A Secret in Salem (10 page)

“Thank you,” she said softly. “If not for you, my mother and I wouldn’t have made it.”

Shawn tried to not react, but his expression betrayed him.

There was no need for the chaplain to deliver the news.

Charley grabbed his hand and squeezed it like a vise, her breathing getting deeper and deeper, until she was gulping in the dead air that filled the room.

“I’m so sorry,” was all Shawn could offer.

Charley let out a mournful, empty wail that sliced into his heart like a knife, then collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

The mother she adored was gone.

“N
EVER THOUGHT
I’
D LOVE TO SEE THE HOUSE THIS MUCH
,” Richie said as he pulled aside the privacy curtain in the backseat of his shiny new graphite Bentley Mulsanne.

Jackson was at the wheel of the car his father had purchased less than a month ago for nearly $400,000 (and which now was certainly in jeopardy if the charges against him were true). He and Chance both wanted to believe the charges were bogus, but Richie had already admitted to the ISA that the Financial Gaines Group was one big fat scam.

The door opened, and Richie stepped out of the car, catching the ankle monitor on the running board.

“Damn,” he said.

“Going to have to get used to that, Dad,” was all Chance could say. Both the boys were angry. Their father had lied to them for over a decade.

As the three approached, Kelsey opened the front door to the villa. They brushed past her without so much as a hello.

The emotional toil was getting to them. They moved into the
living room and sank into the large down-filled couches.

“Give me all you’ve got,” Richie threw at his sons. “I have no excuses for what I’ve done.”

“Monaco extradites,” Chance started. “If you’d bought the villa in France—”

Richie cut him off. “Wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference. I deserve whatever I’m handed.”

“Jeez, Dad, thanks,” Jackson spit. “Do you know what we had to go through yesterday? We were grilled for four hours.”

“Mr. Gaines?” Kelsey said meekly as she approached. “I’m so sorry to hear about, well, everything.”

“I need a drink,” was Richie’s response.

Kelsey had hoped she could take the man she loved in her arms and comfort him, but in front of his sons, she knew better.

“Scotch, neat,” he barked.

“Same,” Jackson added.

“One of us has to be sober,” Chance said, refusing the alcohol. “And it’s time we discussed Mom.”

They didn’t see Kelsey cringe as she headed to make the drinks. The room fell eerily silent for a moment.

“I don’t want to believe she’s gone,” Richie said, choking back emotion. “Maybe with this, it’s better,” he added, pointing to the ankle monitor.

“Don’t even think that,” Jackson said harshly.

“They said her gorgeous face was crushed,” Richie said, trying to shake it off. Whatever he had done over the years, he had always and always would love her. “We need to make sure she looks her best, you know?”

Chance knew what he was saying.

“We’ll call her personal physician,” Chance replied. “If he’s unavailable, we’ll call Sharon Osbourne’s guy. He’s amazing.”

“Whatever it costs,” Richie said.

“They’ve frozen all our bank accounts, Dad,” Chance reminded him. “But we’ll make it work somehow.”

Kelsey finished pouring the Macallan into Baccarat snifters and set them on a sterling silver tray. Next to the tray was a beautifully framed photo of Olivia with Charley, smiling and laughing. It was a portrait Charley had done, and it was one of Richie’s favorites. She put it facedown and then delivered the drinks.

Jackson took his glass first, and then Kelsey served Richie. She gave him a sympathetic look that the boys didn’t catch. Neither did he.

Richie raised his snifter to Jackson.

“To your mother,” he said. “No one will ever replace her.”

Kelsey’s back went up, but she knew she’d forgive him. She knew all this was for show, and there was no way he could reach out to her yet.

“Why’d you do it, Dad?” Jackson asked.

“For all of you. Because I wanted you to have the best, and I love you,” Richie said with conviction.

Chance’s phone rang. It was the hospital.

“Yes?” Chance answered. He listened a moment. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

He hung up and half smiled. “There’s good news and bad.”

“Bad?” Jackson said, concerned.

“Charley’s awake and now she’s stable, but she found out about Mum, and she’s devastated.”

“I have to go with you,” Richie said.

“Can’t.”

“She’s my little girl,” Richie added as a demand.

“And the press will have a field day with you,” Jackson reminded him. “We’ll fill her in.”

Richie was like a racehorse at the gate, he was so anxious to join them. “Please.”

“Sorry, but no,” Jackson added firmly.

“Tell her I love her,” Richie answered, knowing they were right.

“What you’ve done for love,” Jackson said, shaking his head.

“Let’s go,” Chance said, not wanting to argue.

The two boys headed out through the massive foyer. Richie sat nursing his drink.

Kelsey waited until she heard the smooth sound of the Bentley as it drove away, then moved to the man she had been having an affair with for over two years.

“It will all be fine,
papi
,” she said and attempted to wipe his hair from his face.

Richie brushed her hand away sharply.

“Olivia’s dead,” he said with an anguished tone that surprised her. “And I’m going to prison.”

“I’ll wait for you,” she said with a seductive smile that only made him angrier.

“You’re fired,” he snapped. “Get your things and get out.”

Richie pulled away from her and stormed through the doors leading to the back patio. The last thing he needed right now was a clingy mistress.

Kelsey sat numbly; then she started to weep.

She was jolted out of her shock as police sirens blared.

Richie had accidentally pierced the perimeter of the rolling grass lawn, and the ankle monitor had tripped the alarm. Within seconds, the police were heading in his direction.

He smashed the Baccarat snifter against one of the massive trees that lined the property.

No matter how gorgeous it was, he was in a prison of his own making. Until he got sent to a true prison forever.

