Just a Breath Away

by Carlene Thompson

  Kelsey shook her head. ‘I think he’s brought on his own downfall.’

  Someone rapped on Kelsey’s office door then quickly opened it. Nina stuck her head in. She looked excited. ‘Kelsey, Declan Adair’s here! Do you want me to send him right in? Or wait until you’ve straightened your desk?’

  ‘Keep him in the reception area. I’ll be out in a minute.’

  ‘The reception area?’ Nina looked disappointed that Kelsey wasn’t jumping into action. ‘OK. If you’re sure.’

  Kelsey wiped her hands, popped in a breath mint and whisked on pink lipstick. She left Eve sitting at the desk and walked quickly into the pale green and ivory reception area awash with sunlight pouring through the large windows. Declan Adair sat on a chair with chrome arms as he idly flipped through a magazine. He’d propped one jean-clad leg over the other. He wore shining black loafers and a light blue long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his Rolex watch. For a moment, Kelsey thought that with his thick blonde-streaked hair, golden tan skin and casual grace, he could be a celebrity posing in a high-end fashion campaign.

  ‘Mr Adair?’

  He looked up, his sapphire blue eyes sparking, and smiled. ‘It’s Declan. Hello.’ He stood and came toward her. ‘I hope I’m not interrupting anything important. Mrs Evans said you weren’t with a client.’

  ‘I’m not. I was eating a sandwich at my desk.’

  He frowned. ‘Oh no! I was going to ask you to lunch.’

  ‘Lunch? Why?’ Kelsey realized how shocked she sounded and tried to regain her poise. ‘I mean … why?’

  Declan grinned. ‘Because it’s lunchtime and I’d enjoy your company. I’d also like to make up for barging into your home under false pretenses.’

  ‘Nice of you but you don’t have to make up for anything. You’ve explained yourself.’ Kelsey was aware of Nina, Giles and Isaac all pretending to work while listening intently. She was annoyed with herself for being flustered. ‘Maybe if you’d called I could have gone. But as I said—’

  ‘You were having a sandwich at your desk.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I should have called.’ His brilliant blue eyes seemed to twinkle at her. ‘It was nervy of me to arrive without notice, especially if you were already having lunch.’

  ‘Just a sandwich with Eve. I don’t think you’ve met her.’

  ‘I know who she is but I haven’t formally met her.’

  ‘Oh.’ For some reason Kelsey felt like she was twelve years old and talking to the boy she’d had a crush on. Her face was getting hot and she didn’t know what to do with her hands. You can’t trust him, she told herself. ‘Eve’s my close friend. She works here.’

  Declan nodded, smiling slightly. ‘I know.’

  ‘Well, about lunch—’

  At that moment, the front door of MG Interiors swung open and a teenage boy with spiky orange hair strode in carrying a long, slender white box. ‘Delivery from Aline Flowers!’

  ‘You don’t have to shout,’ Nina said reprovingly. ‘Who are they for?’

  ‘No idea. The card’s inside,’ the guy said, laying down the box. ‘I was told just to deliver this. No peeking allowed!’ He giggled at his own humor.

  Kelsey walked toward Nina. ‘Do we have some money in petty cash for a tip?’

  ‘Sure thing.’

  ‘Never mind.’ Declan approached the teenager holding a couple of dollar bills in his hand. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘No, thank you, Mister!’ The guy closed his hand over the dollar bills. ‘I love making deliveries. Gets me away from the store.’ He beamed at everyone. ‘Have a fantastic day!’

  The box lay on a mirror-topped console table. A wide gold ribbon with a simple white and gold bow encircled it. By this time, Eve had ambled into the reception room. She glanced at the box. ‘Did someone get flowers?’

  ‘Apparently, but we don’t know who,’ Kelsey said. ‘There’s a card inside.’

  Declan cleared his throat. ‘Maybe you should open the box and solve the mystery.’

  ‘Of course. How silly of me.’ Kelsey felt embarrassed again, deciding Declan Adair must think the MG Interiors staff unusually slow-witted. Everyone watched as she slid the bow off and lifted the lid of the box. Inside lay a dozen long-stemmed red roses.

  ‘Oh, how beautiful!’ Eve said.

  Nina rushed to the table and gazed down at the lush blooms. ‘Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! Who sent them, Kelsey?’

  Kelsey lifted a blank white envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. The sender had used a computer to write the message. She glanced at the words, gasped, then dropped the paper.

