Playing with Fire (2 page)

Kelly Reeves flipped open her cell without even looking to see who was calling. It would be Alison. It always was. Not that that was a problem, just…standard. Kelly laughed to herself before she even said hello. As much as her cousin tried to deny it, Alison was Helen Rose's daughter through and through. Scheduled. Perfect. Poised. Predictable. Any other mother's dream come true. Including Kelly's mom's. The thought chafed a little under the straps of her silk tank top. Maybe it was time to stir things up.

“Hey, Al. What's up?” Kelly asked without taking her eyes from her giant flat-screen TV.
Her cousin probably wanted advice on what to wear the next day. She could never come up with ideas to irritate her mother on her own, and Kelly always had lots of suggestions. But that wasn't it tonight.

“Kelly!” Alison sounded totally freaked. “They took my mom. They took her! She's gone!”

“What?” Kelly asked, sitting up on her king-sized bed. “Slow down.” This sounded juicy. She needed details. She hit the mute button on the remote, killing the surround sound so she could hear the full story. “Take a deep breath,” she advised, “and tell me what happened.”

“The cops—I mean, the FBI. Someone. They stormed in and arrested Mom. Searched the whole house and took a bunch of stuff. They said they were searching her offices, too. And had frozen her accounts. Oh, Kel—this is so awful. Mom was still in her bathrobe.”

Kelly thought she heard a sob. She bit her lip to keep from smiling. Helen Rose arrested in her pajamas? This was better than juicy. This sounded like full-scale humiliation.

“Oh, Alison, what did she say?” Kelly filled her voice with concern, then leaned down to
blow on her newly painted toenails. “Frostbite,” her signature color.

“She told me to call Dad, so he could arrange bail. Bail, Kelly! My mom's in
prison
.” Alison was clearly freaking out. Typical.

“Alison, listen to me,” Kelly said sternly, pulling back her Kate Spade duvet. “Your mom will be fine. She's Helen Rose. No way can they keep her in jail. Your dad will get her out, and all of this will get cleared up. Your job is to stay calm. You've got to keep it together.”

“But…”

“But nothing. You have to think positive. Somebody probably framed your mom, and when we find out who it is, she'll get off and they'll pay. That's how it works in our family. Nobody crosses us.”

Alison sniffed loudly and Kelly pulled the phone away from her ear. Gross. “Are you all right?” Kelly asked more softly.

“Yes, I think so,” Alison replied. Her voice sounded shaky but relatively normal.

“Do you want me to come over there? Where's Elise?” Kelly knew it was the house-keeper's day off, but she hoped Elise was at the
house anyway. She really didn't want to go anywhere. Her toenail polish was still tacky, and she was already in her pajamas. But if her cousin really needed her…

“She's off today. But I'm fine, really,” Alison said with a sniffle. “Dad will be home any minute. He'll know what to do.”

That was doubtful. They both knew it was the women in the Diamond family who handled everything. But Kelly didn't say so. “Well, call me back if you need to. I'll leave my phone on all night.”

“I will. Thanks, Kelly. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“‘Kay, bye.” Kelly hung up and hit the mute button again. She quickly flipped over to CNN.

“Whoa,” Kelly whispered as she stared at an overhead shot of the Rose estate. Helicopters were swarming the place like yellow jackets at a barbecue. Searchlights were everywhere. This was big, even by Diamond standards. And Alison was inside, all alone.

By the time the Rose coverage was over, Kelly's nails were dry and she was dying to discuss the news. She pulled out the foam toe-separators and tossed them in the wastebasket.
She thought she heard her mom getting ready for bed across the hall. For a moment she thought about telling her mother what was going on, but she could not face the concern on her mom's face when she found out about her favorite niece's plight. “Poor little Alison” would get plenty of sympathy soon enough.

Flopping belly-down across her bed, Kelly checked the clock. 10:01. Definitely not too late to call Aunt Christine in California. This news was just too fabulous to keep to herself.

