by Tanya Stowe
“Hello, sweetheart.” His voice gave Lara so much comfort it brought tears to her eyes.
“Dad, I’m so glad to see you.”
“I know. I’m sorry I stayed away so long. You were right. You were so right. I was avoiding coming here. I let you and Brett and Troy take responsibility for your mother’s school. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
Lara was so surprised, she laughed out loud and raised her head to look into her father’s face. “So Rupert Townsend was right. He said plain talk was effective with you.”
“Townsend is here?” Her dad gave a shake of his head. “It figures. I should have known he’d try to horn in on your mom’s school.”
Frowning, Lara leaned even farther back. “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s agreed to invest a lot of money.”
“I doubt that will happen now that I’ve made a showing. It would be just like him to pull out at the last minute. It’s typical of his antics. Sometimes I think his main goal in life is to create trouble for me.”
“Townsend doesn’t need to create trouble, Dad. We have enough of it on our own.” She couldn’t keep the worry out of her tone.
Gripping her hands, her father studied her face. “Let’s sit down,” he said at last. “I think this is going to take a while.”
After they were seated, Lara told him about Troy’s money problems, the missing checks, Brett’s cover-up and even about the SUV. When she’d finished, her dad shook his head.
“I knew there were issues, but I had no idea…” He shook his head again. “Lara, I can’t believe you’ve been handling this all on your own. I’m sorry I abandoned you.”
“It’s OK, Dad. You’re here now.”
At his doubtful expression, she grasped his hands. “Really, it is. In fact, I think it’s been good for me to sort through things on my own. I needed…”
“The chance to grow up.” Her dad’s quietly spoken words touched Lara.
“I grew up a long time ago, Dad. I needed to test my capabilities.”
“And you’ve surpassed both our expectations, I think.”
“Yes,” she said with a little smile. “I guess I surprised myself a little, too. But I’m not finished. There’s more that needs to be done.”
She told him about Alex’s concerns about the school and its curriculum. “He was so right, Dad. We need to provide this wonderful environment for all children, not just the wealthy ones. You can’t believe the incredible work I’ve seen. So many children with unbelievable talent…and equal difficulties…even special needs. I was overwhelmed by the desire to do something.”
Her father nodded his head slowly. “I see. And does Alex feel the same way?”
Confused by her dad’s hesitation, she said, “No. But I’m firmly convinced this is the direction the school needs to take.”
“Brett mentioned Summers’s speech and his interest in you.”
Understanding filtered through Lara and dread seeped in. “I see. Brett doesn’t even know about the missing checks, but he has time to tell you about my relationship with Alex. Is Brett the director of the school or my watchdog, Dad? It seems to me he has his own issues to deal with without butting into mine.”
Dad held up his hands. “Whoa, whoa. Slow down. Brett’s your friend, and he’s concerned. He has a right to be. Apparently, this Summers doesn’t have a very good reputation where the ladies are concerned.”
Lara shook her head. “Well, fortunately I’m not falling in love with his reputation. I’m falling in love with the real man.” The words were out before she even realized she said them.
Her father froze.
So did Lara. She caught her breath. Was it true? Was she falling in love with Alex? Possibly. Maybe. Yes. She looked up into her father’s concerned expression.
“Honey, those words don’t fill me with confidence.”
Lara drew her breath in slowly, calmly. “Dad, you just said you were impressed with what I’ve accomplished and handled. Can’t you give me some credit in this arena, too? I haven’t done anything foolish, and I’m not going to. But Alex and I deserve the opportunity to see where that leads, don’t you think?”
Her father’s lips thinned into a tight white line and for a minute, Lara thought he was going to argue. Then he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Yes, you do. Just promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t think I could stand it if my little girl got her heart broken her first time out.”
Lara laughed. “It’s not exactly my first time out, Dad, but I do promise to be careful.”
“Good.” He patted the hand he’d just kissed. “Now, where do we go from here?” He gazed into the distance. “Tonight is the grand finale, the party where Brett and Troy unveil the donor’s plaques and make their last pitch for sponsors. Everything has to go without a hitch so there’s no time to talk. We’ll just have to sort all these problems out tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ll give you an hour to get rid of the horse smell, and then I’d like to see this building my money bought.”
“One more thing, Dad. Since this is the last night, I’d like to make a pitch for my underprivileged children. Do I have your permission to move forward with what I had in mind?”
He studied her for a moment, and then lifted her to her feet. “Go for it. I’d like to see what you’ve got.”
The twinkle in his eyes made her laugh out loud. “Then make it half an hour. I can’t wait to get started!”
13
“We’ve got an APB out for the arrest of Alan Chang.” Alex could barely hear Bowman’s voice over the crowded foyer of the school.
Early arrivals for the cocktail party were happily milling about, drinking and snapping up the refreshments passed around by waiters wearing white smocks and painter’s berets.
Alex stepped onto the school’s back deck, away from the noise. “That was quick. Obviously you found something in his background check.”
“Just a gambling addiction with debts in every state of the nation.”
