"What do you mean?"
"About Halliday."
"I'm confused. I don't know what you're talking about."
"I received a message from Kathleen Bowen today that she would be taking care of the expenses."
Michaela didn't know what to say. The woman had said she was bankrupt. "This is the first I've heard about it."
"I don't know. You may want to give her a call and find out. She's a strange one."
"I'm aware. Thanks. Call me, okay?"
"Sure. Are you okay? You sound upset."
"No. I'm fine. Worried. That's all."
"Quit worrying. He's fine. Now, go rest or take a ride, or do something to get rid of that anxiety."
"Right. Bye." She didn't divulge that she was well over a hundred miles from home.
She sat back in the seat, traffic whizzing past her, somewhat relieved to hear that Rocky was doing well. But she wouldn't feel completely at ease until he was back home in his stall with a clean bill of health. She also knew that she wouldn't truly be able to relax until Audrey's killer was caught, which made her wonder about Kathleen.
What was it with Kathleen Bowen? How had she come up with the cash to pay for Halliday's bills, and why hadn't she contacted her? Michaela didn't bother trying to answer the question herself. She got back on the road; what was a few more miles? She wanted to hear the answer straight from the horse's mouth.
The sun had started to set, casting a rose-colored haze across the sky, but she couldn't revel in the beauty of it, because the traffic was migraine worthy. Her blood boiled by the time she made it back up the PCH. She'd been cut off, flipped off, and nearly run off the road. There was a reason she lived out in the middle of nowhere: It was called serenity.
A silver BMW Roadster stood parked outside Kathleen's beach house. Michaela rapped hard on the front door. She was tired of the games these people played, and she wanted some answers. Kathleen Bowen came across as a victim in her bizarre world, but Michaela had her doubts. Kathleen didn't come to the door; rather, Olivia opened it. Her nose was red and running, her eyes bulging. She tried to slam the door when she saw who it was, but Michaela pushed it open and walked inside. "Where's your mother?"
"I don't know. She said that she was going out of town for a few days. Why? What do you want?"
"What do you mean, she's out of town?"
"Duh. She's gone. Like I don't know where. Maybe Italy, Paris. Beats me."
Michaela trembled inside. "You're high, Olivia. You need some serious help."
"And you, babe, need to seriously mind your own damn business," Steve Benz said as he appeared from another room.
Michaela crossed her arms. "Figures. You know, your name keeps coming up in all the wrong places, and now you are actually in the wrong place." She looked back at Olivia. "Can't you see what this guy is? He's no megastar. He's a lowlife drug dealer, and he's got you hooked. And if I were to bet on it, I would say that your mom has been crying poor to you. You did the good daughter thing, and agreed to sign with Marshall Friedman and pose with this creep here for Callahan's magazine to help her out of debt. My guess is she's just come into some cash, and that cash is yours. Now, I don't know if she's aware that you are doing cocaine. She's likely stuck her head in the sand due to her selfishness. But trust me, this scumbag and his no-good manager knew exactly what they were up to; you sign with Friedman, and you do their bidding, and they keep you high."
Olivia stared blankly at her. Was any of this getting through?
"Hey babe, you're ruining a good time here. You really are. Why don't you just leave?" Benz said.
Michaela ignored him. "Does Josh know this guy is with you? Does he know about the drugs? Would he let you get back up on a horse knowing you're stoned out of your mind? No, I don't think he would. I believe he cares about you. What are you thinking, Olivia? You have dreams to be a jockey. You can't do this to yourself. Come with me, okay? We'll find you some help."
Olivia shook her head. "I think you better go. Please."
"No. I'm not leaving."
Benz walked over and got in her face. "She asked you to leave. You deaf, bitch?"
Michaela knew she shouldn't be messing with this crazed, drugged-out rocker, but she also knew the right thing to do when it came to Olivia—what Audrey would have wanted her to try and do. "Let me tell you something, jerkoff, I've found out quite a bit about you and what you do to make extra cash. Oh, and I also know who you visited at Shutters the other day. Bridgette Bowen ring a bell? How about Frederick Callahan? Freddie boy told me that you deliver party favors for friends in need. I'm sure that Callahan wouldn't think twice, if it came down to causing him a problem or ruining your career, as to what he might tell the media—or the police for that matter. I wasn't the only one who witnessed your visit with Bridgette and Callahan. Let's just say, you look good on camera."
