Return to Sender (16 page)

Jason was all smiles as he greeted her. “I’m glad you took my suggestion.” He nodded toward the Gulfstream.

“I didn’t want to take any chances,” Lin said.

“Smart woman. Come on.”

Lin rolled her eyes upward. She didn’t believe him for a minute.

Once they were inside Jason’s SUV, he spoke about their upcoming plans. “We’re going to my office. I’ve got some information I’d like to share with you.”

Lin was nervous about visiting the Empire State Building. She told Jason.

“No need to worry. The big man hasn’t been in his office lately.

Something is going on with him. I’m working on finding out what it is.”

“You don’t think he suspects anything, do you?” Lin asked, suddenly afraid of what she’d set out to do. Getting caught would ruin everything.

Jason shook his head, his gold hoops bouncing against his neck.

“What’s to suspect? Trust me, he hasn’t a clue. Besides, he’s too full of himself and Pemberton Transport.” Nick Pemberton was an extremely intelligent businessman who had some of the best contacts in the business. Jason knew that firsthand but didn’t want to scare Lin off. He wanted her to succeed. Someone needed to bring the bastard down a notch.

“I hope you’re right,” Lin said.

“You have to trust me.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” Lin would, but she wasn’t going to elaborate. Not yet. When the time was right, she’d know. Until then, she’d keep some things under her hat.

“Good.”

After an hour of traffic, horns, and people screaming out their car windows, they arrived safely. Lin let out a relieved sigh.

Jason gave his keys to a young Spanish guy in the parking garage. “Thanks, Julio. Later.”

Lin chewed her lip, a sure sign of nerves. She remembered how she used to do it as a kid when she knew her father was going to punish her for some so-called crime against the Lord. She hadn’t resorted to such childish behavior in years.

From out of nowhere Lin had a flashback of the events leading up to the day she finally realized she was pregnant with Will.

Lin rolled over in bed. It was already eight fifteen! She never slept this late. She ducked beneath the covers, wishing she could stay in bed, where she could savor the memory of Atlanta. Since the party two months ago she hadn’t been herself, couldn’t forget the sin she’d committed, couldn’t deny how much she’d enjoyed committing it with the handsome man she’d given herself to. Her father would kill her if he found out that the week she’d spent in Atlanta under the guise of a mathematical competition was spent partying with a group of Jolene’s college friends who attended Emory University. God! Her soul would burn in the fires of hell.

She’d done nothing but sleep and wait by the phone for weeks. She’d spent endless hours remembering her weeklong affair with Nicholas. It’d been the best week of her life, or it had until recently.

But all she wanted to do was lie in bed. Her energy level was a big zero. When her father woke her each morning for breakfast, the mere thought of food gagged her. Lin knew she was wasting time—she should be studying, or at least helping her mother with the household chores—but it was all she could do to get dressed. She hadn’t even bothered washing her hair in over a week. The greasy strands lay across her cheek. It was disgusting; she was so ashamed of herself. Knowing she needed to get back on her normal routine, she forced herself to get out of bed and into the shower. Ten minutes later she felt revived. Clean hair. Shaved legs, teeth brushed and flossed. She felt human for the first time in days. She chose a pair of khaki slacks and a navy Hang Ten T-shirt. She went downstairs in search of food, thinking of Nicholas.

She vowed to herself that she was not going to pine away waiting for him to call. He’d said he would. He didn’t. Should be the end of the story, but Lin knew as well as she knew what a logarithm was that she’d fallen head over heels, knee deep, “no turning back” in love with Nicholas Pemberton. Obviously, her feelings weren’t reciprocated, or he would’ve called. It was time to get on with her life. No, she would forget that glorious week and move on. She had to because it was becoming more obvious with each passing hour that he had moved on with his.

“It’s about time you got up. Go help your mother in the kitchen,” her father said. “I was about to come and wake you.”

Lin forced herself to act as cheerful as her normal self, whatever that was. “I’m sorry. I was reading the scripture until the wee hours.”

“Oh?” Her father seemed pleased.

“Yes, I studied the book of Genesis.”