Alex was silent as the new information clicked into place. “So you think he needs money in the worst way. Bad enough to betray his employer?”
“Or he’s being blackmailed by someone else to betray his employer.”
“Pressured like Troy,” Alex murmured, almost to himself.
“It fits the pattern. We wanted to pull Chang in for questioning but he didn’t return to work. Left for lunch and never came back. We’ve had a man at his apartment all afternoon and he didn’t show up there, either.”
“You think something…or someone tipped him off.”
“Or his dangerous friends decided to take him out of the equation.”
A cool evening breeze rippled over Alex’s loose performance shirt, sending chills down his back.
“The stakes just got higher, my friend,” Bowman said. “I don’t like it. If not for you, I’d pull out all the stops and interrupt this event no matter how important it is.”
“That kind of action would destroy the school’s opening.”
“Maybe. But the longer we wait, the colder the trail gets and the more time these crooks have to cover their tracks. I have a bad feeling about it.”
“If you’re worried about the Fallon folks making a run for it, I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Alex glanced back through the glass doors at the receiving line where Daniel, Troy, Brett, and Eliza were greeting the incoming guests.
There was no sign of Lara, but he needed to find her, needed to talk to her before it was too late. The knot was unraveling. If he didn’t find a way to tell her the truth soon, he never would. “Daniel Fallon showed up this afternoon,” Alex told Bowman. “He seems to have energized the group. For the first time, they seem to be pulling together, focusing on the school and its future.”
“Could be,” Bowman said slowly. “And then it could be Fallon’s arrival coincides with Chang’s disappearance.”
Another chill swept up Alex’s back. This one had nothing to do with the cold air. Was he wrong? Had his
emotions colored his judgment? If he spoke with Lara, would she warn her father and destroy the investigation?
If Lara found out Alex had deceived her before he could tell her, she’d feel betrayed. If her family and friends were involved in this crime, she’d feel the same way. Either way, the woman he was falling in love with would be hurt…and that meant he would be, too.
“We’re processing a search warrant for Chang’s apartment,” Bowman continued. “As soon as it comes through, we’re going in. If we see any signs of violence, school or no school, we’re going straight to Fallon’s place. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open. If you notice any change or sign of trouble, call me immediately. This is getting too dangerous.”
Alex closed his eyes.
“Do you hear me, Summers?”
“Yes, yes, I hear you.” Alex punched the End button on his phone. Any hope of a future with Lara might have just ended.
~*~
Lara stepped back to study the chalk drawing centered in the simple frame resting on an easel.
Not bad, especially for such a rush job! Unless of course, they look on the back and see the duct tape.
Lara smiled. With her father’s permission, she’d taken the initiative. While Troy and Brett greeted her dad, she’d slipped into Brett’s office and removed some of the samples of art submitted by underprivileged children. Making a choice had been tough, but in the end, she’d picked this chalk landscape, an incredible city scene in pencil, and the piano CD by a young girl in a wheelchair.
She’d hurried into the mailroom to gather the supplies she needed. Fortunately, no one asked any questions.
The mailroom clerk had not come back from lunch and that had sent the rest of the employees in a tizzy, trying to reach him and fill in the gaps. They were responsible for mounting and presenting the donor plaques, and with the lead clerk gone, turmoil reigned.
Lara grabbed what she needed and made her escape without too much notice.
Then she’d hurried back to the house and dressed for the event in record time. She returned to the school late, once again avoiding unnecessary questions and explanations. She set the easels in a small passageway between the large common room and the smaller room where Alex and Carlos were scheduled to play after the presentation of the plaques. Guests would pass by this area, see the pieces, and hear the piano sonata playing. They couldn’t miss it. They’d be intrigued and…hopefully…ask questions.
With one last glance around her display, Lara smoothed her hands over her hips. She’d chosen a little black dress with straight lines, short sleeves and a slight flare at the knees. She loved the simple, clean lines and had slicked her hair into a small knot at the back for the same effect. She was ready.
Stepping out of the passage into the crowd, she searched for Alex. All afternoon an idea had been dancing around in her head. He’d asked about the mail clerk and now the man had gone missing. It seemed too coincidental. She suspected he knew something he wasn’t telling.
Most of the guests had arrived. Her father chatted and laughed with a group of friends near the door. Brett stood slightly apart from the group, looking like a whipped dog…or someone with a guilty conscience.
Her father, Brett, and Troy had talked for hours this afternoon behind closed doors. Judging from Brett’s hangdog expression, it hadn’t gone his way.
Eliza stood across the room listening to an older lady. Lara’s friend appeared distracted, barely paying attention. She reached for a glass of champagne as a waiter went by, clearly disturbed. Obviously, Christy had told her mother about their second encounter with the black SUV.
Troy stood close by, looking relaxed and calm with a group of donors. He acted as if he didn’t have a care in the world and that puzzled Lara. Of them all, he had reason to be the most concerned.
Milly Johansson was decked out in a long, black skirt and flowing top. She gave a shy little wave.
Delighted, Lara hurried toward her. “You’re supposed to be in L.A.”
