Amalia sighed. “Yes, I see. Is it okay if I go now?” She averted her gaze, looking uncomfortable. “I need to be alone for awhile.”
She probably didn’t want to face the embarrassment when Candace explained the results of the test. “Of course. I’ll explain for you.”
Candace opened the door and Amalia breezed out as Kelly and her brother entered.
Kelly glanced around, looking worried. “Have you seen Chaz? I called his room but he didn’t answer.”
“No, you’re the first to arrive.”
“Where are the bookends?” Scott asked.
“Juan and Gilbert?” Candace asked, not sure if that’s what he meant. When he nodded, she said, “They were outside the door when I arrived.”
“Well, they’re not there now,” Scott said with a frown. “Do you suppose they had to chase some reporters off?”
“I don’t think so—we didn’t hear or see anything.”
The door opened and they all turned to stare at Spencer who was just now returning . . . empty-handed. His expression was a little odd, too. He looked as if he’d been up to something. A suspicion struck her. “Where’s the shaving cream?”
“Shaving cream?” Spencer looked baffled for a moment, then uncomfortable. “They, er, didn’t have any.”
He was a horrible liar. But if he hadn’t left to get shaving cream, what had he left for? Candace covered her mouth as the implications became clear. “Oh, no, what have you done?”
17
Kelly stared at Candace in puzzlement. What did she suspect? Did it have something to do with Chaz and the Garcia brothers being missing?
Uh oh. With sudden apprehension, Kelly repeated Candace’s question. “What have you done, Spencer?”
He lifted his chin. “Chaz Vincent isn’t the only man who can develop a plan and follow it through,” he said in a sulky tone.
“What plan?”
Instead of answering the question, Spencer said, “He deserved it after what he did to you.”
“He didn’t do anything,” Kelly said. “And even if he did, he’s been punished enough. What did you do?” Then the pieces clicked into place. “You speak Spanish, don’t you? I remember hearing you speak it on the phone at the office.”
“A little.”
“You talked to Amalia’s brothers, didn’t you?” she persisted, taking a threatening step toward him as Candace and Scott watched in apprehension.
He took a step back, looking wary. “You weren’t supposed to find out yet.”
“When was I supposed to find out? When they found Chaz’s body?”
Spencer scowled. “Don’t be melodramatic. All I did was tell them Amalia was pregnant and Chaz was leaving town.”
Fury rose within her. “That’s all? That’s the worst possible thing you could have done.”
“It isn’t as bad as you think. They just went to have a little . . . discussion with him in his room.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Chaz wouldn’t open the door to them. Unless . . .” Her eyes narrowed as she moved even closer. “You persuaded him to open the door and you let them in. Didn’t you?”
“Well, they needed an interpreter. . . .”
Rage filled her and before she could even think about what she was doing, she slapped him.
Shocked silence filled the room and Spencer stared at her with his hand to his cheek. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“And I can’t believe you left Chaz to their mercy. If they hurt him, I’m going to do a whole lot worse than that to you.”
Scott came to stand by her side, his face grim. “And I’ll help her.”
“No, it’s all right,” Candace said in a conciliating tone. “I had a long talk with Amalia. They’re not what you think. They’re educated men. Civilized. I’m sure they won’t hurt Chaz.”
“They think Chaz has dishonored their sister,” Kelly snapped back. “Even civilized men resort to violence in such circumstances.”
“They didn’t hurt him,” Spencer said. “Well, only a little when he struggled. They tied him to a chair and Juan went to get a priest.”
It wasn’t until Spencer took several steps backward that Kelly realized she had taken a number of menacing paces toward him. “You mean you allowed them to tie up Chaz? A man who has been held captive in very primitive circumstances for the past five years? A man who just escaped his horrible prison? How could you be so unfeeling?”
“Me?” Spencer said. “What about him? He stole my wife.”
Men.
