“That’s not fair, Lillian. Jewel and Milne were torn apart by their differences. I watched it with my own eyes. Why would I want to repeat that mistake?”
Lillian opened her mouth to protest but was cut off by Maria’s cell phone ringing next to her on the table. She picked it up, spoke to the caller then clapped her hand over the phone.
“It’s Andrei. He’s coming over. He said you’ll want to hear what he has to say.”
CHAPTER 23
“I’m going to change into something else,” Maria said, hopping off the couch. “Be right back.” In her bedroom, she slipped into an old pair of black jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. The white top was too revealing. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Severe, but that was the look she wanted. Nothing to suggest she’d gone out of her way to appear attractive to him. She was good at playacting. Thank God women could hide their horniness. If she got totally turned on when he walked in the room it would be her secret.
The buzzer sounded and her heart raced. He couldn’t have been very far away when he called. She heard Lillian open the door and the two of them walk into the living room. Maria waited a few minutes, swallowed hard and went in.
He’d changed into one of the formal suits he wore for work and stood by the mantel holding the drink Lillian had fixed for him. His expression softened when he saw her, but only fleetingly.
Maria’s stomach clutched. “Where’s Lil?”
“She had to go out on some errand.”
“Oh, that’s right. She needed to get some new supplies for the bar,” Maria said, knowing Lillian had purposely left them alone. She grabbed the glass with her half-finished drink and sat on the sofa farthest away from Andrei. “Lil makes a great gin and tonic.”
“Yes, she does.”
Clearly, he wasn’t going to help her by smoothing the conversation out. His glance skimmed over her body, lingered on the curves poorly hidden by her sweatshirt, the skin at the dip of her throat. That one look had the force of a magnet. Maria had to fight the impulse to take him in her arms. She crossed her legs.
“Tell me your news.”
“You’re better now? What did the hospital say?”
“I’ll be fine. The symptoms should disappear in a week or so and they gave me some painkillers.”
“Good to hear.” He downed his drink, set the empty glass on the mantel and moved over to the couch.
“Thorpe’s real name is Charles Hock. It was a good idea to give him time overnight to think about his fate. Alone with my friends, he was all bluster to begin with. Threatening lawyers and lawsuits. By the end, he would have given us his life savings gift-wrapped if we’d wanted.” Andrei allowed himself a bitter laugh.
Maria’s titter in response sounded ridiculously false to her. “So was it him?”
“Yep. We found all the threatening texts on his cell phone. We persuaded him to give up his password.”
“He didn’t wipe them out? That was stupid.”
“You can never erase messages completely, even if you think they’re deleted. We discovered Hock has a thing for prostitutes. Really young ones. He seems to be under the impression that if he pays for it, that gives him carte blanche to do any degrading thing he wants. He frequents the dirtiest places imaginable. Girls and boys kept like livestock, never allowed out, drugged up to the hilt.”
“I’m surprised. If that’s what he’s into, why did he want me?”
“That’s just it. You were totally different. You were a prize he felt entitled to.”
“The man is completely depraved. You’re magnificent, Andrei. For catching him, I mean.”
He frowned at her correction.
She filled the gap quickly. “I thought I recognized his figure from the San Francisco hotel surveillance tape. But he was never a client before last night, was he?
Andrei shook his head. “No. Not that I can see.”
“Then what’s the connection?”
“Are you ready for this? He’s Jewel’s neighbor. He’s lived next door to her for five years. Lives alone. Been to lots of their cocktail parties. He lends an ear to her whenever she needs to rant. Apparently, Jewel told him every detail of your life.”
It made sense Jewel would seek out a man for her confessor. She had no close female friends. She claimed she didn’t trust other women to keep their mouths shut. She could imagine Jewel sliding next door, late in the afternoon when Milne was dizzy with alcohol, pouring her heart out about all the slings and arrows she’d suffered. What she couldn’t imagine was Jewel socializing with Thorpe.
“It’s hard to believe Jewel would take someone like that into her confidence.”
“Well, from all outward appearances, he looked reputable and affluent.”
“He must have money if he lives in Jewel’s building. What does he do?”
“Sells glasses. Owns a string of optical companies. Obviously had the bucks to hire people to harass you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I doubt if the guy knew how to hack your e-mail account. And he hired help to beat me up last night.”
“Did he kill that girl?”
“Almost positive. He admitted being a frequent visitor to the massage parlor where she worked.”
“He didn’t confess to the murder?”
“Well, yes. But at that point, near the end, he’d have sworn the world was flat if we’d wanted him to.
Near the end. Andrei had mentioned that twice now. “What did you do to him—afterward?” She was almost afraid to hear the answer.
“Let him go.”
His words sent a shock wave through her. It was the last thing she expected. “He’ll come after me again! Even if you have the evidence, I can’t sue him for harassment or what I do would become known in court.” Tears filled her eyes.
“Calm down,” Andrei said sharply. “Let’s just say he’s going to have trouble getting it up for quite a long time. Besides, he’s not going to be a free man for much longer.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve given all this information to Trainor, who thankfully didn’t inquire too deeply into how I got it. The Romanian girl tried to defend herself. Police got a DNA sample from her fingernails. If they match it to him, he’s done like a roasted pig.”
