Sleep No More (24 page)

“Then they must have made a mistake. After all, it was a long time ago. Cara was there with me.” She stopped hesitating, then said firmly, “No, dammit, she was there. I know it. I won’t doubt myself. I’m not that person I was in the hospital. Cara Sandler was there with me.”

“Easy,” Eve said. “We’re not suggesting that you’re having hallucinations because of the drugs. We’re just trying to get to the bottom of this mess. Is that your friend you mentioned to me?”

“No, Cara wasn’t a friend, just my roommate. Sometimes, I didn’t even like her.”

“Was Cara skiing with you that day?”

“No.” She thought for a moment. “She said that her skis needed waxing, and she’d see me at lunch. I didn’t care. I’d rather have skied alone anyway. I’m a better skier than Cara, and I’d have to wait for her.”

“That must be annoying. You must like her more than you said to put up with it,” Joe said.

“She’s okay.” She shrugged. “I liked her when she was first assigned to my room, but she was nosy, and she kept asking me questions. But I had to put up with it because the school wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone. They said it wasn’t safe.”

“What kind of questions?” Eve asked.

“All kinds,” she said vaguely. “About the places I’d visited, what I knew about Rick’s mother, lots of questions about Rick.”

“Rick Avery?” Eve paused. “Your father?”

Beth nodded. “Only he didn’t seem like a father. Other girls’ fathers were all boring. Rick was my best friend.”

“Did your best friend ever visit you at the hospital?”

“No, I don’t think he did.” Then she shook her head. “I’d remember if he’d been there. Even if my head was messed up from the drugs, I’d remember Rick.”

Because she loved him, Eve thought, as she saw Beth’s glowing expression. That love couldn’t have been more evident. What kind of man was this Rick Avery, who could charm Sandra and now his daughter, Beth, into forgiving whatever sins he committed?

“Stop looking at me like that.” Beth’s chin lifted defiantly. “I know what you’re thinking. But if Rick didn’t come to see me, he must have had a good reason. Maybe Pierce told him it would be bad for me. I could understand that. Rick would never want to hurt me.”

“I’m not going to argue with you. I don’t know Rick Avery,” Eve said. “And it’s natural for a daughter to defend her father. I’m just trying to put the pieces together. Rick Avery may be a very big piece.” She paused. “You were raised by a Robert and Laura Avery until you went to school in Geneva. Did you always think that they were your parents?”

“No, they had the same name but they told me that I was to call them Aunt Laura and Uncle Robert since they’d only been hired to take care of me until I was old enough to go to school.” She grimaced. “They said we should all be grateful to Nelda Avery for being so generous.”

“Were they good to you?”

“They weren’t bad to me. They did their duty. It was clear to me even as a little child that I mustn’t expect any more than that.” Beth shook her head. “And I always knew Rick was my father. He’d come to see me and bring me presents and take me to amusement parks. When I was old enough to understand, he told me that I was his little girl, but it had to be a special secret between us so that no one would say bad things about me.”

“Or about him?”

“He loved me. He protected me. All the other kids at school had parents, but I didn’t care. Every now and then, Rick would come, and it would be wonderful.”

“Was Rick at the lodge that weekend?”

She frowned. “No, I told you I went there with Cara.” She lifted her cup to her lips. “But that’s all I remember.”

“Except that she was always asking you questions.”

“Not that day.” She thought about it. “It’s strange that it seems like yesterday. But I guess it was to me. All the other days were like shadows…”

“Cara didn’t ask you questions that morning,” Joe prompted.

“No, she seemed abstracted. She wasn’t like me. She liked to have a lot of people around all the time. Maybe she was bored.”

“It’s possible.”

“Why are you asking me all these questions about Cara?”

“Because she’s the person who wasn’t there,” Joe said. “Or no one remembers she was there. Intriguing.”

“Are you going to call the lodge back?” Eve asked.

He nodded. “And see if I can find Cara Sandler and get a statement. What do you know about her background, Beth?”

“Not much. She was from Vancouver, Canada. Her mother was dead, and her father was an important politician. She never talked about either one.”

“You didn’t like Cara, but did you spend time with other people from school?” Eve asked.

“Of course I did.” She lifted her chin. “I was smart, head of my class. And I was very good at sports. I won all kinds of awards in swimming and skiing. Everyone likes a winner.”

