Annabeth cleared her throat. “Um, I think she said he was away on business.”
Jesse rolled his eyes and mumbled something under his breath. After a moment of silence, he stood, using his knees as leverage. “I'm going to go see if I can find out how she's doing.” He wandered off like a lost puppy in search of its owner.
“She’s in surgery,” Jess said, sitting back down beside her.
“How did you get them to tell you anything?”
Jesse gave her a half-hearted smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I have connections all over this town, remember?”
Annabeth shook her head and smirked. “How could I forget?”
“Why didn’t she trust me enough to tell me she was pregnant?”
“Maybe she needed to figure things out for herself. I’m sure she had some very good reasons.” She patted him again where the ripped fabric of his jeans strained over his bent knee.
“I didn’t get your message until a few minutes ago. I was out with Heather and the girls. She wanted to get a new computer for work. And, and...”
Annabeth couldn’t help but wonder how much the Abrahamsons knew about the crime ring. “Where does Heather work, again?”
“She’s the Vice President of the EVP Tech company.” He rattled the information off as if it was something he was asked often. His head rested against the back wall and his eyes dropped to half-mast. “She loves it. I used to work there too, before the girls, as the head of the IT department. I barely made half her salary, though.”
He shrugged while keeping his eyes cast toward the bright linoleum floor. “So when she had the girls, it just made sense for me to stay home. My paycheck would have just covered the cost of daycare, anyway.”
Did he know he was babbling? He obviously needed to unload on her.
“I know she loves the girls, but I don’t know... Sometimes I wonder why she wanted them when she never even makes the time to see them. I can’t remember the last dance recital or parent teacher conference she’s made. I actually think Brooke has been to more of the girls’ functions than their own mother”
Whoa…she didn’t even want to touch that one.
“I mean, she’s not even with them now. The office called and she ran off to the rescue as always. I had to drop the girls off at their friend’s house.” He wet his lips and leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees. “I’m sorry, you don’t want to hear any of this. You don’t have to stay here. I can take care of things on this end. But Annabeth… Thank you for being here for Brooke.”
Annabeth sighed with relief. She had work to do and opportunity to get more information. She glanced at the time on her step counter and saw that she had already been sitting in the waiting room for four hours. “All right. I should probably go home and check in on Marcus.”
Jesse looked up at her. “How’s he doing?”
Annabeth shrugged. “As well as can be expected, I guess.” That seemed to be the most honest answer. She stood and rested her hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “When you see Brooke, tell her...I don’t know...I guess sorry for her loss. I never know what to say in situations like this.”
Jesse nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll tell her.”
Annabeth turned away and headed out the automatic doors, almost running into Ligia.
“What’s wrong? What happened to Brooke?” The young woman looked almost as bad as Jesse.
“She lost the baby, but it looks like she’ll be okay. Jesse is in there waiting. They have her in surgery right now.”
Ligia gasped and pushed past Annabeth and through the automatic doors.
“Heading home so soon?” Fin’s tone made her stiffen, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of her acknowledgement. Instead she breezed past the outdoor ashtrays where he lingered.
His voice followed her to Brooke’s car. “You can't run forever, Anna!”
No, it was time to fight back and fight back hard. She didn’t need a warrant or permission to move this case forward. Annabeth pulled out her phone and shot Marcus a quick message.
“Up for a little breaking and entering?”
Chapter Eighteen
Vi
Vi’s body and mind hummed. She couldn't go to sleep even if she wanted to. Likely a result of fudging her dosage schedule. Tomorrow morning she was supposed to go see Joy, which meant she really needed to get some sleep. The asthma attack had frightened Vi. She knew she needed to pay more attention. The TV played the end of the Late Show but she had long since put it on mute. The extra sensory input had been too much for her.
High, Vi, you’re high.
Shut up! No, I’m not.
Let’s be real here, Violeta…
“Knock, knock.”
