The Secrets of Paradise Bay (24 page)

After searching high and low for Ivana without success for more than an hour, Trey was consumed with fear for her safety. He'd tried her cell phone, but she wouldn't pick up. Or couldn't.

He phoned a friend who worked for the Paradise Bay Police Department. Trey knew that it took more than a couple of hours of a person's absence for one to be declared missing. But he was desperate, and his friend, Eric Cordell, owed him a favor after Trey had given him a great deal on a car for his college-bound daughter.

“This is Detective Cordell.”

“Hello, Eric. It's Trey Lancaster.”

“Hey, Trey. Calling to offer me another bargain, this time for my youngest daughter?”

“Not exactly.” Trey composed himself. “My wife's missing. . . .”

“Really? Missing, like how?”

“I think she might have run away,” Trey gulped sadly.

“Oh, yeah? Tell me what happened.”

Trey told only what he felt was necessary to get him to look into her disappearance.

Five minutes later, Cordell said, “I'll see if we can locate your wife's car. I'll also check to see if she's taken a plane, train, or bus out of town.”

Would Ivana have gone that far to leave the city? And go where—to London, to be with her friend, Naki?

Trey realized the detective was bending the rules on his behalf. “Thanks, Eric. I really appreciate this.”

“No problem. I'll let you know as soon as we have something. And I wouldn't worry too much, though I know that's easier said than done. Chances are Ivana will show up safe and sound. And then you can deal with the issues between you.”

“I hope so,” Trey said, though less than convinced. Ivana was in a particularly vulnerable state right now, meaning he wouldn't feel comfortable 'til his wife was home where she belonged. Then they could indeed work out their issues faceto-face.

 

 

The last person Clyde expected to show up at his door was Trey. His brother looked worn down and Clyde's first thought was that Trey was there to punch his lights out again.

“Ivana's gone,” Trey said glumly.

Clyde glanced at Stefani, who had opened the door and reluctantly allowed Trey to enter. “What do you mean, gone?”

“She left the house after I came to see you. No note, no nothing. I'm afraid Ivana could be hurt somewhere . . . or otherwise unable to contact me.”

“You have any idea where she might have gone?” Clyde asked, somewhat shocked that Ivana had apparently left Trey high and dry. On the other hand, he had seen this building for some time. Only Trey seemed to be clueless for the most part. Clyde hated that his actions had only deepened the division between Trey and Ivana, leading to her driving off and his estrangement with his brother. Pushing aside their differences, Clyde felt for Trey, realizing it couldn't have been easy for him to swallow his pride and reach out after their last meeting.

“Could be anywhere,” Trey replied forlornly. “She doesn't have a whole lot of friends in Paradise Bay, and no other family.”

Clyde looked down at him sympathetically. “I'll do whatever I can to help.” He glanced at Stefani. “We both will.”

Stefani reiterated that. “I can call my uncle, and he can call whoever he knows to help look for Ivana.”

“We'll find her,” Clyde said definitively and thought about Ivana's warning left on his voice mail, which he'd listened to too late to prepare himself for Trey's wrath.

Clyde was more than a little concerned, knowing Ivana was prone to alcohol abuse and probably under the influence wherever she was. That could spell trouble, if she ran into it. He suspected Trey was aware of this as well, seeing that that man had lived with Ivana 'til now. But Clyde didn't want to let on his fears in this regard, only making matters worse as his brother went in search of a runaway wife.

Trey gave him a hopeful look. “I'm counting on that.”

Clyde grabbed his keys, deciding that Trey was probably too shaken to be driving. “We'll backtrack from your place and see where it leads us.” He faced Stefani. “Will you be all right?”

“I'll be fine,” she told him, squeezing his hand. “Just go and bring Ivana home.”

“That's the plan,” he said and kissed her on the mouth.

What Clyde didn't know was what to expect when he came face-to-face with Ivana again. Would that prompt more fireworks and her leaving Trey again? Would it stir up more anger in Trey so he wanted to use his fists once more to blow off steam?

It was a bridge Clyde was more than willing to cross when he got to it. For now, he had to put his brother first and do whatever needed to be done to try to make things right between them. As well as with Ivana.

 

 

There was eerie silence in the car as Clyde drove. Trey glanced at him and tried to find words, but decided it was best to leave him to his own thoughts. Though the animosity Trey felt toward his brother was still strong, that had to take a backseat to the moment at hand. Ivana was missing, and nothing else mattered to him other than locating her safe and sound.

Trey looked out the side window, wondering if Ivana would be home when they got there, which would be the best-case scenario. Or had at least phoned to say she was all right. He was angry that Ivana had scared him like this, apparently without considering what her disappearing act might be doing to him.

Or had he given up such rights after his own affair that had hurt Ivana so deeply? Not to mention his overreaction to her news of sleeping with Clyde.

