Page 7 of Turning Back

“So this is what we’re looking at right now. I’ve got…”

She goes on and on about the different tea services we’ll be offering. I don’t care either way. I’m sure Chella knows what she’s doing. I just stare at her as she talks, and smile, imagining how much she’d have liked those pussy clamps if she was still playing the game with me.

“And Quin is coming by tomorrow for lunch.”

“Wait.” I have to snap back to attention. “What?”

“Quin,” Chella says slowly. “He’s meeting me here for lunch tomorrow.”

“He’s coming here?” I ask, pointing a finger down at the table.

“Yup,” Chella says, smiling.

“How did you manage that?” I ask, suspicious. Quin has not talked to me in a very long time. I haven’t even seen that asshole in almost six months. And that last time was a mistake. He and I ended up at a party down at Stonewall Entertainment in the Tech Center. Apparently, Smith and Mac Stonewall are friends in the philanthropy business and it was something he wanted me to attend with him.

Anyway, it didn’t end well. Quin is apparently a very skilled grudge-holder. He didn’t even see me. Someone told him I was there and he left. I caught a glimpse of him as he was leaving the building and that was that.

“I had Smith deliver the invitation this morning.”

“And he agreed?” I ask, doubt written all over my face.

“Sort of. But I know he’ll show. Because he won’t stand me up for Tuesday lunch. He’ll show.”

“Well, I wouldn’t get your hopes up, Chella. Really. He doesn’t give in easy.”

“So do you have any news at all?” Chella asks, changing the subject.

“Nope,” I say, taking a sip of my water so I can buy myself some time. “You know I’d call if I did.”

“Well, I’m getting impatient, Bric. I know I told you I’d let you handle it, but I’m not sure you’re as invested as you should be.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” I say, narrowing my eyes at her.

“Rochelle has been missing for one year today. One year, Bric. You’re a bazillionaire. We have all this money at our disposal and we can’t seem to locate one woman? How is that possible?”

“I’m not a law-breaker, Chella. I told you this. I do it all on the up and up. And my guy says he can’t find her. She doesn’t want to be found.”

“Well, I’m not adverse to breaking a few laws when it’s necessary and it’s necessary. Quin needs to get over this shit. And while I understand that you’re not especially interested in revisiting that one particular conversation you had with Rochelle, it’s not fair that you’re not trying hard enough to find her. We don’t even know if she’s alive.”

Yeah. Then there’s that. The little fact that I didn’t tell anyone that Rochelle called me last summer and asked me to tell Quin she was sorry. It wasn’t like I meant to keep it a secret, but I was on my way out of town for the summer. I was traveling. And when I got back things were so busy with getting the Club back up and running… I just forgot.

It’s too late to say anything now. Oh, by the way, Rochelle called me last June and told me to tell you she’s sorry. And she didn’t get an abortion. She had the damn baby because I heard it crying on the other end of the phone.

Nope. Not gonna say that. I have kept the dark side of Elias Bricman tucked neatly away my whole life. I’m not gonna fuck things up now by being honest.

It’s in my best interest for Rochelle to stay gone forever at this point.

“I hired someone,” Chella says, bringing me back to the present.

“For what?” I ask, not following.

“To find Rochelle.”

“No,” I say forcefully.

“Listen to me, Elias Bricman.” Chella slaps her hand down on the table hard enough to make the silverware jump. “I want Rochelle found. I want to see her again. We were pretty good friends and I want her back. So I’m taking things into my own hands. I know a guy.”

“What guy?” Jesus Christ. This is not good.