Lottery (23 page)

When the limo pulled into the driveway, Jenee saw Ling bolt out the front door and race down the steps. She’d never felt so happy that her feet were on the ground.

When the car stopped, Jenee jumped out of the limo and hurried toward Ling, her arms out wide. “I’m here!”

“Did you have a good flight?” Ling asked, embracing her.

“I was a little nervous, but it was fine.” A ‘little’ nervous was an understatement. She’d stabbed her nails into the poor guy’s arm next to her many times throughout the flight to Phoenix.
He’d been kind, however, and reassured Jenee everything would be all right.

Ling turned to the driver. “Thanks, Max.” She grasped the handle of Jenee’s luggage.

“Should I pay him?” Jenee asked.

“All taken care of.”

“Thank you, Ling,” Jenee said humbly, shaded her eyes with her hand and looked up. “Is this really a house?” Her gaze swept over the intricate trim, the towering chimneys, and regal turrets. Every inch of the front yard was filled with lush greenery and thick ground cover, with bright flowers speckling the well-manicured lawn.

Ling laughed. “It is a bit overwhelming.”

“Overwhelming? In Kansas, we call this a bed and breakfast.”

They walked beside each other toward the house.

“Welcome, Jenee.” At the sound of a new voice, Jenee looked up and saw Mei. With her wide, welcoming smile and outstretched hand Jenee knew she was as genuine as Ling.

“Mei? I’m so happy to meet you.” Jenee hurried up the steps to greet her.

“So happy you have come.” Mei took Jenee’s hand and tugged. “Please, come in.”

The outside had wowed Jenee, but the inside was so picture-perfect that it could have been featured in
Better Homes and Gardens
. She put a hand over her chest. “Oh, my.” She wandered slowly between the sturdy matching curved stairways on either side of the vast foyer and into the great room. Drawn to the wall of cathedral windows, she nodded to the left. “Is that the Golden Gate Bridge?”

“It is.” Ling came up beside her.

“I’ve never seen the ocean.” Jenee stared glassy-eyed at the calm bay and the barges that looked as if they were floating in slow motion. She turned around and faced the living area, not
being able to take in everything fast enough; the artwork on the walls captured inside ornate, gold frames; the overstuffed couches upholstered in a bold, colorful print; the white rock fireplace with an opening three times the size of the one in her own home. “I can’t stop looking.” Jenee giggled anxiously.

“Let’s get you settled,” Ling said, walking back to Jenee’s suitcase. “Caleb should be here anytime and we’ll have some appetizers out on the deck.” Her phone rang and she took it out of her pocket. “Speaking of Caleb.” She opened her phone, then turned and walked toward the front door.

“You’ve never been here?” Mei asked Jenee. “To California?”

Jenee shook her head. “Never been out of Kansas.” She heard Ling mumble into the phone.

“I not know where Kansas is.”

Jenee smiled. “Right smack dab in the middle of the United States.”

“I’d like you to come home now.” Jenee heard Ling say.

“Ah … traffic nice there?” Mei asked.

“Oh, my gosh.” Jenee rolled her eyes, “I thought I was going to have a heart attack on the way here. I’ve never seen so many cars.”

“You have little girl?” Mei asked.

“Baileigh. She’ll be four in a couple of months. Maybe someday I can bring her to visit,” Jenee took out her phone and scrolled down to a picture of Baileigh.

“Oh, she so sweet.” Mei nodded at Ling and smiled. “I hope to have little girl around here soon.”

“My mother wants a grandchild, can you tell?” Ling laughed and pushed her phone back into her pocket. She pulled Jenee’s luggage behind her to the stairs. “My husband is on his way home. Come on, girl.” She laced her arm through Jenee’s. “I’ll take you up to your room.”

“I’d better drop bread crumbs if you leave me alone,” Jenee said, “or I’ll get lost and you’ll never find me again.”

Ling led Jenee up the two flights of stairs, talking as fast as they could. When they reached the suite, Ling opened the door and waved Jenee inside.

“I can’t believe this,” Jenee gushed, her gaze moving over unique decor. “This is so elegant.”

“I love this room,” Ling told her, glancing around. “It’s like its own private tree house.” She started for the door. “Take your time getting settled and I’ll see you downstairs,” she said and closed the door behind her.

Jenee was in awe. Did people really live like this? Her eyes settled on the paver-brick fireplace and then swept over the antique four-poster bed, the distinguished looking wardrobe, and the hurricane lamp on the bedside table.

She opened the door that led to the private deck and walked outside. Breathing in the fresh air, she tilted her head back and felt the warmth of the sun on her face. Her gaze went down the street. Every home along the boulevard was just as large, or even larger than Ling and Caleb’s. She noticed she didn’t hear the laughter of children like she did on her street.

When she heard voices downstairs, she went back into the suite. Caleb must be home. After overhearing Ling on the phone with her husband, Jenee was apprehensive about meeting him.

Like the bedroom, the bath was huge; a gleaming white, claw-foot tub in the middle of the room; a large shower hidden by thick, glass blocks; two white terry-cloth robes neatly folded on the counter in between matching sinks with sterling goose-neck spigots. She wished Justin were here to experience all of this with her.

She stepped out her slacks and unbuttoned her blouse. After she folded the clothes neatly and laid them on the counter, she walked into the shower and turned on the water. Everything she
needed was on the built-in shelving; shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a long handled loofah sponge, and even disposable razors. The warm water pulsated over her muscles that were still tense from the plane ride. It felt like she was on vacation on the tropical island that she’d dreamed about since she was in her teens.

