Page 16 of Final Cost

Daniel snaps out of his memories, glances over his shoulder, then comes inside just as I’m walking toward the door.

“I just wanted to, ah…” he says, dropping his voice. Frowning, he runs a hand over the back of his neck, his blue eyes looking focused now and much more turbulent than usual.

Oh, God. What now? “Are you okay, Daniel? What is it?”

He shakes his head, fighting against words that don’t seem to want to come. “This is none of my business,” he finally says. “And it’s not my place.”

My dread level ratchets higher. “Okay…?”

“I just…Why are you back, Tamsyn?”

I hesitate, as thrown by the topic as I am by his sudden banked urgency. “Lucien thinks it’s a good idea for now. Why? What is it?”

“I’m concerned about your safety.” He makes a helpless gesture. “My loyalty is to Lucien, but I’m concerned. I’m not sure this is the place for you right now.”

My heart turns to stone. It’s one thing to entertain dark thoughts about Lucien in private and shameful corners of my own mind. Something entirely worse to be confronted with them by one of Lucien’s lifelong friends. “Oh, my God. You think he killed Ravenna.”

“I didn’t say that. But I was there when the police questioned him. And it didn’t sound good.”

“So youdothink he did it.”

“I’m trying not to, Tamsyn,” he says, his voice gruff. “My father worked for their father. I grew up with Lucien and Roman. Hell, Lucien used to give me his old clothes because I needed help landing dates in high school. That’s the kind of guy he is. You think I want to have doubts about him?”

He looks and sounds as anguished as I’ve been feeling, but the damage has been done. And I’m surprised to discover that I’m angry about it. The doubts were already there in our individual thoughts. Now, by mentioning them aloud, he’s caused them to multiply exponentially. I’m not ready for that. I don’t think Lucien would murder anyone. Ever. I’m ready to swear it. But the other day I was also ready to swear that Lucien loved me as much as I loved him and look at how wrong I was aboutthat. Lucien’s act of cruel betrayal toward me has cracked open every ounce of trust I ever had for him and turned it into dust.

“You’re supposed to be his good friend, Daniel,” I snap, part of me wondering why I’m so determined to defend a man who has been terrible to me. “You don’t know him at all if you think he’s capable of murder.”

“That’s my point, Tamsyn,” he says, his kindly tone and pained expression making everything worse. “I’m no longer sure how well I know him.”

7

Tamsyn

My interactionwith Daniel kills most of my appetite, but I’ve got to do something with my morning, so I continue downstairs anyway and just grab some yogurt, an apple and coffee from the breakfast buffet. As usual, it’s laid out like some grand feast, with pastries, meats, eggs, potatoes and more items than I typically see at the hot table at my local Whole Foods back in Brooklyn. I marvel once again at the indulgence on display here, but then I put it out of my mind. Not my issue. I already know that these are rich people issues that I’ll never understand.

But when I take my little breakfast and start to head back upstairs, I discover that I don’t feel like being cooped up in my room. I glance around the quiet foyer, thinking hard. With Lucien jogging, Maddie and her minions occupied with Ravenna’s dresses and Daniel having issued his dire warning and departed for parts unknown, it seems safe enough for me to linger downstairs long enough to eat. So I head to the solarium and settle at a little table in the corner. The beveled windowpanes give me a perfect view of the clouds cutting across Manhasset Bay. I can’t quite tell if it plans to rain or not, but there’s a little sailboat out in the distance that looks as though it should probably return to shore soon. But that’s another thing that’s not my problem.

By the time I finished eating, I’m ready to face something thatismy problem: my severe lack of funds and need to start work so I can get the hell out of Ackerley as soon as possible. I can’t help but think that the paparazzi issue was a manufactured excuse for Lucien to get me back to Ackerley. After all, it’s more of an annoyance issue that a true safety issue, right? I know Lucien is also concerned about my possible legal jeopardy, but I don’t have to live here to worry about that. And I only really agreed to come back because I wanted to see him. Well, now I’ve seen him. And it’s been a disaster.

Time to go, Tam.

I grab my phone and dial my new boss at the hospital, expecting to get his voicemail. To my surprise, he answers on the first ring.

“Tamsyn, how are you?” booms Dr. Crawley. “Good summer so far?”

“It’s been great, thanks.” I take a deep breath and try to steady my nerves. There’s no need for me to sound this nervous. I’m just calling with a simple request. “How about you?”

“All good here. How can I help you?”

“I was wondering if it might be possible for me to start work before September 1. My summer job ended earlier than expected. Plus, I’ve had a change of my living arrangements.” I hesitate, then decide to lay it all out there. “I could use the funds, to be honest.”

I hear his answer in the pained pause before he even starts talking again. “I wish I could, Tamsyn, but the nurse you’re replacing doesn’t retire until the end of August. So I’ve got no budget for you until then. Sorry about that.”

It figures. “I totally understand.” I have a sudden flashback to the other day, when Lucien’s doctor friend offered me a job at a local hospital. I should have taken it. Look how thin jobs are on the ground now. Oh, the irony. “Have a great rest of your summer. I’ll see you on September 1.”

“See you then.”

We hang up. I swallow my disappointment and drum my fingers on the table, running through my options. This is a minor setback, but I still have options. I could check in with one of the temping agencies in the city. RNs are always in demand. Maybe someone could hire me for a few weeks. But it’s such a short timetable…Wait. I have a better idea.

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