Carolyn looked so lost.
Anna and Adeline exchanged a look.
“I suggest we go back to my loft. Cara has enough of it settled that we will be comfortable.”
Anna herded Carolyn toward the waiting car. “In the morning, well, that isn’t far from now, we will reassess and see what it is we can do. In the meantime, Carolyn, you need to rest.”
“I need to help my kids. A.J. is probably at the hospital. Suzi is probably lost. And what of Barry? He may be hunting Suzi.”
Adeline’s voice was firm. “Carolyn, you know as well as I do that the O’Flynns will have closed around Suzi.”
“Her husband is responsible for their tragedy.”
Anna shook her head. “Yes, and they will see it that way. It is not Suzi’s fault.”
“But what if it is? She had to know that Barry was a violent man. Think about the conversation we had just a few days ago. I told you there was something off. I had a bad feeling.”
Adeline tried to be gentle, but she was firm. “We can’t overreact to every bad feeling we have in life. All we can do is be aware. If Suzi knew that Barry was violent — and I’m sure she at least had an inkling — that is all the more reason to be careful about your approach. She’s pregnant. She’s probably already feeling guilty. She’s probably a victim in all of this as well. It’s hard to imagine that Barry would be involved in a domestic dispute for the first time with his wife’s best friend, not his wife.”
“Yes, I thought about that all the way over on the plane. I missed it. I knew there was something wrong, but I was so committed to not imposing myself into the lives of the kids, that I didn’t do anything. At my age. Such a simple problem and I handled it all wrong.”
Anna’s hand was on her hip. “You will do no one any good if you are focused on that type of thing. You know now. You will act now. You will be supportive of Cara and A.J. and you will get Suzi the help she needs.”
“You’re right. Since my husband died I’ve learned that patience is a virtue. I was never patient. Not with myself. Not with him. I wanted it all yesterday. But since his death I have learned that life happens at its own pace and there is nothing you can do to hurry it along. You can’t push a cruise ship with a dinghy. I know all of that. I need to put it into practice. We’ll go to your place. I know I can’t sleep, but a good cup of tea will help.”
Adeline smiled. “And that will have been the very first supplies that Cara would bring into the loft, a good teakettle. She was aghast at the one I had and insisted I buy one with an auto turn off. I think she thought I would drop in the middle of a chore and burn the place down.”
“She’s a lovely young woman. So good to my Morgan. Welcomed her into the O’Flynn family with open arms. My Jordan calls her ‘the best’ one. I think he has a bit of a crush on her.”
The ladies chuckled. It was a good sound in the silence of the back seat of the car.
The loft was completely settled when they got there. The only thing missing when Adeline had called ahead was perishables for the fridge. Cara hadn’t expected Adeline to be home for another week. The perishables had been ordered before the wheels of the plane had left the ground in Las Vegas and had been delivered before the plane landed. There are advantages to having a complete staff at your disposal, but never so appreciated as in times of hardship.
Adeline had the driver drop their bags at the door.
“I suggest that we go ahead and freshen up. I will have my security man, Roland, find out what is going on with Barry. I’m sure the police have caught up with him, but in the unlikely event that they have been unable to do so, Roland is quite competent and will find Barry.”
Carolyn sounded concerned. “I’m not sure that is a good idea, Adeline. Shouldn’t we stay out of it and let the police handle it?”
“I will explain to Roland that we would prefer that he keep his inquiries discreet and I assure you that he will not move on anything unless and until we have your authority to do so, Carolyn.”
“Okay. I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, I just want to make sure that I don’t make things any harder on Suzi and Cara than they already are.”
“Completely understandable. And, Carolyn?”
“Hmm?”
“Please try to remember, we love Cara too, but we are here for you as well. If you need anything, anything at all, you will let us know?”
“Yes.”
Anna put her arm around Carolyn. “You pinkie promise?”
The laughter was light, but it helped.
By the time the sun rose, Carolyn was up, showered and ready to leave. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she couldn’t sit still one more moment.
She crept out to the living room.
While in the shower she decided she would get dressed and simply go downstairs. In a building like this there must be a doorman who could call her a cab. She would have the driver drop her off at her condo.
Then she would have a car and she could track down Suzi.
Carolyn was well aware that she hadn’t told Suzi she was coming home. It had all happened so quickly. Once the arrangements were in place, she figured it was just too late at night to call. Deep in her heart she knew A.J. and the O’Flynns would do everything they could to take care of Suzi and the baby.
“Where you goin’?”
“Good morning, Anna. I thought I would take a taxi over to my condo and get my car. I think I need to find Suzi and see Cara for myself. If I’m not able to get into the room, at least I can sit in the waiting room until A.J. comes out. I need to see for myself that he is well.”
“Not a good plan.”
“And why is that?” Adeline had come out of her room wearing a beautiful satin dressing gown. Every hair in place.
Carolyn allowed herself just a moment of envy. Why is it rich women can always do that and the rest of us get up in the morning looking like we slept on our heads and forgot to take off our makeup?