"What the…"
"Right. Here's the deal. You're going to leave now if you don't want those pictures to surface." Michaela knew she was telling him something she had no control over. She was pretty sure that Smith was at work offering the photos to the highest bidder in the tabloid realm. "So, you go on your way, while Olivia and I stay here." Michaela stood her ground. "Oh, and come to think of it, I've also heard your name mentioned in regard to Audrey's murder." She was stretching that one, too, and she knew it, but this asshole had it coming. She had not forgotten though, what Olivia told her about the fact that Benz had gone to retrieve beers while at the races, and the timing looked to coincide with Audrey's murder. She knew she might push him over the edge with her comments, but she needed to see his reaction. As far as Michaela figured, Benz might have killed Audrey for his own needs—to boost his career by having Olivia away from Audrey and under his manager's wings, which would mean a profit all the way around—or he might have murdered Audrey at Friedman's behest. She still didn't know where or how Francisco's death played into it, but right now she only wanted to get Benz out of the house. She knew she was taking a huge risk, but if he was a killer, she was prepared. She had her hand stuck down into her purse, wrapped around the vial of mace Joe had given her earlier, and she'd use it if need be.
"You are freaking psycho. I didn't kill anyone, and what's the big deal? If people want to party once in a while, how does that hurt you?" He looked at Olivia and shook a finger at her. "This is your mother's fault if you don't succeed. I had nothing to do with any of this. She's the one taking all your cash, babe. Call me when this bitch leaves!" He grabbed his wallet off a side table and walked out, slamming the front door.
Yep. Michaela was not making any friends in this neck of the woods. She had to wonder what Benz's comments meant about Kathleen. But before she could question what he'd said, she needed to try and help Olivia.
She turned back to see Olivia still staring at her. "Why are you doing this?" Olivia snapped. "Go away."
"Because you need help. And because Audrey loved you and I loved her. These people are ruining you. They're taking away your dreams. Are you going to allow your mother and her lackeys to control your life? Is that what you want? You can ride, Olivia. You're good. I watched you on the track, and you can do it, but not like this. Not wasted. I think we should call your father."
Michaela didn't know if she trusted Hugh any longer, but she believed that the man loved his daughter. That was a strange thought, especially since she figured that he could also be a killer. This was not good.
"No. I can't call my dad!" Olivia started to cry. "I don't want him to know. He's already been through this with Bridgette. I'm fine. I don't need help. Go away."
"You do need help. Do this for Audrey." Olivia wiped her face. "You have a long life ahead of you. Don't ruin it because you didn't follow your own dreams, or because someone took advantage of you."
"I do have dreams," she sobbed.
"I know. Now get smart. You can get help for this, and you'll be fine. You'll get better and then you can pursue your dreams."
Olivia's lower
lip trembled like a child. Damn that Benz. "I don't know. I just don't know."
"Why don't we call Josh? Okay? I think he would want to help. One phone call, okay? That's it. We only have to start there."
Olivia didn't respond for a while; finally, she nodded. Michaela took her over to the couch and sat down with her. "This will be good. You'll see. You're strong." She shook her head. "I can't understand your mother. Where did she go, and why?"
"I don't know. I really don't."
"Do you know what Benz meant when he said that your mother was taking all of your cash?"
Olivia looked away ashamed. "You were right. I signed that contract for her. Callahan is going to pay me a lot of money to do the photos and Friedman gave my mother some money up front."
Michaela wrapped her arms around Olivia. She couldn't help wonder if Kathleen had taken Olivia's money and skipped town. Maybe Callahan had been right. Kathleen's jealousy took over where Audrey was concerned and she'd killed her. Now she was running. She'd used her daughter and was trying to cover her tracks. Michaela squeezed Olivia tighter. She couldn't avoid the possibility that the girl's mother had not only used and abandoned her, but might also be a murderess.
