by Cindy Cromer
Caitlin halted her speech for a moment to give the men time to complete the notes they jotted down. She looked out the window. A dark cloud hovered over the mountain.
When she saw three sets of eyes peering at her, she continued. “Aunt Carol is the youngest of my father’s siblings. She and her husband, Larry, live in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. I’ve always been very close with her and we speak and visit often. Aunt Carol was only thirteen when I was born and she used to babysit me. When I grew older, she became more of a friend than an aunt. She loves both of my children, but adores Alexandra.
“My cousin Lindsey, Aunt Carol’s daughter, and I are very close. We usually take family vacations together each summer. You met her briefly last year when she joined us in St. Kitts.” Drew nodded in agreement.
“Lindsey lives in Connecticut and has a son Alexandra’s age, his name is Ryan. She and I’ve always kept in touch and speak on the phone weekly. That about sums up my aunts and uncle. I’m not that close to Gary and Virginia and neither is my father. There’s always been an underlying tension and competitiveness between the three of them.” Caitlin ended her summary.
“None of your grandparents are still living?” Drew probed.
“No,” Caitlin confirmed.
“With the contact numbers and outline you gave, we have enough information about your father’s side. Tell me about your mother’s family. You’ve already indicated that your father and two of his siblings didn’t have the greatest of relationships. What about your mother and her twin?”
“Nick?” Caitlin involuntarily gasped then rubbed her temples. “What could he have to do with any of this? I haven’t seen him in over twenty-five years.”
Caitlin’s stomach swirled as if a witch’s cauldron was at work. Acid churned and brewed. Sour bile threatened to rise in her throat. Now she had to tell them about Uncle Nick, the big loser of the family. She knew she had no choice. Her life and the safety of her family were in danger, dammit! Her life didn’t sound so ideal now instead it resembled a daytime drama.
Chapter Ten
Jack’s eyes, like his daughter’s, turned a different shade when angry or upset. They were now a dark cold blue; much different from their original sea green color. After ending the horrifying call from his daughter, Jack punched in the number he knew by heart but never used. “You son of a bitch!” he screamed when the phone was answered on the first ring.
“Jack, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”
“How dare you threaten my daughter!”
“Jack, you better calm down and tell me what the hell you’re talking about, you know you’re family. Why would I ever want to hurt you, or Caitlin?”
“I’m warning you for the last time, stay away from my family, and don’t start up your shit again. You’ve always had it in for Caitlin. You touch one hair on her head and I’ll kill you. Do you hear me? I don’t care what happens to me!” Jack slammed down the phone.
* * * *
Perfect! Just perfect! Jack would soon be on the scene. It’d been a stroke of genius to tap the phone line. Aces told him to stay put but Daddy would run to her aid.
The chain of events were in motion, the plan having fallen into place, with each piece placed where it should be. Jack and Aces. Isn’t that cute? The ten, queen, and king would do nothing for this flush. The biggest flush of the century, rivaling an international poker tournament. Soon the big payoff would set up, resulting in satisfaction and retribution. They were just as important as money.
* * * *
“Why haven’t you seen your uncle over all these years, Caitlin?” Drew asked.
“Nick Holland is nothing like my mother. From what I remember, and have been told, he was always in trouble, into drugs, burglary, you name it. He may be dead by now. The last time I saw him, he and my parents had a huge fight. Nana was there too…”
Drew interrupted her. “Wait a minute. Who’s Nana?”
Frustrated, Caitlin stood and approached the dry erase board, located in the front of the room, on which someone had sketched a family tree. The ancestry chart portrayed her father’s side, so she filled in the blanks.
