On the Road [again] (The Girls Series Book 3) Read online

  “Anna and I were talking. It is probably time to turn all of this over to Roland and see what he can do about finding Pickles.” Carolyn sounded completely relaxed. She was proud of that, considering all her hopes of getting the Barry issue under control had died when Adeline had brought her problem to their attention. She didn’t want to be selfish. The girls had already been more than supportive. For goodness’ sake, she’d flown home in a private jet when Cara had been so badly beaten. Could she be any more selfish?

  Adeline looked from one to the other. “And the trip? Have you decided you have no interest?”

  Anna chose her words carefully. “We feel it is important to be here with you. I’m nosey. Carolyn is a natural nurturer. It doesn’t make sense for us to go to Houston and leave you behind to deal with your grandson.”

  “I would hope not. However, there is nothing to be done with Christophe in the immediate future. I fully intend to accompany you on our adventure.”

  “But what about the plan? I thought you said that Roland thought it was good.”

  “It is a brilliant plan. We have expanded on it.”

  “How’s that?”

  “I have a conference call scheduled with my children this evening. From Roland’s office. Roland, a member of his staff, and I will call to inform my children of my long-term health challenges and insist that it is time, due to my ever weakening state, to have a member of the family — to use Roland’s words — learn the ropes. I will insist that it be my children finally putting forth some effort.”

  “How are you going to introduce the idea of Chris coming out?”

  “Roland will agree that it should be a family member and share that if they are too busy, we can have members of the legal staff and the financial team do all of the necessary work. He will offer that with a complete revamp of the processes we can create an environment that will work without input from anyone in the family. Create the proper checks and balances. That sort of thing.”

  “Make them feel like they are about to get locked out?”

  “Exactly.”

  “I still don’t understand where Chris comes in.”

  “Roland’s staff member, who will actually be presented as a member of my medical team, will show concern that the revamp will take a long time and be a strain on my health. His staff member will point out the issues with hours and the sheer magnitude of information that will need to be reviewed. Roland will volunteer that it will be a very arduous year-long project and that we should have started long ago when he suggested we do so, that this level of effort is for the young. If they take the bait, Christophe will be their first choice.”

  “And if they don’t take the bait? If they decide that they want to do the work themselves?”

  “In that case, a little vengeance will be mine. Roland and the financial team can keep them busy for months, working them sixty hours a week, without any real advancement on their parts.”

  Carolyn smiled. “Maybe I’m not as nice a person as I thought, because I really like the sound of that.”

  “While vengeance does have its appeal, I am much more interested in getting Christophe out here.”

  “When are you going to tell him?”

  “We are not.”

  “What?”

  “I want to make sure that his reaction to their demands is a natural one. Heaven help me, I also want the time to actually test his sincerity.”

  “But you said he tried to save you.”

  Anna argued, “Yes, but how do we know that this isn’t a plan from their side?”

  Carolyn frowned. “Oh, this is worse than a movie. I’m not sure I can keep up with all the plots and subplots and who is a good guy and what everything means, no disrespect to your family, Adeline.”

  “None taken. Everyone wishes for the big win. For a magical amount of money that will solve all of their problems. I once made that wish myself. Unfortunately, money does not solve your problems, and vast amounts of it simply replace the problems you knew with problems you never dreamed of.”

  “Yes, but you can afford to pay people to worry about your problems for you. If you don’t have a pot to pee in, you can’t do that.”

  “I agree, but if you are at that station in life, your children may be plotting to rise above it, but they most assuredly are not plotting for your downfall.”

  Anna sighed. “I’m not so sure of that. There are a whole lot of young people that feel their parents did not provide them with the entitlements they feel they deserve, and they are resentful to the point of ignorance and rash judgment. Look at Barry. I believe that is part of his motivation.”

  “Let us do just that. Let us get back to the project at hand. My issues are well in hand. I will have my meeting this evening.”

  “May I make a suggestion?” asked Anna.

  “Certainly.”

  “Do something with your hair so that you don’t look quite so, well, beautiful. You also look younger than when we met. And maybe this isn’t the right time, but ,Adeline, you have a healthy glow about you. You need to knock that off.”

  The girls laughed.

  “I assure you, it is not a long distance down the road before I look like something the cat has dragged in.”

  Carolyn laughed. “Take pictures. This I will want to see.”

  “You are more than welcome to come to Roland’s office and be a fly on the wall, as it were, but please do not feel any obligation to do so.”

  Anna’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, I would love that. That feeds into all my many annoying personality flaws.”

  “I’ve not noticed a single one.”

  “Kind of you to say, but your nose is growing.”

  “Five thirty, at the main building. Shall I send a car?”

  “Not necessary. Carolyn, you want to come? You want a ride?”

  “I’d love to, and, yes, I’d like a ride. Maybe we can all go out to dinner afterwards.”

  The girls worked on their plans for the Houston trip for most of three hours. Adeline excused herself several times to take calls.

