Dorothea entered the beautiful Carina Hotel. It was one of her favorites and the first in the Cooper-Lite Hotel chain, not a hotel most people would have expected to see her in, though. It was an acceptable place but not in the league that someone of her stature would normally grace. In her younger days, she’d spent many an hour at the hotel. It was the first in a long chain that she and her husband Jonathon’s friend Calib—better known as Charles Cooper to his rivals—had built. In fact, he’d given them the first key to a room fifty years before, when she’d taken over the family winery business and he’d taken over the family hotel business. She still had it tucked away in her wall safe at home. It was symbolic now as all the locks had been changed and updated. Since then he’d given them a master card that could be used at any of their hotels. He had trusted them but she’d never before had an occasion to use it. This situation however required it.
Old memories flooded back. She and Jonathon had been the first guests at this very hotel after Calib had purchased it. They had been young and so much in love. The world had been theirs. It saddened her to think her best friend and love had died so many years before and she’d stopped going there. That life had gotten in the way of old friendships.
Walking up to the dark, ornately carved front desk, she handed her key to the man, letting him know there was a code on the back. As a professional, he did quite well at remaining jovially stone-faced, his eyebrows only lifting slightly. A minute later, she had a programmed card that would let her access any room in the hotel; but she only needed to access one.
The elevators were to the right and around the corner. She made her way to an empty one, slid her card into the slot and the doors closed. She hit the button for the seventh floor. At some point on the brief ride up, it dawned on her that she could be doing something very foolish. It had been a long time since she’d done anything this rash but somewhere in her gut, she knew there was some truth to what the woman had told her. There had definitely been enough information to pique her interest. Leaning heavily on her cane for a moment, she let her years get the best of her. The weight of all she’d been living under weighed in, drooping her shoulders even more than the normal age-related slouch.
It was long past time for her to retire. At eighty, she should be doing what her friends were doing: going south for the winter, visiting and playing cards. But she knew in her heart that wasn’t her. Although she did realize it was time that she step down and find something a little less stressful, like maybe skydiving.
She smiled at her own joke, knowing her family would have a fit if she did anything like that. But the truth was that it was time for someone else to take over. Since her family had all turned her down, she needed to look elsewhere. It left a bit of a bitter taste in her mouth but she knew in her heart she couldn’t blame them.
Being the head of Caspian Wine had been her dream and thanks to her brother Geoff, her nightmare as well. Since she was the oldest, it only made sense that it went to her, even back in the day when women were not in charge of businesses. But to him she had always stolen it out from under him. In reality, he’d always hoped to be able to use it to redeem himself in their parents’ eyes. An innocent child badly abused and humiliated he was the offspring of the patriarch and the maid. A young, tender-hearted Dorothea had always felt guilty that she hadn’t stopped her parents from making a mockery of him. And Geoff had used her soft side against her. He’d taken so much from her. The guilt of all he’d been through was her cross to bear but never again would she let him almost destroy her family. She was still bothered about his death, though; something about it hadn’t seemed real. She had grieved losing him but she’d never really had the sense he was gone. Not that she’d shared her thoughts with anyone but no matter how many people she’d hired to find him, he was a ghost—one who may have finally decided he wanted back in her life. Hopefully, she’d soon get answers on who was attempting to sabotage her business.
When the elevator doors opened, she made her way to room 712. Bracing herself for the tale she was about to be told, she knocked. The door opened and a mature woman stood there; the only telltale sign she wasn’t as confident as she appeared, was the slight involuntary tick at the corner of her eye. She waved Dorothea in.
Dorothea entered the suite, glancing around the room. There was just the two of them as promised. It didn’t mean there wasn’t someone hiding in the bedroom or bathroom, though. The woman never let her gaze waver but openly stared at her. It had Dorothea rethinking her own actions. But there had been something in her voice, in her story, that convinced Dorothea she had to see her alone. Taking someone at their word was not something she was usually so gullible about. Dorothea sat in a high-backed stuffed chair.
