Lost Distinction (Jordan James, PI Series)

by Rachel Sharpe

  Jane was about my age and a novelist who, according to her proud father, had already published two bestselling political thrillers. When introduced, she glanced at me with a disgusted look on her face. Mr. Cross cleared his throat loudly. She stood up and walked over to us. She hugged Rick so fast I don’t think they even made contact, and she nodded at me before walking back to the couch and sitting down, staring into the unlit fireplace with a frown plastered on her face. Mr. Cross clapped his hands together and laughed as if the frosty encounter hadn’t occurred.

  “So Miss James, now you’ve met my family. Well, except for my dear wife, Kathryn. She never stays up past nine.”

  “That’s not the entire family, Father,” Jane chimed in. Mr. Cross glanced over at her warily. She smiled. It was a fake smile meant to hide her hostility, but her true feelings were evident. “What about dear Arthur?”

  The ambassador let out a sigh. “Yes, of course. He’s the true reason for this family gathering. Arthur.”

  William pulled a thick cigar from inside his coat pocket. “Don’t forget old Henry,” he snickered. Mr. Cross charged at him from across the room and snatched the cigar from his fingers moments before he lit it. Startled, William cowered, wide-eyed.

  “You know better than to smoke in here,” he hissed. “Do you want to give your poor mother a heart attack?” He shoved the unlit cigar into his own coat pocket before smoothing the pocket down and exhaling slowly. He glanced over at me. Jane was now facing the show and grinning widely behind her father’s back.

  He walked toward us again. “I’m terribly sorry for my outburst. It was inexcusable. Please allow me to offer an explanation.”

  While Rick’s eyes were focused on the ambassador, Mr. Cross’s eyes searched mine pleadingly. I shook my head. “You don’t owe me anything, sir.”

  “No, I do. You’ve met all my children except Arthur, of course, and my middle son, Henry. Henry was a brilliant surgeon until a few years ago.” He paused. “When things became too much for him to handle, I agreed that he could move to London to live with his mother and me until he got things together again.”

  I glanced behind him at his children’s faces. None of them would make eye contact with me or even look up. They all stared at the ground, mute. Realizing that Mr. Cross was waiting for an answer, I replied, “I’m sorry your family has had to deal with such painful issues, sir.”

  He smiled weakly. “Yes, well, every family has their share of troubles. I guess it’s to be expected. With a larger family comes more of them.” Trying to shake off the somber mood, he clapped his hands together again. “Well, I think we should call it a night. I’m sure our guests are tired from a long, last-minute drive.”

  “You must be more exhausted than anyone,” I commented as everyone headed out the room.

  He stopped. “What do you mean?”

  I realized everyone had stopped walking and they were staring at me, varying degrees of suspicion on their faces. Clearing my throat, I explained, “Well, London is later than here, time wise, so I just figured with jet lag—”

  He put a reassuring hand on my shoulder and laughed heartily. His reaction caused a collective laugh from the others. “You are observant,” he marveled, nudging Rick. “You got yourself a good one here, son.”

  Rick kissed my cheek. “The best.”

  “Definitely,” William purred, turning to Jane. “She’s quite a keeper, isn’t she?”

  Jane sneered at William before pushing past us and walking down the hall without another word to anyone. Mr. Cross watched her leave before turning his attention to William.

  “That wasn’t very nice.”

  William shrugged. “No harm done.”

  The ambassador turned back toward the long hallway. Jane was gone. “We’ll see, I guess,” he muttered. Glancing at us again, he smiled. “Now, normally Walter would show you to your rooms but it’s late and I’d hate to disturb him so I—”

  “So I’ll show you where they are,” William declared, grinning wickedly.

  “You will?” William nodded and his father let out a long sigh. “Fine. Richard is staying in Arthur’s room. Is that all right, Richard?”

  “Sure.”

  “And Miss James will be staying in the oceanfront room.”

  William smiled and started heading off down the hall with us in tow. Everyone else took the opportunity to say goodnight. Before we were even halfway down the hall, the ambassador called, “William?” He turned back to face his father. Sternly, the older man ordered, “Don’t keep them, understand?”

  With a knowing nod, William turned back and we followed him down the long hallway and toward the marble stairs.

  Chapter 3

  We followed William up the stairs and at the first landing where they split, we took the stairs to the right. We passed several rooms, all with closed, large wooden doors. On the light green walls of the hallway hung numerous large-scale oil paintings of men and women wearing period clothing. William noticed my interest in the paintings and snickered. Each painting was secured in an ornate golden frame.

  “Did you know the Cross family came from England?” William asked as we turned a corner. I shook my head. “We can trace our ancestry back to the House of York. Direct line.”

  “Really?”

  “On my father’s side.” He smiled smugly. “On my mother’s side, there’s nobility, too.”

  “Hmm. That’s impressive.”

