Cast into Doubt (19 page)

‘Or maybe it wouldn’t have made any difference at all,’ said Shelby.

‘I don’t know why anyone would take advice from me anyway,’ said Barbara. ‘All my relationships have gone down in flames. My life is so fucked up. How do I know what someone should do?’

Shelby understood that Barbara was about to introduce her own problems into the conversation. She also knew that she owed it to this woman to listen. This woman had gone way out of her way for Chloe. And now she wanted a little time, a little empathy for herself. Shelby vowed to herself that she would pay this debt off someday. But not today.

‘There wasn’t anything wrong with the advice you gave her,’ said Shelby, pushing herself up from the chair. ‘It made perfect sense, what you said to Chloe.’

Barbara looked up at her ruefully. ‘Is that it?’ she said.

‘I can never thank you enough,’ Shelby said.

‘I should have kept my mouth shut,’ said Barbara woefully. ‘I never learn.’

NINETEEN

A
spring day in Gladwyne was the definition of fair. Cherry blossoms floated on the trees and every curb and yard was planted with pink and yellow and violet-colored blooms. If Shelby hadn’t been in such an agitated state, she might have stopped just to enjoy and be dazzled by the beauty of it. But flowers were the last thing on her mind. She had only been to Lianna and Harris’s home once before, and that on a day when she was distraught, so she had to pay attention to her directions.

Shelby pulled into the Janssen’s driveway behind a couple of other cars. As soon as she saw the other cars, all expensive, late-model sedans, she realized her mistake. She had not bothered to call first – she wanted to ambush Lianna with this accusation. She had not considered the possibility that perhaps Lianna was teaching a class. Well, she thought, this was more important.

She went up and tried knocking on the front door. As she expected, there was no answer. She went around the house to the carriage house that Lianna used as a yoga studio. She looked in the window and saw that there were, indeed, several women on their mats, and Lianna at the front of the room, svelte despite her slightly rounded belly, leading the group in a catlike stretch. Shelby opened the door to the studio and stood there, looking in, but not speaking.

Lianna looked up at her and frowned.

‘I need to talk to you,’ said Shelby, her voice jarring in the peaceful silence.

Lianna glanced at her students and then put up five fingers. ‘Can you wait five minutes? Five minutes. We’re cooling down.’

Shelby withdrew, unsmiling, and returned to her car. She opened the door and sat down in the front seat. While she waited she gazed at Lianna’s garden. The yard was a dazzling tribute to Lianna’s green thumb. She had her own gardening business when she first married Harris, but had apparently abandoned that in favor of teaching yoga classes. Obviously, she still practiced her gardening skills on her own yard. ‘She’s good at everything she does,’ Chloe had said once, in utter discouragement. Shelby wasn’t sure whether it was a tribute to Lianna’s many gifts, or her inability to concentrate, that she seemed to have done a dozen different kinds of work between her marriage to Rob and to Harris. Then again, she wasn’t feeling very kindly disposed toward Lianna at this particular moment.

The yoga students, all women over thirty, with expensive haircuts and watches, dressed in workout chic, began to emerge from the carriage house and disperse toward their expensive vehicles. The driveway was wide enough so that they could edge out past Shelby without her moving. Ordinarily, she might have backed out to make it easier. She did not feel cooperative at this particular moment.

Shelby walked back to the studio and opened the screen door. Lianna was pressing a towel to her arms and forehead. Unlike the other women, she wore a faded, stretched-out leotard, and pulled her hair up in a messy clip. Her perfect features were devoid of make up. ‘Shelby,’ she said. ‘Is it Rob? Has anything happened?’

‘Only in a manner of speaking,’ said Shelby.

‘I called the hospital this morning and they said he was holding his own.’

‘There’s no change. As far as I know.’

‘I’m going to take Molly up there after school. She wants to spend every spare minute with him. Whew, I need a drink. Come over to the house,’ she said in her engaging manner. As Shelby followed her across the lawn to the back door, she felt a sad sympathy for her own daughter, who had been so intimidated by this woman. There was something preternaturally graceful about her, as if she had never made an awkward move or a false step in her life. Of course, Shelby reminded herself, that was clearly not true.

Lianna went to the refrigerator and poured them each a glass of ice water. She took them out to a sunroom beyond the kitchen, indicating that Shelby should follow her. Lianna sat down in a wicker chair and pointed to the one opposite her.