Vi jumped at the unexpected voice. The door opened a crack and in stepped Jesse. The drugs made everything fuzzy, but she was with it enough to wonder how in the world he had just waltzed into her living room.
I really need to start locking up at night. After all, any Joe Blow could prance in and rob her blind... or worse. The old Vi had been much more on top of things like that.
“You should really lock your doors at night, babe. It wasn’t even closed all the way.” Jesse inched closer into the room and folded his arms over his chest.
“Jesse? What are you doing here?” Vi tightened her cardigan around her.
“I know it’s late and normally I wouldn’t dream of showing up unannounced at this hour, but I’m just coming back from the hospital. And as I drove by, I saw your light on and I—well—I needed to talk to you.”
She turned off the TV and made room on the sofa so he could sit down. He looked pale and had dark rings under his eyes, plus he’d mentioned the hospital. She’d have been the first to know if something new had happened to Joy, but who else could possibly be sick enough to require hospitalization? She tried to puzzle it out, but it all made her head hurt.
Jesse regarded her with that inquisitive gaze of his. “Are you high?”
Nothing got past ol’ Jesse. She could see the headline for the next blog, Local goody-goody, recent gunshot victim, blitzed out of her mind.
His comforting hand brushed against hers and his expression softened. “Talk to me, Vi. I’m worried about you.”
Vi snatched her hand away. His pity and concern bristled her. She didn’t want Jesse to feel sorry for her. She missed their back-and-forth repartee, the easy way they had once gotten along. Ever since the event, all of her relationships were strained, leaving her more alone than she had ever been.
It’s your own doing, Violeta. You pushed them all away.
She shook her head to loosen the shame and guilt that clung to her like barnacles on a ship. “Yeah, I may have taken one too many tonight. I’m fine—”
Jesse got up from the couch and started to pace back and forth on her worn living room rug. “Fine. You’re anything but fine.”
“Jesse—”
She watched as his anger rolled in like a storm. His face reddened and his eyes widened. “Everything is falling apart. Brooke almost died tonight. Did you know that? Or are you going to hold on to your anger forever? Push everyone away and die of an overdose in this filthy house? No one will know you died until the Kings smell your decaying body.” The crude words were so un-Jesse like.
What’s his problem? Wait...did he say Brooke almost died? Is that who’s at the hospital? Her eyes widened and she glanced up at him. He met her gaze head on. Vi twisted the hem of her shirt around her finger as tight as she could. “What happened to Brooke?”
Jesse’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, now you care? So what, Brooke has to be on death’s door to get your attention?”
Vi’s own anger roiled inside of her like a jack-in-the box waiting to pop. “She shot me!”
Jesse whirled to face her. “It was an accident. She was trying to save you and Ligia, the two people she loves most in this world. Was it stupid, yes? Is she sorry about it? Desperately.”
Vi huffed. “Well she never said so to
me. Not once has she come by and said sorry. No, she’s done everything to get around actually facing me. I might be in pain for the rest of my life, and she doesn’t care one lick that I’m in constant agony because of her carelessness.”
Jesse’s hands rested on his hips and his chest puffed out like an animal trying to intimidate its attacker. “You’re destroying yourself. Brooke isn’t doing this to you. You are.” His tone began to soften and his chest started to deflate. “I get that you are hurting and that sucks. You got thrown another raw deal and you can be angry about that all you want, but you can’t let this define you. And I’m not going to just sit back and watch you throw your life away.”
Vi’s shoulders dropped. His words sobered her up a little bit. The tears sliding down her cheeks took her by surprise.
Jesse dropped to his haunches in front of her. “I care about you. This isn't you.” He met her eye and rested his hand on her knee. “Please tell me you'll stop doing this to yourself and that you’ll give Brooke a chance to say she’s sorry.”
She wiped away the tears and dropped her gaze to the floor—avoiding Jesse. She couldn't address his concerns for her just yet. “Will you please tell me what happened tonight?”
