It feels strange to take my clothes off in the foyer with two guards standing nearby, but I don’t argue because I know that time is of the essence.
“She’s here,” John says, listening to the radio in his ear. “She’s on her way from the guardhouse now.”
I shuck off the rest of my clothes, and Alexis hands them to John while I pull on the sweats. He takes the clothes away, and she rises on her tiptoes and ruffles my hair. Then she grabs my hand and drags me through to the living room, where Clara is sitting with Harry.
“Okay, I’m out of here,” Clara says, hopping to her feet. “If anyone asks, I’m not here.”
Alexis chuckles. “I hardly think they’ll be asking for you. Thanks, Clara.”
Clara leaves, and we slide onto the couch on either side of Harry. He barely seems to notice our arrival, eyes glued to the colorful characters prancing across the screen. The flamboyance of the program mixes uncomfortably with the jagged suspense dancing up my spine, and I struggle to calm my racing heartbeat.
“Sir,” John says, arriving at the doorway. “There’s a Ruby Flint here to see you. She says it’s urgent.”
“What the hell could she want from me on a Saturday morning?” I complain loudly. “Tell her to go away and make an appointment with me during office hours.”
We both know she won’t, but this is all part of the lie. I’m reacting how I would normally react if Ruby showed up unannounced during time with my family.
John disappears and shows up again a second later. “I’m afraid she will not leave without being seen.”
I sigh. “Fine, let her in.”
Ruby stomps down the hall a moment later, her heels echoing on the marble. I tense, and Alexis rubs her hand over my back, just as Ruby appears in the doorway.
“Ms. Flint,” I greet before she has a chance to speak. “This is highly inappropriate.”
Ruby sashays into the room, pointed chin held high. Her auburn hair is pulled back into a simple ponytail, rather than the severe bun she normally sports, but she is wearing her usual full face of makeup. Dark lipstick, heavily lined eyes, too much blush.
“I wouldn’t interrupt your…” She flicks her eyes between Harry, Alexis, and I. “Family time if it weren’t important.”
“So, what is it?” I ask, voice thick with irritation.
She blinks. “Perhaps we should go somewhere private to speak.”
“Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of my family.” I lean back, letting the lie wash over me.
I have been here all morning, watching cartoons with my family. I’ve had two cups of coffee and some toast. I’m planning to take my family out for a nice lunch in a little bit.
“Hmm.” Ruby purses her lips. “We received an anonymous tip that a rival crime syndicate was planning to kidnap and possibly murder the leader of the Irish Mafia, Kevin Lynch. After staking out the location, a town car that matches the description of one you own fled from the scene. There was a brief chase, but the car got away.”
I laugh. “I’m sorry, Ruby. Can I just clarify that this has nothing to do with my father’s murder? You’re trying to insinuate that I’m involved with organized crime now?”
She takes a long, exaggerated look around the room, at the crown moldings, antique furniture, and brocade curtains. When she looks back at me, she smiles. “I’m not suggesting anything,” she says, clearly suggesting something. “However, I would be interested in having a look at your town car.”
“It’s not here,” I reply. “I believe it’s in the shop today.”
“And I suppose you’ll be able to provide all the necessary documentation to support that claim?” Ruby asks in a way that suggests she knows how easily I will be able to falsify some mechanic reports.
“Of course,” I reply. “Though you’ll have to wait until I am back in my office on Monday. Unless that is, I’m under arrest?”
Her mouth pinches in a sour smile. “Not yet.”
“Good.” I wave John over. “John will see you out.”
But Ruby doesn’t budge an inch. She turns her piercing gaze to Alexis instead.
“Alexis, how lovely to see you.” Her words drip like syrup onto the floor.
“I would say the same, but I’m afraid I share Gabriel’s opinion on your intrusion,” Alexis remarks. “This is highly inappropriate, and we will be lodging a complaint with your superiors.”
Fuck, she makes me proud sometimes.
“How very interesting.” Ruby clears her throat. “Just one question before I leave, then. Alexis, can you confirm that you have been with Gabriel all morning? I’d just like to remind you that if I find out you’re lying, you’ll both be in hot water.”
Time seems to lengthen as Alexis doesn’t answer right away. My heart cracks from one beat to the next, and I worry that this is all too much for Alexis, too soon. She has never had to cover for me with the police before, never had to outright lie to a figure of authority.
Alexis finally nods. “Yes, he’s been here all morning. And it was such a lovely morning before you showed up.”
Ruby eyes Alexis suspiciously but turns to leave. “I’m not going to drop this, Gabriel,” she calls over her shoulder as she exits the living room.
“We’ll see about that,” Alexis mutters.
We settle back into the couch and watch cartoons in silence. When I have confirmation from John that Ruby is well and truly gone, I turn to Alexis and grab her hand.
“Thank you,” I say.
“No problem.”
“Was that okay?” I ask. “Did you—did you not have a problem lying to the police?”
Alexis pulls my hand over and places it on her belly, pressing down. Her baby bump is barely visible, but I can feel the firmness of it.
“When it comes to our family, I’ll do anything,” she says.
We stay like that for a long time, until a commercial break effectively unglues Harry from the screen.
“Dada,” he says, grinning up at me. “Wanna play airplane?”
24
Alexis
Clara’s blonde head is bent low over the desk as she examines the set of photographs splayed across the wood. I went through a few of the older treatment centers yesterday and took photos of areas that could use some improvement, and Clara is helping me create a budget for the work.
“I think the most important things we should focus on are the kitchens,” she says. “You want these places to feel like a home, and kitchens are at the heart of that. You want them clean and accessible, with lots of seating. They should be the kind of place people want to hang out and make a meal together.” She looks up, smiling. “Recovery necessitates a lot of human interaction in my experience. It’s a lot easier to retreat into the darkness if you feel like you’re alone.”
I nod. “That sounds good. We can definitely do that.”
She goes back to looking at the photos, and I wonder if she’s ever going to say anything about the cops coming around to the mansion two days ago. I know I only asked her to watch Harry for a few minutes while I got Gabriel ready in the foyer, but that still made her complicit in the deception. Yet she hasn’t said anything about it.