Coaster (10 page)

                                                                      ****

She lay in bed. It was quiet in the house since he was out in the garage. Clara got up slowly and moved down the hall like a ghost. Her bare feet barely made a whisper on the carpeting. Opening the guest room door she stood looking at the mess that Rachel and her family had left. Open suitcases, clothes, personal articles, and the kids' laptops lay in piles. Everything was strewn about as if they were coming home any minute. She felt the tears roll down her cheek. Clara stood there thinking,
I should clean this up
. But she didn't move. Just stood there taking deep breaths while taking in their scent. She imagined their things were now hers. Except maybe Mitch's parents might want something.

What would happen to Rachel's
house and everything in it? Rachel and her family had a whole life somewhere else. For right now Clara just stood there.

"This is mine." She said quietly and that was all that mattered right now.

             
                                                        ****

Diana's bags were packed and she was waiting for the car when James walked in. He opened the door and looked at her suitcases sitting there.

"Darling, what are you doing?"

Diana didn't face him but continued searching in her purse. "Leaving."

"I'm sorry. You're leaving? Why?"

"I am going home. Once I get there I will be divorcing you." Diana turned and folded her arms across her chest.

James
' face went blank. "Darling, divorcing me? Whatever for?"

Diana raised her eyebrows. "Really? You're going to play dumb?"

James didn't flinch and his expression never changed. "I do not know what you're talking about. I love you, pet."

Diana laughed. "James, you not only do not love me
, but you've been shagging everyone you've met almost immediately after we left the cathedral. You really think I'm that daft." Diana uncrossed her arms and paused before she said, "How's Regina?"

James gulp was immediate. "Regina? She's here to take care of things."

Diana pointed to his crotch. "How's she doing?" Diana put her hands up. "No, don't answer that. James, it was fine pretending to be married before and for quite a while I actually fancied you. But now that the children are...." she paused feeling her throat catch. "Anyway, I'm booked on the Concorde tomorrow in New York, so I have to go catch a flight there now." Diana picked up her purse and moved toward the door.

James stepped towards her and took her arms. "You are not going to do this."

Diana felt his anger rising. She'd planned for that. "Let go of me."

Her voice was strong and he
was shocked at the fortitude it delivered. He let go and she stepped back.

She opened her purse, pulled out a little
pistol, and pointed it at him. "Now, you're going to move away from the door so I can leave, right?"

James
' eyes were wide with shock. "Diana, are you mad? What are you doing with a gun?"

"Getting ready to shoot you if you touch me again."
Diana never took the gun off of him.

The realization of the situation was registering with James. Diana watched as the panic began to set in. The money, the prestige, the name
, was all hers. He had gotten where he was because of her connections. Being a cousin, even distant, to the Queen opened all doors and James had taken full advantage of that. Of course, he'd opened his pants just as much, which was embarrassing for Diana. She'd loved him at some point so she had ignored the infidelities, but no longer. Her children were dead and she had to change. She couldn't be this joke of a human being a minute longer. She had to stop simply being a privileged woman who never did anything but go to lunch and charity fetes. Anne had wanted more. Christopher had wanted more. Now Diana was going to live because they couldn't. Everything had changed with their deaths. She heard the knock on the door.

"That's the bellman. I'm not going to need this, am I
, James?" Diana waved the gun at him and then put it back in her purse. She had seen the defeat in his face.

"But
, pet, I do love you. We could make this work. We could go away to Brighton and rekindle...everything."

The begging was pathetic. Diana felt the revulsion course through her. "No dear, we are done. I am meeting with a barrister when I get home and will have papers sent here. I assume you will be staying here for a while?"

James nodded slowly. "Well it seems I have to stay so the bastards don't boggle this situation at the park. I want justice for Anne and Christopher. Diana, I did love them." His eyes began to tear. "And I do love you, too."

Diana f
elt nothing. It surprised her because James had always been able to keep her coming back to him. She never understood the magnetism he had. But now, she felt nothing. He looked small, pathetic, and honestly, he sickened her. She picked up her purse and turned to leave.