“No, I mean someone you liked and who liked you because you just hit it off. Not because you were a star.”

“Perhaps. I don’t remember.” She moistened her lips. “I guess you noticed that I’m a little— It wasn’t that I didn’t want to have friends. It was just safer to keep to myself.”

Safe because she had been jerked away from her foster parents when she was scarcely more than a toddler and been sent to one foreign school after another. It was no wonder that she had been afraid to form attachments. “Yes, I can see that.” Eve smiled faintly. “I have a tendency in that direction, too.”

“Do you?” Beth’s expression was suddenly eager. “I wouldn’t think that you’d—you seem to be so—” Her expression changed, became closed. “But what do I know? I don’t know you at all, do I?”

Eve’s brows rose. “And you don’t appear to be too upset about that.”

“I didn’t say that I didn’t want to know you,” Beth said quickly. “Or maybe I did, but I—” She turned to Newell. “Do you want another cup of coffee, Billy?”

He shook his head. “I still have a bit.” His brows rose. “And I don’t appreciate your using me as a distraction when you get yourself into verbal jams.”

“I wasn’t doing that.” She sighed. “Or maybe I was. I’m sorry, Billy.”

“You’re forgiven. I just wanted you to recognize that you have to face things head-on and not try to hide behind me.” He added softly, “I know it’s hard, but you’ve gone through tougher experiences. Remember when you were getting off the drugs and had to keep anyone from knowing that your body was being torn apart? I was very proud of you, Beth.”

She glanced away from him. “And you should have been. I felt as if I were dying.” She hesitated, then turned to Eve and met her gaze. “He’s right. I was trying to hide from telling the truth. I can’t do that again. Life is too short, and too much of it has already been taken away from me. I won’t waste one word, one sentence, trying to protect or lie to myself or anyone else.”

“Heaven help us,” Eve said. “That could get all of us into bad trouble. I remember a Jim Carrey comedy that stressed the dangers of complete truth.”

“Too bad. I’m not good at doing things halfway. You saw that when I started stuttering and running to Billy.” She drew a deep breath. “Because I didn’t want to admit that I … might want to know what kind of person you are and if there’s really any bond between sisters.” She added in a rush, “I’ve told you I’m very curious. I know those kinds of stories about family closeness are probably bogus. After all, people are just people. But I’ve never had a family, so I’d just like to make sure that’s true.”

Eve was touched. Those words had been poignantly vulnerable, and it must have been difficult for Beth to open herself by speaking them. “Yes, people are just people. Sometimes outsiders become closer than blood relatives. I have an adopted daughter, Jane, who is my true daughter and best friend in everything but blood.” She held up her cup in a half toast. “But I’m curious, too. It wouldn’t hurt to explore our relationship a little.”

Beth gave a sigh of relief. “Then that’s settled.” She turned to Joe. “So what’s next? When can you get me out of here?”

“Not tonight. I’m going to do a little scouting. Then I’m going to go over some more of the records Pierce was keeping on you. I’ll wait until tomorrow morning to call the lodge again.”

“Tomorrow afternoon, then.” She jumped to her feet. “Billy, you need to get some sleep. There’s a maid’s room at the end of the hall near the kitchen that has a bed and attached bathroom.” She was pulling him to his feet and throwing his arm around her shoulders. “That way you won’t have to climb the stairs. Eve, you and Joe can have the bedroom at the top of the stairs. I changed the sheets and got it ready to sleep in when I first got here. But then I found out I couldn’t bear to curl up in a bed, so I came down and slept on the couch.” She was half leading, half carrying Newell toward the door. “I guess it’s because I practically lived in a bed at Seahaven. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to sleep in a bed again.”

“Beth, you don’t need to help me,” Newell said. “For God’s sake, I can walk.”

“You didn’t need to help me, either,” Beth said. “You could have turned your back and left me in that place. Instead, you got me away from Pierce and got yourself chopped up doing it. Now shut up and let me get you to that room. Lean on me. I’m strong, Billy.”

“Yes, you are.” He smiled down at her. “I knew it the moment I saw you. It was just waiting to come out.”

“I’ll help.” Joe came and took his other arm. “It will be quicker.”

