by Leena Clover
“Jojo had a few wild years but she was taking an interest in the family business. I was going to hand over the reins to her and spend more time at our ranch in the Sierra Nevada mountains.”
Fred’s eyes filled up.
“I was looking forward to giving her away. But my baby girl will never walk down the aisle now.”
Anna offered a few empty words of consolation. Nothing she said was going to fill the void Jojo’s death had created. Fred Gold thanked her and picked up his fork. Anna walked back to her table and joined the others.
The migas had arrived and steam rose off a fragrant dish of eggs, sausage and cheese. Meg told her the chef had recommended adding chorizos to the dish.
Anna ate her food listlessly, trying to remember the exact conversation between Fred and Millicent. She remembered Cassie calling the woman a barracuda. Was she talking about business barely 24 hours after they had lost Jojo?
“Where is that boyfriend of yours, Anna?” Julie asked, sipping her mimosa.
Anna informed them Gino was having breakfast in his room.
“But he’s coming with us to the shore, right?” Meg cried. “We need to get going if we are to do the camel thing.”
Meg had chosen a camel safari excursion for that day. There would be tequila tasting for the adults and authentic Mexican food for lunch. Cassie was picking at her food, her eyes red. Maybe they could all use a diversion.
“This doesn’t mean we’re not thinking of Jojo,” Julie reasoned as they stood in line to get into the motorboat. “Honestly, I’m never going to forget her.”
The camel tour was a unique experience, demanding Anna’s full attention. They took some pictures, trying hard to smile for the camera. Everyone was famished by the time they reached their lunch spot.
Anna couldn’t help but love the mole sauce that was made with stone ground peanuts right before their eyes. She took a second helping. Cassie stuck to the ceviche and Meg tasted every single item, including the quesadillas.
They decided to go back to the ship for a much needed siesta. Anna wanted to lock herself in the bathroom and have a good cry.
The motorboat ferried them across to the ship in minutes. Anna found a note from Gino when they entered their suite. He had chosen to stay on the ship that morning, catching up on sleep.
“We’re back.” Anna called his cabin. “At least for now. Meg wants us to leave in a couple of hours.”
Gino asked if they could meet at one of the cafes for lunch. Anna told him to go ahead and order his food. She splashed some cold water on her face and reapplied her lipstick. Then she walked down the corridor to the bank of elevators at the other end. Two minutes later, she walked out on Deck 6 into the lavish atrium.
The place was a hub of activity. Surprisingly, the first person Anna spotted was Millicent. She was having a heated discussion with a man in a hat, waving her hands around. Anna took a circuitous route to the café, slowing down as she came within hearing distance of the duo.
“How can you be so irresponsible?” Millicent was furious. “Do you realize how big Gold Labs is? We could buy a dozen ships like yours and not break a sweat.”
“My hands are tied.” The man shrugged. “I already explained how these things work, Ms. Cummings.”
“That doesn’t mean you should just wash your hands off the whole thing.”
Anna spotted Gino waving at her and hurried toward him. He stood up and gave her a hug, planting a kiss on her forehead.
“You’re eating salad?” Anna was surprised.
“It’s a hearty salad,” Gino laughed. “And I’m having some lobster to go with it.”
Anna watched him dip a hefty piece in melted butter and told him about their lunch. He would have enjoyed the camel ride.
“I needed some shut eye,” he told her. “These bones aren’t so young anymore.”
Anna told him about Millicent and the man in the hat.
“That sounds like Bernard, my buddy from the Air Force.”
Anna could still see them going at it in the distance. Gino whirled around casually and confirmed the man’s identity.
“Wonder what Milli wants from him,” Anna muttered.
Gino drained his iced tea and smiled in his mustache.
“I’ll talk to him later. We should go now, Anna.”
They went up to Deck 12 and split up, promising to meet again in twenty minutes. Anna walked down toward her own cabin, wondering which swimsuit to wear to go snorkeling.
