The Good Sister (17 page)

“What about my car?” Lindsey stared down at her clasped hands as she asked Elliot. She had to say something, anything to take the edge off the chill in the car. Did he know? And if so, what did he know? Was he mad?
What did he know?
her brain kept screaming at her. Her breath was soon coming in shallow pants and she was nearly hyperventilating.
What did he know?

Worst of all, why wouldn’t he reveal it? He remained strangely cool, without a word of derision to her. He asked about Jessie. He asked about Will. He didn’t even comment on the pile of papers she clutched desperately on her lap. Where was he taking her? What did he intend to do to her this time?

“We’ll get someone from the rental agency to pick it up.”

She bit her lip. Right. Expense was never an issue for Elliot. He wanted to enjoy a far more lavish lifestyle than they did; but he simply could not, because, after all, he had a plan. It was a very well thought out, and soon to be well executed plan. He considered everything, even down to how he should dress, where they should live, and how much they could allow for their monthly budget. He certainly didn’t want to appear like a rich, clueless, out-of-touch politician, thereby tanking his chances for the political office he sought.

“I’m glad you’re here. But why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

He slid a side glance at her. “I decided I needed to see for myself what was going on here. I didn’t like you being so far from me. I delegated the last specs for the hotel to someone I trust. We will stay over tonight, then tomorrow, we go home.”

She turned her head into the window so he couldn’t see her grimacing with disappointment. She shut her eyes tightly to hold back the tears. God, no. One more day. And then it was all over. She couldn’t even see her niece being born. Then again, it wasn’t like she could ever hope to have any kind of relationship with her niece. She couldn’t exactly invite their child to come and visit her and Uncle Elliot, now could she? And after this stint, how often would Elliot allow her to return? He wouldn’t. Simple as that. He only did this time because of a freak set of circumstances, which could never occur again.

“Lindsey? I trust that is fine.”

She took in a sharp breath, and plastered a smile on her face. “Sure. Of course. I look forward to getting back home.”

“I suppose we’ll have to stay with your sister, although I hate to.”

“It would go a long way towards promoting good will with them. After all, we do need Will’s support. You know how popular he is.”

Elliot pursed his lips. “Yes. I suppose. You never did answer me; why do you look like that?”

She twisted her fingers together. “I just prefer not to dress up when you aren’t there to appreciate it. It was a total waste on these people. You’ll see the kind of people they are around here. And plus, you’re the only one I ever want to impress, so I guess, I wanted to save that for you.”

He liked her answer and it wasn’t often that she pleased him. A smile hovered on his lips. “This is a horrible place. Why would they choose to live here?”

She nodded eagerly, almost in tears that he liked what she said. Perhaps she could even avoid being hit by him finding her looking that way, and being at the vet clinic. Now, all she had to do was get into the house before he did. She hoped Jessie and Will would simply follow along with her story that she was just out picking up Jessie’s work from Dr. Clark.

They soon pulled into her sister’s driveway. She stared at the house, as if seeing it for the first time. In one hour, her entire life shifted, and all because of Elliot, as usual. So far though, he seemed almost affable. Maybe, he really accepted her explanation for spending her time there. If he could just be okay about all of it, and let her survive the trip, she’d be glad to put it all behind her. She’d never act that way again. She would never do such dangerous things again. She closed her eyes and silently pleaded with God to just let her get away with this. In return, she promised to never do anything so awful, or so risky again, as spending time with Noah.

Shaking her head, she bolted from the car. She had to get in first. She took the paperwork, gripping it like the Holy Grail. It was her only chance of surviving her trip. She wasn’t naïve and knew how stressful the next few minutes would be on her physical and mental health.

She burst through the door and Jessie sat up from where she lay on the couch. The TV was on. Jessie still grumbled every single day about her restricted activity and diet. It had become Lindsey and Will’s favorite joke to laugh about behind her back. However, they always promised her they would take her concerns as seriously as they once did her other problems.

“Lindsey, what’s wrong? Why are you—”

“I got your paperwork, Jessie. You know the stuff you sent me town for?” she said as she rushed forward to hand the pile to Jessie. “Elliot is here! Isn’t it a coincidence that he found me at Dr. Clark’s right when I was getting your stuff?”

Jessie’s brown eyes nearly crossed as she turned with a grimace and looked up at Lindsey, who immediately read Jessie’s “what the fuck?” face. She gripped Jessie’s hand and pleaded silently with her to understand. Then Elliot came in the front door. He shut it with a soft click behind her that sent a strange rush of adrenaline throughout her body. She needed this. She needed for Jessie to get this.

“Oh, wow. That is strange. Uh, thank you for grabbing all this from Noah.” Jessie got up slowly, her stomach causing her to almost waddle towards Elliot. “Hello
, Elliot. Nice to see you.”