Kelly rolled her eyes, unable to believe this. “I was his wife first,” Kelly reminded him curtly. “And so far as I’m concerned, I still am.” No longer feeling sorry for Spencer, she looked him up and down with scorn, adding, “It looks like I made the right choice.”
There. That should kill any hopes he had of them ever making a go of it. Not to mention the slap.
Candace patted Spencer’s arm consolingly, but he didn’t look like a man who had just been spurned. He looked self-righteous and offended.
Well, Kelly didn’t care how he felt. She had to get Chaz out of this mess. But first, she needed to know how things stood. Turning to Candace, she asked, “Is Amalia pregnant?”
“No.”
“Thank goodness.” That would make it a little easier to extricate Chaz.
“That’s why she left,” Candace added. “So she wouldn’t be embarrassed when I told you. She had a good reason—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Kelly said dismissively. “Do you know where she is?”
“No, but I had the impression she was leaving the hotel.”
Great—the one time Kelly really needed the woman, she was missing. Grabbing Spencer’s arm, Kelly towed him out the door, saying, “Come on, you’re going to fix this.”
Mother arrived then, with Gerald in tow. “What’s the meaning of this?” she asked in outraged tones.
“None of your business,” Kelly said, her fury allowing her to say things she would normally never say to her stiff-necked mother. “Back off.”
But of course, Mother wouldn’t bow out simply because Kelly asked her to. Grace followed as Kelly dragged Spencer to Chaz’s door where a belligerent Garcia brother glared down at her, his arms folded. The fact that everyone had followed to watch the show probably wouldn’t help her case, but she had to try anyway.
“Tell him Amalia’s not pregnant,” Kelly insisted.
Spencer did so, in halting Spanish. A short conversation ensued.
When Spencer paused, Kelly asked, “What did he say?”
“Gilbert doesn’t believe me. He says you are forcing me to tell him lies.”
Kelly rolled her eyes. Gilbert had an exaggerated opinion of her influence on Spencer. “Tell him that’s why Amalia isn’t here. She was so embarrassed by being caught in a lie that she’s gone into hiding.”
“I’ll try,” Spencer said doubtfully. “But my Spanish isn’t very good.” He held another short conversation with Gilbert, then said, “He says the reason she left is because of shame, that a priest will fix everything.”
This was getting them nowhere. Kelly took a determined step forward and tried to push past Gilbert, but it was like trying to move a slab of granite. She stopped trying, realizing that, even if she could get past him, she didn’t have a key to get in the room. Either he or Juan must have it, and she doubted they’d let her frisk them.
“This isn’t working,” Scott said, stating the obvious. “We’ll just have to wait until Amalia returns so she can tell him the truth.”
“But what if Juan returns first?”
“Well, they still have to find Amalia,” Scott said reasonably. “Or the priest won’t do them any good. We’ll just have to wait.”
“I can’t wait. I have to help him get free,” Kelly insisted. Chaz had hated being confined in the closet. Imagine how he was feeling now that he was tied up and couldn’t get free.
Grace made an impatient gesture. “Oh, for heaven�
��s sake. Just leave Charles there until they return. He’ll be fine.”
“He’ll be fine?” Kelly repeated incredulously. “He’s tied to a chair, beaten, imprisoned in his room, and probably terrified of what’s going to happen to him. What if they did that to you? Would you think it’s fine then?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” her mother said in distinctly huffy tones.
“Well, I’m not going to just leave him there,” Kelly said.
“It won’t really hurt him,” Grace said. “And I’m sure Charles is used to this sort of thing. There’s nothing you can do.”
Wrong. There had to be something she could do. Chaz needed her, and she was determined to free him. It was a matter of honor.
How ironic. That’s exactly what Chaz would say.
Her mind raced. But what could she do? What would Chaz do in a situation like this?
A slow smile spread across her face. The very thing. Grabbing Spencer’s arm, she hauled him back to his room. “Open up.”
He did as she asked and she glanced around swiftly until she found the rope on the chair where Spencer had left it, then grabbed it.
“What are you going to do with that?” her mother asked.
