Fugitive Millionaire Revenge (Fabian Cooper Book Two) (4 page)

“Let me tell you something, sweetie. When you got a guy like Nathan you’ve got it made. I really lucked out with him.”

“Yeah, I guess you did.”

“Nathan’s a real man. He’s nothing like that jerk, Fabian. Trust me. I did you a real favor with that guy.”

“What do you mean?”

Sloane makes a dismissive sweeping gesture with her hand. “I can’t talk about it here. Why don’t we meet for dinner tonight at the Beach Cove restaurant on the other side of the resort? We’ll discuss how the plan is going.”

“Plan?”

“Nathan told you about it, right?”

“Oh yeah. The plan. He told me some things, but not everything.”

“That’s okay,” Sloane assures her. “He trusted you enough to send you here to check up on me. I’m sure he won’t mind us girls chatting a bit.” Sloane stuffs her mp3 player inside her beach bag and gets up. “I’ve got a spa appointment to go to. See you later at dinner. Eight o’clock sharp. Don’t be late.”

“I’ll be there. Looking forward to it.”

Sloane strolls through the lagoon, passing the tiki bar, seemingly without a care in the world.

*****

Fabian is sitting on the balcony reading a magazine when Claire rushes in.

“Fabian! You won’t believe what happened,” she says excitedly.

Fabian puts the magazine down and readies himself for whatever news she’s bringing him.

“What’s up?”

“She’s here! Sloane is here at the resort.”

Fabian gets excited too. “Did you see her?”

Claire sits next to him on the bench. “Yeah. I was sitting by the pool and she just showed up. I couldn’t believe it at first, but it was her.”

“What happened?”

“She recognized me right away.”

“Shoot. So much for the cover we planned.”

“Sorry. I didn’t have time to hide anywhere. She sat down next to me and started telling me about Nathan and some plan.”

“Nathan? What’s he got to do this? What plan?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m meeting her for dinner tonight.”

Fabian finds this incredulous. “Dinner? You’re meeting Sloane for dinner?”

“Yes. Eight o’clock at the Beach Cove Restaurant here at the resort. Oh my god. I don’t know what I’m going to say.”

“Settle down, babe. We’ll figure everything out. Why did she invite you to dinner?”

“She thinks I’m in on this plan with her and Nathan. I just went along and pretended I knew what she was talking about. I did the right thing, didn’t I?”

“Yes, sweetheart. You did good.”

Fabian does not like what he’s hearing. Nathan is somehow involved in scheming with Sloane? How? Why?

“Fabian, what do you think is going on?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like that Nathan’s involved. What did she say exactly about Nathan?”

“She asked me if Nathan sent me here. At first I tried to convince her I was here on vacation, but she didn’t buy it. Then she let me know, in no uncertain terms, that she and Nathan are a hot item.”

“Hot item?”

“Oh right. You don’t know about them. I should have told you sooner.”

“What are you talking about, Claire?”

“I caught Nathan and Sloane making out in Nathan’s office. They were going at it pretty hot and heavy. He made me promise not to tell you or anyone else. I was afraid I’d lose my job if I told. Sorry.”

A painful reality is coming into focus clearer now. Fabian doesn’t want to believe it. Nathan and he have been tight like brothers for years, ever since they were kids. No, he doesn’t want to believe his best friend in the whole world would turn on him.

“Nathan and Sloane are sleeping together?”

“They’ve been having an affair for a while from the looks of things.”

Fabian wishes he could scrub his mind clean of the image of those two having sex.

“Well, the good news in all of this is that I can really do something about clearing my name. Finding Sloane here is going to make that warrant worthless.”

“Do you think Nathan is somehow involved in trying to make you look guilty?”

The mere thought of that being true is a kick in the gut. “It hurts like hell to say it, but from what Sloane told you it appears that he might be involved in some way. Before I toss away a great friendship, I need to know more about this so called plan.”

“I agree. They obviously underestimated you. They thought you’d be arrested. As long as Sloane stays missing, the police will assume you either kidnapped or killed her. To them it probably looks like a crime of passion.”

“Yeah, except they don’t have all the clues either. I bet they’re still trying to figure out how she disappeared and if there’s a body. Until they have more facts, they can’t prosecute me.”

“Meanwhile, your name is being dragged through the mud.”

“Totally. I just hope Nathan is some kind of patsy in all this. I know him too well, Claire. This kind of thing doesn’t fit his personality at all.”

