Sleep No More (42 page)

Eve shook her head. “I promised I wouldn’t leave until she did.”

“I should have expected that.” Kendra smiled. “I did, really. And, of course, Joe won’t leave you.”

“He’s busy anyway. He’s trying to get a permanent release for Beth from the mental hospital. It’s not easy. The board is all in a turmoil because of Pierce’s death, and they hate the idea of saying they were criminally negligent.”

“In this age of lawsuits, you can’t blame them.”

“I do blame them,” she said fiercely. “I blame everyone for not paying attention to what was happening to her. They just drifted along, and time passed. There should have been tests and reviews of Pierce and his staff.”

“Hindsight.” Kendra put up her hand to stop her protest. “I agree. I’d feel the same if I were you.”

“Eve…”

Eve’s gaze flew down to Beth’s face. Her sister’s eyes were open, and she was looking up at Eve. “Back with us? How do you feel?”

“As if I’ve been hit by a gun butt,” she said hoarsely. “And most of the time, I haven’t been sleeping. I’ve just been lying here thinking. I’m sorry, Eve. I’m to blame for everything. And I wasn’t much help to you.”

“What are you talking about? You almost took Drogan’s eye out. If I’d been faster, we’d have stopped him in his tracks.”

“I should have done something before that. It was just that I felt as if I was in some kind of terrible fog.” She drew a deep breath. “But that’s an excuse, and I don’t have the right to try to excuse myself when I should have been there for you.” Her gaze fell on Kendra. “You were at the shack. You helped me.”

Kendra nodded. “I’m Kendra Michaels. I’m glad you’re better.” She smiled and turned toward the door. “And now I’ll go try to find Joe and see if I can help him. My mother is wonderful at cutting bureaucratic red tape. She gets a vicious pleasure doing it. We’ll have you out of here in no time.”

Beth looked at Eve when the door closed behind Kendra. “Red tape?” She moistened her lips. “Trouble, Eve?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.”

“I won’t go back there.”

“I’d never let you go back.” She smiled as she clasped Beth’s hand. “So stop worrying and start thinking about what you want to do with the rest of your life.”

“Live.” Her face was suddenly lit with an emotion that was amazing in its intensity. “I want to do everything, see everything. There’s not one experience I don’t want to explore. I told you that the first night I met you.”

“Yes, you did.” She looked down at their joined hands. “But I wondered if Rick’s death had made a difference. It may be a while before you can come to terms with it.”

“I may never come to terms with it.” Beth’s eyes were glittering with tears. “I think I’m trying to hold it at bay. I loved him so much, Eve.”

“I know you did.” She was silent. “And I think he loved you, Beth.”

“That was hard for you to say.” Her lips twisted. “But he did love me. I know it. But not as much as I loved him. If the situation had been reversed, I would never have accepted what they told me. I would have fought for him. I would never have stopped. He wasn’t what I thought he was, but maybe there was a way I could have helped him, changed him. You don’t give up on people because they’re not what you want them to be. Not if you love them.”

“That’s right,” Eve said. “Not if you love them.” She leaned back in her chair. “Now see if you can go back to sleep until they bring you your lunch.”

She shook her head. “I’ve slept enough. I want to—”

“May I come in? I had to see how you were, Beth.” Nelda Avery was standing in the doorway. She was dressed in a gray designer suit, and her makeup and hair were perfection. She didn’t wait for an answer. “The nurses said that you weren’t seeing visitors, but I told them that family was different.” She came toward the bed. “After all, I’m your grandmother, Beth.”

Beth was staring at her, stunned. “What?”

“This is Rick’s mother, Nelda Avery,” Eve said. “I’ve never met her myself, but I’ve seen photos. I’m sure you have, too, Beth.”

“Yes.”

“But we’ve never seen each other in person, have we, Beth?” Nelda said. “You don’t recognize me?”

“No, I’ve never seen you, but Rick talked about you. He loved you very much.” Beth was still gazing at her. “You look so young and beautiful.”

“It’s not natural, I assure you. I go to the very best people.”

“Why are you here?” Eve asked bluntly.

Nelda smiled. “You’re Eve Duncan. You’ve caused me a great deal of trouble.” For a moment the smile faltered. “I understand you were there when my son was killed by that maniac. I don’t know if I can forgive you for not preventing that from happening.”

