I know, pumpkin. Is Marvin here?
Hes still in China. I cant get hold of him. She said this quickly, as if shed rehearsed the answer over and over. And her eyes flickered up and to the right. John-Michael had studied neuro-linguistic programming as part of his criminology curriculum. Sonya was lying, or at least not telling the whole truth about Marvins whereabouts. John-Michael wished he could get to the bottom of this mystery, but he didnt want to press Sonya when she was still so worried about her mother.
How are the wedding plans coming? Muffy said to Sonya.
Ive put the wedding on hold, Sonya said firmly. Were not going to focus on anything for a while except getting you well.
You cant postpone it, Muffy said, her voice suddenly stronger. Well lose our date at the country club!
Mother, dont worry about it. I promise it will be fine. Well work it out. I want you to focus on getting better.
Its not for two months, Muffy persisted. Ill be fine by then.
Well see, Sonya said.
It amused John-Michael to see Sonya playing the patient parent figure, Muffy the petulant child. He and his father had experienced that reversal many years ago, but hed never expected to see it between these two. In his mind, Sonya was the eternal child, the spoiled princess, and Muffy the overindulgent but firm mama.
Sonya had seemed different, though, since her trip. More mature, more serious, more assertive. Unfortunately for his mental well-being, more attractive, too. He would have to adjust his thinking.
Ill leave you two alone, he said, moving toward the door.
Oh, John-Mikey, Muffy said, using his childhood nickname. Muffy was the only person who could get away with that. Not even Jock tried it. Could you bring me something to eat? Maybe a nice blueberry muffin? She batted her eyelashes. The breakfast they served me was pitiful.
Dont you dare, Sonya said. Shes not getting one bite of anything the doctor didnt prescribe. But I understand if youd like to get something for yourself, she added. I did get you up rather early this morning and didnt even offer you breakfast.
I think I will get something, he said gruffly. Ill see you in a few minutes. John-Michael slipped out the door, needing some space and distance from Sonya. He wasnt sure he liked her being polite to him, nice, even. Such behavior upset the world order. It was much better that he treat her like a contemptible snail.
Shed started to be a little bit nice last night, too, sharing her macaroni and cheese. And hed felt that familiar pull. Shed looked so approachable, all rumpled in her night clothes, her silky robe and nightgown showing far too much of her bodys contours to be considered modest.
That was why hed deliberately picked a fight with her, calling her spoiled. Nothing was as certain to get her dander up. And he needed her mad at him. When she was nice, she was too damn tempting. And this added dimension shed recently acquired, this mysterious allure hed never noticed before, only added to the overall package.
SONYA HAD THOUGHT that, once she and her mother were alone, she might broach the subject of calling off the wedding altogether. Though she wasnt ready to admit shed been seduced, conned, dumped and picked clean, she couldnt allow the wedding plans to continue. Her mother had already spent a fortune on the preparations, much of it nonrefundable.
But Muffys first words, once they were alone, changed her plans. She grasped Sonyas hand with more strength than a woman so recently at deaths door should have been able to muster. Sonya, promise me something.
Ill try. But I wont smuggle you any of Thomass cheesecake. Thomas was Muffys favorite dessert chef, from the Cheesecake Emporium.
No, be serious. You cant postpone the wedding.
Mother
Listen to me. Planning that wedding wasthe most fun Ive ever had in my life, more fun than planningmy own, even.
I know, Sonya said. But the stress
Oh, stress, schmess. I was enjoying myself, and having fun never caused a heart attack.
Sonya knew differently. Even good stress could affect the body in negative ways.
Years of ignoring my doctors adviceand yoursare what made me sick, Muffy continued. But as I was lying on that gurney in the emergency room, and I heard them yell Code Blue!, only one thing kept me alive. I kept telling myself, you have to get through this for Sonyas wedding. You cant miss Sonyas wedding.
Oh, Mother
We cant delay it. What if I have another heart attack and I dont make it?
Thats not going to happen. Your doctor told me
Doctors dont know everything. We cant predict the future. Promise me She paused to catch her breath. Promise me youll carry on with the preparations, that well do it on January 8, just as planned.
