But I didn’t say anything to him. I simply turned back around, and put my head back on the chair. I blocked out what he was saying to me, because I no longer wanted to hear any of it. I felt so hopeless, so helpless, so down at that moment. I couldn’t ever imagine spending my life with Mr. Lucas, and I thought that I would kill myself if it ever came to that.
And, just like that, I had an idea.
Chapter 12
Nick
Seven PM had finally arrived, and Ryan and I made our way to Nora’s to meet with Elle. She was already there, and she stood up to wave us to her table.
She was dressed in something slinky and sexy, unlike earlier today, when she was in a smart suit. Her dress was red and low-cut, and her blonde hair was free-flowing. She was drinking a dirty martini, and she sipped it suggestively.
As we sat down, she handed us two menus to look at. We looked at it, and decided what to get.
I hated these preliminaries. I wanted to get down to it, so that I could get on a plane and find Scotty, wherever she was in the world. Ryan had already told me that we could fly to wherever in his plane, so we’d be able to leave as soon as we got some information.
After we ordered, Ryan got down to business. “So, let’s talk about our partnership.”
Elle had other things in mind. “Yes, let’s. Of course, we don’t have to be all business, do we?” she asked, as she took one of her olives and put it in her mouth while staring at Ryan.
Ryan looked uncomfortable. I nudged him under the table. “Uh, I have to use the restroom. I need to wash my hands.”
Ryan immediately got my gist. “Oh, me too. Uh, I’ll be right back.”
Then the two of us got up to make our way to the bathroom. Once we were in there, I gave him a new idea.
“Elle likes you,” I said.
“No shit. You brought me in here to tell me something that’s obvious for all to see?”
“Ok. But can’t we use that to our advantage?”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that you can use your charm to find out the information that we need to find.”
Ryan sighed. “Iris wouldn’t like that one bit.”
“I realize that. Listen, I’m not asking you to sleep with the woman. Just, you know, use your charm on her. Flirt with her a little bit. Loosen her up.”
“That’s your area, Nick,” Ryan said. “At least, it used to be at one time.”
“Well, it’s not anymore. Anyhow, it’s not me she’s digging, it’s you.”
Ryan gave me a dirty look, but said “Okay. I’ll do it. But Iris better not find out about this.”
“Number one, how can she find out? Number two, extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures. I know that you know how to wrap women around your finger. I’m asking you, as your oldest friend, to do so here.”
Ryan shook his head, but said “okay. You’re right. I’ll work my magic. But it stops at innocent flirting.”
“Goes without saying,” I said.
“Okay, then,” he said, and the two of us walked back to the table.
“Well, Ryan, I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty to order us an appetizer. I ordered the Roasted Maitake Mushrooms and Goat Cheese Tart.”
“Mmmm, sounds good,” Ryan said, and gave her a patented come-hither look. Elle looked like she was about to melt.
Dayum, that boy is good, I thought. I almost forgot how good he was. Hell, he’d even give the old me a run for his money.
Ryan leaned in a little further across the table, and put his hand in Elle’s hair. “You have beautiful hair. I like it down. It suits you.”
Elle giggled and blushed, and shifted in her chair. “Do you think? Do you like this color? I thought it was a little much.”
“No, I think that it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
More giggles and she looked down at the table, with her hand over her eyes.
“So, let’s get down to business. Before pleasure, anyhow,” Ryan said.
“Yes, let’s,” she said. “Now you wanted to discuss a partnership between your concern and mine. What did you have in mind?”
“Our foundation has $10 million to spend on efforts to end puppy mills. I need to know what Senators to target for these contributions to help get this legislation enacted. Which is where you come in. You have the contacts I need. I have the cash. Let’s work together.”
“Sounds like a very interesting offer. Very interesting.”
Ryan cleared his throat, and looked at me. “Well let’s work out the details, and then we can get into more personal topics.”
So, for the next half hour, Elle and Ryan hashed out the details on their proposed partnership, while I quietly sipped my scotch. I tried, very hard, to keep my mind off of Scotty, but it was getting more and more impossible to do.
Finally, the two came to an agreement, and Ryan cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. He took a deep breath, and turned his full attention to Elle. “So, Elle. Uh, I’d like to get to know you on more of a personal level. But I was wondering. I mean, tell me if this question is too intrusive, but….what is your, you know, marital status? Are you seeing anybody right now?”
I cleared my throat and nudged him. “Uh, maybe I should cut out right now and go back to the hotel room.”
Ryan gave me a look that could kill, but, again, it was so imperceptible that anybody but myself wouldn’t notice it. “No, actually, that won’t be necessary.” Then he raised his eyebrow in a look that said you’re staying right here.
Elle looked somewhat uncomfortable, but said “no, not seeing anybody. I, uh, just got out of a messy divorce.”
Ryan nodded. “Been there. Trust me.” He shook his head. “My ex-wife was a little bit on the cuckoo side. Well, strike that. A lot on the cuckoo side.”
I looked at him, hoping that he knew what he was doing. But, at the same time, I knew that I was in good hands. Ryan read people better than anybody I knew, and, if he thought that this was the right path, then it was the right path.
