House of Fire (Unraveled Series) (12 page)

“Between me and you,
I don’t know that the story adds up one hundred percent, but when you’re
working with drug dealers and criminals, it never really does,” Sanchez said as
he threw the rest of the champagne down his throat. Delaney’s stomach clenched
as she thought of Theron’s insistence that they had captured the wrong man.

“Well, it was nice to
see you again and nice meeting you.” Delaney turned to Sanchez and then to
Schaefer who had stepped back, his hands clasped in front of his body. He
nodded his head as another smile spread across his face.

“I’m going to head
back to my family with drinks. I’ll try to watch where I’m going,” Delaney
added.

“Be safe, Dr. Jones,”
Sanchez called as Delaney filtered back into the crowd.

Be safe.
How can I
be safe with Holston? How can I be safe with you?
Delaney shot her eyes back to the
empty wall where Evie had been. Delaney contemplated tearing through the
kitchen, weaving in and out of the waiters, but she knew she wouldn’t find
Evie. She had easily disappeared for six months without a trace. Delaney had no
chance of finding her. At least not until Evie was ready to be found.

14

June 16 - 6:11 p.m

The door opened to a
line of three waitresses filtering out of the kitchen with trays held high in
the air. The clangs of forks and dishes echoed as Evie slipped through the open
doorway and into the kitchen. She took a hard right and followed the open
pathway, sliding behind the students stacking the trays. The chefs stood on the
other side, huddled over the steam of their boiling pots, stirring with their
backs to her. She walked as though she belonged there, pausing once to give a
waiter a directive. She made a circular motion with her hand and then pointed
to a tray, encouraging the student to speed up the process. The student nodded
his head as she continued on past the students, now simply feet away from the
black door. She knew it would be there, the layout of prestigious Parker Tower
still burned in her mind from the preliminary security plans she had developed
before her departure. She pushed two hands on the handle and stepped into the
sun.

The night had been
going as smoothly as she’d planned. Holston hadn’t seen her, but Delaney had.
Evie had locked eyes with the translucent blueness, the rich brown hair.
Delaney had been dutifully following Holston’s directions; Delaney was at the
gala, not voluntarily. Evie didn’t blame Delaney, though; Evie had done the
same for a long fifteen years after she had discovered who he was. Holston left
little choice.

Evie stepped onto the
sidewalk, the rows of vegetables neatly cultivated and labeled in the student
garden ahead of her, when her nose twitched at a sudden wafting of nicotine. She
twisted her head to see a woman puffing a white cloud into the air. Evie stared
into the emerald green eyes set in an older face. The middle aged woman wore a
black bob with chin-length, heavy bangs.
Glossy.
Her hair was too
glossy.
Wig
. Her meticulously painted face had just the right touch of
mascara, lengthening her lashes to showcase her deep eyes. Her cheeks were
flushed a sun-kissed tone, the smudge of lipstick wearing off on her cigarette.
A crimson dress, the color of blood. Evie cocked her head, studying the woman’s
face. She recognized the face, the emerald eyes.

“Can I help you?” the
woman asked as she filtered out the latest stream of smoke. Her black clutch
was tucked in her armpit, half unzipped. A near empty box of Virginia Slims
stuck out of her clutch, a plastic card shoved against it. Fox Inn Motel.

“I’m not sure, can
you?” Evie cocked her head, her gaze still fixated on the woman’s eyes.

“Do I remind you of
someone?” The woman put the cigarette to her lips, the moisture from her
lipstick adhering to the cigarette. It dangled between her lips, flopping as
she talked.

“Maybe.” Evie turned
her head down the sidewalk, looking in both directions before spinning it back
to the woman. The last thing she needed was Holston or one of his thugs to find
her. She was supposed to be discreet, quick. But the woman had sucked her in,
her eyes toying with her.