Her heart dropped like a rock thrown down a well. The last thing she needed was to continue the pretense that she was going to marry that skunk. Of course, Mother. What else could she say? Shed straighten everything out when her mothers health was better, when she was in no danger of relapsing. Meanwhile, she would have to pretend she was still a blushing bride-to-be.
THREE DAYS LATER Muffys health had dramatically improved. She was walking, talking in a normal voice, eating normallyif hospital food could be called normal for Muffy, which it couldntand begging to be let out of the hospital. She chose to sit in her chair rather than in bed, looking resplendent in the quilted silk bed jacket her friend Tootsie had given her. Shed brought her manicurist in for a fresh set of tips and her hairstylist to reshape the flattened poof of her red-gold hair. She was even wearing makeup.
Per Muffys request, Sonya had brought her Day-timer and her Rolodex, and was now making a long list of tasks that had to be attended to ASAP for the wedding. Her cardiologist happened to visit during this heated planning session, and Sonya was positive he was going to put the kybosh on it. She was, in fact, hoping Dr. Cason would tell Muffy that she was not to even think about something as stressful as her daughters wedding for at least six months.
Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened. Dr. Cason took one look at Muffy, noting the sparkle in her eye and the roses in her cheeks and the smiles and laughter, and he declared planning a wedding to be the secret, curative tonic everyone was looking for.
But, Dr. Cason, Sonya ventured, dont you think this wedding is too stressful for her right now? Ive told her we could postpone it.
No, Muffy said, absolutely not. That would mean starting all over, rebooking the orchestra and the country club, and who knows if our first choices will be available? It would be horrible, much more stressful than merely putting the finishing touches on what weve already planned.
Dr. Cason grinned. I think your mothers right, Sonya. Look at her. Shes smiling and laughing, and studies have shown a happy attitude to be one of the key factors in recovering from cardiac illness.
And I wont overdo, I promise, Muffy wheedled. Sonya can do all the running around and dealing with people. Ill just recline on my chaise lounge, eating my steamed broccoli and drinking skimmed milk she shuddered slightly and directing her efforts.
And I wont overdo, I promise, Muffy wheedled. Sonya can do all the running around and dealing with people. Ill just recline on my chaise lounge, eating my steamed broccoli and drinking skimmed milk she shuddered slightly and directing her efforts.
Sounds like a plan, Cason said, no help at all.
Of course, McPhee was listening to the whole exchange. She looked to him for help, but he remained silent. It was only after they were once again in the back seat of the limo that he voiced his opinion.
You seem awfully anxious to postpone the wedding.
Nonsense. I cant wait to marry Marvin. But of course I want to do whats best for Mother.
Have you talked to Marvin yet?
Yes. Yes, he called last night. He was horrified to hear about Mother and hes going to come home as soon as he can.
Then McPhee did something odd. He closed the glass partition between them and Tim. Normally everybody talked freely in front of Tim, who was the soul of discretion. Hed been driving for the Pattersons since before Sonya was born.
Im sure Marvins parents would be happy to know youve talked to him, McPhee said once they were hermetically sealed into the back seat. Because they havent seen or heard from him in three months. He dropped this bombshell casually, as if it were just normal conversation.
Wh-what? Sonyas heart hammered inside her chest so hard she thought it was trying to escape.
I took a closer look at the report the security agency provided on Marvin Carter III. He really is the oldest son in a very wealthy Boston family. Has quite a pedigree.
Well, of course he is! Sonya said somewhat desperately. She could tell by the sound of McPhees voice that he had something up his sleeve. And he was about to drop it on her.
Hes also a habitual thief. The family has done a good job of hiding it from the public. Arrest records purged, charges dropped, people paid off. But about three months ago he disappeared. Family has no idea where he is, and frankly theyre hoping he wont turn up. I did a bit more digging and discovered hes wanted by the FBI in connection with some art and jewelry thefts.
Where did you hear such nonsense? But her trembling voice gave her away. He knew. He knew everything.
How much did he take from you, Sonya?
I dont know what youre talking about.
I notice you dont wear much jewelry anymore, other than your engagement ring.
She nervously twisted the two-carat, pear-shaped solitaire that sat on her left ring finger. Shed had it checked. It was a very convincing cubic zirconia. She looked out the tinted window. Then she rummaged in her purse until she found a lipstick and reapplied the color and powdered her nose.
