Mystery Wife

by Annette Broadrick

  You owe me big time, babe. You missed the last two quarterly payments and it's getting hungry around these parts. I'll expect to see you at the usual place on Friday.

  You wouldn't want me to tell the unsuspecting hubby just whose baby you're carrying, now would you?

  Ciao, M

  ❧

  Alisha had trouble reading the last few lines because the paper was moving. Only then did she realize she was shaking.

  Somebody thought that she was Sherye. From the tone of this letter it must be the man known as Mario. She had seen him in Paris! She'd actually walked past him, unaware of his identity. Had Raoul been with her? She thought back over the week in Paris. He must have been. She'd never gone anywhere alone.

  That's why he hadn't approached her.

  He wanted money, and he didn't know that Sherye was dead.

  She stared at the letter for a long time, trying to decide what to do about it. Her first thought was to ignore it completely. He couldn't hurt her. Raoul would quickly see that the man was arrested.

  Wasn't any of this going to end? The nightmarish quality kept creeping back, despite all she could do to keep the past in proper perspective.

  "Ah, there you are," Danielle said, coming into the dining room. "Mind if I join you? I'm ready for a cup of coffee and some advice."

  Alisha tucked the letter into a pocket. "I don't know how helpful my advice will be, but I'm certainly willing."

  Danielle filled a cup from a carafe and sat across from her. "Are you sorry that Raoul pushed you into a quick wedding?"

  "Not sorry, exactly, but I felt it was somewhat rushed."

  "No, I mean, didn't you want a big wedding with a long invitation list and bridesmaids?"

  "That would have been totally inappropriate under the circumstances, but even without that, I preferred a small ceremony. My first wedding was headache enough with the friends and the few family members we had attending."

  Danielle leaned over the table and said, "You know that very few people realize that you aren't Sherye. Because we kept her illness and death so quiet, people assumed she was away. Now that you're here, they think everything's back to normal."

  "I'm beginning to realize that. I'm not sure how to handle it."

  "Do you have to? I mean, it's really no one's business. I realize we're protecting Sherye's reputation as well as our own, but it seems so needless to put the children through any more heartache."

  Alisha forced herself to eat a few bites before she said, "What about Sherye's friends?"

  "It's obvious they weren't friends in any real sense of the word. No one ever tried to contact her. Whoever she was traveling with obviously didn't want to be involved in what happened to her. That one fellow was the only person who gave us any information and he refused to name any of the others on board the yacht."

  "Danielle, did Sherye ever mention Mario to you?"

  "Sherye never spoke to me about anything, why?"

  "I just wondered."

  "Oh, I meant to see if you'd like to go shopping with me tomorrow. I want to have my hair trimmed and I thought we could have lunch, then browse. I need your, idea on the type of gowns we could have for the bridesmaids. Plus, we want something special for Yvette and Jules to wear."

  Alisha smiled. "I'm not getting around very fast these days, but I'd enjoy going with you."

  "Good. Now, then. Here's some ideas I have about the wedding invitations."

  Alisha forced herself to listen to her sister-in-law and to forget about the letter that seemed to be singeing her pocket.

  ❧

  Alisha was thankful for the mild weather the next afternoon. She and Danielle had been in several stores before time for Danielle's hair appointment. They agreed to meet at the restaurant at an appropriate time and Alisha wandered through the shops, admiring the lace and looking at baby clothes.

  Because she was tired of being on her feet, Alisha arrived at the restaurant early, thankfully finding a booth and ordering coffee. What a relief to sit down. She knew her ankles were swelling, even though she rarely caught a glimpse of her feet these days. Absently she rubbed her stomach and closed her eyes.

  "Did you get my letter?"

  Alisha opened her eyes and stared across the small table at the man who seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

  "Where did you come from?"

  "I saw you on the street and decided to follow you. When you came in here, I figured it was a good chance to say hello and make sure you got my letter."

