Finders Keepers (23 page)

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Authors: Fern Michaels

BOOK: Finders Keepers
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“Would you have run a check on Jack?”
“Yes, Jessie, I would have if I hadn't met his family and friends. I'm dreading the day I have to tell him everything.”
“Are you going to do it before or after you get married?”
“Before. I have to give him the chance to back out. Jack is big on truth and honor.”
“Tanner's best friend was named Jack. It doesn't mean anything. I don't know why I even mentioned it. Okay, run the check.”
“We want everything, right?”
“I guess so.”
“Consider it done. All it will take is two phone calls. I'll meet you downstairs in the kitchen. I'm starving. We need to talk about what you're going to wear for your big date on New Year's Eve. It has to be spectacular. All glittery and shimmery. You can wear my diamonds. If you're sure you really, really want this guy, we have to set up his seduction. He's already planning yours. That's a given. You really think this is the guy for you?”
“Oh, yes. I'm sure, Sophie.”
“We have a lot of work ahead of us tonight, my friend. I want sauerkraut, mustard, and relish on my hot dog.”
Jessie laughed. It was like old times with a new twist. “I can handle it, Sophie.”
11
Jessie did her best to hide her dismay. She thought about Irene Marshall's tasteful, warm living room with the fragrant fir tree compared to Alexis Kingsley's retina-searing horror. This room, though, would win the prize.
“It's pretty dismal, isn't it?” Sophie asked.
“The tree is beautiful. The household staff did what you asked them to do, which was set up the tree. This room is too large for the tree. Even if you had a tree in every corner, it still wouldn't be enough. These spindly antique chairs, marble floor, and the ugly windows do not make for warm and cozy. The fireplace is working. It's cold outside the way it's supposed to be for Christmas. I have an idea, Sophie. Let's go out to your old playhouse and bring in the bean-bag chairs and the little table to pile our presents on. We'll drag some blankets down from upstairs and make things cozy while we wait for Santa to arrive. Wonderful things are supposed to happen on Christmas Eve. We'll decorate the tree and hang up our stockings.”
Sophie's smile was sad, but she agreed. “There's an echo in this room. A carpet might cut down on it.”
“We don't have a carpet, so it doesn't matter. Our nest will be by the fire. If you like, we can move the tree closer to the fire so we can appreciate it while we snuggle. I'll push the stand from the back and you pull from the front. There won't be anyone to see it but us, so it doesn't make a difference where we place it as long as it's not too close to the fire. We need to get into the spirit, Sophie. Just think about this time next year. You'll be married, and it will be your first Christmas as a couple. You might even be pregnant by then. Everything is going to be so wonderful for you, Sophie.”
Two hours later, Jessie dusted her hands dramatically. “It's beautiful if I do say so myself. Our nest looks cozy and warm, the fire is blazing and we have a buffet fit for a king. There's just one thing left to do. We have to hang up our stockings!” With a wild flourish, Jessie whipped out two oversize red-felt stockings from a shopping bag next to her pile of presents. “I even had our names stenciled with silver glitter on them. I know they're tacky, but that's okay. You hang them, Sophie. I got those sticky things to hang them with.”
“Jess, you are too much.”
Jessie sat down cross-legged in front of the fire. She was up a minute later when she saw Sophie's shoulders start to shake.
“She isn't coming, is she, Jess?”
“No, Sophie, she isn't coming.”
“I hoped. I really did. I thought for sure she'd come this year. I called everyone under the sun to try to get a message to her. For weeks I called the last number she gave me, but there was never an answer. I wrote letters, hundreds of them, hoping one or two would catch up with her. I called her bankers, her lawyers, her accountants, her business manager. They all promised to get a message to her. I think my mistake was telling her I was getting married. A daughter old enough to get married and have a child probably wasn't something she wanted to hear. She wouldn't have come anyway. It's just you and me, Jess.”
“It's okay, Sophie. We have each other. It's your mother's loss, not yours. To date both of us have not only persevered, but we have prevailed. Look at us, we're here. We did this,” Jessie said waving her arms about. “We're together. We are going to drink this fine wine, eat this fine food, stare at the fire, reminisce, talk about Jack and Tanner and then we're going to go to sleep. In the morning we're going to open all of these gorgeous presents and then go to church. I'm okay with this, Sophie. Are you?”
“God, Jess, what would I do without you?”
“That's my line. Those stockings are pretty awful.”
Jessie suddenly felt a chill run up her arm. She moved closer to the fire. The chill stayed with her. A premonition? Of what? Trying to shake the ominous feeling, she said, “Want to sing some carols? We could start with ‘Jingle Bells' to put us in the mood.”
Sophie slid her bean-bag chair closer to Jessie's. With their arms around each other's shoulders, the young women sang happily but off-key, until they finished all the carols they could remember.
Hours after Sophie fell asleep, Jessie was still wide-awake, her insides quivering. She tossed and turned in her nest, but sleep eluded her. She listened to Sophie's even breathing for a few minutes before she got up to rummage in her shopping bag for the stocking stuffers she'd bought the day before. She jammed and crunched trinkets, candies, and essentials until the stocking was filled to the brim. The remaining items were dumped any old way into her own stocking. Maybe she could sleep now. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought about her upcoming date with Tanner Kingsley. She had to find just the right dress, just the right shoes, just the right hairdo. Lord, what would she wear on top? Her camel-hair coat? Absolutely not. Sophie's long sable coat or her white-ermine cape? She grimaced as she scrunched her face into the pillow. Obviously she needed a lot of work when it came to the art of seduction. Well, she had six whole days to practice. With Sophie's help anything was possible.
 