"Ta, James."

             
                                                        ****

Lindy was lying on her bed when her father checked on her after returning from the store. Since she was sleeping, he went back to the kitchen and put the groceries away. He decided on a quick drink and opened the freezer. The bottle was gone. He looked through all the frozen vegetables and meat and then paused.
Did I take it upstairs with me and just forgot
?

Something pulled at him to kee
p looking. He went upstairs into his bedroom. He looked by the bed but the bottle wasn't there. Then he went into the bathroom and saw the pill containers were still sitting on the counter. He felt his throat release. He didn't realize that he'd been thinking about Lindy, until the relief had flooded him. But still he felt the pull to check on her. He walked to her room and slowly opened the door. She looked so peaceful with her hair tumbled around her face. She was curled up with the blanket pulled under her chin just like when she'd been a little girl. He moved towards her and his foot hit something. He looked down and saw the vodka bottle and felt his heart constrict.

"No! Lindy, no!
" He screamed. He knew before he even touched her. He knew she'd done it. He crumpled to the ground and the sobs came from his soul. He crawled to the bed and touched her face. It was stone cold. "No, honey. You didn't."

He felt as if his heart was being crushed by metal. He felt the ache so deep inside him his tears wouldn't even come. He could only say 'no' over and over.

She looked so peaceful and she was so beautiful. He sat there for hours stroking her face and pushing her hair back from her forehead while remembering every moment he'd held her, loved her, saw her smile, and his heart continued to break. He knew he should call someone, but then they would take her away and he couldn't do it. He needed her there.

                                                                      ****

La Rosa sat at the table in the diner waiting. It was a hole in the wall, but surprisingly the coffee was good. She looked out the window at the street. The neighborhood was dingy. Gang members strode confidently down the street and business owners watched warily. She felt like she should unlatch her gun on her belt, but fought the urge. She looked at her watch. He was late. She didn't like sitting here for so long.

The waitress came by and spoke in Spanish.

"No, nothing. Thank you. Gracias." La Rosa responded.

The bell above the door jingled and she
saw him walk in. He was wearing an expensive suit and it fit him well. La Rosa felt the same catch in her throat she always did when she saw him. He walked confidently towards her booth. She smelled his cologne before he arrived.

"
Mi vida, how are you?" He touched La Rosa's arm while nodding at the waitress who quickly came over.

"Hola,
Maria. Cómo estás?" He rattled off his order in Spanish and then looked at La Rosa. "You want anything, mi vida?"

"No
, thanks. Coffee is good for me. And stop calling me that."

"
What? Mi vida, but you are mi amor. At least it's that way for me. You, obviously not so much. It's been a long time, eh? How is everything?"

La Rosa kept the butterflies at bay. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking. You seem to be making a name for yourself."

He smiled at her in that way he had. "You're following me?"

"Cops talk, Fernando."

He seemed disappointed. "Oh, I see. So to what do I owe this meeting?"

La Rosa took a sip of her coffee. It had gone cold and she winced a bit. He noticed and
signaled the waitress over with a pouring motion. She came and filled up the coffee cup and La Rosa nodded and said, "Thank you." It was uncanny how he could be so gentlemanly in so many ways, but such an ass in others. "I called you because I have a friend that needs an attorney."

"A friend?
It's not you, is it?" He smiled and his white teeth flashed.

"No
, it's not me. You know the thing at the amusement park?"

"Of course, it's the talk of the town."

"Well, the mechanic. His name is Roger Merit. It looks like he's gonna take the fall for it, even though he had nothing to do with it. They need a head to roll and his has been chosen. But he's a nice guy and I feel sorry for him. Seems no attorney in this town will touch his case. So I thought of you." She paused knowing that didn't sound very good.

He chuckled. "Well, it's good to b
e wanted." He paused as the waitress set his food down in front of him. "Gracias, señora."

La Rosa waited as he added hot sauce to his huevos rancheros. "How's your mom?"

He looked up with surprise. "She's good. She's been healthy lately. Thanks for asking. How's your brother doing? Staying out of trouble?"

