“You look like hell,” Alan commented as Lucas slumped in the passenger seat. “Did you sleep at all?”
“Tried.”
Lucas ran his hand through his hair. He lay awake trying to figure out some way to make up for the pain and misery his mother, sister and Madeline put Sarah through. An apology just didn’t cut it. He had to do more. She deserved more.
“Well, Tailor came through.”
“He did?”
“Oh yeah. I got the emails late last night. He works fast.”
“Emails?”
“Yeah, the files are compressed. I needed help getting them open and running…so I called in Samuel.”
“Samuel?” Lucas sighed. He was already apprehensive enough without involving Sarah’s brother but Samuel was the head of his IT department and he had to know what happened that night. Sarah deserved the truth.
When they reached the office they immediately absconded themselves in Lucas’s office with instructions they were not to be disturbed. Samuel was already there cuing up the email attachments to play on a large screen for their benefit so they didn’t have to crowd around the computer as he worked.
There were six camera feeds in total and Samuel displayed them to play in sync with each other. The resolution wasn’t great and the compression made it oddly grainy but it was still good enough to identify familiar figures and for Lucas to find himself in the crowd.
Lucas’s eyes darted across the camera feeds watching himself as he escorted Lidia and Madeline into the venue. What had he been thinking bringing them in the first place? Sarah had claimed she was sick which was unusual. She had never made excuses before. He should have gone to her to see if she was okay.
Thinking back it was a clear red flag and even if he hadn’t shown up drunk later she might have left him anyway. After four years of waiting for him she had reached the end of her patience.
Yesterday he finished reading the Edward passages and followed Rosemary to the end when she realized he was engaged. As Alan said she simply left, disappeared without a note or good-bye.
It mirrored Sarah’s departure so closely it made his heart race. He could only imagine Edward’s confusion, anger and emptiness when he woke to find she was gone. Or maybe he didn’t have to imagine. After four years of searching he was all too familiar with that emotion. He wondered if Sarah wrote that scene before or after she left him. The book never mentioned Edward nor showed him again.
Did Sarah forget him as easily? No. Tailor said she needed closure. But what did that mean? Did it mean she would leave him as soon as she got it?
“Oh.”
Alan drew Lucas out of his private musings. Looking up he asked, “What?”
“Well, I don’t know if this is good news…but I figured out how you were dosed.”
“So I was drugged?”
“Looks like,” Alan nodded. “But you’re not going to like it.”
“What did you mean by that?” Lucas asked.
“See for yourself. Samuel, can you rewind it about thirty seconds?”
Samuel nodded rewinding the footage as Alan stepped closer pointing to one of the feeds for Lucas to focus on.
Lucas stared at the screen not sure what he was watching. It showed the open bar at the Mixer but that was hardly surprising. He recalled going there for refreshments several times. But the clip he was watching didn’t have him on screen at all. Instead he saw Lidia at the bar as she ordered two drinks: what looked to be a scotch and her usual Manhattan.
His brow furrowed and he frowned. As he watched she took out her clutch and dropped two small tablets into the scotch. She stirred the glass before leaving the bar with both drinks in hand.
“What? What was that?”
They watched her cross several feeds before she eventually reached Lucas. He watched in disbelief as she handed the drink to her brother. The siblings clanked glasses before both drank. Lucas stared at the screen as Samuel paused the feed waiting for further instructions.
There had to be a mistake.
It couldn’t be.
Lidia?
“Alan…explain and use small words.”
“You saw the footage for yourself, Luke. She didn’t change glasses or hand it off to someone else.”
“…So you’re saying my own sister drugged me,” Lucas said. “Why?”
“Well…here’s what happened after,” Alan looked at Samuel and nodded to allow the camera footage to continue playing.
Lucas watched his face growing beet red as he saw himself on some impromptu dance floor. There wasn’t sound on the feed for which he was grateful. Not that it mattered since he was pretty certain he hadn’t been dancing to actual music. Worse, he wasn’t alone. Madeline was at his side grinding on him like some horny teenager.
“And that’s where I cut in,” Alan sighed as he made his appearance and pulled a still dancing Lucas off screen. “We know the rest. I put you in the car.”
Lucas rubbed his forehead sinking into a chair. It was one thing for Lidia to send disturbing text messages in hopes of causing strife but to go so far as to drug him…He didn’t even have words to describe the depths of the betrayal. This went far beyond tormenting Sarah…and what was Madeline thinking?
