The Guest List by Michaels Fern

Author:Michaels, Fern [Michaels, Fern]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781420128802
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp
Published: 2009-02-01T00:00:00+00:00

Mallory cut the engine of the powerful Corvette and sat for a moment. She was almost at the bottom of the long driveway, the high iron gates and small guardhouse in her full line of vision. All kinds of emotions rivered through her body. She’d sworn never to come back here and yet, here she was.

It was a beautiful estate, with rolling emerald lawns and beautiful old oaks with lacy Spanish moss dripping from the branches. In the spring and summer, all manner of flowers bloomed in profusion. With autumn in the air, she could smell the scent of burning leaves.

The building known as Argone sat high on a sloping hill. Once it had been a thriving Southern plantation. Now it was a medical facility and school all rolled into one. An institution, no matter what you called it. The doors all had locks and dead bolts. The windows carried invisible security lasers that set off sirens throughout the building if tampered with. She should know. In the early years, she’d set off those alarms more times than she cared to remember.

A vise of fear gripped Mallory as she turned on the engine. She took three deep breaths and exhaled slowly. She was a visitor, not a guest, as the doctors liked to refer to the patients. The word inmate was more appropriate. Visitors could leave anytime they felt like it. Now, no one could keep her there, not even her adoptive parents. She was of age now, her own person. Still, she hesitated, perspiration dotting her forehead.

“Just do it, Mallory. Drive up to the guardhouse, salute if you want to, announce your name, and drive up to the building. Park the car in Visitors Parking, go into the lobby, sign in, ask for Constance Oldmeyer, and wait for her to come out to greet you. You can do it! You have to do it!”

Mallory pressed her foot on the accelerator and shifted gears. She stopped precisely on the yellow line. Leaning her head out the window, she said in a clear voice, “April Jones to see Constance Oldmeyer. I called earlier, she’s expecting me.” Mallory had decided to use an alias to cover her tracks. She’d given Constance the alias when she’d called ahead.

“Yes, your name is on the list. Drive through the gates and up to the main building. I’ll call Dr. Oldmeyer and tell her you’re on your way.”

Mallory’s heart thundered in her chest as she drove up the long driveway. A driveway she had never thought to see again.

She was waiting, a plump apple-cheeked woman with wirerim glasses and a coronet of silver braids piled high on her head. She held out her arms, and Mallory flew into them.

“Thank you for seeing me, Constance. Am I taking you away from anything?”

“Not a thing. I finished my dinner and made my rounds earlier. The only things waiting for me are some very dry periodicals I’ve been postponing reading. Let’s walk down one of the bicycle paths. It’s a lovely evening.

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