“And you found that…What? Appropriate? There are other books of the Bible I would prefer you to study. What have you been doing in that room of yours? And you’d better tell me the truth.”

She hated to lie to her father, especially when it came to religion, but he gave her no choice. “I am telling you the truth! I was reading about Sodom and Gomorrah.” In her mind she was Lot’s wife, and her father was about to cast her out into a sea of demons.

“I don’t believe a word you say! Go have your breakfast. Then help your mother clean up. When you’re finished, I want you in the front room. We’re going to study the book of Genesis today. In fact, since you enjoy reading that book so much, I’m going to have you memorize it. Now, go on. Get out of my sight!”

Evidence of her mother’s baking lingered in the kitchen. Measuring cups and mixing bowls dried in the dish drainer. Her mother never left a thing out of place. Lin was still getting used to the new Harvard gold appliances and the fact that they had a dishwasher, which her mother had yet to use. She said she was afraid the electric bill would be outrageous. She said it was wasteful to have such things.

Wasteful not to use them,
Lin thought, but she wouldn’t say that to her mother.

She took a muffin from the basket warming on the stove and slathered it with butter and jelly. She poured herself a glass of orange juice. After two small bites of the muffin, she tossed it into the sink before racing to the bathroom.

Falling to her knees, she emptied what little contents were in her stomach into the toilet, retching until she finally collapsed on the tile floor, where she lay, gasping for air. She couldn’t remember being so sick. Using the wall for support, she eased herself upright. Splashing cold water on her face, she spied her reflection in the mirror. Purple moons below her eyes highlighted the unusual silver of her eyes. She looked like a cancer victim. Cupping her hands under the water, she splashed her face again, then rinsed her mouth. She used her mother’s hairbrush to smooth her hair. Using her finger, she rubbed a dab of Pepsodent across her teeth.

Barely mobile, she returned to the living room for her Bible lesson. Her father stood at his homemade pulpit. She dreaded what she had to do.

“What’s the matter with you? Have you been drinking? I heard you throwing up. Liquor is the devil’s drink, young lady! What is it going to take to teach you how to act like a God-fearing young lady?”

Lin cringed, knowing what was coming next.

“You know what it takes, don’t you, girl?”

Lin nodded.

“Answer me!” her father shouted from his pulpit.

Lin got down on her knees and began to pray. Prayed that he’d drop dead from a massive heart attack.

“I didn’t hear you!” her father shouted in his holier-than-thou voice.

“Prayer, father. It takes prayer.” Unable to control herself, Lin vomited on the floor.

“You drunkard! I’ll show you! You’ll never allow evil to pass through your lips again!”

Her father took a leather strap that he kept hidden beneath his pulpit. His weapon against the devil himself, he called it.

Lin ducked her shoulders, preparing for what was to come. The first lash stung, brought tears to her eyes; the second forced her to grit her teeth together; with the third, she almost chewed her lip off. After that, it was simply a matter of her father tiring out. Ten minutes later she woke up, lying in a puddle of urine and vomit.

“See what you’ve done!” Her father grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head and slammed her face into the putrid mess. “You will clean this up. Then I want you back on your knees! You understand, girl?”

Lin nodded. Yes, she understood. As though a bright light flashed before her, Lin knew her sickness wasn’t from drinking or the muffin she’d just consumed.

She was pregnant, destined for the fires of hell.

“Are you all right?” Jason asked.

Lin had to shake her head from side to side to rid herself of the memory. “I’m fine. Just got caught up in a memory from the past.”

Somehow Lin had merged memories of her father and Nick. Each man was treacherous in his own way. Her father was a Bible-thumping hypocrite; Nick, a destroyer of dreams. Both men deserved more than she could call down upon them. She’d just evened the score where her father was concerned. Nicholas Pemberton was next.

Jason regarded her as they made their way to the bank of elevators. “You’re sure?”

“I’m okay.” And she was. “Actually, I’m going to be just fine,” she added.

Revenge was going to be very,
very
sweet.