“Sorry. I should have realized you’d make sure.”
“Nothing about you has to come out in the investigation. Trainor will focus on the physical evidence and Hock’s association with the massage parlor.”
She felt a rush of gratitude. “Thanks for coming over to tell me. After the way we parted this morning, you didn’t have to.” She cast her eyes down and tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible but it was a losing battle. She had a tearing need to feel his hands on her again.
“Look at me, Maria. I want to know if you really meant what you said this morning.”
She raised her eyes reluctantly.
“Come here.”
He didn’t wait for her to move but took her forcefully in his arms and kissed her. His caress took her breath away. She’d managed to hold her feelings back when there was physical distance between them, but now, in his arms, her desire proved irresistible. She gave herself over to it and felt the thrill of his touch right down to her toes. She summoned her last ounce of willpower and pulled away. “Stop this, Andrei.”
He sat back and loosened his tie. Maria saw the bruise on his jaw from where he’d been hit, the faint shadows under his eyes from so little sleep. “Do you really want me to stop? I don’t think so. I’m not sure where your words are coming from. But your body can’t lie.”
She stood and walked over to the window, her form silhouetted by the golden sun. “It was just a physical reaction,” she said, keeping her back to him.
“Yeah. And it came from the part of you that’s most real.” He rose from the sofa but didn’t try to approach her again. “We were good together last night. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
She lifted her eleg
ant shoulders in a shrug. She couldn’t argue. He was an accomplished lover, no use denying it. Far more skilled than any she’d had before. He knew how a woman’s body worked. She almost resented how easily he was able to please her. Unconsciously, she brushed her fingers against her mouth remembering the feel of his lips on hers seconds ago.
“Andrei, we’re better friends and business associates. When Trainor closes his case, he’ll get off my back. Everything can go back to normal. We’ve had a perfect partnership up till now. Let’s not wreck it. I don’t know why I gave in last night. I’ve been very weak. People do crazy things when they’re feeling scared. It’s completely out of character for me.”
His lips clenched in frustration. “What you call your character is pure fiction. You know that, right?”
“I don’t feel like being analyzed. I had enough of that when I was a teenager. You’re a fine man and it’s been a nice interlude but it has to stop.”
“Is it Whitman? I hope you’re not keeping a candle burning for him. I checked up on him. You should steer clear.”
She turned to face him. “You did what?”
Andrei went on as if he hadn’t heard her. “He’s got one hell of a past. Married a woman who inherited loads of money. They’re not together anymore, by the way.”
“So what?”
“They’re not together because he played around with young women. Then his wife suddenly died. Nothing could ever be proved but her brother accused him of killing her because she wanted a divorce.”
“Probably because the brother didn’t end up with any of the money. Fights over estates happen all the time. You know that.” Once she got going her anger got the better of her. “You know what? Forget about him; this is about you and me.” She cast around for something to say that would put an end to his romantic feelings. She found it.
“To tell you the truth, Andrei, I’ve had better sex with my clients. I just don’t want you that way. Could we please call a halt to this?”
A moment of hurt flared in Andrei’s eyes but he persisted. “Look. If you’re still upset about this morning, let me apologize. I was mad, said things I shouldn’t have. I know what happened to you at the orphanage. It was all documented when Ceausescu died and the new government took over. They investigated your father’s death. When I started to work for you, I checked the transcripts. Children like you who are molested often end up damaged and drawn to prostitution. It’s not your fault.”
Maria’s temper flared again. “What you’re really saying is I’m a whore, but you’re big enough to understand how I got so messed up.”
Andrei sighed with exasperation. “That’s not what I meant at all. You’re turning my words inside out.”
“No. You had to come up with some explanation for why I could open my legs so willingly. At the drop of the hat. For money. Men can do that any day and they boast about it. The more women they have, the more they’re admired. When a woman does it, she’s a slut. I saw that box of condoms in your drawer. How many women have you taken to bed lately? Well, I’m like a man. My clients are notches on a very tall bedpost. I take them for what I can get and don’t even remember their names. Or faces. You think that’s vulgar. An emotional illness. Self-destructive. But only if a woman does it.”
He blanched. “What do you want from me, anyway, Maria? To watch me burn? You expect men to walk over hot coals for you. And when they do and you hear the skin on their feet sizzling, you pretend you were never interested in the first place.”
“Yeah. It’s a badge of honor the way a brand-new man swoons over me. I love the feel of his cock sliding into me. I enjoy a little bit of strange. Don’t you?”
“That’s just crude. It’s beneath you to talk like that.”
“I’m not ladylike enough—is that what you mean? Well maybe. But I’m never bored. I never have to turn over in bed and wish the man beside me would just go to sleep because I ceased finding him attractive about six months after the wedding. Or standing by, the faithful wife, knowing he’s surreptitiously humping on his lunch hour between business meetings. I don’t have that problem and I hope to God I never will.”
“Tell me something. Does the idea of love ever enter into your mind?”
“Sure it does. When I find a man who doesn’t judge me I’ll invite you to the wedding—it could be a long wait.”