  “All of these paintings are different ancestors of ours. The plaques beneath them list their names and the years they lived. I’m not interested in that crap, but some people like that sort of thing.” He stopped in front of the last door on the left. “This is the oceanfront room.”

  I reached for the doorknob and he held his hands up to stop me. He moved closer and grinned. “Listen, Richard, if you want to stay in Arthur’s room, that’s cool. But no one will care if you stay here. We only offered a second room for appearances. That, and for my mother’s sake, of course.”

  Rick’s mouth was clamped shut and the vein in his temple throbbed. I could tell he was angry at the suggestion, but trying to control it. Rick was a cut above my past boyfriends. He treated me like a lady. Without acknowledging William’s proposition, he replied, “Thanks. We’ll be fine now. I know where Arthur’s room is.”

  William’s grin widened. “Really? Hmm. Interesting.” He walked off. When he was a few yards away, he paused and looked me up and down with a licentious glint in his eyes. Rick had his back to William and didn’t catch the look. By the time Rick realized something had upset me and turned around, William was gone.

  Rick and I said goodnight and he kissed me before heading to Arthur’s room, which he said was around the corner and the third door on the right. As soon as he left, I entered the room and locked the door behind me. Moonlight poured in through three bay windows and illuminated the king-size canopy bed. At the foot of the bed was a Victorian-style chaise. My luggage had been placed in the center of the chaise.

  As soon as I sat on the edge of the bed, I realized how tired I was and decided against getting ready for bed. I pulled back the duvet cover and kicked off my shoes. Lying down, I was greeted by an incredibly soft mattress and a surfeit of down pillows. As I felt myself succumbing to sleep, I thought I heard the bedroom doorknob jiggle. After a few unsuccessful turns, the sound dissipated and I was again greeted by silence and welcomed it with open arms.

  When I opened my eyes, sunlight filled the room. The room itself was large and rectangular, at least five hundred square feet, with the king-size canopy bed on one end and an eight-foot-tall white fireplace with a brilliantly-carved mantel on the other. Next to the bed were two white nightstands with light-colored lamps. Two chests of drawers flanked the bedroom door.

  As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I became aware why thi
s was called the oceanfront room. Through the bay windows was the most breathtaking ocean view I had ever encountered. When I was finally able to pry my gaze away, I found my purse located next to the luggage and reached for my phone. According to the clock, it was only seven in the morning.

  I crept across the polished wooden floor and unlocked the door. Leaning out of the room, I was greeted by complete silence. I closed the door again and considered my options. Rick had had a long week and I didn’t want to disturb him at this early hour just to entertain me. I decided to get dressed and attempt to find my way outside without waking up anyone.

  The door on the right side of the fireplace turned out to be a private bath for this guestroom. After a hot shower, I towel dried my hair, applied make up, and decided what to wear for the day.

  I settled on a pair of khaki capris, a peach halter-top and sandals. Once dressed, I made my way out of the room and down the long hallway. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to find my way through the large house when I followed the landmarks I noted the night before.

  Downstairs, when I reached the entry hall again, I listened. Again, I heard nothing. Quietly, I opened the large front door, which was already unlocked, and made my way down the front steps. As I walked across the meticulously manicured lawn, I turned back and faced the house. In the daylight, it was even more impressive than it had appeared the night before. Like the homes on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, this one was clearly constructed during the Gilded Age. The structure was both magnificent and subtle in its architectural beauty.

  Gardens replete with petunias, zinnias, marigolds and dahlias along with many other flowers I could not name added a touch of color to the massive lawn. As I walked past the house, I counted three small cottages in the distance that were architecturally similar to the main house. A gust of cool wind enveloped me as I hiked down toward the beach. There was a dock with a large sailboat tethered to it on the far left side of the property. Impulsively, I took off my sandals and walked along the beach, allowing grains of warm sand to surround my toes.

  “It feels nice, doesn’t it?”

  I turned in the direction of the voice and saw Michelle, Edward’s wife, lounging lazily on one of several wooden lawn chairs. Our encounter the night before was so abrupt that I didn’t have a chance to really look at her. In a word, she was gorgeous. Unlike her sisters-in-law, she did not have to put much effort into her appearance.

  She wore white capris and a white shirt unbuttoned over a royal blue sleeveless shirt. A large pair of sunglasses covered her eyes. Raven hair fell on her shoulders in a way models would envy. She smiled as I walked over and sat down on a lawn chair beside her.

  “Sleep well?”

  “Actually, yeah. That’s one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on.”

  “The Crosses only buy the best.” She paused before sitting up and pulling her sunglasses down. “Did I make you uncomfortable last night?”

  “Huh?”

  “Eddie says I assaulted you. He said I didn’t present myself as the wife of a judge should.”

  I laughed.

  She joined in. “Right. I didn’t think so.”

  “I’m sorry you got in trouble because of me.”

  “Oh, it’s no big deal. I’m always getting in trouble when we’re around his family. They wish I would hold myself back and behave like Nadia and Ann, the drones. Sorry, but I like feeling alive. I do behave myself in public. I just figure, when I’m around family, I should be able to have some fun, you know?”