Shelby shook her head. All the way over here, she had tried to think about how she would phrase her accusation. She found it difficult to begin.

‘What’s the matter?’ said Lianna.

‘Was Rob here last night?’ Shelby asked.

The expression in Lianna’s eyes went from curious to vaguely guilty. ‘Why do you ask?’ she said stiffly.

‘I want to know,’ said Shelby. ‘Did he come over here?’

Lianna pursed her lips and clinked the ice in her glass. ‘Yes, he came over here,’ she said. ‘Who told you that?’

‘Why didn’t you tell the police?’ Shelby demanded.

‘They didn’t ask me,’ Lianna said. ‘Not that it’s any of your business.’

For a moment, Shelby hesitated, trying to remember if that was true. Then she dismissed it. Lianna was splitting hairs. ‘He came over here to confront you about Molly, didn’t he?’

Lianna flushed with anger. Shelby didn’t care.

‘I know that Molly is not Rob’s daughter. And I know that he found out about it last night.’

Lianna looked at her coolly. ‘Well. I guess there is no such thing as privacy.’

‘My Chloe knew about it. She knew about it before she was killed.’

‘Oh yes. She certainly did. And told her friends about it. Fun for everyone! I can only assume that she plundered my private medical records at the office where she works,’ Lianna said indignantly.

Shelby ignored her accusation. She knew it was wrong, and completely unprofessional, for Chloe to do that, but it couldn’t compare to Lianna’s deception.

‘You had a secret. You wanted to keep it a secret.’

‘Yes, I had a secret. Now the whole world knows about it.’

‘You didn’t want Rob to know. You were desperate for him not to know. Desperate to keep Chloe from telling him.’

Lianna recoiled and shook her head. ‘Desperate? Are you kidding? We’re not even married anymore. Get a hold of yourself.’

‘You never told him,’ Shelby said accusingly.

‘I wanted to spare him the unhappiness. And Molly. I wanted to spare them both.’

‘How badly did you want to silence my daughter?’

Lianna’s mouth dropped open. ‘What the hell are you saying?’ She took a deep breath as if she were trying to control her response. ‘Are you suggesting that I had something to do with Chloe’s death? Because of this?’

Shelby stared back at her without replying.

‘Look, Shelby, I know you’re grieving, but get a grip. For one thing, I wasn’t even on that cruise. I was here, as you well know. I took care of Jeremy for you, remember?’

‘It’s possible to hire someone.’

‘Hire someone? You mean . . . a hit man? Yeah. I must have one or two of those in my phone book,’ she said sarcastically.

‘I’m not joking about this,’ said Shelby.

‘Neither am I,’ said Lianna. ‘This is about the most insulting accusation I’ve ever heard. Especially since your daughter was the one who violated my privacy, and my rights as a patient.’

Shelby didn’t care if Lianna was insulted. ‘What about Harris? Does he know about Molly? And Rob?’

‘Yes. I told him long ago. He always wanted me to tell Rob. I kept thinking I would choose the right moment. But then Chloe took it out of my hands. Apparently she shared my most personal secret with some friend of hers, who decided to tell Rob last night. Rob came over here in a rage. I was blindsided by the whole thing.’

A friend of hers. Shelby thought of Barbara, and instantly realized that Rob had been deliberately vague with Lianna. He was keeping secret the fact that Chloe was in AA.

Just then the front door opened and a voice called out, ‘Hey, I’m home.’

‘We’re in the sunroom,’ Lianna called out.

Harris came into the sunroom, carrying his briefcase and loosening his tie. ‘I have to go to the hospital later,’ he said. ‘This is just a breather. Hi Shelby,’ he said, and then put his arm around Lianna’s shoulders, kissed her forehead and patted her belly. ‘How’s junior?’ he said.

Lianna looked up at Shelby with narrowed eyes. ‘A little agitated if you want to know the truth. Shelby’s here hurling all kinds of accusations. She knows about Rob’s visit here last night. And about Molly’s real father.’

Harris immediately looked guiltily at Shelby. ‘We probably should have told you last night. But it was awkward. We didn’t want to make things worse with Rob.’

‘That’s not all,’ said Lianna. ‘She thinks I might have hired someone to kill Chloe. To keep it quiet.’

Harris laughed. ‘Oh come on, honey,’ he said. ‘She didn’t mean that. You’re being overly sensitive.’

