Fatal Impulse: A Widow's Web Novel (23 page)

P
erhaps Portia decided to leave town on the same day that someone with a similar car visited Paul and Caren. She could ask Paul, but didn’t want to admit that she'd driven past his house. That seemed a little too desperate and needy, and she didn't want him to think of her that way. She had enough real problems to worry about without creating more.

A horn beeped outside. She pulled the curtain back and looked down to see Dana’s Impala in the driveway. Andi grabbed the suitcase and bounced down the stairs, anxious to get this trip started. Between the photos and someone poisoning her, she couldn't wait to get out of Buccaneer Bay. She pulled the door shut behind her, then used her key to lock the deadbolt. By the time she reached the car, Dana had popped the trunk open. Andi dropped her suitcase in next to Dana's, slammed the trunk closed and slipped into the passenger seat.

Dana pointed to the cup holder. “Got you a French vanilla cappuccino.”

Andi grinned at her friend, and felt the tension begin to melt away. “Thanks! Are you ready for this?”

She giggled as she backed the car out of the driveway, and said, “Absolutely. I’ve known Derek was ‘the one’ from the very beginning.”

The hot liquid burned Andi's throat as she swallowed, “Good. And you don’t think you’ll regret not getting married in a church?” She glanced at the cup in her hands, then at her friend. Dana, she trusted. But who else could she trust?

Dana's long red locks swung as shook her head, “Not a bit. Honestly, it’s just a ceremony. Why go through all the stress and expense of a big fancy wedding? Besides, this is Derek’s second wedding.”

Andi remembered how she'd let Chad dictate their wedding. “But it’s your first.”

Dana shrugged and waved her hand dismissively. "That's OK. Whatever he wants is fine." She pulled out of Buccaneer Bay, heading north. Oh! Derek isn’t going to get there until tomorrow, so you and I will have today and tonight to ourselves. Thought we could hit the spa and salon, get manis and pedis.”

Andi smiled and thought about all the preparations for her own wedding, “Sure, that’ll be fun!”

“What was your wedding like?” Dana glanced at Andi, “If you don’t mind talking about it.”

“I don’t mind,” Andi said, and leaned her head back against the headrest, exhaustion taking its toll. “It was a big wedding, lots of family and friends. It was nice, but felt like such a production.”

“And your dress? Your mom took you shopping for your dress?”

“Yeah. We spent a day in Kansas City, and went to the JC Penney’s outlet store. I found a dress that I really liked, and it was less than a hundred bucks, so Mama bought it for me.”

Dana whistled. “Wow, that's a bargain!”

Andi laughed, “Mama didn’t have much money. After Daddy died, she struggled just to keep her head above water, but she insisted on buying my dress.”

“That’s sweet.”

They continued on to the airport, chatting more about wedding memories and what Dana wanted her wedding to be like. Andi's mind wandered and she thought about the credit card receipts from that casino dated in April, the note she’d found, the wedding chapel brochure, and the new Will. What would've happened if Chad hadn’t met an untimely end? She had the uncomfortable feeling that she'd barely missed being left behind like so much discarded trash.

Suddenly, she remembered the things she’d found in the gun cabinet. Perhaps Dana would be able to explain it. Andi quickly told her friend about Chad’s hidden stash. Dana listened without comment, until Andi got to the part about the stock certificates.

Dana put a hand on Andi's arm and said, “Wait a minute, Woodson Enterprises stock certificates?”

Andi nodded. “Is that important?”

Her friend snorted, “Well, yeah. Don’t you ever listen to the news?”

Andi shrugged.

“You’ve heard that August Woodson is on death’s door?”

Andi thought of the deadline the blackmailer had given her, and wondered how long she had. “Yeah, but what’s so important about his death?”

“Woodson Enterprises is huge, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors wants to take the company public. If they do that – it’s called an Initial Public Offering or IPO – anyone who owns stock initially will be rich." Dana looked at her friend and punctuated her words with raised eyebrows. "I mean filthy rich.”

That reminded Andi of the photocopies she’d found in Chad’s desk. One of those papers had the words Public Offering circled on it. “So are these stock certificates worth a lot of money?”

“They will be when the company goes public. And the way they are now, if you were dishonest, you could make them TOD to you. They’d be worth millions.”

Andi considered that, then her thoughts turned to the blackmailer, the stock certificates, the poisoning. Obviously,
someone
wanted her out of the way so they could cash in on the Woodson fortune.