  Everyone stared at her but only Declan moved, bending down to pick up the slip of paper. He stood and read aloud:

  To Kelsey and Eve,

  Red for all the loves you’ve lost,

  Red for all the loves to follow.

  Are you happy now?

  You won’t be for long.

  He looked at Kelsey. ‘Do you have any idea who sent the flowers?’

  Kelsey felt a chill wash over her as she looked at the lush flowers accompanied by such an ominous message. ‘I’m afraid they’re from Bradley Fairbourne,’ she said slowly. ‘I believe he thinks Eve or I – maybe both of us – took pictures of him with Megan Reid and sent them to Megan’s father, who’s a senior partner of the law firm where Brad works.’

  Kelsey glanced at Eve, who had gone pale. ‘You know what this means. He’s lost his job and he’s holding us responsible.’

  Declan held the message paper by the edges. ‘It’s worse than that.’ He looked into Kelsey’s eyes. ‘It’s a threat. To you and Eve.’

  TWELVE

  Kelsey rolled on to her side and pulled a fluffy down pillow over her head, but it did no good. For the first time in over two weeks she’d slept soundly, peacefully and seemingly dreamlessly. Now noise hammered at her sleep and dragged her to consciousness, forcing her to open her eyes slightly and peep from under the pillow to look at the bedside clock.

  It was 9:45 a.m. and someone was nearly battering down her front door.

  Drowsiness fled as panic shot through her. Lori had been killed. Grandfather had been killed. Who had been killed now? Who had been ripped from her life?

  Kelsey scrambled out of bed and from habit pulled a long robe over her silk sleep shirt. She pushed her hair behind her ears as she dashed through the living room. Gatsby outran her and flung himself against the door, his back humped, his tail forming a curlicue, his green eyes looking twice as large as usual.

  ‘Get out of the way!’ Kelsey snapped at him as she flipped the lock and the deadbolt. She swung open the sturdy door to see Olivia Fairbourne standing on the small porch, her fist raised, her silver hair hanging limp almost to her shoulders, and her eyes red-rimmed in her pale face.

  ‘Finally!’ Olivia shouted. ‘Do you sleep all day? Don’t you have a store to run?’

  ‘It’s not even ten o’clock and it’s Sunday morning! MG Interiors is closed. What the hell is wrong with you?’ Kelsey yelled back.

  Olivia’s voice grated. ‘May I at least come in?’

  ‘All right.’ Kelsey stood back. Olivia didn’t move, throwing a nasty look at Gatsby hovering near the doorway. ‘Don’t you dare say a word about my cat, Olivia! This is his home, not yours!’ Kelsey knew how ridiculous she sounded but she was angry. And worse, she was scared. ‘What’s wrong?’ she demanded. ‘Is Dad all right?’

  ‘Truman?’

  ‘Yes, Olivia, my dad. Truman.’

  ‘As far as I know your father is fine, but you’d have to ask Helen Norris for a definitive answer. She seems to be in charge of the March family these days. At least that’s what your father told me on Wednesday when I was trying to be helpful!’

  ‘By telling him that Helen should leave.’

  ‘Oh. So she called and tattled to you.’

  ‘No, I called her.’ Kelsey glared at Olivia. ‘Are you coming inside or not? If I stand here with th
e door open, Gatsby might run away.’

  ‘God, what a loss that would be!’ Olivia stepped into the loft and looked around. ‘Not very feminine.’

  ‘No ruffles, no lace, no crocheted doilies, if that’s what you mean.’ Kelsey drew a deep breath. ‘You certainly didn’t come to pass judgment on my new loft. What do you want?’

  ‘Is Bradley here?’

  Kelsey blinked at her. ‘Brad? Why would he be here?’

  ‘Because he was your fiancé.’ Olivia passed by her and headed toward the bedroom area. ‘I thought maybe you’d reconciled.’

  ‘We were never engaged and we certainly haven’t reconciled! Don’t you dare go into my bedroom, Olivia!’ The woman ignored her and peered into the dim room, then turned on the overhead light. ‘Olivia!’ Kelsey stomped barefooted after her as Olivia made her way to the adjoining bathroom and turned on the light there, too.

  ‘Are you satisfied? Brad isn’t here.’

  ‘He’s not the only man in the world.’

  ‘So you expected to find a different one in my bed?’

