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Chapter One
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“Iknow what I’m doing. If I can get the proof, there is no way I’ll be denied the promotion.” Cordelia Sparks had spent the last year researching. She knew the Henderson family was rich, powerful, and dangerous to play with when she’d decided to do this. Time wasn’t going to change anything. Following through with her plan would bring them to their knees. That’s what made staging the story even more valuable. “Not many people are willing to go to this length.”
“Exactly, Cori. That should be the red flag that you need to stop. If they find out—”
“They haven’t yet. Sorry Sis, but I’ve got to go. Someone is calling on the other line.”
“Cori, I really think that—”
“Sarah, it’s work. I have to take this.”
“Okay, love you.”
“Love you, too.” Cori hated lying to Sarah, but if she didn’t, it was going to be a replay of every other conversation they’d had. The lecture would last at least an hour and accomplish nothing but make her feel alone. If no one else believes me, I hoped you would, Sarah.
Cori regretted letting Sarah in on what she was doing. What was I thinking? This is what big sisters do. Worry. Nag. It was foolish for Cori to think that just because they’d both crossed the good old age of thirty Sarah would consider her old enough to take care of herself. Sarah could only see things one way: hers. Her sister would never understand what it was like for her. Cori had been working at the news station for two years, and each time a position opened for an investigative news reporter, she was bypassed. She asked why and they made it clear. If she wanted it, she needed to fight for it. That’s exactly what she was doing.
She was going to use her secret passion to obtain the truth, which in turn should facilitate getting a new position. It was perfect. If she couldn’t get proof of what James had done to her grandpa, then she’d make his children pay. I know what they’re really like. What they’re capable of. They might be able to fool the rest of the world, but not me.
Their father, James Henderson, had been a snake. Cruel wasn’t a strong enough word to describe him. What he’d done to her grandfather Joe’s business was uncalled for. Grandpa Joe came to the United States from Madeira in his late teens. It hadn’t been easy for him in the beginning, but he’d saved every cent he’d earned until one day he’d purchased land to start his very own vineyard. No one knew why, but Grandpa Joe had refused to do business with James. She remembered hearing him tell her grandma it was because James was unethical. Untrustworthy. He believed it was an inherited bad-seed gene, and therefore, no Henderson would ever be a good person.
She was young when a fire had broken out during the night. The flames had roared, and people screamed to save the crops. She and Sarah were sent away with their mother and grandma while the men struggled to put it out. Not only was the entire vineyard destroyed, but that was the day that changed her life. Grandpa Joe took his last breath trying to save it.
At first, the family had tried to get the police to look at possible arson. Yet each avenue her parents took seemed to return the same results. It was the neglect of proper chemical storage that caused the fire.
Cori knew that hadn’t been the case. She’d walked those fields almost every day with Grandpa Joe, and he’d told her repeatedly how important it was to take care of the crop, the land, and the equipment, and then it would take care of you. They might have called it an accident, but I’ll never believe it. Grandpa wasn’t careless.
There was nothing she could do back then, but she was an adult now. Several years ago, she’d gone to the police and tried to get the investigation reopened. She hadn’t had any proof, but a nagging feeling remained that James was behind it. To no avail, she tried to get them to look into James as a viable suspect. After months of trying, she had to face the fact that she wasn’t any closer to answers than before. The police wouldn’t even admit the fire was set, let alone entertain James as, in her eyes, a murderer. He might be dead now, but that didn’t lessen the need for the truth. I promised I’d get justice for my grandpa. And that is what I will do.
She looked at her watch and knew it was time for her appointment. It was risky using her real name, but one couldn’t make an appointment with a neurosurgeon without proper identification and health insurance. Cori had faked it with her primary care physician and asked for a referral to the one and only Dr. Logan Henderson.
She turned the engine off and got out of her car. She was nervous about meeting with Dr. Henderson, as she had no valid reason for being there. Making up a fake head injury was against the law if she tried to use health insurance to pay for the consultation. But if she paid for it herself, no preauthorization was needed. Taking funds out of her retirement to cover the tests and appointments was risky. Not as risky as committing insurance fraud.
She made her way to his office, gave the receptionist her name, and waited. His wall was covered with prestigious awards and degrees, making it clear he was one of the top neurosurgeons in the US, possibly in the world. That didn’t mean he was a good person. James had been a successful businessman and a complete scumbag.
This wasn’t the first Henderson she’d arranged to meet. She’d worked in the records room for Poly-Shyn for two weeks when she crossed paths with the youngest, Dean. She’d chosen to meet him first since he’d taken over his father’s company. The guy was gruff and hard as nails, but she’d found him to be a fair businessman. That had surprised her. Success of such magnitude came with a price. Usually the lack of kindness and compassion.
Dean wasn’t totally crossed off the list, but she didn’t thnk she was going to get him to open up about the family. It was going to take talking to someone about her pretend past and getting them to open up about their childhood life as a Henderson. Since Logan was not only in the medical field but also single, she hoped he’d be easier to unravel.
“Cordelia Sparks.”
She looked up at the nurse holding her chart, stood up, and said, “That’s me.”
Once inside the exam room, they reviewed her medical history. “Is there a hearing disorder?”
That was an odd question. “No.” The nurse shrugged. “Is there a reason you asked?”
“We called your name several times, and you didn’t respond until I came and stood in front of you. If it weren’t for the fact we obtained your photo when you arrived, I would’ve thought you’d left.”
Cori was about to tell the nurse she was in deep thought, but realized this was just what she needed. Another symptom. “I’m sorry. That’s something that’s only been occurring since I hit my head. I guess I should’ve mentioned it before.”
The nurse wrote that down in her notes. “Anything that is different should be mentioned. Would you like me to add anything else?”
“No. That’s it, thank you.”
The nurse left, and Cori sat on the exam table, waiting. She was happy this one didn’t require her to take her clothes off. She’d taken a picture of the gorgeous doc jogging on the beach early one morning. She told herself it was purely for research, but his rock-hard abs weren’t getting her any answers. At least none of any importance. If he hadn’t decided to dedicate his life to saving lives, he would’ve made one heck of an underwear model.