“He’s sleeping with your dad’s wife. Is that out of character?”

“Yeah, it is, actually.” Fabian feels anger rising inside of him. He’s angry at Sloane for doing whatever she did to manipulate Nathan into an illicit affair. “I’m telling you, Claire. Nathan wouldn’t scheme to hurt me or Gray on purpose. It’s all her.”

Claire rubs Fabian’s arm. “I hope so, honey. But, the truth may be uglier than you wanna hear.”

“I know. Claire, I need you to snap a photo of Sloane tonight so we have proof that she’s alive.”

“I’ll bring along the cheap cell phone I picked up at Target. I don’t think it will be easy to get a picture, but I’ll try.”

“I just thought of another thing you need.”

“What?”

“A digital recorder. We need to record the whole conversation.”

“Good thinking. I’m sure the Target here has one. We’re gonna get some hardcore evidence to prove your innocence.”

Fabian is still worried that this may be too much pressure on Claire. He knows he’s asking a lot of her, but there’s really no other choice. Sloane would bolt as soon as she laid eyes on him. Using Claire’s nice girl image is their best hope of getting valuable information from Sloane.

“Are you sure you’re okay with having dinner alone with Sloane tonight?”

“Yeah. Well, maybe I’m a tad worried about keeping up the charade that Nathan sent me to check up on her. But, there’s too much at stake for me to back out. So, I’m going to sit my butt there and get Sloane to tell me everything.”

‘Good. The one thing I do know for sure is that Nathan has broken the trust Gray has placed in him. You think it’s bad that Gray thinks I slept with Sloane? Gray is going to be beyond upset when he finds out it’s really Nathan screwing around with his precious wife.”

Claire shakes her head. “This whole thing is so dirty.”

“It’s very ugly, Claire. I can’t wrap my brain around Nathan blatantly hurting Gray like this. I wanna believe that he’s a gullible dupe, you know? A sucker being seduced by an aggressive, manipulating woman.”

Nathan is the last person in the world that he or Gray would suspect of stabbing them in the back. As a friend, Nathan has always been very supportive of him. They have shared many of life’s ups and downs together. Fabian remembers when Nathan and his mother came to live with them many years ago.

His mother, Iris, was a single mom in need of a steady job and Gray gave her one as a live-in maid. Iris couldn’t afford childcare, so Gray allowed Nathan, an impressionable eleven year old, to live at Cooper Manor. He, his mom, sister and father had all taken an instant liking to Nathan. The kid was smart and had a winning personality. As time went on, Gray took Nathan under his wing and started spending more time with him. More than he did with his own son. But, Fabian never held that against Nathan. It wasn’t his fault that Gray withheld his affections from Fabian.

Nathan proved to be too good of a friend to allow jealousy to come between them. Plus, Fabian actually liked that Nathan took the pressure off of his shoulders on having to be Gray’s successor in the family business. Nathan seemed more than willing to be groomed by the elder Cooper. Father and son were very happy with this arrangement.

Iris eventually got a secretarial job at Cooper Enterprises. She retired to Florida with a full pension. Gray invested heavily in Nathan’s education, ensuring he got a good scholarship, paying his expenses through college. Upon graduation, Nathan got a job at Cooper Enterprises working as a junior executive. He was a star at the company from the very beginning.

The two of them had maintained their strong friendship all these years. Nathan is as much a part of the Cooper family as any blood relative. If Nathan is deeply involved in this attempt to frame him for a crime, Fabian will never be able to think of him as a brother again, or any kind of real friend.

“Claire, I’m hoping there is some way I can clear my name without publicly exposing Nathan’s affair with Sloane. I wanna keep the scandalous details of our family’s implosion as private as possible.”

“That really depends on what we find out from Sloane.”

Fabian finds his cell phone. He stands in the middle of the room, staring at the glossy screen. “I’m going to call Nathan and ask him to explain this plan that Sloane is talking about. I wanna find out what he knows.”

“No!” Claire snatches the phone away from Fabian.

“What are you doing? Don’t you think I deserve to hear my best friend tell me why he’s sleeping with the woman that’s framing me?”

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why the hell not, Claire?”

“Because, as soon as Nathan hangs up, he’ll know we’re on to Sloane. That will blow our opportunity to get to the bottom of this. Besides, all you’ll get from Nathan is stonewalling. He’s not going to come clean about his involvement until he’s forced to.”

