36

“I ’m afraid he’s been hurt for helping me,” I said. “What should I do?”

Rodriguez was clicking away on his phone, but he glanced up, looking between Joanna and me. “You want my advice? Tell the cops. They need to search for him, but if it’s already been over a week …” He didn’t finish the sentence, but I knew.

Vin might already be dead.

I remembered his hands on me at the cabin, how hard I’d worked to seduce him. It didn’t seem right that he was paying for that while I’d survived a shot to the chest. I stood, not waiting for Joanna.

“If you have more questions, call me. You can speak with Dr. Bowers at Sherwood as well. We need to go back to the police station. I’m worried about Vin.”

“Now I am as well,” Joanna said.

I needed to check on my sister. Having Ariella and Vin out of contact had me so scared, I could hardly think. Ariella didn’t pick up, so I left a voice message, and I also sent an urgent text pleading with her to ring back as soon as she got it. Though I’d just seen Jenny, I called her to check in.

She, at least, answered her phone, sounding cheerful. “What’s up? Are you okay?”

I smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’m concerned about you.”

“I’m not the one married to a murderous narcissist.” Trust Jenny to joke, even at a time like this.

“Still, have you noticed anything strange? Anyone following you?”

“So far, so good. But I’ll be careful.”

That let me breathe a little easier, but I wouldn’t rest peacefully until I heard about Vin and Ariella. The threatening text from Michael meant I had to risk mentioning Vin to the cops, even if it jeopardized my plan. The detectives still weren’t back, so I made my report to a different officer. He listened to my concerns about Vin, and he seemed to take them seriously.

“I’ll inform Detective Wilson that Vin Rivera may be in danger. You said he bought you a cell phone? And he wanted to help you get away from your husband?”

“There was a limit to what he could do for me. Michael threatened him, showed him pictures of his younger sisters.”

The officer clenched his jaw. “The more I hear about this asshole, the happier I’ll be when we lock him up. Seems like some people think money means they can do whatever the hell they want.”

“I think that’s the case,” I said softly. “Michael does seem to believe he’s above facing consequences, no matter what.”

“We’ll see,” the cop muttered.

“You’ve already done too much today.” Joanna set her hand beneath my elbow. “You’ll make yourself ill, Marlena. The doctor said you need to rest.”

Vin …

Losing strength in my legs, I let her help me out to the car. I’d done my best to make Vin care about me at the cottage, and now—I sighed, resting my cheek on the window as we drove back to Joanna’s brownstone. My chest hurt and my heart ached. I barely made it to my room before passing out.

I woke well after dark, and the place was quiet. Joanna wasn’t one to turn on music or television for background noise, so when I opened the door and stepped out of my room, I heard her voice at once. It was too late for her to be talking to one of the maids, so I crept closer quietly, not wanting to disturb her if she had a late guest.

“That’s right. The article will likely be published tomorrow, and Durst stocks will drop. When they bottom out, start buying.”

Well, that explained everything. I hadn’t believed for a moment that Joanna Van Houten was sheltering me out of pure kindness. When she turned to find me in the doorway, she didn’t display even a flicker of guilt. Instead she gave me a warm smile.

“You don’t mind, do you, my dear? It’s only business.”

“Do I mind that you’re using my personal pain for profit? Not at all. I did wonder what your hidden motive was, so it’s a relief that this is the catch, and that it’s not worse. I don’t care what happens to Michael’s company.”

“I’ll manage it well,” she assured me.

On some level, it tickled me that she would be scooping up his life’s work. After all, he’d wanted me to soften her up for some scheme of his. Maybe this could be considered poetic justice.

“I meant it when I said I’m not interested.”

Joanna took that at face value. “If you say so. The housekeeper left a plate for you in the microwave. You should eat and take your medicine.”

She was right; I wouldn’t recover without taking care of myself, but I didn’t have much appetite. I picked at the grilled chicken, mushroom risotto, and green salad, then finished with bottled spring water and my pain meds. It was past midnight, and I remembered my modeling days when I’d rather be beaten with a stick than eat this late.

