Kat awoke to a knock on the door. Jace must have ordered breakfast room service. Her mouth watered as she envisioned eggs Benedict and waffles. She rolled over and reached across the bed.
She rested her arm on Jace’s stomach and traced her fingers over his taut abs. If Jace was still in bed, then he hadn’t called room service. Her disappointment turned to apprehension. Had they been discovered already?
“Jace,” she whispered. “Someone’s at the door.”
“Hmmm.” He rolled over and stroked her shoulder with his hand. Her skin tingled as his hand moved down her arm. The knocks came louder. She snapped back to attention.
“Jace, answer it.”
“Okay. Don’t go anywhere.” Jace rose and threw on a shirt and pants. He walked to the door and peered through the peephole. He turned and padded back to the bed and sat down, shaking his head.
“You’re never going to believe this.” He buttoned his shirt.
“Believe what?” Kat bounded out of bed and threw on sweats and a t-shirt.
The pounding grew even louder, like someone was throwing their weight into it.
“It’s your cousin Hillary.” Hillary, Kat, and Jace had all been in the same grade at school. Jace had taken an immediate dislike to her, despite Hillary’s best efforts to send him swooning.
Kat’s pulse quickened as she flashed back to her last confrontation with Hillary. Aunt Elsie’s diamond rings had been stolen. Hillary insisted there had been a break-in, but Kat suspected otherwise. Soon after the robbery, Hillary sported a new Rolex, no doubt bartered for the missing rings. She was nothing but trouble. “Impossible. She’s been gone for ten years. Besides, how would she even know we’re here?”
“I know, but I’m positive it’s her. Maybe Harry hasn’t been imagining things. Come here and see for yourself.”
Kat tiptoed up to the peephole and held her breath as she peered through the viewfinder.
The years had added wrinkles, a sagging chin, and a ton of makeup. Hillary’s eyes hid behind Chanel sunglasses with an oversized logo. Worn like a label to advertise her status and impeccable taste, despite the fact she was indoors in the dead of winter.
Kat opened the door and her cousin steamrolled past her, practically knocking her over. She wore a low-cut sleeveless dress, even though it was sub-zero outside. White salt stains formed circular patterns on her brown stiletto boots. An exaggerated D&G zipper tag hung off each boot. It was Hillary all right.
“Where the hell is Dad?” Hillary headed straight for the patio sliders, pushing her giant sunglasses up onto her teased and hair-sprayed hair. “What have you done with him? You kidnapped him!”
“Hillary?” Kat asked. “What are you doing here? Why would you think—?”
Jace’s mouth dropped as Hillary stormed past him onto the deck. A gust of cold air rushed in.
Finding no one on the balcony, Hillary marched back inside, leaving the sliding door open to the cold. She headed to the closet, practically ripping the door off its tracks.
“Tell me where he is. Now!”
Jace walked over to the patio door and closed it. He arched his eyebrows at Kat but said nothing.
“He’s in the next room. What’s going on?” Kat asked, still in shock.
Hillary yanked on the knob, and when it didn’t open, pounded on the adjoining door.
“Dad! Open the door.”
“Take it easy,” Kat said. “You’ll break it.”
Hillary just glared at her. Then the door opened from the other side.
Harry emerged, looking sleepy.
“Hillary!” He smiled. “What a nice surprise.”
Kat stole a glance at Jace. He threw daggers at Hillary, who didn’t seem to notice.
“How did you know we were here?” When they were teenagers, Kat sometimes thought Hillary stalked her.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Hillary glared at Kat from across the room.
Kat studied Hillary. Heavy brown eye shadow framed her eyes. They resembled a pair of burnt-out sockets.
“I’m calling the police and having you charged.” Hillary grabbed Harry by the arm. “You’ll never work another day in your life once I’m through with you.”
“Charged with what?” What the hell was she doing here?
“Forcing him here against his will.”
“Uncle Harry, did I force you to come here?”
Hillary cupped her hand over Harry’s mouth just as he started to speak. She turned to Kat. “Don’t talk to him. You’ve done enough.”