‘That’s what she said,’ Lianna cried.

Harris frowned. ‘All right. All right. Let’s climb in off the ledge, ladies. We’re all stressed out these days.’ He turned to Shelby. ‘Tell me, how is Rob? Is he awake?’

‘Not yet,’ said Shelby, somewhat shaken by his matter-of-fact response to her earth-shattering news.

Harris sighed. ‘I felt so badly for him last night. When he came over I think he was really hoping to hear that it wasn’t true.’

‘I’m sure,’ said Shelby stiffly. ‘He loves Molly.’

‘And he’s been a wonderful father to her. I’m sure he would have been a wonderful father even if he had known the truth,’ Harris said, frowning at Lianna. ‘You should have had a little faith in him.’

‘OK. I know. I should have told him,’ said Lianna irritably, raising her hands as if in surrender. ‘I should have, but I didn’t. I was having an affair with a married man before I started seeing Rob. A man who was incapable of being a father to Molly.

‘Whereas Rob . . . well, he was so proud of her. I let him believe that Molly was his. I’m a bad person. I admit it. Believe me, I paid for it last night when Molly found out. She was furious with me,’ said Lianna.

‘Darling, with all due respect, you deserved it,’ said Harris.

Lianna raised her chin defiantly. ‘I did not deserve to be outed by Chloe. What she did was wrong. It’s my own fault. The minute I saw that she worked there, I should have gone somewhere else. I should never have stayed with Dr Cliburn.’

‘Well, I guess it’s normal to be curious, under the circumstances,’ said Harris.

‘Tell me you wouldn’t fire a nurse who did that to one of your patients,’ Lianna shot back. ‘I should have found another doctor. I knew it was a mistake.’

‘He’s the best,’ said Harris gravely. ‘We wanted the best.’

‘Even so,’ said Lianna.

Harris patted her on the shoulder. ‘Luckily, Molly is wise beyond her years.’ He turned to Shelby. ‘Her first thought was for Rob. She said to him right away, “I don’t care about that guy. You’re my Dad and that’s final.” It was very touching.’

Looking at him now, Shelby could understand why Chloe had always admired Harris when she worked in his office. He was a voice of calm and compassion.

‘So, yes,’ said Lianna. ‘Rob was here, he was angry and, no matter what Chloe did, I guess I am to blame. Right now my daughter thinks I’m a horrible person and I suppose I deserve that. My husband seems to be a little more forgiving.’ She gazed ruefully up at Harris, who smiled back at her. ‘I don’t know what else I can tell you. I’m actually relieved that it’s all out in the open now. I just want Rob to get well so that we can all start to mend some fences.’

Shelby suddenly felt ashamed of her own outburst. She had taken a morsel of information and jumped to an extreme conclusion. However embarrassed Lianna might have been by her secret, it was clearly not something that had to be hushed up at any cost. Shelby didn’t know whether she was disappointed, or relieved.

Shelby stood up. ‘I shouldn’t have said what I did,’ she said.

‘No, you shouldn’t have,’ said Lianna balefully.

‘My daughter’s death . . . it tortures me,’ said Shelby.

Lianna sighed and was silent for a moment. ‘I know it. I can imagine. It’s all right.’

‘No. I’m sorry. I was really out of line.’

Lianna looked at Shelby with sorrowful eyes. She placed one hand protectively on her own belly. ‘No harm done,’ she said.

Shelby took a deep breath. ‘I do think, if it’s all right with you two, that I will call the police and tell them that Rob was here last night. Before his accident. The detective said it might be important to know where he was.’

Lianna shrugged.

‘Sure. Of course,’ said Harris.

‘I’d better go get Jeremy,’ said Shelby.

Lianna nodded. ‘I suppose we’ll see you at the hospital.’

‘Why?’ Shelby asked.

‘Visiting Rob?’

‘Oh yes,’ said Shelby, ashamed to have forgotten. ‘Of course.’

TWENTY

S
helby walked up to where Darcie stood, guarding her small charges as they clambered on the jungle gym and flew skyward on the swings. Jeremy was in the thick of it, whooping that he had a sword and he was ready to use it.

‘He seems to be doing OK,’ said Shelby hopefully.

Darcie nodded without looking at her. ‘Everything considered,’ she said. ‘How is Rob doing?’