Jesse’s jaw twitched and he swallowed hard, causing his Adam’s apple to bounce up and down. “Maybe you should ask Brooke.”
Vi glanced up at him and saw he wasn’t going to budge on this one. “I'll think about it.” Her words came out in a hushed whisper that didn’t sound like her.
Jesse glanced up at the clock on her mantle as it struck midnight. “Goodnight, Vi.” He closed the door behind him, disappearing from her life once again.
If she hadn’t already been too worked up to sleep, she certainly was now. Maybe a little walk and some fresh air would clear her mind and calm her nerves. She slipped on her flip-flops and grabbed her keys—locking the door behind her. The cold night air woke her. Yes, this is what I need—a little stroll through the neighborhood. The numbing sensation in her hand returned. It was one of the many uncomfortable side effects that the pain meds couldn’t fix.
With no real plan in mind, she walked slowly toward Brooke’s house. A rise in the cement caught her off guard and she stumbled forward. A hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed her—preventing her from spilling out onto the street.
Her heart thundered in her chest. A quick burst of adrenaline shot through her.
She glanced up and saw a handsome Hispanic man who looked to be about her age, maybe older.
“Careful, Senorita.” The timber of his voice and the warmth in his brown eyes melted her insides.
“Oh dear, thank you.” She clutched at her chest as he helped her right herself.
His gaze took her in and a slow smile spread across his handsome face. She couldn’t help but smile back. The airy feeling from the drugs still made it hard for her to think. For a brief moment she wondered where he had come from, but the thought floated away as his smile widened. “Where are my manners? Hi, my name is Violeta.”
The man wiped his hands on the back of his pants. “I’m a bit dirty. I’ve been landscaping all day.” He extended his hand and she took it. “My name’s Emilio.”
Vi examined the man’s face, which seemed so familiar to her. “Do I know you, Emilio?”
The man shook his head. “No, I think I would remember meeting a beautiful woman like you.”
Vi’s cheeks grew hot and she glanced away in embarrassment. “I should get back home.”
“Si, it is awfully late to be out walking alone.”
He was right. Another stupid idea in the books for Vi.
“I can walk with you. Make sure you make it home okay.” He offered her his hand.
Vi smiled and stepped backward. “That’s quite all right. I just live a few houses down, but thank you for the offer.”
The man tipped his hat to her—the kind Fidel Castro wore—and walked away in the opposite direction. Two men flirting with her in the space of one week—that had to be a record. She turned around and walked back toward her house. Maybe she would call Brooke tomorrow. Jesse had been right. It was time to make some changes.
Chapter Nineteen
Brooke
Brooke sat cuddling Tiara as she watched Orange is the New Black on Netflix. Oh, she knew she had so much work to catch up on, but she just couldn’t bring herself to sit at the computer for hours or jaunt all around town visiting vendors and venues. Not yet. The stitches from her emergency surgery burned, and while the pain pills the doctor had given her took the edge off, she hated how loopy they made her feel. She’d rather feel like herself and hurt, than feel like someone she didn’t recognize. She already had a hard enough time dealing with all the changes in her world. At least Netflix could help numb the pain...
She groaned as her least favorite character attempted to intimidate the much tougher, yet somehow much more likeable, inmates. “Get a life, Piper!” she shouted at the screen, and Tiara joined her with a little yip of her own.
“What’s that?” Brian asked, coming in through the kitchen door. This was the first time she had seen him in days, the first time she had seen him since…
“Just watching some TV,” she explained, pausing it. She had so much she needed to say, so much they needed to work through, but didn’t know how to get started.
“How was your trip?” she asked finally.
“Tiring.” He responded without looking at her as he crossed through the living room and headed toward the stairs. “Do you mind if I take a quick nap before we catch up?”
“But…” Didn’t he want to talk about the baby? About the fact that Brooke and Tiara had both almost died this past week? Or about how Brooke had hidden her pregnancy from him for months?