“Hillary, I had to bring him with me.” She glanced at Harry, wondering how to explain to Hillary without hurting Harry’s feelings. “The dementia—it’s getting worse.”
Harry glanced down at the carpet, crestfallen.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Harry.”
“It’s okay. Kat’s right. I know I’m not as sharp as I used to be.”
“He’s not safe on his own, Hillary. If you’d been around the last few years, maybe you’d know that.”
Hillary didn’t know about Harry leaving the stove on and almost burning down the house. Or driving his Lincoln through the front window of Carlucci’s Pasta House. Or did she? Harry had been talking about her for months, and more frequently of late. Then there was the Tiffany’s charge on his credit card. But even Hillary wouldn’t stoop that low—would she?
At any rate, Kat had to focus on Harry. Unplugging the stove and disabling the garage door opener and the car battery were only temporary fixes. Harry needed full-time care, and Kat had run out of options. Hillary surely wouldn’t help. Suddenly it dawned on her—Hillary’s reappearance must be for a reason. Harry’s dementia was obvious—was Hillary here to take advantage of the situation? Why else had she returned after a decade?
“You kidnapped Dad against his will. How can you live with yourself? You’re a criminal.”
“How can you live with yourself, Hillary? You’re the criminal—you stole his and Aunt Elsie’s life savings.”
“It was a gift.”
Kat rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Harry stared at the floor, saying nothing.
“You don’t understand, Hillary. Harry forgets to eat. He’s here because I take care of him. I wouldn’t leave him alone for a few days.”
“Oh, I understand, alright. You kidnapped him to take advantage of him. I’m putting an end to that right now.”
Harry must have been talking on the phone with Hillary last night. She must have called his cell phone. Harry wouldn’t remember the name of the resort, but he could still read. Hillary only had to ask him to find something with the Tides Resort name on it.
“Kidnapped? Are you serious?” Kat glanced at Harry. He had zoned out, oblivious to the argument. “He wanted to come along.”
“We’re finally all together again.” Harry smiled. “Let’s go for breakfast and celebrate.”
Kat was just about to explain why they couldn’t when Hillary jumped in.
“No, Dad. We’re leaving. Get your things.” Hillary pushed Harry back into the other room and slammed the door.
Kat glanced at Jace, stunned. A wave of helplessness swept over her as she thought of Hillary taking Harry. Would Harry even survive the ride home before Hillary, with her short fuse, tired of him and dumped him on someone else? That is, if she was really taking him home.
“Let her go.” Jace embraced her. “He’ll be all right. We’ll be home tomorrow.”
“But she doesn’t know how bad he is.” Hillary was too self-centered to deal with his medications, delusions, and confusion.
“I don’t believe that for a minute,” Jace said. “She knows exactly what’s going on.”
“Then why is she saying those things?”
“To get to you. And to divert anything negative from her onto you. To hide what’s really been happening.”
Kat pulled away. “I know she’s selfish and I know she stole from him. But she can’t possibly think I’m harming him,” Kat said. “She doesn’t really mean it.”
“C’mon, Kat, it’s all about her and getting what she wants. You of all people should recognize fraud when you see it. Those mysterious bank withdrawals, the Tiffany’s charges? Explain that.”
“I thought about the Tiffany’s charges too. But isn’t that ... too obvious?”
“A series of mistakes about Harry’s finances when she re-appears after ten years? Too much of a coincidence for me. Call her on it—I’m sure she’ll insist they were all gifts.”
“You think she’s back because I cancelled those credit cards? Her supply was cut off?” Kat sat down on the bed. “She wouldn’t go to that extreme—it’s fraud and it’s elder abuse.”
“Open your eyes, Kat. Harry doesn’t shop at Tiffany’s. Why do you think she’s back?”
Jace was right. “But to steal from her own father?”
“Most people wouldn’t,” Jace agreed. “But Hillary’s not most people. She’ll do whatever she can get away with.”
“Jace, even if it’s true, there’s nothing left. I’ve cancelled the credit cards, and all his money went to pay the bills. There’s nothing left to steal.”