Uncorked (53 page)

“Sure. I’m not sure whether or
not I should see her, though.”

“We can discuss that when we get
there. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay with that.”

“That’s fine.”

“By the way, the magazine is out.
They made you their cover story.”

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.
I’m not sure I wanted that much publicity.”

He held her hand, pulling her to
sit close to him. “We might need it.”

“Why? You say that like
something’s wrong.”

“Sweetheart, Jade is dead.”

“What?”

“She was killed in prison.
They’re not sure yet if it was a homicide or a suicide, but she’s dead. Someone
leaked the information to the press. Her story, and yours, is all over the
news.”

“Oh, God,” she replied burying
her face in her hands. “When will they have more information?”

“The autopsy will be within the
next couple of days.”

“Mitch, if this is a murder, this
is getting more serious by the second.”

“Don’t get carried away with your
thoughts. If we have to deal with that possibility, let’s do it when we have
the facts.”

They arrived in
L.A. by late evening. After
settling into a hotel, Mitch called Charlotte and his mother to let them know
he was in town.

The following day after a long
discussion, Mitch convinced Chella to go horseback riding with Charlotte and
her family, or at least to go for the beautiful scenic drive. She wasn’t sure
Dr. Suarez would approve of the activity. She brought along a book so she could
read while he went riding with the kids.

When Emily saw Chella, the little
girl ran toward her and wrapped her arms around her neck in a warm embrace.

“Chella, I’ve missed you so
much.”

“I’m happy to see you, too.”

“Here… I made this for you.” She
said, pulling a necklace made of frosted glass from her pocket.

“Wow, it’s beautiful. You did a
wonderful job.”

“Micky and I loved your Christmas
present. We’ve made so many things together,” she said, slipping the necklace
over Chella’s head.

“I was hoping the two of you
would spend lots of time together making fun stuff.”

“We did.”

“So you feel better? Back to
normal?”

“Yes. Do you want to feel the
bump on my head from the operation?”

“No, Sweetie,” Chella replied,
smiling at her. “Why don’t you run along and meet the rest so you can go
riding.”

“You’re not coming?”

“No, Sweetheart. I’m not feeling
too well, but I’ll be here when you get back.”

“Aren’t you going to be bored?”

“I have all these beautiful views
to look at and a great book to read, so I’ll see you when you get back. Okay?”

“Okay, Chella. Have fun.”

Chella curled up with a blanket
on a few stacks of hay and read her book. Ten minutes later, she was
interrupted by Charlotte’s voice.

“Hey, Chella. Care to join me for
drinks at the restaurant?”

“Sure. I didn’t even know there
was a restaurant here.”

“The views there are even better
than over here,” Charlotte said as they walked. “It’s nice to see you again,
Chella. I’m glad you and Mitch were able to work things out.”

“Thanks. It was really great
seeing Emily again.”

As they were seated, Charlotte said,
“Chella, I know about the photos. I’m so sorry.”

“How did you find out?”

“I was out of town a couple days
ago. I had a layover in San Diego and saw the story you did with that
magazine.”

“I guess it’s just a matter of
time before everyone knows.”

“It took guts to do that
interview.”

“I’d like to take responsibility
for that, but I didn’t feel like I had a choice. It was either that or let them
make up their own stories.”

“In my practice, I represent
mostly women. I know that wasn’t an easy decision. So many women in your
position would have left.”

“Trust me, that crossed my mind.”

“The point is you stayed, and
you’re fighting this.”

Chella smiled at her. “Thanks for
your support. I never expected you and I would share this type of a
relationship.”

“I think you’re a great person.”

“That’s a kind thing to say,
Charlotte. So why are you sitting with me instead of riding with your family?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Charlotte’s words were a lead
cloak to Chella’s spirit. She wanted to congratulate her, but her body was
consumed with raw emotion and jealousy. Tears stung her eyes and nose.

“Chella, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Congratulations. You
must be so excited.” Finally able to get words out, it took every amount of
strength within Chella to smile.

“Chella, I can tell when
something wrong. I’m trained to read people’s body language.”

After a deep breath, Chella
responded shakily, “I… I had a miscarriage a week ago.”

Charlotte closed her eyes as she
gasped. “Chella, I’m so sorry. If I had known—”

“It’s not your fault. I’m sorry
for the way I reacted. I didn’t expect to feel this way.”

“George and I lost a baby about
two years ago. I know how it feels.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s why I’m avoiding riding.
I know this is hard right now, but trust me when I tell you you’ll get through
this.”

That night, Liz
invited them for dinner. She had
been beyond polite to Chella, and Chella was starting to feel that maybe Liz
was being honest. Perhaps her apology had been sincere.

Emily said a lovely prayer before
the meal. Liz and Emily immediately got into deep conversation about her day
riding, but Chella and Mitch sat in a comfortable silence while they ate.

Chella couldn’t help but think
about her conversation with Charlotte earlier. She had been really stressed out
with the loss of their baby, Jade’s death and everything surrounding it, and it
bothered her that she couldn’t get over feeling like a failure.

She had never felt insecure
before. Mitch never gave her reason to, but old, familiar fears crept back, and
she questioned whether Mitch would still want to be with her because she
couldn’t carry a child to term. Her eyes welled up with tears. All she could
think was,
God, please don’t let them fall.... Please don’t let them fall...