But that wasn't going to happen. The meek, submissive person who had been married to Chad was gone. She needed to be tough, and figure out how to survive.

As they crossed over to the mainland. Andi pointed, "There's our turn."

Dana signaled and turned into the airport. They skirted around the airport, then found a parking spot. The two women got out and stretched a moment before getting their bags out of the trunk. They headed for their terminal and moved fairly quickly through the line to check their bags. Andi found herself caught up in Dana’s excitement. She and Derek had been a perfect couple from day one, and Andi was sincerely happy for her. She told everyone in line that she was on her way to get married, and introduced Andi as her maid of honor, which resulted in congratulations all around. The line moved along quickly, and they were soon waiting at their gate, one of the advantages of a small airport.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Dana reached into her purse and pulled out a little pink gift bag. “This is for you!”

Andi pulled out the tissue paper and found a little velvet covered box. She looked at her friend with raised eyebrows. Dana laughed and urged Andi to open it. To Andi's surprise, it was the ring that she'd had made from her wedding set that day they were shopping. The day she'd spotted Caren and her lover. With all the drama of the hospital visit and losing her job – not to mention Paul and Caren – she'd nearly forgotten about the ring.

“Thank you!” Andi leaned over and hugged her best friend. “You are so sweet!”

Dana shrugged, “You’ve had a lot on your mind lately, so I had Derek pick it up for you when he went to get mine.”

She slipped the ring on her right middle finger and admired it. Such a thoughtful gift. Soon, their flight was called to board and they made their way to the attendant checking tickets. They walked across the hot tarmac and up the steps to the plane. Dana had never flown before, so Andi let her have the window seat. She remembered all too well how excited she'd been to fly the first time, and how badly she'd wanted the window seat. But Chad preferred the window seat, so she sat on the aisle. A sigh escaped at the memory. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes, thankful that part of her life was over.

It was a short flight, but sodas and peanuts were served. Andi stretched up to see out the window. Dana hadn’t said two words since the plane rose into the air, intent on the view. A layover in Philadelphia, and they were on their way to A.C. Dana watched the landscape below, and pointed out casino resorts rising from the edge of the Atlantic. Even in the daylight, it was impressive. Dana grinned from ear to ear, but Andi felt hollow. Did Chad fly in by himself, or did he have his lover in the seat beside him?

They landed and collected their luggage from the baggage carousel. Dana's head swiveled and she said, "There's probably a kiosk around so we can call for a shuttle from our hotel."

Andi put her hand on her friend's arm and pointed to a tall man dressed in black holding a sign that said “Dana, Bride-to-Be.”

Dana looked at Andi, green eyes wide, and exclaimed, “No way!”

Andi grinned, glad she'd taken the time to make the call before her friend arrived that morning. It had taken nearly everything in her meager bank account, but the look on Dana's face was worth it. “Yup. Happy wedding weekend!”

They followed the driver out to a black Hummer waiting at the curb. Dana's eyes bulged and she kept murmuring, "Oh, my gosh - I don't believe this."

Andi smiled, thrilled at her friend's reaction. The driver loaded their bags into the back and then held the back door open for them. Andi hopped in and scooted across, and Dana followed. Neither of them had ever been to Atlantic City before, so Andi asked the driver to take them for a tour of the city before taking them to the Tropicana.

The city seemed to stretch out along the beach. They passed so many high rises, monstrosities that reached towards the sky, as well as the Absecon Lighthouse and the Trump Taj Mahal, where Andi knew Dana and Derek had reservations at Il Mulino New York after their wedding ceremony. It seemed surreal, the buildings rising up out of the sand. Kind of a shame, really.

The driver gave the women a list of recommended things to see, and promised that he'd be back the following day to take Dana and Derek to dinner at the Taj Mahal after they were married. Andi tipped and thanked him, and Dana squeezed her arm on the way into the hotel, thanking Andi over and over for arranging the limo service.

“I never expected that!” A bellhop appeared to take their bags and Dana whispered, “I feel like a queen!”

“You are queen for the weekend, and my job as maid of honor is to make it as special as possible for you.”

They checked in and went up to the room. It was absolutely sumptuous, decorated in blue and white. Derek was due to arrive the following day, and the two lovebirds had reserved a Premium Suite in the South Tower for their wedding night. Andi’d have the room to herself the remainder of the trip, and she could hardly wait to crawl between the sheets and sleep with no fear of being interrupted by a ringing phone.