I went back to my room after that. Tried calling Ariella again. Still no answer. Anxiety and dread pooled in my stomach, so my dinner felt like a huge knot. Vin didn’t pick up either, not that I expected him to. Curling up in bed, I thought about texting Jenny, but she was probably asleep.

At first, I took the pain in my stomach as a physical manifestation of fear, but when the cramp hit so hard that I rolled out of bed, I got the message. If it hurt this much, even with the pain meds I’d taken, there must be something terribly wrong. Moaning, I crawled toward the door, and it took all my strength to turn the handle.

The brownstone was so big and dark, and I had no idea where Joanna’s room was. A low light suggested someone might be in the parlor, but I couldn’t make it that far. My mouth tasted of metal and my breath smelled oddly of garlic. I tried to stand and tipped over a table, smashing a vase that likely cost more than my net worth. It was getting hard to breathe, and I purged the contents of my stomach in a wet splatter. The sound of someone running toward me was the last thing I heard.

For the second time, I woke in the hospital with Joanna beside me. Her face was drawn, makeup nonexistent, and she looked old in a way that she hadn’t before. “I’m so sorry, my dear. I failed you.”

“What …” My throat hurt so much.

“You were poisoned. On my watch. Britta had already disposed of your leftovers, but the results of your blood test were conclusive.”

Her house was like a fortress. I wanted to ask how that had happened, but Michael had gotten his point across. If he could get to me inside Joanna’s compound, then I wasn’t safe anywhere. And I never would be.

Even if I put him in prison, he could send people after me. After the ones I loved.

Where the hell are Vin and Ariella? Tears trickled down my cheeks, and I knotted my fists in the white hospital sheet.

My confidence was gone. I’d lost Vin. Maybe Ariella, too. I wished I could convince Jenny to get on a plane. I cried until I passed out.

I woke in slightly better spirits, but it didn’t cheer me when Joanna said, “I’ve made a list of everyone who had kitchen access that day. I’ll find out who betrayed me.”

Even if she did, it wouldn’t change the fact that someone had taken money to hurt me. If it happened once, it could happen again. I didn’t feel safe even in the hospital, because I didn’t know who had been touching my food.

I was weak when they discharged me, and I didn’t want to go back to Joanna’s place, but I had nowhere else to go. Staying with Jenny would paint a target on her. Somewhere, Michael Durst must be laughing. I could almost hear him gloating. You thought you had the upper hand, bitch? Best you can do is mutually assured destruction.

That night, I didn’t sleep much, and in the morning, I hardly had the energy to drag myself out of bed. Showering was out of the question, so I washed up and used dry shampoo on my hair.

To my surprise, there were clothes waiting for me in the closet. I selected a blue patterned skirt and matching blouse, adding a white blazer. The fit was a bit loose, and the skirt hit above my knees, but overall I looked all right. When I came out of my room, the housekeeper was hovering, like she didn’t know if she should knock.

“Mrs. Van Houten is waiting for you in the breakfast room.”

“Thank you, Britta.”

I found a continental feast laid out, fruit and pastries, coffee and tea. Joanna had the paper in hand and a tablet turned on beside her. She seemed to be checking stock prices.

“Morning, dear. Ah, that ensemble suits you. I’ve bought some things that don’t work for me over the years. Britta gathered those bits and pieces and put them in your wardrobe. All the underwear is new, sent over from Neiman’s this morning.” She paused, then added, “I’ve tasted everything on this table. An hour later and I’m still fine. You can eat, I promise.”

I let out a deep, weary sigh. “You shouldn’t risk yourself for me like that. I feel like I’ve thanked you so much that the words have all lost meaning.”

“Nonsense. I enjoyed your company before, and I’ll appreciate all the money I make from your husband’s downfall. Our relationship is win-win, my dear.” She slid the tablet toward me. “Mr. Rodriguez is a fast worker. He’s already got your story online. See?”

I skimmed the article, which he’d written with no embellishment. This was in a credible news journal, which meant the papers would probably snatch the story and run with it soon, featuring different angles. “They’ll probably be calling for interviews.”