THIRTY-NINE
THE SUN FINISHED SETTING OVER THE PACIFIC AS Olivia paced back and forth on the oceanfront deck of her mother's beach house, chain smoking, while they waited for Josh to show up. She talked nonstop to Michaela, who sat in a lounge chair, continuously waving away the toxic nicotine plume as she listened to the young woman ramble on. Now that Olivia had admitted to her drug use, she was like a well sprung open, and although Michaela had her own set of concerns, she listened to her talk. There was no alternative.
"Funny thing is, you know who got me to even try this shit?" Olivia said. "Bridgette."
"Your stepmother?"
"Oh yeah. My dad thinks she's all better because he hooked her up at Betty Ford, but she was back using a few months later. She does a good job of hiding it from him. But I know all about it. Tons of people do. Benz gives it to her."
No surprise there.
"Last year at my dad's Christmas party? She gave me some. Told me that she wanted to be friends. That kind of thing. My mom had been driving me crazy. She'd pushed me into these recording sessions where she'd hang out half the time, or make Audrey stay with me for hours. I was wiped out. Bridgette said that the coke would pick me up, and it did."
"Did Audrey know about it?"
Olivia shrugged. "Maybe she suspected something. I don't know. She kept trying to convince my mom that I needed a rest. Audrey said that she wanted to take me to Hawaii or something, just to have a break. I wanted to do that. Last month I was feeling rotten because the drugs keep me up. You know? At first you think they're going to help you get through the day. But they don't. They just make it worse."
"Do you know Audrey's brother, Bob?"
"I met him a few times. He took care of my dad's horses, and also Halliday for my mom. He seemed like a nice guy. He didn't like Bridgette, though. But who does, really?"
"Why do you say that he didn't like her?"
"One time he was over at my dad's and my dad wasn't there. I was down at the barn. The vet was there—Audrey's brother. And Bridgette was there, which was weird because she doesn't have a lot to do with the horses. She didn't realize I was down there, but she was whispering and I heard her ask him if he'd told anyone."
"Told anyone what?"
"I don't know. That's all I heard her say, because then he turned on her and told her to leave him effing alone. She kept trying to ask him stuff, until she saw me there. Then she left. He didn't say anything to me, and I didn't ask. He seemed pretty pissed off though."
Interesting. Maybe Michaela was on the right track where Bridgette was concerned. Maybe she and Bob had had an affair. From everything she'd learned about Bridgette, honoring her vows wasn't high on her priority list. Or maybe she'd shared a secret with him at Betty Ford and she was afraid that he'd tell Hugh what it was. She wanted to believe the latter, as she didn't want to think Bob would mess around with a married woman. This was a piece of information she'd have to mull over a bit.
"Your mom told me that she was bankrupt. So, now she's taken money owed to you from this contract that you signed. Want to fill me in?"
Olivia took a long drag on her cigarette. "My mom is not so great with money. She's great at spending it, but it's my dad who knows how to handle it. Mom has made poor investments, and she spends cash as soon as it's in her hands. She was near declaring bankruptcy when she came to me and begged me to help her. She told me that she knew about me wanting to be a jockey and that if I did this for her just for a few years that she wouldn't ever ask me to do anything else for her again and that she'd let me ride and not bother me about it.
"I agreed."
"Why?"
"She's my mom."
"She has a problem. She's an addict, too. She spends money. Do you think signing away the next few years to Friedman and posing for Callahan with Benz will be the end of it? Come on. You know better than that. I've heard you sing. Your mother is right: You could be a huge star. But if that's not what you want, don't do it so that she can temporarily get out of the hole she's dug herself into and then watch her piss it away again. You'll constantly be supporting her."
"Have you ever said no to your mom or dad?"
Michaela thought about it. She nodded. "You know, I guess I have. My dad is an addict. He's a gambler. And, the last time he wound up doing it, I told him that I couldn't support his habit. I knew that my mom would leave, and I could not stand by and watch him destroy himself. He listened and now he's in a program, which is what you'll have to do. And you'll also have to be tough with your mother. I realize that you love her, but you're not doing either one of you any favors."
