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“To be blunt, your name was inadvertently deleted from the guest list. I have no idea how. It was on the original; I saw my mother enter it before she e-mailed the attachment to the department secretary at John Jay. There was obviously a screwup when the invitations were mailed out. Somehow your name was missing. So you never got the invite. As you heard for yourself, my mother is mortified. She hopes you’ll accept her apology and come to the party. I’ll give you whatever specifics you need now, and a new invitation is already on its way.”
Sloane blinked in noncomprehension. By this time, Derek was propped on his elbows, gazing quizzically down at her.
“Luke, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sloane said. “If there was a screwup, they obviously fixed it. I received my invitation on Saturday, and RSVP’d right away. Please tell Lillian that the only mix-up is what she saw on that final guest list. Of course I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“That’s great, and my mother will be delighted.” Luke sounded as puzzled as Sloane. “Although, frankly, I’m not sure how this happened. I saw the final guest list. And your name was definitely omitted.”
“I’ll never understand computers. The printer might have cut off a line. Who knows? The important thing is, neither you nor your mother has anything to apologize for. I feel very included, and I’m honored to have been invited.”
“Thank you, Sloane.” Luke sounded very, very relieved. And given that he wasn’t the emotional type, this incident had obviously thrown Lillian badly—which was the last thing she needed at a time like this. “I’ll tell her right now. She’ll feel much better.”
“Tell me what?” Sloane heard Lillian ask.
“Everything’s fine, Mother,” he called back. “Sloane got her invitation, and she’ll be at the party. I’ll fill you in in a minute.”
“Luke, I realize now’s not the best time to talk,” Sloane inserted quickly. “So I won’t keep you. But before we hang up, thank you for what you did for Elsa and Burt. It’s made a big difference to Elsa’s state of mind—not to mention her health.”
“I hope it helped Burt, too, even if just to make him feel a little more informed about his options, and in control of the situation,” Luke replied. “He’s not the easiest guy to talk to, or to read.”
“You tried. That’s all that matters.”
“Let’s hope so. Sometimes trying is good enough. Sometimes it’s not.”
Sloane swallowed hard. “I take it things have deteriorated at your end.”
“More quickly than I expected,” he responded, keeping his voice low so as not to upset Lillian. “I’m just taking it a day at a time, managing my mother’s pain, and keeping our spirits up. Oh, and I’ve taken a leave of absence from work,” he added, his voice returning to normal. “All these years, my mother and I have both been so immersed in our careers, we’ve scarcely seen each other. Now we can finally enjoy spending time together.”
“You’re an amazing son. I’m sure that brings Lillian a great deal of peace.” Tears burned behind Sloane’s eyes. “Why don’t we catch up at the retirement party? That way we don’t have to talk in code. And in the meantime, you can get back to your mother.”
“I think that would be best. Right now you’re obviously in a time crunch. So go finish preparing for your meeting. You can fill me in on Elsa’s progress at the retirement party.”
“I hear you,” Sloane replied. And she did. Luke was making it seem like it was she who was pressured to hang up. “By the way, tell Lillian I’m making that strawberry cheesecake she loves, and bringing it to the party.”
“I’ll do that.” There was a wealth of gratitude in Luke’s voice. “I’m sure it’ll make her day. See you on the twenty-eighth.”
Derek sat up the minute Sloane ended the call. “What was that about?”
Briefly, she explained.
“I’m sorry,” he said gently. “I know how fond you are of Lillian.”
“What can I say? Sometimes life sucks.” Sloane blinked away her tears.
“You didn’t tell me about her retirement party. Or that you were attending.”
“Things have been kind of hectic around here, with two new abductions. I guess it slipped my mind.”
“Not a problem.” Derek’s wheels were turning. “I assume this party will be small and intimate, with just the significant people in Lillian’s work life there.”
“I assume so.” Sloane’s brows drew together. “Where are you going with this?”
“To the party.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll be your date. That way, I can meet the people you interact with at John Jay, and give Hank the night off.”
“So you’ll be going as my bodyguard,” Sloane clarified.
