Page 147 of Heart of Stone

What was her name? Suzanne Jacobs I think…

It was strange to realize that I had only done that research a few short weeks ago. I quickly spun back in the chair, unsure of what to think about the unusual coincidence.

I glanced at Allyson, still resting back with her eyes closed. By some miracle, she had managed to block out the two women. But now that I knew exactly who they were, any hope of ignoring them would be fruitless.

“I know it will work because Alex said it would. His people are all over it. I can’t keep making myself sick about it,” I heard Justine say.

“Charlie is nuts. I just hope Alex and his cronies know what they’re doing.”

“Please, Suzy. Don’t you think I know that? And Alex knows too. Why do you think he’s building that women’s shelter?” Justine spat out bitterly. “I’m sure he’s hoping that one day our mother will waltz through the doors, and then we can have a big ole’ happy family reunion.”

Wait. What? His mother?

The room felt like it was buzzing, feeling overwhelmed with shock by the fact that Alexander’s mother was alive. He had told me that his parents were dead.

I respected his decision to not divulge his story to me, but telling an out right lie was another thing.

Why did he lie about it? Is his father alive too?

I tried to listen to the two women again, but the pedicurist announced that we were finished and began draining the footbath. She started talking some nonsense about our lunch, and I had to fight the urge to shush her. I just wanted to scream.

Be quiet! I’m trying to listen!

“Krys, what’s wrong?” Allyson asked.

I blinked once. Then twice, forcing myself to focus on the people standing in front of me. Allyson and the pedicurist were looking at me with concerned expressions.

“Nothing. I’m fine. It’s just a little warm in here,” I lied.

Allyson shot me a look that might as well have said that I sprouted another head, but said nothing as I got up from my seat. The quiet Asian woman appeared again out of nowhere, and motioned for us to follow her.

As we exited the room, I chanced a glance back at Justine and Suzanne. Unfortunately, they were no longer talking, but sitting back and enjoying their own spa treatments. A part of me wanted to go up to them and demand an explanation, but I thought better of it. This wasn’t the sort of place to risk making a scene. It would be best if I just waited and confronted Alexander about it later.

Allyson and I sat down to lunch. She chattered endlessly about her time in Paris. I listened and nodded at all the appropriate times, but I wasn’t fully into the conversation. I kept thinking about what I overheard in the pedicure room, as a million and one questions swirled in my head.

What was Alexander’s relationship to Suzanne Jacobs? Why didn’t she trust him?

Who is Charlie?

And what about Alexander’s mother and the woman’s shelter?

Should I demand truth from Alexander? Or should I wait for him to come to me?

My stomach was tied up on knots, causing the food to taste like cardboard. It was a real struggle pretending to enjoy the tiny sandwiches.

My cell pinged with a text notification, distracting me from my thoughts. Allyson continued talking while I looked at my phone.

“I wish that I had time to go and see the Eiffel Tower,” she said wistfully. “That would have made the trip worthwhile at least. But I was there for work purposes after all, so I guess –,”

“Oh, no! Not now!” I exclaimed, unintentionally interrupting her.

“What do you mean not now? What happened?”

“It’s my mother. She had told me a while back that she was planning a trip in sometime soon. Apparently that time is now. She just sent me a text to let me know that she’s in town.”

“So what?” Allyson asked. “It’s not like this would be the first time that she’s shown up unannounced.

“True, but I had plans for the rest of the weekend. Now I either have to cancel them, or tell my mother about Alexander.”

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