A faint cry snapped her out of her thoughts and she jerked her neck up. Her jaw dropped in shock at the sight that met her eyes.
Cassie stood flattened against the wall, terrified. A tall, blonde man loomed over her in an aggressive manner. Anna couldn’t hear what he was saying but she sensed her daughter was in trouble.
“What’s going on here?” she called out. “Who is this man, Cassie?”
The man’s lip curled in a sneer for a split second. Then his face assumed an angelic expression and his lips stretched into a smile. He gave a small bow and greeted Anna.
“Stefan Lancaster, at your service.”
Anna noticed the lines etched into the man’s face and realized he was closer to her in age. The platinum blonde hair obviously came from a bottle and was a sign of vanity. She disliked him instantly.
“I’m sure we’ll meet again,” the man said softly and slinked away.
Anna took her daughter’s arm, shocked at how cold it was.
“What’s the matter? Who was that man, Cassie?”
Cassie shrugged her off.
“Just someone I used to know, Mom. No big deal.”
Chapter 7
Cassie hugged her arms around herself and stood on deck, staring out at sea. She’d pleaded a headache and opted out of the snorkeling trip. Meg had been disappointed but Cassie didn’t have a choice. She was barely keeping it together.
Anna’s voice had almost undone her. How was she supposed to explain who Stefan was? She’d made something up on the spot but Anna wasn’t convinced. Cassie knew her mother wouldn’t let it go but she was glad of the temporary reprieve.
Her worst nightmare had come true when she came face to face with Stefan Lancaster at the bachelorette party. But she shouldn’t have been surprised. Jojo had always hung out with Hollywood’s best and brightest. And Stefan Lancaster was currently top of his game. He always had been. A producer with a truckload of awards to his name, he was a highly respected veteran of the film industry. No wonder Cassie had looked up to him all those years ago.
Cassie walked over to the tiki bar and ordered a drink. The friendly bartender asked where she was sitting and promised to send it out soon. Most of the passengers had chosen to go ashore so there were plenty of empty chairs by the pool. Cassie settled into one of them and tried to enjoy the view.
A big jogging track ran around the periphery of the deck. It was deserted, just like the pool. Cassie’s drink arrived and she grasped it like a lifeline, immediately ordering another one.
Her thoughts drifted back in time. Jojo’s exuberant face flashed before her eyes. Cassie had run into her at a Hollywood party. They had both been underage and bent on having a good time. Jojo’s doe like eyes had sparkled with mischief and her sun streaked hair drew attention wherever she went.
Cassie smiled when she remembered some of their exploits. They had been wild, no doubt about it and they made a striking pair. Petite Jojo with her bleached blonde hair hanging down to her hips, Cassie tall and willowy with her wavy golden hair falling below her waist. Everyone knew they were inseparable.
When Cassie landed her first big role, she dragged Jojo along with her to the launch party. She had been slack jawed when the director introduced her to Stefan. He was the studio head at that time and he had been very charming. Cassie basked in the glow of his attention. Truth be told, she’d had a crush on him, ready to follow him to the ends of the earth.
They shot the film for almost a year and Cassie felt she was in a dream.
It wasn’t until years later that she realized the true nature of their relationship. Her therapist had helped her see that. Jojo had been with her every step of the way, holding her hand, keeping a tight vigil in the hospital room, making sure she was strong enough to face life again.
Stefan Lancaster had moved on to other conquests, barely sparing a backward glance at the shambles that was Cassie’s life.
Cassie tossed the paper umbrella, needing to do something physical. She just wanted to lash out at someone. The server arrived with the second drink and Cassie slurped half the pinacolada in a gulp.
She dozed off for a while, tired of wrestling with her thoughts. A shadow fell over her. Cassie pulled off her shades and squinted her eyes.
“Got a minute?” Logan Powell loomed over her, looking miserable.
