Fatal Identity (23 page)

“Because Mercedes was in trouble, and she needed me. Don't get me wrong. I'm not a noble man, and I didn't walk into an affair with your lovely sister for purely altruistic reasons. We had a wonderful time in bed, but that wasn't all we had. I'd like to think I helped Mercedes get through some very trying times in her marriage.”

Even though she was upset, Marcie managed to nod calmly. She'd taken enough psychology classes in college to suspect that Lee was rationalizing his affair with Mercedes. Of course, there was no way she'd accuse him of that. What good would it do, now that her sister was dead? If it made him feel less guilty to think he'd helped Mercedes, she'd let him hang on to his delusion.

“You said that Mercedes was in trouble. And then you mentioned trying times. Wasn't Mercedes happy with Brad?”

“No, she wasn't. No one else knew that, Marcie. Your sister was very careful to maintain appearances. She wanted everyone to think that she was content with Brad. I think I was the only person who knew how truly miserable she was.”

“But why did she pretend things were fine, when they weren't?”

Lee sighed. “She felt she had to keep up the illusion of a happy marriage for the twins. They hadn't wanted her to marry Brad in the first place, and she didn't want to upset them with a divorce. Part of it was pride. Mercedes didn't want to admit that her marriage had failed. And when I asked, she admitted that the situation wasn't actually
that
bad. Brad didn't abuse her or embarrass her in public. And he was always good to the children.”

“What was wrong then?”

“When they were first married, Brad made some bad investments. Mercedes resented the fact that she had to bail him out. She said she was worried about her children's future, if Brad continued to spend money like it was water.”

Marcie frowned. “But there was a lot of money left. I know. I inherited it. Why didn't she just tell him he couldn't invest any more of her money?”

“Mercedes hated confrontations. I'm not sure she even mentioned the problem to him.”

Marcie nodded. “Then Brad didn't know she was upset?”

“I doubt it. Mercedes hardly saw him, you know. She complained that he was always out of town on business.”

Marcie took a moment to digest that information. If Mercedes had been worried about their finances, she should have discussed it with Brad. Marcie knew her sister had never been very knowledgeable about business. Marcie had always been the one to balance her checkbook when they were in high school, and warn her sister against signing up for something on a time-payment plan. Perhaps Brad had explained his investments to Mercedes, and she hadn't understood that some ventures took longer to pay off than others.

Mercedes's second complaint was legitimate. Brad
did
go out of town quite frequently. But he had a business to run, and he'd explained to Marcie that he never invested in a company unless he'd personally gone over the books and discussed the operating procedures with the management. Had Mercedes expected Brad to spend twenty-four hours a day with her, the way Mike Lang had done?

If that was the case, Mercedes had wanted the impossible. After all, she and Mike had been in the same business. Mercedes had worked in every picture Mike had produced after they married, and they'd been together on the set and then at home. She certainly couldn't have expected Brad to do the same. Could she?

Marcie sighed. That was probably exactly what Mercedes had expected. Even as a child, Mercedes had never been happy unless she'd been the center of attention. Marcie had always been content to step back and let her sister bask in the limelight. It was one of the reasons Marcie was so shy. And obviously Brad hadn't given Mercedes all the attention she'd thought she deserved.

Now, as Marcie considered it, her sister's complaints seemed rather trivial to her. And they were certainly no reason to break up a marriage. She turned to Lee with a frown on her face. “That's all that was wrong?”

Lee looked very uncomfortable. “There's more. Mercedes told me that Brad just wasn't the kind of loving husband she thought he'd be, when she married him.”

“I see.” Marcie nodded, although she was puzzled. Why had Mercedes lied about Brad? She'd obviously convinced Lee that Brad wasn't a good lover, and Marcie knew from personal experience that it just wasn't true. “And that's why you don't want me to marry Brad?”

“It's not that I don't want you to marry him. I just want you to know exactly what you're getting into.”

Marcie sighed and forced a smile. “Thank you, Lee. I appreciate how honest you've been with me. And I'll certainly think about what you've said. Shall we rehearse the scene now? We don't have much time left.”

