Rose House by Tina Ann Forkner

Author:Tina Ann Forkner [Forkner, Tina Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-45793-6
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2009-09-09T04:00:00+00:00

29

TWO MONTHS HAD PASSED SINCE Lillian and Geena had returned to Sacramento. Lillian went back to her work with Chef George, and Geena started a new job as a waitress at a family restaurant downtown. There had been no indications that either of them was being followed since leaving La Rosaleda. They both hoped the caller had moved on.

Geena had suggested more than once that maybe the caller had been Truman. Lillian had only laughed.

“That’s ridiculous, Geena. He didn’t even know Robert,” Lillian told her, dismissing the idea. “I think everything that happened in La Rosaleda is circumstantial and that the person, or people, who followed me all those years ago were mixed up in Robert’s illegal dealings. They were just trying to scare us. Now they’ve stopped.”

They were sitting on Lillian’s couch, folding Geena’s laundry, since Geena had yet to buy a washing machine and dryer for her new place.

“I don’t know,” Geena said. “What about the call?”

Lillian pinned Geena with a glare. “You know more than I do, don’t you, Geena? Why ask me?”

“It just doesn’t add up. There is still something bothering me about all of this. I simply can’t believe that everything that happened in La Rosaleda was just happenstance. That place has some kind of curse on it.”

“That’s silly, Geena. La Rosaleda is a wonderful town. It was all a mix-up. You know Charles didn’t mean any harm. His intentions were not dangerous.”

“How do you know?” Geena asked. “Maybe he can’t be trusted the way Sunshine House seems to think. It’s still possible that Truman used him.”

“Even though Tru lied to me about the painting, he wouldn’t do something like that. He didn’t need to go through someone else to get to me. I was there for the taking.”

“He seduced you into thinking he was harmless. And now Paige, who is too trusting for her own good, has convinced you that Charles is harmless too, even though he endangered her daughter.”

“No, he didn’t,” said Lillian. “Not really. You should give the kid a break.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll give him a break when that school takes his privileges away for good. I don’t think he needs to be running around scaring people. And he’s not a kid.”

“Some people would say you are prejudiced toward Charles, Geena.”

“I don’t care about political correctness, Lillian. I care about our safety.”

“You know what, sis? You are talking crazy, trying to make connections where there aren’t any. What has made you so paranoid? What do you know that makes your mind jump to the ridiculous? This isn’t some crime to be solved.”

“Maybe it is!” Geena retorted. “Maybe if you knew everything that I do, you’d have the good sense to be scared!”

“But I don’t know, because you won’t tell me!”

“Some things are better left alone,” Geena said.

“No! No, they aren’t. You just said if I knew, I would be scared. Tell me what is turning you into such a detective! Or maybe all of this talk about being in danger is just your way to deflect the real truth.

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