Death's Door (34 page)

“It just so happens that I may be his daughter.” She didn’t believe this herself but it sounded more threatening.

“No way. I knew your father.”

“I didn’t realize until recently that I was a donor-conceived child. Wyatt donated a lot of sperm while he was in college. I know he’ll lend me whatever money I need.” Of course, she knew no such thing, but she was determined to make Aiden take her seriously.

“Oh God, what am I going to do?” Aiden was back to whining mode again.

She felt like laughing and saying,
I told you so.
But she was a better person than that. She’d loved this man once. She’d grieved for him for months. She couldn’t bring herself to kick him while he was down. Meeting Paul had changed her view on life. She wanted out of this mess as seamlessly as possible.

“Aiden, listen to me,” she said in her softest, kindest voice. “Chloe nearly ruined a professor at Stanford. She slept with him and stole donor information from his key project, spent the money on gambling, and someone exposed her. The poor guy used his life savings to pay back the money. The university asked her to leave rather than charge her and receive a lot of negative publicity.”

Aiden threw his head back and stared at the ceiling.

Madison gave him a minute to consider what she’d told him. “It’s going to take tough love to change Chloe. She might receive a suspended sentence or a short jail term. But if she gets away with it, the way she did at Stanford, she’ll keep doing it.”

Jade appeared at Madison’s desk. “Is there, like, something I can do?”

Madison knew Jade couldn’t have heard their conversation. Madison had seen her on the other side of the cube farm, flirting as usual. Aiden was still staring at the ceiling.

“Yes, there is something I need you to do. Go to each programmer. Ask them to check with all three credit reporting agencies to see if any credit cards have been taken out in their name that they didn’t authorize. Then—”

“Kyle and Jeff told me yesterday that they were having problems. Cash had been taken out of credit card accounts.”

“Oh, shit,” groaned Aiden.

“Check with everyone else. Make them stop whatever they are doing and check with the agencies. If their credit is okay, have them freeze their accounts.”

“Have we had a breach or something?” Jade asked.

“Yes. Now hurry up and alert the programmers.”

“Oh, fuck! I can’t believe this is happening.” Aiden slowly rose. “What am I going to do?”

“Aiden, when I leave today, I’m not coming back. That doesn’t mean I’ve changed my mind about filing charges.”

“What am I going to do without you?” He shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders hunched over like an old man.

“Get Jade to do my job. She’s perfectly capable.”

“No, I mean what am I going to do about this mess with Chloe?”

“You may want to see an attorney yourself.” She took a deep breath, then added, “I want you to buy me out. You can make payments over time or something, but I’m through here.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure, but Wyatt Holbrook has made me an interesting offer.”

How many bones are in the human body?

M
ADISON WAS SITTING
at the table on the terrace across from Wyatt. Savannah was chattering on and on about wedding plans. Occasionally, Nathan offered a suggestion. Wyatt seemed interested and he didn’t make a single comment about Savannah’s drinking. Savannah was enjoying her second Lady of the Night. Madison had never heard of this particular type of martini, but Savannah informed her that it was “all the rage.” The martini had a floater on it, a thin slice of cucumber topped by a dollop of caviar.

“Now those are our plans, if we get married here in Miami,” Savannah told her father. “We’re also considering a destination wedding.”

“Meaning?” Wyatt asked.

“You know, like Molly Burke’s wedding in Florence.”

“Right. Make all your friends travel halfway around the world.” Wyatt didn’t sound thrilled with this idea.

Madison tuned them out and she thought about Paul instead. He’d come right over to Total Trivia as soon as he’d picked up her voice mail. He’d been able to convince Aiden to turn in Chloe. The last she’d seen of Aiden was as he left for the police station to file a complaint. Chloe would have the police and the FBI after her. Paul expected her to be arrested by evening. The woman might even be in jail right now, Madison thought.

She was surprised to find she felt a little guilty. Here she was having a delicious seafood salad and gazing out at the beautiful ocean while Aiden was dealing with the consequences of Chloe’s problems. It would be difficult for him and he didn’t deserve it. She’d loved him once and felt sorry for him now.

Maybe he’d become stronger, the way she had after the divorce. Sure, she went through emotional hell, but she came out a better person. And she’d found Paul. She’d been waiting her entire life for this man without knowing it.

“Madison,” Savannah said. “Earth to Madison.”

“Sorry,” Madison replied. “My mind wandered.”

“I asked about your wedding.”

Madison couldn’t imagine how she could contribute anything when such a lavish affair was being planned. “A justice of the peace married us.”

Savannah scowled as if she’d just been served a plate of fried ants. “Really?”

“I wouldn’t lie.”

“Hadn’t your father recently died?” Wyatt asked.

“Yes. A church wedding without him to walk me down the aisle was out of the question.”

“Well, here comes dessert,” Nathan said in a none-too-smooth attempt to change the subject. “Homemade gelato with fresh fruit.”