Drew studied the diagram for a moment, updated his notebook, and then said, “Okay, Marie Holland, or as you call her, Nana, is your grandmother on your mother’s side. Her husband, Harold, passed away when your mother and Nick were infants. Thanks for completing that chart. I had a hell of a time filling in the who’s-who on your father’s side”
Caitlin moved on and relayed the information about her mother’s twin brother. “When Nick’s cases appeared on the docket, my father as District Attorney, was put in a difficult position. Dad bailed him out one too many times and with the last charge against my uncle, my father refused to help him anymore. Rumors of favoritism had begun to spread through the office and police department.
“Nick came to our house and barged in shouting, ranting, and raging at both of my parents and Nana. In his drug-induced state, he scared me and my brothers. Dean and Daniel were only eight at the time. It was summer so I took the boys outside to play on the beach.
“When we went back to the house Nick had left and we found Nana in tears, crying about her son. My mother and father were at an important fundraising dinner. Nana hugged and kissed us then sent my brothers to take a bath and get the sand off them. She knew I heard a lot of what happened with my uncle and made a promise to me that we wouldn’t ever see Uncle Nick again. Nana told me she couldn’t believe that my mother and Nick were twins. She said they could be from different planets.
“So whatever happened at the house that day remains a mystery and Nick Holland’s name hasn’t been mentioned since. That’s the last time I saw him. He didn’t even come to Nana’s funeral. As I said before, he’s probably dead.”
Rain pelted the windows and a booming roar shook the floor, interrupting Caitlin’s recount of the past. The lights went out and a bright arc of lightening provided the only illumination in the room.
“Can we call it a night, Drew? I need to see the kids.” Turning to Scott she said, “Can we at least do something exciting tomorrow? No evidence or clues have surfaced. I can’t imagine what else could turn up. With you and Tomas as bodyguards, can’t we enjoy a little vacation time?”
“Absolutely and I’ll drive, we don’t want to traumatize Tomas again do we?” Scott laughed.
Caitlin chuckled. Warmth spread through her body. It seemed as if an eternity had passed since she’d relaxed enough to enjoy laughter.
She had to tamp down her anticipation of the day ahead. To ease her conscience, she needed to make two phone calls.
* * * *
Tomas didn’t find Scott’s comment amusing but forced a good-humored smile on his face. Caitlin’s last remark about her uncle reverberated in his mind. “Nick Holland’s name hasn’t been mentioned since.” After the statement, the roar of thunder and power outage seemed to contain a prophetic message.
He sorted through papers and reports. He found what he needed, with the title FBI Employee Background check of Scott Martel, and began to shuffle through the pages. Halfway through the document he placed a tab on one particular page. He intended to review this section in its entirety tonight. Tomas stood, stretched, and rubbed his eyes in preparation for a long night ahead of him, then followed everyone out the door.
* * * *
Caitlin tried to contact Dean first but the call went directly to voice mail. It wouldn’t have made a difference if he had answered the phone. Dean wasn’t a good listener and didn’t give a damn about anyone or anything other than surfing, girls, and the beach. She left a brief message, hung up, and then called Daniel, the more levelheaded of her two brothers. He did end up being a quarterback superstar and got a scholarship to Penn State. Unfortunately, in his junior year, he blew out his knee.
With a good head on his shoulders, he managed to graduate with a media and journalism degree and became a successful sports caster i
n Atlanta. A wise career choice for him. Charisma and a photogenic face made him a natural at his job, and the camera loved him. He had dark hair, penetrating blue eyes, and an athletic build. He and his wife were expecting their first child.
“Daniel!” Caitlin cried.
“Catey, how are you? You’re never going to call me Dan, which I prefer, are you?”
“Not on your life, buddy, if Mom and Dad wanted to name you Dan, they would’ve christened you Dan, not Daniel. You know how I feel about nicknames, and don’t think I didn’t notice you called me Catey! Everyone wants to shorten Alexandra’s name to Alex, or Lexie. She’s Alexandra. Not much to butcher with Chad’s name except his sister calls him CC.”
“Caitlin, when you’re upset you prattle on. Dad called me and told me what happened. Is there anything I can do? If Amy wasn’t…uh, I mean if her due date wasn’t in three and half weeks, I’d be there for you.”