Trey faced his brother, who was focused intently on the road as if it would lead to somewhere satisfying for them. He saw the slight swelling on the side of Clyde's face where he'd hit him. Trey wished he had gone about it differently, but wouldn't back away from what he'd done. He imagined had the shoe been on other foot and he had bedded Stefani, Clyde would have been royally pissed too and taken it out on him in a similar manner.

But no amount of fighting, threats, or disappointment could take away from the fact that they were brothers for life. Their mother had seen to that. Whatever their differences, they would always have to deal with them, like it or not.

Clyde looked at him as though reading Trey's mind. “Guess things were bound to blow up between us sooner or later.”

“And whose fault is that?” Trey argued.

Clyde hesitated. “Mine, all right? Seems like every time something good happens, I find a way to mess it up.”

Trey did not argue against the conclusion, though he was hardly without a few faults of his own and things he regretted. “The important thing right now is to find Ivana,” he said evenly. “We can deal with us later.”

“Yeah,” Clyde muttered, as if bracing himself.

Dealing with pent-up anger was what Clyde was afraid of as he pulled onto Trey's street. He was tired of rehashing all the squabbles that seemed to mark much of his relationship with Trey. He just wanted it to be over and get on with what was left of his world. That included Stefani, who saw only the good in him, unlike Trey, who could only see his faults.

No matter how things ended up with Ivana, Clyde suspected Trey would never let what happened between him and her rest and, as a result, would make Clyde's life miserable in any and every way he could. Meaning Trey could well wrestle control of the club from him out of spite, leaving Clyde without a visible means for support. Or much of a future to look forward to.

They arrived at the house, and were greeted by Emily and Francine.

“Any word yet?” Trey asked anxiously.

“She hasn't called,” Emily said sadly. “But we do have something.”

Francine produced a piece of stationery. “Found this in Ivana's room. It was balled up in the wastebasket. Apparently she had changed her mind about leaving it for you—” Trey took the note. It was scribbled in Ivana's poor handwriting. Clyde leaned over Trey's shoulder. “What does it say?” Trey swallowed and read out loud:

Trey's eyes welled with tears, and he didn't give a damn who saw them. He folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Gazing at Clyde made him feel even worse that he had essentially abandoned Ivana in her greatest hour of need.

“I have to go after my wife,” Trey said, eyeing Clyde without prologue.

“I know,” he told him. “We both need to bring her home.” Trey nodded, feeling some solace in having Clyde there and on the same wavelength as him. “Keep trying to reach Ivana on her cell phone,” Trey directed Francine and Emily.

“We will,” Emily assured him.

“And check the TV for any reports of accidents.” Trey prayed Ivana hadn't gone off the road, inebriated and hurt.

“You might also call the hospitals to see if Ivana has been admitted or treated for anything,” added Clyde.

“Okay, we'll get right on it,” Francine said.

Trey wasted no further time before heading out with Clyde, knowing that every second counted if Ivana was in some sort of trouble.

Or headed in that direction.

Ivana grew tired of driving and seemingly going nowhere. The tears had her face feeling dry and the emotional turmoil turned her stomach into knots. She craved some alcohol to at least give her a little buzz to get through whatever the rest of the day had in store for her.

She wondered if Trey had even bothered to look for her. Or was he too caught up in his disappointment and hatred to give a damn about his wife and what she may have been going through?

Maybe she didn't deserve his pity or concern. She'd made her own bed and now was left to wallow in it.

Ivana spotted a place called the Westside Tavern.
Why not?
she thought, even if it looked like a dump and not normally a bar she would be caught dead in. She was past the point of self-respect.

She pulled her Jaguar into a thin slot. After applying some lip gloss and patting her hair, she headed inside, wearing the stiletto boots she had only purchased the day before, never expecting to break them in like this.

The tavern looked pretty much as Ivana expected: old, small, nondescript with a mildew odor in the air. It was empty except for a young couple kissing at a table with a half-empty pitcher of beer, and an older, bearded man at the bar drinking what looked to Ivana to be hard liquor.

She parked herself at a table and waited for someone to take her order.

 

 

They went to every place Trey could think of Ivana might have gone, but there was still no sign of her or her car.

“Maybe she checked into a hotel to stay the night and get her head together,” suggested Clyde.

Trey rubbed his chin. “According to my friend with the police department, Ivana hasn't used any of her credit cards.”

“What about cash?”

“She never carries much money afraid of being mugged.”

“Have you checked with her hair stylist?” Clyde asked.

Trey's right brow elevated. “No, why?”

“Ivana mentioned once that she and the woman were tight. Maybe she went to her.”

Ivana had gone through at least a dozen hair stylists, as far as Trey knew, and never seemed to be that satisfied with any of them. “Did Ivana happen to mention the name of this hairdresser?”