“Are you mad?” Eve asked. “If anyone is to blame, it’s you. You’re the one who persuaded him to be the bait in the trap to lure Beth.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” she said. “But if I did, then I’d tell you that everything would have been fine if you hadn’t been with Beth. It should have been a smooth transaction. My son shouldn’t have died.”

“No, Beth should have died,” Eve said bitterly. “Wasn’t that the plan?”

She didn’t answer directly. “No one died but my son and the maniac who killed him. Drogan obviously had some grudge against Rick and took the opportunity to have his revenge.”

“You know that’s not true,” Eve said. “You were behind this entire horror. How on earth do you think you can get away with a story like that?”

“Can you prove that it’s not true?” Nelda looked her in the eye, and said coolly, “Try it. I have money and power. I’ve built a reputation that can withstand almost any attack. Besides, nothing can be traced to me.”

“What about the money you gave Pierce for keeping Beth at that hospital all those years?”

“I was only a compassionate grandmother trying to save her grandchild. Look at all the money I poured into getting her cured. My son begged me to do all I could for her, and I did it.”

“You lied to him about me,” Beth said. “Didn’t you?”

“Perhaps.” Nelda lifted her chin defiantly. “He couldn’t expect to have everything. I had to protect myself. I had to protect him.”

“But mostly yourself,” Eve said. “Joe told me you were a broken woman the night that Rick was murdered, but it didn’t last long, did it? You bounced back, and you’re on the attack.”

“What do you know?” Nelda said harshly. “Rick was the center of my life, and he was taken. But I won’t let the rest of my life be trashed. I deserve the chance to build again.”

“You’re not going to get it,” Eve said flatly. “There will be a way to connect you to Drogan and the murders.”

“Find it. And I’ll have a battery of lawyers and investigators working to disprove it. I had a reason once to avoid publicity, but that died with Rick. The litigation will go on and on until you finally drop it.” She took a step closer to the bed. “Don’t listen to her. You wouldn’t want to waste your time like that, Beth.” Her voice was soft, persuasive. “The whole world is opening for you. Did you know you’re going to be a very rich woman? Rick inherited a trust fund from my husband’s mother. It’s a very large trust and actually makes you a bit richer than even my husband. I was surprised to find out that Rick had left it to you in his will. He never told me.”

“Perhaps because he thought you’d try to talk him out of it,” Eve said. “You effectively erased Beth from his life.”

“It was necessary,” Nelda said. “But now we’ll make it up to her.”

“If I don’t cause you any trouble?” Beth asked. “Tell me, did you provide those young girls to Rick?”

She didn’t answer for a moment, then shrugged. “Why not? It made him happy and content, and I could keep control of his little affairs. I never understood why he couldn’t have more normal relationships, but it was just an adjustment I had to make.” She turned. “Now that we’ve had our discussion, I’ll go and let you rest, Beth. You know you only have to call me, and I’ll be there to help. After all, we are family.”

“Wait,” Beth said. “Why did you really come to see me?”

“I told you, the situation has changed, and we have to change with it.”

“That’s not it.” Eve’s eyes were narrowed on that smooth, perfect face. “You had to be sure.”

Nelda’s brows lifted. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You had to be sure that Beth still didn’t remember anything about that night at the chalet. You had to reassure yourself that Gelber’s therapy was still holding firm. The only way you could be certain was to breeze in here and show yourself and look for a reaction.”

Nelda smiled. “There was no reaction. I was never at the chalet. Neither was Beth. If there are any records to say that was false, then they’re obviously in error. Who would believe that anyone could be hypnotized into forgetting such a traumatic event?”

Eve stared at her with horror. It was possible that Nelda might actually get away with her part in those murders. A combination of almost unlimited money and power would be nearly impossible to fight and, if Nelda had truly been careful in covering her tracks, it could become a nightmare. “And what if Beth starts to remember?”

“And change her story? It wouldn’t hold up in court. Of course she could lie and say she did remember, but there are polygraph tests. She wouldn’t want to go through that.” She glanced at Beth again. “Look at how delicate she is and what she’s suffered through the years. Let her enjoy her life and spend that money Rick left her. She doesn’t want to waste one minute trying to punish me when she knows I loved Rick as much as she did.”

