Spring Breakdown (7 page)

The breakfast table was noticeably thinned out the next morning. “It looks as if some of the girls are already on vacation,” commented Grandmother.

DJ controlled herself from saying, “Or suffering from hangovers.”

“I hope that everyone will be packed and ready to go in time for our flight this afternoon.”

“I’m all packed,” said Taylor as she refilled her coffee cup. “And I just went online to check the Palm Beach weather and it looked fabulous. Low eighties and mostly sunny.”

“Sounds lovely.” Grandmother looked up to see Inez coming into the dining room with a cordless phone in hand.

“Kriti’s mother wants to speak to you,” said Inez.

DJ and Taylor exchanged glances then listened.

“Good morning, Mrs. Nahid,” Grandmother said cheerfully. But as she listened, her smile quickly faded. “Really, she did? Why, I had no idea.” She waited again. “Is she absolutely certain?” Despite her recent Botox treatment, her brow creased ever so slightly. “Oh, I’m very sorry to hear that, Mrs. Nahid. I know Kriti will be missed. Thank you for calling. Oh, yes.
Thank you.” Grandmother pushed the off button and turned to DJ. “Did you know that Kriti went home last night?”

DJ’s eyes grew wide. “Is she okay? Did something happen?”

“Apparently
something
happened.” Grandmother narrowed her eyes at DJ. “And I would like to get to the bottom of it. When did you last see Kriti?”

DJ thought for a moment. “Here at the house, right before Conner picked me up.”

“So Kriti did not go to the dinner party at the Green’s beach house?” Grandmother looked disturbed. “Was she not invited?”

“Of course she was invited, Mrs. Carter.” Taylor glanced at DJ as if to ask how much they should say. DJ just shrugged. “Everyone was invited,” continued Taylor.

“But Kriti didn’t attend the dinner party?” persisted Grandmother. “Was there a reason, Taylor?”

“Here’s what happened.” DJ jumped in and told her grandmother the whole story. Or nearly the whole story. She left out some details, like how Rhiannon had come home early because she’d drunk too much. Taylor and DJ had checked on her last night and she’d seemed much better. DJ also didn’t mention that Eliza must’ve come home quite late since she hadn’t been in her room when they’d tucked Rhiannon in.

“So you two girls and Conner and Harry were the only ones to attend your dinner party?” Grandmother was still trying to absorb this.

“Yes.” Taylor sighed. “It was disappointing at first, but we managed to have a good time.”

“And why did Eliza tell the others that you had a plumbing disaster?”

“We have a couple of theories,” DJ offered.

“They are?”

“Well, Eliza is still a little jealous that Harry likes Taylor.”

Grandmother shook her head in a dismal way.

“And it’s possible that some of them weren’t terribly happy that we’d made it very clear that there would be no alcohol allowed at our dinner party,” Taylor finished for her.

“So was there alcohol at the other dinner party—the one hastily put together by our own dear Eliza?”

Both Taylor and DJ said nothing, but Grandmother seemed to get it. “I’ll take that as a yes,” she told them.

“This is disturbing.” Grandmother picked up the phone then set it down. “I’m not sure what should be done.”

“So did Kriti’s mom say why she came home?” Suddenly DJ was curious. “Did something happen?”

“Mrs. Nahid said that Kriti had suddenly gotten a strong case of homesickness and her boyfriend kindly offered to drive her home. They got there quite late and the boyfriend slept on the couch. Naturally, Kriti’s parents were quite shocked to discover them there in the morning.”

“Naturally.” DJ thought about Casey now. She had assumed that both Casey and Kriti had been in their room sleeping off the effects of too much partying. Now she wondered.

“But that is not all,” continued Grandmother. “It seems that Kriti has decided to forgo our Palm Beach trip.”

“She’s not going?” DJ felt bad now. “Did her mom say why?”

“Only that Kriti is very tired from studying and wanted a week to rest at home.”

“She has some hard classes,” pointed out DJ.

“And she really does study,” added Taylor. “I’m sure she’ll ace all her classes.”

“Maybe some of the other Carter House girls should imitate Kriti’s good study habits.” This seemed aimed at DJ.

“Well, I’m glad she’s okay,” said DJ. She set her napkin next to her plate and asked to be excused.

“Yes, and will you tell the other girls that I want to have a little meeting?” Grandmother looked at her watch. “In the living room at ten o’clock sharp.”