They each claimed a bed, and Andi flopped down among a pile of pillows while Dana took a shower to freshen up after their long day of travel. She was nervous. She'd gone through the cash from the attorney in Bangor too quickly, and felt the strain of being unemployed. The handful of bills in her purse would have to last the weekend, and she'd have to eat macaroni for the rest of the month.

The limo was an extravagance she shouldn't have indulged in, but seeing Dana's expression of pure joy made it worth every penny. As soon as she got back to Buccaneer Bay, she needed to make finding a job a priority. She quashed her worries when her friend came out, determined to enjoy the weekend.

D
ana tried to talk Andi into going to the casino and gambling after they hit the salon, but Andi wasn't in the mood. Andi finally convinced her friend to go by herself, then got on the elevator. As she watched the numbers tick higher, she sank lower. Chad made her life miserable, and now he was doing it from beyond the grave. The elevator door slid open two floors below hers and when a middle aged couple got on, she got off. She waited until the door slid shut, then pushed the down button and got on the next elevator.

She walked through the lavish lobby, and caught a bellboy. "Is the Sapphire Star within walking distance?"

He glanced at her strappy sandals. "Yeah, if you don't mind your feet hurting a bit. Just down the Boardwalk, about a ten minute walk."

He pointed her in the right direction and she stepped out into the late summer heat. She thought about the destroyed credit card and the small stash of cash in her purse, and was glad no cab was needed. It felt like a dream, with all the lights and sounds and people swirling around her as she walked along the Boardwalk. She bumped into several people as she hurried past them, but stopped apologizing after the first few steps. No one else apologized, either. She wanted to see where Chad had been, but had no idea what to do when she got there. Her heart literally hurt with the knowledge of his betrayal.

She reached her destination and looked up at the garish glass and steel monstrosity, taking in the sights and sounds. It didn’t look like the kind of place Chad would have chosen. He worried about appearances and that sort of thing. It was difficult to imagine him in Atlantic City at all, much less in a place like this. Music thumped from the open doors, neon signs lit the sidewalk like mid-day, and kids ran every which direction. It seemed to be more of a family destination than the sophisticated casinos. The Taj Mahal or one of the other nicer hotels would have been more his style.

A doorman watched her for a moment, then stepped forward and asked, “Can I help you, miss?”

She started to shake her head, then changed her mind and stepped towards him so she wouldn't have to shout to be heard over the din. She pulled her wallet from her purse and produced one of Chad’s business cards with his picture on it. She showed it to the young man and asked, "Do you recognize this man?"

He nodded and said, “Why, of course, that’s Dr. Adams!”

She blinked in surprise. “May I ask how you know Dr. Adams?”

He tilted his head and frowned. “Well, he’s Miss Woodson’s friend.” His eyes narrowed as he examined her.

She nearly dropped her teeth then and there. “So he and Miss Woodson visit here often?”

The young man hesitated, then tapped his finger on his chin as he considered his answer. Finally, he nodded. “Every now and then, though I haven’t seen him in months. They used to come when Miss Woodson’s father was in town. He is a part-owner of the property, you know.”

“Oh, right,” Andi nodded in an attempt to hide her surprise. Her husband really
had
been leading a life separate from their simple life on Mount Desert Island. She thought back to all the conferences he had attended, all the ball games he had gone to with his buddies from dental school during the last year, all the visits to his parents’ home in California. Were they all lies? How could she have been so stupid, so gullible?

The doorman's eyebrows crept up his forehead. “Are you a friend of Dr. Adams?”

She laughed, a humorless bark. “You could say that.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help you – I haven’t seen him in some time. Perhaps he’s staying at a different property now.”

She nodded and thanked him for his assistance. Just as she started to walk off, he called after her, “But Miss Woodson is here this weekend. You can probably find her in the spa if she isn’t in her usual suite.”

She smiled and thanked him again, then entered the hotel. She walked numbly through the casino, past the row of dinging, clanging one-armed bandits and between the tables. Lights flashed and shimmered as the machines clamored for attention all around her. She considered trying to find the spa in the chaotic maze, but decided instead to head back to the Tropicana. This was a waste of time. What would it accomplish, seeing Portia again?

