Drawing Close: The Fourth Novel in the Rosemont Series (18 page)

Chapter 38

Maggie forced herself through her
morning routine to get ready for work. The email from Susan that she’d read
while eating breakfast had shaken her. Nicole Nash needed a kidney transplant.
She was now on the national donor list. Her granddaughters and their friend in
Westbury—Nicole’s older sister, Marissa—were scared and upset.
Maggie felt certain that Marissa Nash and her brother weren’t Nicole’s only
siblings; Mike and Susan were her half-brother and half-sister. Maggie didn’t
know much about transplants, but she knew that relatives were preferred donors.
The decision she had been dreading was now upon her. She needed time to think
things through, but right now she had work to do at Town Hall.

She got into her SUV and turned left out of her
driveway. The blaring horn of a car in the oncoming lane jolted Maggie out of
her reverie. She looked in the direction of the sound and headlights blinded
her. Panicked, she stepped on the gas and the oncoming driver swerved, narrowly
avoiding a collision.

Where did he come from?
Still shaking, she
turned onto a side street and pulled to the curb. Maggie lifted her tablet out of
her briefcase and opened the picture she’d looked at dozens of times in the
last few months. She turned the tablet first right, then left—examining
the photo from every angle. There could be no mistake. Nicole Nash might not
bear every feature of her late father, but the likeness was undeniable. She
didn’t need a DNA test to confirm that Nicole was Paul’s daughter.

Maggie replaced the tablet and leaned back against
her seat. If Nicole was really in need of a kidney transplant, she had to tell
Susan and Mike. If they could save their half-sister’s life, she wouldn’t
interfere with that.

Maggie breathed deeply. Revealing the truth about
Nicole would open the whole can of worms about their father, and the timing
couldn’t be worse. Susan was so excited about her engagement to Aaron Scanlon.
Would this news throw a pall on her happiness?

Maggie rested her head on the steering wheel.
Donating a kidney—like all surgery—was risky. What if one of her
kids were a donor and ended up damaging their remaining kidney in an accident
later in life, leaving
them
on dialysis or in need of a transplant?
Maggie didn’t want to think about that possibility.

She turned her face upward. The warm morning
sunshine streamed through her windshield. Her kids were grown, and in the end,
it was their choice, not hers. If the little girl was really in need of a
transplant, she would fly to California and tell her children.

Maggie started her car and headed toward Town
Hall. She would verify Nicole’s situation and book round-trip tickets to
California for her and John.

***

“Frank,” Maggie said, stepping into
his office at Town Hall. “I’m wondering if you can confirm something.”

“I’ll try,” he said.

“Loretta Nash works for you, right?”

“Yes. She’s my financial analyst. Why?”

“Do you know if her daughter Nicole is on the
transplant list for a kidney?”

Haynes let out a deep breath. News traveled fast
in Westbury. “Nicole just got back from a transplant hospital in Indianapolis.
She’s on the list.”

Maggie hesitated. “Will you do me a favor, Frank?
Keep me posted on her condition?”

“I will,” he replied. “They don’t know how long it
will take to find a donor.”

“I don’t think it’ll be long.”

Haynes thought he detected sadness behind her
eyes.

“I’m counting on you, Frank. We’ve had our
differences in the past, and now there’s the question of the ownership of
Rosemont.” She held up her hand to silence him. “I know we agreed to keep that
issue out of Town Hall, to let the lawyers handle it. I want to make sure that
we set all of our other issues aside where this is concerned.”

He nodded slowly. “Of course, Maggie. Why is this
so important to you?” he probed.

“It just is. And I’d like you to keep our
conversation private. Will you do that, Frank?”

Part of Frank Haynes wanted to run to Loretta with
this information, but he instinctively knew better. “I will, Maggie. I’ll let
you know as soon as Loretta tells me anything.”

“Will she confide in you?”

“She’ll have to. I’m giving her the time off,” he
replied without adding that he was paying the bulk of the expenses for the
transplant.

“Thank you, Frank. We can fight over the running
of this town, but we shouldn’t fight over this child.”

***

Alex Scanlon reached for his cell
phone and was about to tap the button that would send the incoming call to his
voice mail when he noticed that the call was from Maggie. He hesitated, then
swiped the screen and answered.

“Maggie, I’m in the middle of drafting a very
difficult motion. Can I call you back in a bit?”

“Sorry to interrupt you, Alex, but I’ll be on a
plane shortly. John and I are about to board.”

“I didn’t know you were going anywhere.”

“That’s why I’m calling. This trip just came up,
and I wanted you to know.”

“Where are you headed?”

“California.”

“To see your family?” Alex asked. “That’s
wonderful. Give my best to that brother of mine when you see him.”

“I most certainly will,” Maggie said.

“Have a good time. Call me when you get home. I
must get back—” Alex began.

“That’s not all,” Maggie interrupted. “This isn’t
just a social visit.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m telling you this in strict
confidence, Alex, because your brother is engaged to Susan. I’m making the trip
to tell Susan and Mike that their father had a long-standing affair with
Loretta Nash before he died and that I believe Loretta’s youngest child is
Paul’s daughter, their half-sister.” She waited while he assimilated this
information.

