Thrill! (62 page)

"You didn't do it, Ma,"

he said, sweat mixing with the blood trickling down his face.

"Remember, you didn't do it - I did. I was defending you. OK?"

"Yes, son,"

she repeated in a quavery voice.

"I didn't do it. You Aid."

"Take the money,"

he said, pulling the wad from his jacket pocket.

"Somebody must've called the police. I'm not runnin'. I'll tell

"em it was self-defence."

Self-defence - sure. He got eight years for manslaughter - out in six for good behaviour - and that's why Madelaine didn't get her money.

His mother never visited him in jail. When he got out he discovered she'd moved to Puerto Rico with a lounge singer and left no forwarding address.

He got on a plane and went back to New York.

ft if ft

Six years of his life locked up for a crime he didn't commit. Six lost years of harsh punishment he had nightmares remembering.

And then Lara had entered his life, and everything changed. He had a chance at genuine happiness. A chance that Richard Barry had taken and ground underfoot.

Screw Richard Barry and everything he represented. Screw the jealous prick who'd trashed his future.

Determined to find Lara, he picked up the phone and called the sonofabitch.

"What do you want?"

Richard asked, cold as a three-day-old corpse.

"Where is she?"

he demanded

"Looking for Lara?"

Richard taunted.

"Where the. fuck is she?"

"Y'know, Joey, I'd love to tell you she's with me,"

Richard said, continuing to taunt him.

"But unfortunately, I have no idea where she is."

"You had to screw it up, didn't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I made her happy. We were together like you and she never were. You couldn't stand it, could you?"

"Spare me the sob story,"

Richard said.

"I know what's best for Lara. I always have. And when she comes back, it's ?» she'll be with, not a two-bit loser like you."

Joey slammed the phone down, he'd heard enough. The important thing was to get to Lara before Richard poisoned her against him even more.

Where would she go? That was the question.

Cassie. Yes, Cassie would know.

He frantically scanned Lara's phone book until he found her home number.

A woman answered her phone.

"Cassie?"

he said.

"No, I'm Maggie, her sister. Who's this?"

"Joey Lorenzo, Lara's uh . . . fiance. Is Cassie around?"

"She won't be home tonight. She's spending the night with Lara. Didn't they tell you?"

"Yeah, I uh . . . forgot. Lara left me a note, guess it got thrown out. Where were they going again?"

"The house at the beach."

"You mean Nikki's house at the beach?"

"No. The one Lara rented last year."

"That's right. I'm supposed to meet them later. What's that address?"

"Let me see ... You go to the first turning past Point Dume ^°ad, and it's the big house at the end."

443 "Is there a phone number?"

"No, but if Cassie calls, shall I tell her you're coming?"

"Don't bother, Maggie. Thought I'd surprise

"em."

Within minutes he was in the Mercedes and on his way.

ft #

Lara was getting restless sitting in the dark, waiting for Cassie to return. She remembered waiting once before - huddled in a chair in a motel room - waiting until her father shot himself to death.

Joey had helped her get over a lot of her fears, he'd opened up her life with his warmth and love.

She sighed, maybe it wasn't fair, running away without giving him a chance to explain.

But what if he touched her? What if he overcame her with his lethal charm? A charm she found so utterly irresistible.

No, it was too dangerous to put herself in that position.

She remembered his face explaining about his fictitious fiancee, and the story he'd come up with about her trying to commit suicide. How sincere he'd seemed, how genuine and concerned.

What a bunch of bullshitl And she'd fallen for it. Taken in every lying word. How could she have?

She needed to talk to Nikki - get it all out. Nikki would help her be strong, and right now she could use all the support she could get.

Outside the wind was howling, and in the distance she could hear thunder. On the weather report this morning the weather man had said a September storm was blowing in. El Nino was warming the waters around Malibu, causing a series of storms and bad weather. This was supposed to be the first of many.

Why had she acted so hastily? One call to the realtor and she could've gotten the electricity turned on and a fridge stocked with food. Lights and a telephone would be very welcome right now.

Cassie had left her suitcase in the hall. She rummaged through it, finding a warm tracksuit, thick socks and running shoes. She put on the outfit and felt better - certainly warmer.

And then she heard a noise which chilled her.

4-44

"Lara?'A woman's voice-loud and clear

"Lara? Ar Are you waiting for me, Lara dear?"

A long ominous pause°'In ^ you re wondering, this is your good friend, Alison Sewell"

Arc v ready for a reunion? Because /certainly am."

445

^^^.Jf^ THEY WERE arguing furiously in the truck as the Vrtd^MP^M* rain pounded down and Aiden drove too fast.

"You're making a mistake,"

Aiden said, scratching his chin.

"Why would you wanna piss Mick off? He told you - he doesn't know where Summer is."

"How can we be sure?"

Nikki replied, the set of her jaw saying she wasn't going to give up on this.

"He's some kind of sick paedophile anyway."

"Hey - you've been working with him for the last two months,"

Aiden said sharply.

"If he was after Summer, I've gotta think you would've suspected something before now."

"I have to make certain,"

she said stubbornly.

Aiden shrugged.

"OK, OK,"

he muttered.

"Dunno how I got involved with you. Drugs were a lot easier."

"Nobody's asking you to stay,"

she snapped.

"Tow were the one who forced this relationship."