“Before we start, I’d like a glass of water and please turn on the television. I don’t want this conversation overheard or recorded.”
The woman appeared startled. “I would never... Oh my god, I promise you that’s not why I contacted you. I called you because I think you have a problem at your winery and I’m not sure you have a clue what it is. And what I need to share with you—” she drew in a shaky breath, “may shock you beyond anything but I promise you I’m not making it up.”
She spun away, flipping the television on as she passed on her way to the mini-fridge. After taking out a bottle of water, she poured half into a glass. Once there was noise to mask her movements, Dorothea took out her phone and snapped pictures from her hip. She hoped her aim was good. She slipped it back into the pocket of her trench coat as the woman started making her way toward her.
Blue-green eyes, dark, dowdy brown hair that was the poorest excuse for a wig. The clothes were cheap—jeans were torn and the white blouse was simple but stylish. She’d never seen the woman before; nor did she resemble anyone she knew.
She accepted the glass of water and took a sip. The woman moved to the window, pulling back the lace curtains to stare out. Finally she moved to the sofa to Dorothea’s right. She clasped her hands in her lap and curled her bare toes back, resting her feet on the Berber rug.
“Thank you for meeting with me. I know that my story will seem unbelievable... but I—”
Dorothea nodded. “I do want to listen to your tale but please make no mistake; I’m here because I want to know why. Why are you telling me and what do you have to gain? If this is a plot to blackmail me, there is nothing that can implicate me. Now, you mentioned Caspian Winery and my brother. I’ve seen it all. I’ve heard it all. Tell me your name. Your real name and how you know so much about my business and my family.”
“I don’t know where to start. Let me go back a couple of years. I need you to understand how this came about...”
Forty-five minutes later Dorothea was thankful her heart was in decent shape because otherwise she wasn’t sure she could have survived what she’d heard. It was unbelievable but something she knew had been coming. Life had been almost normal for a short while. She had high hopes the fairytale life Guy and Bailey were living would continue, but with what she’d heard she knew that wasn’t meant to be—at least not without at least one or more mountains to climb. She clutched the pages and the receipts the woman had given her, unable to believe what she’d heard and what she was reading. She stuffed the papers into her purse. Leaning heavily on her cane, she came to her feet. The woman who towered over her diminutive 5’3” immediately rose to help her, providing a steadying hand. Dorothea grasped it more firmly than she needed to.
“I have some things to work out. I’ll get back to you. Do you have somewhere to lie low, where you’ll be safe?”
“You believe me?”
“I have some things to look into first. I’ll be in touch.”
“I can look after myself. I’ve been doing it a long time. I’ve closed down my business and vacated my apartment. I don’t think I’m in danger. My daughter, however, I’m not so sure about. I really need to find her. I’m close to locating her. I’m scared if I don’t get to her first, he will. I already know he’s capable of some pretty sick stuff.”
“You have my number. If something happens call me immediately. The fewer people that know about this the better. Give me a day or two. You have no idea who the father of your child is—or the identity of the man threatening you?”
“No. I know you want to confirm the story I’ve told you is true. I promise you I’ve told you everything. I want my daughter but I want her to have a different life than I’ve lived. That’s why I gave her up for adoption. I thought she’d be fine; I never imagined her life would be in danger. I believe he’ll follow through on his threat if I don’t do what he asks. I’ve never hurt anyone, at least not intentionally. I don’t know why he wants me to damage Caspian Winery but he does. I haven’t lived a pure life; owning an escort service kind of puts me out of that category but I promise you, I’ve tried to live an honest one.”
“Someday I want to know how you got into that kind of life. I assume you made a living at it?”
The woman frowned. “Before I closed it down, around $120,000 a month.”
“You’re sure this man that is threatening you wasn’t one of your clients?”