Caitlin caught Daniel’s stumble of words. “Daniel, what were you going to say? If Amy wasn’t what? Is everything okay with the pregnancy?”
Daniel responded, “Yes, yes. Everything’s fine. What I meant to say is that she’s been very tired and I don’t want to leave her alone in case she goes into labor early.”
Caitlin wasn’t convinced. She sensed that her brother held something back but didn’t press the issue.
“I don’t expect you to come rushing down here. I just wanted to talk to you myself since you will most likely be getting phone calls and visits from the police and FBI. Can you believe all of this is coming out now? Daniel, that article really scared me and I wonder what the hell other secrets are out there. We grew up so normal, or at least I thought we did. I’m glad Dad told you himself about his father. The way he informed me, I thought I’d have to break the news to you and Dean about our grandfather.”
“I know, Sis, when Dean and I graduated from college, he told us. Dean, you know him, surfer dude was like whatever, but my thoughts wandered and I became curious. Even though I didn’t know the whole story, from the fights and phone calls I remember, your probing got nowhere. I didn’t even bother to bring it up again.”
“Has Dad talked to Dean yet?” Caitlin inquired. “I tried him before I called you. Got voice mail, no surprise there.”
“Yeah, Dad left him a message to call ASAP, who knows when he’ll return the call. Dean’s a great guy and our brother but not the most reliable.”
“Tell me about it! It’s a miracle he has his surf shop running at a profit. If it weren’t for his bookkeeper, he’d be sleeping under a bridge in Huntington Beach. Caitlin, I have to hang up now and go to the studio for tonight’s late broadcast. It’s almost pre-season football and I have a lot of breaking updates to cover.”
“I won’t hold you up for work and disappoint the female audience that swoons over you during your broadcasts.”
“Very funny, Caitlin. I’m glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor. Keep me posted on what’s happening down there, okay?”
“I will and it has been great talking to you, Daniel. Give my love to Amy and you better call when my niece or nephew is born.”
“You got it. Love you, Sis. Hang in there, everything will be fine.”
* * * *
Dean Spencer kissed his latest blond conquest goodbye with plans to meet later that night at the local beach bar called The Shipwreck. He walked across the beach to his apartment which overlooked the Pacific Ocean. Dean, the most attractive of the Spencer children, had shoulder length sun streaked golden hair, a toned body from surfing and exercise, and perfectly sculptured facial features. Dark haired Daniel and Caitlin, exuded a professional image. One would never guess the three were siblings, except for the distinctive blue eyes.
He unlocked his front door, stepped into the small foyer, and saw the red light blinking on his answering machine. Dean pressed the play button. The first message was from his father, the second his sister and both wanted him to call back as soon as possible. The girl he’d been dating for six months left the third message.
“Shit! I forgot about Rachel,” Dean shouted out loud.
He thought of the other girl with luminous blond hair and enormous boobs. “Screw it.” He had no intention of missing out on that.
He didn’t need to guess what his father and sister wanted. Caitlin and Jack made a habit of bombarding him with questions about money, settling down, and getting married. He wasn’t like his sister and never would be. Running his small surf shop made him happy.
Dean looked at his watch, seven at night in California made it three hours later in Florida and St. Kitts. He wasn’t in the mood for lectures. He showered and didn’t give a second thought to his family or Rachel.
* * * *
Caitlin walked into the suite to find everyone feasting on Tomas’s picnic of Arroz con Pollo as a late night snack. She prepared herself a plate. “Mmm this is good! Is everyone ready to do some sightseeing tomorrow?” Turning to Chad and Alexandra, she hugged them in a tight embrace. “We’ll go to the Black Rocks and all of the beaches. How does that sound?”
“Great!” Chad yelled. “I want to snorkel and go see Rita and Paul.”