“Hang Spencer,” Kelly said shortly.
Spencer took a step back, his hand to his throat, and Candace laid a protective arm about his waist.
Kelly rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, it was a joke.” Though Spencer deserved it after what he’d done to Chaz.
Spencer scowled. “You’re beginning to act more and more like Chaz.”
She was certain he meant it as an insult but said, “Thank you,” just to annoy him. She’d much rather be like adventurous Chaz than stuffy Spencer. Why hadn’t she realized that sooner?
“What are you really going to do with that rope?” Grace repeated.
“I don’t think I’ll tell you.” Kelly had no intention of arguing about what she had planned.
Grace crossed her arms. “Well, whatever it is, I’m not going to let you do it. I’m sure it’s dangerous.”
As a matter of fact, it was. “You can’t stop me.” She pulled her brother aside. “Scott, will you help me with this?” she whispered.
“Sure.” He eyed the rope doubtfully. “What do you have planned?”
“I’ll have to find a way to rescue Chaz from the outside since I can’t get past Gilbert from the inside.”
“Want me to help?”
“The best way you can help is to stay here and guard these idiots,” Kelly said, exasperated. “Make sure Mother doesn’t try to follow me and make a scene, and that Spencer doesn’t make things worse by talking to Gilbert or Juan. Can you do that?”
“Okay, if that’s what you want. Are you sure you don’t want my help with the rope?” he asked plaintively.
She grinned at him. “I know I gave you the hardest job, but I really do need you to do this for me, Scott. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
He sighed. “I know that. But be careful.”
“I will,” she promised him. Now that she’d decided she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Chaz, she wanted him to know as soon as possible.
Clutching the rope tightly, she headed for the door. When she did, Mother and Spencer moved toward her with determination in their faces. She didn’t know if they were trying to stop her or simply talk to her, but she didn’t care. Ducking behind Scott, she opened the door and was thankful he moved to block anyone from following her. Good. He had her back covered.
As Kelly headed out the door, Candace wanted to scream in triumph. Not that she would actually do such a thing in public, but it was very tempting at this moment. Surely, Kelly’s slap had changed Spencer’s mind about her.
Grace glared at her son. “Move, Scott. I must stop Kelly from doing anything foolish.”
Scott shook his head. “Sorry, but I can’t do that. Kelly’s right. She has to do this—for her sake and Chaz’s—and I’m not going to let you or anyone else stop her.” He even folded his arms and glared at his mother, evidently doing his best to look like an immovable rock.
It must have worked, for Grace made a small huff of impatience and stalked off to sit in a corner of the room.
Catching Candace’s eye, Scott made a small encouraging movement of his head in Spencer’s direction. Yes, an excellent idea.
Pulling Spencer aside so the others couldn’t hear them, Candace asked in her most sympathetic tones, “Why did you do it, Spencer?”
He shrugged, but didn’t hide the guilty look on his face. “I forgot about his captivity,” he admitted. “I just wanted him to know what it felt like to be on the losing end.”
“That’s perfectly understandable,” Candace said soothingly. And she knew Spencer’s actions were totally uncharacteristic of him. If he hadn’t been pushed so far, he would have never done such a thing. But she had to make sure he realized the truth. “So . . . you realize it’s over now?”
Rubbing a hand over the place where Kelly had slapped him, he said, “Yes. You were right.”
Finally! “I was?” All too human, Candace couldn’t help but want him to elaborate.
“Yes, I realize that now. It was a Pygmalion sort of thing. I created Kelly in a new image and fell in love with that image.”
“But the image wasn’t the real Kelly,” Candace prompted softly.
“No, that’s obvious,” Spencer said with a roll of his eyes. “These past few days have shown that clearly. She isn’t the Kelly I thought I knew . . . and I don’t much care for the person she’s really become.”
Relief and exultation warred for dominance within Candace. It was about time. “So, you won’t be too upset that I’ve invited Amalia to be our new Pizzazz Girl?”