“Stupid question.”
“What?” Alan asked turning toward him at his muttered comment. “What was that?”
“It’s practically a coup,” Lucas said. “Do you think they always had this planned…take over everything?”
“Look, you and I both know Lidia and Madeline have never worked a day in their lives. They are practically allergic to it. I don’t think they want control of the company…just you.”
“So I do all the work and they get everything they want: clothes, jewels, cars, whatever because I never tell them no.”
“No one ever told them no,” Alan corrected. “It’s not all on you.”
“Mother,” Lucas frowned. Really there was no way to know whether she was involved in this or not. She could have just egged them on or masterminded the whole thing. Or was it all Madeline’s idea?
“Face it, Madeline’s been obsessed with you since forever.”
“You knew?”
“You didn’t?”
“She was just Lidia’s friend. I—I didn’t pay any attention to her. I didn’t…God I feel like an idiot.”
“Go with the feeling.”
“You’re no help.”
“You wanted to know. Now you know.”
“And I wish I didn’t. Sarah is never going to forgive me.”
“Let her make that decision and stop jumping to conclusions.”
“How am I supposed to face her? What am I even going to say to her?”
“Say you’re sorry. You were an idiot. Your sister and her friend are sociopaths. And stop avoiding her.”
“I’m not…”
“Yes, you are. You leave early and stay at the office late all to avoid her. Or have you forgotten you are trying to win her back?”
“I just…I just think she probably wants her space.”
“Did she tell you that? Or did you make that decision for her?”
Lucas rolled his eyes.
Alan grabbed the photo from the coffee table and thrust it into his hands, “It’s time to choose, Luke. Which future do you want? This? Or that?”
Alan gestured to the frozen images on the television screen then to the photo in his hand. Lucas looked away from the screen to the image of Sarah and Zoe on the beach. There was no contest.
“It’s time to man up,” Alan declared.
“Who’s that?” Samuel asked looking at the photo in Lucas’s hand in confusion.
Lucas stiffened. He had forgotten the technician was there. Hesitating he handed the framed photo to Samuel to look at properly.
Samuel studied it for some time, “That’s Sarah…but who’s the girl?”
“Zoe,” Lucas said, “our daughter.”
“Zoe…I’m an uncle?” Samuel asked. “How long have you known?”
“About a week.” Lucas remembered the day of the book fair and following them through the zoo.
“H-how old is she?”
“Three,” Lucas said with a strained smile.
“Three.” Samuel repeated. “And this video is from that time. Then does that mean…”
“Lidia and Madeline succeeded,” Lucas said. “Sarah left me, divorced me and had our child without me and almost…”
“Almost what?” Samuel asked when he hesitated.
Lucas shook his head unable to continue. Samuel looked to Alan for explanation.
“There were complications when Zoe was born. They almost didn’t survive.”
“Then…Sarah and Zoe might have died and I would never have known,” Samuel said. His already pallid complexion grew paler. Perhaps he did have some feelings for his estranged sister.
He studied the photo still in his hand. His sister was smiling brightly with a laughing Zoe in her arms. It was a long moment before Samuel spoke again.
“They look happy. What—what is Zoe like?”
“She’s an imp,” Lucas said. “She’s full of energy and life it’s impossible not to be swept up by her. She’ll steal your heart in a second and never give it back.”
“Can…can I meet her?” Samuel finally tore his gaze from the photo.
Lucas grimaced. He certainly couldn’t blame him for wanting to know his niece but what would Sarah think? Would she agree to that? Would she even accept the suggestion from him?
“I…I don’t know if Sarah will allow that,” Luke finally admitted.
“Luke, I’m begging you,” Alan sighed. “Talk to Sarah. Just talk to her. Beg her to listen and then tell her everything. You just have to do it.”
“And if I do and she still leaves me?”
“She’s definitely going to leave you if you don’t. So you might as well take the chance.”
“Right. Tonight is the DaLair Mixer. I’m going to be her escort so…I’ll talk to her before we leave.”
“Finally!” Alan sighed with relief.
“Ah, shit.” Lucas cursed.
“What?”
“I need a suit.”
Alan rolled his eyes taking out his phone, “I’ll call Reagan and tell him it’s an emergency.”