“You too, Jessie. How goes the pregnancy?”

The blood rushing through Lindsey’s ears prevented her from hearing the answer. She heard nothing of their forced, banal conversation. She was too busy keeping her wobbling legs from collapsing and letting her fall flat on the floor. She was managing quite well so far. 

She turned her attention back when Elliot said he was going to grab his bag from the car. Jessie had already warmly invited him to stay there overnight. He didn’t deserve it and was barely tolerable to either Jessie or Will. He certainly never talked to, much less looked at Jessie with even a trace of warmth.

Jessie waited until the front door clicked shut. “What the hell is going on? What was that?”

“I never told him I worked for Noah.”

“Why not?”

“I just, I didn’t. He wouldn’t want me to work.”

Jessie frowned and her entire body straightened up with nearly physical disgust. “Holy fuck. He doesn’t allow you to work, does he?”

She straightened her back. She could not let Jessie know more than she already did. “Oh my God, Jessie, it’s not like that. It’s not like he doesn’t allow me to do anything. I simply don’t want to. I’m sorry, we happen to be wealthy enough that there simply is no need for me to get a job.”

Jessie tapped a finger to her leg. “Yeah, and how does that explain why you wouldn’t be able to do me the favor?”

She shrugged and turned her back on her prying sister. That was why it was so much easier to live far away and have no one close by her. It was so much easier for her to hide from the few, fake acquaintances they cultivated and called their “friends” in D.C.

“Because I was embarrassed, okay? I mean this place. The country vet clinic. It’s not exactly ‘us,’ Jessie. We were at the White House only a month before I came here. And now, I play around with the phones in some podunk town. Forgive me, if I just didn’t want it getting out. It would make me the laughing stock of the club.”

Jessie stiffened in obvious resentment halfway through her vile, rude, and very snobby speech. A speech that could have kept Jessie out of her business forever. Maybe even out of her life. The thought of losing her again nearly doubled Lindsey over in pain. No. She could not handle this, any of it, without at least some contact with her sister.

Jessie’s eyebrows lifted. “Club? What club?”

Lindsey waved a hand in the air. “Oh,
our Country Club, of course. You can’t imagine what my life is like anymore. Since you moved away and we relocated to Virginia, well, we are really something now. And together, we’re going to be something great.”

“Oh, well, pardon me, if we aren’t
anybody
. And just so you know, that’s a load of shit.”

It was. But it might very well have saved her life. “Jessie, you and are headed for very different existences. You have to understand, this was merely a stepping stone for me. A mini-vacation. A chance to connect with you before my real life actually begins.”

“She’s right,” Elliot said as he stepped through the front door. She knew that. She’d seen him coming up and hoped to gain more trust by having him catch her talking to Jessie in that condescending way. She turned fully toward Elliot with a glorious, albeit phony, smile. “And I can’t wait. Being here has shown me just how lucky I really am.”

Jessie’s face was stone and she clenched her jaw. “Yeah, well, it’s shown me a thing or two as well.”

Her heart flinched.
No. No, Jessie. Don’t believe me.
See through me. Tell me not to go with him. Tell me Will can kill him. Will can protect me. Tell me you’ll never let him hurt me again.

But she well knew that was a dream. A childish fantasy. It was not reality. And all she could do by telling them the truth was to put their lives and the life of their baby in long term jeopardy. For Elliot never would forget or forgive anyone who helped her escape him.

“So, we’ll get Elliot settled, and I’ll cook dinner, like usual.”

Jessie cocked her head, but remained silent. Jessie knew Lindsey didn’t cook. She could not cook. She did not so much as make Jessie a single sandwich during her entire time there. She looked back over her shoulder as Jessie stared after her with real concern etched into her face.

Lindsey tried to avoid Jessie so she didn’t have a chance alone with her. She left the next morning, but things remained strange and edgy between them. It was obvious when Jessie told Will of their exchange because Will stared hard at her too. Will, the soldier, not her friend, looked back at her. No one fucked with Jessie. Not even Lindsey. So she felt pretty sure she’d lost his previous concern for her. Which was good, as it was safer, and therefore, better for all.

It had been the most fun month of Lindsey’s life. Will and Jessie traded off cooking duties and the three of them alternated the chores. They talked and laughed. There wasn’t a hint of fear or the chill of imminent violence in their house. They laughed a lot, which was something Lindsey hadn’t done in years. She found the humor and sarcasm utterly intoxicating. Elliot would have backhanded her if she dared to say the things that she said to Will in his presence. Will merely laughed or retorted with something equally offensive. She loved rising every morning with a purpose to her days. She had to be at work. She was accountable to Noah. She liked pleasing Noah, and being rewarded with a smile and the quick glance of appreciation that he flashed her. Not like with Elliot whom she aimed to please purely out of a survival instinct. She just liked Noah, period. There was no denying it.

