"Okay, I'll be honest. Michelle was really vulnerable that night, so I didn't hesitate to take advantage of her. One thing led to another, and we went upstairs to…ah…get comfortable in one of the bedrooms. You remember how teenage guys could be." He chuckled.
Ew. This is why I'd always hated those kind of parties.
He went on before I could muster a reply. "In my defense, I was crazy about her. We dated before she and Ben hooked up."
"I know."
"Anyhow, I think Paul was looking for the bathroom, but he walked into the wrong room and found us—um—involved. And boy, was he pissed. Yelled that she was a money-grubbing slut. I mean, what gave him the right to judge? He and his brother didn't even like each other. Plus, Ben and Michelle were broken up at the time. Michelle was really upset about it."
I bristled inwardly. "Paul was very protective of his family. And maybe he didn't know that they were broken up. From what I understand, the separation was brief. And in the meantime, Michelle jumps right into bed with you?"
Carl breathed heavily on the other end. "My. Sounds like you're judgmental too."
A tingle of uneasiness ran through me. "I'm not trying to be. I know you cared about her. But it seems like this all happened pretty fast."
He made a harrumphing sound. "Look, I don't have to explain anything to you. Hell, if she was free now I might even seek her out again. But she's got everything she wants, so why would she ever give me the time of day? No offense, but I was having a pretty good morning until you called. Is there anything else?"
Nice going, Cin. You've succeeded in royally pissing this guy off. I was about to say good-bye when another thought struck me. Hey, why not go for broke? "You were planning to become a doctor, weren't you?"
"That was my initial goal, yes. But my grades weren't good enough. Some of us weren't born to be straight-A students, no matter how hard we worked. So now I'm stuck at a 9-to-5 job where I can barely make ends meet."
I was afraid to ask my next question. "Didn't you ask Paul to recommend you for a job at the hospital?"
Carl snorted. "Yeah, I wanted to be a certified nursing assistant. I thought that might be a good way to get my foot in the door on the way to becoming an MD eventually. And Paul knew many of the senior doctors there. So as soon as he got in, I asked for a favor."
"But he refused to recommend you."
Another long, uncomfortable silence followed. "Hey, I just remembered. The party's cancelled for next week." With that, Carl disconnected.
I leaned back in my chair, pondering this new information. It had never dawned on me before that Paul might have enemies. He was an incredibly sweet and down-to-earth guy. True, he could be pushy at times and was never shy about asking questions. That's how I was convinced he would have made a great doctor. Plus, he was loyal to his friends and family. Jealousy could be a deadly thing though. Yes, Carl had disliked Paul and was obviously envious of him. He also hated Ben for stealing away the girl that he had loved. But was that enough of a motive to want Paul dead?
My phone buzzed, jerking me out of my thoughts. The number on the screen was unfamiliar. "This is Cindy. How may I assist you?"
"Cindy, it's Doctor Sanchez. Do you have a few minutes?"
"Oh, Doctor! I was going to call you later. What's up?"
He hesitated. "Uh, I have the result of your tests from yesterday."
The doctor sounded a bit off, and suddenly, I found myself worrying if something might be wrong with me. "Are they— I mean— Is everything okay?"
Doctor Sanchez paused for a few seconds, just long enough for me to realize that no, everything was not okay. "You don't have an ulcer."
"Oh." I found myself oddly disappointed. "So, I'm guessing that my other theory was correct. It is the change."
"No, Cindy, it's not the change."
His voice sounded ominous, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. There was something wrong with me. Oh my God. Everyone had been talking about cancer lately. Was that it? I convinced myself that it couldn't be breast cancer because I hadn't had a recent mammogram. They had taken blood, though. So what had shown up on the test?
"Cindy, are you still there?"
Like a sharp-beaked bird, fear began to peck away at me. I braced myself for the news. "Doctor Sanchez, how long do I have?"