“I didn’t notice your being this solicitous after you got me away from the hospital,” Newell said dryly. “I was on my own.”

“That’s what you wanted,” Joe said. “And I wasn’t sure how much of a victim you were.” He looked over his shoulder at Eve. “Take my computer up to the bedroom, will you?”

Eve nodded. “Be careful out there, Joe.”

“I doubt if Drogan is going to be on the attack unless I get lucky and locate him. His objective is Beth right now. He won’t want to scare her off by slitting my throat.”

“That’s comforting,” Eve said as she started up the stairs. “That’s a pretty big ‘unless’ you just threw out. Good night, Beth, Newell.”

“Good night.” Beth’s voice was surprised. Then repeated, “Good night, Eve.”

“Why do you sound so startled?” Eve asked over her shoulder.

“They never said good night to me at the hospital. I guess they thought I was so hazy from the drugs that I wouldn’t understand it. Or maybe they didn’t really consider me a person. I guess I was just a job, or someone to—” She shook her head as she walked with Billy down the hall. “That sounds like whining again, and it’s not really important. It’s crazy that all the little things are bombarding me. They didn’t say good night…”

Those little things were bombarding Eve, too, she thought as she watched Beth walk away from her. And the bombardment of small slights and sharp pinpricks were causing the anger to begin to build within her. The loneliness, the neglect, the careless disregard of humanity. She wanted to strike out.

Get a grip. As Beth said, this was a small thing in the big picture. Think about those years of captivity and subjugation. Focus the anger on Pierce or that monster Drogan or the Avery family, who seemed to be standing in the shadows, directing the action.

Her hand tightened on Joe’s computer as she turned and started up the stairs.

Not for long.

We’re going to bring you bastards down.

*   *   *

“WILL YOU BE OKAY?”
Beth asked as she opened the door of the maid’s bedroom. “Do you need me to do anything else, Billy?”

“Hell, no.” His lips indented at the corners with the faintest touch of amusement. “What would you do, undress me and put me to bed?”

“If that’s what you need.”

“It’s not what I need.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “I’m doing fine. Stop worrying. Tell her, Quinn.”

“He can take it from this point,” Joe said. “And you might damage his pride if you carry it any further. Marines tend to be a little touchy in that category.”

Beth frowned. “Marines?”

“You didn’t know Newell was in the Marines?”

“No, I didn’t know. He didn’t tell me.”

“It wasn’t important.” Newell gave her a little push and went into the bedroom. “I’ll see you in the morning. If you need me, come and get me. I’ll be fine after a couple hours’ sleep. Don’t you go too far away from the house, Quinn. She’s more important than taking down Drogan.” The door closed behind him.

Beth hesitated, staring at the panels of the door.

“He’ll be fine, Beth,” Joe said. “You can’t do anything more for him. Now go and get some rest yourself.” He turned toward the door. “But first, walk with me to the door and give me the security code so that I don’t have to disturb anyone when I need to come back in.”

“It wouldn’t disturb me.” She turned and walked beside him toward the front door. “I don’t sleep well anyway. Maybe I got too much rest during the last years.”

“Somehow, I don’t think that would have anything to do with it. You’ll probably straighten out once your body adjusts to the new rhythm.”

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t seem to be tired, and that means I can do more.”

“More what?”

“Learning, absorbing,” She paused. “Living.” They had reached the door, and she swiftly punched in the security code. “It’s a sequence of eight numbers starting with two and—”

“Continuing with three, six, eleven, four, nine, fourteen, one.”

Her eyes widened. “You remember that from my entering it just one time?”

“No, I caught the last four numbers when you set the code when I came into the house. I only had to concentrate on the first four.”

“You have a good memory.”

“Training.” He smiled. “And concentration. Concentration is very valuable. Remind me to tell you someday about a lady who has recently reinforced just how valuable to both Eve and me.” He opened the door. “Set the security panel behind me. Good night, Beth.”

“I’ll be awake when you come back.” She moistened her lips. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Oh?” His expression was suddenly wary. “Is that right?”

She suddenly realized what he was thinking. “Eve told you? I didn’t think she’d do that.” She threw back her head and laughed. “You shouldn’t jump to conclusions, and there’s no reason for you to be uneasy. It wasn’t anything personal.”