The next few days were a nightmare. Reporters. Cameras. Alison couldn't leave the house—and her mother couldn't leave jail, because all the Rose accounts really had been frozen by the IRS. The second-richest woman in Silver Spring could not post bail and was too proud to ask her family for help.

Weirder, Alison's relationship with Chad seemed to be frozen, too. She'd called him first thing Thursday morning, then realized he was already at school, where she couldn't bear to go. He called back later that night, but Alison and her dad were getting a legal pep talk from her mother's lawyers. When
that
nightmare finally
ended it was too late to call back. And then the next day Chad didn't call at all. Alison looked at her cell screen every thirty seconds, checking for new calls, but…nothing.

There was no way she was going to her volleyball game now. She didn't even care if they won or lost. She wasn't ready to be seen in public.

Kelly was Alison's only lifeline. And it was Kelly who told Alison that as much as she might want to, she couldn't skip Grandmother Diamond's birthday party, which was going on as planned, despite (or was it because of?) all the media attention.

“You have to go. How would it look if you didn't? It would be practically announcing your mom is guilty. I mean, you don't have anything to be ashamed of. Right?” Kelly's voice was starting to break up on the bad cell connection, but Alison knew she was right.

“Okay,” she agreed. “But only if I can find something decent to wear.” She hoped shopping would make her feel more normal. Something had to.

“Of course.” Kelly practically laughed. “I guess you need a ride, huh? Be there in forty-five.”

Did Kelly sound annoyed? It was a pain not having the driver anymore. Or any privacy. Alison peeked around her mom's velvet drapes before she got ready. There were still a few reporters camped outside the gates. Her dad had tried to run them off a couple of times, but they took him about as seriously as her mom did—not at all.

“I can't let it get to me. I can't let any of it get to me,” Alison whispered to herself as she applied her favorite gloss and picked out her biggest, darkest sunglasses. Hiding behind them, she felt a little like her mother, and Grandmother Diamond, too. They lived their whole lives behind big facades. Funny how they were so alike and
so
could not stand each other. Suddenly a new thought occurred to Alison: Did they hate each other because they were the same?

When Kelly's family's big black SUV pulled into the drive, Alison ran out and jumped inside. She slid into the back next to her
cousin and slammed the door, happy to have tinted windows between her and the reporters' camera lenses.

“So, I'm thinking sequins,” Kelly said seriously as her driver, Tonio, accelerated through the automatic gate, away from the house. She was acting like nothing was wrong. Like the paparazzi on the lawn was nothing new.

“Wouldn't Her Highness love that?” Alison asked, using the nickname she and Kelly had created for their grandmother when they were little. Sequins at an afternoon event—how gauche. The look of horror on Grandmother Diamond's face would be priceless. Kelly could pull that kind of stunt. Alison didn't dare.

“‘Course, it doesn't really matter what
you
wear,” Kelly said as they sped down the wide road, past tree-lined drives and newly built, gated mansions designed to look old. “Her Highness would adore you if you showed up in bike leathers.”

Alison laughed. She thought she heard a tiny kernel of jealousy in Kelly's words. It was true that Grandmother Diamond was not as hard on
her as she was on Kelly. But so what? She hoped Kelly wasn't going to get in one of her moods over it. Kelly's moods were often stormy, unpredictable, and really chilly. Right now she needed some
good
Alison-and-Kelly time. Behind the tinted windows in the dark cave of the car, laughing with her best friend, Alison was beginning to feel more like herself than she had in days, and she wasn't going to let anyone spoil it.

“That's it!” Kelly took one glance at Alison's outfit as she came out of the dressing room. “That's definitely it.”

Alison twirled in front of the mirrors, letting the gauzy, pale fabric of the skirt swish around her legs. Kelly was right, as usual. Of the five things she'd tried, this was definitely the one.

“Now let's get out of here.” Kelly stood up and grabbed her bag. “Get changed.”

