“Then you should stop spouting off about me working on a story. And for the record, she asked me to help her investigate Pauline’s murder, and she wants to help find out what happened to Regina. Don’t underestimate the difference helping others can make in a person’s life. And as for stepping in as a father figure, well frankly, she could use one. I grew up without a father. I know how much that can hurt. But at least I had a loving, decent mother who gave me a good upbringing. I don’t think Mindy even had that much.”
“You’re right,” Earl admitted. He’d stopped grinding his teeth. “I could never get her to talk about her childhood. I think she left me to avoid telling me about it.”
“She left you?” Nick couldn’t help but chuckle. In another time and place, he might be planning his next headline, but knowing what he knew now, he knew his only audience to the story would be Jamie. “I hate to break it to you, but I never bought that bit about you dumping her. You’re way too King Arthur to be getting rid of your Guinevere.”
Earl went suddenly pale. “So is this going to be showing up in The Tattletale now?”
“Hell no.” The guy really didn’t get it. “And not because I give a flying fuck about your macho image either. I’m just not about to expose Mindy as a liar. Now get your ass back over there and spend some time with her. This little tete-a-tete of ours is starting to draw attention.”
Nick walked away, heading back to his wife, just as Ryan cruised by; a look of total attentiveness snapped on his face.
Chapter 42
A quiet sort of noise permeated the room. The sort of noise that, while filled with murmured conversations, felt quiet in the hushed tones and lack of excitement those conversations carried. Even the squealing of two little girls, punctuating the stillness, wasn’t enough to overcome the tension carried in the room.
Six years ago Rod’s life had slipped out of control. He’d been disgraced, disbarred and narrowly escaped criminal charges for fraud. From a career perspective, the two years following the loss of his law license had seen him in the gutter, helping Peter Arnold produce sleazy porn films. When he’d discovered Peter had been using underage girls in the films, however, he’d stopped his life from circling the drain and went to the police. He’d been instrumental in bringing Darla’s father’s deviancy to light and putting the man in prison.
He liked to feel he’d somewhat redeemed himself. Though in some people’s minds, he would never be redeemed. Some would always see him as a bad seed. And he had been. He’d done things in his younger years he would always regret.
Somehow, despite his faults, and there were many, he’d found Darla. The one bright spot to come out of that period of his life. Rod loved her. Really loved her.
The last four years he’d slowly rebuilt his life. It was a far cry from the heady, large-living days when he was a hot-shot attorney, but he was happy. And Darla was a big part of that happiness. And that was the part of his life now spinning out of control. The part of his life that included her.
The more he watched her hate on Mindy, expressing rage and competitiveness, the more insecure he felt about their relationship. The way Earl looked at him when Mindy and Darla had exchanged words, like they were kindred spirits fighting to win back women they still loved, confirmed what Rod already felt. Darla’s heart was no longer one hundred percent his.
They sat on the couch holding hands, and Rod watched the other couples in the room; Nick and Jamie, Preston and Maggie, even Walter and his wife, their love visible in the glances they shared. He struggled to find words that might somehow keep Darla from slipping away. Did she even notice the distance growing between them? He put his hand to her forehead, stroking a stray blonde curl. “Can I ask you something?”
She shrugged, her gaze still fixed on the spot where Mindy stood with Earl. “What do you want?”
“It might be nice if you looked at me.”
She glanced at him briefly, and turned her gaze to the door nearest the exit, where Rory stood sentry. “Geez, Rod. Getting a little demanding, aren’t you?”
He chafed inside. At least she wasn’t staring at Vince. “It’s usually considered good manners to look at someone when they’re speaking to you.”
“Fine. Whatever.” She turned to face him, but seemed to be looking through him, rather than at him.
Rod took a deep breath. Not that long ago he’d have simply said what was on his mind. She’d become so damn unpredictable lately. “Can we talk about your issues with Mindy?”
She frowned. “Since when did you become my therapist?”
