coming. ‘Grace, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I think you might want to come with me. Let’s go and sit in your office.’

  ‘What are you talking about? You don’t tell me what to do. You think you’re so good, so perfect. Sweet, perfect Dr Ferraro. But you’d be nothing without me—nothing! Mind you,’ Grace continued, waving the blue pen around as if it was a wand, ‘you do have some good ideas from time to time. That foundation idea of yours was the best one you had. All that lovely money. All for me.’

  ‘No! That money is to help the children who can’t afford surgery.’

  ‘Such a clever plan! I knew I kept you around for a reason.’

  ‘Grace, you’re not well,’ Jade persisted, not believing what she was hearing, trying to ignore the stinging remarks in her concern for her friend. ‘Have you taken something?’

  Grace laughed then, a hideous cackle that chilled Jade’s blood. ‘Of course I’ve damned well taken something! Everybody in this town does. How else do you think we make it through the day? You really are a hick, aren’t you? I should have left you back there where you came from. I never should have bothered with you.’

  All that was left of her feeling
s for Grace shrivelled up and died. This wasn’t a one-off, triggered by her earlier revelation of Mayor Goldfinch’s infidelity. This was a regular event. Grace was a user.

  ‘But you’re not well. Let me help you—please!’

  ‘I’m perfectly well! Get out of my way so I can operate.’

  Grace focused her attention once more on drawing blue lines on Pia’s bare breasts.

  Jade took advantage of her bowed head and, knowing Security would soon be with them, moved again—close enough to reach out and…

  With one fluid movement she lifted the pen from Grace’s hands. The shock in the older woman’s eyes and the reaction of her fingers were made all the duller by whatever drug was pumping through her veins.

  Then the doors burst open—but it was not the security guards she’d been expecting. The first person into the room stopped dead, his six-foot-four frame coming to a halt just inside the doors, his face like thunder. His granite-hard eyes rapidly took in the room, flicking over the two woman standing next to the trolley and widening with shock and recognition when they encountered the gowned occupant beneath them.

  ‘Loukas—’ Jade said, totally bewildered as she attempted to find words to explain what was happening even while still holding onto the pen she’d taken from Grace’s hands, as if she’d been the one wielding it.

  ‘What the hell are you doing to my sister?’

  CHAPTER TEN

  JADE’S world collapsed around her in the following few days. The clinic was closed and Grace was whisked away by the authorities, with moves already underway to have her deregistered.

  And Jade was next in line. She spent hours answering seemingly endless and repetitive questions from the police, ‘assisting them with their enquiries’, as they so diplomatically put it.

  What did she know of Grace’s drug use? Who was her supplier? Who had financial responsibility for the clinic and the foundation bank accounts?

  She answered as best she could, her spirits in a slump, her voice a monotone. And the more they asked, the more she realised how stupid she’d been, how hopelessly naïve, how easily she’d missed the signals about what was going on around her—like Grace’s constant interest in the accounts and her late hours working into the night.