  ‘Maybe that handsome blonde man at Lorelei’s funeral who no one knew except you. It was obvious you knew him very well! Everyone was talking about the two of you.’

  ‘Oh, they were not, Olivia.’

  ‘Bradley certainly noticed. He was embarrassed.’

  ‘Embarrassed about what?’

  ‘About you being so flirtatious. At your sister’s funeral, no less. Who is that man? Did you invite him to the funeral? Are you involved with him?’

  ‘I barely know him. He was a friend of Lori’s,’ Kelsey lied blithely, determined not to give Olivia one bit of information. ‘Why are you here, Olivia? Did you want to see if I have a love interest who spends the night?’

  ‘No. Besides, you’ll never find anyone like Brad.’

  ‘I hope I won’t!’ Suddenly the air seemed to drain out of Kelsey. At the same time, Olivia tottered to the long navy-blue suede sofa and sank down, burying her face in her hands, and sobbed. Kelsey looked at her coldly for a few seconds, then sighed with frustration as relief mixed with a twinge of pity weakened her outrage. She walked over and sat beside Olivia. ‘Let’s stop insulting each other and talk like two civilized women. At least, semi-civilized.’

  Remarkably, Olivia made a sound close to laughter and then hiccupped. ‘I hate it when I act so weak.’

  ‘That’s a refreshing change. I’m sure Brad isn’t at his house or you wouldn’t be here. I suppose he’s not answering his phone either. Why are you scouring the city for him?’

  ‘I’m afraid for him, Kelsey,’ Olivia said reluctantly. ‘He’s been unhappy for a year. After you broke up with him things got worse. He doesn’t even act like my little boy anymore.’

  ‘That’s because he’s thirty-two.’

  ‘Don’t be a smart aleck!’ Olivia wiped at her face with her hands and sniffed mightily. ‘Do you have a tissue?’

  Kelsey reached to the glass end table beside the sofa and pulled a tissue from a vintage gold holder. ‘Here …’

  Olivia snuffled from behind her tissue. ‘I might need another one.’

  Kelsey put the tissue holder on Olivia’s lap. ‘You can have them all.’ Olivia dabbed at fresh tears. ‘Would you like some coffee?’

  Olivia looked at her in surprise. ‘OK … I didn’t fix any this morning. I was too nervous.’

  Kelsey went into the kitchen and took her time measuring coffee and carefully pouring spring water into the coffee brewer. She fixed a tray with coffee, cream and sugar and reached for the china cups, then chose thermal mugs instead. Olivia hated drinking coffee from a mug, and Kelsey wasn’t going to take this gracious hostess act too far. When she returned to the living room, she saw Olivia tucked into a corner of the sofa as Gatsby sat across the room, his gaze fixed on her.

  Kelsey set the tray on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Olivia immediately leaned forward and poured cream and coffee into her mug without complaint before glancing at Gatsby. ‘Does he glower at everyone?’ she asked.

  ‘No,’ Kelsey said as she fixed her own coffee. ‘You aren’t one of his favorite people, Olivia.’

  ‘As if I ever wanted to be!’ Suddenly, Olivia looked at her with watery green eyes. ‘I miss Milton. No one will ever love me like he did. No one ever has.’

  Kelsey was so surprised she took a quick gulp of coffee and burned the inside of her mouth. ‘That’s why I never drink out of those thermal mugs you favor. The coffee stays too hot,’ Olivia said. ‘I don’t blame you for being shocked … Everyone thinks I only married Milton for his money, but I loved him.’

  Kelsey didn’t believe her. For years she’d been wary of her mother’s best friend, and since Lori’s death her distrust had grown. It would take more than a trembling voice and a few touching words to destroy her skepticism. ‘You wanted Milton’s money and you forced him to adopt Brad.’

  ‘I didn’t force him!’

  ‘Brad tells a different story.’

  Kelsey saw a flash of alarm in Olivia’s eyes before she asked, ‘What did Bradley tell you?’

  Brad hadn’t told Kelsey much of anything, but she didn’t want to dig for the truth now. Instead, she changed the subject.

  ‘Why are you so upset about Brad today?’

  Olivia hesitated. ‘He’s been let go at the law firm.’

  ‘Oh.’

  Olivia pounced. ‘You don’t sound surprised! You already knew?’

  Kelsey decided to speak carefully. ‘He’s been on edge about his job for months. Besides, Brad doesn’t enjoy practicing law, Olivia. Maybe it’s for the best.’