“We will, honey.” Chad returned his attention to the television show. Caitlin whispered to her husband, “Scott, I haven’t had a chance to call Rita. She must be worried about us after what she found in our house.”
“Don’t worry. I talked to her earlier this afternoon.”
Tomas put his briefcase on the dining room table and pulled out a mountain of documents. Linda, Drew, and Mitch left. Scott and Caitlin called it a night after tucking the children into their beds.
Chapter Eleven
At nine a.m. the next morning, Constance Spencer sipped her coffee and looked out over the Atlantic Ocean from the balcony of the penthouse. The phone rang and her husband picked it up. She heard him address his business partner.
Constance frowned and struggled with her conscience. She should have told Jack about the recent encounter with Nick. If she didn’t believe her brother’s claim to turn his life around and make amends, why would Jack? It was better to keep it to herself, better for everyone.
Constance picked up her cell-phone and dialed her son in California. She knew Dean would still be in bed but pressed send anyway.
“Jesus Christ!” Dean screamed into the phone. “Dad, I got your message when I got home last night. I didn’t think you’d want me to call you back at midnight your time.”
Constance flinched at her son’s greeting. “Dean, it’s Mom.”
“Oh! Hi, Mom. Sorry I yelled but I saw caller ID and thought it was Dad calling to get on my case again. Is everything all right?”
Her heart ached for Dean. Family and friends showed no respect for him, they laughed behind his back at his lack of achievements and stereotyped him as an immature beach bum. No one understood Dean like Constance did. She viewed him differently and thrived on each opportunity to guide and nurture him. Dean still needed her, Caitlin and Daniel didn’t.
“No, Dean, everything’s not all right. Your sister’s been receiving threats and the Bucklin tie is about to become exposed.”
“The Bucklins! Not that shit again. Mom, you’ve got to be kidding me? Years ago Caitlin told me how much she pissed Dad off after she tried to get more information. How the hell could Lukas Bucklin be Dad’s father?”
“Dean, listen to me. Your sister received notes and magazine clippings about Lukas and James. What do you think that means?”
Constance heard her son speaking to someone. When she heard a female voice in the background she asked, “Was that Rachel? You’ve been seeing her for a while, is it serious?”
“No, Mom, it wasn’t Rachel, get back to what you were telling me. Who would send Caitlin notes about the Bucklins? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I know none if this makes sense but I had a thought. I haven’t seen you in over six months. If you can get away from your shop for a few we
eks, I’ll pay for your trip to Florida and you can go with us to St. Kitts.”
With no hesitation, Dean agreed to the plan. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll clear everything up at the shop and put my bookkeeper Emily in charge. With her running the show, I’ll be in better shape financially than if I were here.”
“Dean, don’t put yourself down. If you’d focus more, you could be very successful.” Constance attempted to build her son’s self-esteem.
“Yeah, yeah, this sounds like a Dad and Caitlin lecture. Let me know when you have my flight booked, love you, Mom, and can’t wait to see you!”
Constance frowned at the silent phone.
* * * *
Dean’s morning didn’t start off well. He rubbed his forehead and attempted to ease the throbbing in his skull. He stayed out way too late last night, drank too much, and now had a hangover.
He wasn’t up to dealing with family drama and he certainly wasn’t up to the task of getting rid of the bimbo one-night-stand whose name he couldn’t remember. Last night was over. He made no promises of a future. Her words and gestures indicated she anticipated to see him again; possibly develop a meaningful relationship. Didn’t they always? Wasn’t going to happen. Not with him. For Dean, six months of dating equated to marriage; minus the ring and commitment.
“Get up,” Dean said as he tapped the ass of the blonde in his bed. “I have to leave town for a few weeks. I’ll call you when I get back,” Dean lied.
The girl picked up her clothes, dressed quickly, and cast an angry look over her shoulder. In an abrupt departure, she slammed the door behind her, and the thud sent another shock wave of pain through Dean’s head.