"Oh, I forced it, huh?"

he said cynically.

"I didn't notice you racing out of my apartment after we hit the sheets."

Without warning, she buried her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Aiden,"

she said, too upset to fight.

"I keep on thinking of Summer out there by herself. She's only a kid, and I feel it's all my fault. I was never there when she needed me, now I realize I should've been."

"Hey,"

he said, reaching over and squeezing her hand,

"it " work out. You'll see."

Mick was renting a large ultra-modern house at the top ot

A4.A

Benedict Canyon. Aiden turned his truck into the driveway and | pulled up outside the front door.

By now Nikki had firmly convinced herself she was going to find Summer. She got out of the truck and rang the doorbell nervously tapping her fingers together. Aiden stood behind her"

smoking a cigarette in the rain. She rang three times before there was any response.

By the time Mick's voice drifted down from an upstairs window they were both soaked.

"Who's there?"

Mick called out.

"Nikki and Aiden. Can we come in?"

"What're you atomJ here?"

"Can we come in?"

she repeated, determined to get inside his house so she could check the place out for herself.

"Hold on,"

he said. Til be down."

They waited five minutes before he appeared at the front door. Long enough for him to hide Summer, Nikki thought.

"Why are you here?"

he asked, blocking the door, dishevelled and barefoot in a black and yellow striped towelling robe with nothing underneath.

Nikki pushed past him into the house.

"Where is she?"

"Oh, Christ!"

Mick groaned, his wild man hair standing on end.

"Don't you listen? I told you on the phone, I do not have your freakin"

daughter."

"I don't believe you."

"Who gives a shit if you do or not."

He turned to Aiden.

"This is insane."

"I know,"

Aiden said, his long, thin face expressionless.

"You don't understand, Mick,"

Nikki's tone was even and calm. I won't be mad at you, I just need to know she's safe."

"Mick?"

a girlish voice drifted down from upstairs.

"Mick what's going on?"

And down the stairs came an exquisite Oriental Sto in a short silk robe.

Mick grimaced.

"Say hello to Tin Lee,"

he said.

"We're holding

ummer captive under our bed. Whyn't you come up - take a look."

. ^den pulled Nikki out of the house by her arm.

"Satisfied?"

he aid, bundling her into the truck.

447 "I... I had a feeling."

"Go ahead - search the freakin"

house,"

Mick yelled after them.

"I make one freakin"

mistake in life and I'm supposed to pay for it for ever."

Tm sorry,"

Nikki said.

"So you should be,"

Mick grumbled, slamming the front door.

ft ft ft

Cold, wet and frightened, with nowhere to go, and shocked because her father was in LA, Summer decided to head back to Tina's. The only problem was she didn't have any money to get there, although if she took a cab she could always pay the driver when they reached her destination, that's, of course, if Tina was home. Now all she had to do was find a cab, which was virtually impossible in the driving rain.

She ventured down the street, her skimpy dress clinging to her body like a second skin, her long blond hair plastered to her head, raindrops dripping off the tip of her nose.

Cars and trucks zoomed to a halt - a pretty girl on the street alone after midnight was fair game, even if she did resemble a drowned cat.

She kept walking until she reached the Sportman's Lodge, then she went inside and asked if they'd call her a cab.

She was tired, hungry and dispirited. Sometimes life didn't seem worth living.

ft ft ft

"Anyone phone?"

Nikki asked, running into the house, shaking the rain out of her short hair.

"Two hang-ups,"

Sheldon said.

"The police need Summer s picture. And someone named Jed phoned."

"What did he say?"

"He wanted to speak to you."

"Did you ask him if he'd heard from Summer?"

"No, I didn't,"

Sheldon answered.

"If you hadn't rushed out of

here with your tattooed boyfriend, maybe you would have been able to get more information."

"Don't criticize Aiden. He's a better man than you any day

"

"You say the most ridiculous things."

"Really?"

She glared at him, how dare he talk down to her as if they were still married.

"Oh, by the way, Sheldon, how's your teenage wife? How old are you now? Fiftysomething? You must make such an adorable couple when you go out in public."

"I'm not interested in petty fighting,"

Sheldon said coldly. Tm only interested in rinding my daughter and taking her back to Chicago."

"I've been thinking,"

Nikki said.

"Summer's obyiously not happy with you - perhaps she should stay here with me."

"No,"

Sheldon said flatly.

"She's coming with me."

"Don't tell me no,"

Nikki answered heatedly.

"When we find her, we'll ask Summer what she wants to do, exactly like you did when she was a little girl."

Aiden drew her to one side.

"I gotta get outta here,"

he mumbled.

"What's the matter?"

"I can't take all this fighting crap - it's not good for my karma."

"Is that all you're worried about?"

His burnt-out eyes were restless lasers.

"I gotta cut loose, Nik. Please understand."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'll call you later."

"Thanks,"

she said indignantly.

"Walk out just when I need you."

"If I thought I could help, I'd stay. But this shit between you and your ex is getting to me, dredging up too many bad memories."

She tried to focus on Aiden for a moment. He was right, there was nothing he could do.

"OK,"

she said,

"I'll call you if there's any news."

"It'll be all right,"

he said, giving her a hug. After Aiden left, she went into the bedroom and called Jed back. She told him who she was and that Summer was missing.

"Sorry to hear that, Mrs B.,"