C
HARLEY HAD BEEN SEDATED AN HOUR AGO, YET
S
HAWN WAITED
patiently outside the ICU. He was inexplicably drawn to this girl, and he didn’t know why.

The chaplain assured Shawn he had done nothing wrong. Shawn knew that, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Charley was suffering, and she had no idea the mess her father was in.

Shawn’s phone rang, and the nurse at the desk coughed to get his attention. She pointed to the sign that said “
TÉLÉPHONES PORTABLES INTERDITS
” with the translation “No Mobiles Allowed” below it.

He pressed the button on the upper–right-hand edge of the phone, sending the caller to voice mail. He did see that it was Belle, and he realized he hadn’t checked in since he’d left the
Fancy Face IV
that morning. He needed to call her but didn’t want to leave Charley alone, in case she needed him.

When Shawn saw two men in their twenties exit the private elevator, he had no idea who they were. He was never one to read the gossip columns or tabloids, although it was a favorite guilty
pleasure of Belle’s. If he had, he would have recognized them from their various escapades.

“We’re here to see our sister,” Chance told the nurse in perfect French. “Charley Gaines. How is she?”

“Resting, but doing well,” the nurse assured him in French. “I’ll let Dr. Bonnet know you’re here.”

“Thanks,” Jackson said in English. He too spoke fluent French but preferred using English since it had become the international language.

“How much do we tell her?” Jackson asked his brother as the nurse turned to call Charley’s doctor.

“Just that Dad’s dealing with some financial issues at the moment?” Chance answered, unsure.

“She’ll see right through that, bruv,” Jackson cautioned. “Best to say he’s taking care of things for Mum.”

Chance nodded. They didn’t like lying to her but feared another shock could send Charley over the edge. “I wonder how much she remembers about the accident.”

“She remembers the car sailing over the railing,” Shawn said, interrupting.

“Who’re you?” Jackson asked.

“Shawn Brady.”

“The guy who saved her life,” Jackson said, recognizing the name.

“Whatever,” Shawn said modestly. “Now that you guys are here, I’m going to go call my wife.”

Shawn headed out, and Jackson and Chance steeled themselves, then went in to see their beautiful little sister.

Charley was thrilled to see Jackson and Chance.

“Hey,” Jackson said sweetly.

“Hey,” Charley answered, managing a smile.

“Someone needs to bring you a hot orange robe, Sis,” Chance teased, pointing at her hospital gown.

“How’s Dad?” she asked with sincere concern. Others were always her first priority.

“A wreck,” Jackson said. He knew that was truer than she could imagine. The emotions were too raw to dive into immediately.

“I’m sure.”

There was an awkward silence.

“Whew,” she said, breaking the tension.

“Whew,” Jackson echoed, arching his eyebrows.

“Whew,” Chance added, quickly completing a familiar ritual the siblings had.

All three managed to smile.

“For someone who lost over two pints of blood, you look pretty good,” Jackson said. “Sorry we weren’t here.”

“Let’s not get into that now,” Charley said, staring into his dark brown eyes. Unsaid was the fact that if Jackson and Chance had gotten to Monte Carlo on time, everything might have been different.

Dr. Bonnet entered and shook both of their hands. He was clinical but also kind as he gave them all details of both Charley’s condition and Olivia’s injuries.

The three were relieved to learn that Charley’s only major injury was the gash on her neck, which appeared to be from a branch she hit on the car’s trajectory through the trees. It was also
a mixed blessing that Olivia had died. The injury to her skull had damaged her brain and spinal cord so badly that she would have surely spent the rest of her life as a vegetable.

“I was lucky,” Charley told them as she touched the abrasions on her chest.

“We spoke to the mortuary and think we can have Mum’s funeral at the end of the week,” Chance ventured. “Only if you’re out of the hospital by then, of course.”

Dr. Bonnet let them know it was likely that Charley would be in the hospital only a few days.

“I’m anxious to get home,” she said.

Jackson and Chance exchanged a look. At some point they’d have to let her know about their father.

“I’ll check in on you in a while,” Dr. Bonnet said warmly. “And whatever you need, let the nurses know. They’ll be in soon with your meds,” he added as he left for rounds.

Charley nodded as she watched him go. Shawn had returned from his call and was outside the door. Something was forming in her mind.

“We should let you rest, Sis,” Jackson said.

“Try to forget everything that happened,” Chance added.

They kissed her on both cheeks simultaneously from each side of the bed. As they headed toward the door, Charley tried to clear her head, but her mind was reeling.

“Guys,” she called out. Her tone was serious, and they stopped. “Mummy was…incredibly dizzy before the crash.”

“Had she had champagne?” Jackson said. They all knew their mother’s habits.

“I know her when she’s tipsy, and that wasn’t it,” Charley said, straining to remember. Her eyes widened. “She was dead before the accident.”

“What?” Chance sputtered.

“Before?” Jackson said.

Both brothers were stunned.

“What are you saying?” Chance asked, as only a lawyer could.

Even from outside the room, Shawn heard the conviction in Charley’s voice.

“I spent nearly the entire day with Mummy, and she was fine. Better than fine, she was at the top of her form because of that ridiculous party,” Charley said, gaining steam. “She wasn’t sick, she wasn’t tired; she had even had a physical two weeks ago, and her test results were normal.”

“Charley, you’ve been through a lot and—”

She cut her brother off. “I reached over to help her when she passed out, Jackson, and I can’t tell you why, but I realize now, at that very moment, I knew Mummy was dead.”

“But you said she was fine before you got in the car,” Jackson demanded.

“She was…” Charley insisted. “Which means one thing.” She took a long breath, barely able to say the words. “I think she may have been murdered.”