Center Stage (20 page)

Regan answered the door when Arianna rang the bell, but she could hear Spencer crying in the other room. Regan flung the door open and was off and running through the house.

“Is he okay?” Arianna shut the door and followed her.

“He’s hungry. I think he’s getting a cold, and his mother is a bit frazzled.”

“Why is that?”

Regan scooped up Spencer and then pointed across the room. Red crayon covered the white wall in big circles.

Arianna tucked her lips between her teeth to keep the smile from forming or the laughter from erupting.

“And where is Van Gough?”

“In his room.”

“May I?”

“Yes, but if you promise him anything, I’ll kill you.”

“Would I do something like that?” Now the smile formed on her lips, and her sister’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll just go talk to him. You feed the baby and calm down.”

She started up the stairs. “It’s a good thing I’m here. What would you do without me?”

She could hear Tyler in his room, and she opened the door slowly. “Hey, big guy.” He ran right to her, and she scooped him up. She sat down in the big chair in the corner and held him tightly to her. “Did you color on Mommy’s walls?”

Tyler shook his head.

“It wasn’t you?”

He shook his head again.

“Hmmm. Is mommy paying too much attention to Spencer?”

He didn’t answer, but Tyler lifted his head and looked at her.

“Do you think she’s forgetting to play with you?”

This time he nodded his head, and Arianna pulled him in tightly.

“You and I have a lot in common, kiddo. Your mommy is my little sister. And sometimes my mom had to take care of her, and she forgot to play with me.”

Tyler held her tight, and she thought she might cry if she didn’t continue talking. “I had an auntie who would come over and play with me when my little sister and my little brother were born. That way I didn’t get bored.”

Tyler sat back and looked at her.

Arianna kissed him on the nose. “Would you like to play?”

He crawled out of her lap, took her hand, and led her to the Thomas the Tank Engine set on the floor. This was where she would spend the next hour until Tyler finally fell asleep on the floor, and she then laid him in his bed and covered him with a blanket she remembered Regan having as a child.

When Arianna made it downstairs, Regan was asleep on the couch, and Spencer was asleep in the bassinette next to her. She didn’t know just being home with two little kids could wear out an adult, but Regan was proof that it was harder than it sounded.

Arianna went about finding supplies to clean off the wall. Once the crayon had been removed, she started picking up the kitchen and washing dishes.

Poor Regan. Perhaps, she thought, she should forget the theater until all the kids were grown, and she should just help her sisters every day. If Regan was as much a wreck as she looked to be, Arianna couldn’t even imagine how Simone was holding up.

Another hour had passed, and Arianna had brewed a pot of coffee. She heard Spencer stirring in the bassinette, so she picked him up. Tyler had woken up, and she’d gone to get him, too. 

They’d agreed to do some coloring, in a coloring book, and sat down at the table.

Finally, Regan stumbled into the kitchen.

“I guess I was tired.”

“Like I said, what would you do without me?”

Regan wiped her eyes, but Arianna was sure she was wiping away tears. “I don’t know. Thank you for coming out.”

“My pleasure. Besides John is all worked up over something. I’m better off here.”

Regan kissed Tyler on the head and sat down at the table. “How are things going at the theater?”

“Good, but I guess someone stole the lock box and that had set him off.”

“Zach said someone sabotaged the other build site, too.”

Arianna pursed her lips. John hadn’t mentioned that.

Perhaps that was what he’d been talking about, someone playing games. No wonder he wasn’t in a very good mood.

John had headed straight over to Zach’s office, but one thing he should have learned over the years is that you call first. Zach had taken the day to fly to Oklahoma to survey a new build site. He no longer took long extended trips, only day trips.

Mary Ellen looked up at him from her desk. “Do you want me to get him on the phone?”

“No. I’ll talk to him when he gets back. It can all wait until tomorrow.”

“Everything on track at the theater?”

He rubbed his chin. He’d forgotten to shave. “It’ll be done on time. I’m sure if I get it done early, she’ll already have a show ready to put on, too.”