Elle smiled weakly and looked at her glass of wine pensively. “Yes, I know what you mean. My ex, well, he’s not exactly playing with a full deck, either.”
“Oh?” Ryan said. “What was the issue there?”
“He was a narcissist. Truly. He was also a master manipulator. He was better than anybody that I have ever seen at manipulating people and situations.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m really lucky to be out of that situation, to be honest.”
“I know what you mean,” Ryan said. “Oh, but we did have some good times, though. I mean, we have this amazing beach house in St. Croix. Or we had one, anyhow.”
At that, Elle’s ears seemed to perk up. “St. Croix? What a coincidence. My ex-husband and I had a house on the beach on that island as well. What part of St. Croix was your home?”
“Cane Bay,” he said. “What about you?”
“The same,” she said. “What a small world!” She shook her head. “We used to go there every year about this time for a long vacation. That was really the only time that we were happy. I guess because we were able to get away from the big city and all the attendant stresses.”
Ryan continued to have a poker face. I, however, felt an enormous smile spread across my face. We’re getting somewhere!
But Ryan wasn’t as convinced as me that this was the absolute key to knowing where to start looking for Scotty. He knew, as did I, that the couple also had homes in Italy and Greece. “Yeah, our times on St. Croix were magical, but, like you, when we got back, real life got in the way. So, we liked to have multiple vacation homes around the world. We had such a difficult time when we had to face our daily stress that we always needed a place to decompress.”
Elle’s eyes got wide. “Us, too. That was how we were!” She shook her head. “My husband made a lot of money in the past five years or so, after he switched from being a trader to being a hedge fund manager. So, one of the first things he did was buy vacation
homes. At first, I was against it. It just seemed so frivolous and not a good way to spend our money. I know that this is going to sound holier-than-thou, but I really wanted to use our newfound wealth to do some good in the world. But, after we actually started to use these vacation homes, I started to see the wisdom in having them,” she said with a laugh.
“Oh, yes. I think that our vacation homes were what kept us together. Let’s see, we spent our winter vacations in Gstaad, Switzerland. We both loved to ski. And we really loved to spend our autumns in New Zealand, to enjoy their springtime. What about you? Where else did you and your ex spend your time?”
“Summers in Greece, for sure. That was the best. We had a beach home on Crete, and the beauty of that place can’t be underestimated. And we also spent some of our winter times in Italy. We had a ski palace in Piedmont, in the Biella Province.”
My heart sunk. Greece could probably be ruled out, if they headed there in the summertime. But it sounded like Italy would be a prospect, too, for where he might have taken her.
The haystack was getting smaller, but it was still a haystack.
But Ryan was unruffled. “Oh? Which months did you like to go to Italy? I mean, were there months where the skiing is better than other months?”
“Yes, yes, of course. We usually headed out there for Christmas. We met some locals out there, who became friends of ours, and we enjoyed spending the holidays with them.”
My heart soared again. Italy was looking unlikely. It looked like St. Croix might be our best bet. I felt like ending the dinner, right then and there, and running to Ryan’s plane so that we could get the hell out of there.
But Ryan was deliberate and cool. “Christmas. Yes. Staying in a ski town over Christmas is out of this world. My ex and I sometimes spent our Christmases in Gstaad. It was always an amazing adventure during that time. We also went there at other times during the years. What about you? Did you visit Italy during the year, or only at Christmastime?”
“No, only during Christmas. That was our thing.”
Bingo. So, now we had the town in St. Croix, and we were reasonably sure that the pervert was there with my Scotty, as opposed to being at one of the other places around the world. So, now, let’s leave. I was now chomping at the bit.
Ryan wasn’t quite ready, though. “So, Italy, Greece and St. Croix. Quite diverse vacation homes. Did you guys go anywhere else?”
“Yes, of course. We adored travel. China, Russia, Australia, Japan, India, Egypt. You name the country, and we probably went there. Unless it was war-torn, of course.”
Ryan nodded his head. “But you just went to these places to visit, though, right? Or did you have homes elsewhere as well?”
“Yeah, we just visited these places. Our only homes were in Greece, Italy and St. Croix.”
I felt my knee moving a mile a minute under the table. I got out my phone and texted Ryan. “Come on, let’s move.”
Ryan felt his phone buzz. “Would you excuse me? I didn’t want to say anything, but I’m expecting a call. My mother has been sick in the hospital. I need to see if this text has anything to do with that.”
“Of course,” Elle said, but I could see the disappointment in her eyes.
At that, Ryan got up from the table.
I just looked at Elle through my thick glasses. She smiled warmly at me, but looked around, waiting for Ryan to return.
“So, how long have you been working with Ryan?” she asked politely.
“Uh, not long. About three months. I’m really happy to be able to get the chance to work on animal rights projects though.”
“And what do you do?”
“Well, right now, I’m really just in training. But I hope to become the liaison between the foundation and outside funding sources. I mean, our organization doesn’t take in the money, but we find people to give it to. Grants and that sort of thing.” I hope that she doesn’t ask me much more, because I really don’t know what I’m going to say.