Anna responded. “Carolyn, I know your heart is in the right place, but you need to take a step back and think through your movements. You said that Barry is on the hunt. What makes you think that he isn’t hunting you?”
“What?”
“Anyone who has heard you speak of Suzi and A.J. knows how special they are to you. I would think that you are equally special to them. Barry would know that. He might come after you to hurt Suzi or even Cara.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I don’t mean to be cruel, but none of us thought he was capable of anything he has done. I don’t know the young man, but I’m sure that if you thought for one second he would hurt your granddaughter or her best friend, you would have stepped in to do something. So what that tells me is this boy is crazy and you can’t tell what he is going to do.”
“True, I guess. I can’t just sit here.”
“I have a plan. Actually, my security team has a plan. Would you like to hear it?”
“You got ahold of them this early?”
“Rick called them last night. They work in concert. Roland has been at work looking for Barry since shortly after you got the call last night.”
“Has he found anything?”
“No, but I can tell you that Cara is in the hospital. Third floor. We have someone at each end of the hall. Barry will not get into Cara’s room.”
“That is a comfort.”
“A.J. is at the hospital, as you would expect. He has been at Cara’s side continuously. He is tired and stressed, as you would expect, but he is hanging in there, Carolyn.”
“Okay. Did you hear anything about Suzi?”
“Well, from what I am told she went in to visit with Cara earlier. Cara had not regained consciousness fully. Suzi was terribly distraught.”
“I can’t even imagine how she must feel, but in her shoes, I would feel completely responsible.”
“My man overheard a conversation very similar to that. Suzi exited Cara’s room in tears. Heartbroken, I’m told.”
&nb
sp; “I need to get to her. I need to help her.”
“It turns out that Mrs. O’Flynn, Cara’s mother, has taken that responsibility to heart. She caught up with Suzi and told her it was disrespectful of Cara for her to take any responsibility at all. That the actions of Barry were accountable to Barry only and that she insisted that Suzi, as a member of the family, act accordingly. Their focus is on pulling Cara through this and doing so as a family. That Suzi is, was, and always will be a member of the family and that she has to be mindful of the baby. Mrs. O’Flynn told Suzi how much joy she has brought to the family over the years and that the baby will only bring more joy. That Suzi’s energy is better spent focusing on the grand life that she will share with the baby and Cara and not on the ugliness that Barry tried to inflict. Not to give him that power. My man said he was close to tears. That the O’Flynns have been lovely to Suzi and that they are gathered around Cara in a show of support and protection. I’m not sure we can do anything there that will make it better.”
“I can’t do nothing.”
“I agree. I think our focus should be on catching Barry.”
Anna put her hand on her hip. “As much as I would like a little time with that boy. Alone. With a baseball bat. I don’t think that there is much we are going to be able to do to catch him.”
“We will work in concert with Roland and his team. We will provide the background information, the personality profile, and the common sense so lacking in most of the younger people these days. They will provide the technical expertise and muscle.”
Anna wasn’t convinced. “That sounds more like a bad movie or an attempt to keep us busy.”
“One of the biggest mistakes people make these days is not utilizing the knowledge and expertise that history makes available to them. I think we may have something to add to Roland’s investigation. My intent is not simply to catch Barry, any buffoon could accomplish that goal without too much concern. My intent is to catch Barry in a way that will guarantee that Cara and Suzi are never required to confront him in court. I have some personal experience with just such occasions, and to say they are unpleasant is vastly understating the obvious.”
“So, if I’m hearing what you’re saying, Adeline, Suzi is safe in the arms of the O’Flynns, as is A.J. There is nothing we can do at the hospital, but there might be something we can do helping to track Barry and if we do it right, my Suze and Cara won’t have to go through the nightmare that court has become?”
“That is Roland’s plan.”
“And how does he expect to do all that?”
“We have a meeting here in one hour to hear all about it. I have taken the liberty of inviting Roland and a couple of his operatives over to explain all of this. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Adeline, I’ll never be able to thank you enough, but I will repay you.”
“No thanks are necessary. Carolyn, please remember that Cara may be the love of your grandson’s life, but she saved my life and I owe her everything. She has been good to me since the day she met me. I intend to repay that favor, although we all know she would have none of it if we were to ask permission. That is why I’d like to stay behind the scenes for just a bit. I’d like this to be a surprise. This endeavor is my gift to her. I would like for it to ensure that her safety and mental wellbeing are the result.”
Carolyn knew Adeline had finessed the situation so that she wouldn’t feel obligated to pay the cost of the surveillance and whatever else this Roland and his team had in mind, but at this point, she just didn’t care.
“Thank you, Adeline. And Anna. I know this is not what you had intended for your adventure. Suze means everything to me and I feel responsible for Cara being involved in any of this. If Cara hadn’t always been so good to Suzi, none of this would have befallen her. Had I not been so out of it when my husband died, I would have been more available to Suze and maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t have happened at all.”