“I think it is wonderful what you all did for Arianna.”

Just the mention of her name made him happy. “She’ll make it great. Just let Zach know I was here if he calls.”

John then headed to the other build site to see if things were still on track to get those fixes done. Arianna had texted and said she was still at Regan’s and would be staying to help with dinner. He figured that would give him a few hours to see to everything.

By the time he’d checked out the area that had been red flagged, it was five-thirty. The crew had gone home, and he headed back to the trailer. He finished up a few reports, gathered his coat, put his phone in his pocket, and headed out to his truck.

Just as he opened the door to his truck, the door on the trailer slammed.

John turned around and looked. The lights were off. The site was empty.

He walked back up the steps and opened the door.

That was when he was hit from behind. His head spun as he fell to the ground.

He couldn’t keep his eyes open. He couldn’t stand up.

Whoever had hit him was pulling things out of his pocket. A moment later, he heard his truck drive away, but the world was fading to black.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Arianna and Regan had managed, between the two of them, to make spaghetti. Arianna couldn’t imagine juggling two little boys could be so much work, but now she knew.

Just as she carried Tyler to the sink to wash him up, the doorbell rang.

“Maybe that’s John. I haven’t heard from him all day.”

Regan started for the door. “With Zach gone, he’s probably been busier.”

Arianna went about cleaning up Tyler and was surprised when it was Madeline and Clara’s voices she heard.

Madeline walked through the kitchen first. “Oh, it looks like he enjoyed his dinner.”

“Yes, and making a mess of his auntie.” Arianna acknowledged the red stain on her shirt. “He’s lucky I love him so much.”

Tyler leaned into her and rested his head on her shoulder. John was lucky she had any love left to spare on him. The children in her life sure had her heart.

Arianna finished washing down Tyler’s face and then set him on the floor. “What are you two doing here?”

“John texted me and said he had something he wanted you guys to see at the theater. So I thought I’d drop Clara off with you and stay and watch the boys so Regan could go with you.”

Arianna narrowed her eyes on her sister-in-law. “He texted you?”

“Yes.” Madeline pulled her phone out of her pocket and showed it to her. “About forty-five minutes ago.”

At that moment Arianna’s phone buzzed in her pocket. MEET ME AT THE THEATER. I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU.

She laughed. “He knew it would take you this long to get here.”

Madeline nodded. “I suppose.”

Within a half hour the three of them were in the car, and Madeline and Tyler waved goodbye from the front door.

Regan sunk into the seat. “I’m beat.”

“You do that every day?” Arianna asked as she pulled out onto the main road.

“Every day.”

“Hats off to you, sister. I’m exhausted just having helped.”

Regan’s eyes were closed before they hit the highway.

Arianna looked in the back seat at Clara. “I have some music from
Annie.
Want to listen?”

Clara smiled and nodded.

Arianna turned on the music, and the two of them sang all the way into town.

All of the lights were on in the theater when they pulled up. Arianna had never seen it look so welcoming.

She parked the car around the back, next to John’s truck.

“I wonder what he’s up to?”

Regan rubbed her eyes and shrugged. “Got me, Sis. He didn’t let me in on this little secret.”

The three of them climbed out of the car and started up the back steps. Just as the back door opened, Arianna’s phone buzzed in her pocket again.

It was a text message from John.

GOTCHA!

They walked inside, and the door slammed behind them.

She turned around quickly, but there was no one there.

Clara had already moved out onto the stage where the lights were on.

“Auntie, this is wonderful!” She spun in a circle, and Arianna and Regan walked toward her.

Then the lights went dark and a spotlight turned on, shining right on Clara.

Arianna moved toward her. “John, what are you doing? This is scaring me.”

Her phone buzzed again. She quickly looked at it.

It was a picture. She moved it closer to look at it. It was a picture of John lying on the ground with his head bleeding.

Arianna’s heart pounded in her chest. She reached for Clara, but the lights went dark and Clara wasn’t in her reach.

“Bastard, what are you doing? What did you do to John? Where is Clara? Clara!”