Much to my surprise, he laughed out loud. "Cindy, you're not dying. In fact, you're in excellent health. I was wondering if you might want to come into the office this afternoon so I could tell you the news in person. Maybe around two o'clock or so."
Okay, so if I wasn't dying, what else was there? I found my impatience growing. "Doctor Sanchez, just tell me what's going on. Please."
"You're pregnant."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I shook my head at the phone and laughed. "Okay, Doctor. Nice try. It's not April Fool's, so let's hear the real diagnosis, please."
A shocked silence met me. "Cindy, I would never joke around with a patient like that. From what I can tell, you're about seven weeks along."
Panic engulfed me as his words set in, and I found myself struggling to breathe normally. "No. You've got to be wrong, Doctor. That's impossible."
"I know this comes as a shock, but I can assure you that you're definitely pregnant."
I glanced down at the floor. There was an enormous black hole waiting to swallow me up, and for a moment, I was tempted to let it. "But I can't be. I'm too old."
He clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, which only irritated me further. "You're not too old. I have another patient who's going to be fifty in a few months. Some women put off pregnancy until later in life so that they can have a career first."
But I'm over forty, have three kids already, and no real career to speak of. Tears slid down my cheeks onto my desk, creating a small puddle. "Oh my God. I can't do this, Doctor. I just can't."
He was quiet on the other end of the line, and I was immediately ashamed of my outburst. A baby was a gift. Some women would give their right arm for a child, and here I was, acting like a spoiled brat who couldn't have her own way.
"Talk to Greg. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."
Greg! I stifled another sob. No, I was pretty certain that Greg would not be thrilled. Hadn't Greg mentioned how happy he was that the kids were getting older so we could have a little time to ourselves now? "I don't know how this could have happened."
"The usual way, Cindy."
I could feel Doctor Sanchez smiling on the other end while my face heated. "No, I mean—I always use protection. I never forget to take it. This has to be some type of mistake."
"Nothing is foolproof besides abstinence. You know that. Now, I have a patient waiting, but if you'd like to come in for a chat, let me know. How about I schedule you for an appointment to come in and speak with someone about your options. And I'm calling in a prescription for prenatal vitamins too. I'd like to see you back in the office in two to three weeks for an exam. We can talk more then."
"But— Doctor, I can't—"
His voice was gentle. "You're going to be fine, Cindy. I'll speak with you soon." He clicked off without another word.
I placed the phone down on my desk. I was dimly aware of the wall clock ticking away the precious minutes, hours of my life. How did that old soap opera theme go? Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our lives.
I wasn't sure how long I sat there, staring into space. Time no longer held any relevance for me as the doctor's words had already sealed my fate.
I'm going to have another baby.
Seven weeks along. I racked my brain. Oh God. Our anniversary. I remembered drinking too much at dinner, coming home to drink some more, Greg's mention of my striptease that night, and I vaguely recalled what we had done afterward. It had been a perfect evening. Had I remembered to take my pill that morning? I shut my eyes and tried to recall the details from earlier that day.
The kids had just finished the school year. I had gone into the
kitchen that morning and heard the twins screaming from downstairs. There was a mouse in the house, and Rusty and Sweetie had both been chasing it. Rusty had crashed into a table and broken some glasses that were standing on it. After I had cleaned up the mess, Jacques called about a client who needed to see a house that morning. I had flown up the stairs to get dressed in a hurry. When I came home later that afternoon, I'd fixed an early dinner for the kids, and then we'd dropped them off at Helen's house for the night.
My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. Yes, I could have forgotten.
When I found out I was expecting Darcy, it was a joy. We'd both been so excited. The twins had been a surprise but nevertheless more blessings as well. And now this. I would be sixty-two when this child graduated from high school. Time to think about retirement, not college tuition and teaching kids how to drive.
Darcy would be turning sixteen next month and was already talking about the type of vehicle she wanted. She'd be lucky if we could afford any type of lemon at this rate, with the rust costing extra. We barely made ends meet as it was, so how could we possibly afford another baby on top of everything else?