La Rosa looked away. "No, he's away."

Fernando nodded. He knew what that meant, and knew she wouldn't want to talk about it. "The mechanic? He a friend of yours?"

"No. Nothing like that. I just feel for the guy. He's in way over his head. The suits at the corporation are chumming the water for him and he doesn't have a chance in hell unless he gets someone to help him. And you, Fernando, are just the guy. You're a brilliant lawyer with questionable ethics. He needs you."

"Tell me what's going on. At least as much as you can."

They spent the next twenty minutes with La Rosa telling him the basics of the case whil
e he ate his breakfast. She stopped when he asked the waitress for some flan.

"Still have that sweet tooth I see, Fernando.
But flan for breakfast?"

Fernando smiled. "Listen it has eggs and milk in it. Technically that's breakfast items."

She continued talking and when she was finished, he pushed his plate away and wiped his face. "Mi vida..."

La Rosa gave him a dirty look.

"Sorry." He shrugged and winked at her. "La Rosa." He opened his hands as if to ask permission to continue. "I am the guy for this job. Of course, I won't deny that the press isn't enticing too. But truthfully the chance to get this close to something like this probably won't happen often for me. As you know I've rubbed some people the wrong way, but I would love the chance to be the savior for the sacrificial lamb. Give me his number and I'll call him. Am I telling him you're involved?"

"No. I can't be. It wouldn't look right."

Fernando laughed. "Understand."

La Rosa pushed a piece of paper at him. "Here's his number. Thanks. I appreciate it." She stood up. "I got your breakfast."

He looked up at her. "Thanks." He grabbed her hand and rubbed her fingers. "Listen, I'm sorry. I know I'm an ass. I screwed up. But thanks for this."

La Rosa felt the charge go
through her and pulled her hand away. "I know. It's alright. I gotta go." She went to the counter and paid the bill never looking back at the table.

Chapter Thirteen

There were police everywhere. He sat in the corner watching over her while they asked him a barrage of questions. He felt numb. No one touched Lindy while he was sitting there. He heard footsteps and a commotion out in the hall. He looked up and saw the detective that had brought her home that horrible night. She entered the room looking confused. Her brow was furrowed. When she saw Lindy lying on the bed, she looked as if someone had punched her. Stepping back she put her hand to her mouth. He looked down and the tears finally came.

                                                                      ****

Detective La Rosa was visibly shaken. The girl was lying in a pink bedroom with a blanket wrapped around her. She looked peaceful, as if she was taking a nap. La Rosa felt bile in her throat. "Damn it."

One of the CSI team touched La Rosa's
arm. "It happened early this morning. The dad went to run a couple of errands and go to the grocery store." He nodded to the man in the chair in the corner.

La Rosa nodded and moved towards Lindy's father.

He looked destroyed and his eyes were wet with tears as he looked up at La Rosa. "She did it. I didn't think she would. I had an appointment tomorrow with the counselor you gave me." He began to sob.

"I'
m so sorry." There wasn't anything else for La Rosa to say.

He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "She left this." He handed it to her.

La Rosa went to pull on gloves but then stopped. This wasn't a murder scene. It was obvious what happened. She read the note. It wasn't long, only a few lines. She handed it back to Lindy's father, but not before seeing the tear mark on the page. La Rosa had to get out of there.

She rushed from the room and down the steps. She didn't stop until she had walked almost two blocks. The tears came hot and fast. She was crying so hard she couldn't catch her breath. Luckily there wasn't anyone around to see her. La Rosa felt ill and steppe
d behind a bush to vomit. After she stood and put a piece of gum into her mouth. She made her way back to the house completely composed.

                                                                      ****

Roger listened to the message two times and wrote the phone number down on a legal pad. The lawyer's name was Fernando Diaz and he didn't say how he'd gotten Roger's number, but Roger was pretty sure who had given it to him. He dialed and got a voicemail, so he left a message.

"Dad, where are you?" Tori was yelling from her bedroom.

