The Precipice (22 page)

Mitchell glanced over at the circular driveway. The delivery guy was quickly unloading the car. “Why don’t you take a closer look?” She looked up into his eyes. He smiled and nodded.

Elizabeth turned and admired her prized sports car. A grin spread across her face. She turned back to Kurt with a twinkle in her eye. “Would you like to take a ride with me?”

He was tickled she had asked. “Of course! Let’s go!” He put his arm around her and they started across the lawn towards the driveway. His arm felt so right around her. She felt as if she was melting. It had been a while since she had felt this good. It was going to be fun to take her car for a little spin before she had to hit the highway back to the city.

They climbed into the car, Elizabeth in the driver’s seat. She looked around. It was incredibly clean and there was a new lavender air freshener dangling from the rear view mirror. “Cute.” She inserted the key and the engine sprang to life as soon as she turned it. The car’s engine sounded like a cat purring in her ears. She pushed the gear shift forward into first, eased off of the clutch while pressing the accelerator, and started down the driveway. Elizabeth slowed down long enough to take one more look back before leaving. It looked like her great aunt was standing in the window of one of the front rooms, her room, watching her niece go. She was sure that Cecelia would always be watching over the inn.

Chapter 32

E
lizabeth was moving a little more slowly than usual this morning. She had driven straight though without stopping the night before and had arrived at her apartment rather late. It had been difficult to leave her childhood home in the condition it was in after the hurricane’s powerful wrath, but she really needed to get back to work. She also had such unsettled feelings about the human tragedy she had left behind. She didn’t think she would ever recover from the heartbreak of losing her grandmother and it really bothered her that she didn’t know if the young girl had been found. It was so frustrating that Mitchell couldn’t divulge anything about the investigation. All she could do was to remain optimistic and believe that they were doing everything they could to resolve the situation.

She hadn’t realized how much she missed the inn until she arrived the previous weekend. Now that she was back in the city, she already missed the comfortable familiarity of it, the salty sea air, and the warmth of her grandmother’s smile. The corners of her mouth turned upward when she realized she was going to miss seeing Mitchell as well. She hoped he would get back to her soon and fill her in on what exactly went on at the inn before the storm and, more importantly, why.

Elizabeth had been away from her office for several days, far longer than she had planned. Mentally and physically drained, she dragged herself out of bed and headed toward Loran Design. She had no idea what was in store for her or what mood Vera was going to be in. A second cup of coffee seemed like a good idea so she stopped into her favorite coffee shop on the walk from the parking garage. She took a deep breath as she entered to take in the pleasing aroma. The familiar surroundings were somewhat comforting to her. It was a local, family owned shop, not a high-priced national chain. Elizabeth felt good about giving them her business. She thought the husband and wife made a cute couple who looked a bit Italian, maybe Greek. They were always behind the counter, side-by-side, working long hours day in and day out, starting very early in the morning by preparing their fresh-from-the-oven, home-made pastries and muffins. She couldn’t really place their accents because her conversations with them were brief. Business was usually brisk so they stuck to the task at hand, trying to please their customers by getting them in and out as quickly as possible. She had been stopping in so often over the last few years that they always acknowledged her when she approached the counter. The wife smiled warmly and said “good morning” and the husband winked and said “hello.”

With a warm, aromatic coffee in hand, she continued her walk in the morning sunshine, happy to be walking next to and through groups of people she had never met before. It looked to her like every other person was on a cell phone. It became more apparent at each corner as a group of people would form, waiting for the light to change so they could cross the street. She always found it interesting that so many people walking toward each other could navigate so that no one ran into each other, at least not directly. It was like a well-choreographed ballet. New York’s hustle and bustle never got old to her. She slowed her pace to take in the sights and sounds of the city, which she never wanted to take for granted, and to postpone the inevitable. Seeing Vera face to face.

She kept rewinding the video in her head to the part where she hung up on her boss. Elizabeth feared Vera would just fire her on the spot for insubordination, but was trying to be more optimistic than that. Eventually she reached the revolving doors into the lobby of her building and she pushed the nearest glass panel that was slowing from the last person who had entered. Starting through the motion of a half circle, it crossed her mind to just keep going all the way around and exit again out onto the street. She rolled her eyes and sighed.
Just do it, Elizabeth
. She exited the revolving doors and headed across the lobby.

