Forget What You Know by Christina Dodd

Author:Christina Dodd
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-19T16:26:13+00:00

34

“It’s not your mom,” the voice said in Zoey’s ear. “It’s Sally, and I need to talk to your mother!”

Sally was Morgayne’s assistant, a normally even-tempered woman who handled everything with aplomb. Now she sounded frazzled, and Zoey used her soothing voice. “I don’t know where she is. I thought you—”

“The Durant divorce is exploding in massive piles of shit, and she’s not answering her phone!”

“I know. She told me she might not be in touch... I think she said that...” Zoey rubbed her forehead. “I was on painkillers. The memory’s vague. Didn’t she appoint another lawyer to work with Mrs. Durant?”

“Yes, but that lawyer wasn’t prepared to deal with a murder!”

“Mr. Durant killed Mrs. Durant?”

“Turn that around!”

“That’s not good.” Not even Luca and Zoey had considered murder. Not seriously, anyway.

“There’s so much money involved! They got into a fight about who got custody of their cat—and she killed him.” Sally sounded exasperated with the antics of the very rich. “Now Mrs. Durant wants the best to handle her case. She wants your mother and your mother has vanished.”

“Did you explain my mother’s a divorce lawyer, not a defense lawyer?”

“She’s not listening to me. I’m just the legal assistant with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies.” Sally spaced her words precisely. “She would listen to your mother!”

“Did you send somebody to Mom’s condo to make sure she’s not there?”

“The housekeepers were there. They hadn’t seen your mother. Neither had the doorman or the facilities manager.”

“I’ll call her again, but—Sally, did Mom ever talk about a dragon?”

“A what?”

Immediately Zoey felt stupid. “The stuff I remember is so random. Something about a dragon, and her honor, and my father hitting her—”

“That would explain her choice of career. The part about your father, not the dragon and her honor.” Sally sighed. “I’ll try to find someone else who will satisfy Mrs. Durant. In the meantime, search for your mom and I’ll do the same.” She sounded more worried than exasperated. “You don’t suppose she’s run into trouble?”

“If she has, I feel sorry for the trouble,” Zoey assured her, but when she hung up she called her mother’s cell and let it ring until voice mail picked up, and left an urgent message.

Zoey took a fortifying breath and re-entered the tearoom, and found Luca leaning over Ripley and talking rapidly. Winifred was running to the table holding a wet washcloth, which she pressed to Ripley’s face. The big woman, the blowsy blonde, watched with her hands on her hips.

Zoey pushed her way in. “What’s wrong?”

Winifred thrust pills at Ripley. “Here’s the pills you asked for. Swallow them fast!”

Luca handed Ripley a glass of water and leaned close until she swallowed it.

Winifred turned to Zoey. “She’s got a bee allergy and she put honey in her tea.”

Zoey got a glimpse of Ripley’s fiercely resentful face. “Stupid weakness,” she mumbled through swollen lips.

“Have you called an ambulance?” Zoey asked.

“My assistant is here.” Ripley gestured to Blowsy. “Yolanda will take me to a doc.”

“I don’t suppose you could wait while I had some tea.

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