Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
Isabelle
The way Alani picked up her things and left concerns me.
I don’t believe for one moment she wanted something from the store and then stayed out all night.
I needed to make the situation clear to her.
It’s my memoirs after all—not what she decides to write.
After Linc told me about Rachel being Alani’s relative and then Alani finding Rachel’s sister, who promised to tell her about the circumstances of her birth, I need to hold a family meeting.
Lunch isn’t usually a family affair. I insist on seeing my family together at least once a week so my request isn’t unusual.
Around the table, everyone seems to be engrossed in their own thoughts.
I pick at my fruit platter and turn to Linc.
“Do you figure Alani will come back or have I scared off another ghostwriter?”
“What did you do?” Linc narrows his gaze at me.
I explain. “See, it was nothing. I just want the book my way is all.”
“She’s tougher than you think.” Linc bites into his burger and shrugs. “We had a long chat. I like her and she gives me the impression of being honest.” He glances around the table. “What impressions did you get from Alani?”
“I like her too.” Lucas dips a fry into ketchup and stirs it around slowly. “She’s smart and understands how we tick.”
I watch as he pushes the fry into his mouth, leaving a slick of red on his bottom lip before reaching for another. “Doesn’t it concern you that as she works for the tabloids, she could demand a good price for dirt on our family?”
“Honestly, Mom, Alani isn’t like that.” Oliver opens a can of soda and shakes his head. “You’ve always gotta make a big deal out of everything. Why get someone to write your memoirs if you don’t want people to know about your past?”
“I agree with Oliver.” Linc wipes his mouth on a paper napkin.
“She’s professional. Look how many people are asking her to write for them.
For someone so young, she has really made a name for herself.
” He pours himself a cup of coffee and adds the fixings.
“We know what fame is like and she’s handling the stress just fine. ”
I stare at him wondering why he’s taking her side. “She craves fame. I didn’t want her name on the book but her agent insisted.”
“It’s not on the book.” Linc shakes his head.
“You agreed, like all the other people whose memoirs she’s written, to allow her to write a preface as your collaborator and stating that everything in the book has been fact-checked for accuracy.
Honestly, Izzy, you’re making way too much out of this.
If you don’t want her to write the book, pay out her contract and send her on her way. ”
I notice Mia isn’t saying anything. I’ve enlisted her as my spy. “Tell them what you discovered.”
“I know why she went home and it wasn’t because you made demands on her outside of her contract. It was personal.” Mia yawns. “I’m tired, Mom, do we need to discuss this now?”
They believe I don’t watch out for them but I still stay awake waiting for them to come home, late into the night.
Mia slept through breakfast and looks like something the cat dragged in.
Her hair is limp from sleeping with it wet all night.
I’d heard the shower going, the pipes clank, and at night it seems louder.
I guess she wasn’t too drunk to take a shower at least. I meet her gaze and nod.
“We all need to know her secrets as she wants to know ours. Tell us what you know.”
“Not much, only what Dad told you. She’s adopted and I get the impression she hates her parents.
Who never returns home during college and then moves to New York?
Something big happened there and I’ll find out.
” Mia dips her finger into the ketchup on her plate and licks it. “What else do you know about her, Dad?”
“Her parents didn’t tell her about the adoption until the night before she left for college, and she hated them for lying to her.
Recently she hunted down her birth parents.
Strange as it may seem, she’s a close relative of Rachel Stackhouse—the ‘Black Valentine’ victim.
Alani found Rachel’s sister, Susan Bright, and she’s made plans to see her about some family secret. ”
My heart is pounding. “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there? Did you know Rachel?”
“No, I’ve never met the woman but you’ve met her, haven’t you?
” Linc’s expression hardens as he stares at me over the rim of his coffee cup.
“This is all a suspicious long stream of coincidences. I just discovered you knew her. In fact, you were in the same ward when Rachel gave birth to the result of the rape.” He turns to Mia.
“Your mom had you during a hurricane and it was the closest place the driver could find.” He sighs.
“Before you ask, I was away on tour and you came early.”
“I know about the hurricane.” Mia waves a hand dismissively and rolls her eyes. “Who cares?”
“This is nuts.” Lucas sniggers. “Are you telling me the woman who gave birth beside you in a hurricane is Alani’s relative?
Wow, she must come from some twisted family if she was adopted too.
Then we discover Alani ends up being adopted by Sam and Willow?
” He raises both eyebrows. “That’s crazy cool. ”
I shake my head. “No, it’s not cool. Her relative is also the woman who died in the ‘Black Valentine’ murder.
” I look from one to the other. “All this just came to light. I’m starting to believe Sam knows everything and suggested Alani as my ghostwriter so she could implicate your father in her murder.
” I stare at Linc. “It’s some type of scam to get money from us—or ruin us. I’m sure of it.”
“We need to find out.” Lucas leans forward, his eyes dancing with excitement. “We could write a song about this—it’s gold.”
The world shifts and I stare at the grape stuck to the end of a fork. It’s plump and juice is dripping from it, a perfect specimen but I have no appetite now. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I believe she’s a threat too but don’t fire her.” Mia leans forward, her eyes intent. “You know what they say about keeping your enemies close? Now we’re all aware, we’ll need to be careful what we say around her.” Her mouth curls up at the edges. “Don’t worry. I’ll watch her.”
I hear a shuffle of feet and turn to see Allison standing transfixed in the doorway. She’s heard everything. Mia looks at me and raises one eyebrow. I turn my attention back to Allison. “Yes, what is it?”
“I wondered if you’d like to make a plan of the times you want to speak to Alani?” Heat flushes Allison’s cheeks. “I’m sure she needs to organize her writing time.”
I shake my head. “No, I’ll speak with her myself. It’s your day off, why aren’t you out enjoying yourself?”
“I had a few things to do.” Allison backs away. “We’ll talk later.”
As her footsteps disappear along the hallway, I turn to Linc. “She overheard everything. She’s always snooping.”
“She’s your assistant, she knows everything about you already.” Linc chuckles. “You’re getting paranoid.”
“Allison didn’t know the latest developments—but she does now.” Mia selects two joined cherries from a bowl and hangs them over one ear like earrings and admires her reflection in the back of a spoon. “Alani and her could easily make trouble.”
I nod and pluck the cherries from her hair and toss them onto the table. “Stop acting the fool, Mia. This is serious.” I look around the table. “All of us need to watch them now.”