Surprisingly no one else entered the elevator with her so she ascended to the twenty-second floor alone with her thoughts. The doors opened into the lobby of Loran Design. It was uncharacteristically empty. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. No one was at the front desk and no one was in the waiting area that was furnished in ultra-modern, off white leather seating. Elizabeth took it all in and then turned right to head directly to her office. Fortunately she did not have to pass Vera’s office on the way. A few minutes to herself would be ideal to gather her thoughts and finish her coffee. Vera could wait.

As Elizabeth made her way down the hall, she could hear a male voice in the conference room that was coming up on her left. She slowed her pace when she recognized that it was Drescher. Her eyes widened when she realized she had not remembered to grab her portfolio before she left Maine. She had nothing to show him. Nothing to prove she was working hard on his new project even while she was away. Panic was rising up inside her. As she quickened her pace to get past the conference room, she heard him say, “You and I both know that this is going to happen the way I want it to. We also both know that there will be serious consequences if it does not.” Elizabeth wasn’t sure exactly what he had meant by that but she kept walking, with her eyes forward, without hearing the rest of the conversation. She desperately hoped that he hadn’t noticed her walking past the doorway. Once inside the security of her private office, she turned her attention to the stack of little pink phone messages on her desk.

Her office was decorated with a modern, updated feel. Since it was not on an outside wall, there were no windows, but it was still bright and airy with light-colored grass cloth wallpaper. A light wood desk and credenza with sleek lines took up most of the space. There was also a small round work table framed by two chairs in one corner. Abstract prints were tastefully hung on three of the walls. An open concept shelving unit occupied the fourth.

Once her laptop booted up, she busied herself with picking up emails. As she scrolled through the long list of unopened mail, it dawned on her that one of her first priorities needed to be replacing her cell phone. It had been a welcomed relief not having one since the hurricane. No calls from a persistent client and, better yet, no calls from her obnoxious boss. But she knew she needed to get one as soon as possible now that she was back in the city and back to work.

Just when she had decided it was probably time to go check in with Vera, Sara, the receptionist, stuck her head in the doorway. “Elizabeth, so glad to see you are back and I was sorry to hear about your grandmother. Not what you were expecting from a weekend away, I’m sure. Listen, I can’t hold her off any longer. When you get a chance…well as soon as you can, Vera would like to see you in her office.”

Elizabeth looked intently into her face, shaking her head slightly. “How the hell did she know I was here already?” She turned away, not expecting an answer. They both new that Vera had this uncanny sense of what went on at Loran Design. It was almost creepy. Elizabeth’s stomach turned over. She couldn’t procrastinate any longer. She swallowed hard and nodded to Sara. “Okay, I understand. I’ll be right there.” She closed her eyes and bent her head toward her desk, resting her elbow on the surface and rubbing her forehead with the fingers on her left hand.

She stood, took a deep breath, and headed for the door of her office. She tried to walk down the hall as tall and as confidently as possible. She had to pass the conference room that Drescher was occupying and then make her way through the lobby to get to Vera’s office, but she held her head high. She entered Vera’s open doorway, raising her fist to knock lightly on her open door. She looked in and, to Elizabeth’s surprise, she could see that Vera was not at her desk, but decided to wait for her anyway. After all, she had garnered the courage to approach her so she wasn’t going to waste the energy that had taken. She glanced around the dark and somewhat depressing office. The venetian blinds were turned upward which minimized the amount of outside light that entered the room. The furnishings were modern but dark. Vera’s deep mahogany desk was the focal point in the room and was facing the door. There was a matching credenza behind it, up against the wall. There were a couple pieces of artwork on the walls that were post-impressionistic prints and a small sculpture on a pedestal in front of the two windows that looked out onto the streets of Manhattan. Elizabeth noticed one of Vera’s skinny, brown cigarettes smoldering in a cheap black plastic ashtray on her desk. A wisp of smoke snaked its way upward, disappearing five or six inches above its source.

