Page 80 of Betrayed in Blood
Louise sat in a corner chair and tapped the one next to it, a Mediterranean-blue table between us.
“Is your mother alright? I mean, she didn’t?—”
Did the woman think I came to tell her my mom was dead? Good lord, I needed to work on my delivery.
“No, no. She’s fine, but I am worried about her.”
Louise placed a hand over her chest. “Oh, thank god. When Ella said her daughter wanted to talk to me, I’m afraid I thought the worst.” She chuckled—one of those hysterical ones. “I know she was upset about Christopher’s death.” The woman eyed me, probably wondering how much I knew about their relationship. “But, I don’t think it was a surprise.”
“Really?” I decided to use Devon’s suggestion. “I know I’ve been out of town for some time, and our communication hasn’t been the best. I’d had my problems with Christopher...” I let the rest hang because Louise was nodding. I shook my head as if pushing Christopher to the netherworld where he belonged. “How long has it been since she’s been in?”
Louise sat back, her eyes rolling toward the ceiling as she considered the question. “About three weeks now.”
“How did she seem the last time you saw her?”
She huffed out a breath. “Don’t take this the wrong way. She talked about you every once in a while, more so the last few months. I guess she hadn’t seen you for some time, but then she mentioned she’d recently seen you.” She gave me a weak smile. “She seemed to think you were in a good place and, I don’t know, appeared proud of you.”
Damn. Those fucking tears. I blinked and stared out the window before turning back with her next comment.
“It was strange because it was the first time I ever heard her say one negative word about April.”
“April?” The statement startled me because I wouldn’t have thought Mom would ever say anything bad about her in front of others.
“It was the last time I saw her. She was quite angry with your sister. Oh, she didn’t go into details—she never would. All I know is she mentioned her getaway stash. Then, two days later, April called and canceled her mother’s appointments. She said her mother wasn’t feeling well and had a small breakdown about Christopher. I thought it odd, but what could I do? I thought of calling her but decided against it.”
I reached out and took Louise’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll be seeing her tomorrow. I’ll let her know you’ve been worried about her.”
“It’s funny, you know.”
“How’s that?”
“Even though I knew she worried about you, she always said you were her strongest daughter. She always knew you’d be just fine.”
I staredout the window as we drove to Chantel’s, an upscale restaurant with a lovely garden patio, my mind still on Louise’s last comment. Mom knew I’d be okay. She actually told someone else that she was proud of me. It bolstered me. Even though I knew Mom wouldn’t be there, perhaps I could get more out of her friends than the hairstylist.
“This meeting could be more emotional for you than the last.”
I turned to find Sergi watching me, but not with his usual placid stare. His brows were furrowed with concern. Was it for me or the mission?
“I’ll be fine.” I forced my leg to stop bouncing. Then I sighed. “What does it matter, anyway?”
“I might be an ancient, but I remember my mother.”
That got me.
“I’m sorry. I take it she’s not around anymore.”
“She, like my sister, was a casualty of war.” He grunted. “More like bait to start a war, but in the end, it’s all the same.”
I glanced down, disturbed by the flash of grief I’d seen in his gaze. I didn’t have to ask how long ago. The fact it happened during a war told me it had been a long time, yet he still carried it.
“Sometimes our family problems are so personal, so painful, that we forget others have faced the same thing. Maybe not in how it played out, but the emotions that stick with us. If April is truly mesmerized, can she be saved? Or my mother?”
“As Devon would say, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re gathering information to help us decide how to move forward.”
I nodded. “Right. Eyes on the prize.”
The SUV pulled up to the front entrance, and Mateo waved off the valet. I tugged my jacket into place and dusted off my silk pants. The driver opened the door, but before I got out, Sergi grabbed my elbow as he had at the last stop.