Cassie sat up and stifled a yawn. Her cheeks felt salty and she realized she must have shed a few tears.
“I was dreaming of Jojo,” she confessed. “There was this shack on Malibu where they made really great smoothies.”
Logan wanted a drink and Cassie was ready to get out of the sun. They walked to the tiki bar silently, lost in their own thoughts.
Cassie clambered up on a bar stool and asked for water. Logan chose beer. They sipped their drinks desultorily, waiting for the other to speak up.
“I remember the day the Golds moved to our street,” Logan said with a sigh. “Jojo stood on the lawn, clutching a teddy bear. She must have been eight.”
“You pulled out a jawbreaker from your pant pocket and offered it to her,” Cassie reminisced. “She let you hold her teddy bear.”
“It was love at first sight.” Logan’s eyes glistened. “I always thought we would end up together.”
Cassie knew Jojo had loved Logan for years. They had been childhood sweethearts who dated in their teens. She had seen them get together and break up several times over the years. Cassie thought they were just having fun because everyone knew the couple was destined to be with each other.
“What happened this time?” Cassie asked. “We hadn’t been in touch since I went back home to Dolphin Bay.”
Logan stared at the water moodily, absently sipping his beer.
“Who knows? I think it had become a game with us. One of us would walk off in a huff for some silly reason. But we would always be back.”
Cassie felt the ache in his voice.
“Except she didn’t come back this time.”
“No, she didn’t. She went on a bender and then ran off into the mountains, unprepared. I almost lost her, Cass.” He wrung his hands through his hair. “She wouldn’t have come back to us if it wasn’t for Ricky.”
Logan told her what had happened. Jojo and her father were fond of hiking on the John Muir Trail. There was one part of the trail they had never conquered – Mount Whitney. When Jojo lost her father, she vowed she would never go back.
“Why did she change her mind?” Cassie was curious.
“I was responsible for that.” Logan was sheepish. “I told her she needed to do it for herself.” He raised his hand and asked the girl at the bar for another beer.
“Is that why you fought?”
“She stomped off after throwing a hissy fit. I didn’t think she would do anything stupid.”
Jojo had made a drunken resolve to scale the mountain herself. She entered the park without packing any food or water and veered off the trail. Search and rescue efforts had been unsuccessful and they had almost given up hope.
“Ricky was the one who found her?” Cassie asked.
“I owe him big time.” Logan chuckled. “No wonder she fell in love with him.”
“You must’ve hated him.”
“I wanted to. But how could I? If it was anyone else, I would have driven them out of town, wiped them out.” He winced. “You know I can easily do that.”
Logan Powell came from money. He had made his first billion before he was twenty five, quadrupling his family fortune in the past ten years. He wielded the kind of power that could annihilate a dozen Rickys and not break a sweat.
“But you owed him,” Cassie nodded vigorously. “You wanted Jojo to be happy.”
Logan couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. He fell into Cassie’s arms, his grief so palpable that she found it hard to control her own feelings.
“She was the love of my life. And now I’ve lost her forever.”
They drew apart after a while and Cassie pulled out a few napkins from a dispenser. She offered some to Logan and tried to console him.
“You will have to be strong, Logan. Let’s hope it was just an accident.”
Logan straightened and looked up sharply.
“What do you mean, Cass? What else could it be?”
Cassie bit her tongue and debated voicing her thoughts.
“You better come clean.” Logan drained a bottle of cold water. “What are you thinking?”
“When was the last time you had a heart to heart with Jojo?” she asked.
Logan looked surprised.
“She wouldn’t hide anything from me, if that’s what you’re saying. Jojo was on cloud nine, Cass. She was in love with Ricky and really looking forward to the wedding.”
“You don’t think she jumped, do you?”
Logan’s eyes grew wide.
“Are you saying Jojo leaped off that balcony on purpose? No. I don’t believe it. She would never do that.”
Cassie heaved a sigh of relief.