On the credenza was Vera’s purse. It was a signature satchel bag by Louis Vuitton and was partially open. A small brown container sat next to it. Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide. Without looking around, she headed past Vera’s desk. It was a prescription bottle with a small white child-proof twist off cap. Her heart started to beat faster. She picked it up and turned the bottle in her hand so she could read the label. Zoloft. She turned when she heard Vera’s voice.

“Hello, Elizabeth. So good to see you. I was so sorry to hear about your grandmother.” Vera was sporting a mauve-colored suit in raw silk, matching two-toned stilettos, and the customary bulges in the jacket pockets that were her pack of cigarettes and lighter.

Elizabeth turned to look into her boss’s face, still holding the bottle.

Vera’s eyes moved to the bottle in her employee’s hand and then back to her face. Her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed. “Can I help you with some—?”

“It was you!” Elizabeth couldn’t believe her boss was involved with what just happened at the inn.

Vera look puzzled. “Whatever are you talking about Elizabeth?”

“You know exactly what I mean!” She couldn’t believe her boss was denying her involvement. Elizabeth was breathing rapidly as she walked directly toward Vera, holding the prescription bottle out in front of her. “How could you? What the hell was in it for you?” Her voice was getting louder with each sentence. “You murdered my grandmother.” Elizabeth’s face was so close to her that her boss was becoming very uncomfortable. For once, their roles were reversed.

Vera’s mouth fell open. If she was feigning surprise, she was a very good actress. “Elizabeth, I can assure you I have no idea what you are talking about!” Her voice matched the volume of Elizabeth’s. “Think about what you are saying.” Her voice became much quieter and gentler, which was uncharacteristic for Vera. “I know you must be very upset about your grandmother and I’m very sorry that it happened. Truly I am. But I don’t think you really know what you’re saying right now. Maybe you came back to work too soon. If you need to take more time, take it. We’ll just forget this whole conversation happened.” She paused and searched Elizabeth’s face for any clue as to what she was thinking. A look of concern spread across her face.

Elizabeth took a couple steps back. She was overwhelmed with emotion. Her head was spinning. The situation had turned surreal. She had just made an incredible, unthinkable accusation. She rubbed her forehead with the fingers of her empty hand. Without acknowledging she knew what she was doing, she placed the prescription bottle on Vera’s desk and started moving toward the door, brushing past her boss as she went. Her eyes were glazed and fixed on the door. She staggered slightly and put one hand out to steady herself in her boss’s doorway.

Vera remained quiet, watched her gather herself, and then head through the doorway.

Elizabeth’s head was pounding as she walked down the hall with a purpose. She needed to put as much distance between her and her boss. She was in such a fog, she didn’t notice if Drescher was still in the conference room when she passed. Once inside her office, she closed the door behind her and braced herself against it. She wished the door had a lock on it. Her mind was racing and she was feeling terribly alone. She wasn’t sure what to think, where to turn or what to do next. Suddenly the phone on her desk started ringing. She jumped and her eyes widened. She wasn’t sure if she should answer it. It rang just a few times but it seemed like it went on forever. Elizabeth was frozen in place at the door. Finally, the ringing stopped. She took in a deep breath and let it out. It crossed her mind that her office phone was her only means of communication with anyone on the outside since she didn’t have a cell. She couldn’t decide what her next step should be. The clock on her credenza was ticking loudly in her quiet office. It seemed to echo like it had never done before. She needed to think. She was paralyzed by indecision. Finally, only one thing came to mind. She pulled herself away from the door, turned and pulled it open slightly so it was ajar, flipped the light switch into the “off” position and then walked around to the other side of her desk. She pulled her chair part of the way out and slid herself into place under the desk and then pulled the chair back in as far as it would go. She settled in with her back up against one side of the desk, with her legs pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped around them. It was a dark, but familiar place.

____________

Kurt closed his flip phone. His forehead was creased. He was worried because he really needed to reach Elizabeth, but could not. Her cell phone was ruined and there was no answer at her office extension. He was afraid that she could be in danger. He tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and climbed in behind the wheel.