They were served the gelato in shell-shaped silver bowls. One of the maids put a dish of whipped cream on the table. No one spoke for a moment. That was unusual, Madison reflected. This was her third dinner with them. It seemed someone was always talking.

“We’d better enjoy this weather,” Nathan said. “In another month we won’t be able to eat out here.”

“I like to have breakfast here in the summer when the weather’s too hot to eat outside in the evening,” added Wyatt.

Madison had to admit it was lovely right now. The balmy
air wasn’t so humid you felt as if you were wading through it every time you moved. The aroma of the gardenias at the perimeter of the property drifted on a cat’s paw of a breeze that was too light to ruffle her hair. It would be perfect if Paul were sitting beside her.

“Where’s Garrison this evening?” asked Madison.

Wyatt shrugged.

“Who knows?” Savannah said with a shake of her head that made her hair swish across her shoulders. “Probably at his place in the Keys.”

Wyatt finished his dessert and glanced at Madison. She’d eaten the fruit but was toying with the gelato. “Are you finished?” he asked.

“Yes. It’s delicious, but I’m full.”

Wyatt rose, saying, “Excuse us. We’re going into my office to discuss some business.”

“Have fun,” Savannah said a little too cheerily.

Madison walked beside Wyatt and wondered how much of her troubles at the office she should reveal. It wasn’t gory enough for television in a city where crime was rampant, but it might be in the morning papers. She should at least mention it.

Wyatt opened the door to his office and stood aside to allow her to enter first. There was a vase of yellow roses on his desk and their heady scent filled the air. A small model skeleton of a human body stood beside the flowers.
There are two hundred and six bones in the human body,
she thought to herself.
Stop it! Let go of the trivia.

Wyatt sat down, saying, “Have you had a chance to think about my proposition?”

Madison took the chair opposite his desk. “A little. I’m afraid we had a problem at work that consumed my attention. An employee stole a lot of money.”

“That’s terrible. You have enough problems already.” Wyatt paused, then asked, “You keep money around?”

“No. She took it out of our bank account.”

Wyatt nodded, but Madison didn’t elaborate. “I did come up with a few questions.”

“Shoot,” Wyatt said with a smile.

“If I’m not one of your donor-conceived children, will it matter?”

“No, not in the least,” he assured her in an oddly gentle tone.

“Will it make a difference if I can’t donate part of my liver?”

“No, it won’t. With my immune system, I’ll be lucky to find a match.”

She gazed at him, flashing a quick smile of thanks.

Wyatt leaned forward, elbows on the desk. “I thought of you because you’re smart and have a background in statistics. Evaluating research requires a good knowledge of how to interpret test results. An analytical mind is important. Plus, I could train you myself in what time I have left.”

Her heart went out to him. She remembered how depressed her father had become when the end neared. He had so wanted to be a grandfather. An ache too deep for tears suddenly came over her. She forced her mind back to the present.

“There’s another problem,” she told him. “I oppose the use of animals in testing.”

“I realize that from previous discussions. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t believe in it, either, except in rare cases. I believe vivisection will become a thing of the past—soon. Over ninety percent of all drugs tested on animals and declared effective fail in human tests.”

“Do you think 3-D computer models will replace vivisection?” she asked, recalling what she’d read online.

“Absolutely. That and microdosing, biochips and nanotechnology.”

“What if I don’t like the work or you think I’m wrong for the position? Can we agree to be honest and say so immediately?”

“Yes. Being honest is important,” he agreed. “Any other questions?”

“Not really. I’m sure I will when you start to train me.”

“When can you begin?”

“Tomorrow.” She remembered her appointment with the attorney. “In the afternoon.”

He arched an eyebrow in surprise. “What about your company?”

“I’m selling it to my ex-husband.”

M
ADISON HAD RETURNED
from walking Aspen along the beach and heard her cell phone ringing from her purse, which was in the bedroom. She dashed across the living room, down the hall just as the phone stopped ringing. Maybe it was Paul, she thought. It was just eight, but hopefully he’d finished early or perhaps he was calling to tell her about Chloe.

Voice mail showed two messages. The first was from Paul, saying Chloe had been arrested and would be arraigned tomorrow. Aiden would post bail immediately, she thought.

The second message was from her mother. Thank God! Madison had been worried. Jessica Whitcomb sounded fine and left a 305 area code phone number. She must be home. Great, Madison reasoned. She could discuss this donor-conceived question in person.

She punched in the phone number. Her mother answered on the second ring. “Mom. You’re home?”

“I’m back, baby doll.”

Madison’s heart sang; her mother often called her baby doll. Until Erin’s death, she hadn’t realized how much she missed her mother. “Where are you? When did you get back?”

Two beats of silence. “Mom? Can you hear me?” What a time for a dropped call.

“I hear you. I came home three days ago. I’m staying with Max and Andy.”

“Three days? Why didn’t you call me? I’ve been worried. I hadn’t heard from you in so long.”

“I’m sorry, honey. It’s hard to explain.” She sighed. “I didn’t want to hear you say ‘I told you so.’ I’m getting a divorce.”