"Maybe you're right," Olivia replied and finally stopped pacing. She stood facing the ocean.
Michaela heard the doorbell ring and went inside. It was Josh. "Got here as soon as I could. She okay?" he asked.
"Yes. She's outside, thinking. Might want to give her a few minutes before you go out there."
"Thanks for calling me," he said. "Boy, you have been through it this week, haven't you?"
"We all have, but yes, I will agree that this has not been the best week. I still don't know what to think about who murdered Audrey, and I'm really confused about Bob's disappearance."
"I saw Hugh earlier and he said that the police are releasing Audrey's body tomorrow. He's started making plans for a funeral service next week."
"Oh. Good. I'll let him know again that if he needs anything, I can help."
"I'm sure he'd appreciate it. You know he was in love with her, don't you?"
Michaela slowly nodded. "Did he tell you that?"
Josh shrugged. "No. Bridgette moved out today. I told you about the yelling and her tearing down the drive the other day?"
"Yes."
"Today, she was back and she had movers picking up her things. I came up to the house to tell Hugh something and she was screaming at him that she knew about Audrey. After Bridgette took off again, he told me that he had loved Audrey and they'd planned to get married."
Michaela didn't know what to say. She already knew this, but she still had doubts that Hugh's love was sincere. But what would be his motive to kill Audrey, who everyone claimed he loved? Even Callahan said that Hugh had been in love with her for two decades.
"Josh?" They both turned to see Olivia standing in between the French doors that led to the balcony.
"Hey." He walked over and hugged her.
"I'll let you two talk. Would it be okay if I used your mom's computer, Olivia? I need to check my e-mail."
"Sure."
Josh put an arm around Olivia and they walked back outside. Michaela beelined it for Kathleen's office. She had a few things to check before they came back inside.
FORTY
THE FIRST THING MICHAELA DID ONCE SHE SAT down at Kathleen's computer was to Goo
gle Cara Klein's name. It had been bugging her for a day that she hadn't had the opportunity to look into the woman. Joe also hadn't called her with any new information. She seized opportunities whenever they presented themselves. Now looked as good a time as any.
At first she came across the typical ads for finding someone by that name, but as she scrolled down to the bottom of the page she found an article about a woman named Cara Klein who had been the president of a company called Strong X. The company had filed for Chapter 11 over five years ago, and Cara had stepped down as president and CEO. The company closed its doors within six months after she'd left. The article went on to report that a handful of lawsuits had been filed against Strong X, which was the maker of muscle-and endurance-type supplements for athletes, including runners, gymnasts, and boxers. Boxers! Michaela picked up the phone on Kathleen's desk and called Joe.
"You home now?" he asked.
"No."
"What?"
"I don't have a lot of time." She quickly filled him in and he immediately ran with her thoughts.
"Somehow this Cara Klein is linked to Terrell Jardinière. Sorry I hadn't had a chance to follow up on that lead yet with her."
"It's okay," she replied and then told Joe about her encounter with Terrell.
"Oh shit. I follow, Mick. Let me see what I can come up with. Be careful…and get your ass home!"
"As soon as I can."
She had a strong gut feeling that she was onto something here. She wasn't sure what it was, but if two and two added up, and this Cara Klein was the same one that Bob had been dating, there was a link of some sort. She knew she couldn't go back to see Terrell; there was no way anyone would let her in. Had Terrell known Cara? Was Cara the missing link to Bob's disappearance and Audrey's murder?
She went to log off her search and accidentally hit the back menu button. What she saw made her suck in a deep breath of air. There on the screen was a copy of Kathleen's itinerary for today. She was headed to New York City and would be back on Saturday morning. Whirlwind trip. So maybe she wasn't on the run after all. But that wasn't what had taken Michaela's breath away. It was who Kathleen was traveling with—Marshall Friedman. Marshall Friedman's name was on the itinerary. She scowled. In hiding or not, they were up to no good. Had to be.
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