Obviously, Chad tired of his boring life with his boring wife and was looking forward to his jet-set life with a young, beautiful heiress. Andi couldn’t have competed with that. No way. He would have left her behind in a heartbeat, and it certainly looked like he planned to do just that. A sign for the chapel caught her eye, and she took a second look. The Chapel of the Stars. She'd seen that name on the slip of paper in the suitcase, and curiosity took over.

She approached the chapel area and found a nice older woman at the reception desk who seemed willing to answer a few questions. Andi showed the silver-haired woman Chad’s business card and her face registered recognition. She lowered her chin and examined Andi over the top of her wire-rimmed glasses.

Andi widened her eyes and smiled in an attempt to look as innocent as possible, "I'm a friend of his and he told me about the wedding chapel at the Sapphire Star."

The older woman nodded, “Yes, he and Miss Woodson looked at the chapel. Had it reserved and everything, but Miss Woodson called, oh, I don’t know, a couple months ago, to cancel it.”

Andi smiled in what she hoped was a blissful way. “I imagine they had a beautiful ceremony planned.”

“Oh, yes. If I remember correctly, they were going with the Touch of Class package.” She smiled, crinkling the delicate skin around her eyes, and continued, “Of course, Miss Woodson’s father would have given her the moon, but she and Dr. Adams just wanted a simple ceremony with family and a few friends. Less publicity that way, you know.”

Andi felt as though her face would crack with the effort of smiling, “Do you recall what their wedding date was?”

The receptionist flipped the leather bound calendar back a couple of months and ran her index finger through dates, then tapped the book, “Ah, yes, they wanted a spring wedding. It was to be the last weekend in May.”

Andi's knees went weak, and a chill ran down her spine. He died little more than a month before he and his mistress were to be married. When was he going to break the news to his wife? Was he even going to file for a divorce first? She thanked the kind woman for her time and hurried through the hotel. It felt as if her heart would burst and she couldn't catch her breath.

When she reached the front, she pushed through the doors before the doorman could open them. Once outside, she sucked in deep breaths of fresh air and waited for her heartbeat to slow. She made her way back to the Boardwalk and began walking towards the Tropicana in a daze.

Her life had been a lie. Her marriage had been a lie. And she had tortured herself for months, feeling bad about what had happened to Chad. For what she had done to Chad. At least his pain had been short-lived. What he planned to do to her would have destroyed her, slowly and painfully, piece by piece.

Who was she kidding? He was still destroying her.

By the time she reached the hotel, her legs felt like spaghetti and her feet ached. She stepped into the elevator with several other people, then leaned against the cool metal wall and closed her eyes. She counted clicks and opened her eyes each time the door opened. Finally, the elevator opened on her floor. She stepped out and fumbled for her key card. The door opened before she could insert the card and Dana stood there, eyes wide with concern.

She demanded, “Where on earth have you been? I was getting worried about you!”

Andi brushed past her and dropped onto the bed.

"I know you're feeling pinched right now." Dana's voice softened, “Lots of people can't afford to gamble. These things happen. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Andi hung her head and let the tears flow. Her friend dropped down next to her and put her arm around Andi's shoulders. Dana waited until Andi's sobs dissolved into hiccups. "What's going on? What's really wrong?"

Andi took a deep, quivery breath, then said, “I guess I’d better start at the beginning, but please don’t judge me until you hear the whole story. Promise me you won’t judge me. And you can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.”

Dana ducked her head to catch Andi's gaze. “Okay.”

“Not just okay.” Andi lifted her head and looked her friend in the eye. “I’m serious. You have to promise me.”

Dana blinked in surprise. “I promise. What is it?”

Andi took a deep breath and told her about that stormy night at the top of the cliff. This time, she didn't sugar coat anything. Dana gasped when Andi told her how it felt when the flashlight connected with Chad's body, but didn’t interrupt. Andi told her friend about the Will she’d found, the pictures that had been delivered, the intruder, the late night trip to the cemetery, the confrontation with Portia Woodson, the mysterious package hidden in the gun cabinet, and the Atlantic City wedding that her dear departed husband had planned with his mistress.

When she finally finished, she felt completely wrung out. Her friend held her, and patted her on the back, making comforting noises. Andi was scared to death that Dana would pull away and hate her, and she’d lose the best friend she ever had, but Dana never made a move or said a word throughout the confession and subsequent story.

Andi shrugged her shoulders and deflated. “And that’s it. Now I’m scared to death that someone is going to go the police with those pictures and I’ll end up in jail. And I probably deserve it.”

“No, you don’t,” Dana said firmly.