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“Rock, Roy, Riley, and I are all on the same side, Mom. So don’t try your little mind games. I came here for another reason.”
“I hope it’s good enough to interrupt my massage.”
“That was hardly a massage,” I said, “and yeah, I think it’s more than good enough.”
“All right, for God’s sake. Let me get dressed and order some lunch or something.”
“Not hungry.”
“At least let me get dressed.”
Talking to my mother wearing a sheet wasn’t really on my bucket list, but at this point, I could never unsee what I’d seen. So no way was I going to let her out of my sight to figure out a way to get out of this.
“Wrap it up like a toga,” I said. “We’re going to talk now.”
She huffed. “This isn’t proper.”
“That ship has sailed, Mom. Just wrap up the damned sheet and then turn off that wretched infuser. The chamomile is going to make me lose my breakfast.”
“For Christ’s sake, Reid.”
I looked away as she knotted the sheet around herself. Once I heard her get off the table, I turned back around. She was covered totally, thank God. She walked to the infuser and turned it off.
“The aromatherapy won’t go away just like that,” she snapped.
“I’m not a moron, Mom.” I breathed in through my mouth.
She nodded to a couple of chairs in the corner. “Have a seat. I have to go to the bathroom.”
I shook my head. “No, you don’t.”
“My bladder says differently.”
“You’re a big girl. Hold it. I know you better than you know yourself, Connie. You’re looking for an out. I’m not giving it to you.”
“I can have you arrested for trespassing.”
“You want to go there? I’ll grab Fabio the masseur and he’ll hum like a hummingbird for the right price. You want to go down for soliciting? And that’s the least I’ll do to you.”
“You kids never had any respect for your mother,” she huffed.
“Why would we? After you let Dad molest Riley all those years.”
She dropped her mouth into an O. “I had no idea!”
“Stuff a sock in it, Mom. She already told us the whole story. How you told her to close her eyes and think of diamonds, Queen Victoria.”
“You have no idea what I’ve been through myself.” She forced a sniffle. “Riley didn’t go through anything I haven’t gone through.”
Was she telling the truth? Perhaps. Unfortunately, any sympathy I might have had for her had been snuffed out long ago. “Then you, of all people, should have protected your daughter.”
“Yes, I suppose I should have.”
“Quit bucking for sympathy, Mom. The fact is that you didn’t, even when you knew damned well what was going on. We all know why you didn’t.”
“Do you? Do you really know why?”
“Of course we do. You let it all happen for the money.”
She fake sniffled again. “You truly don’t know me. None of my children do.”
“Stifle it. We know you better than you know yourself. I’m not falling for this fake crying bullshit. If you truly went through something as horrible as Riley went through, I’m sorry. I don’t wish that on anyone. But you gave up your right for us to care long ago. None of that is why I’m here, anyway.”
“Why are you here, then?”
“I want you to tell me,” I said, “about Dad’s first wife. Irene Lucent.”
43
Zee
I jerked my eyes open.
Moira stood over me, gently shaking my shoulder. “Zee, honey. I’m ready to leave for the day.”
Where was I? Right. Moira’s office. I’d fallen asleep after that horrible questioning from Detective Morgan. “What time is it?”
“It’s four o’clock. I’m leaving early because I have an appointment. I suppose you can stay in here if you’d like, but I figured you wouldn’t want to be alone.”
I sat up. “Right. I don’t want to be alone.”
“Can I call someone for you?”
“Yeah. Reid, please.” I wiped the sleep out of my eyes. Several hours had passed, and they’d seemed like seconds to me. I’d slept hard.
Moira walked to her desk and tapped a button. “Henny, could you get Reid Wolfe for me, please? Thank you.”
A few seconds passed.
Then, through the intercom, “I’m sorry, Moira. Mr. Wolfe isn’t answering.”
“Try his cell.”
“I did. He didn’t answer that either.”
“All right. Thank you.” Moira turned to me. “I can find someone else. Lacey, maybe?”
I nodded. “Lacey’s fine. Riley would be better.”
“Riley doesn’t work here, but I’m sure Lacey is around. Let me check.” She called Henny on the intercom once more.
“I’ve got Mrs. Wolfe,” Henny’s voice came through the intercom.
“Thanks, Henny.” Moira pressed another button. “Lacey? It’s Moira in legal. I’ve got Zee in my office, and I have to leave for an appointment. I couldn’t get hold of Reid, so she asked for you.”
Pause.
“Brilliant. Thank you.” Moira hung up and turned to me. “Lacey will be here in a few minutes.”
“Thanks.”
“I do need to leave or I’ll be late, especially in this traffic. Will you be okay until Lacey gets here?”