She’d totally flattened him. Her warring words gave him not an inch of room to move. He did not seem angry. Simply numb, as if his veins had just been shot full of Novocain.
He barely looked at her as he headed toward the door. “You accused me this morning of indulging in a fantasy about you, Maria. And I see now that’s true. Thanks for straightening me out. Send me whatever papers you think are necessary. Our association is over.”
If he’d hoped to see her relent over the prospect of losing him, he was doomed to disappointment. Instead, she gave him the haughty tones of Claudine. “Glad to. It won’t be that difficult to find another chauffeur.”
“A chauffeur, is it?” He emphasized his words with a cynical laugh. “Well, good luck with that.”
The door clicked shut behind him, and at once Maria felt as if everything of substance inside her was dissolving. She’d spoken too sharply. His mention of childhood abuse lit a fuse inside her and she couldn’t stop the chain reaction. In truth she’d often questioned whether those assaults lay at the core of her fascination with the erotic. Yes, she was a lustful woman. But the sexual power she had over men met some deep need inside her too. And the money it brought was its own reward.
But now, with Andrei gone, all she felt was a cramping, deadening melancholy.
The way she’d felt when the frightening strangers first took her to the tiny village called Siret.
CHAPTER 24
In the following days, as May faded into June, Maria and Lillian danced around one another, avoiding the topic of Andrei. Lillian kept her thoughts about it to herself. As good as his word, Andrei sent all the digital business files; she in her turn gave him a generous severance. That included her BMW.
She remembered the nights he’d take her out for a drive. They’d leave the city and find a stretch of country where Andrei could coax the car to perform to its max. She’d get a favorite music CD from the compartment and feed it into the CD player, turn up the sound. She loved the speed, the night wind whipping through her hair from the window she kept open. She couldn’t imagine riding in that car again with some other man’s hands on the wheel.
She bit back tears when she signed the severance check, wishing her tongue had not been so ready to fling acid, even if she’d told him the truth. She’d had no choice. Nothing could be gained by allowing him to entertain illusions about love.
She canceled all five appointments scheduled over the next two weeks, citing an urgent family matter, and was pleased when all the clients rebooked. One wanted her to role-play as Madonna. In her present mood she couldn’t get worked up about it.
With grim determination, she plunged headlong into reorganizing her life, welcomed it as a way to keep her mind off Andrei. He’d left the files in good shape, although it took a lot of time to set up her own system. She hired an older, married man with a security background as driver and guard. She hit the gym early every day and pushed herself to the extreme till her muscles screamed. Mornings were devoted to business affairs and the rest of the time to her thesis, twelve-hour stretches that barely left her time to eat. She took one break a day to walk in the park at sunset when the shadows of the giant old trees stretched across the rocks and pathways, pools of darkness in the waning light. On one of these walks she found a pile of gray feathers strewn on the ground. She picked one up, running her finger over the soft down. Some little bird had ended up in the park hawk’s talons.
As if he sensed an opening in her heart, Reed Whitman called daily. She agreed to have dinner with him. The air positively crackled in the apartment with Lillian’s disapproval, but she said nothing and did her best to help Mari
a get ready for her date. It was always fun to get glammed up for a personal occasion instead of for a performance. She chose a simple but stunning dress in black georgette, given to her by a top New York designer when she’d been a featured guest model at a charity fashion show fund-raiser. She added her favorite red-soled black pumps and a pair of diamond earrings that glittered brilliantly when they swung from her earlobes. Lillian carefully painted on fire-engine red nail polish and matching lipstick, but her hand trembled as she applied the lip color. She left a smear at the corner of Maria’s mouth.
“I’m so sorry,” Lillian said in exasperation. “I thought I could at least manage that.”
“No matter, Lil. You did fine. It will take time.” She reached for some makeup remover and dabbed at the smear. It left a faint pinkish trace.
“Andrei left town.” Lillian said, almost as an afterthought, while she tidied the cosmetics on the counter. “I thought you should know.”
“For good?” Maria’s breath stilled.
“I got the impression it’s just going to be an extended vacation.”
“Oh, that’s great. He deserves one. I don’t think he ever took more than a week off all the time we worked together. Did he ask after . . . say . . . anything else?”
“Not really. I called him to get the name of this new skin care product I’d heard about. One of his friends imports it. She’s a cosmetician. But he was in a hurry. They were leaving for JFK that morning.”
“He was going with someone?”
“The cosmetician. That’s what I meant. I needed her e-mail address before they left.”
Maria smoothed her hair. It was starting to look brittle and washed-out. “That’s fine, Lil. You’ve been a great help—thanks.” She put on a cheery smile as Lillian packed up her things and left, while raging jealousy clawed away at her insides. She stared at herself in the mirror. The dressing table lights, five bright round halogens, revealed a minuscule wrinkle at the corner of her eyelid. She touched it, then took out a bottle of skin enhancer. The retinol would puff out the skin and make the wrinkle vanish. But how long would it be before her lids turned crepey, beyond the power of the retinol to fix? Before tiny crevices permanently marred her lip line?
Claudine Page 17