“Looking for
someone?” The woman pulled another drag. The end lit up with orange and red
flickers, its hot edge smoldering in Evie’s eyes. The flames of the barn danced
in her head. Gunnar lying dead on the concrete. The barn. Evie stared back at
the woman, stripping the black hair from her head along with the makeup and the
sultry dress. Evie had seen the woman in a barn, but not the one she’d burned
down. The memory flooded back to Evie of the woman standing half clothed before
her, just outside a group of women whispering and crying, but this woman hadn’t
cried that night in the barn. She had stood straight, her long blonde mess of
hair scattered down the middle of her back. She had turned, looking at Evie who
was peeking through the window of the barn as she was sold to Holston. He had
bought the woman standing before her.

“He bought you in the
barn,” Evie whispered, taking a step closer to the smoke. The woman finished
her last drag and threw the butt on the concrete, letting it flare without
stepping on it. The woman leaned in, studying Evie’s face.

“I think you got the
wrong girl.” The woman smiled, her lipstick half removed from the cigarette.

“I don’t think I do,
and I wouldn’t consider you a girl. A woman,” Evie said as she put her hand on
the woman’s arm.

”I wouldn’t do that
if I were you. He’s got eyes everywhere.” The woman jerked her arm away and
cleared her throat. “If I were you, I would let it all alone. Good prevails.”
The woman turned on her heels and sauntered toward the river. Evie watched her
leave, taking the smoke and rosary tattoo with her.

15

June 16 - 6:45 p.m

Delaney held the
stems lightly in her hands, watching as the champagne toppled left and right in
the glass. There had been three glasses left on the waiter’s tray. She had
picked up one glass with a smile, holding up her index finger at the student to
signal him to wait for her. She pounded the champagne, placing the empty glass
back on the tray, before swiping up the last two glasses. Delaney needed to
take the edge off, to calm her jittering nerves after seeing Evie and Sanchez.
Nothing good could come from tonight.

The fizz of the
champagne finally began to settle in her stomach. She swallowed a small burp as
she maneuvered to her left, staying near the panel of glass windows to avoid
President Givens and Helen who were still talking in a tight circle of suits.

The Fox River gushed
outside the windows from the heavy rains of the previous weeks. The river’s
edge crept higher and the rocks beat with the churning water. A handful of
geese waddled along the grass, pecking at the ground and pondering the river.
They assessed the danger of the water, their instincts realizing they wouldn’t
fair well in the current.
Smart.

Delaney turned back
to the gala to see Holston walking up the main stairwell across the room. He
turned to the crowd below; his gray, shiny suit and matching thin tie gleamed
in the light, its perfection neatly tucked and fit to his exact frame. His
impeccably groomed face smiled as he brought the microphone to his lips.
Delaney was in the belly of the beast.

She spotted the back
of James’s head a few feet ahead and careened forward until she stopped at Ann
Jones’s blue gown. Delaney shoved a glass into her mother’s hands and watched
as Holston stood, waiting on the landing of the first set of stairs twenty feet
up. The string quarter wound down into a slow whimper. The chattering slowed,
the women still whispering back and forth between gulps of champagne. Delaney
moved the last glass into Michael’s hands, passing it across Ann’s chest. James’s
hand circled around her hip as he stood next to her. He flashed a reassuring
smile as she moved her attention back to her mother. Ann was watching George
Boyd. Her hand fluttered to her ear as she twirled the back with her two
fingers.
By the end of the night, your ear will be raw.
Ann’s neck began
to flush a dull shade of pink when Holston Parker began to speak.

“I want to welcome
you to Parker Tower, friends of Leighton University. It is with great pleasure
that I see your smiling faces enjoying the evening’s celebration. It is because
of your generosity that we are here tonight. As you all know, the vision for
Parker Tower started more than ten years ago. The project was one of the first
responsibilities that President Givens had initiated with his arrival to campus
and, without the essential funds, the project was delayed. Until today.”

The crowd erupted in
a round of applause, the men giving hardy claps as the women applauded lightly
amid their glassware. Delaney looked at her mother’s untouched champagne, the
alcohol shaking inside the glass from her quivering hand. The coloring of Ann’s
neck had crept onto her chest, the pink now embedded deep within her skin.
Delaney placed her own hand over her mother’s, steadying the glass. Ann didn’t
flinch, her eyes glued to George Boyd.