She agreed with a sedate nod and a sip of tea. “The company’s already taken a beating in the market. I’ll make my move shortly.”

I couldn’t sit around watching my flesh knit together, wallowing in fear of Michael’s next maneuver. “Speaking of beatings, could I borrow a guard? I want to start divorce proceeding and file for a restraining order.”

“Of course. Do you prefer Clive or Nigel?”

“Clive, I guess?” In all honesty, I had a hard time remembering their names and faces. They were both tall and white with short brown hair, black suits, white shirts, and sunglasses, and neither of them ever said much.

“I could call my lawyer,” she said. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but an attorney can handle both those issues. You don’t need to go to the courthouse personally.”

“Really?” In fact, I didn’t know that.

“I’ll have Mr. Fielding come directly after breakfast. There’s no need for you to put a target on your back, barring absolute exigency.”

It was true that I didn’t love the idea of going out with Michael still running amok. I let Joanna persuade me. “Then I’ll accept your offer with gratitude.”

“Mr. Fielding? This is Joanna Van Houten. Please make time for me this morning. I’m at home.”

What must it be like to take it for granted that people would clear their schedule and take care of your problems at once? With such privilege, it was a wonder Joanna Van Houten wasn’t exactly like Michael Durst.

Maybe she is, a little voice whispered.

After eating a light meal from the food Joanna had deemed safe, I called Ariella and Vin for the twentieth time. I left messages for both of them, sent more texts while fear chewed up my insides. Where are you? Are you all right? I would never forgive myself if something happened to my sister. I should have warned her before I sent her to Europe. Should have told her about Michael. As for Vin, I’d dragged him into my problems against his will—

“Don’t panic,” Joanna said.

“There has to be something I can do. She started her trip at Heathrow in the UK. Can we check somehow—”

“If she’s traveling in Europe, there’s no way to be sure where she’s gone. There would only be a record if she returned to the US. They don’t stamp the passport as you’re leaving the country.”

“Right, I knew that. Only on entrance.” I let out a breath, rubbing my knuckles against my aching temples.

I knew worry might make me physically ill. Not a good scenario when recovering from a near-fatal gunshot wound. At this rate, Michael could succeed in killing me indirectly. I shook my head in silent protest.

“I can probably find out if she’s come back to the States. Let me make a call.”

Joanna retreated to her office, and shortly thereafter her lawyer, Mr. Fielding, arrived. She must have briefed him, because he had all the paperwork ready for my signatures. Like her guards, he was a man of few words, middle-aged, white, and balding. He looked downright innocuous, but if he worked for Joanna he must be a shark.

“Do you have any questions, Mrs.—”

“Marlena. Just Marlena. And I’m wondering how long all of this will take?”

“The order of protection is urgent, so I’ll do my best to rush it through. Since there’s an investigation ongoing, I think it should be soon. The divorce is more complicated, and it will take longer, especially if Mr. Durst contests.”

I tried to smile. “Then you don’t know how long it will take for me to be free.”

“Unfortunately, ma’am, I can’t say, especially under these circumstances.”

“I understand.”

“I also need to caution you. Even after the protective order is granted, that doesn’t mean you will be physically protected from your estranged husband. The police may opt to assign someone to protective duty, but the restraining order doesn’t guarantee that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” The lawyer didn’t need to warn me. I already knew there was no safety for me as long as the monster I’d married was alive.

Mr. Fielding nodded. “I’ll file the motions today and I will appear in court on your behalf as needed. It will be safer to minimize your public exposure as much as possible.”

“Thank you for your time.”

Against Mr. Fielding’s protests, I walked him to the door and as he stepped out, my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered on the first ring anyway. “Ariella? Are you safe?”

There was a short pause. “Sorry to disappoint you. This is Detective Hunter.”

“Oh. Yes.” She’d given me her card, but I hadn’t added her to my contacts. Discouragement swept me at the knees, so I leaned against the closed door and took a deep breath. “What can I do for you?”

“Can you come down to the station? We’ve picked up a couple of suspects related to the case and we need you to identify them.”