  I nodded and she appeared relieved. “I’m so glad you’re here. I was dreading this little family reunion, but I felt a glimmer of hope when Eddie said Richard was bringing his girlfriend.”

  “Have you known Rick for long?” I placed my sandals on the ground beside the chair.

  “Actually, I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard a lot about him. He’s hot.” She grinned.

  I laughed self-consciously at this remark.

  “What? You don’t think he’s hot?”

  “No, I do. It’s just I’ve never put it quite like that.” I felt my face flush.

  She put her sunglasses on again and looked out over the ocean. The constant winds blew across the slow moving tide as it lapped leisurely at the shoreline. Lying there on that chair, I felt more relaxed and at peace than I ever had before.

  “I love moments like this,” she commented, breaking the silence. “This is one of the only things I look forward to when we come down to the Cape. My quiet mornings. Everyone else sleeps later, so I just come out here and relax. It reminds me of home.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Oahu.” Glancing over at me, she noticed my surprised expression and laughed. “Eddie and I met when he was stationed at Pearl Harbor a few years back.”

  “So he was in the military,” I muttered.

  “It’s that obvious, isn’t it? Eddie’s about eight years older than me but he was the nicest and most charming guy I ever met. I just fell in love with him. We were married two years after we met when his Navy tour ended. Then we moved out here and he started law school.”

  “Do you miss home?”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes. Mainly when I have these moments and think about my family and friends. It was a huge decision, but I know I made the right one.” She pulled the sunglasses down again. “What happened after we left last night?”

  “Uh.” I thought about Jane’s attitude and William’s behavior and shuddered.

  She laughed again. “Which one? William or Jane?”

  I stared at her, speechless. After a few moments I replied, “Actually, both. How did you know?”

  “I knew Jane was going to have a fit because of you. She’s very suspicious of anyone who tries to get close to the family. Eddie and I’ve been married for several years and she still treats me like an outsider. It started when she found out a boy she truly loved was only dating her to get close to her father because he wanted a job.”

  “That’s pretty harsh.”

  Michelle nodded toward the house. “She’s the only daughter in a large, wealthy family, so she’s used to always getting what she wants. It was quite a blow to her ego to be rejected, especially so publicly.”

  “Last night, she did her best to snub me, but, I don’t know, it seemed like everyone acted as if her tantrum hadn’t happened. Her outburst was completely ignored.”

  Michelle laughed and shook her head. “Oh. I love it. I love it how they pretend like she’s behaving herself when in reality she’s anything but. Political families, right?”

  “How did you know William would do something? He’s never met me before.”

  Michelle looked me up and down, incredulously. “Are you kidding me? Didn’t you notice the way he looked at you when you entered that room?”

  I shook my head.

  “Well, I did,” Michelle said. “Trust me, he’s interested in you.”

  “He made me uncomfortable when he showed Rick and me to my room.” I thought back to the look he gave me and suddenly recalled the bedroom doorknob jiggling. I shuddered as the implications of that sound crossed my mind in vivid detail.

  “Just out of curiosity, what did William do to make you uncomfortable?”

  I decided to withhold the specifics. “Just the way he was looking at me,” I shook my head. “I locked the bedroom door.”

  “Smart move. Listen, I’m terrible. I’ve been sitting here bashing my husband’s family without pause. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. They are good people. They are one of the strongest and most solid families I’ve ever met and once you’re in, they are as devoted to you as they are to one another. Like everyone, they have little idiosyncrasies. It’s just nice to finally be able to vent to someone in the family who won’t judge.”

&
nbsp; I stared at her, perplexed. “How am I in the family?”

  She gave me a look like I asked the most obvious question in the world. “You’re with Richard and he’s family.”

  “But, you’ve never met him,” I protested, confused by this strange allegiance. “From what he told me, he spent a few holidays and weekends here when he was in high school, but that’s it. How did Arthur’s high school roommate ingratiate himself into a family like this?”

  She stared at me blankly. “Well, yeah, they were high school roommates, but he is family. I mean that literally. Their great-grandfathers were brothers. Arthur and Richard are cousins.”

  Chapter 4

  “What? You’re kidding, right?” I felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me.

  Michelle leaned forward and touched my back, a concerned look on her face. “Are you all right?”

  I sat there, stunned and suddenly lightheaded. There was a lot I didn’t know about my boyfriend. I got that. I understood that he was a private person and it took him time to open up. The fact I counted on was that he always did open up. Eventually.

  Slowly, I realized that he had withheld a pertinent fact about a potential case, namely that we were not staying with family friends but in reality with family. It was his cousin who was missing. I couldn’t begin to decide how to react.

  “Jordan?”

  I realized Michelle had helped me lie down and when I focused my eyes, I discovered Edward and Rick were standing over me with concerned looks.