Claire Gulliver #06 - Carnage Goes Coastal Read online

  She could hear the smile in his voice coming over the phone line.

  “So, how’s your day going?” he asked with a hint of laughter.

  She chuckled. “It’s a little slow around here today and definitely there are no loud noises.”

  “I can imagine. I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight. I’m not looking forward to another night of hanging out in a bar by myself, no matter how nice the bar is.”

  She didn’t even try to make him convince her. “I’d love to join you. I enjoyed talking with you last night. So, where and when?”

  They agreed to meet at a small Indian Restaurant he had heard about down in the Village and suddenly she felt energetic again. Scott had told her the night before he was a lawyer and he was consulting with a company here on a legal issue. He said he would be in town until the following Tuesday and then several days every few weeks until the project was completed. She was already imagining all the fun they could have.

  They had a wonderful dinner that night and subsequently spent every evening together, including all day Saturday and Sunday. It seemed inevitable that by Saturday night she was spending the nights with him at his hotel as well as the days. She couldn’t believe her luck in meeting him.

  This was the man of her dreams. He was charming and funny and attentive. He was ten years older than her twenty-five years, which made him seem appealingly mature. He explained how after he completed law school, he had been recruited at one of the prestigious Philadelphian law firms where the interns spent eighty hours a week working if they had any expectations of becoming a junior partner. He was a naturally competitive person and now he was well on his way to becoming a senior partner. Unfortunately, the work and hours required to succeed at his company had not allowed him time to develop a social life. Suddenly, on this trip to New York he felt the need for some company, and so, there he was in the Oak Room at the bar just at the perfect time to meet Karen. It was kismet.

  Scott wasn’t Karen’s first lover, but she was fast becoming certain that he would be her last. They just seemed perfect together. They liked the same things; they found the same silliness in situations; so they enjoyed their times together.

  Naturally when Thanksgiving rolled around Karen was disappointed they couldn’t be together, but she understood about his earlier commitment to spend the holiday with his sister and her family in Colorado. She anxiously waited for his return at the beginning of December to share her exciting news.

  She had been shocked to find she was pregnant, but not really alarmed. By this time their relationship had progressed to the point that marriage seemed inevitable. She assumed her condition would only push them more quickly into the decision they were fast approaching anyway. The more they saw of each other the closer they became. And the periods he was at home in Philadelphia and they were separated, were hard on them both.

  When he called and asked her to meet him in his hotel room at the W instead of a restaurant, she smiled, pleased. She knew that meant he had missed her as much as she missed him and he didn’t want to wait for lovemaking until after dinner.

  Afterwards, while he was pouring the champagne he had thoughtfully ordered, she told him the news. He froze, and then turned and stared at her. She was surprised to see his eyes had turned from that beautiful blue to a frosty grey. His expression was cold as he said, “That’s impossible. You’ll need to have it taken care of immediately.”

  She was stupefied. “What are you saying?”

  I’m saying I’m not going to have a child. I don’t want a child. I don’t want the responsibility of bringing one into the world. You should have asked me before you got pregnant.”

  She gasped, not believing what she was hearing.

  “You will have to get rid of it. You have to have an abortion,” he continued with ice in his voice.

  A chill crept over her. “An abortion? Scott, what are you saying? This is a child, our child, we can’t kill it! It was conceived from our love. Why can’t we just get married?”

  Then abandoning her pride, she pleaded, “I know we didn’t plan for a child, but surely it will only speed up our decision to marry.”

  He drew himself up in a stiff righteous pose. “What don’t you understand about my words? I don’t want a child. I don’t want to get married.” He paused a moment, his face becoming even colder, as he announced cruelly, “In fact, I never had any intentions of marrying you. I couldn’t, even if I wanted too. I am already married. And I plan to stay married to my wife. So you’ll just have to stop this pregnancy now!”

  He put the champagne flutes down and began picking up the clothes he had so cavalierly shed when she arrived.

  He was married? Now her shock turned to anger. She accused him hotly, “You lied to me? All this time you said you were single, and you were married?”

  “Get real, Karen. You didn’t believe that story. It was as convenient for you to pretend as it was for me. It made our little romp more fun. It was an excuse to have a hot romance with no strings attached. No one would have believed that story, and naïve though you may be, I know you’re not that stupid.”

  “You lied to me? All these months, all your stories, all our plans about the future, and they were all lies? What kind of monster are you?” She was breathless with hurt. She could hardly force the words out of her mouth.

  “Oh, grow up. Of course I lied. I was looking for a diversion, a relationship to help me through a long succession of New York work days. So I lied, as would any man in the same circumstances. You should have known it. I can’t believe you didn’t know it.”

  She jumped out of bed and started putting on her clothes while he continued talking. “I’m sorry to end it like this, but I was going to break it off tonight anyway. My work here is about finished and with the holidays coming up, it’s time.”

  Karen grabbed her coat and purse and headed for the door, unable to trust herself to say anything more.

  “Karen,” he called, “Karen, you will need to take care of this matter immediately. Do you hear me?”