“I didn’t realize I needed to be your therapist to have a meaningful conversation with you.”
Predictably, she scowled. “You know, I have enough problems without you adding to them.”
“I’m not trying to add to your problems. I’d just like to know why you’re still jealous of Mindy. I’d like to think you’ve moved past Vince Allan during the last four years.”
She glared at him. “I am not jealous of Mindy.”
She spoke loudly enough that several people turned to stare, including Mindy and Vince. Rod did his best to ignore them. “You could have fooled me.”
Darla rolled her eyes. “That just shows what an idiot you are. How could you possibly think that freak show of a skank is better than me in any way, shape or form?”
Across the room, Rod caught Mindy’s scowl. He tried lowering his voice. “I don’t.”
Darla’s face set into an ugly frown. “Then why are you accusing me of being jealous? And for the record, I don’t give a damn about Vince.”
From their spot at the chess table, Vince and Belinda joined the pairs of staring eyes. Rod quickly averted his gaze. Where was a hole to climb into when a guy needed one? He looked back to Darla and steadied his voice. “You’re obviously still holding a grudge against her about something. And I’m wondering if it’s because you’re still carrying a torch for some rock star you dated a few times four years ago.”
“You know what? I don’t have to sit here and listen to this bullshit.” Darla jumped up, stamping her feet. “Don’t talk to me again until you’ve learned how to mind your own business.”
Mind his own business? When had she become not his business? Rod watched her storm off, blonde curls bobbing and her slim backside swaying as she moved. He slumped back into the couch, sucking up his the hurt, holding it tightly to his heart. Losing control? Make that lost control.
Chapter 43
Though morning dawned brilliantly, Mindy greeted the day with tense muscles and a nervous stomach that had become much too familiar. Not since the days before Frank went to prison had she felt such an unaltered state of fear and anxiety And unlike the last two years of drowning her sorrows, there was no alcohol to chase away her uncomfortable emotions; just as there hadn’t been with Frank.
After morning therapy, where Belinda learned the same ‘rise to stardom’ stories often chronicled in the press, Mindy made her way to the pool. As usual, Rory followed her and slid into the lounger on the opposite end of the pool. Mindy adjusted her chair to recline back and sank back into its plastic weave support. Aside from fear and anxiety, a trill of excitement trembled through her. And no small amount of worry over how well she was playing her part. If this were Earl playing the role of a spy, he’d be awesome. He’d breeze through therapy without fidgeting. He’d stare Belinda in the eye without worrying. He would have sat there like it was another boring therapy session he didn’t want to take part in. He would have plastered some cool look on his face. And he would have made it stick.
By the time Nick arrived at the pool, the song Secret Agent Man played in her thoughts as she pumped up her courage. Nick was dressed in a white pair of CRC swim trunks and smelled like the soap handed out to CRC patients. “We should look for Pauline again today,” she whispered. “I’m worried her body might decompose before we find it.”
Nick rolled his head to one side, barely looking at her. “I’ll go first.”
&
nbsp; She closed her eyes, pretending not to care as she listened to him get up from his chair and walk off, footsteps sounding in the direction of the rest room. Her humming of Secret Agent Man switched abruptly to the theme song from The Pink Panther. This new relationship with Nick surprised her. Before coming here, she’d hated him. At least, she’d thought she did. She’d never known him before he checked into CRC, but she’d been pretty sure she knew who he was; a selfish, greedy bastard who didn’t mind sacrificing the lives of strangers in order to make a buck. Yet here he was, maybe risking his life to find out what happened to Regina. And he had been the first one to believe her about Pauline. The way he’d defended her to Earl had come as a complete shock; as had the way he’d played her father figure, right down to accepting her title of Daddio. Why did he even care? It made no sense, really. But now it was like he really thought of her as his daughter.
Helping him made her feel better about herself, she realized. In his own way, he’d given her something she hadn’t had since Grandma died; a sense of purpose.
