If anything, she thought, the audience should feel intimidated by me. She certainly wasn’t wasting any time on anxiety. She never had and never would.
Poor Georgina walked up to the front of the room and began a bumbling speech, rarely making eye contact with anyone, and when she did, it was in a flitting, terrified sort of way.
Opal, feeling pleased with herself, settled into her seat and surreptitiously looked at her phone. Her men hadn’t sent her a message, which annoyed her.
She fired off a quick text message Care to update me?
A message soon came back. Connor Moynahan, ma’am.
Opal felt like her stomach might drop through the floor.
She couldn’t believe the text. Connor Moynahan?
The sinking feeling was immediately replaced by rage. Rage so strong that she could have torn a man, preferably Connor himself, from limb to limb.
All of her hard work had been for nothing. She’d spent so much time on the smear blog. And because she could only allow June to do some of the work, and she didn’t entirely trust her, she’d had to do most of it herself. It had been humiliating, having to do lowly jobs she usually never touched.
She’d had to learn about search engine optimization, how to make sure that whenever anyone searched for Connor on Google, they’d land on her blog stating all of his secrets and some made-up ones. Then she’d had to learn about mail merge, and how to send it to everyone in the industry. She’d worked so hard, and yet, even with everything she’d done, Connor Moynahan was strutting into that hotel, bold as brass, looking to make a deal for it.
She’d done everything in her power to make sure that couldn’t happen. But in spite of everything she’d done, it had.
It felt like her whole world was crashing down around her. Like the planets and moon had stopped dead in their orbits.
Rage made her shake, and her phone screen wobbled as she stared down at it, reading the name she hated more than any name in the world right now, over and over again. Normally Opal was in complete and total control of her emotions, but this? This completely threw her off.
“Opal?” a voice said gently from behind her. Opal jumped, put her phone in her purse, turned her head, and put on a smile. It was Barbie Moskowitz, a real up and comer Opal had been determined to keep down and small for as long as possible. “Opal, are you okay?” Barbie whispered.
Opal cursed herself for being so weak and transparent. She knew in order to be believable she had to quickly make something up. “Oh, I’m afraid Jenifer, one of my daughters is quite sick. She’s found a lump, and I’m going to have to take her to emergency.”
Barbie’s face creased into concern. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”
Opal hated the look of pity on Barbie’s face and wished she could scratch it off with her fingernails. “I’m going to have to excuse myself.” Without a moment’s hesitation, she got to her feet, and interrupted Georgina’s nightmare speech. Georgina looked at her, clearly relieved.
“Everybody,” Opal said, putting on an excellent sad-and-concerned-parent face. “My daughter Jennifer has found a lump and has a terrible fever. She’s feeling awful, and I need to take her to emergency right away. I’m terribly sorry I’ll have to leave you all here. Can you forgive me?”
“Of course,” some people said.
“Go, Opal,” Barbie Moskowitz said. “I don’t mind taking over for you.”
I bet you don’t, Opal thought bitterly, you over-ambitious hag. She smiled and wiped a tear away. “Oh, Barbie, you’re so kind. You all are. I’ll make sure June keeps you updated with what’s going on with Jennifer.” She began to walk away, then stopped, turning to look at the group. “You know, I am so, so glad I set up this wonderful group of women. You are all truly spectacular, kind people, and I know you’re all going to go far.”
Some women looked emotional, while others smiled at her. She knew she had them all hook, line, and sinker.
“Goodbye, then,” she said. “See you soon.”
“Send our best wishes to Jennifer,” Barbie said.
June hurried after her and followed her out into the hotel lobby. “Would you like me to come with you, Mrs. Bowers?”
“No, I’ll be fine,” Opal said briskly. “Go back into the meeting, and do what’s necessary when it’s over. Then I want you to go back to the office and water my plants. Stay there until the end of the day.” She sighed. “And, for goodness’ sake, June, try not to mess things up like you usually do.”
“Yes, Mrs. Bowers.”
Opal rushed out to her sleek gunmetal gray Audi A7. It had just the right mix of luxe and understated sophistication, since she didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard by buying a Rolls Royce or something similar. She set off towards the Hamilton Hotel & Spa. She had to stop this deal from going through if it was the last thing she ever did.
CHAPTER 9
That evening, Gina prepared a special dinner of spaghetti with pesto sauce and used gluten-free spaghetti according to Connor’s specifications, however, Connor didn’t show up.
Liz, Roger, Julita, and Gina sat around the table. Julita barely ate anything, playing with her food, twisting the spaghetti round and round on her fork. Gina looked nervous, which made Liz wonder if she was doing a good enough job protecting her employees.
Roger tried to lighten the mood. “So, what time’s Connor due back, Julita?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said, the corner of her lower lip clamped in her teeth. “I’ve tried to call him, but it goes to a recorded message.”
“Does he usually come right back from meetings like the one he had today?” Liz asked.
“No, not always. Actually, he’s done something like this a few times before. Going AWOL. Usually it happens when something hasn’t gone well.”
“Ahh,” Roger said. “He’s probably at some local bar, drinking his sorrows away because the deal went south.”