"Are you listening to me?"
I looked up to see Jacques standing in the doorway. "Huh?"
He waved a shaft of papers at me. "New listing. Not as prestigious as Ben and Michelle's but close. I told you their house was going to be our saving grace. It also didn't hurt when I told my new client that it pended sale only after three days too."
I turned away and gave my eyes a subtle swipe with the back of my hand. "That's great."
He frowned and came around the desk to stare down at me. "You need to stop blaming yourself about Mildred. It's not your—"
I placed my face in my hands and started to sob. "I'm pregnant."
Jacques gasped out loud, and then there was silence in the room for a few beats. I glanced up, curious for his reaction, and saw him watching me, his expression grim.
"You know," he said. "I did kind of wonder about that."
I stared back at him in confusion. "How could you think I might be pregnant when it never even crossed my mind? Are you psychic now?"
His mouth twitched at the corners. "I'm very perceptive that way."
I wiped my eyes again. "What the heck am I going to do? Greg won't be happy."
He handed me a handkerchief. "Look, darling, I realize this is a shock and all, but your man loves you, and that won't change, baby or no baby."
I straightened up and blew my nose. "I know that. But there are other things to consider beside Greg not being happy. We can barely afford to feed the three we have now. And I'm over forty, Jacques. We'll be ready for Geritol when it's time to send this kid to college. And what if there's something wrong with the baby because of my age? I'm scared."
Jacques hesitated for a moment. "I hate to bring this up, but if you're really that miserable about your—ah—predicament, there are other options, you know."
I shook my head furiously. "Not for me. I can't do that."
He tapped a pen against his teeth. "Don't they say that once you have one set of twins, the likelihood for another set triples or something?"
"Oh my God." I started sobbing again.
He leaned down and placed his arms around me. "Cin, you should be happy! You know that you can always bring the baby to work with you. I'll support you in any way that I can. Darcy's old enough to help too. And I'll babysit. It will be good for Ed. Maybe even convince him that we need a child in our lives too."
"I thought you two were getting ready to adopt?"
The smile on his face faded. "Ed keeps putting it off. I know his career is important to him, but family comes first with me. That's where we differ."
I reached up to grab his hand. "Is everything okay between the two of you?"
He squeezed mine in return. "Oh, sure. Ed and I will be just fine."
There was something implied in his tone that made me wonder if he was telling the truth, but I didn't press the issue. Jacques was private about his personal life, even with me.
He lifted me out of the chair and wrapped me in a bear hug. "And you're going to be fine too."
I clung to my dear friend, sobbing into his shoulder. I was ashamed of my feelings. There were so many women in this world who longed for a child and could never have one. But I felt drained and worn out. After the twins, we'd decided we were done having kids. This little unplanned surprise had never been on my radar screen. And as much as Greg loved me and our children, I sensed this was not in his plans either.
Someone coughed in the doorway. "Excuse me." Our receptionist, Linda Earl, was standing there, looking uncomfortable as she watched our embrace. She was a very attractive woman in her mid-twenties.
Jacques released me. "Yes, Linda, what is it?"
"There's a gentleman downstairs asking questions about one of your listings. Would you like me to put him in your office or the conference room?"
He stared at me, but I shook my head and gestured toward the door. "Go. We'll talk later. I'll be fine, don't worry."
He gave me a sharp look and then winked. "I'll be back in a few minutes, dear, and then I'm going to take you to lunch."
I blew my nose again with Jacques' handkerchief and sat back down in my chair. I appreciated his words and thanked my lucky stars for such a wonderful friend. But the truth of the matter was that I was still shell-shocked.
My cell phone buzzed. I stared down at the screen, and both my stomach and heart lurched with dread. My husband.
I lifted the phone in my trembling hands. What was I going to say to him? Sorry, honey, but your overactive libido caught up with us. How do you feel about 2:00 am feedings again?
If I didn't answer the phone, I was only prolonging the inevitable. Plus, he was worried about my health, so if I didn't pick up, he'd think something was wrong. I blew out a long, steady breath. "Hello?"