J
ason Vinery’s office was completely the opposite of the man himself. Posh and sophisticated, it oozed good taste. JV Investigations took up approximately an eighth of the twenty-fifth floor of the Empire State Building. Jason’s decorator had created the illusion of a much bigger area, with lots of open spaces and mirrors, nothing cluttered. Cream-colored chairs had been arranged throughout the reception area to create a cozy, comfortable atmosphere. Lin recognized the Moorcroft vintage pottery set on a shelf behind a sleek desk. Lush green plants had been placed in corners and on table-tops. The effect was refreshing.

“You like?” Jason asked.

Smiling, Lin nodded. “It’s not what I expected.”

Jason led her to a private room at the end of the short hallway. “That’s what they all say,” he replied in a teasing tone.

Lin glanced around the room. Small, but open and airy. “I like it.” A small walnut desk faced two Queen Anne chairs, which had been placed on each side of the room’s only window.
Sparse,
she thought.
Nothing to distract anyone from the job at hand.

Jason was full of surprises, she’d give him that.

“Have a seat.” He gestured to the chairs.

Lin did as instructed. Nerves made her fidgety. If Nick only knew what was about to befall him. Shuddering just to think about it, she composed herself while waiting for Jason to explain their next move.

He sat down in the chair next to her. From a side table he took a folder, opened it, flipped through until he located what he’d been searching for. “What I’m about to share with you isn’t public knowledge. Old man Pemberton wielded some major power in his day. He was able to keep this information out of the press. I’m not even sure if Nicholas knows the complete story. He could, but as I said, I don’t know. If he does, it won’t affect what you’re planning.” Jason continued to flip through the file, stopping to remove a black-and-white photograph. He held it out to her. “This is Naomi Pemberton before she became ill.”

Lin looked at the picture. Will’s grandmother. She was beautiful. Dark, wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders. Perfectly arched brows topped almond-shaped eyes. Her mouth was full, almost too full. Naomi Pemberton reminded Lin of Angelina Jolie, the actress well known for her voluptuous lips. Lin thought Naomi’s eyes appeared vacant, devoid of any emotion. Empty, like two dark holes. Lin gave the photo back to Jason. “She was very striking. A shame she died so young.”

“According to the information I have, Nick would’ve been around three or four when she died.”

“It must have been hard for him growing up without a mother. I can’t imagine my…It’s very tragic, I would think.” She’d almost slipped but caught herself. As far as she knew, Jason was still unaware of Will’s existence. She wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

“He was raised by several housekeepers and a few nannies. None of them stayed very long. I made a few phone calls. Three of these housekeepers and one of the nannies are still alive. They’re all in the New York area. According to the women I spoke with, Nick Sr. was a son of a bitch to work for. Each had a similar story. Long hours, barely minimum wage. Apparently, the old man forced them to have sex with him on a regular basis. He told them it was part of their duties; hence the turnover in staff.”

Lin’s first thought was,
Like father, like son.
But in all fairness to Nick, he hadn’t forced himself on her. She’d been more than willing to give herself to him.
Stupid, stupid, stupid,
she thought, but then there was Will. The only regret she had was that the man who’d fathered him had never bothered to even acknowledge his existence. Lin found it hard to comprehend that he’d never once read her letters, never had the least bit of curiosity as to why she continued to write to him all those years. But then again, all she knew was that they had come back to her marked,
RETURN TO SENDER
.

Lin wasn’t sure where the PI was going. “What does this have to do with Nick now?”

Jason held up a tattooed arm. “I’m getting there. Remember, this is all about reputation.”

She nodded. “Go on.”

“None of the women that I spoke with ever reported Nick Sr.’s behavior to the authorities. One of the women”—he shuffled through the papers—“a Maria Torres, worked for the Pemberton family while Naomi was still alive. Apparently, the employees weren’t the only ones who were victims of his abuse. Maria said she’d observed Mr. Pemberton hitting Naomi on more than one occasion.”

Lin’s stomach churned at the thought. What if Will were to duplicate his grandfather’s abusive behavior? My God, the Pembertons were no better than her own father!

“When Nick Jr. was two or three—Maria wasn’t sure of his age at the time—Naomi was pregnant with their second child.” Jason paused, allowing her to absorb the information. “Mr. Pemberton didn’t want another child. He had his heir. Another child would complicate his life, or so Maria said.”