  Alisha looked at the man, trying to remember if she had ever seen him before. His skin was swarthy and he had glossy black hair and equally black eyes. He wore an obviously expensive suit and from his smile it was also obvious that he knew how good he looked. There was no denying that he was a very attractive man, if you cared for the type. To Alisha, there was no contest between this man and Raoul.

  She didn't like the familiar way he was looking at her. She felt that he had stripped her with his eyes in one glance and obviously liked what he saw.

  "Look, you've made a mistake—"

  "No, Sherye, you're the one making the mistake if you think you can just brush meoff like that. You and me go back a long way, babe, a long way. Don't you forget it. Haven't I always been there for you? Haven't I always risked everything for you? Hell, I even found that teacher dame that was your spittin' image, didn't I? Well, don't forget, doll face, that we both pulled that one off, and we could've gotten into some big trouble if the truth had ever come out." He laughed. "But it never did, huh? Damn, but you've got a devious mind. What a stunt to pull. I checked with my friends in Dallas last fall, you know the ones. Their daughter goes to that fancy school where the gal teaches. They said she was still there teaching school. So what did you tell her? Did you explain that it was a gag, that we didn't mean any harm?" He leaned back in bis chair, crossed his arms and grinned at her. "From the looks of things ol' Raoul never suspected a thing. You're really something else."

  "Ah, there you are. I'm sorry I was late, but there was this—" Danielle realized that Alisha wasn't alone and stopped talking. During the pause Alisha jumped to her feet and grabbed Danielle's arm.

  "Don't worry. I think we'll still make our next appointment." She nodded at the man who was slowly pushing back his chair. "Don't bother getting up. I hope you enjoy your lunch." She practically dragged Danielle through the front door, out on the street and was almost running to the car.

  "Alisha, what in the world is wrong with you? Have you lost your mind? If you don't slow down, you're going to trip and fall. What is the matter?"

  "Please, just get in the car. I'll explain as soon as we're gone. Please!"

  Danielle took one look at Alisha's face and said nothing more until they were in the car and moving. "All right, tell me."

  "Would you mind driving me to the winery? I've got to see Raoul right away. I'd hoped we could just ignore it, but I can't handle this on my own. I've got to talk with him."

  "Yes, of course. Who was that man back there? Did you know him?"

  "No, no, I didn't. I'll answer all your questions once we get to Raoul's office, okay?"

  Alisha could feel her heart pounding and she concentrated on slowing her breathing before she began to hyperventilate.

  What a bizarre situation. Once again she was being mistaken for Sherye, by the very man who had helped to arrange the first switch. She didn't know what to do. All she knew was that she had to reach Raoul. He would know how to handle this.

  Thank God she had Raoul.

  Chapter 17

  Raoul was talking on the telephone when Alisha and Danielle arrived. He waved them into his office with a smile, finished his conversation, then came around the desk and put his arms around Alisha. As though he couldn't resist the opportunity, he kissed her rather thoroughly before looking over at his sister with a grin.

  "This is quite an honor, having you drop by to visit. Have you eaten?"

  Before Alisha could gather her wits
after that blatantly sensual kiss, Danielle spoke up. "No, we haven't. If there's anything around here to nibble on, I'd appreciate it, because I for one am starved."

  Raoul looked back at Alisha with a puzzled frown. "I thought the two of you planned to have lunch out today."

  "We did, but—" She tried to think of a way to begin the story she had to tell him.

  "We had unexpected company at our lunch meeting," Danielle said. "Alisha was upset, so..."

  He looked down at her. He must have seen something in her expression because he immediately led her to a chair. "What happened?"

  "Mario is here."

  "Mario?"

  "The man with Sherye."

  Raoul stiffened. He nodded at Danielle to sit down, then leaned against his desk and folded his arms.-"How do you know?"

  Alisha felt so awkward. "I—actually, Sherye—received a letter from him yesterday."

  Raoul lifted bis brow. "Oh?" he asked in a neutral tone.

