“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“That Kim is your sister.”
Tarin staggered against the building pillar. “What?”
“I wanted to tell you but I was sworn to secrecy.”
“The house.”
“All part of it.”
“Your sister. She died.”
“Yes but not Kim’s mom.”
“Your mom and my dad?” Tarin said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“When you begged for me to go to school with you, your dad made a deal with my mother. She was to be his on-call companion. They’d had the arrangement for years. But I guess somewhere along the way, they forgot basic science of how to prevent a baby. And along came Kim.”
“The year I left school?”
Bobbie nodded. “Your dad was furious. He didn’t want any more kids, and he didn’t want you to have anything more to do with me because he figured you’d find out about the baby.”
Nausea burned inside her throat and acid clutched her stomach as it rolled and churned. She pressed one hand against her belly while she clapped the other one over her mouth.
“And you just went along?”
“I never knew until my sister Tammy died. That’s when I got suspicious. I was told that Tammy was Kim’s mom. I didn’t know. She was so wild then. When Tammy died, I stepped up and said that I’d raise Kim. I was already more of a mother to her than Tammy was. After I got Kim, Mom started making demands, telling me how to do things. Letting some things slip. She finally told me everything. Tammy wasn’t Kim’s Mom, she was. And your—father who had been paying her for years to keep her mouth shut and to raise his child that he’s never seen.”
“And you couldn’t tell me?”
Her sobs were so gut-wrenching it was hard to understand her. “Mom got cancer. I had to look after her. That’s when I learned the truth about Kim. I didn’t even know where you were. And how could I have told you anyway after all that time? And I didn’t tell you about your dad and my mom because I got to go to a fancy school and be with my best friend. It felt like a secret I could keep. I didn’t think it was hurting anyone. It’s not like either of our parents really wanted us.”
“And that theft of the school’s finances that I got blamed for?”
“It was me. I had to. I’d been told if I didn’t, I’d have to leave school and my family would be financially ruined. I didn’t know it was to frame you. I swear. I thought your dad was in dire financial straits, so I thought I was doing both of us a favor. I tried to tell the principal it was me but she didn’t believe me.”
“But Kim—the paperwork?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew her dad had taken care of it. He had made it look like Tammy had been her mom.
I have a half-sister.
“The money. The houses. My dad was paying you.”
“Yes. I made a deal with the devil when I was sixteen. And he had made one with my mom long before that. When Kim came along, he agreed to pay child support. And he was very generous with it; however, my mother is not good with money—or men for that matter. Anyway, I took over the finances. And because I wouldn’t let her buy her latest boyfriend a car, she told your dad about you. I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t.”
“But he asked you to.” Feeling light-headed she turned away, unable to look at her friend anymore. Bobbie’s body shook with her guilt and anguish, and several people openly stared at them. Tarin was so numb that she wondered if she could even feel any more, especially when it came to her father. Bobbie reached out in an attempt to hug her but she couldn’t take any more. Shaking her head, she stepped back. Bobbie’s face crumpled as she fought to hold back the tears. Her misery was like a living, breathing thing but Tarin couldn’t go near it; couldn’t believe the one person in the world she thought she could trust had lied to her... for a very long time. She wanted to walk away but she didn’t think her legs would carry her. And she couldn’t leave Bobbie like this, even if she did bring it on herself.
As she scanned the crowd around them, she spotted a man wearing dark clothes, sunglasses and a baseball cap pushing his way impatiently through the throng. Rude behavior was nothing new at Union Station, but when he looked in her direction she got an eerie feeling he was headed for her.
“Did you bring company?”
“What?” Her friend sniffled, blowing into tissues she pulled from her pocket.
“Who did you bring with you?”
“No one. I swear. I came by myself.” Her head whipped around behind her. “Run. I don’t know who that guy is but I’ve seen him before. Get out of here.”