Regan reached out in the dark and grabbed hold of Arianna’s arm.

“It’s Alex. I know it is. I can smell his cologne.”

Regan’s breath was rapid, and Arianna put her arm around her. She could feel her shake.

“Hamilton, is that you?”

Clara screamed. Both Arianna and Regan moved to the center of the stage, but in the dark, they couldn’t risk falling over the side.

Regan clung to her. “What is that smell?”

Arianna sniffed the air. “Smoke.”

She turned to see the curtain on the side of the stage illuminate. The flames grew quickly and shot up through the fabric.

“Damn it! We have to get to Clara.”

“Now you will all die!” the wicked voice called over from the side of the theater.

Regan broke free from Arianna. “Why are you doing this?”

“I wanted you dead. You and your brother lied to me.”

“You didn’t want me. You didn’t want our baby!” Regan screamed at him in the dark.

Arianna moved in behind her. Alexander Hamilton’s figure was now shadowed by the flames.

“By the end of the night, you’ll all be dead!” He shouted back, but his shadow was gone. He’d moved, and they could no longer see him.

Arianna’s phone buzzed in her pocket again. The smoke grew thicker, and she coughed.

It was another text message from John’s phone, but this time it was a picture of Curtis’s truck smashed into a pole.

Her entire body shook, and tears burned in her eyes.

“We have to find Clara and get out of here.”

They heard her scream.

“C’mon, there is a prop room in the back, and I think that’s where she is.”

The fire had engulfed the entire side of the stage and was traveling across the top beam. Arianna used the light from the fire to guide her way. The door that led out of the theater was blocked. They’d have to make their way to the front to escape.

The smoke grew thicker, and they both covered their mouths and noses.

Clara’s screams grew louder as they neared the other side of the stage. Arianna held up her phone to light the way. She could see the door. It had been blocked by miscellaneous building materials.

She and Regan began to pull the wood and boxes from the door. The curtain on the side of the stage crashed to the ground, and the wood beneath them began to creak.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Regan cried.

“Clara! Move from the door. I’m going to kick it in!” she yelled through the noise of the stage cracking beneath them.

Sweat began to bead on her neck as she lifted her leg and kicked in the old, wooden door.

Clara climbed over the pile of debris and into her aunt’s arms.

Arianna reached for Regan. “Don’t you breathe in this air. You have two boys to get home to.”

She grabbed her arm, and the three of them ran down the far side of the stage and up through the theater.

When they got to the doors, Arianna turned as she heard the entire curtain crash to the stage. The flames began to roll over the ceiling. She knew they only had a few minutes before they were all dead.

She pushed through the door and shoved Clara into the lobby. Arianna turned to reach for Regan, but she wasn’t there.

As she took a step to look for her, she was grabbed and an arm came around her throat.

“She’s dead. Now it’s your turn.” The voice whispered in her ear.

“I’ve done nothing to you.”

“You’re whole family will die tonight.”

Arianna saw Clara on the floor. “What did you do to her?”

“Tell me what they did to my baby.”

“What they did? They gave her to a family who would love her. You tried to kill her.”

“And I still will. No one gets away with this.”

Arianna felt the cold sting of metal push up against her throat. This wasn’t how she wanted to die. She wasn’t going to die.

She reached down to her side. Her purse was still draped over her. She felt for her gun, but it was gone.

“Let her go!”

It was Regan’s voice, but she couldn’t see her in the smoke. Alexander Hamilton’s hold around her neck was tighter. If she didn’t get out of his grasp, she was going to suffocate.

She could hear Clara behind her. She was alive.

“I said let her go!” Regan shouted again.

“When you’re dead, I’ll let her go and she can die right here with you.”

“Arianna!”

She tried to focus on her sister’s voice.

“Dad taught us about fire.”

Arianna sucked in a breath, and it burned her lungs. She wanted to cough, but his grip was too tight.

“Do you remember what you were supposed to do in a fire?”

Arianna tried to think. Her world was growing dark, but she struggled to be coherent.