Fabian is exasperated. He’s dying to have Nathan tell him that it’s all a big mistake. He wants to hear Nathan admit to fooling around with Sloane, but that he knows nothing about why Sloane wrote about having sex with her stepson in her diary, or how Gray got a hold of it. Or, why the cops think they have enough evidence to book him on suspicion of kidnapping, hoping to keep him under heavy surveillance until they figure out if there’s been a murder.

Fabian expels a heavy sigh from his lungs. “You’re right. I can’t call Nathan. I guess I’m just scared about what Sloane is going to say.”

Claire consoles Fabian by rubbing his back. “Whatever she says, honey, it’s going to help us get our lives back to normal. That’s the most important thing, right?”

“Right.”

Claire suppresses her jittery nerves as she heads for the table where she sees Sloane sitting near the back. One whole wall of tables inside the Beach Cove sits against large bay windows. Customers can enjoy a great view of the ocean while dining. Claire isn’t surprised that Sloane secured one of these spots for their little dinner chat. Claire has arrived ten minutes before eight, just to be sure she could locate their table and be on time.

“Hello again, Sloane.”

“Hey, there Claire. You’re on time. I like that.”

“I hate being late. I may be at the beach, but I’m still following New York etiquette.”

Claire notices that Sloane has changed into casual pants and appears relaxed. Whatever she’s going to say, it’s not troubling her one bit.

Sloane sighs softly. “Am I crazy for missing New York? I mean here I am living in paradise on earth, yet, I find myself missing all the action in the city.”

“I don’t think that’s crazy. This is a big change from city life.”

“Yeah. It was great being here for the first week. As people I met here started leaving for home, I realized that my life here is pretty damn lonely. These days I mostly keep to myself.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Guess I’m still getting used to being Laura Fagen, rich divorcee. There’s not much to do here, except tourist type things. It’s hard getting attached to people when you know it’s just for a very short time.”

“I can understand how that would be difficult. I was wondering what it would be like to live here as a local. Now I see that it may not be as ideal as I thought.”

A waitress arrives with two menus. “Welcome to the Beach Cove. Would you ladies like to start out with a drink?”

“Dinner is on me, Claire. Order whatever you like.”

“That’s kind of you. I’ll start with a glass of white wine and a shrimp cocktail appetizer.”

“I’ll have a tequila sunrise, heavy on the tequila. I’ll also have a shrimp cocktail. Thanks.”

“Why don’t we go ahead and order dinner now, so we don’t have to be interrupted later,” Claire suggests.

“Sure,” Sloane agrees as she picks up her menu. “Give us a minute,” she says to the waitress.

“Okay, I’ll be back with your drinks and appetizers.”

Claire uses this opportunity to slip her hand inside of her small purse and press the ON button on the digital recorder. She silently prays it will pick up the conversation clearly.

“I’m leaning towards the swordfish with baked potato and grilled vegetables,” Sloane says.

“Hmm. There’s so many good choices,” Claire says while browsing the selection. “I think I’m going to order the island chicken with seasoned rice.”

The waitress brings their drinks and appetizers. The ladies place their dinner order.

“At least the food here is as good as it is back home,” Sloane says. “Still, I miss going out to eat with my girlfriends. Claire, I’m desperate to go back to New York City, but it’s impossible right now, as you know.”

“Hang in there. I’m sure your exile will be worth it.”

“Yes, it will.” Sloane lifts her drink. “I’ll drink to that.”

The ladies sip their drinks.

“You have to admit, Sloane, that if you’re going to hide out somewhere, Cabo is the place to be.”

“Yeah, I’ll say. Cabo definitely is one of my top three vacation spot choices. I was planning to head to Hawaii, but it’s too crowded. It’s easier to be Laura Fagen here without creating any suspicion.”

“How’d you come up with that name?”

“I didn’t. Nathan paid someone to create the identity. I don’t know who and I don’t care. I’ve always liked the name Laura, so it worked out.”

Claire is eager to talk about the plan, but knows she needs to be patient. Idle chitchat is loosening Sloane up. She needs to continue buttering her up and playing it cool to show she can be trusted. Claire and Sloane chat casually about minor topics while they warm up to each other over drinks.

“I have to say that you have an amazing tan. I wish I could tan like that.”

Sloane responds to this ego-stroking compliment. “Thanks. I got this at the tanning salon here. You can’t even tell it’s not natural.”