  Each of the girls went home to freshen up for the meeting at Roland’s office.

  When, at five fifteen, Anna and Carolyn were escorted into a conference room, they both experienced a strange combination of excitement and dread. They knew that Adeline was in a room not far away, ready to implement the plan, but they felt isolated from her.

  “I hope this works. I’m gonna feel real bad that I came up with even the seed of a plan if it all blows up in Adeline’s face.”

  “After all she has done for Cara and my Suze, I know exactly how you feel.”

  A young woman knocked gently on the door. “Hi. I’m Michelle. Roland has asked that you make yourselves comfortable. The conference call will be a video feed that you can watch on this screen.” She pushed a button, and a large flat-screen television appeared from behind the cabinetry.

  “You will be able to follow everything that is said. The feed from our side will be the smaller visual. The feed from their side will be the main visual. I’m not saying that very well. You will be able to see everything very clearly, but our side of the conversation will be a little smaller. We find it less disorienting than having everything the same size. Do you have any questions?”

  “We will be able to see and hear them, so I am assuming they will be unable to see or hear us.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have explained that. Yes, you will see and hear everything from our side, from about three minutes before the connection is confirmed until the connection is terminated. That three minutes in the beginning is to enable us to check and make sure all the technical stuff is in order. Once the actual communication is proceeding, there will be a blinking square on the upper right hand corner of the screen.” She pointed. “Right about here. That means that they are communicating, but still you will not be seen or heard. Feel free to chat or move around. You are not being observed or recorded in any way.”

  “Thank you.”

&
nbsp; The moment Michelle walked out the door Anna smirked. “I was feeling pretty good about it until she said we weren’t being recorded or observed. That’s like when people say ‘honest’ and then tell you a bald-faced lie. If they hadn’t said honest, you might actually believe them.”

  “I doubt that Roland would do that. If Adeline found out… ” Carolyn made a slashing motion at her neck.

  “He’s gotta be a completely paranoid guy. Look at the business he is in. Besides, anybody that thinks they aren’t being recorded, basically every minute of every day, is foolish. Think drones. Think NSA.”

  “Now who sounds paranoid?”

  “I’m not paranoid. I’m just saying that when I said drones and NSA in the same sentence, well, now I’m probably on a watch list.”

  Carolyn was grateful that Anna had made her laugh. Her life seemed to be getting more and more stressful, and she wasn’t completely sure that she had been as successful at batting away the depression that had tried to ensnare her as she had hoped. After she found out about Suzi being married to a monster — and that she had done nothing to save her granddaughter from such a horrific man — she started to slip back to that dark place she had lived in for so long after she’d lost her husband. She didn’t want to do that again and was determined not to. Not only for herself, but for Suzi and for the girls.

  Michelle knocked gently on the door and walked in.

  “Ladies, we have two minutes. There is a restroom out this door and to the right, should you need it. If you need anything at all, there is a button at the head of the table or one here on the credenza. Either of them will ring me. Please feel free to use them. Anything I can do to make you more comfortable would be my pleasure.”

  “Thank you, but I think we are fine. May I ask a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “With the mention of bathrooms and refreshments, do you have any idea how long this call is supposed to take?”

  “My guess would be two and a half to three hours.”

  Both the girls planted a smile on their faces and thanked Michelle again.

  “Holy Moses. I can’t even imagine what I would have to talk about to my family for that long, and we aren’t adversaries.”

  Before Carolyn could respond, the television screen came to life and they could see Roland’s face and then Adeline.

  The difference in her appearance was shocking.

  Gone was the new hairdo.

  Gone was the cute little outfit she’d been so pleased that her little dancers had picked out for her.

  She looked thirty years older than she had just this morning.

  She whispered something to Roland, smiled, and winked at the camera.

  “I think that was for us. To let us know she’s okay.”

  “Dear God, I hope so.”

  Two minutes passed. Then another five.

  “Something must be wrong. They aren’t gonna show up. How could they do that? Poor Adeline.”

  Just then the screen showed movement, and a distinguished gentleman, white haired, well dressed, and more than a little officious in appearance, bore down on them from the flat-screen TV.

  “Roland, may I be so bold, I am sorry for the delay. Weather on our side, I’m afraid. It will be just a few more minutes.”

  “See to it that it is no more than sixty seconds, Conrad, or this meeting is done. I’ve said from the beginning that it is ill-advised, and your clients have confirmed that for us.”

  The girls did not recognize the voice.

  The camera panned back a bit, and a beautiful woman, about fifty-five, came into frame.

  “Phylicia, how good to see you.”

  “Under other circumstances I would be inclined to accept your pronouncement, but your tactics are unimaginative, Conrad, and galling in that you would stoop to such a plebeian approach. Please call your clients into the room and end this divertissement. I’ll not be a party to such childish antics. You have one hundred and eighty seconds. Beginning now.”