Just then there was a knock on the door. Jolene was here to take them to the set.

“Uh-oh.” Lee turned to Marcie with dismay. “Sounds like we don't have
any
time left. Shall I ask Dave for five more minutes?”

“No. I'm ready, if you are.” Marcie stood up and followed Lee to the door. He was a nice man, an honest man. But he'd been misled by Mercedes, and he had the wrong opinion of Brad. It wasn't her place to correct that opinion. Not yet. But when she was Brad's wife, she'd make a point of setting the record straight, by letting everyone know what a wonderful man Brad was!

CHAPTER 17

Rosa and Marcie sat in the lounge at the ski lodge, watching the twins take their afternoon lesson from the private instructor Brad had hired for them.

“More coffee, Miss Marcie?” Rosa picked up the silver pot the waiter had left on their table, and prepared to pour.

“I guess so.” Marcie frowned as Rosa filled her cup. “It's not as good as yours, though.”

Rosa beamed at the compliment. “That's because we have the beans shipped in from a gourmet shop. Mr. Brad orders them special, and . . .” Rosa leaned close to Marcie's ear, “. . . they cost a fortune!”

“Whatever they cost, it's worth it. Your coffee is the best I've ever tasted. Oh, look! Rick is doing much better this afternoon. I think he's almost ready to go down the beginners' slope.”

“I knew he'd be good at skiing.” Rosa smiled as she watched through the plate glass window. “He's always been more athletic than Trish.”

Marcie sighed. “It was the same way with Mercedes and me. When we were in school, she was the athlete, and I was the spectator. I never could hit a ball or run very fast. I was always the last one picked for the girls' softball games.”

“Maybe you just didn't bother to learn, because you wanted your sister to be best. Miss Mercedes always said you had plenty of natural abilities you'd never used.”

“Well . . . maybe,” Marcie conceded. “But being an athlete wasn't one of them.”

“You looked fine this morning, when you went out on the slopes with the men. You didn't fall down at all.”

Marcie laughed. “That's only because Brad was holding me up on one side, and Jerry was on the other. They wouldn't
let
me fall.”

“What do you think of Mr. Jerry? Do you like him?”

Marcie thought it over for a moment, and then she nodded. “Yes, I do. He's been very nice to me, and he's great with the twins. They told me they think he ought to get married and have kids of his own.”

“I don't think that's going to happen.” Rosa looked very serious. “You know about Mr. Jerry, don't you?”

“Know what?” Marcie looked puzzled.

“Mr. Jerry's not interested in women.”

“He's not interested in—?' Marcie stopped as realization dawned. “Oh. I understand. Are you sure?”

“I'm positive. Miss Mercedes said so. The man who did her makeup told her. He saw Mr. Jerry at some kind of meeting.”

Marcie nodded. “Beau LeTeure. I guess it's true then. But that doesn't necessarily mean Jerry can't have children. A lot of gay couples are adopting now.”

Rosa looked surprised for a moment, and then she nodded. “Why not? All children need is someone to love them. Two gay people who want to be parents are a lot better than a mother and father who don't. Oh, look! They're all going to the beginners' slope.”

“Let's just hope that Trish doesn't break something.” Marcie gave a sympathetic smile as she spotted her niece. Trish was struggling along gamely, with the instructor on one side of her and his assistant on the other.

Rosa nodded. “I'd better order a pot of hot chocolate. The twins'll be chilled to the bone when they come in. You're right, Miss Marcie.”

“About what?”

“Rick takes after his mother, and Trish takes after you. Trish would fall flat on her face if she didn't have two strong men to hold her up.”

 

 

They'd had dinner at a wonderful little restaurant Jerry had shown them, and then they'd all taken in a movie. The twins had been so tired from the exercise and fresh, crisp air, they'd gone straight to their room the moment they'd come back to the ski lodge. Rosa had stayed in the lounge for one drink, and then she'd gone up to bed, too. Jerry, Marcie, and Brad had lingered over one more hot buttered rum, and then they'd retired to rest up for skiing the next day.