This isnt going to go away, McPhee said. The longer you stay in denial, the worse it will be when the truth comes out. And it will, believe me. Sooner or later the press will get wind of it.
Sonya put her face in her hands. Why did McPhee, of all people, have to find out? Wouldnt he have just a grand time, rubbing her nose in her stupidity, rubbing salt in her wounds? Hed told her from the beginning he thought something wasnt right about Marvin.
Your new friends, Brenna and Cindy. They were Marvins victims, too?
Sonya nodded, her face still hidden. She couldnt bear to look at McPhee, to see that knowing smirk that was surely on his face.
McPhee lowered the glass and said something to Tim, though she couldnt hear what. The blood was pounding too loudly in her ears. A few minutes later the limo parked.
Be right back, McPhee said.
Sonya looked up then. They were in a strip shopping center. She had no idea what McPhee was up to and she didnt care. She just wanted to take advantage of his absence and pull herself together. McPhee was right, she couldnt play the denial game anymore. Now she had to draw on all her strength and make some decisions. If she crumbled, others would make decisions for her, as theyd done most of her life, and she wasnt going to let that happen. Now now. Not when the stakes were so high.
With the decision made to own up to the true situation, Sonya felt better, stronger. She reminded herself that her friends Brenna and Cindy had benefited after taking a strong stand against Marvin. Cindy had recovered her restaurant and at least some of her money, and Brenna had tracked down the Picasso painting Marvin had stolen from her parents, as well as some of her jewelry. It was time for Sonya to pull her head out of the sand and resume the fight.
When McPhee returned to the limo a few minutes later, Sonya was sitting upright, posture erect, hands folded demurely in her lap, her face a mask of haughty detachment. Shed learned that face from Muffy. It was the one she wore in the fact of any disaster. Never let anyone see you crying, Muffy had told a ten-year-old Sonya after her fathers funeral, when shed inquired why her mother had remained dry-eyed and stern-faced during the service. If you must cry at all, tears are for when youre alone.
Then she realized McPhee was holding out a grande toffee-nut latte from Starbucksone of her many weaknesses. I had them make it with whole milk instead of skim, and extra whipped cream, he said. You dont look like you need to lose any more weight.
The small kindness almost undid her. She wasnt used to McPhee being kind or sympathetic, not in recent history. Courteous, yes. Always mindful of her needs, always quick to do her bidding. As she took the coffee drink, she glanced over at him. No sign of a smirk. He looked genuinely worried.
I told Tim to just drive around for a while, he said. I want to hear the whole story. I need to know what happened if Im going to help you keep this thing contained. Now, lets start from the beginning. How much did he take from you?
Resigned, she told him what he wanted to know. Not as much as he took from some of his other victims. I didnt have a lot of easily accessible cash, just what was in my checking accountabout thirty-five thousand dollars. He couldnt get at my trust fund, which Im sure was what he was hoping for. But he did take all my jewelry, which was worth a considerable sum. Shed collected quite a few baubles over the years. Her mother was fond of giving her jewelry for just about any occasionthe larger and more unusual, the better.
Sonya took another sip of the rich, sweet coffee drink. The warmth was welcome, since she was shivering.
He took three fur coats, she continued. A sable, a mink and a fox. Not that she ever wore them. They were gifts, too, and very impractical, given that it seldom got cold enough for fur in Houston. Besides, fur coats were very un-PC.
So Marvin was engaged to Brenna and Cindy and you at the same time?
Yes. Cindy had a lot of cash from her first husbands life insurance. Her parents had left her money and property, too, as well as a restaurant, so Im sure she was quite attractive to Marvin. Brenna is the heiress to a chi-chi department store in Dallas.
How did you locate them?
I found Brennas phone number in the call history of Marvins cell phone.
McPhee arched one eyebrow. And why were you looking there?
Id started to suspect he had a girlfriend, she admitted. All those long absences when he was supposedly traveling on business. Whispered phone calls at odd times. So I snooped. But I didnt try to contact her until after Marvin left with all my stuff. When I was supposed to be at the spa, I went to see Brenna instead. She had a lead on a third victim, who turned out to be Cindy. She lives in Cottonwoodthats why we went there. By the time we found her, shed already lost everything.