It was midafternoon, two days before New Year's Eve, when Sophie held the door for Jessie. “I swear, girl, you bought out the store. Hurry up, let's spread it all out on the bed and look at it before your friend Tanner gets here.”
Giggling like schoolgirls, they emptied the bags and boxes, placing everything neatly on the bed. Hands on her hips, Sophie stared at the bed. “That's some kind of underwear, Jessie. It's so . . . so . . .
ethereal
-looking
.
It's just strings and gauze. Emerald green is definitely your color. There must be ten thousand sequins on that gown. Jess, you will sparkle and shimmer all night long. Are you sure you're going to be able to walk, never mind dance in those stiletto heels? I still cannot believe you talked that woman into gluing all those sequins on those shoes.”
“I can believe it. I spent almost a year's pay, Sophie. For one night! I think my brains must be scrambled. What time is it?”
“Almost three.”
“Tanner said he'd be here between three and three-thirty. I want to change and freshen my makeup. What are you going to do, Sophie?”
“I'm going to take a walk. I'll meet you in the library later. You don't need me hanging around when Tanner gets here. Besides, I want to check the mail. That investigative report was due today. Don't worry, we are not going to read it. It's going in the safe as soon as it arrives.”
“Sophie, what did you do with your mother's Christmas present?”
Sophie's face closed up tight. “I didn't do anything with it. It's still on the dresser. What am I supposed to do with it? What kind of parent gives her only child a deed to a Greek island for a Christmas present? Not only that, it didn't get here until the day after Christmas. All right, all right, I'll put it in the safe.”
Ten minutes later, just as Jessie was about to step into the shower, Sophie called to her. “Everything's in the safe, Jess. I'm going out now. I'll be back in about an hour.”
“Okay.”
Jessie emerged from the shower and slipped into a thick terry robe. The phone rang as she was padding into the bedroom for her clothing. Thinking it was Tanner calling to say he was on his way, Jessie playfully said, “I'm counting the minutes and the seconds.” She was taken aback when the voice on the other end of the wire asked for Sophie Ashwood.
“I'm sorry, Sophie went for a walk. She'll be back in an hour. Would you care to leave a message?”
“And you are?”
“Jessie Roland, Sophie's friend.”
“Yes, I know of you, Miss Roland. Sophie has spoken of you to me many times. My name is Arthur Mendenares. I am Janice Ashwood's attorney. I'm afraid I have some devastating news. I don't know if it would be better for Sophie to hear it from me or you.”
Jessie felt a lump start to grow in her throat. “Perhaps you should tell me what the news is and we can decide together. Is it about that Greek island Mrs. Ashwood gave Sophie for Christmas?”
“I'm afraid not, Miss Roland. Janice Ashwood and her companion were killed earlier this morning in a motor accident. My details are sketchy. The driver as I understand it was a race-car driver and liked to travel at high speeds. He misjudged a hairpin turn and went over a cliff. It's my understanding both Janice and her companion had consumed several bottles of champagne. Now, which one of us should tell Sophie?”
“I don't want to do it, but I think it might be better coming from me. I can't believe this. What do you want us to do?”
“I've already taken the liberty of chartering a plane. All you have to do is get Sophie to the airport. Janice's will calls for her to be cremated as soon after her death as possible. She was most explicit in her details. She did not want her remains to be sent back to Atlanta. She was most adamant about that.”