When they were sure that everyone was tucked in for the night, Brad had come to Marcie's room. And they'd spent a wonderful hour together, making love and talking about their future. Marcie sighed happily as she rolled over and nestled her head in the crook of Brad's arm. She could hardly wait until they were married, and they could sleep together without worrying that someone might find out.

“We're going to have a good life. You know that, don't you, Marcie?”

“Mmmm. I do.” Marcie kissed his bare chest. “But I'm not sure about those separate bedrooms. I want to sleep with you every night.”

Brad laughed. “Then we'll take down the door. Or maybe we'll do some remodeling. Whatever you like.”

“I like this.” Marcie nuzzled him and traced wet patterns down his chest with her tongue.

“Hey! You'd better stop that, or we'll never get any sleep. I think you have a problem, Marcie. You're insatiable.”

“I'm just trying to make up for lost time. What's the matter? Are you tired of me already?”

“Impossible.” Brad chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair. “You might put me in a wheelchair if you keep this up, but I'll never get tired of you.”

“Did you get tired of Mercedes?” The moment she'd asked the question, Marcie regretted it. “Forget it, Brad. I really don't want to know.”

“Now, why would you ask something like that?” Brad sat up and clicked on the bedside lamp.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it. It's just . . . never mind.”

Brad looked very serious. “No, Marcie. I want to know why you asked me that question. You have to trust me enough to tell me if something's bothering you.”

“I just . . . well . . . I heard a rumor at the studio. I know I shouldn't believe rumors, but . . .”

“What was it?”

Marcie sighed deeply. She'd opened a can of worms, and now she had to tell him. “Someone told me that you and Mercedes were having problems with your marriage.”

“Well, it wasn't all roses, but we loved each other, and we were working things out. What did you hear?”

“That Mercedes was worried about the way you were handling her investments.”

Brad nodded. “That's true. Mercedes didn't have a head for business. She thought everything should pay off right away. And she wanted me to put all her money in something safe, like municipal bonds.”

“It's a good thing she didn't ask you to invest in the city of New York!”

“Precisely!” Brad laughed and patted her again. “But the New York situation was unusual, Marcie. Generally speaking, munis are very safe investments.”

Marcie nodded. “They're safe, but they don't yield very much.”

“True. And that's exactly what I told Mercedes. I suggested a mixed portfolio. She had a base of munis, just to be on the safe side, some medium-yield stocks to bring in a higher rate, and a small portion of high-risk ventures that we hoped would pay off.”

“That sounds reasonable.” Marcie smiled at him. “Of course, I don't know that much about investments, but that's what I'd want.”

“It worked out great the first year. The risks really paid off, and she made a bundle. But then the interest rates started to drop, and she got worried. She wanted me to sell off all her high-risk stocks and reinvest the cash in Certified Deposits.”

“Certified Deposits?” Marcie looked puzzled. “But why did she want to do that? She still had a safe base of munis, didn't she?”

Brad nodded. “You bet! I explained that CD's were at an all-time low, and it would be foolish to buy them right then. But she panicked. And we fought over it.”

“Who won?”

Brad sighed. “We both lost. She agreed I could keep the thoroughbreds, since they were a long-term investment, and we couldn't get out without taking a loss. The same for the antique cars. It costs a lot to store them properly, but they're bound to go up in value, if I hang on for a couple of years. But she insisted I sell off all her high-computer stocks at a loss. That was four months before they split and went through the roof.”

“Oh, no!” Marcie groaned. “I think I understand now, Brad. Mercedes always was a little paranoid about money. She didn't feel safe unless it was stuck in a savings account. And I know that's not the way to make money.”

“Good girl. You sound knowledgeable enough to put together your own portfolio.”

“Oh, no!” Marcie shook her head. “I'm sure I'd make some awful mistakes. You'll handle it for me, won't you?”

“Of course . . . if you're sure you want me to.”

Marcie turned to kiss him. “I do. I trust you completely, Brad. I just wish my sister had trusted you more.”

“So do I.” Brad sighed. “Is that the only thing you heard, Marcie? That Mercedes and I fought about money?”

“Well . . . I did hear something else. But I'm sure it's just idle gossip.”

