Cherry Two

Part 34

Chapter 32

Robert had not been idle. He beckoned to Calley and Alain as they entered the hotel suite. "No one can get hold of Donna Sanford. Something's wrong. There's a locator thing in her car... What's the matter with you two? Calley, have you been crying?"

Calley went straight to the bathroom and slammed the door.

Alain shook his head. "Sorry, Grandpa, we've had a bit of a fight. She'll be alright once she's calmed down."

"Oh, I see. Can I help?" Robert looked curious and concerned at the same time.

"No, it'll sort itself out. What were you saying about the investigator?" Alain went over to the writing desk and looked down at Robert's scribbled notes.

"Satellite locator—is that right? She has some sort signal transmitter that can let her company know where the car is?"

Alain nodded. "It's quite common. Taxicabs and rental cars all have them. Where is her car?"

Robert looked up into Alain's face. "They think it's at the farmhouse, about four miles from here. Her cell phone is switched on but she doesn't answer and there's no answer from the farm's phone. I offered to rent a car and go out there but they don't think it's such a good idea. Terry Wolanchuk said he'd contact the Port Angeles police for assistance if she didn't call in before dark. Also, we still have no word on who Ina Benson picked up at the ferry terminal."

"It's him!"

Heads turned. Calley stood in the open bathroom doorway. She'd been using makeup to hide the puffiness under her eyes. Both Alain and Robert looked at her. She walked over to the writing desk where Robert sat. He came to his feet and reached for her arm.

"Are you okay there, Calley?"

She flashed a glare at Alain through a sullen expression. "Me? Oh yes, I'm fine. There's no need to worry about my behavior any more, Uncle Bob. My holiday is over. The sooner I fly home the better."

Robert swallowed. Obviously everything was not okay. He dreaded to think what might have been said. Calley's extreme mood swing indicated the worst.

Just as quickly her head snapped from Alain back to Robert's face. "We talked about family secrets before—you admitted they existed—only you wouldn't say what they were. I promised to drop it and I did. But now I'm asking you straight out." Calley's face had reddened despite her new tan. "Tell the truth, please. Is Alain my half-brother? He seems pretty certain he is."

Alain placed both hands on top of his head with fingers laced and turned his back in dire frustration. "God-dammit, Calley."

So it had finally happened. Robert led the girl onto the balcony in the waning daylight and slid the glass door closed behind them. He leaned on the railing and looked out to sea with the sunset reflecting in his sad eyes. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts.

"I have a lot of explaining to do with Alain. Please try to understand, Colleen and Sonia never spoke to me again after Calley died. It took me well over a year before I found out Sonia had been pregnant with Alain. She'd married a policeman from Salinas: a very good man by all accounts. I was relieved for that much at least. You see at the time I had no idea my girls were having sex with your father. I suspected something, but it never fully dawned the way it should. That's the sort of father I'd become: stupid, dumb and ignorant of things right under my nose. On a beach in the Caribbean I came upon the three of them together and should have known right then. Their love connection would have been obvious to anyone except me."