It seemed he did not, because he tracked back and kissed her on the cheek dismissively then said, “You’re the best, B. Thanks.”
She watched in disbelief as he climbed the stairs to their bedroom. She had expected anger, sadness, something. Even Brooke’s sworn enemy Mitsy Grazier had sent her a sympathy basket of muffins with the directive to “get well soon.” How was it that her enemy cared more for her well-being than her own husband?
And if he didn’t care about the baby they’d lost, what about the fact that his wife had needed emergency, life-saving surgery? What about the fact that she now had a small scar in her abdomen from the laparoscopic surgery and a huge wound in her heart from the loss she’d suffered—the loss they’d both suffered?
She poured some Grey Goose vodka into a tumbler and climbed the stairs, then tiptoed into their room and eased down onto the bed beside Brian.
“Hi,” she whispered.
He kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep, until she placed the glass of liquor under his nose. The moment she did, he sat up and accepted the glass, downed it in a single gulp.
“I know you said you were tired,” Brooke started. “And I understand that, but do you think maybe we could talk about what happened? I’ve been having a really hard time with it, and could really use your support.”
Brian shrugged and let out a large yawn. “Look, I’m sorry I couldn’t cut my trip short and come home sooner, but you know how this particular client thinks he controls the sun and the moon in the sky. If I’d left, I’d have been out of a job. And you don’t want that, do you?”
“No,” she mumbled, even though she knew Brian had enough additional clients on his roster to absorb the monetary loss of any one account. Had he not come home because he didn’t care? Because something other than the client had kept him away? She thought back to the rustle of fabric the night someone poisoned Tiara. Him saying he couldn’t talk. She honestly hoped he was having an affair. Because if he had cheated on her, it would be much easier for her to leave him, to finally break free of this anchor of a marriage.
He gave her a peck on the cheek and handed her the glass, then settled back under the covers.
Brooke lay down beside him and stroked his cheek in an at
tempt to get him to actually look at her. “I don’t blame you for honoring your commitment to the client, but now that you’re home, I’d really like to know how you’re feeling about all this, and about… the baby.”
He grabbed her hand and placed it on the bed between them. “How I feel? Honestly, I don’t really feel much of anything. By the time I found out we had a baby on the way, it was already dead. I didn’t have time to get attached like you did, Brooke. You didn’t give me that time. Besides, it’s not like it was an actual baby yet. It was just some cells and whatever. So we’ll try again once you’ve had time to recover, no biggie.”
No big deal? Just some cells? No, Brooke couldn’t buy that—she wouldn’t. Regardless of whether the little life within her had been a baby, a fetus, a bundle of cells, its light had shone out. It was gone, and with it the promise of the child she hadn’t even been sure she’d wanted. Now that it was all over, she realized she had wanted that baby—just not with Brian.
Because as long as they were being technical, did they have a marriage or did they rather just live parallel lives? Weren’t husbands supposed to love and honor their wives? To support them in sickness and health? Well, Brooke had been very sick, and her husband hadn’t even turned up at the hospital. Brooke had been served a deep emotional blow, and her husband couldn’t even acknowledge that she had anything to be upset about.
Add to that the fact that he hadn’t even been paying close enough attention to know how difficult a new pregnancy would be, now that she had lost a fallopian tube to the ectopic pregnancy. Did he even remember she’d had surgery? Did he listen to anything she said these days? Sense anything she needed? Even psycho frizz-head Annabeth King had come through for Brooke in her moment of need—had dropped everything to take care of her. Mitsy had sent her muffins, Ligia had brought her a care package for her short stay at the hospital, and Jesse had painted her nails while sharing gossip from around town. Heck, even Vi had sent a card via Jesse, wishing her a speedy recovery. Everyone cared enough to rally around her during this crisis. Everyone except her own husband...
Texas and Tiaras (The Book Cellar Mysteries 2) Page 11