Mitch looked at
Chella across the table. Apart
from one or two bites she had eaten, she was mostly pushing food around her
plate. She seemed to be in another world, completely absent from what was going
on at the table.

He reached over and put his hand
on hers. As their eyes met, a single tear plummeted down her face. He didn’t
want to draw everyone’s attention to her, so he gave a supportive squeeze and
said nothing. She quietly excused herself from the table. A few minutes later,
he knocked on the bathroom door and said, “Chell, Sweetheart, open the door.
They’re out by the pool. We’re alone.”

Chella hesitated for a few
minutes, making sure there was no trace of her crying. She opened the door and
he embraced her. Her hand in his, he led the way to a chaise in the living
room.

“Sweetheart, what’s going on?
What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m okay. I’m just
letting my thoughts get the better of me.”

“Come on, Chell. You have to talk
to me. Tell me.”

“I’m a little overwhelmed.”

Leaning over and taking her in
his arms, he kissed her head and said, “Chella, you know you can tell me
anything, right? Trust me.”

“I’m feeling a little bit
insecure and inadequate right now,” she said sadly, overcome by the moment and
the events of the last few weeks. “It’s not your fault. I let some negative
thoughts get to me, that’s all.”

“Is this about the baby?”

“It’s about everything—the baby,
Aaron, Jade, Charlotte. In so many ways, I feel like such a failure.”

“Chella, you’re far from a
failure. None of this is your fault.”

“I know that. Right now, I’m an
emotional basket case. It’s easy to let negative thoughts get the better of you
when a lot of things are going wrong.”

“Everything works out the way
it’s supposed to. As much as I’d like us to have a child someday, if I found
out this second we’d never be able to have a child, I’d still want to spend the
rest of my life with you. I love you.”

“I love you, too. I don’t want
you to worry about me. I need to work on myself.”

“Chell, I’ll always worry about
you. Just promise me that you won’t shut me out.”

“I won’t. I promise,” she replied
as he reassured her with a big hug.

It concerned Mitch
that Chella was still bleeding up
until now, and she still occasionally had cramps. He knew in the coming weeks,
he’d have to delicately balance being there for Chella, being there for his
daughter and spending time in Sacramento on the development he was working on.
Chella would always tell him she was okay, even if she was dying inside, and
she’d always convince him to be there for Emily, but he was determined to make
this work somehow.

As he helped his mom clear the
dishes, Detective Carter called.

“I have some information, but I
can’t talk over the phone. When can we meet?”

“What was it? How did Jade die?”
Mitch asked Detective Carter after he arrived at Chella’s place the next day.

“Suicide.”

“Didn’t she leave a letter that
might have indicated it was suicide when she was found?”

“She did, but she swallowed it.
During the autopsy, three letters were found in her stomach. They were all
wrapped in plastic wrap.”

“Three?” Mitch asked.

“One to her mother, one to the
police, and one to you, Ms. Noon.”

“Me? What did it say?”

“I’ve made you a copy so you can
see for yourself,” he said, handing her the sheet of paper.

“Why would she swallow it?”
Chella asked, glancing at the paper. She decided to read it when she had
privacy.

“I guess she wanted to ensure we
got it. One of the letters suggested that Aaron didn’t want her to testify.
Maybe she was afraid he would hurt her or have her killed. In all honesty,
there is enough evidence to convict him without her testimony. In her letter,
she said she’d rather die than spend another day in jail.”

“Did they reveal anything new?”
Chella asked.

“They’re all being vetted right
now. She gave details about everything. Your parents’ death, too. The El
Salvadorian police found the driver of the truck that killed your parents and
are questioning him now.”

“Was Aaron responsible for their
death?”

“More and more, it’s looking that
way. I have to get the FBI and Internal Affairs involved because the cover up
of your parents’ death went beyond his brother.”

“Won’t the officers involved
target you? By going to the FBI and Internal Affairs, doesn’t that put you in
danger?”

“It could, but most of the people
involved are retired now.”

“What do you need us to do?”
Mitch asked.

“Keep this information to
yourselves. I have to handle this carefully.”

“Is Aaron going to pay for this?”
asked Chella. “Because I have to tell you, I don’t trust Samantha Marlow
anymore. The last time we spoke, she seemed so nonchalant. It was almost as if
she didn’t care. She thought Jade agreeing to a plea of twenty years was a
great deal.”

“I can’t comment on that, but I
can’t see how it’s possible now, with all the evidence we have, that Aaron
Stewart could spend another day of his life out of jail.”

“We hope you’re right,
Detective,” Mitch said. “Thanks for taking the time to come by.”

After the detective left, Chella
sat next to Mitch on the sofa and read Jade’s letter.

Chella

For years, I loved Aaron. For
years, I had to hear him obsess over you. When this all started, I was doing
this because I hoped if I showed him how much I loved him, he’d love me back.
After a time, I realized that I was doing this for me, too. I hated you. You
were the one who took him away from me. I thought if I finally got rid of you,
he would see me. Nothing I ever did was good enough for him. I was never you…
Then after, when he was arrested, he offered me money. I had to help. For two
years, I’ve been helping my mother battle cancer, and I needed the money.

You were never the problem. You
were always good to me, but I couldn’t see beyond my hatred for you.