Page 7 of The Making of Marnie Jones

Her meal threatened to reappear, and she was on the edge of her seat by the time he finished the call.

He met her gaze straight on. “You saved Olivia's life.”

She barely refrained from snickering. Since the girl was three thousand miles away, she could hardly have done anything of the sort.

“You think I'm kidding? My friend, Wolf, found her with a bag of pills, exactly where you said she’d be. She was unconscious, and then she stopped breathing.” Jake’s eyes were wide, his voice strained and hoarse as he kept the volume low. Again, he leaned in. “The paramedics had to restart her heart, and she's on the way to the hospital. They said in another five minutes, she would’ve died.”

Marnie tossed her crumpled napkin onto the table, searching for Sarabeth to ask for the check. Did he think she was an idiot? “You're lying.”

“Why would I do that? What can I possibly have to gain from lying to you?”

The dangerous tone to his voice brought her up short. Gut clenching, she fought the urge to run away. She was out in public, and he wouldn’t hurt her. Despite her fight-or-flight instinct, some small part of her mind understood he wasn’t a threat. Wiping her clammy hands on her thighs, she took a steadying breath. “Who is Olivia Bater to you?”

“My niece.”

Of course. How would he have known the family was dysfunctional, unless he knew them intimately, as a relative or a social worker? “How…?”

“Lydia, my older sister, started running with a wild crowd at an early age.” He grimaced. “At seventeen, she wound up pregnant with Olivia. When she refused to give her up for adoption, my parents disowned her. They believed she’d come crawling back for help, but she’s stubborn, and she never did. As a child, the whole affair baffled me. I thought I’d never see her again, but then Olivia disappeared.

“The year after Olivia went missing, my father died of cancer and my mother had a heart attack. She never really recovered and died of heart failure a few months later. Lydia hadn’t reconciled with either of them. She let me help her sometimes, but there was only so much I could do. I was twenty-five and overseas.” He turned to look out the window, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

He projected so much pain, so much frustration. So much helplessness.

Finally, he turned back and focused his penetrating blue eyes on her. “I was in no shape to offer emotional support to my sister, try as I might.”

“You knew about her addiction.” The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and it didn’t form a pretty picture.

“She's used on and off for years. When Olivia went missing, it pushed her over the edge.” His voice hitched.

What was this revelation costing him? “What happened when Olivia came home?”

“Lydia stopped.” He cringed, averting his gaze again. “I mean, I think…I think she stopped. Lydia and Olivia became isolated, and even I couldn't get through.”

“But you kept trying.” Despite herself, she sympathized with the man and the situation he found himself in.

“Of course I did. They’re my family. Look, Marnie, it's been a year and a half since they found Olivia. The call from the police last week came from left field. If I didn't have friends on the force, I’d still be in the dark. Come to Toronto with me. Please.”

He wasn’t even trying to hide the desperation in his voice.Damn.“There's no guarantee she'll talk to me.”

“I'll make her talk to you.”

“That won’t work. Undoubtedly she’s seen counselors and they’ve made her talk. Now, we have to respect her wishes.” She picked up the previously discarded napkin and smoothed out the creases.

“You’ll come with me?”

The obvious note of hope in his voice ate at her, and she didn’t enjoy having to shoot him down. “No.”

He looked surprised, then disappointed—a frown marring his model-perfect good looks. “I can’t stand to watch her suffer.”

“Jake, you have this backwards. I’m the last person Olivia needs to spend time with. You think because we went through the same thing, we’ll be able to relate to each other, but that’s not true. We won’t be good for each other, of that I’m sure.” She had to make him understand this disastrous idea would never work.

“You won’t be good for her, or she won’t be good for you?”

His question hit a little too close to the mark. She fought to keep her expression neutral, but she wasn’t able to do more than swallow her discomfort. “I’ve moved on, Jake. I’m not that girl anymore, and I can no longer access her. She’s gone, and as much as I might want to help, I can’t bring her back.”And I’m not willing to try, not even for Olivia Bater.

“Is it because I’m asking too much? I know it’s a lot—”

“You’re asking the impossible.” She injected finality in her voice, making it clear this conversation was over. “I have to go.”

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