“It makes you look so fit and healthy. I bet you attract a lot of guys.”

“I get some nice looks from the men around here. I simply smile and go about my business. I’m not here to fool around. Besides, most of them couldn’t afford me, anyway.”

“But, Nathan can, right?”

Dinner arrives before Sloane can answer. Claire observes that the food looks and smells delicious. Both plates have ample portions. The wine has calmed her nerves and she’s ready to chow down. She might even order dessert.

“Can you bring me another tequila sunrise, honey?”

“Sure.”

Claire makes a mental note that Sloane likes to drink. She wonders how much alcohol Sloane can hold before getting totally sloshed.

“You were hinting something about Nathan being able to afford me?”

“Well, I was just wondering how he makes the cut. He’s successful, but not rich.”

“It’s all about potential, Claire. You need to learn how to judge a man on how well he will do in the future.”

“And, Nathan is someone you think is going to be rich?”

“Not think. I know he’s going to be very rich.”

“As a matter of fact, Nathan is the one who came up with this whole idea. It sprung out of a discussion we were having about our relationship. I mentioned that I would only marry a man who could provide me with the lifestyle I’m accustomed to.”

“So, Nathan masterminded this whole disappearing to Cabo thing?”

“Yep. I wish I could take credit for dreaming up our little scheme, but most of it is his idea. When an idea is this good, how can I not go along?”

Claire is secretly shocked and saddened to hear this. She too was hoping that Nathan was being duped by Sloane. Up until this moment she really liked her boss a lot. Working for him gives her a lot of clout and prestige in the office. How can she in good conscious continue being his right hand assistant after hearing what Sloane just said? If she didn’t think she was already fired, she’d quit.

“How much do you know, Claire?”

Claire shrugs nonchalantly. She’s ready for this question. “Just that Nathan said that you had some sort of nervous breakdown because of Fabian and needed to get away for a while. He said he missed you and is concerned about your mental state. He wants to protect you for as long as possible.”

Claire is impressed with how well this lie came out of her mouth.

“He’s not thinking of abandoning the plan, is he?”

“No. At least I don’t think so.”

Sloane seems relieved to hear this. “Good. Because I’ve invested way too much time and energy into this to see it go to waste. I mean I care about Gray, but some things are more important.”

“You mean money?”

Sloane smiles slyly. “Not just a few million. I’m talking huge piles of cash. Nathan and I will be stinking rich after all is said and done.”

Claire is puzzled. “That’s what I don’t get about this plan, Sloane. Why go through all this trouble when you and Nathan are taken care of in Gray’s will?”

“Nathan told you about the will? Yeah, Gray gives us both some nice parting goodies.”

“You’re both young enough to outlive him. Why not just wait until the inevitable happens naturally?”

Sloane pretends to be shocked. “Are you implying that Nathan and I are planning to knock off Gray? Oh no, darling. That’s not what’s going on at all.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good to know. That’s something that was making me nervous.”

“You do know that Gray has a heart condition, right?”

“Um, no I didn’t know that.”

“He had a triple bypass a few years ago. He’s supposed to be eating healthy and getting some exercise, but he drinks and smokes, and is a lazy son of a bitch,” Sloane finishes off her first drink. “He’ll probably die of natural causes one of these days. Preferably sooner than later, but taking care of Gray is Nathan’s department.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Just that Gray needs to take better care of himself if he wants to make it into his eighties.”

Sloane’s answer does nothing to ease Claire’s mind. “I don’t believe you, Sloane. I hope you’re not involving me in something terrible.”

“Don’t worry, sweet Claire. Your hands will remain perfectly clean in all this. And, so will mine, as long as you keep my whereabouts secret. You will, won’t you?”

“Of course. I love my job too much to betray you and Nathan. I want to move up the ranks into CE management. By doing this for Nathan I’m guaranteed a spot.”

“Good.”

“But…”

“But what?”

“I can’t help but feel bad for Fabian. I know he’s not the greatest guy in the world, but, why are you doing this to him?”

Sloane slices another piece of swordfish. “He’s a necessary sacrifice. Come on, Claire. The guy doesn’t really do anything useful. He hops from place to place, doing god knows what, sleeping with different women. No one will miss him if he goes to jail for several years.”

“Maybe. He did tell me that he’s in the process of changing his life for the better.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure you fell for that bull crap hook, line and sinker.”

“Why shouldn’t I believe Fabian? I don’t have any reason to think he was lying.”