  "The letter was addressed to Madame Raoul DuBois, so I opened it. The salutation was to Sherye and it was signed with an M. He said he saw me on the street in Paris and that I ignored him. He reminded me that I hadn't paid him the past two quarters and told me to meet him at our usual place. Otherwise he would tell you who fathered my baby."

  Danielle gave a small gasp but said nothing. Raoul eyed her thoughtfully. "Why didn't you show me the letter?"

  She had known he would ask that question. Impatiently she replied, "Because I chose to ignore it and saw no point in bringing it to your attention. There was no return address on the letter—no way to report his whereabouts. Since I had no idea where the usual meeting place was, I hoped that if I didn't show up he would leave me alone, assuming I was no longer interested in him."

  "You mean that Sherye was no longer interested."

  "Yes."

  "So he isn't aware that Sherye died," he mused.

  "Obviously not."

  "What happened today?"

  "He said he saw me on the street and followed me to the restaurant where I was to meet Danielle for lunch. He brought up all the things he'd done for me—for Sherye— including finding the schoolteacher. He wanted to know if you'd ever discovered the switch."

  "Did you tell him who you were?"

  "No. I couldn't think, I was so unnerved. As soon as Danielle arrived I made an excuse about having to go. We left immediately and drove straight here to tell you what had happened."

  "I appreciate your including me." His bland tone didn't fool either woman.

  Danielle said, "Raoul—" but stopped abruptly when he turned his gaze on her. When she said no more, he returned his attention to Alisha.

  "I'll notify the authorities that Mario's in the area. Perhaps you could give me a description of him."

  His voice remained smooth but Alisha could see he was exerting a great deal of control over his temper. All right, so she should have told him about the letter. She'd made a wrong choice. Now wasn't the time to apologize or explain any further. She'd done what she thought was best, after all.

  Alisha gave Raoul a description of the man who'd sat down across from her. When she finished he repeated one of her words.

  "Attractive?"

  "Yes."

  He glanced at Danielle as though to confirm Alisha's assessment and Danielle nodded.

  "Is there anything else either of you can think of to help the authorities find him?''

  After a long pause Alisha shook her head.

  Raoul straightened. "Then I suggest the two of you go home and I'll discuss the matter with you when I get there. In the meantime, I'll give the information to the police."

  He made no attempt to kiss Alisha goodbye.

  The women wasted no time leaving his office.

  "Whew! He was furious," Alisha said once they were in the car and Danielle was driving them home.

  "He was worried about you and it showed."

  "He's got such a temper!"

  "Which he controlled admirably," Danielle pointed out dryly. "Under the circumstances."

  "I know," Alisha admitted. "I should have told him about the letter."

  "You didn't know that at the time. I happen to agree with you. What point was there in reminding him that his wife was seeing another man?"

  "Exactly my reaction." She glanced at Danielle. "I've been trying to put the past behind us and build a new life with Raoul. I know it must be difficult for him to have me in his life as a daily reminder of his first marriage."

  "I think you're more self-conscious about the situation than anyone," Danielle said, watching traffic. "Yes, you look like Sherye. There isn't much you can do about that. However, you need to remember that the family had several weeks to get to know you, Alisha. You helped us to overcome our reactions to Sherye. When we look at you now, we see Alisha. I know it's difficult for you to believe that, but it's true."

  Alisha touched her sister-in-law's arm. "Thank you for saying that. At the moment I'm feeling anything but secure. Raoul married me because of my pregnancy and I—" She stopped speaking because Danielle laughed. "What's the matter?"

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," Danielle replied, still chuckling. "I was just amused that you think Raoul married you because of the baby."

  "He's an honorable man."

  "And he loves you, Alisha. You. It's so obvious to the rest of us. You would have had to know what Raoul was like before to see the tremendous changes you've brought about in him. You've been very good for him."

  "I have?"

  "Most definitely. I had no idea you were feeling so insecure. Obviously my brother needs to be a little more forthcoming about bis feelings. I'm surprised he— What's this?"