  * * *

  The slam of the door reverberated through the room and Scott realized he hadn’t handled this situation as well as he planned. It was the shock of Karen so casually announcing her pregnancy that did it. The stupid fool! Pregnant! Why on earth did she think he would be happy to hear that news? But now thinking about it, he realized her news was what put him in a panic. That’s why he lost control of the situation. He thought back to his meeting last week.

  “Mr. Smythe is at the pool, Mr. Ellington; he’s expecting you.” The housekeeper gestured toward the doors to the terrace.

  Scott nodded cordially at her. He knew the way through the elegant house. He smiled remembering how intimidated he had been that first time he had visited. Phoebe had taken him home to meet her parents, but they both knew the real reason for the visit was so he could be vetted before being invited to a social occasion at the house. And obviously he passed the inspection. He had been appropriately nervous. He was not only intrigued with the beautiful Phoebe, but he was well aware she came from money and he understood how advantageous that could be to his career. He wanted to be accepted. He wanted to be a part of a prestigious family and it wasn’t long until he married into the Smythe family.

  Scott wasn’t surprised to find his father-in-law sitting out by the pool. He knew he started his day swimming laps despite the chill in the November days. Sure enough he was sitting at the table in a thick terry cloth robe, tanned and virile looking despite a full head of white hair testifying to his age. “Scott, my boy, good of you to come by so early.” He held out his hand for a shake. Even though his expression was genial, the sharp gleam in his eyes got Scott’s attention.

  “Stanford, you’re looking good this morning.” Scott nodded cordially while he pulled out one of the chairs and sat down at the table.

  “Would you like some breakfast? Or coffee?”

  “No coffee, I’m trying to cut back, but
a glass of orange juice would be good.”

  Stanford nodded and murmured to the maid who had silently appeared behind him. When she disappeared, Stanford turned back to his son-in-law. “Well, Scott, how’s that redevelopment project coming? I haven’t had an update for a while.”

  “It’s very interesting. We’ve been working with a group in New York who are developing a similar project, only they’re about two years ahead of us. We’ve picked up a lot of information which will help us streamline our process. I think you’re going to be impressed when you see the results.”

  Stanford nodded. “Good, good. That’s what I want to hear. Phoebe tells me you’ve been spending a good deal of time on it and you’ve been spending a lot of time in New York lately.”

  Scott nodded, taking a sip of the tangy juice the maid had just delivered to him. “Yes, the project is very complex and time consuming, but it’s been worth it.”

  “Well, as I’ve told you before, a successful project of such value to the community will be noticeable. It’s an important aspect of our plan to get you the experience and recognition you need to qualify. I had a conversation recently with some of the power brokers in the party and they think it may be time for us to make a move. Grayson is thinking of retiring. That means we’ll have an opening for senator next term. They’re willing to consider you as their candidate if we think we’re ready.”

  Stanford turned and looked straight into Scott’s eyes. “How about it? Are we ready?”

  Scott’s heart leaped wildly in his chest and he struggled to keep his excitement controlled. He was ready! “But it’s early. What about the plan? I thought it would be at least five more years before we moved in that direction.”

  Stanford shrugged. “Things change. When opportunities appear, you have to adjust the timetable to take advantage of them. We expected Grayson to serve at least one more term, but he’s had some health issues and is apparently afraid of the continued pressure.” He grinned. “So, an opportunity for us, hey boy?” He reached out and gave Scott a playful punch on the arm.

  Scott nodded. “I’m ready. You know I’ve been eager to start.”

  Now the look in Stanford’s eyes hardened. “So it starts. Remember it takes time, but it will happen, just as we planned. Meanwhile, you need to finish the final proposal for that urban renewal project so the presentation can be made. That is key and it needs to be successful and behind you.”

  Scott nodded, starting to think of the tasks which still needed to be completed.

  “And take care of those loose ends in New York, Scott.”

  Scott looked at him with surprise.

  “I haven’t been pleased to hear about the little game you’ve been playing while you’ve been in New York. I haven’t said anything because I understand that men need their fun and, so far, these flirtations have been mostly harmless. But now, with us preparing to launch our plan, they could become dangerous. From now on you’re going to have to curb your tendency to tomcat around. Not only is it an insult to Phoebe, but it could potentially prevent you from being elected president one day. No, the public is just too sensitive to scandal these days. It’s too big a risk for you to continue. Get another hobby, like duck hunting, or mountain climbing. Something that is safer for your future. Understand?”

  Scott nodded mutely. He had no defense. As much as he didn’t like Stanford’s order, he was grateful he wouldn’t have to talk to his wife about this issue. Hell, how had Stanford even gotten wind of his little game? He thought he had been so clever. But he immediately started planning how to break it off with Karen. He needed to close off that part of his life as soon as he could. He was mortified, feeling as if he was a school boy receiving a stern scolding from the head master.

  * * *

  Karen slammed the door on Scott’s words and hurried to the elevator. When she reached the lobby she was panting from the effort it took to hold her emotions in check. Somehow she managed to make it all the way back to her apartment before bursting into sobs which dropped her to the floor right inside her door.