“Don’t I?” Beth was gazing steadily at Nelda. “I think you destroyed Rick. You could have stopped him, taught him, instead of giving him whatever he wanted. I
hate
what you did to him. And I hate what you did to me. You tried your best to destroy me. I’m not sure you still wouldn’t do it if you thought you could get away with it. After all, I’m a witness against you.”

Nelda shook her head. “Not a credible witness. You’re a mental patient, for God’s sake. A defense attorney would tear your testimony apart.”

“Perhaps. But I’m still a threat to you.”

“A threat? Don’t be absurd. You’re nothing, you’ve always been nothing.”

“Don’t underestimate me.” Beth added softly, “Because I won’t underestimate you, Nelda. I’ll watch you and search out your weaknesses, and when I find one, I’ll destroy you.”

For an instant, Nelda appeared shaken, but she quickly recovered. “And spend the rest of your life hounding me? Is that what you want to do?”

“No, because that would mean I’d be a sacrifice on your altar.” She smiled faintly. “But I can live my life and still go after you. Look over your shoulder, and I’ll be there. I can delegate. Rick left me the money to do it.”

“It won’t work,” Nelda said. “I’ll win, I always win.”

Beth silently shook her head.

Nelda’s hands clenched at her sides. “You’re pitiful. You can’t even see how overmatched you are. I’ve had years of experience at getting exactly what I want. Who do you think you are?”

“The one person who’s qualified to take you down. Look at me, and you’ll see yourself. I may have things to learn, but I learn very fast. After all, I’m your granddaughter, Nelda.”

Nelda gazed at her for a long moment, a myriad of expressions chasing across her face. Then she made a low exclamation, whirled, and left the room.

Beth drew a long shaky breath and closed her eyes.

Eve gave a low whistle. “Interesting…”

“Not for me.” Beth’s eyes opened. “It was terrifying.”

“You were afraid of her? You didn’t show it.”

“I wasn’t afraid of her. I’m afraid to
be
her.” She paused. “And I could be her if I let myself. I could feel the power and the will…” She swallowed. “I won’t let that happen to me. Then she would win, just as she said. And I won’t let her win. It may take me a long time, but I’m going to find a way to take her down.” She closed her eyes again. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll rest now. You go somewhere and rest, too. You don’t have to stay with me.”

All the energy had drained away from Beth, yet Eve was still aware of a strength and endurance that hadn’t been there before. She had suffered and made mistakes and fought her way through the wall of thorns that had held her prisoner, and it had taken a terrible toll. Beth was changing, growing, becoming what she would have been if she hadn’t been caught and held for those nightmare years.

And Eve couldn’t wait to see what that change would bring.

“Oh, I’ll stay with you.” Eve once more took her hand. “It will be my privilege.”

*   *   *

“GOOD NEWS?” EVE LOOKED UP
from her magazine as Joe came into the hospital room four hours later. She smiled as she read the answer in his expression. “Very good news.”

“I convinced the board they wanted to get rid of Beth as soon as possible.” He crossed the room and kissed her. “And that keeping her in that hospital was more legally risky than letting her go. It was all about protecting the hospital and their positions on the board.” He glanced around the room. “Where’s Beth?”

“She’s at the atrium down the hall with Kendra. She was getting restless cooped up in this room.”

“And a little nervous?”

She shook her head. “She’s … not the same, Joe. You’ll see.” She paused. “I want to take her home with us. Is that all right with you?”

“Of course, it is. She’s walking wounded right now. She needs us.”

“That’s what I thought.” She stood up and went into his arms. Lord, that felt good. They had not had more than a few minutes together since the horror at Drogan’s shack. “But I had to check with you. You’ve gone through a hell of a lot for Beth since we came here.”

“And you haven’t?”

“She’s my sister.”

He chuckled. “I’m fully aware of that fact. I believe that’s what this has all been about.” He gave her a quick, hard kiss. “Are you afraid I’m feeling imposed upon?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t. She’s part of you, blood kin. That’s enough for me.” He kissed her again. “Now go down the hall and tell Beth that she’s a free woman and is going to be our guest for a while.”

She started to turn away, then looked back at him. “Truly free, Joe? I called you and told you what Nelda Avery said to her. Is there any way the police can find a way to arrest her? She seemed so confident.”