Betrayal - Fern Michaels [33]
She went to the garage through the side door off the kitchen. Her red Schwinn lay against the wall farthest from the door. Good, she thought. She pushed the button on the wall to open the electric garage door. It wasn’t real noisy. If her parents were still lounging by the pool, they’d never hear a thing.
Hurrying, Emily jumped on her bike. Pedaling as fast as she could, she veered around the huge potted plants at the end of the driveway. Once she was out of sight of her house, she slowed down. There was a Circle K convenience store a mile or two down the road. She would make a quick phone call, then be on her way. More than likely, she’d be back in her room before her parents even realized she was gone.
Twenty minutes later, she cruised through the store’s parking lot over to the pay phone at the side of the building. She read the instructions at the base of the phone just to make sure she didn’t screw up and lose her money. An automated voice came on the line instructing her to put $2.25 into the change slots. She did, then a few seconds later, Aunt Kate’s phone was ringing.
“Hello.”
“Aunt Kate, it’s me.” Emily’s hands were shaking. For a second she felt like she was betraying her family, but the feeling left as fast as it came. She was saving a man’s life.
“Emily? Why are you calling here?”
“I’m so sorry, Aunt Kate. I know what Sara did.” Embarrassed, Emily’s eyes filled with tears. She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one saw her bawling. She’d die if someone she knew saw her.
“It’s not your fault. We know that, sweetie.”
“I just want to help. They’ve got an appointment for Sara tomorrow. It’s Dr. Chambers. She’s a psychiatrist. Mom said she would go to court and testify on Sara’s behalf. I don’t know what to do, Aunt Kate. This is all so terrible.” Emily let her tears flow freely, suddenly not caring who saw her.
“This isn’t something for you to worry about. Uncle Alex and I will be just fine. We’ll get through this.”
“And I’ll never get to see you all again!” Emily’s sobs were loud. Her nose was running. She used the hem of her shirt to wipe it with.
“We don’t know that, Em. We just have to be patient, see how this works out.”
Emily nodded, then remembered she was on the phone. “I know. I just hate the thought of what this is doing to you guys. I think Sara is a mean, lying, conniving little asshole, in case you want to know.”
Kate’s laughter sounded forced. “Thanks, kiddo. It really means a lot that you believe in Alex. I’ll tell him you called.”
The automated voice came over the line telling Emily to either deposit another $1.25 for the next minute or the call would end.
“Bye, Aunt Kate. I love you!” The line went dead, but Emily was sure Kate heard her. Feeling a little better, she hopped back on her bike, pedaling toward home.
She was able to slip inside without detection. Back in her room, Emily formulated a plan. She called Amy.
“Do you think your mom’ll be suspicious?” Emily asked her best friend.
“No. She’s too busy to notice. Besides, she’ll think she’s being a better parent if I take an interest in her work,” Amy explained. Her voice held a tinge of excitement. Emily knew she could count on her.
“Her appointment is tomorrow. How long does it usually take your mom to dictate her notes?”
“She does it at the end of the day. Her secretary usually takes a day or so. Don’t worry, Em, I know the routine. I’ll do whatever I can. I always knew Sara was a little bitch, but I just never thought she’d do something like this. Of course, it could be true. Did you think of that?”
“Amy! I know my uncle, and I know Sara. There’s a reason she’s doing this. Who knows what it is, but she’s too stupid to realize the ramifications of her actions.”
“Hell, Em, you sound just like my mom,” Amy said.
“Sorry, Amy. This is just really important to me. Uncle Alex and Aunt Kate are like a second set of parents, only better. If Sara succeeds, I’ll never see them again.”
“I’ll get back to you as soon as I have something to report.”
Emily smiled. “I knew you’d come through.