“I wish she had,” Clyde responded bleakly.

Trey didn't even want to think about when Ivana and Clyde might have talked about her hair stylist. Right now, he would take any clues that might point to Ivana's whereabouts. As it was, Trey had never accompanied her to get hair done, and now regretted not taking a more active interest in even the small things in her life. He prayed the opportunity came to change that

Trey called Emily. If anyone knew who the hairdresser was, it would be her, since Ivana often told the housekeeper where she could be reached.

When Emily picked up, he cut right to the chase. “I need to know the name of the salon where Ivana gets her hair done.”

“It's called Bordeau's Palace,” she said immediately. “I recommended the place to Ivana, since I go there myself. The owner and Ivana's hair stylist is Jacinta Bordeau. I have her number and address right here.”

Trey took down the information. “Thanks, Emily. I'll be in touch.”

“You want to head over there?” Clyde asked Trey.

“Yeah, I think so. If Ivana went to the salon, I'd rather not tip our hand by calling, only to have her go elsewhere, just to get away from me.”

Clyde rubbed his nose. “She doesn't hate you, Trey, if that's what you're thinking.”

Trey shot him a look. “How would you know? Or does banging my wife one night qualify you as a shrink?”

Clyde turned away. “No, it doesn't,” he conceded. “I'm just telling you what I think, for what it's worth. No matter what I did with Ivana, I believe she loves you, man. You hurt her, she hurt you, but at the end of the day, you were always the one Ivana wanted—and stayed with. Forget about me. Give her a chance and give yourself one to work things out.”

Trey wanted to strike out at him verbally for inserting himself so deeply into their problems, but thought better. He knew that Clyde was only trying to help in his own way. Even if in some respects it was too little, too late. But maybe there was still hope that if he could get his wife back, he could repair the broken connection with her and Clyde too.

Trey and Clyde entered the premises and were greeted immediately by a woman who introduced herself as Jacinta Bordeau.

“Emily called and told me you were looking for Ivana,” she said.

Trey's mouth tightened, though he couldn't fault Emily for phoning her. “Yes, we were hoping she had contacted you. Or might have come here.”

Jacinta studied him. “You must be Trey? Ivana talks about you nonstop.” She turned to Clyde. “And you've got to be his brother?”

Clyde cleared his throat uneasily. “Yeah.”

“I could tell. You two look alike.”

“That's what they tell me.”

Trey had often been told the same thing, but he wasn't much in the mood for brotherly love or closeness in appearances. “About Ivana,” he said hastily.

“Haven't seen her since she had her hair done last month,” Jacinta stated. “But we did talk on the phone, oh, I'd say about a week or so ago. Nothing but small talk.”

Trey was disappointed, expecting more. “My wife's going through some stuff right now. Do you have any idea where she might go to chill for a while?”

Jacinta thought about it. “We talked about going bar-hopping, but never did it. I think she was friendly with a couple of my other customers. I can make some phone calls.”

“That's a good idea.”

“No problem.” She looked from one man to the next thoughtfully. “I really like Ivana and don't want anything bad to happen to her. I'm happy to do whatever I can to help.”

“Thank you,” Trey told her. His wife had more people who cared about her than she may have realized. Starting with him. And he supposed even Clyde cared in his own way.

In the car, Clyde got Trey's attention. “I think we should check all the bars in town.”

Trey looked at him sideways. “You think my wife is a drunk?”

“I think she has a problem with alcohol,” he responded diplomatically. “Probably not my place to say.”

“It's mine,” Trey admitted. “Ivana has been abusing alcohol for a while now. Guess I just didn't want to face up to it.” He sighed. “She was supposed to check into a detox center this afternoon. Somehow it all fell apart and now heaven knows what will happen.”

“Ivana called me once to pick her up at a bar after she'd had too much to drink,” Clyde told him. “Apparently the bartender refused to serve her anymore.”

“And you didn't bother to mention this to me?” Trey asked, upset.

Clyde's chin lowered. “She asked me not to.”

Trey sucked in a deep breath. He hated that Ivana had felt more comfortable confiding in his brother than him. Maybe if he had made himself more accessible things might have been different. Of more concern to Trey at the moment was finding his wife before the drinking led her down a dangerous path.

He could only hope they would get a second chance to make up for everything that went wrong in their lives.

“Whatever it takes, I need to let Ivana know she doesn't have to go through this alone,” Trey said determinedly. “If what I did or didn't do caused her to be harmed in any way—”

“Let's not go there,” stressed Clyde. “There's no indication anything has happened to Ivana. If she's still in town, we'll get to her and bring home.”

Trey found he almost believed his brother, who was proving coolheaded under fire. But Trey wouldn't get his hopes up only to have them dashed. Not when he knew Ivana was out there somewhere, frustrated and vulnerable, with any potential predator ready to take full advantage of her.