“Could be,” Julita said, although she didn’t look convinced. She fished her phone out of her purse. “I’ll try him again.” They all watched as she sat with the phone to her ear. She shook her head. “It went straight to voicemail again.”
No one knew quite what to say.
Julita put on a brave smile. “It’s probably just some sort of his usual antics. I’m a little more nervous than usual because of how he’s been acting lately, and the fact we’re away from home. I’m sure that’s all it is, I’m probably just overthinking it.”
Liz nodded. “Let’s hope so.”
Julita then changed tack, wolfing down every last bit of her meal. “This really is delicious. I hope you’ll excuse me, but I’m going to try to get some sleep,” she said. “If Connor comes back drunk and edgy and paranoid, I’m going to need all my energy to deal with him.”
Liz nodded. “All right. You don’t think he’ll drink and drive, do you?”
Julita grimaced. “I certainly do.”
“You might want to let the police know where you think he could be,” Liz said. She thought of Seth. “Although they might not be of any use, since Connor’s only been missing a few hours.”
“Missing? He’s not missing,” Julita said, sounding panicked “Do you think he’s missing?”
“Sorry, I just meant we don’t know where he is,” Liz said quickly.
“All right, well, I’m going to head off to bed.”
“Goodnight, Julita,” everyone said.
Once she’d left, Liz turned to Gina. “I’m really sorry about this,” she said. “I had no idea what was going on with Connor Moynahan and how complicated it was. Otherwise I never would have accepted the booking.”
Gina nodded. “It’s okay. It was just somewhat of a shock when I saw security parked out in front of the lodge.”
“I agree,” Liz said. “It’s certainly not an ideal situation.”
“Do you think we’re in any danger?” Gina asked.
“I’m pretty sure we’re not,” Liz said. “We have armed security patrollin
g the premises, but even that’s probably an overreaction. There have been threats on Connor’s life, but those threats don’t involve us.”
Liz saw how scared Gina looked. “Do you want to take some time off, fully paid, until Connor and Julita are gone? I could pick up the meals from your home, or cook them myself, if you’d prefer.”
Gina thought for a moment. “No, it’s all right. I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Okay,” Liz said, “but let me know if you change your mind. Honest, it won’t be a problem.”
Gina smiled. “I will.” She gestured at their plates. “Everybody finished?”
“Yes, thank you, Gina,” Roger said. “That was really good.”
“I agree,” Liz added.
“I’ll clean up and then head home,” Gina said.
“Okay,” Liz said. “Goodnight, Gina.”
“Goodnight,” Roger said.
Gina gave them a friendly wave before she picked up the rest of the plates and walked into the kitchen.
After dinner, Liz and Roger decided to walk around the grounds for a while in the twilight. Brandy Boy and Winston had been outside on the porch, sleeping. When Liz and Roger walked outside, Winston stood up and went with them. Not surprisingly, Brandy Boy preferred to stay exactly where he was.
Liz interlinked her fingers with Roger’s. “I am doing the right thing with Gina, aren’t I? Should I just tell her to take some time off?”
“No, I think leaving the decision up to her is fine,” Roger said. “But you might want to keep asking her and make sure she’s still comfortable with it.”
Liz nodded. “Good idea. That’s what I’ll do.”
They walked on for a while, each lost in thought.
Roger was the first to speak. “I do think it was irresponsible of Julita and Connor not to let us know about the gravity of the situation before they made the reservation.”
“Yes, I agree,” Liz said.
Roger continued, “Because it doesn’t only affect them, it affects other people as well.”
“I spoke to Julita about it,” Liz said, “and she told me she’d been in denial about it. Particularly about Connor’s mental health and stability. That’s why she hadn’t mentioned it. She was trying to talk herself into believing everything was okay.”
Roger nodded. “I can see how that could happen. She seems to care a great deal for him.”
“It would be hard not to, I suppose,” Liz said, “given that she saw him grow up and knew how hard his early years had been for him. Her instinct seems to be to mother him.”
“I expect he needs it,” said Roger. “Although I’m beginning to wonder if it’s too late.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…” Roger began, but then stopped when he realized they were approaching Julita’s cottage. She was sitting out in front, on the porch, her cell phone in hand. “No luck, Julita?”
She shook her head. “No. None at all. And I can’t get to sleep.”
Roger and Liz walked over. “Would you like some company?” Liz asked.
Julita smiled bravely. “Yes, if you wouldn’t mind. I’m starting to imagine all sorts of unpleasant things.”
“I’m sure you are,” Roger said.
“Please, sit down.” Julita gestured towards the other chairs on the porch.
Liz and Roger sat down, while Winston laid down at their feet. Liz was trying to think of something to say that would make Julita feel better, but Julita spoke first.
“I think I need to force Connor to see a psychologist of some kind,” she said. “I’ve been denying all of this for too long, thinking I could fix it. I thought with a little love and guidance he’d return to normal, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. If anything, he’s getting worse.”
“I’m guessing, but I’d imagine the issues are very deep-rooted,” Liz said. “I have friends who adopted a little girl when she was four. They gave her all the love and affection in the world, but she still had a lot of emotional difficulties as she grew up, and even now as an adult, she’s still troubled.