  It took approximately thirty-seven.

  The power-play victory went to the side of the good guys. Adeline. That was obvious. What took place after that was a little bit harder to follow.

  Adeline seemed to wither with the arguments that ensued.

  She’d started out sitting up straight. By the time the whole circus had come to a beleaguered ending, Adeline was sunken into the chair, pale and brittle looking.

  The girls were very concerned.

  When the door opened, just moments after the call ended, the girls were astonished to see Adeline all but jig into the room. “How did I do?”

  “Are you okay?” The concern was written on Anna’s face.

  “Never better.”

  “Well, you got me. I was about to break in there and save you. You looked like you’d aged ten years during that process.”

  “Perfect. That is exactly what I wanted.”

  “Remind me never to get on your bad side. You missed your calling, Adeline. That was an Oscar-deserving performance.”

  Carolyn took a deep breath. “There is a lot riding on this. I’m glad it worked out for you, but for a minute there, I was really scared for you.”

  “I am torn. I am quite pleased that you were so taken in by the ruse, but it was not my wish to alarm you.”

  “The change in you since this morning is stunning to say the least. You look, well, you look very unwell.”

  “My gal came to the loft and did my hair and makeup. Isn’t it funny? Just a few months ago I would have considered this hair to be an improvement on my daily look. The makeup is a bit dowdy, I would have recognized that, but then, I rarely wore makeup, as ill as I was. If you will give me just a few minutes, my gal is here. She can help me erase this evening from my face and hair, and we can go have that supper we talked about earlier.”

  “That would be lovely. Do you want me to make a reservation somewhere?”

  “I have that in hand. I will be but a few minutes.”

  Carolyn and Anna sat back in the soft leather chairs and took a deep breath.

  Carolyn shook her head. “That was just amazing.”

  “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. How did she do that? The woman has talents we knew nothing about.”

  “I’m sure one of her husbands said that.”

  Michelle heard laughter coming from the conference room and smiled. Adeline had left the door ajar when she’d rushed down the hall to her stylist in the brown room. It was such a pleasure to see Adeline happy and that she now had such great female support.

  Adeline had been good to every person in the building, remembering little facts and even paying for Dolly’s emergency surgery when she was on probation and didn’t have medical yet.

  To a person, each of them felt guilty that they had taken Adeline’s kindness for granted and hadn’t been there when she needed someone to watch over her. They had allowed her to become more and more distant and to hole up in her huge house, and not one of them had done more than ask casually if she was okay. Not one of them had checked on her. Not one of them had done more than voice concern.

  It was a mistake they wouldn’t repeat. Not with Adeline. Not with any of their clients. Lesson learned. Almost too late.

  Adeline walked into the room just as Anna and Carolyn were beginning to get a bit restless.

  Carolyn didn’t even try to hide her amazement. “Dear God, look at the difference. Amazing what a little hair and makeup can do.”

  Anna added, “Thank the good Lord that you were using that magic to make you seem ill instead of being ill and using it to make you look better.”

  “I will join you in that prayer of gratitude. Thank you. Please tell me, what did you think of our little performance?”

  “I thought it was inspired. There were times I wanted to go in there and check on you myself. I knew it was a ruse, but at moments, I didn’t trust that knowledge and trusted my eyes. There is a little part of me that actual
ly feels sorry for your relatives.”

  There was a flash in Adeline’s eyes.

  “Now don’t go questioning my loyalty to you, but I dare you, double dare you, to watch a repeat of that whole thing and not feel a little sorry for them. That lawyer you have, she’s a real shark.”

  “She is actually a very kind woman. Does more volunteer work than most. I believe that she is indignant. Mostly due to the fact that she knows how far relatives allowed it to go without stepping in to help me. She is not the type to stand on the sidelines and allow a person to suffer, let alone a close relative.”

  “I can see that. Her mind is quick. You can see why she is so successful.”

  “She is that.”

  “So, it worked?” Carolyn forced herself to sound happy. She even clapped her hands. “Chris will be coming out. They said they would have him here in days. That means we should put the trip to Houston on hold, don’t you think?”

  “Not at all. The first steps for Christophe will be with Roland and my team. We are not going to tell him of our plans.”

  “It seems to me that you will be starting off on the wrong foot with him. If you want him to trust you, you have to trust him.”

  “While I agree, I am not in a position to do that. Not yet.”

  Anna decided to tread very carefully. “In my opinion, and remember you said you wanted our opinions, I think you should at least be here to greet him.”

  “I fully intend to. I have a jet on the way to pick him up now. He will be at my home within hours.”

  “But they said they would send him.”

  “I will not give them that luxury. I want to keep the power on my side.”

  Anna muttered, “I’m not sure about that.”

  “Roland and his team have set about installing monitoring devices throughout the main plant of the house in addition to the devices that were already installed for security outside the house.”

  “You are going to spy on him?” Carolyn couldn’t hide her surprise.