Curious, Lin interrupted. “What happened to the child?”

“This is where it gets nasty. Naomi delivered a daughter, but she was stillborn.”

Lin drew in a deep breath. “That’s heartbreaking.” She could only imagine the loss Naomi had felt.

“Medically, there was no explanation for why Naomi delivered a stillborn little girl. She went to the doctor. She wasn’t a drinker. Didn’t smoke. All the things you’re supposed to do to deliver a healthy, normal child, she did. However, she never reported the beatings she received from her husband. I would guess she was too frightened or too ashamed. Probably both. Maria said when she returned from the hospital, Naomi was never the same. She coddled Nick Jr. more than ever, wouldn’t let him out of her sight. Maria said when Mr. Pemberton was home, she would take her son and lock herself and Nick in her room.

“This behavior went on for months. Nick Sr. decided enough was enough and put his foot down. He removed Nicholas from his mother’s room. Maria said within days of the child’s being taken away, Nick Sr. had his wife committed to an upscale institution in Vermont.”

“How terrible for Nick. My God, his father was a monster!” Lin exclaimed. What kind of father did that to his own child? Sadly, she knew from firsthand experience. An evil son of a bitch without feelings, one like her father. She was convinced more than ever that she’d made the right decision by refusing any further financial responsibility for her father and his care.

“It gets worse. Little more than a month later, a male nurse found Naomi dead in her bed. According to the medical examiner’s report, she died of a drug overdose.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible if she was in a hospital. Where did she get the drugs?”

“There were others asking the same question. The official report states Naomi was given Thorazine twice a day. It’s assumed she stockpiled the drugs. Then, when she felt she had enough to do the job, she did so, causing her own death.”

Lin shook her head. “That doesn’t sound like something a woman who goes to such great lengths to protect her son would do. Suicide doesn’t fit the person this Maria claims to have known.”

“I agree. Maria hinted that it was possible Naomi didn’t take her own life.”

“Why? Does she have proof?” The story was becoming more and more bizarre. Lin didn’t understand how the past events related to her current situation.

“If she does, she isn’t telling me. At this point in the conversation, she clammed up, said she’d already said more than she should have.”

Frustrated, Lin twisted her hands. “Then what was the point in telling you anything? I don’t get it.”

“The point is, there’s a history of domestic violence in the Pemberton family. If this information is available to the public, it will reinforce the claims printed in the
Post
and the
Times.
Remember, it’s all about the reputation.”

“The powerful and mighty Nicholas Pemberton could get another retraction.”

“Maybe. But we don’t know that for sure. And even if he did, the damage is done. Not only is Nick Sr. an abuser, but he’s passed the admirable trait on to his son. Fortunately, Nick Jr. never had a son. In all likelihood, he would have continued the Pemberton cycle of abuse.”

Lin gasped. In her wildest dreams she could never imagine Will as an abuser. “I see.” She didn’t, but there was nothing she could say without revealing her secret. Questions lingered, but she was afraid to ask them, fearing Jason would suspect she knew more than she was telling.

“I’ll send the medical examiner’s report to my source at the paper. I’ve located some Pemberton family photographs to accompany the report. If my plan goes as expected, Nick’s reputation will go right down the tubes. I don’t want to do anything else just yet. I want to wait and see what kind of reaction we get.”

“Who will give you that information? It’s not like you have a plant, or whatever they call them, in the Pemberton office, or do you?”

Jason winked at her. “Don’t be so sure of that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You can’t just…say something like that and not back it up, explain it, whatever you want to call it!” Lin challenged.

“I can, and I did. Listen, the less you know about the inner workings of this investigation, the better off you are. As I said, you’ll have to trust me, Lin. I’ve been doing this for a while. I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m sure you do, but remember I’m the one who hired you. If you’re doing something…
underhanded,
I think I should know. You know, just in case.” The words were barely out of Lin’s mouth when she realized what she’d said. “I meant…Oh, who knows what I meant? I’m digging a big hole for myself here, and it doesn’t look like you’re going to help me dig my way out.” She shook her head, a sardonic grin lifting the corners of her mouth.