Taylor asked to be excused too and they both hurried upstairs to check the status of the other girls. But when they knocked on the door to Casey and Kriti’s room, no one answered. And when they went inside, they saw that both beds were empty and hadn’t been slept in.

“Where’s Casey?” asked DJ.

“Good question.” Taylor pulled out her cell phone and DJ headed for Eliza and Rhiannon’s room. Rhiannon was taking a shower, but Eliza was still sleeping.

“Time to get up, Party Girl,” DJ said loudly as she nudged Eliza.

“Leave me alone,” Eliza drawled back at her.

“Grandmother wants to see you,” DJ said firmly. “She wants you downstairs by ten o’clock sharp.”

“What time is it?” she asked groggily.

“It’s nine thirty-five.”

Eliza groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing her head like it hurt.

“Now that you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed,” teased Taylor, “maybe you can tell us where Casey is.”

“She didn’t answer her phone?” asked DJ.

Taylor shook her head then turned back to Eliza. “Do you know?”

“Of course not.”

“You might be interested to know that Josh drove Kriti home last night. Apparently they didn’t enjoy your dinner party very much,” DJ told her. “Kriti’s mom just called my grandmother.”

“Does Mrs. Carter know about the party?”

Both Taylor and DJ nodded.

“Is she mad?” Eliza actually looked concerned as she pulled on a pair of velour warm-up pants.

“Of course she’s mad,” DJ said calmly. “Did you think she’d be happy?”

“And now Kriti has decided not to go to Palm Beach.”

“Just because of our party?” Eliza shoved her feet into her furry slippers.

“What do you think?” DJ asked her. “Did it seem like Kriti and Josh were enjoying themselves?”

Eliza pushed her blonde hair back and leaned over like she wasn’t feeling very well. “I don’t know…”

“Well, maybe you should think about it,” Taylor said quietly. “Maybe you should take some responsibility for your actions. Lying to everyone so that you could host a drinking party has consequences, Eliza. And, trust me, I’ve been there and done that so it’s not like I’m judging you. I’m just warning you…you’re on a bad trail. I’ve been there.”

Eliza just nodded. Then Rhiannon emerged from the bathroom, toweling her hair and looking slightly better than she’d looked last night. “What’s up?” she asked. And they filled her in on Kriti’s mother’s phone call.

“Poor Kriti.” Rhiannon shook her head. “I could tell she was fed up with the whole thing last night. If only we’d been at your party, Taylor.”

“Except Eliza messed that up,” DJ pointed out.

“Yeah.” Rhiannon frowned. “Thanks a lot, Eliza.”

“Fine,” said Eliza in a hurt tone. “You all hate me. I get it.” Then she trudged into the bathroom.

“There’s something else,” DJ told Rhiannon. “Casey is missing.”

Rhiannon’s eyes grew big. “Missing?”

“I just left her a message,” Taylor explained, “but she never came home last night.”

“Did you try Seth’s phone?” asked Rhiannon.

“Good idea.” Taylor opened her phone and punched in his number, and the next thing she was talking to Seth. At first he seemed to be playing with her but then Taylor got tough. “Look, Seth, this has nothing to do with you and me—so get over yourself, okay? I just want to know where Casey is and that she’s okay. And if you don’t get her back to the house by ten o’clock you will have the cops out looking for you and I am so not kidding. Capiche?” Then she hung up. “What a jerk!”

“Way to go!” DJ gave her a high five.

“Anyway, Mrs. Carter is having a meeting at ten,” Taylor told Rhiannon.

“Do you think she’s going to cancel the trip?”

Taylor shrugged. “I wouldn’t really blame her.”

“I’d be surprised,” DJ admitted. “She’ll probably just lecture us, read the house rules, and tell us to act like ladies.”

“That’s all?” Rhiannon looked slightly disappointed.

“You know how she is.” DJ sighed. “This Palm Beach trip isn’t just a vacation, it’s a modeling job. You seriously think my grandmother will pass up on that?”

“Yeah,” agreed Taylor. “Then she’d have to pay back the travel expenses and I’m sure that wouldn’t sit too well.”

“You got that right.”

“What will we do if Casey doesn’t make it back in time for the meeting?” asked Rhiannon.

DJ considered this. “I guess all we can do is tell my grandmother the truth.”

Rhiannon shook her fist at the closed bathroom door. “Thanks to Eliza!”

“You can’t blame Eliza for everything,” Taylor told them. “Casey made up her own mind.”