“Apparently it has something to do with attachment when the child is very young. The first three years are crucial, my friend told me. They ended up doing a lot of research into it, as you can imagine. They adore her. She still struggles, but she knows they’re there for her.”
Roger nodded. “We humans are so complex.”
“I dread to think what Connor’s first years were like,” Julita said. “He lived in a very abusive household. His father ended up killing his mother.”
Liz froze with horror. “You’re kidding. I can’t even imagine a childhood as horrible as that. No wonder he’s having some problems.”
Roger’s voice was heavy with emotion. “How old was he when it happened?”
“I think he was about six or seven, “Julita said. “When he was about nine, after having been in a few foster homes, he came to live with Patsy, my neighbor. I think I mentioned that she wasn’t very good to him, but she’s a changed woman now. She’s had a lot of therapy, and it helped. Anyway, he was placed in his father’s custody when he was thirteen.”
“What?” Liz and Roger exclaimed simultaneously.
“Into the custody of the man who killed his mother?” Roger asked in an incredulous tone of voice. “I’m an attorney and I’ve never heard of a judge doing something like that. What was the judge thinking?”
Julita shook her head. “I don’t know. Connor won’t talk about it much, except to say he ran away from his father.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Liz said.
“He met Charlotte when they were both in high school, and he got great grades. As far as I can tell, she was a fantastic influence on him. Then he ended up studying under Joe Treadwell, the real estate mogul, and the rest is history. His is a real rags-to-riches story.” She sighed. “But it looks like the past is still with him.”
“From what you’ve said, it seems his life has been full of trauma,” Liz said.
“Yes.” Julita shook her head. “I wish I could make it better for him.”
“It’s not your responsibility,” Roger said. “Besides, from what you’ve said, I would think the only people who could possibly help him are professionals.”
“I know,” Julita said. “But it doesn’t stop my guilt feelings. I lived next door to him for years, and saw how Patsy treated him. Because she was my friend, I tried to speak to her about it. I wanted to let her know he needed more care, but she wouldn’t hear of it, and we stopped talking because of it. I should have reported her, and got him moved to another foster home. But who knows? Another home could have been even worse.
“I tried to be cheerful and friendly to him, but when we fell out, Patsy put an end to his and my relationship. Patsy and I didn’t speak for years. It’s only in the last couple of years, after a lot of therapy, that she’s totally changed. She adopted a little girl she was fostering, Sidonie, who recently went to college.
“Patsy has told me she feels guilty about how she treated Connor. She wanted to get back in touch with him, but when I told him, he just stared at me, his face like a blank mask. He didn’t want anything to do with her.”
Liz’s heart felt heavy. It was all so complicated, full of trauma, and light years away from what she was accustomed to.
Julita’s face was pained. “I’m going to try to call him again.” She tried, and her frown deepened. She put her head in her hands. “Sorry, I don’t want to burden you both with this.”
“Not at all,” Liz said kindly. “We’re here to support you.”
“I think I’ll take a sleeping pill,” she said. “If I stay awake, I’ll just keep on torturing myself. Hopefully he’ll be back before I wake up.”
“Okay,” Liz said gently. “Are you sure you don’t want us to stay with you? Keep you company?”
“Thank you, but it’s fine. I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” Julita said. “I’ll go take the sleeping pill now, and I’ll be asleep in five minutes.
Honestly. Really, you don’t need to worry about me.”
“All right,” Roger said. “You have our number. Call us if you need anything, anything at all. No matter what time it is.”
“Thank you,” Julita said. “I will. Goodnight.” She went inside, her cell phone to her ear, calling Connor again.
Liz, Roger, and Winston slowly walked back to the lodge.
“What a sad story,” Roger said. “It’s such a shame, and he seems to be a very talented, driven young man.”
“Yes,” Liz said, “and with a baby on the way. I feel very sorry for his wife, too. It sounded like they were doing quite well together in high school, and then lately it’s just been downhill.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
They both sighed.
“Let’s talk about something else,” Liz said. “I need to lighten up from all this heaviness.”
“All right,” Roger said. “How do the bookings look for the next couple of months?”
“Very healthy,” she replied. “We’ve got a large group of corporate women coming for a long weekend retreat in a month or so, and they all want a lot of spa treatments.”
Roger smiled. “Bertha and her staff will be happy.”
“Yes,” Liz said. “After experimenting with making products per Connor’s requests, she’s thinking of making a signature line for the spa. She thought we could brand them and let people take them home with them. It would be a good marketing tool to remind our customers of us. Whenever they use our products, the smell would be like our calling card.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Roger said. “Quite genius, in fact.”
After they returned to the lodge, Liz said, “I think I’ll go to bed. This whole thing is taking its toll on me.”
“Okay,” Roger said. “I have some work to do on my laptop, but I’ll be along soon.”
She looked at her watch and saw that it was time for the news. “I think I’ll watch the news before I go to bed. It won’t disturb you, will it?”
Roger looked up and smiled at her. “Not in the least. Go right ahead.”
Liz settled down on the couch and turned the TV on to the local news.
Murdered by Success Page 6