When she stepped out, she wrapped one of the thick soft robes around her. After she scrunched her wet, naturally curly hair, she put on a touch of make-up and then dusted blush over her freckled cheeks.

She pulled the pink sundress over her head that she’d bought for the trip, and then slipped on sandals. Turning to the side, she admired herself in the freestanding mirror in the bedroom. She couldn’t wait any longer, took out her phone and dialed Justin.

“Hey,” he answered. “You at Ling’s?”

“I am.” She opened the door to the suite, closed it, and walked the short distance to the stairs. “Just going to meet Caleb.”

“Is the house incredible?”

She started down the stairwell to the second floor. “I’ll call you later and tell you all about it.”

“I’m just going over to your mom’s to get Baileigh.”

“Tell her I love her,” Jenee said and then added, “don’t forget to—”

“We’ll be fine,” Justin interrupted. “Just relax and have fun.”

“Okay.” Jenee smiled. “Love you.”

“This must be Jenee,” Jenee heard as she came down the stairs. She looked up and, in spite of his bloodshot eyes, Caleb O’Toole was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. His blonde hair with a few lighter streaks running through it fell casually over his forehead, his dark tan accentuated sky blue eyes.

“And you must be Caleb.” She held out her hand when she reached the landing.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” Caleb grinned, showing his perfectly aligned white teeth. He walked toward her. “I get a hug.”

When he pulled her close, Jenee could smell liquor on his breath.

“You’ve met my husband, I see,” Ling said, coming out of the kitchen holding a silver tray piled high with gourmet food.

Jenee noticed the twitch above Caleb’s eye and looked away. “Your home is amazing.”

Caleb crooked his elbow for Jenee to put her arm through his. “Thank you, but my wife and mother-in-law take credit for the decorating.” They walked to the cathedral windows, and Caleb opened the glass open patio door. “Did you see the carriage house?”

“That’s where Ling’s parents live, right?”

“Yes,” Caleb said, leading Jenee to the three-foot stucco wall that surrounded the deck.

“I saw it when we drove it, but can’t wait to see the inside.” Although Ling had told her the house was a quarter of a mile away from the bay, Jenee felt as if she could reach out and touch the water. The seagulls looked like small ‘V’s soaring above them, and the huge, bright orange-red sun was slowly drifting into the bay. The views from every direction were breathtaking.

“Come, enjoy,” Ling said.

Jenee’s mouth watered when she saw the tray of smoked salmon, fresh clams, shrimp, and sourdough bread on the patio table, a bottle of wine chilling in a tall silver urn sat beside the table. She nodded at the assorted tropical plants in large containers around the deck. “Did you plant these?” she asked Ling, pulled out a chair and sat down.

“My mom did,” Ling said. “She has a greener thumb than anyone I know. Wait until you see the green house.” She turned. “Hey, Dad,” Ling said.

Jenee looked up and saw Ling’s parents in the doorway.

Ling put her arm around her father’s shoulder. “Come meet Jenee.”

Sam Jameson had a kind face just like Mei’s, and was just a few inches taller than his wife who couldn’t reach five-foot.

“My daughter has told us all about her stay in Kansas.” He took Jenee’s hand and covered it with his other hand, his thoughtful eyes gazing into Jenee’s.

“And the country western dancing,” Caleb added.

“Well, it’s not San Francisco, but it’s home,” Jenee responded.

For the next few hours, they chatted on the deck taking turns telling stories about their childhoods and how they’d met their spouses—everyone, that is, except Caleb. Mei even shared what it was like growing up in Shanghai. Caleb spent much of the time staring into space. Even though Jenee had seen Caleb have only two or three glasses of wine, he wasn’t steady on his feet.

It was after eleven when Ling yawned, stood, and picked up the empty tray.

“Let me help clean up.” Mei pushed back her chair.

Jenee started to stand, but Ling put her hand on Jenee’s shoulder. “You stay put and relax. You’ve had a long day.”

“Okay, but tomorrow I’m no longer a guest.” Jenee settled back in her chair. Ling and her parents had made her feel like she was a part of their family.

Sam picked up the empty wine bottles and followed his wife and daughter back into the house.

Jenee looked over at Caleb. “How you feeling about all this?”

Caleb turned toward her, his eyes cloudy. “All what?”

“Going to Shanghai. Having Justin and me stay with you? All the adoption stuff.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Anything to keep Ling happy,” he slurred.

She felt a cold chill. There was something strange about him. She’d felt it all night. She’d even caught Caleb mumbling to himself a couple of times.

It wasn’t just that she’d overheard his angry outburst when she was on the phone with Ling that made her leery. Now that she’d met him, Caleb O’Toole, he had an aura about him that made Jenee uncomfortable.

arlyWednesday morning before anyone was awake, Caleb took a cab to the post office on O’Farrell Street and secured a P.O. Box. His next stop was the library. From blocks away, he spotted the American flag flying high above the stately building. The last time Caleb had been here was with Ling when they’d attended a lecture in the Chinese Room.

Somewhat familiar with the layout, he knew that the café, Latino/ Hispanic Center, and auditorium were all in the lower level. The Chinese Center was the third level, while the administrative offices and the San Francisco Historical Center were housed on the sixth floor.

With shelves and shelves of books on every floor, public computers were scattered throughout the building. The trick would be to find a computer that wasn’t in use. He waited impatiently for over an hour before he spotted someone leaving, and then quickly took the seat.

He’d been up all night trying to figure out the best way about to get rid of Price. Caleb had a handgun stored in the attic, but
Weber had convinced Caleb that using a gun in public was a bad idea.