“That’ll be a shock,” he replied.

“There’s more. The little girl—her name is
Nicole—is extremely ill and needs a kidney transplant. The ideal donor
would be a sibling—Susan or Mike—if either of them is a match.”

“If I know Susan, she won’t hesitate to agree to
be a donor.”

“That’s what I think,” Maggie said. “I’m sure
she’ll discuss it with Aaron. You’re the only person I’ve told, other than
John. I wanted you to know because you are both Aaron’s brother and my dear
friend. But I’d like you to keep this to yourself until after I’ve told my
kids. I want them to hear it from me.”

“You have my word on it, Maggie. Let me know when
you’ve told them. And good luck. I know this won’t be easy.”

“Thank you, Alex. I’m going to need all the luck I
can get.”

Chapter 39

John lifted the arm rest and drew
Maggie against him, his arm around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her
head. “Thanks for coming with me,” she murmured. “This is a long trip for just
a weekend.”

“No problem. I wasn’t going to let you do this
alone.”

Maggie nodded. “It’ll be good to see Sophie and
Sarah, too. They’re so excited to show me their new bedrooms. Mike painted them
over the summer, and Amy bought new bedspreads that the girls picked out. And
they remodeled the kitchen, too.”

“Keeping busy after Amy miscarried. Probably a
good idea.”

“I feel bad that I didn’t give Mike or Susan any
hint of why we’re coming. They think we miss them and are squeezing in a
visit.”

“We do miss them,” John reminded her.

“I know. I just hope they won’t feel too
blindsided when I tell them about their father and their half-sister.”

“You’re still going to tell them everything?”

“I am. Once I start, I’m not holding back. Where
does one deceit stop and another begin? I’ve been exhausted trying to figure
that out. Keeping it from them was a mistake. I should have told them when I
found out.”

“You did what you thought was right at the time.
Don’t second-guess yourself now.”

“I’m anxious to get this over with. By the time we
go to bed tonight, everything will have been revealed.”

***

“You could have stayed with one of
us, you know.” Mike gestured to his sister. “We both have room. You didn’t need
to book a hotel room,” he said as they left the restaurant.

“We thought it would be better this way,” Maggie
replied. “We can’t wait to see the girls and Amy and Aaron, but tonight we have
something very serious to discuss and I wanted to have the two of you to
myself. I’d like you to come up to our room. John is going to park himself
downstairs in the bar.”

“For heaven’s sake, Mom,” Susan said, “John can
stay. We don’t mind him hearing anything you have to say, do we, Mike?”

Mike nodded his agreement. They rode the elevator
to the eleventh floor and walked down the long hallway in anxious silence.
Maggie switched on the harsh halogen lamps that cast a cold pallor over the
room. Maggie turned the air conditioner off, and Mike took the desk chair while
Susan perched on the end of the bed. They turned expectant eyes to Maggie. John
leaned against the wall behind her.

“I’ve got some distressing things to tell you
about your father. I discovered them shortly after he died and wrestled with
the idea of telling you then. I thought I was doing the right
thing—protecting you—but something’s come up that requires me to
tell you now.”

“Come on, Mom,” Susan began, but Maggie held up a
hand to silence her.

“All I ask is that you hear me out, without
interruption. There will be plenty of time for questions when I’m done. This
will be hard on all of us, and if you’re mad at me, I won’t blame you. I’ve
been mad at myself for a long time.” She looked between the serious faces of
her children.
Their world is about to be blown apart,
she thought,
and
I hate being the one to light the fuse.

“Paul was a wonderful father to both of you. He
loved you unconditionally and none of what I’m about to tell you changes any of
that.” She took a deep breath and continued. “But he had a darker side as well.
A secret life.” She launched into the long, sordid tale.

Both children sat motionless, frozen by Maggie’s
account of their father’s misdeeds and hidden world.

“Why in the hell didn’t you tell us this at the
time, Mom? You should have explained when you inherited Rosemont. We’re not
children, you know,” Mike said, shoving himself to his feet.

Maggie tried to catch his eye, but he turned away.
“I’m sorry. I should have. I see that now.”

“Mike’s right,” Susan said, choking back tears.
“It would have explained a lot. We would have understood your desire to move
away and start over. As it was, we thought you were being impulsive, and we
worried about you constantly.”

“I’m not convinced of any of this,” Mike said. “I
don’t know what to think. I’ve got to get some air.” He strode to the door, and
Maggie rose to go after him.

John reached out and grabbed her elbow. “Let him
go, sweetheart. He’ll be back.”

“I’ve made a mess of this,” Maggie said quietly.

“This is all so hard to understand, Mom. I
wouldn’t believe any of it, except for my gut feelings about Nicole. There’s
always been a powerful bond between us. I felt it when I first met her in the
hospital last year, and it was even stronger when we spent the afternoon
together at the pottery place. We have a special connection. And now I know
why. She’s my half-sister.”