“No, of course not. I think it’s a wise business decision.”
“What about Kelly?” Candace asked, probing.
“That is a problem. It will be hard for both Amalia and me to work with her after this.”
“Yes, of course,” Candace agreed. Not to mention the fact that Kelly might just be too much temptation for Spencer if she decided not to stay with Chaz.
It was obvious Kelly and Chaz loved each other, but weren’t able to work out their differences for some reason. Candace suspected it was because Kelly was too complacent, too comfortable in her current life, and didn’t want to leave it for an uncertain future with Chaz. Well, maybe Kelly just needed a little shaking up to make the right decision.
Taking a deep breath, Candace ventured, “What if Kelly was no longer at Pizzazz?”
Spencer stared at her in surprise. “I wouldn’t want you to fire her for my sake.”
“Not for your sake.” For mine. But she added, “I think it would be best for everyone concerned if Kelly found a position elsewhere.”
Spencer smiled at her and curled his hand in hers. “You might be right.”
Her heart beating faster at the feel of his hand in hers, Candace knew she was right. But would Kelly feel the same?
Spencer frowned. “But you know, I really do feel bad about Vincent. I’d like to explain the situation to Gilbert.”
Candace glanced doubtfully at Scott. “I’m not sure he’ll let you.”
“Maybe,” Spencer said. “But I have to try.”
* * *
Out in the hallway, Kelly glanced down at her clothing. Her blouse and slacks were okay, but the pumps had to go. Quickly, she ran to her room, trying to keep the rope hidden from Gilbert’s sight, and changed into the cross-trainers Chaz had bought her.
Now what? Saying she needed to rescue Chaz from the outside was all well and good, but how was she going to do it? She moved out to the balcony where the wind gusted cold and strong. Chaz’s room was two doors down the hall, and Candace’s room was between them. Could she just cross from one to the other?
She leaned out and visually measured the distance between the balconies. The balconies were each about ten feet wide, but there had to be at least twenty feet between them. Too
far to leap across, and even though she could attach one end of the rope to her balcony, how could she attach it to Candace’s, then Chaz’s? That wouldn’t work. She’d just have to follow Chaz’s example and climb up the trellis.
Sighing, she came back inside, shutting the door against the wind, and shrugged on the down vest. Stuffing the rope beneath the vest to hide it, she headed out the door.
Good. No one in the hallway but Gilbert. She hurried down the stairs and out the north entrance to reach the courtyard. No one was there, either, which was going to make it easier. No wonder—it was too cold to be outside today.
She glanced up at the balconies and realized she didn’t know which room was his. Cursing her lack of foresight, she wished she had tied a scarf to her balcony or something so she could know which room was which. And she didn’t have time to go back to the room. Juan could return at any moment, and who knew what Amalia’s brothers would do then?
She could figure this out. Mentally, she visualized the third floor hallway. Easy—Chaz’s room was four doors from the end. So, all she had to do was count three floors up from the bottom and four balconies over from the end. Got it.
Moving to the proper section of the wall, she glanced up and gulped. That was a long way up. What if she fell?
I won’t fall, she told herself sternly. I can’t. Chaz needs me.
But she sure wished she had a grappling hook. Then all she’d have to do was toss it up and let it catch on the balcony and climb up the rope.
Well, no sense wishing for what she didn’t have and couldn’t find. She’d just have to climb the trellis.
She moved closer to examine it. It was wooden, painted white, and the interlocking slats formed small openings about six inches square—just right for a foothold. Each trellis section was about ten feet wide and they were laid side by side so they covered the entire width and height of the building.
Grabbing the wooden slats, she gave the structure a shake. It was securely fastened to the outside wall, but it moved more than she cared for. Would it hold her weight?
Well, if it held Chaz the other night, it should hold her today. And though there was some kind of vine growing on it, thank heavens it didn’t have thorns. She could do this. All she had to do was make sure she stayed in the center of the trellis where the slats were strongest.
My Favorite Husband Page 23