He sighed. "Tori, don't yell through the house." Then he smiled because he was yelling.

It wasn't lost on her. She walked into the kitchen, h
er hands on her hips. "Really, Dad?"

"Hey, I'm the parent. What did you want?" He smiled at her.

"Can I go to Lisa's tonight and spend the night? Pleeeeaase?" She had her hands together in a prayer position and cocked her head to be coy.

"Are her parents gonna be there? Don't lie to me 'cause I'm gonna call over there and check." He looked at her sternly.

"Yes. They're having a party and Lisa wants reinforcements."

"I guess so. But you h
ave dance at ten tomorrow. Your mom is going to pick you up. Did you tell her yet?"

"Yes,
she's cool with it. Thank you, Daddy." Tori bounced over and hugged him.

"You're welcome. Now get outside. The bus will be here soon."

As Tori left and quiet descended, he dialed La Rosa's phone number. She answered on the second ring. "Detective La Rosa."

"Hi, it's Roger. Roger Merit."

"Oh, hello, Mr. Mer...Roger."

"I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For getting me an attorney. I had a message from Fernando Diaz this morning. Since I don't know anyone by that name, I'm assuming you do know him. Seriously, thank you very much."

"You're welcome. He's good. Not entirely respected by the powers that be, but I think that can work in your favor. He's intelligent and truly a good lawyer."

Roger felt the need to ask her something
, but it felt weird. "Detective La Rosa, I know this may sound weird, but, are you all right?"

She didn't answer.

Roger then knew something was wrong. "Are you okay?"

La Rosa cleared her throat. "Lindy Frank killed herself this morning."

"What?" Roger felt his throat tighten as he recalled her face the day of the explosion. "How?"

"She took pills
and washed them down with vodka."

"
Her father must be crushed." Roger waited thinking about how Lindy had reminded him of Tori. "Were you...have you seen...." He didn't know what to ask.

La Rosa quickly ended the conversation.
"Listen, I gotta go. I'll be in touch."

"Yeah, go. Hey
, thanks again."

"No problem." The phone went dead.

"Holy shit." Roger was stunned. He wondered what he could do. He felt so bad for Lindy and her father. "God damn it."

                                                                      ****

Diana
had arrived in New York very late last night. As the limo drove to the Waldorf Hotel she listened to the message from her father. He'd done everything she wanted. Diana breathed out slowly. She felt calm and oddly good. Strength surged through her even though she still had to plan the memorial service for the children. Diana still felt as if she had broken free from jail. She felt determined. After checking in and being escorted by three bellmen to her suite she stood at the window looking out at New York when her phone rang.

"Hello."

"Diana, it's James. Are you sure you want to do this?" There was pleading underneath the question.

Diana smiled.
"Yes. It's done. James, I don't want to talk to you for a while. I will see you in a week when you come back for the service. But until then, please don't call me." She heard him exhale.

"
But Diana...." He sighed. "Okay, if you're sure that's what you want, I'll let you be." The phone died.

Diana heard the knock on the door and moved to open it. There was a giant
bouquet of red roses.

"Ma'am, thes
e just came for you." The concierge was hidden behind the bouquet.

Diana stopped him from entering.
"I don't want them. Take them away."

He looked
around the flowers. "Ma'am?"

"Take them away. Give them to someone else. Throw them in the trash. I don't care what you do with them. But I don't want them."

He nodded and turned to walk away but stopped. "Do you want the card?"

While she was being strong
, she couldn't resist seeing what he said. "Yes."

He handed her the thick envelope of watermarked paper. "Hold on." She went to
her purse and returned with a twenty. "Thank you."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Diana shut the door and walked back to the window. She pulled the card out. It said simply, 'Please.'

                                                                      ****

James was still holding the phone in his hand when Regina came out of the loo. She was gorgeous with her black hair tumbling around her. Her skin was flawless. She worked very hard to keep herself perfect. She picked up her red robe from the floor and walked toward the bed. She looked like a sleek, wild cat. She crawled across the bed toward him her breasts swung enticingly.

She purred.
"Who was on the phone?"