“I’m sure. I’m cautious with clients, screening them thoroughly before I take them on and I haven’t had a new client in well over a year. And I haven’t heard from the man who did this to me in almost eight years. My daughter turned seven. I know it seems unbelievable and I can’t give you a description but I’ve paid some private investigators quite well to find what they could. Their search led me to you and who I think is behind this. I don’t want your money; I want my daughter to be safe and she won’t be if I don’t follow through with something destructive to your business. He killed my cat—” she wiped a tear from her eye before continuing, “in the most heinous way so I would get the message.”
Dorothea nodded. “I’ll be in touch.” She slowly made her way out of the room, her limp more pronounced and her movements slower. In the hallway, she continued to an alcove, where she sat heavily in an armchair. Pulling out the smartphone Bailey had spent hours teaching her to use, she flipped through the telephone numbers until she found the contact she needed and pressed call.
“Hello.”
“Calib?”
“Yes. Hello, Dorothea.”
The sound of his voice brought back so many happy memories. He had been a good friend to her and Jonathon. She took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. “It was good to see you last week. Thank you.”
“Indeed. What’s going on? Things were happening so fast when we met, I never got a chance to say I was sorry to hear about your brother. Such a tragic death.”
“Thank you.” She couldn’t change the past but she could change the course of what her brother had put in motion before his death. This time, she would not be so gullible. She would not be taken in by him or whoever was behind this sick game and she would not be killed because of him. Not that she was going to share any of that with Calib. He was a man she could trust but she didn’t want to get him any more involved than absolutely necessary.
“Did you get a chance to look through the names I sent you? I split the list into who would be good candidates and who would be great.”
“I did.”
“And?”
“Thank you.”
“But none quite fit what you’re looking for.”
“I know they are all qualified and doing outstanding work but no, they aren’t what I’m looking for.”
“It’s not easy to leave a business you built from the ground up and have taken care of all your life. I know.”
“You’re lucky you had—I mean found someone.”
“Yes. Sadly, it should have been my son. Alas, but he thought it more important to go into business for himself in an attempt to put my company out of business.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Me too. My fault for being away so much. His mother did a lot to make him the bitter man he is. Anyway, let’s not talk about him. I may have another suggestion for you on someone to hire, my granddaughter. She’s smart, has run a portion of my son’s business, C-Lite Hotels, she’s savvy. I have to find her. My butthead son has lost track of her. How can you lose your own daughter?”
“I’m sorry, Calib.”
“Let’s not talk about it. You called me because—”
“Do you still have that computer genius working for you?”
“Yes but I’m sure he’s nowhere as good as the fellow working with your step-grandson.”
“I know, but some things can’t be shared with family. At least, not yet. I need him to do a background check. I need him to dig deep. I don’t think her information will be all that easy to find. I have some information but I’m not sure how much is true. I’ll text you some pictures shortly as well.”
“No problem, I’ll have him check her out. When do you need it by?”
“Today? Tomorrow? As soon as he can.” Dorothea closed her eyes as a glimmer of hope was finally shining through. “Thank you. You do this and I’ll find your granddaughter. Deal?”
“Deal. Always a pleasure talking with you.” There was a slight hesitation. “I got the invite for your granddaughter’s upcoming wedding. Congratulations. If you need help with any of the arrangements, please ask. I know you already have the best but sometimes things happen and I want you to know my hotels can help if you’re stuck.”
“Thank you. I—would you like to come as my guest?”
“I wasn’t fishing.”
“I know. I would honored if you came as my escort; it’ll give me someone to talk to while my family is off having fun. I know you got a formal invite but I would like you to sit with us.”
“I would love to. Maybe we can even dance.”
“That would be lovely. And discuss business.”
A few minutes later, she hung up. It wasn’t until she was back in Graham’s Hummer that she let the reality of what she’d learned hit her. Life was going to get a whole lot rockier.
“Graham. I need you to find me a nanny.”
“A... nanny? Uh... is there something I don’t know about? Guy and Bailey?”
“No. Not for them. Find me one that is trained in martial arts too, okay?”