Alison did one more spin, studying the breezy skirt and cute top before going back into the dressing room. She did not doubt the outfit, but she was stalling. She didn't want to go home. Just the thought was too depressing.

“Where to now?” Alison asked her cousin, plunking her platinum credit card on the counter.

“Home, I guess.” Kelly yawned and ran her hand through her straight blond hair. “I have some school stuff to do.”

That was the answer Alison was afraid of. She tried to think of something, anything else she could lure Kelly to do. But Kelly was already paging Tonio.

“Sorry, Miss, your card was declined. Would you like to try another or pay with cash?” The salesperson behind the counter didn't sound sorry. He sounded annoyed as he handed Alison's card back.

Alison gulped. She looked in her lime-green clutch. She barely had enough cash for a latte. And if the platinum card was declined, her others were probably no good, either. Duh. Why hadn't she realized that her cards would be frozen along with her mother's accounts?

“Umm.” Alison turned to Kelly. Her face was flaming hot. So much for feeling normal.

“I got it.” Kelly reached for her own wallet, but Alison stopped her.

“Never mind.” Alison flipped the edge of the skirt like she was brushing off a fly. She could not bring herself to look Kelly or the salesguy in the eye. “I can wear my Prada blazer with tuxedo pants.” She hoped she sounded like she didn't care as she walked off, leaving the clothes and her pride on the counter.

The next day Alison stepped out of her dad's car onto her grandmother's walk. Jack Rose had looked completely put out when she'd asked for the ride. He wasn't used to having to do anything for his daughter—or having anything to do with his mother-in-law. He didn't say a single word on the way. Alison wasn't sure if she should be mad or grateful for the silence. But the longer it lasted, the more bitter she got. It wasn't her fault they couldn't even afford a cab now. Heaven forbid her own father should have to get dressed and leave the house or acknowledge her in any way. Even now, as she turned
around to thank him, he just lifted his hand, brushing her off before pulling out in front of a stretch Hummer and zooming away from the Diamond estate.

“Bye,” Alison mumbled, shaking her head.
Out of the frying pan,
she thought.

Taking a deep breath, she ignored the flashbulbs and the shouted questions of the reporters outside the gates as she walked up to the three-story brick mansion. The pillared porch was wide and covered in enormous stone pots spilling blooms. The lawns were so well clipped and raked they looked vacuumed. From the outside the Diamond estate looked very kempt and fairly welcoming…if you didn't know what lay inside.

Polite chatter and congratulations drifted through the massive open door. The guests were dressed to the hilt and lining up to get inside. The receiving line was so slow, waiters in short white coats were serving drinks to the guests still waiting on the porch.

Tamara Diamond's seventieth birthday party was the event of the season. No
surprise—Tamara Diamond was the most powerful woman in Silver Spring. She owned half the town.

And probably more than half the guests,
Alison thought. The list of one hundred invitees had been carefully created and edited…and edited some more until it included only the most important and influential people. Kelly was right, Alison realized. She couldn't miss this. But she could barely face it, either.

Tugging her silk camisole down and pushing her big sunglasses higher on her nose, Alison tried to steel herself the way Helen would. She knew her family would be full of fake concern, prying for details and gloating all the while. It had really burned them that after Helen Rose was written out of Her Highness's will she had—without looking back—gone on to make her own sizable wad of cash. And as much as Alison resented her mom for spending every waking moment doing just that, she didn't want to give the other Diamonds the satisfaction of seeing Helen's family breaking down because she was in jail. Even if it was.

At least Kelly will be here
, Alison thought. Kelly always seemed to navigate the family politics with ease. Sometimes Alison felt like Kelly was her Diamond family tour guide. How she managed to slip past all the barbs and daggers unscathed, Alison had no idea. Perhaps the thorns did not hurt her. Or maybe she was better at hiding it. Regardless, Kelly was always there for her. Well, almost always. And Alison was there for Kelly, too. It had been that way since they were tiny. Alison could remember hiding under the table with Kelly, eating Jordan almonds out of the crystal bowl they'd nicked from the buffet and giggling at the runs in the grown-ups' panty hose while Grandmother and the aunts argued above them. Just thinking of Kelly made Alison feel stronger. She took a deep breath and walked through the door.