Letting the happy thoughts fill her mind over the next few weeks, Lindsey remembered snippets of conversation, funny moments, uncomfortable moments, and all the moments Noah helped her. Especially when Noah saved Tessa
Backerman.

She quickly fell back into her role as Lindsey Johanson, and in a way, was relieved. She was really stressed being away from Elliot. She behaved so badly, she often lay awake at night, dreading that Elliot somehow would find out. She also imagined what he’d do if he found out. The horrible thoughts made her cold and sweaty. It was awful to imagine.

Now, she was back to herself. Her routine. And behaving. She took comfort in it. She got up. She got dressed. She found solace even in wearing her old clothes. Outfits Elliot picked out for her. Things he wanted to see her wear. It was simply better for her nerves for her to behave exactly as Elliot wanted. The anticipation of what he could do to her was far worse than simply obeying his rules.

And it also calmed her mind. That inner scream, urging her to tell someone: Jessie, Will or Noah. Noah turned out to be a surprise. That she trusted any man except Will was quite unusual; but somehow, she did trust Noah. Or at least, she believed she could trust him if her life weren’t controlled by a monster.

Things were okay for a few weeks. She went back to her vacuous luncheons with the ladies at the country club, never having one intelligent conversation with any of them. She let them tell her about their insignificant lives, their doting husbands, and their challenging kids. She said nothing, but no one ever seemed to pick up on it. With a smile, she could deflect almost anyone away from her. It was second nature to her now, although it only began early in her marriage.

The problem that had her stomach tied up in knots was Penny and Noah kept calling her cell phone. She never dared to answer it. But there was no doubt in her mind that soon Elliot would see the calls on the bill.

She gave both of them her number while she was in Washington. She did not expect it to cause any problems, but never anticipated they’d continue to use it after she left the state. She assumed they’d never contact her again. It was fast becoming a problem because Elliot would insist on knowing why they kept calling her.

They didn’t understand that she wasn’t allowed to correspond with outside influences. She couldn’t get a new number. Elliot controlled that. She waited out the time frame, biting her nails down to the
cuticle. He would not like their contact.

Meanwhile, Elliot’s election was starting. He strictly instructed her to wear her black, knee-length skirt with a red jacket, and to put her hair in a French twist. She was required to have the serving tray ready at precisely two o’clock with hot coffee and pastries. Cal Hopkins was the guest who was coming over. He was Elliot’s first choice to hire as his campaign manager. Cal ran a congressional race in Illinois that managed to decimate the competition. Just as Elliot intended to do. Cal was a tall, slender man with black hair, which he kept slicked off his face. He wore a gray suit with no tie. When he entered their house, Lindsey stood up from the living room chair and a chill instantly rushed down her spine.

As he came into their living room, she could almost feel his eyes running over her in a leering, salacious stare.

“Hello Mr. Hopkins. Welcome to our home. Please, have a seat.” Lindsey made sure to keep her smile pleasant, as if she enjoyed his undisguised leering. Elliot would not be happy if she blew this first impression.

“Please, call me Cal.” He held her hand far too long and she yearned to tug it back from his sweaty grip. But instead, she let it sit there limply.

“Lindsey, why don’t you pour us some coffee?”

She obeyed Elliot’s bidding, but all the while, felt Cal’s lecherous eyes staring down her blouse as she bent over. She resisted the urge to tug up her collar as he made her feel violated. But there was no chance that she would show her disdain.

She handed them their drinks and sat quietly in her chair, listening, and only responding when one of them directly asked her a question.

“I assure you, Lindsey will do anything you require of her. Won’t you, dear?”

She sat up straighter. Her mind had temporarily wandered from them as they discussed their strategy and focus groups, as well as which audience to target and an estimate of expenses. “Yes, of course, Elliot.”

Cal’s gaze jerked to her face. He nodded, pretending to be skeptical. “Indeed? Not many wives would be so willing to help.”

“Mine is.” Elliot’s tone was tight and Lindsey dropped her eyes to the floor. “Mine wants this for me, I mean, us, don’t you, dear?”

She nodded. “Oh, yes. Of course, I want nothing more than for Elliot to get what he has long deserved.”

Cal
’s gaze sharpened on her, but she smiled with a sweet tilt of her head. Cal sat back on the sofa and grinned. “I think we three could make a killer team.”

Elliot smiled just as deceptively. “Yes, I believe so.”

And Lindsey got the creepy feeling that she had just witnessed the devil signing a contract with Lucifer. Her stomach churned. There was undeniably something about Cal Hopkins that didn’t feel right.