Had she been so cruel about the marriage that her mother hadn’t called her for three whole days? “Oh, Mom. I’m sorry. I must have been—”

“You were right. Scott wasn’t the guy for me. That man was your father.”

“Mom, can you drive over here? I want to see you. Hug you.” Tears unexpectedly filled Madison’s eyes.

“I don’t have a car,” she replied. “The boys won’t be back for hours.”

Max and Andy were gay friends of her mother’s. She’d known them both since high school. They were accomplished interior designers whose services were always in demand. They’d made a fortune by restoring fabulous old homes in Coral Gables.

“Are Max and Andy still in Coral Gables?” Even though she’d grown up around these wonderful guys, she’d lost track of them when she’d been married to Aiden. He was as homophobic as they came.

“Yes.”

Madison took down the address her mother gave her. “I’ll be right over. It’ll take me a while. I’m in Palm Beach.”

“What are you doing there?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll explain when I see you.” Madison snapped her phone shut, tossed it in her purse and scribbled a note to Paul. She knew he’d be furious that she’d left by herself, but she had to see her mother.

Her car was parked behind the bungalow. She hadn’t used it lately because Paul insisted on driving her. “Hop in, boy,” she told Aspen. Her mother loved dogs. She’d be thrilled to meet the retriever.

It took less time to arrive than she’d anticipated. Traffic was lighter than usual, since it was after the rush hour. She turned onto the gorgeous tree-lined streets she’d once loved so much. Max and Andy didn’t live far from where she and Aiden had bought a house.

She drove up the long cobbled driveway that went around to the back of the house and parked off to the side in case the guys returned and wanted to park in their garage while she was visiting with her mother. Jessica Whitcomb must have been listening for a car. She rushed out a side door, her arms open.

Madison was out of the car in a flash. She ran into her mother’s arms and bear-hugged her. “Oh, Mom. I’m so glad to see you. I love you. I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too.” Her mother pulled back. “It’s too dark out here to see what you look like, see if you’ve changed.”

“Mom, I apologize for how mean I was about you remarrying. I’m sorry it didn’t work out. I know how you must have felt after Daddy died. Lonely and upset. I wasn’t any help.”

“It’s okay. You
were
right. We weren’t a good fit.” She slipped her arm around Madison’s waist. “Let’s go inside and talk. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

The “boys,” as her mother usually called Andy and Max, had restored another huge rambling home to its original elegance. It reminded Madison of the nearby Biltmore, which was Spanish in design, with ornate tiles and mahogany furniture boasting plush cushions.

Her mother led her in through the side door not far from where she’d parked her car. “I can stay here in the south wing until I get on my feet again. The boys are true friends.”

“Yes, they are.” She hugged her mother again and tears began to trickle down Madison’s cheeks. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Don’t cry, honey. Everything is okay.” Jessica ran her hand through short, curly locks. “Changed my hair.”

“I like it.”

“It was easier on the boat. Plus, it was time for a new look.” She gestured toward a love seat.

They were in a study or a small reading room. It was done in relaxing shades of moss-green. The fabric on the furniture had a palm leaf design.

“I’m so terribly sorry about Erin,” her mother said. “The boys told me.”

“I found her, Mom.”

“Oh my Lord!” Her mother’s blue eyes were the same ones Madison saw in the mirror every morning, but now they were filled with genuine sorrow. Her mother hugged her and ran her hand across the back of her head, comforting Madison the way she had when Madison had been a child. “The boys didn’t realize that.” Her mother released her and gazed lovingly into Madison’s eyes.

“I know. The media just said a friend found her. That would be me.”

“It must have been terrible. I can’t imagine…”

“Devastating. Even worse, the police suspected me.”

“They did? Why?”

“Apparently, Erin had some valuable property she’d inherited from her parents. She left it to me. I had no idea. She’d never told me. So the police thought I had a motive.”

“They know better now, don’t they?”

“Yes, I think so.” She didn’t want to get into all that yet. There was one question on her mind and it had been nagging at her relentlessly. “Mom, when was the last time we talked? I can’t remember. So much has been happening.”

“It was over a month ago. Even then I was thinking about flying home, but I didn’t mention it. I had to wait until we sailed into a port with an airport nearby. Then I just flew here rather than call.”

“I’m so glad you’re home.”

“I get to start over again,” her mother said, attempting an upbeat tone. “I have no money and no job. I’m going to hit you up for a loan.”

Madison slapped both hands over her eyes and laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Mom, I don’t have a cent. At least you can get credit. Thanks to identity theft, I don’t have any money, but don’t worry. I’m fixing the mess.”

“Oh, baby doll. That’s terrible. The boys will let me stay here and lend me money. There are a couple of places I can apply for a job. It’ll work out.”

Her mother was always like this. Optimistic. It was uplifting just to hear her voice, know she was home. Where she belonged.

“Mom, there’s something I need to ask you. And I need you to tell me the truth.”