“Alison!” Tamara's youngest daughter, Christine, spotted Alison and practically dragged her inside. She threw her arms around her niece and pulled her against her inflated chest. “You poor thing. How are you?”

“Hi, Aunt Christine.” Alison pulled away from
the embrace and the phony sympathy. “I didn't know you were coming. I thought you were on location.”

The actress flipped her perfectly highlighted blond on blond hair off her shoulder. “Oh, doll. When I heard about your mom I knew I couldn't stay away.”

Your mother's seventieth birthday wasn't a good enough reason to fly in, but my mother's arrest was?
Alison smiled at her aunt. It was just like her to show up to revel in misery—especially somebody else's.
She's probably hoping she can get some publicity out of it,
Alison thought bitterly. Christine was not getting the attention or movie offers she once had. The roles she used to command were going to women in their twenties. Sure, Aunt Christine looked great for her age, as long as you didn't look too closely. Hollywood demanded youth but added years.

Christine was definitely here for publicity, Alison decided. Her aunt rarely did anything for anyone other than herself. And Alison couldn't remember the last time Christine and Helen had even been on speaking terms.

Looking over her aunt's shoulder, Alison saw Grandmother Diamond in the three-story foyer surrounded by guests. They were all cooing and fawning despite the fact that the old woman looked thoroughly bored. She had taken the time to dress in her best white Armani suit and Tiffany diamonds, the ones that set off her striking white hair. She looked fantastic (it was clear where the Diamond daughters got their good looks) even though she couldn't be bothered to smile. Aunt Phoebe, Kelly's mom, was attending to Grandmother Diamond's every need, as usual. And as usual, she was annoying Tamara.

“Can I get you something to eat, Mother?” Phoebe asked, fiddling with her necklace. The creamy pearls were three shades lighter than her dark-blond hair, and along with her stiff jacket and skirt made her look ultra preppy, and ultra uptight.

“That's what waiters are for, dear.” Tamara did not even look at her middle daughter when she answered. Alison tried not to smirk. Aunt Phoebe doted on her mother the same way she doted on her daughter, and Kelly always brushed it off just like Tamara did. But Alison
knew that Phoebe was Kelly's rock—even if Kelly would never admit it. It was weird that Kelly had no idea how much she needed her own mother—and loved her, too.

If Kelly were there to witness the scene, she would be making gagging faces behind her mom's back and threatening to trip the waiters with their laden silver trays. She liked to mess with the tuxedoed troops and almost always managed to befriend them and score extra hors d'oeuvres even though she mocked them when they weren't listening. Where was Kelly, anyway?

“So tell me, how's my sister doing?” Aunt Christine slipped her arm through Alison's before she could get away. With her other hand she lifted a champagne flute off of a passing tray. “Is she okay?” Her voice dripped with fake concern.

Alison smiled airily and shrugged out of Christine's grasp. “I really should greet the birthday girl,” she said, trying to look apologetic.

“Alison!” Grandmother Diamond smiled slightly and held her arms open, waiting for an
embrace. The crowd formed a circle around the pair as Alison kissed her grandmother's powdered cheek and let the old woman squeeze the air around her. They were not usually huggers. This was strictly for show.

“Happy birthday, Grandmother,” Alison said, forcing a smile. “You look wonderful, as always.”

“I don't know what all the fuss is about,” Tamara said with a wave of her arm. “At my age, birthdays are a dime a dozen.”

Alison kept smiling. “All the fuss” was carefully orchestrated and paid for by Grandmother Diamond herself.

Tamara leaned closer to her granddaughter. Alison thought she was coming in for another hug. But what happened instead was even weirder. “I hope your mother is doing all right,” she whispered into Alison's ear. “I am here for
both
of you. You'll let me know if there is anything I can do,” she added carefully. It was not a question. It was an offer—a loaded one.