“We were. But our drummer slammed his hand in a car door and the recording sessions had to be postponed. I wanted to come back, so…here we are.” She gave an embarrassed shrug. “I feel bad about his injury, but I was really glad to make it back for this.”
“Me, too. Come with me. I have something to show you.” Hooking her arm through Milly’s, she led her to the small passage and her carefully chosen art pieces.
As they walked, Milly said, “I met your dad. He’s…”
“Formidable,” Lara finished.
“Yeah. He certainly exudes power.”
“And my mother shimmered like some precious metal.” Lara looked up at the ceiling. “She glowed. When the two of them walked into a room, all eyes were on them. They were larger than life, and then…there was me.” Lara was surprised at how little the words hurt.
“You have your own special gifts,” Milly said quietly.
Lara smiled and squeezed the other woman’s arm. “I know. You were right about that. In fact, you were right about a lot of things. I’ve become involved in the school, and I think it’s made a difference. Take a look.” She gestured to the display she’d created and paused.
“Wow,” Milly said. “This is something my husband and I could really support.”
“You think so?” Lara asked.
“Totally. We have a thing for misfit kids. Go figure,” she said. “And I have a good feeling about this. We’ll have to pray about it, of course, but…”
“Oh, Milly, I’m so glad we met. You’re special to me already. Our talks have meant a lot. You’ve been right about so many things. I even met a dark-haired stranger.”
Milly studied Lara’s face before she nodded. “I’ve seen the way you look at Alejandro Summers. Do you love him?”
“I think I’m beginning to.” Lara stopped.
“But…” Milly prompted.
“But…I’m not sure I know what love is. I believed I loved Brett, but that faded beside what I feel for Alex. He makes my soul sing, and I can’t wait to hear what he has to say next. The world sparkles when I’m with him.”
“But…” Milly said again.
Lara sighed. “I loved my mom…too much. And my dad. Everything I did, I did to please them. And then, just like that, my mom was gone and my powerful dad was a shadow of himself. I was almost a grown woman and I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. It took me a long time to heal and get on with my life. I’m not sure I want that kind of love again.”
Milly grasped her hand. “You don’t. You want a different kind of love, a fulfilling, secure love. It’s time you experienced God’s love. Find out what He created you to be, who He wants you to be, and what He has planned for you. Then you’ll truly know your own heart, and it will be safe to follow it.”
“I’m not sure what that means, or how I’ll do it.” Lara managed a little smile. “But given your track record of good advice, I’ll try to figure it out.”
“Deal.” Milly held out her hand for a shake.
Lara took it, and they both laughed.
“Come on.” Milly grasped Lara’s arm this time. “I want to tell Avery about this.”
The whole time Milly related the story to her husband, Lara searched the crowd for Alex. When she finally spotted him, he had just greeted a new arrival at the door, a distinguished older gentleman Lara didn’t recognize.
Thinking of older gentlemen reminded Lara she hadn’t seen Rupert Townsend. She searched the room. He was not in attendance. Perhaps her father had been right. If her father was involved, it was possible Rupert wouldn’t follow through with his support. But Milly and Avery might donate to the school and the children for the right reasons.
Alex and his companion joined them. “Lara, this is Doctor Theodore Jerome. Dr. Jerome is one of the leading researchers in multiple learning.” He looked at her as if the phrase should mean something.
“I’m sorry. What’s multiple learning?”
“Chemistry from paint mixtures
. Sculpting through math… It’s the term used for different ways of teaching.”
Lara gasped and extended her hand. “Doctor! What a pleasure to meet you.”
“What’s more, Lara,” Alex didn’t give her time to finish the introduction. “He’s just been awarded a substantial research grant to study multiple learning.”
“Yes, Ms. Fallon, and from what Professor Summers tells me, you need a curriculum. If I can create a curriculum for your students that meets the specifications of our study, we might be able to use Fallon students as our first subjects.”
Lara was speechless. All she could do was to grasp Alex around the neck and kiss him.
At first, his arms wrapped around her, and he returned the kiss. But then, as if remembering where they were and who was watching, he grasped her arms and tugged them loose. He looked away from Lara so quickly, it surprised her.
Was this the man who’d told her he didn’t worry about what others thought or said?
“Of course,” Alex said, unable to meet her gaze. “I’ll have to return to Madrid and my work in a few days. But I’ve offered to help, Dr. Jerome, long distance if I can.”
Why had he said that? Was he trying to remind her he had a career and a life elsewhere? That he couldn’t stay, couldn’t commit to the school or to her?
Lara understood. The future was a blank slate and she had no plans or expectations. Conversation about the school carried on, and soon, she was caught up.
The group was still chatting when Brett announced Alex’s performance would take place in a few moments.
Avery walked to the passageway, motioning for Milly and Lara to follow. “I think our project needs attention.” Avery began to discuss the art. People stopped to listen as he pointed out features on the easels and noted the music.
Dr. Jerome asked questions and talked of multiple learning techniques. Everyone who passed paused to listen.