“Look, Marcie . . . I don't want anything you heard bothering you. Let's talk about it right now.”

Marcie sighed, and then she repeated what Lee had told her. “Mercedes resented the fact that you had to go out of town on business so often. She felt you were ignoring her.”

“That
was
a big problem.” Brad slipped his arm around Marcie again, and gave her a little hug. “She never really understood how I operate my business. I don't think it's fair to advise anyone to invest in a company unless I personally check it out.”

“That's a very sound business practice. Didn't Mercedes understand that?”

“No. We made a big mistake, Marcie. We should have talked about how often I'd be gone
before
we were married. When Mercedes asked me to stop traveling, I told her I couldn't do that. I promised to cut my business trips down to a minimum, and I did. But that wasn't enough for Mercedes. She asked me to give up my business so I could stay at home with her.”

“But you couldn't do that?”

Brad shook his head. “I really couldn't. You have to understand the situation from my point of view, Marcie. I was doing well, bringing money into our family. If I'd given up my business, I would have been nothing but a gigolo, living off Mercedes's earnings.”

“Of course.” Marcie nodded. “I understand perfectly. I don't like the fact that you'll be gone so often, either. But I'll never ask you to give up your business.”

Brad pulled Marcie into his arms and kissed her. “You're wonderful, Marcie. And I promise I won't travel any more than I absolutely have to. What else did you hear? I have the feeling you're saving the worst for last.”

“You're right. There's one other thing, and I really have no right to ask you. But I heard that you weren't sleeping with Mercedes anymore.”

“I'm afraid that's true.” Brad looked very embarrassed. “Mercedes just wasn't interested in sex the last few months. She told me it was the movie, that she was too exhausted to do anything but study her lines and sleep, when she got home from the studio. And she promised me that things would change as soon as the picture wrapped, that we'd go away for a romantic vacation and rekindle the fires.”

Marcie winced. After the picture wrapped. That was the time limit Mercedes had set on her affair with Lee. She hated to ask but she had to know. “Do you think she . . . uh . . . had someone else?”

“No. I'm almost certain she didn't. Mercedes always went through a real upheaval when she worked on a film. And her part in
Summer Heat
was emotionally exhausting. I'm sure she was telling me the truth, that she honestly didn't have any extra energy to spare. That's why I'm hoping you decide not to do another picture. I want you to have plenty of time and energy for us.”

“Then I'll turn down Dave's offer.” Marcie snuggled close to him. “Being with you is much more important than being a movie star.”

As Brad lowered his head to kiss her, Marcie made up her mind. Lee would never tell anyone about his affair. And Mercedes had taken her secret with her to the grave. Sometimes you had to be strong enough to protect the person you loved from things that would hurt them needlessly. And because she loved Brad with all her heart, Mercedes's secret was safe with her.

 

 

Jerry woke up as he heard a soft tap on his door. He sat up in bed to switch on the light, and then he hurried to open it. His lover had promised to come, but he'd broken similar promises in the past.

“Is it too late for you? Or shall I come in?”

“It's never too late.” Jerry felt the color rise to his cheeks. He always blushed like a schoolboy when he was aroused. “Come in. Would you like a drink?”

“No. What I'd like is you.”

Strong arms reached out to surround him. Firm lips pressed against his. Jerry felt the blood pound through his veins, as his heart raced faster and faster. It had been a long time since they'd been together. Too long for any social niceties, like
I love you,
or even
I've missed you
. They were too greedy, and the fierce hunger they shared had to be satisfied.

And then they were on the bed, clothes strewn carelessly on the chair, on the rug, tossed wildly in a corner. And their bodies were welded to each other with mutual longing, tongues licking, lips pressing here and there and everywhere to give the most pleasure, knowing each other's bodies as well as they knew their own.

“Now?” Jerry's voice trembled.

“Now.”

“Do you want—?”

“No. I know you haven't been with anyone except me.”

There was pain. Jerry muffled his startled cry in the depths of his pillow. And then there was the blinding pleasure that drove all conscious thought from his mind. He'd yearned for this feeling, every nerve end pulsing, every cell crying out for the glorious release.