  She was an hour late arriving at the office the next morning and she looked terrible. Fortunately her boss was out of town for a couple days, so she made it through the day by keeping her head down and avoiding people. The next day was a Friday and she handled work better because she spent much of the day in one of the stalls in the ladies room. But Saturday it finally hit her. She was pregnant! And any thoughts she had for getting married and starting an idyllic family life were completely shattered.

  He wanted her to get an abortion!

  He was married!

  The man she loved, the father of her child, was a complete cad!

  And she realized he was right. She was a fool!

  Tuesday, at the office, a business envelope arrived addressed to her personally. It contained a cashier’s check for twenty-five thousand dollars and a typewritten note.

  “Karen, this should cover the cost of the procedure with a little over for something for you. I will remember our time together with fondness, Scott.”

  That made her so mad she almost tore the check into pieces, but sanity returned in the nick of time. She deposited the check in her bank account until she could make up her mind what to do with it.

  Meanwhile her anger was burning so hot she called Scott to tell him to go to hell, but his phone number was now disconnected. That made her even angrier. She tried to contact him at his office, only to find there was no listing in Philadelphia for a law firm under the name he gave her. Nor was there a listing for Scott Hutchins. And the only response to a Google inquiry was a man in Idaho, who couldn’t have possibly been her Scott. There was apparently no end to the lies he told.

  Karen remained isolated through the Christmas holiday. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. It was fortunate her mother was still in South America with her new husband, because she knew her mother only needed to talk to her and immediately she would know something was wrong with Karen. And, as usual, she didn’t hear from her dad. That wasn’t strange as his line of work kept him out of touch for long periods of time. So she was able to lock herself away when she wasn’t working and try to ignore the problems in her life. She didn’t make any plans, and she didn’t ponder her choices. In fact, she made her decision about the abortion by not making a decision. But deep down, she knew she would never have had an abortion no matter how hurt she was, no matter what Scott told her to do.

  Mark, her boss, was working hard adjusting to his new responsibilities. He was also trying to prove to the senior management how wise they were to promote him. He kept her very busy, which was good. Those long busy hours kept her from having time to brood, at least while she was at work. And the overtime pay was welcome. She was trying to build a nest egg, because she knew that soon she would need it. Mark must have noticed her protruding tummy, but he didn’t mention it; probably for the same reason Karen didn’t talk about it. They were both hoping it would go away.

  Some of the women gave her knowing looks. They knew, but except for one who asked her kindly if she was all right, and offered assistance, they didn’t mention her stomach directly to her. Although Karen assumed they talked a lot about her condition behind her back.

  Karen avoided her friends and tried not to consider how naïve she had been. She had been proud of her independence, and her ability to survive in New York on her own. She had always felt proud of her city smarts. This betrayal by Scott showed her just how wrong she had been. Her ego was crushed. Suddenly she couldn’t trust her judgment. How could she, after falling hook, line and sinker for Scott’s story?

  Her dad called from California near the end of February. He apparently had a new girlfriend. He said he was spending some time with her. They were going to Mexico on vacation for a couple of weeks, and then he mentioned he might come to New York to visit her.

  She was delighted to hear from him. She always worried when she didn’t hear from him for a while; he had such a dangerous job. And she was surprised at
his admission of a girlfriend. That was very unusual for him. After her first moment of panic over his plan to visit, she decided not to be too worried, because chances were he would be off on a new assignment before he got here. So she didn’t even bother to mention her condition.

  Her mother wasn’t a problem, as they continued to correspond via the Internet. Her mother announced they intended to visit Buena Aires on their vacation instead of returning to the States. Karen didn’t mention her pregnancy to her mother either, knowing she’d be on the first plane home if she knew. Then Karen would have to deal with her mother as well as everything else she was coping with.

  CHAPTER 3

  A vicious series of kicks in the stomach reminded Karen she had been sitting for a long time on the stone wall, gazing over a field while reminiscing. That child within her was reminding her it needed food. She wandered back to the road and passed the bed and breakfast where she was staying. It would soon be time for the other guests to be gathering in the parlor for sherry, but she wasn’t interested in joining them. She wasn’t drinking these days and she really didn’t want to chitchat with strangers. She headed down into the little town, toward the cafe she had noticed this morning when she took a walk after breakfast. The menu had looked interesting and now she thought an early dinner would be good, that way a snack before bed would probably do her for the day. She had eaten far too much breakfast to even consider lunch, so now she was hungry.

  She was strolling along, gazing in the windows of the shops when a display of baby things made her pause. The adorable tiny sweater and bonnet sets and frothy crocheted shawls reminded her she hadn’t as yet, bought one thing for this baby. And despite her reluctance to think about it, her baby was arriving in less than three months. She went in and sorted through the stock. Soon she had accumulated a little pile, two tiny, tiny nightgowns with elastic around the bottom to keep the baby’s feet snug and a delicate cream colored sweater set with a matching shawl. And finally, unable to resist it, she added a small beanbag cocker spaniel with a happy expression on its face and long curly ears. The price was shocking, but the package they made was small and would easily fit into the wheelie bag. She justified the expenditure by reminding herself she needed to start making preparations as she couldn’t be carrying this child around naked.