Anna hugged Carolyn. “You can’t take responsibility for the evil in the world. Barry’s evil is not your problem. You stay focused on the positive. We’ll find Barry before he does any more damage and then we will take care of Cara in any way we can. Hawaii will wait. We’ll get there. For now, we will do what we can here. I’ve already taken my shower. Can I fix you ladies something to eat before Roland and his guys get here?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Carolyn, I know this is difficult, but you need to eat. You need to keep your strength up. It will do no one any good for you to be in the room next to Cara. A good breakfast and we will find out what Roland and his people have to say. You put these three brains of ours together and we will come up with something. I know it.”
“Thank you. How about a nice cup of tea and some toast. Maybe a bite of fruit.”
“That sounds perfect. Now, I tell you what. Why don’t you call the hospital and get an update on Cara and I’ll fix us a little something.”
“They won’t tell me anything. I’ve already tried. These days you have to have a special password. They assign those that should be given news some kind of code and those that don’t have the code don’t learn anything. I’d never heard of it before.”
Adeline walked toward her room “You give me five minutes, I’ll have the code. This is the type of thing that Roland excels at.”
True to her word, in less than five minutes, Adeline gave the code to Carolyn. “I was just told that Cara is awake. She is visiting with her family. She is in and out of consciousness. Mostly due to the medication they are providing her. She is scheduled for further tests today. By noon I should know exactly what the prognosis is.”
“I can’t imagine what that hospital bill will be.”
“That will not be an issue. Cara has very good medical insurance and anything that is not covered by the insurance will be taken care of. Now, I’m off to take a quick shower and ready myself for Roland’s arrival. The front desk will call when he arrives. If I’ve not come out, please answer the phone and tell the staff that he is welcome. I’ll be quick.”
“Take your time. Be careful. You know what they say about accidents in the bathroom.”
“Yes, my second son is a tribute to that very fact.”
There was a small chuckle. Humor makes everything better, but even humor was difficult right now.
Roland showed up on time. He introduced his associates, Harry and Rob. Both men were huge with intelligence radiating from their eyes. They were confident, polite, and observant. They were also quite deferential to the girls.
Once they were seated and tea or coffee was served to those requesting it, they got down to business.
“Adeline. Ladies. I think we can bring this situation to a successful conclusion quickly. Adeline, at your request we have people in the hospital.”
“I do not want the family, or anyone else for that matter, aware that we are there. It would make them feel uncomfortable and that is the last thing I want right now. They are not to be disturbed for any reason.”
“Yes, ma’am. We have the full cooperation of hospital staff. Our people will blend in seamlessly. We are simply there to protect the family and the staff if necessary.”
“Very well. What else do you have in place?”
“We have made some inquiries. We are confident that Barry has not been back to his place of employment. We are also confident that he has not been back to any previous residence. Our initial plan was to make our presence known in or around the O’Flynn targets. Each of their homes and places of employment, thereby sending a message to Barry that he is unwelcome, however, per your request we took that plan off the table. You have made it quite clear that all of our actions are to be invisible to the family and their neighbors as well as their employers.”
Anna asked, “And why is that? If you want a criminal to go away, a marked car in the driveway is a good way to accomplish that goal. A show of strength.”
Carolyn answered before Roland got the chance. “I think I understand why. Bar
ry is crazy. He wouldn’t see their people as a deterrent, he would see them as a challenge. They would also make a scene and the O’Flynns are traumatized enough.”
“Something like that, yes.”
Adeline asked the question, already knowing the answer. “Very well. What is your current plan?”
“We have people in the neighborhood at the main O’Flynn residence.”
“Cara’s parents?”
“Yes.”
“They will stick out like a sore thumb. Those people have lived in their same houses for decades. They know their service providers. It’s not like you can change the mailman out. How are you going to have enough people there without them knowing about it?”
“Technology. We will keep our people close enough to respond quickly but the main surveillance itself will be done remotely.”
“You got drones and such?”
“Drones are illegal. We do, however, have a myriad of devices that allow us to watch every inch of the neighborhood.”
“So when Barry shows up, you jump out of your water delivery truck and grab him?”
“That is one option, but we do not plan to do that. Our plan is a little more subtle.”
“And what is your plan?”
“Our plan is to allow Barry to get close, but not too close, and to have the natural security of the neighborhood intercept him.”
“So you’re saying that you are going to use the neighbors to catch him.”
“That’s the plan.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“The water truck will be in place.”
“Really? A water truck?”
“Close enough.”
When the door closed behind Roland, it was Anna who spoke first. “I’m not real clear on what it is we are supposed to be doing. It sounds to me like what Roland wants us to do is no more than busy work. I’m not real interested in runnin’ in circles just to keep myself out of the way. I think maybe I’m going to go home and open up my house and see if maybe I can get that nephew of mine to get his belongings out of my garage.”
Hawaii Can Wait (The Girls Series) Page 4