“I just had to know. So it must have been an accident. She was drunk and she lost her balance.”
Logan was still processing what Cassie had said earlier.
“There’s no way Jojo would take her own life. If something had been bothering her, she would have come to me. I could have fixed it.”
He clenched his fist and began pacing the length of the bar.
“She knew I can fix anything.”
Cassie didn’t offer him any words of comfort. Jojo Gold was gone forever and Logan Powell couldn’t fix that.
Chapter 8
Cassie sat in the motorboat with Meg, heading to the coast. She had retired to her cabin after saying goodbye to Logan and jumped into bed. Sleep was elusive and she finally surrendered to a bout of crying.
Her family decided to stay on shore and have dinner at one of the local restaurants. Meg volunteered to come back to the ship to fetch Cassie.
“You already missed snorkeling, Mom,” Meg wheedled. “I’m not going to let you stay here on your own.”
The marina was a beehive of activity. A mariachi band played somewhere and a noisy flea market seemed to be attracting a lot of tourists. Cassie felt she was crashing a big party she hadn’t been invited to.
Meg dragged her through the crowd and they reached the restaurant after a five minute walk.
“We’re here,” Meg cooed. “Anna says they have really good margaritas.”
Cassie remembered the restaurant. She had come there before with Jojo, several years ago. Her eyes watered again and she blinked her tears away.
Anna and Julie were in a heated discussion. Gino watched them indulgently, sipping a local beer from the bottle. A big platter of nachos rested on the table with several bowls of colorful sauces.
“There she is!” Anna cried. “Thank you for coming, Cassie.”
More drinks were ordered. Cassie sipped hers mutely, admitting it was really good.
“Looks like you all had a fun day.”
“We sure did, honey.” Julie narrowed her eyes. “Do I detect a touch of sarcasm? Or anger perhaps?”
“Let her be, Julie,” Anna cautioned. “You must be hungry, Cass. Why don’t you check out the menu?”
Cassie tasted the nachos and accepted the white flag her mother offered.
“No need, Mom. I’ve been here before with some friends.”
Anna grew solemn.
“We are all sad, Cassie, believe it or not. But life has to go on.”
Julie went on the offensive.
“Ho
w long has it been since your father passed, Cassie? You might not remember since you didn’t even attend his funeral. But Anna knows. She can tell you down to the hour and the minute. It’s because she still mourns him.”
Anna placed a warning hand on Julie’s arm.
“It’s okay, Julie. Cassie knew her for years. She probably spent more time with Jojo than with us.”
With a pang, Cassie realized that her mother was right. Leaving home at sixteen had not been easy. She had achieved her dream of being a big Hollywood star but they had all paid a price for it, especially Meg. And not going home when her father died was one of her deepest regrets.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me, Mom.” She turned toward Julie. “And I can’t thank you and Aunt Mary enough for taking care of her at that time.”
“Since you brought up Grandpa John …” Meg looked at Anna. “Did you find out more about the Blue Hill project? You were going to talk to Professor McDowell.”
Cassie’s father John Butler had been a history professor all his life. He had been fascinated by some local ruins. According to legend, a lot of gold was buried there. Treasure hunters had descended on the big property known as Blue Hill several times over the years, trying to strike it rich. But none had been successful.
John had managed to get university funding to work on exploring the ruins. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been successful either. Anna’s recent investigations had led them to believe that John had continued to explore Blue Hill on his own time even after his department pulled the project.
Although deemed accidental by the police at the time, John’s death had been highly suspicious. Anna had vowed to find out what really happened to her husband. Gino was helping her in the effort, using his background as the old police chief.
“I managed to meet the professor,” Anna told them. “Just in the nick of time too. He’s out of the country again.”
“You didn’t tell me that?” Gino leaned forward curiously.
He had been sipping his beer quietly.
“It was just before our trip to Los Angeles,” Anna told him. “We never got a chance to talk about it.”