Unknown Number: What’s it going to take for you to disappear????!!!!
She pressed send on the message, with no fear of retaliation. Her little buddy with her ankle bracelet helped her out with the program for her phone. The gesture was an apology for not disclosing the five-year sentence she faced if caught sneaking out. Mike had a talking with him and made him see the error of his ways. She could send messages to whoever she wanted, and within a minute of them opening them, they would be deleted from the phone. She stared at Kayden’s handsome face and made a decision.The only way I’m honestly gonna get rid of Lana is gonna be through him.
Kim clicked on the red and white email program on her computer, then clicked on the inbox icon. No new emails. She’d created an email for her alter ego, Detective Jessica Sloan, and had sent Rachel a few messages confirming her willingness to testify against Maureen. So far, there has been no response from her. Kim’s nostrils flared as the anger built up in her all over again, then clicked the spam folder—still nothing.
The plan wouldn’t work unless Rachel cooperated. She clicked the little “x” icon in the email and decided she would try one more time another day, before taking drastic measures. Kim wanted to cause a little more mayhem in Hamby before she had to make any possible trips out of town. She smiled at the computer screen, watching the continued news coverage of the fire. She strummed her fingers on the box of kitchen matches next to her hand while eating popcorn with the other.
HEATHCLIFF SATON theedge of the bed as Maureen dressed for the day. Not many women wore stockings anymore, but Maureen took pride in rolling them up her slim leg. He eyed the delicate procedure in admiration. Kayden had been gone for two days now, leaving them alone up in the loft.
To Heathcliff, the space seemed to be an ice-cold shrine to a marriage long over. A shrine to the family before being broken apart by a suicide and the lies and manipulation of the matriarch. Although he had come up there, only to tell Maureen their relationship was over, he decided the news might be a harsh pill to swallow so soon after what had happened.
Besides, Maureen was preoccupied, often gazing out the windows at the horizon or up at the picture over the fireplace. He didn’t want to add to the despair she was going throughright now, no matter how much she deserved it, but it had to be said eventually. Regardless of how he felt about her, he didn’t appreciate being lied to or kept in the dark.
Maureen walked over to her expansive closet and used a small remote to move the racks of clothing. An automated thing he’d only ever witnessed in TV shows or movies.
“Has Lucian contacted you yet?” Maureen asked without looking at him, staring at the clothes as they whizzed by.
She wasn’t even looking for anything in particular. She was worried about her son.
“No,” Heathcliff admitted, “I don’t think you should send him to Florida, just let Kayden be for now.”
Maureen turned to him, her eyes glazed.
“I just want to know he and Lana are OK. Besides, he has to be here for the procedure tomorrow.”
He stood from the bed, and she sat at her vanity and slowly powdered her porcelain colored skin. He stood behind her and gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head. She glanced up at him from the mirror and gave him a faint smile.
“He hasn’t returned my calls or responded to my texts,” Heathcliff replied.
“That’s not like him,” Maureen said somberly.
“I’m sure Kayden will be here tomorrow, ready to go. I wouldn’t worry either way.”
“He won’t ever speak to me again,” she replied, as the tears she tried to hold back came down.
Heathcliff knew it would be pointless to try to convince her any differently because she was right. He gave her another quick kiss on the forehead and walked out into the living room towards the kitchen. Maureen got up and walked over to her closet. She opened the door to one of the smaller closets that contained hat boxes and rows of designer shoes.
There was a stool sitting next to an ornate mirror on the wall where she took a seat, reached into her robe pocket, and pulled out her cellphone. She was going to call Lucian herself, but didn’t want Heathcliff overhearing what she had to say. Before she could swipe to unlock the phone, a missed call and voicemail message from Paula appeared on the lock screen.
She pressed the message, let the face recognition unlock her phone, and sat in horror as she listened to her daughter’s frantic voice over the speaker. Not only had someone set her house on fire, but she suspected the culprit was Kim, and honestly, she was the first person that popped into her mind, as she heard it. Maureen’s hands began to tremble as she moved the phone from her ear and set the device in her lap. She wrung her hands together, her mind racing, trying to figure out what the hell Kim was trying to prove.
The girl was crazier than Maureen thought, and she had to get her back in check and fast. She picked the phone up again and dialed Lucian. She needed him to check Kim’s apartment for any evidence she had against her and destroy whatever she had. Now was the time to rid her family of Kim once and for all. When his phone went straight to voicemail, she tried her second in command, explained what she needed but didn’t have as much confidence in his abilities as she did with Lucian.Where the hell was he?
Upon hearing Heathcliff shuffle back into the room, Maureen put the phone into her pocket, grabbed a hatbox off the floor, and exited. She didn’t want to keep secrets from him again and planned to fill him in later if there was any evidence to be found at all.
LUCIAN SLOUCHEDIN the coldroom, and even without his watch, he knew his forty-eight hours would soon be up. They didn’t have anything on him, and he wouldn’t talk. Whatever they wanted him to dish about the Capshaws, they could learn from the news or whatever blog the rest of the world used. Jake Washington walked into the room, holding a cup of steaming coffee, and sat down at the metal table. He smiled warmly, and Lucian didn’t return the favor.
“I need you to look at this,” Jake said as he slid a file folder in front of Lucian. Lucian slid the folder back towards him.
“No, thank you,” he replied coolly.
“I think you might want to reconsider,” Jake replied. “Coffee?” he asked, nudging his head at the cup of joe.
Lucian could never resist coffee and reached for the cup without a second thought. He took a sip of the steamy brew, and his senses were on fire again.
“In that folder is a case file for the late Rebecca Hartwell, among other things,” Jake continued.
“So?”