She nodded her head. “Its good work you guys are doing.”
“You too,” I said.
Then we both looked around the restaurant uncomfortably. I didn’t want any more small talk, and neither did Elle, apparently. She smiled at me, again, more plastic this time.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, but probably was only a few minutes, Ryan reappeared. He had a very serious look on his face. “I’m so sorry. My mother has taken a turn for the worse. I, uh, will have to cut this dinner short. I paid the tab. But, I’ll be in touch about our partnership.”
Elle nodded. “I’m very sorry to hear that. I hope that your mother gets better.”
“Me too,” he said. Then he looked at me. “Sorry, Nico. But looks like we have to be getting back to Kansas City ASAP.”
I took a deep breath. Thank you, Ryan. I stood up. “Elle, it’s very nice to have met you. Sorry we couldn’t get to know each other better.”
“Yes, it was very nice meeting you, too.”
Ever the gentleman, Ryan said “Can I escort you back to your car?”
“That would be wonderful.”
So, the two of us escorted her back to her car, which was in an underground parking garage. Elle gave both us a hug goodbye, and she looked longingly into Ryan’s eyes. “I really hope to see you soon, Ryan,” she said. “Maybe on a more personal basis next time?”
Ryan nodded his head but said nothing. “Perhaps. At any rate, we can really make a difference to those puppies by working together, can’t we?”
Elle tried to hide her disappointment at the obvious rejection. “Yes, we sure can,” she said weakly. Then she blushed, ran her hands through her hair, and got into her car. “I hope you get in touch with me soon.”
“I will,” Ryan assured her.
Then Ryan and I turned around and called our limousine.
While we waited for Robert, our limousine driver, to come and pick us up, we chatted a bit.
“That was horrible,” Ryan said. “I really feel like shit. Dirty, almost.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like toying with people’s emotions. I hate it, in fact. No offense, but I’m not like you.”
I sighed. “No offense taken. But I’m not like that anymore. At all. Scotty has tamed me in a way that nobody ever has. Nobody has ever come close.”
“Well, that’s good. Let’s hope that you stay tamed.”
“I will. I have no doubt about it.”
Ryan shook his head. “I really hope that I’m not bringing the bad juju, lying about my mother like that. I’ve always been superstitious about that type of thing. You know, if you lie about something like that, it might really happen.”
“I know, me too. But, thanks for doing that. And, thanks for everything. You really are a fantastic friend. I can’t think of anybody else who would do what you just did to help me out.”
“Of course. But, I’m not finished helping you out yet. I’m going to go to St. Croix to help you look for her. The good news is, we have it narrowed down to the Cane Bay area. It’s still going to be difficult to pinpoint just where he is, but we will just have to ask around.” Then he paused. “I’m doing this for you, Nick, but, really, it is a long overdue repayment for how you saved me from Rochelle. If it weren’t for you, god knows what would have happened to me. I probably would literally be dead. So, I’m glad that I have finally been given the chance to help you out for a change.”
“I know, buddy. I’m glad that I was able to help you out when you needed me.”
Ryan smiled. “So, I guess we’re even, then?”
“I guess we are,” I smiled back.
Chapter 13
Scotty
I had spent the last day or so thinking about how I wanted to die. I had no way out. No hope. Everything was shattered for me. The crystal egg that I thought about when I got the call about Aaron was an apt description for how I was feeling right at that moment. And it didn’t just threaten to shatter, but it actually did. Along with my psyche.
I wondered how I could actually do some good for the people I loved, though, before I decided to go through with my plan. I wondered if I could actually get Mr. Lucas to marry me, if I stipulated that he had to put about a million or so dollars into trust for my mother, so that she could get treatment and better herself. She really deserved to have a better life than what she had. She was wounded, too, just like me. I didn’t know if something happened to her like what had happened to me, but I always had a feeling that it did. I thought that I could die happy if I knew that she would be taken care of. And, by extension, Aaron.
I knew that I was being naïve to think that money would be the answer to her problems. But I thought that she might have a chance if she could get intensive inpatient treatment, just like Mr. Lucas suggested. She might have a chance for a normal life if she could just kick the bottle. That would make me happy, even if I wouldn’t be alive to see her transformation.
Then, after the money for my mom was secured, I would meet with a mysterious accident. I didn’t quite know what that would be, but I would make sure that it looked like an accident. That way, Mr. Lucas wouldn’t be tempted to withdraw the trust for my mother. If I actually committed suicide, and there wasn’t question about that, then Mr. Lucas would probably be so angry that I deceived him that he would cut off my mother.
And my death would be for naught.
So, first thing was first. I had to make my proposal to Mr. Lucas, and tell him that I would marry him on the condition that he put several million dollars into a trust fund for my mother, and see what happened from there.
Over dinner that night, I made my proposal. “So, uh, Paul,” I began. “I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday. About how you would take care of my mother if I married you.”
“Yes, Princess. And I meant every word of it.”
“Okay, then. If you open up a trust fund for my mother, and make it conditional upon her staying sober, then I will marry you.”
Saving Scotty Page 6