“Okay, Claire, let me clue you in on the real Fabian. He’s a big disappointment to his father. Fabian hasn’t amounted to anything in spite of Gray’s efforts to send him to a prestigious college, set him up in his own business and allow him to live at Cooper Manor whenever he wishes.”

“He told me about Gray being disappointed. People grow and change you know.”

“People like Fabian don’t,” Sloane says as if that were the end of the matter. “Don’t kid yourself into believing he’s changed one bit. Fabian is probably shacking up with some woman right now.”

Claire turns beet red. Sloane certainly guessed right about that.

“Do you think the police will find him?”

“Probably. It’s only a matter of time. I saw on TV that the FBI is looking for him. They get in on the action when you cross state lines. He should have just turned himself in and gotten it over with.”

“Yeah, but obviously he’s innocent.”

“You and I know that, but everybody else thinks he’s a dangerous fugitive. The cops think he may go after some other poor, defenseless woman that falls for his charms.”

Claire is really pissed at how casually Sloane is tossing Fabian’s life in the trash. How dare she sit here and talk about how useless Fabian is when she’s the one whose only ambition in life is to live off of men with a whole lot of money. To Claire’s way of seeing things Sloane is the epitome of a useless human being.

“Fabian told me you threw yourself at him.”

“Really? Ha. Well, he lied. Why would I want him when I’m married to Gray, a man who is way more successful and wealthy than Fabian will ever be?”

“Why are you having an affair with Nathan? He’s best friends with Fabian. The two of them are alike in some ways.”

“Nathan is different. He gets me. He fulfills all of my womanly needs. You wouldn’t understand, Claire, unless you married an older guy.”

Claire wants to tell Sloane that she’s dead wrong about Fabian and her own knowledge of men and womanly needs, but she has to stay focused on why she’s here.

“So, what happens next in this plan?”

“I continue hiding out here a while longer until it’s time to put on my act.”

“Act?”

“Yeah. The second part of the plan is for me to show up suddenly in the States looking like I’ve been through hell. I stagger over to someone’s home and ask for help. That’s when the real fun begins.”

“That doesn’t sound like fun to me.”

“Don’t worry. It’s all going to work out okay. When the police arrive I tell them that Fabian raped me, beat me and tied me up. He left me to rot in some dumpy hole in the wall building. By the grace of god I managed to get free and go for help.”

Claire realizes she’s hit pay dirt. Hopefully, the recorder is picking up Sloane’s every word clearly.

“Sorry, Sloane, but this whole thing sounds crazy to me. I still don’t get the purpose of this ruse.”

“Don’t you see? This is a brilliant way to get Fabian out of the picture entirely. Upon my triumphant return to civilization, Nathan and I will cause Fabian to be disinherited and banished from his father’s life for good.”

“And then what?”

“Nathan makes sure that Gray changes his will as soon as possible. The plan is for me to get Cooper Manor, all the valuable artwork and other private properties. As of now, Fabian is getting that. Nathan will get the lion’s share of Fabian’s financial inheritance. Gray will do this because he has absolute trust in Nathan’s judgment. That old man trusts him with his life, you know.”

“He thinks of Nathan like a son.”

“Too bad Nathan isn’t his real son. If he was, we wouldn’t have to go through all of this elaborate effort to accomplish our ultimate goal.”

“Which is?”

Sloane laughs, finding this question funny for some reason. “We’ll make sure your hands stay clean, Claire, as long as you keep your mouth shut and don’t breathe a word of anything I’ve just said to anybody. Got it?”

“Yes. I understand everything now. You guys can trust me to remain quiet. Fabian isn’t more important to me than my career ambitions.”

Sloane throws her dinner napkin in her almost empty plate. “It’s time for me to go back to cabana number four and hop in the Jacuzzi. I love how it relaxes me before bedtime. Anyway, Claire, this has been fun. I actually enjoyed your company.”

“Yeah, I’m glad we were able to touch base.”

Sloane gets up from the table and prepares to leave. “Oh, one more thing, Claire.”

“Yes?”

“When you get back to New York I want you to reassure Nathan that I’m doing just fine. And, tell him I can handle things on my end without a babysitter.”

“I’ll let him know.”

*****

“When the police arrive I tell them that Fabian raped me, beat me and tied me up. He left me to rot in some dumpy hole in the wall building. By the grace of god I managed to get free and go for help.”