Not sure what to say, Alison just nodded awkwardly. Her grandmother had barely acknowledged that Alison
had
a mother for as
long as she could remember. She basically acted like Helen was dead. Alison had expected her family would pry her for info about her mom, but this was a surprisingly bold move on her grandmother's part. Accepting “help” from Tamara Diamond was not always helpful. She kept a tight grip on her purse strings, and careful track of who owed her favors. Alison couldn't even begin to imagine what her grandmother might be hoping to gain from the offer. Thankfully Kelly picked that moment to make an entrance.

“Al, you made it!” Kelly swooped in and broke up the pair, grabbing Alison by the hand. “I wasn't sure you were going to show.”

“Kelly, Alison and I were having a conversation,” Grand mother Diamond said with a withering glare. Tamara hated interruptions…and nicknames.

“Kelly, don't forget your manners,” Phoebe hissed at her daughter. She hovered behind Grandmother Diamond, looking embarrassed by Kelly's behavior. “Alison just got here—I haven't even gotten to say hello yet.” Aunt Phoebe forced a smile and reached for Alison as
Tamara turned her back to all of them. She did not have time for etiquette lessons or embarrassing family moments. Her public was waiting.

“Say hello.” Kelly elbowed Alison, who only had time to give an awkward squeeze to Aunt Phoebe before her cousin pulled her away through the crowd. It was a rude move, for sure. But Kelly was confident she could get away with it. She knew her mother wouldn't dare raise her voice or make a scene in front of Grandmother Diamond and her guests. Phoebe was always fretting about what her mother would think.

Alison gratefully let Kelly lead her past the giant flower arrangements and rooms filled with impeccably dressed guests. She knew they were headed for the pool house. It was their special bungalow. They even slept in there together whenever they spent the night at Grandmother's. It was the perfect place to escape to now.

“Hey—isn't that the skirt I wanted?” Alison stopped in her tracks as Kelly stepped onto the patio. She'd suddenly noticed what her cousin was wearing: the skirt Alison had tried on the
day before, paired with a tiny tank and loose-knit sweater shrug. She looked amazing.

“Oh, yeah,” Kelly answered breezily. “I bought it last night. You can borrow it if you want.”

Alison felt stung. Kelly didn't even seem the least bit sorry. But whatever. She was not in the mood to start anything. Right now she was just glad to be out of the party.

Kelly threw open the door to the pool house and stepped inside. “Oh, Al, I hope you don't mind…I invited Chad,” she said, flopping down on the brightly patterned couch almost on top of Alison's boyfriend.

Alison watched Chad knock Kelly's legs off his lap and stand up. He looked really surprised to see her, and not totally in a good way. “Alison.” Chad put his arms around her.

It felt so fabulous to lean against him that Alison ignored the creepy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. She'd really been missing Chad. She'd almost forgotten how cute he was. They hadn't even had a chance to talk on the phone with all the crazy stuff going on. It was nice of Kelly to think of her and invite him. An
afternoon with the two most important people in her life was just what Alison needed.

“Want one?” Behind the bar, Kelly held up a soda. Chad pulled away from Alison and made a mitt with his hands to catch it. Kelly tossed two and Chad opened Alison's. Then the three of them slumped on the couch together.

“So, how's it going? Are you…Is your mom…I mean, do you know when she's getting out or anything?” Chad looked at Alison quickly, then back at his drink.

This was the part she'd been dreading. The questions. Alison took a gulp of soda. She couldn't even count the times she'd wished her mother would just disappear. But now that she was gone, it was…weird. And humiliating. At that moment she didn't want to talk about it—not even with Chad and Kelly.

“Sorry, I, uh, forgot to give Her Highness her present.” Alison stood up and smoothed the creases in her pants. “I'd better go do that.”

“Yeah, quick, before she croaks,” Kelly joked, scooting over to fill the space next to Chad. She smiled at Alison. “Hurry back.”