  ‘For the best! I can’t believe you said that, Kelsey! Oh, he didn’t live and breathe law but he definitely had a talent for it. They just didn’t give him anything interesting to do. I blame John Reid. I don’t think he ever liked Brad. He’s held Bradley back – kept him from showing everyone what he can do if given the chance, prevented him realizing his potential!’

  ‘You can’t blame the senior partners of the law firm for being disappointed if Brad wasn’t giving the job his all. As for John …’

  Olivia’s eyes narrowed with curiosity, and suddenly Kelsey realized Brad hadn’t told his mother about the pictures of him and Megan Reid. He probably hadn’t told her much of anything.

  ‘Give me a few details. When was Brad let go from the firm?’ Kelsey asked innocently.

  ‘Friday morning. Just like that!’ Olivia snapped her fingers in front of Kelsey’s face.

  ‘Did he let you know immediately?’

  ‘Before noon on Friday. He was so angry, so hurt. He only talked for a few minutes. Later I called him.’

  ‘What did he say? How did he sound?’

  Olivia frowned in thought. ‘He sounded … different. Vague. Rambling. Not at all well.’ Drunk and stoned, Kelsey translated mentally. ‘He mentioned you.’

  ‘What about me?’

  ‘He said you’d be happy now.’ Kelsey thought about the message that had come with the red roses: Are you happy now? ‘Why would he say that?’ Olivia demanded. ‘Did you want him to be fired?’

  ‘No, Olivia. I hoped things would work out for him.’

  ‘Well, they didn’t. I told him to come home and we’d go talk to Truman. John Reid is his closest friend. Surely as a favor to Truman—’

  ‘John would reinstate Brad?’ Olivia nodded. Kelsey hesitated for a moment, then decided to be totally open with Olivia. ‘Has Brad said anything to you about Megan Reid?’

  ‘Megan Reid? John’s daughter?’

  Kelsey nodded.

  ‘Why would he?’

  ‘Because he’s dating her.’

  ‘He isn’t!’

  ‘Brad was seen at a bar with a girl who looks just like Megan Reid.’

  ‘Looks like being the key words. Megan Reid is only sixteen!’

  ‘She’s eighteen, Olivia.’

  ‘Still, she’s just a teenager. What would Brad be doing with her?’


  ‘Drinking for one thing. They were on a date in the bar. She was drunk. And she was with him Thursday night. They’re involved, Olivia.’

  ‘Says who?’

  ‘Me. And Eve Daley.’

  ‘Oh, Eve! I should have known! She’s been trying to worm her way into the March family for years and now that Sofie is dead, she’d like to marry Truman! She hates Brad because he sees right through her. He’s warned me about her. She’d do or say anything—’

  ‘Olivia, that’s enough! Eve’s in love with Stuart Girard.’

  ‘He’s just a smoke screen. Have you seen the way that scheming gold-digger looks at Truman?’

  ‘People called you a gold-digger when you started dating Milton. I think you’re projecting your own personality on to Eve.’ Olivia opened her mouth but Kelsey cut her off. ‘I don’t want to hear one more word about Eve pursuing my father. I mean it, Olivia,’ Kelsey said in a low, threatening voice. ‘You should concentrate on your son and Megan Reid.’

  ‘Why? Brad is not dating Megan Reid. What a preposterous thing for Eve to claim!’

  ‘He is, Olivia. I’ve seen them together.’

  ‘You’re lying because you want to hurt Brad.’

  ‘I am not lying, Olivia.’ She’d told Pike about the pictures an anonymous watcher had taken of Brad and Megan and sent to her father, as well as the flowers and the message she’d received at work on Friday. Now she wanted to tell Olivia about the pictures and the flowers she’d received only hours after Brad had been fired, but she knew Olivia would deny that there had been pictures, no matter what evidence proved the contrary. If she accepted that there had been photographs, she’d probably insist that someone – probably Eve – had sent the flowers, even though the florist who’d supplied the roses identified Brad as the sender. Olivia would have none of it, and Kelsey realized she had to speak in generalities. ‘Considering Brad’s erratic behavior lately, I don’t believe he’s thinking of the consequences of his actions. John knows about Brad seeing Megan – drinking in bars with her when she’s under twenty-one, probably spending nights with her. And he didn’t like it. He’s very protective of Megan.’

  ‘So John fired Bradley because of his little tramp of a daughter?’