"Hey." His voice was warm and sexy on the other end. "How's my favorite girl this morning?"
I swallowed hard, trying to force the tears back down in my throat. "Fine."
There was a silence. "What's wrong?"
Gee, where should I start? The woman I went to see the other day was strangled to death this morning, and I'm pretty sure it's my fault. Or maybe I should just cut right to the chase. Guess who's going to be a daddy again?
"Nothing," I lied. "I'm just tired." I was a true wimp in the sense of the word but thought it might be better to wait and do this face to face so I could gauge his reaction. "Do you think we could go out to dinner tonight?"
Greg sighed. "I wish. That's why I'm calling. Bill Freedman was supposed to attend the trade show in Syracuse tonight, but he's ill. He asked me if I'd go in his place. I'm packing a bag and then heading out. Darcy will take care of the boys, so there's no need for you to rush home. Are you at the office or off monitoring those inspections?"
The butterflies in my stomach moved at full force, and made me nauseous. At least now I knew why I was queasy all the time. "No, those are tomorrow morning. So… You're going away again?"
"It's just for one evening, baby. I'll be back tomorrow night. And Bill's going to take the show for me in August. So I won't be going anywhere for a while, promise."
Tears filled my eyes again. "I don't want you to go."
He purred into the phone. "You know what I've been thinking? You and I need some alone time. A vacation, for just the two of us. Now that you've sold the Steadman mansion, I think we should put some cash away from that deal, and then you and I will jet off for a long weekend to Florida or maybe even the Bahamas this coming winter. How does that sound?"
Let's see. Next winter, I'd be about seven months pregnant. I hoped we could afford an extra plane ticket because I'd be taking up two seats by then. "Um—well, it's definitely something to think about."
Greg was quiet on the other end. "Sweetheart, there's something you're not telling me. Are you sick again? Did the doctor call?"
I couldn't give him the n
ews now. I was afraid he might steer his car off the Thruway in a moment of sheer panic. "Yes, he called. And I'm not sick." At least I wasn't lying.
"Well, that's great. I was starting to worry. So, does he think it's…you know, menopause?"
"It's definitely not the change." And how.
"That's wonderful. Listen, I have to run. I'll call you tonight, okay?"
"Greg?"
"What?"
I fought the sudden urge to weep again. "I love you."
"Love you too, baby. Talk to you tonight."
With that, he was gone.
I set the phone down on my desk and turned to stare out the window at the brilliant sunlight shimmering through the glass. It was only noon, and already the day had shaped up to be a strange one. I wouldn't be able to tell Greg until I saw him tomorrow night, so it was pointless to be concerned about that right now. There would be plenty of time to worry later. Hopefully, the inspections would go off without a hitch, and in a few weeks, I'd have my commission check. We really needed the money now.
My thoughts returned to Mildred, and I shivered, reaching for my sweater on the back of my chair, despite the warm summer day outside. I was convinced my theory about Paul was correct. And I was wracked with guilt that this sweet woman had died because she had wanted to share information with me.
I ran over the list of suspects in my head again. Rachel was my top pick. But how would she have known I was going to see Mildred? Melanie fit into the category as well. She'd once had a one-night stand with Ben years ago and still had an axe to grind. Plus, she knew about Mildred. Carl Williams? It was possible, but I just didn't see it. And sadly, I couldn't rule out Ben, as much as I wanted to.
Was there something or someone else I was overlooking? And why had Paul been interested in sterility and talking to Mildred about it? Whose name was on that piece of paper in Paul's hand? Was it a note of some sort?
Jacques appeared in the doorway, dangling his car keys. "Ready to go, love?"
I eased myself out of the chair. "I'm really not that hungry."
He waggled an admonishing finger at me. "Don't give me that. You need to keep up your strength. You're eating for two now. Maybe even three."
Priced to Kill (Cindy York Mysteries Book 2) Page 15