Rising from the lounger, she made her way toward the ladies’ room, glancing back only once. Rory was doing his usual fake-nap thing. He didn’t even stir.
“You looked like you wanted to tell me something last night,” Nick said as she ducked behind the rest room.
She nodded, swatting away the bugs that seemed to instantly zero in on her. “Yeah. I found out something from Rory yesterday.”
“Did you?” His eyes lit up. “Good choice working on Rory. He struck me as one of the less-brainwashed people here. What’d you find out?”
She swatted away more bugs. “I don’t know if you know this, but the employees here are all former patients.”
“They’re all what?”
Nick appeared oblivious to the bugs. Either he was used to them, or they found him less appealing. “Former patients,” she repeated. “Everyone except Shirley and Dr. Belanger. Rory was a gambling addict and Ryan was here for beating up women, but Rory thinks now he’s a drug addict.”
Nick’s brow furrowed. “A drug addict, huh? Why does he think that?”
“He saw Ryan coming out of the medical clinic after hours one night. Rory thinks he was stealing drugs, but it was the same night Regina died.”
Nick nodded, saying nothing. They both stood there for a moment, their voices fading into the hum of crying gulls, swarming bugs and wind-tossed leaves. After thinking on it for a moment, Mindy cleared her throat. “I suppose Ryan was probably the one who gave Regina the drugs.”
Nick gave her an encouraging smile and nodded, so she continued. “Shirley and Dr. Belanger put him up to it, I’m sure. They’re the only ones who have keys to the clinic, and they would know about his drug addiction, if he really has one. They probably offered him drugs to kill her.” She gulped down the horror of it all. “So much for helping people.”
“I doubt their motives were ever that altruistic,” Nick said. “And congratulations on figuring that out.” He looked pleased. “If you weren’t already such a talented, successful singer, I’d train you to work for me. You have good instincts.”
She pictured herself working for The Tattletale and giggled at the irony. “I’ll tell you what, when I get tired of touring, I just may take you up on that.”
He casually slung an arm around her shoulder. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Inexplicably, Mindy wanted to cry. Even though the emotion made no sense. She’d grown up without a father, and she’d accepted that reality a long time ago. It didn’t make sense to be so suddenly teary-eyed over Nick’s concern, but here she was. On the verge of bawling.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded, sucking back her tears. “Yes. It’s just…thank you for being my Daddio.”
He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Any time. Let’s look for Pauline’s body.”
“Okay.” She turned off into the woods, making it only a few feet when Nick halted, stopping her.
“Shhh.” He put a finger to his lips, dragging her deeper into the foliage.
“What-”
Nick clamped his hand over her mouth, shaking his head furiously. “Someone’s coming.”
At first it made no sense. But a mere second later she heard giggles and whispers.
“Slow down.” The distinct, high-pitched tone of Darla’s voice teased. “You’re not in a hurry or anything, are you?”
“I’m all for taking my time, sweetheart.” Rory answered. “But if I’m gone more than five or ten minutes, someone might decide they need me for something.”
“With my luck, that’s exactly what would happen, too.”
“Don’t worry, babe. As soon as you get checked out of here, I’ll be sure and take plenty of time with you.”
Nick and Mindy exchanged looks. Mindy couldn’t see them, but could tell by the sound of their voices they must be close by, separated by only a few feet of trees and a tangle of bushes.
Nick shrugged, throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head.
Mindy tensed, standing still as a statue. Afraid almost to breath for fear of giving away their presence.
“How much trouble do you think you’ll get in if we’re caught?” Darla asked.
“I don’t know, but I’ve got an ace up my sleeve in case that happens.” Rory sounded cocky, sure of himself.
“You do? What kind of an ace?”
“I happen to know, or at least I’m pretty sure, that Dr. Belanger was doing your friend Regina before she killed herself.”
“He was?”