  A truck carrying crates of winter vegetables had broken down near the stone gates of the chateau. Three cars were pulled up in a line behind the truck and the drivers were shouting for the driver to get the thing out of the way.

  Alisha chuckled. "Sometimes these narrow roads can be a real hazard, can't they?"

  Danielle stopped the car. "We'll have to wait, since there's no other way to get to the chateau. By the time I finally get something to eat, I'll be near fainting."

  "I know what you mean. I—"

  The door to the passenger's side flew open. Alisha's seat belt was jerked loose and she was hauled from the car before she knew what was happening. She heard Danielle's scream and fought to get her balance, only to find herself lifted into a pair of strong arms.

  "What is—" She couldn't get enough breath to finish the sentence.

  Mario loped along the shoulder of the road until he reached a side road, more of a trail than a road. He opened the passenger door of a car parked there, shoved her inside, locked the door and ran to the other side.

  "What are you doing?" she stammered as he threw the car into reverse and backed out onto the roadway, then headed away from the chateau.

  "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, Sherye, but I'm getting a little tired of it. It's a little late to be worrying about whether your sister-in-law sees us together or not, wouldn't you say? Forget about your need for financial security. You're carrying my baby now. That's more important to me than all the money in the world. We'll work all of this out together, somehow. You'll see."

  "But you've got it all wrong. I'm not Sherye. I'm . . ."

  He glared at her before switching his gaze back to the road. "Don't play games with me anymore. Okay? I can't take much more of this. After I left you at the hospital in Perth I was afraid to go back right away, for fear the police would hold me for questioning. When I finally managed to sneak in you were already gone. I've been trying to contact you for months. I didn't know where you were or how to contact you. Then when I finally do run into you, you ignore me, like I was dirt under your feet. Well, it's a little late for you to decide to forget about me. There's too much between us. You know that as well as I do."

  He was driving too fast and his agitated speech scared her. She didn't know what to do
but she knew he had to calm down before he wrecked the car.

  "Where are you going?"

  "To a place I found. You've never been there but I know you'll enjoy it. I suppose we can expect Raoul to spend some time looking for you. Once he gives up, we'll be able to leave France, maybe go back to the States or wherever you want to go." He gave her a quick glance. "When is the baby due?"

  "In about three weeks," she replied absently. "But, Mario, I can't go off with you like this." She had to think, had to stay calm. Getting upset would not help the situation and could harm the baby. Alisha didn't know how to tell him that she wasn't Sherye. If he discovered who she was, would he harm her in some way? Think! she told herself. What can you say to him in order to convince him to let you go? He was talking once again and she forced herself to listen to bis rambling speech.

  "I know you think you've got to stay with him for the money and the prestige, but we mean too much to each other to keep on with this farce."

  Stay calm, Alisha, she kept repeating to herself. Don't do anything that will cause distress to the baby. You're too large to try to run away. Danielle willget in touch with Raoul and he'll find you. If Mario's telling the truth, he won't do anything to harm you, at least not intentionally.

  "Please slow down, you're scaring me," she finally said, gripping the armrest.

  Mario laughed. "Who are you kidding? Nothing scares you. You've always been a speed demon. The faster the better."

  She fought to sound calm. "I don't want to take any chances at the moment. I wouldn't want to do anything that might harm the baby."

  "Yeah, I guess you're right." He raised his foot off the accelerator and Alisha let go of her pent-up breath. "Man, oh, man, I'm still having trouble believing it. Me, a daddy." He laughed exultantly. "I was shocked out of my head when I saw you last week, let me tell you! All that time you insisted you wouldn't get pregnant because you were on the pill." He glanced over at her with a smug grin. "Guess I showed you what a real man can accomplish, huh?" He looked back at the road, still smiling. "I always did have trouble keeping my hands off you. If we hadn't had that big blowup you never would have ended up married to that stiff Frenchman."