Annie's Rainbow - Fern Michaels [88]
They were twin streaks of black lightning the moment Annie opened her bedroom door. Panting and breathless, they waited at the kitchen door for their mistress to open it.
The air was clear and dark, the heavens star-spangled. A faint light from the second-floor landing shone downward, illuminating Tom sitting on one of the wooden benches under the old angel oak.
Tom held out a Budweiser to his sister. “This is nice out here, Annie. Do you spend much time here in the garden?”
“Sometimes. It doesn’t feel like home for some reason. The house is big and beautiful, this garden with the tree is magnificent. I think I like it better than the house. I don’t know what it is. It’s simply a place, and I find that sad.”
“Maybe it’s because you don’t have anyone to share it with. You’ve been alone a long time, Annie. Now that you and Parker are together I’m so happy for you I could just bust. Is there anything you want to talk about?”
Annie could think of a hundred things. She shook her head. “Well, maybe one thing, Tom.” She told him about Jane.
“That rotten SOB.”
“Yeah, he’s that all right. I told Jane she could come back and work for the company. I’m willing to share. She could help you, Tom. With Elmo . . . it might work,” she finished lamely.
“Look, sis, I know that Elmo’s condition came out of left field to you as well as it did to me. I’ve come to depend on him and his good sense. No one can replace him. We both know that. This is just my opinion, and you can chop me off at the knees if you want, but I don’t think you should just give anything to Jane. If she works for it, fine. If she has to work for her money, she might not be so quick to squander it next time. It was how I learned, thanks to you.”
“We’ll work-it out in the morning. Jane’s too proud to take. She’ll want to work.”
“Tell me about Parker, Annie. Share a little. You looked so happy, so sparkly when you got off the plane. Now you look like you’ve been through the grinder.”
“Jet lag, no sleep, different water, it takes its toll. I think I’m happy. No, that’s not true. I feel very confused where Parker is concerned. It’s like he’s got everything all mapped out. All these plans. It’s almost as though . . . he knew this was going to happen. I don’t know if I want to live on an island no matter how beautiful it is. Parker says we should look into decaf coffees. I don’t think we can handle anything else, do you, Tom?”
“I’ll run it by Elmo tomorrow. He loves it when we ask for advice. Listen, Annie, I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others, but something happened a few days ago. Mona called me. I have no idea how she found me. I didn’t ask, and she didn’t say. She didn’t even ask about the kids. Do you believe that?”
“Sure I believe that. Did she want more money?”
“No. She said some guy named Newman came to her house and started asking her a lot of questions. Personal questions. Like why did we get divorced. Why did she give up the kids. She told him it was none of his business. At least that’s what she said she said. I believed her. She said he hinted that he knew what her bank balance was. If nothing else, Mona can smell trouble. She claims she just stared him down, and he finally left. She thought I should know. I sent her ten thousand dollars in cash through Federal Express. I know only a stupid person would do something like that. So I’m stupid and I did it. She got it just fine. Money talks, Annie, and money can buy silence. I went with the latter because I don’t know where you got the money you gave me to buy off Mona, and I don’t want to know. The businesses are cash cows, we all know that. If you ever get audited, you’re going to have to be able to explain the missing hundred grand. If that jerk Newman manages to tap into Mona’s old bank records, it could happen. She said she only deposited small amounts at a