“Gabe would never hurt me,” I say as resolutely as I can over the physical agony. “Gabe would never hurt anyone.”
“Tessa.” She’s standing closer than I’d like, close enough that I can smell the waxiness of her makeup, can see her fingers tremble as they resist reaching toward me. The contraction releases, but there’s no more calm between them, just quiet tension as I wait for the next one, inevitably stronger. “I don’t know what you’ve uncovered here about these donors, what mess Regina got herself into, but Gabe killed her. They were having an affair, and he killed her.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” I want this to come out as a threat. Instead, my voice warbles, and I realize it’s true. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Barb’s said nothing about Jasper, Regina’s connection to my son. She doesn’t know, can’t fathom what’s really going on here. My heartbeat hastens as I brace myself for the next round. It doesn’t come, not yet. The anticipation leaves me dizzy. Everything’s spinning. I’m confused and scared of what’s happening in my body, scared of Barb. I can’t make sense of anything except the overwhelming need to get rid of her before she discovers she’s related to my son. Before she tries to lay claim over him.
“Leave,” I say with all the energy I can muster.
“Tessa, please.”
“I need you to go. Now.”
Barb reaches for me. I pull my arm away. “I’m scared for you.”
“I don’t need you to be scared for me.” I point toward the door, and she’s pleading how worried she is, how she doesn’t want anything to happen to me. It’s so intense, it seems contrived. It isn’t. It’s misdirected.She isn’t trying to protect me. She’s trying to protect her daughter, something she failed to do when Regina was still alive.
When I don’t respond, she says, “I’ll leave, but I’m here. Whenever you’re ready, I’m here for you.” Her words are so paternalistic, I can’t believe I ever found this woman maternal.
Once Barb leaves, her perfume lingers in the house, cloyingly sweet, and I know I haven’t seen the last of her. Although she doesn’t yet realize her connection to Jasper, she will. And when she does, will she have a legitimate claim to him, her daughter’s son? There’s no paperwork on my end, no signed agreement to confirm I had a donor, no biological evidence to prove Jasper is mine. By law, does he belong to me or Regina? It’s all too confusing—he’s my son. He’s also Regina’s. No, he’s mine. Only mine. And Gabe’s. This is his fault, yet his paternity isn’t at stake.
One thing is perfectly clear, though. Barb can’t be a part of our lives anymore.
Chapter Thirty
Barb
I race out of the canals, thoughts spiraling as I try to piece together what’s happening. Tessa isn’t safe. Although I can’t help her, it doesn’t mean I’m helpless. My hands tremble as I dig through my purse for his card. After I pull it out, I drop it on the walkway, fumbling as I bend to retrieve it. I punch the wrong numbers, delete, and start over.
When I’m back on Pacific, I take three deep breaths, then dial again, managing to get the numbers in the right order.
“He killed her,” I say as Officer Gonzales picks up. A truck drives by, the rattle of its wheels swallowing my words.
“I’m sorry, who’s this?”
“It’s Barb Geller.”
“What can I do for you, Mrs. Geller?”
“Gabe Irons killed my daughter. Now he’s going to kill his wife. You need to do something.”
“Mrs. Geller, I know this is difficult for you, but we spoke to Dr. Irons and his wife. There’s nothing to—”
“You’re wrong. I have proof.” I tell him about Regina’s tax return, the affair, how Gabe Irons was up to something at his clinic, something he killed his embryologist to keep secret, something he killed Regina to keep secret too.
As I explain all this to him, I hear him asking someone whether they’ve followed up with a witness on a case in which he’s actually doing police work.
“I’m going to need you to focus here, Officer Gonzales.” I can feel him cower through the phone. I forgot this sensation, taking command, ordering an arrogant young man to listen.
Officer Gonzales sighs into the phone, heavy, elongated. “Look, why don’t I send someone to your hotel to get your daughter’s iPad, her computer. We’ll take it from there, contact the numbers on it, talk to Dr. Irons. If there’s anything suspicious, we’ll uncover it.”
“Tessa’s in danger. You can’t let someone else die.”
The line goes quiet, and I know I’ve offended him. I don’t care. Maybe he didn’t let Regina die, but he’s letting her die a false death.
“I’ll have someone swing by the Irons’ house to make sure everything’s okay. Will that make you feel better?”
What would make mefeelbetter is if he actually cared about the lives of the women in his precinct. I don’t say this. He’s made it my issue. Although I’m not invisible to him, he isn’t seeing me clearly.
I hang up. There’s nothing left to say. I’m never going to get justice for Regina. Not unless something happens to Tessa too.