Mindy clamped her hand over her mouth, feeling her stomach drop. Judging by the frown creasing Nick’s brow, she guessed he felt the same.
“Wow.” Darla was talking again. “How do you know that?”
“I saw him leaving her room sometimes late at night.”
“That would be just like her. She always did have a thing for older men.”
“She was being treated for sex addiction, so I wasn’t too surprised by it either.” Rory paused. “Enough talk now. I don’t want to waste any more time.”
The unmistakable sounds of love-making followed. Quick, labored breathing, bodies slapping together, moans and sighs. Mindy stood rooted to the ground, shocked speechless to the point where a hand covering her mouth would no longer have been necessary. The entire time she listened to them, she thought about Rod and how he loved Darla so much you could see it every time he looked at her.
It took about five minutes for their intimacy to finish, but it felt like an eternity.
“I thought she was in love with Rod,” Mindy said to Nick as soon as Darla and Rory left.
He shrugged. “So did I.”
She shook her head. “Poor Rod.”
Nick half-chuckled. “I never thought I’d find myself thinking that, given he had an affair with my late wife, but right now I’m forced to agree with you. Rory’s fling with Darla, however, is probably what’s keeping him from worrying about us. He’s too busy trying to figure out how sneak away and bang her.”
“What do you think about Dr. Belanger and Regina? You knew her. Did she like older men?”
Nick nodded. “She did. She liked men in general. And she was unapologetic about it. Things aren’t always as they first appear though. I’m going to look into this. I need to find a way to communicate with the outside. I need to get in touch with Danny and Sarge.”
“Reporters of yours?”
“Danny is. Sarge used to be a cop. She’s doing PI work now. I hired her to help look into Regina’s death. C’mon,” he said, gently nudging her. “We need to get back before Rory starts wondering what’s happened to us.”
As Mindy followed him, she thought of what he’d just said, that things weren’t always what they seemed, and realized that applied to him as well. He wasn’t just some nosy, gossip hound. He genuinely wanted to find out what happened to Regina. As did she. It was more than a little strange to discover she had something in common with a man she used to dislike.<
br />
Chapter 44
Mealtime in the CRC cafeteria crackled with the energy of a dozen conversations, punctuated by the clanging of metal forks hitting porcelain plates, and chairs scraping against the tile floor. The noise provided just enough cover to conceal a quiet conversation, and today Mindy sought to take advantage of the opportunity. Normally she sat by herself at the end of a long table, while Nick sat at a different table, squeezed between Belinda and a girl wearing the name tag Patty. When he first arrived she’d thought it strange he chose to sit with the staff, but now she understood. He was listening to them, hoping to hear something of interest.
Darla had sat next to Joey until he checked out and Vince arrived. Then she’d sat between Walter and Vince. Days ago she’d change locations again; and now sat across the table from Rory, smiling and chatting with him. People had to be blind not to realize what was going on. And the same could be said of Vince and Belinda, with all their stolen looks and deep conversations. Rory’s admonition to her against having sex with Earl seemed ridiculous, given all the obvious couplings going on under Shirley’s nose.
Scoping out the situation further, Mindy noted Ryan, seated with his contingent of security guards. He never stopped scanning the room, always on alert.
Astrid hung out with Walter, joined to his hip like a Siamese twin. And then there was Scott Tyler, the out-of-place teen-ager, and the only other person who sat alone. For Mindy’s purposes, that was perfect. Some of the people here knew Regina. Nick, of course. And Darla. Although pumping her for information was out of the question. Scott Tyler, on the other hand, had been here for a month. Which meant he’d been here when Regina supposedly killed herself. Since Scott’s dad and Rod were friends, it stood to reason Scott might also know Regina.
Mindy carried her nightly tray of baked chicken, rice, broccoli and carrots toward the table where Scott sat eating. “Hey, Scott,” she said, sliding into the seat beside him. “What’s up?”
Redemption (Desire Never Dies) Page 20