“Private investigation is oftentimes a sneaky and, yes, underhanded business but legal. I’m not breaking the law, Lin. You’ll have to take my word on that. Besides, I’ve never asked exactly
why
you want to ruin Nicholas”—Jason extended his arms, palms facing forward—“and I don’t need or want to know now. It’s your business. I guess what I’m trying to say is, let me do my job. If and when the need arises and you need to worry, I’ll let you know in plenty of time,” he said.

Lin felt like a schoolgirl who’d been chastised by the principal. “I got it. I apologize. In my own defense I guess the only excuse I have is that I’m new to the game.”

“Hey, no big deal. Stuff happens. You don’t understand, you ask me, and I’ll explain, or at least as much as I consider necessary. I do have my sources to protect.” Jason flashed a smile so big and bright, Lin couldn’t help but laugh.

“Fair enough. What about Naomi’s death? If it wasn’t accidental, shouldn’t there have been an investigation? I can’t imagine sweeping something like that under the rug. If you know something about that, then it’s your duty to inform the authorities so justice can be served. Killing someone is never an option and should not go unpunished.” Lin felt such outrage, she was sputtering.

“I’m checking into that, too. I’m working on locating Naomi’s former doctor. Maybe he’ll be able to fill in some of the blanks. Naomi had two private nurses attending her while she was at the hospital. I’m trying to locate them also. If we’re lucky, they’ll talk, unless someone else got to them first. If they won’t talk, I’ll give this information to the police, and they can take it from there. There is no statute of limitations on murder.”

It sounded so cut and dried to her. Was it possible that Will’s grandfather had had his wife murdered? Could his beatings have caused their child to be stillborn? Lin needed answers. She couldn’t ask Jason to find them unless she was willing to share her true story. And if she did, she would put Will at risk for the public to speculate that he, too, could become an abuser. Even worse, her life’s lie would be uncovered. She had to keep her goal in mind. She was there to ruin Nick Pemberton’s life big-time, then return to Dalton and resume a quiet, normal life, knowing she’d gotten the revenge she longed for.

Lin stood up, brushing imaginary lint from her jeans. “So now we wait?”

Jason stood up next to her. Placing his arm at the small of her back, he led her out to the small hallway and back to the reception area. Mabel Dee sat at the desk.

“Mabel, this is Lin. She’s a new client. Lin, this is Mabel Dee, secretary extraordinaire.”

Lin held her hand out to the impeccably dressed woman, surprised Jason employed a woman her age. With steel gray hair in a youthful pageboy, a round face with a beautiful peaches-and-cream complexion, a sharp black suit with a frilly turquoise blouse, the woman had to be in her seventies, at least.

“Pleased to meet you, Lin. If there is anything you need that cartoon man can’t help you with, let me know.” Mabel Dee winked at her employer.

Raising her brow, Lin looked at Jason. “Cartoon man?”

“It’s Mabel’s pet name. Ignore it.”

“Of course,” Lin replied, smiling at Mabel.

Jason turned to Lin. “For the next couple of days it’s a waiting game. Do some shopping. Take in the sights while you can. As soon as I know anything, either Mabel or I will call you. Let’s get a taxi to take Ms. Townsend home. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“I will. Thank you, Jason. I…just thanks.” Lin couldn’t put into words what she really wanted to say, but maybe someday she would be able to. This man was the perfect instrument to use to exact her revenge. Lin figured Jason’s feelings about Nick were a bonus. All she could do was wait. She wasn’t ready to hit the streets on her own. Maybe another day.

The Monday following the disastrous dinner at Nick’s club, Chelsea decided that she needed to speak with Nick’s doctor. She was his wife; she needed to know exactly how sick Nick really was. Something told her that her husband wasn’t telling her the complete truth. She found Evan Reeves’s number on Nick’s prescription bottle. She wasn’t worried about Nick catching her on the phone, because last night, while he was taking a shower, she’d taken his bottle of Ambien and crushed three ten-milligram capsules in a cup of hot tea. She’d liberally poured on the honey and lemon to mask the taste, but Nick had been in such high spirits after a fairly good day that he hadn’t questioned her bringing him the hot drink.