“That’s right!” Eliza pushed the door open as if she’d been listening the whole time. “It’s not my fault that all this is happening and it’s really mean to try to pin it all on me.” Now she was crying. Or pretending to cry. DJ wasn’t sure. “I try to be nice to you guys and all I get in return is grief.” She let out a loud sob.

“Lying to everyone to keep them from coming to my dinner party is being nice?” Taylor questioned her.

“And spiking my drink on purpose is nice?” Rhiannon added.

“Eliza spiked your drink?”

Rhiannon nodded. “That’s what Bradford told me. He said he saw you do it, Eliza.”

“If he saw me, why did he let you drink it?” Eliza shot back at her then blew her nose on a tissue. “Shouldn’t he take some blame too?”

“It’s time to put on your big girl pants, Eliza.” Taylor looked directly into her face. “Grow up and take some responsibility for your actions.” Then Taylor turned around and walked out. DJ followed her.

By ten o’clock all the girls (except Kriti) were seated in the living room. Some, like Casey—who showed up just before ten—looked a little worse for wear, but all were sitting up straight and paying attention as Grandmother did exactly as DJ had predicted. First she lectured them on the dangers of drinking and drugs. She even told a story about a model who’d
had a bad vodka habit that eventually led to cocaine. “Oh, she was such a beauty too.” Grandmother sighed. “Selena had a very bright future—everyone loved her. Naturally, when her problems hindered her work, she was eventually let go from the agency. And then I heard a year or two later that she died poor and alone of a heroin overdose. So sad.” Then she told the girls how she didn’t want them to end up like poor Selena.

“And now as a reminder to you girls, I will once again read the Carter House Rules,” she announced. “I expect you to honor these rules for as long as you remain under my care.” DJ tried not to snooze as Grandmother laboriously read the rules.

“And finally,” she said as she folded the sheet of rules and slipped it into her blazer pocket, “I’ve thought long and hard about whether or not we should proceed with our trip to Palm Beach. Frankly, you girls have me a bit worried.” She paused to study the girls. “But I have decided to give you another chance. And I hope you will not disappoint me.”

Everyone seemed to relax a bit now and Grandmother asked if they had any questions.

“I don’t have a question, Grandmother,” DJ said suddenly. “But there’s something I think you should know.” The room got quiet again and both Eliza and Casey looked uneasy.

“Yes, DJ? Go ahead.”

“Some guys from school are planning to go to Palm Beach too.”

Grandmother just smiled. “Well, isn’t that a nice coincidence.”

“And they may want to come by and visit,” DJ continued.

“Well, that should be fun for you girls.” Grandmother nodded in a very obtuse sort of way.

“They’re staying at Lane’s grandparents’ house,” continued DJ. “Remember Lane Harris is the one who hosted last night’s party with Eliza.”

“Did you say Lane Harris?” Grandmother looked interested.

“Yes.” DJ was stumped now. What did she have to do to make Grandmother understand?

“Is that Norman Harris’s son?”

“That’s right,” Eliza said quickly. “Lane’s family goes way back in Crescent Cove history. They’ve owned the newspaper and several other businesses for ages. They lived in Manhattan for most of Lane’s life, but his mother finally got tired of the city life and they moved back here a few months ago. His dad commutes.”

Grandmother smiled at Eliza. “Yes, I do recall hearing that now. I’ll bet you didn’t know that Lane’s grandfather used to be a sweetheart of mine.” She laughed. “Oh, it didn’t last long, but I must say the poor boy was smitten.”

“That’s so amazing.” Eliza smiled happily at Grandmother. “And it’s his grandparents’ house that Lane will be staying in!” She seemed to have renewed enthusiasm, like she knew she was suddenly back in Grandmother’s good graces again.

“Oh, perhaps we can all get together sometime,” gushed Grandmother.

Eliza nodded like this was a real possibility. “I’ll be sure to let Lane know so he can tell his grandfather.”

DJ wanted to point out that Lane’s grandparents were supposedly on some cruise, but decided not to bother. Maybe some people were just better off with their heads in the sand. Like that old saying went—perhaps ignorance really was bliss.

“Well, I know you all have much to do. I’ve arranged for a town car to pick us up at noon. Hopefully we can do curbside check-in and get through security without too much delay. Our flight leaves at three fifty and we’ll arrive in Fort Lauderdale around nine. From there it’s about an hour’s drive to Palm Beach. So it’s going to be a long day. Hopefully you’re all packed and just about ready to go.”

“I need to finish packing,” Eliza said suddenly.

“I need to start,” said Casey.