“Where . . . where did this happen?” She was asleep, and this was all a very bad dream. She was going to wake up any minute now and Tanner would walk through the downstairs door shouting her name.
Please, God, make this a
bad dream. Please.
“Outside Monaco. The remains are charred beyond recognition. Before you can ask, we know for certain it was Janice and her friend because the car behind them was full of friends. They witnessed the accident. I will personally meet Sophie at Orly Airport. I am so very sorry.”
“Yes. I'm sorry too. I'll . . . I'll get Sophie's things together. Do you want her to call you back.”
“No. I have to leave now. There are a million details to be seen to. Good-bye, Miss Roland.”
Jessie ripped off the terry robe and dressed. She tossed things into suitcases willy-nilly and then carried them downstairs. Her face drained of all color when she heard the solarium door open. Sophie trying to be quiet because she thought Tanner was here. Jessie called out to her friend.
“Just a minute, Jess.”
“Now, Sophie.
RIGHT NOW,”
Jessie screamed.
Sophie arrived on the run. “Jessie, what's wrong? Did something happen to Tanner? No, not Jack. Not Jack, Jessie.” Jessie shook her head.
“It's your mother, Sophie. Mr. Mendenares called while you were out. We couldn't decide who should tell you.”
“For God's sake, Jess, tell me what? So she got married again. What else is new? She was probably honeymooning over Christmas. Don't look at me like that, Jess. You're scaring me. What is it?”
“Your mother . . . and her . . . the person she was with, were killed earlier this morning. I am so sorry, Sophie. I packed for you. There's a chartered plane waiting at the airport. I'm going with you. Mr. Mendenares will meet us at the airport. He said . . . what he said was . . . the bodies were charred beyond recognition.”
“Then how do they know it was my mother? I don't believe it. My mother would never die like that. First she'd have a parade and sell tickets to the event. You know that, Jessie. There has to be some kind of mistake.”
“There's no mistake, Sophie. A car full of your mother's friends was behind her when her car went over the cliff. Mr. Mendenares said your mother wanted to be cremated as soon as possible after her death. They're waiting for you. Put your coat on.”
“It's really true then, Jessie?”
“Yes, Sophie, it's really true.”
“I have to tell the housekeeper.”
“I took care of all that. We'll go in my car and leave it at the airport.”
“What about Tanner?”
“Tanner? God, I forgot about him. We can't worry about him now. He's all grown-up. He can handle this. Get in the car while I explain about Tanner to the housekeeper. You don't mind if he stays here, do you?” Sophie shook her head.
Jessie was backing the Jeep out from the portico when a bright yellow taxi pulled alongside.
“Whoa! Where are you ladies going?”
“Tanner, I don't have time to talk to you right now. The housekeeper will explain things to you. Go inside and make yourself comfortable. I'll call you tonight.”
“Okay, but where are you going?”
“France.”
“Like Paris, France?”
“Yes. I'll call you.”
“Are you going to be back for our date?”
“I don't know. I'll call you.”
“What should I tell my father?” Tanner shouted.
Jessie didn't think he could hear her response, but she shouted it anyway as she leaned out the window. “Tell him I quit!”
 
“What's today's date, Jessie?”
“It's the seventh of January. You need to eat, Sophie. This shrimp is wonderful. Please, I'm starting to worry about you. You aren't sleeping. Have you looked in the mirror?”

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