Tarin didn’t question her. Even with Bobbie’s betrayal, she could see the fear in her eyes and knew she was being straight with her. Spinning on her heels, she hurried into the crowd headed in the opposite direction. It wasn’t easy to move against the flow of traffic but she knew it was her only choice, especially if that man was really after her. The doors to one of the subway’s opened and she sprinted for all she was worth, now flowing with a movement that sandwiched her, pulling her forward. Commuters pushed and shoved their way onto the train. She was about to step aboard when she was grabbed from the side and jerked out of the swarm. Reflexively, she brought her elbow up and back. A quick glance showed her it was an older gentleman holding his jaw and calling her names that she didn’t even think a man of his age would know.
“Sorry,” spilled from her lips as she was yanked away from the angry passenger.
Stumbling, she was in danger of falling despite her assailant’s firm hold on her.
She struggled with every ounce of energy she had left, but no one paid any attention as she was half-dragged, half-pulled through the crowd.
Since the assailant was moving too fast, she did the next best thing. She kicked out with her foot and shoved, and at the same time she reached out with her free hand and snagged the arm of a brawny man striding past her in the opposite direction. Without even glancing her way, he shook her off like she was nothing more than a pesky flea. As he thrust her aside, she came solidly to her feet and slung her arm around a nearby railing. Without wasting another second, she lashed out and kicked her assailant. Hard.
“Damn you,” he grunted.
The next thing she knew someone was swinging a fist at the guy. The two men were scuffling back and forth until the other man realized he was losing and disappeared into the crowd. She turned to run only to find herself face to face with Bailey.
“Come with me.”
She hesitated only the briefest of seconds before following a fast-moving Bailey through the crowds. Once they got on the subway to Eglington Avenue which would drop them off near the office, Tarin turned to her. “What’s going on?”
“I think that’s my question.”
“Why are you following me? Because there is no way I’m going to believe that was a chance occurrence. Was that Guy?”
Bailey stared at her hard before nodding. Well now at least she knew who her knight in shining armor was. Sitting back, she closed her eyes but the gentle swaying of the car was making her sick—or maybe it was the realization of what was happening to her settling in. She clasped her hands in her lap trying to still their shaking. A warm hand clasped them.
“It’s okay. Just take some deep, slow breaths. That’s it. A few more. Okay, I can see some color coming back to your cheeks.”
Tarin managed a smile of gratitude. “Thank you.”
“So who wants to kidnap you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who wants to take your son?”
“How—?” She should have known Graham wouldn’t keep it to himself. “I don’t know.’”
“I think whoever grabbed you had a reason.”
“Look, my life is boring. Nothing interesting has ever happened.”
“So you don’t think your husband might have taken offense to you taking off with his son?”
Heat flooded her cheeks but she refused to look away. “It’s not—Stephen is many things but I don’t believe he’s behind this.”
“What about your father, Mr. Madsen, owner of C-Lite Hotels?”
“Is there anything you don’t know about me?”
“That’s it. That’s all I’ve been filled in on so far. Is there more we should know?”
“You may have had the pristine life, growing up on a winery—”
Bailey snorted and then laughed. “My life was anything but.”
“I know it’s pathetic to complain about not having a great childhood when your father had nearly as much money as Bill Gates. But let me tell you, I haven’t spoken to my father in—”
“Three years.”
Tarin’s mouth dropped open.
“And you got fired for—no, you quit for some reason.”
“Christ. You guys don’t leave any stone unturned do you?”
“Hey, I’m not the private investigator, that’s Guy and Graham.”
At the mention of Graham, she was glad she was seated as all her remaining energy drained out of her. Chance. I left him with Graham.
“So now what?”
“Now we go to the office and figure out what’s going on.”
Though she wanted nothing more than to flee, the option was no longer open to her or she’d never see her son again. A fleeting thought that maybe he’d be better without her crossed her mind. The gut-wrenching fear and anguish that shot through her system convinced her she couldn’t live without him.
“Hey. If you want my honest opinion, I don’t think you’re the villain here. I’ve done pretty well on my gut instincts and they’re telling me you’re not the guilty party.”
Tarin didn’t respond but stared out the window. The blur was exactly how she was feeling inside. Nothing made sense, nothing had any definition and there didn’t seem to be any end to this ride.