Maggie sat on the bed and put her arm around her
daughter’s shoulders. Susan swiveled to look into her mother’s eyes. “This has
been hell for you, hasn’t it? I’m sorry that you had to bear all of this alone.
You should have told us.”

Maggie gestured to John. “I haven’t borne it
alone. And based upon Mike’s reaction, I’m not sure I should have told you
now.”

“I’m going to get some ice,” John said, picking up
the ice bucket. “Give you two some time.” He slipped quietly into the hallway.

“Did you have any clue before he died that Dad had
another family?”

“No. I’ve gone over and over those last few years
with your father. As my consultancy business as a forensic accountant took off,
we grew more and more apart. We both traveled a lot and sometimes didn’t see
each other for a week or ten days. I always knew your dad resented the time I
spent away from home. I grew weary of his criticism and was relieved that I
didn’t see much of him. I just wasn’t paying attention. Thinking back, there
were warning signs.”

“Mike and I both knew that you and Dad weren’t
getting along at the end,” she said. “We chalked it up to empty nest syndrome
and thought you would work it out. To be truthful, though, neither of us liked
how Dad spoke to you. He was so impatient and condescending. It didn’t seem to
bother you, so we let it go. And then Dad died.” She stifled a sob.

The two women turned as John re-entered the room
with a bucket of ice. Mike was on his heels.

Maggie began to rise, but he motioned her to
remain seated.

“I’m sorry about that,” Mike said. “I had to clear
my head.” He swung the desk chair to face his mother and sister and sat. “I
hate to believe any of it, but in my gut, I know it’s true. Dad kept up his
calm, controlled exterior in front of us, but I overheard him on the phone once
when I was in college. I’d come home unannounced. He thought he was alone in
the house. He was arguing with someone about money. He was livid—almost
in a rage. I’d never seen him like that. It scared me, so I went back to my
dorm. I asked him about it later and caught him completely off guard. He was embarrassed
and unnerved. Made up some crazy story about the bank messing up his account. I
knew it was a lie, but I didn’t want to challenge him.” He turned to Maggie. “I
should have told you, Mom. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

“It wouldn’t have made any difference,” Maggie
said.

“If he embezzled two million from the college, why
didn’t they come after dad’s estate?” Mike asked.

“I settled with the college for the proceeds of
his employee life insurance. The trustees weren’t anxious for this scandal to
be made public. I think they were afraid they’d be criticized for their poor
oversight.”

“Rightly so,” Mike said, cupping his head in his
hands. “This is so hard to get my mind around.”

“I know,” Maggie nodded. “That’s why I hired a
private investigator. I wanted to find out what he’d done with the money he’d
taken from the college. That’s also why I flew out to Westbury when I learned
about Rosemont. I was searching for answers. I needed to understand who your
father really was.”

“Did you get any answers at Rosemont?” Susan
asked.

Maggie shook her head.

“How did you find out about the other woman?” Mike
asked.

“The private investigator,” Maggie replied. “He
found Loretta Nash in Scottsdale.”

“And now she works for Frank Haynes?” Susan asked.
“That’s weird, isn’t it?”

“I’m suspicious of Frank’s motives in hiring her,”
Maggie agreed. “He was probably trying to dig up dirt on your father and use it
against me. He hasn’t, so far.”

“So what prompted you to tell us now?” Mike asked.

Maggie cleared her throat, but Susan jumped in.
“It’s because Nicole is so sick, isn’t it?” Susan raked her fingers through her
thick blond hair. She turned to her brother. “Nicole is the daughter of dad’s
mistress. She’s our half-sister, Mike.” He stared back at her. “And our little
sister needs a new kidney.”

Susan stood up suddenly. “One of us could be the
perfect donor.” She spun on her heel to look at her mother. “That’s why you two
flew out here to tell us all this, isn’t it? That little girl is desperately
ill and needs a transplant. You thought one of us might want to be a donor.
That’s why you suddenly broke your silence.” Susan turned away, letting the
realization wash over her.

“It’s a huge decision,” Maggie said. “It’s
generally very safe to be a donor, but no medical procedure is risk-free. And
it leaves you with only one kidney for the rest of your life.”

“You only need one kidney,” Mike supplied.

“I know, but if you donate one, you won’t have a
spare,” Maggie said.

Susan walked to the window, pulling the drapery
aside to stare at the busy California street below.

“I’m going to have to think about this, Mom,” Mike
said. “I’m not convinced that Nicole is our sister. I’ll have to see the test
results and talk to Amy about it. She needs to be part of this decision,” He
turned to John. “What do you think?”

“You need to sleep on this. It’s a lot to take in.
While there’s some urgency to Nicole’s situation, nothing needs to be decided
overnight.”

Susan let the drape fall back into place. “I know
what I have to do. I have to get tested to see if I’m a match. That child is my
sister.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m going to be a perfect match. I know it in
my bones. And I’m going to donate a kidney to Nicole.”