“Today we celebrate.
Academia. Community. Excellence. And partnerships,” he continued. His voice was
clear and resolute, demanding to be heard and respected. Delaney sifted through
the crowd of faces looking up at him. Holston Parker reveled in this, in the
admiration of the crowd below. He was putting on a show for all of them, the
wool draped elegantly over their eyes. Delaney turned back to Ann, her hand
still shaking beneath her own.
Breathe, Mom.

“We also celebrate
the work of a man who, for ten years, led the university in its numerous
accomplishments. A man who forged ahead and made the necessary changes to be
relevant in the twenty-first century while staying true to the historical roots
of the campus, as well as, the community.” Holston raised his glass to the
crowd, his eyes narrowing in on President Givens standing just twenty feet away
from Delaney. President Givens returned his smile and raised his glass in
reciprocation. Delaney wanted to reach over and slap the smug look off the
bastard’s face. Helen wrapped her hand tighter around him.

“Not only do we
celebrate President Givens’s long-standing devotion to the university, we also
mourn the loss the university and community will feel upon his departure.” A
buzz filtered through the room as the suits and dresses turned toward Delaney.
A shot of adrenaline coursed through her veins until their eyes fell onto
President Givens. His face registered a small glib of shock before he nodded
his head in agreement. Helen pulled away from him, her face unable to process
the information. Helen’s eyes shot back to Holston.

“President Givens has
asked me personally, as a friend and business associate, to announce his
official resignation effectively immediately.” The chatter buzzed louder as the
suits and dresses turned to each other in shock. Holston raised his hand,
waiting for the crowd to settle.

“What the hell is
going on?” James whispered to Delaney. She shrugged her shoulders as the vision
of Cherry popped into her head, the vicious red shirt slashing before her eyes.
Cherry knew something; Cherry was the key.

“Please.” Holston
held his hand still in the air, commanding the silence. “The details of his
resignation will be released tomorrow in a formal announcement, but President
Givens and I wanted tonight to be a celebration of his work and dedication to
the university. His final project, Parker Tower, coming to light as he moves on
to other successes. If I can also speak on behalf of the friends of the
university, Leighton thanks you for your service and wishes you well. Join me
in toasting Parker Tower and President Givens. Enjoy the evening among
friends.” Holston raised his glass of champagne high in the air as a grand
salute. The suits and dresses followed him, clinking their glasses and drinking
before erupting into another round of applause and murmurs.

Delany shot a glance
at President Givens who was now patting Helen’s arm and whispering in her ear.
Helen stood rigid, her face unmoving at her husband’s words.
Helen has no
idea.
Cherry. It had to be about Cherry. Holston knew about President
Given’s scandal and was using it to force him to resign.

“Cheers to an evening
of drama,” James said as he raised a fake glass in the air.

“Cheers.” Delaney
raised her imaginary glass to clink with James’s. She felt her hand raise as
Ann drank from the glass, emptying its contents with momentous gulps.

“Looks like I’m going
to get lucky tonight,” Michael chimed from the other side of her.

“Crossed the line,
Dad,” Delaney said as she turned her eyes back up to the stair landing. Holston
was gone.

“I’m going to head to
the ladies’ room quick. Which way is it Delaney?” Ann’s dress twirled toward
Delaney, her eyes glassy beneath the mascara and eye-liner.

“I can show you,”
Delaney pressed.

“I just need a
moment. I’ll find it myself,” Ann mumbled as she took off before Delaney could respond.
Her blue dress disappeared into the crowd.

“I’ll follow her,”
Michael said.

“Let me.” Delaney
pushed in front of her father and ducked between the suits and dresses in
pursuit of Ann.

The groups, now
packed tightly together, were impossible to weave through as the crowd swarmed
toward President Givens. She pressed past a woman with a deep red dress and
cropped, dark black hair. The sheen curled near her chin with a sudden
abruptness, her bangs layered against her eyebrows. Delaney glanced up, the
emerald eyes penetrating her own. But these eyes were bright white, clean, with
a single coat of mascara. Her face scrubbed meticulously and covered with a
thick layer of foundation. A subtle glossiness shone from her puckered lips,
which were coated by freshly applied lipstick.
Cherry
.