THE GREAT BETRAYAL (16 page)

“
Shhh, shhh, shhh,” Dawn soothed. “Tomorrow is another day. Let’s get you to bed and we’ll take it one day at a time, okay?”

They went up the stairs, and Leslie crawled into bed, the tears coming once again. “Would you do me a favor?”

“
You know I will.”

“
Come stay here with us until Luke comes back? I just can’t bare it alone…him being gone like this.”

“
No problem,” Dawn said without skipping a beat. She smiled. “Where’s my room?”

Chapter 30

Hallowed Presbyterian Church, much like any large, prestigious organization, was a well-built and well-oiled machine. The congregation was populated with people and families from all walks of life, from every social class. There were doctors, nurses, attorneys, and politicians, alongside sanitation workers, plumbers, landscapers, and cashiers. They were all faithful churchgoers—faithful to Hallowed Presbyterian and their fellow brethren.

They were also very punctual. Sunday morning services began promptly at eleven thirty a.m.

Brenda Ross stood waiting on the front steps, wondering why in the hell her sister could never manage to drag herself to church before noon.

When she finally spotted Dawn’s car, she folded her arms, her facial expression cross. She was eager to hear this week’s excuse.

Brenda began tapping her watch as Dawn approached. She looked great as usual, wearing a dark green dress, a matching broad-rimmed hat, and dark sunglasses.

“Don’t you have a watch?”

“Yes, I have a watch,” replied Dawn, smiling. Ignoring her sister’s folded arms, she hugged and kissed her. “It’s good to see you, too, big sister. Love the dress.”

Inside, Dawn kissed her niece and nephew, squeezed into the seat her mother had saved, and settled in for the final moments of the service.

After church, they’d gone to their mother’s house for a filling dinner: roasted pork, split-pea soup, yellow rice, and warm corn bread. Dawn even threw together a quick salad, and they’d all sat around and had an enjoyable Sunday dinner.

“I’m worried about her,” Brenda said later that evening, after Dawn had gone. She was helping her mother with the dishes. “Can you believe she’s staying at Leslie Cavanaugh’s house? She said that’s why she was late to church. They live way out west somewhere.”

Their mother, Janice Madison, a short, stocky lady with a warm, pleasant face and a mop of gray hair, had long since shared her eldest daughter’s concerns.

Ever since the sudden and tragic loss of Michael, when Dawn was still so young and inexperienced, they had been more than a little worried about her.

When she had finally geared up and decided to go back out to work, they’d been so happy—hopeful that it meant she was heading back to some sense of normalcy. That she had seen her way to getting on with her life.

But that was over ten years ago. And from what they could tell, Dawn still had yet to spend more than twenty minutes with any other man. Over the years they had both tried their hands at matchmaking, set her up with all sorts of men, but none ever satisfied Dawn. There was always something in the way. Or someone.

“
Well, she can’t go on like this another ten years, Brenda,” Janice Madison said now. “She’s a healthy, gorgeous thirty-six-year-old woman with so much to…Maybe it’s time we recommend she get some help. You know…professional grief counseling.”

Brenda’s eyes widened. “You
know
she’ll only shoot it down. The minute anybody so much as mentions anything about Michael, she balks.”

Janice nodded. “Yes, I know. But don’t you see what I see? She’s too wrapped up with Leslie Cavanaugh’s life. Everything’s ‘Leslie this,’ or ‘Leslie that.’ ‘Leslie and Luke this,’ or ‘Leslie and Luke that’. Dawn needs to get her own life. I know they’re friends and all…but moving in because the woman’s husband left her? That’s taking it a trifle too far, don’t you think?”

Brenda nodded. “Yeah, I did think that was weird when she told us. If she had children or a husband to look after, she wouldn’t be able to do crap like that.”

“
Exactly.”

“
Whatever happened to that guy Lyle Burns?” asked Brenda, wiping off the countertop. “Did she finally run him off for good?”

“
Lord, I hope not.”

Chapter 31

Leslie had flowers sent to Ingrid at the hospital in Memphis. She wanted to call her—even going so far as picking up her office phone several times throughout the day, fingers poised to dial—but she couldn’t. Over a decade of shame, dripping from her every pore, kept getting in the way.

A week had passed since Luke left.

Leslie was a wreck. She didn’t know how she’d cope if Dawn had not been there to catch her every time she nearly fell into a well of self-pity.

When she was at her worst, not even Kathryn could cheer her, and Dawn had cautioned her about letting the situation affect Kate more than was necessary. It was sage advice, Leslie knew. But how did one deal with their husband walking out?

She hadn’t heard any more from Grace, either, and she was afraid to write to her. But should she? Would it seem like she didn’t care if she didn’t? Dawn said no, that Grace would reach out in her own time.

Luke had not returned to the house since that night. He hadn’t so much as called, but on two occasions Kate came home saying her father had come to school that day and taken her out to lunch.

“
When’s he moving back home, Mommy?” she asked one night as Leslie took her temperature. To Leslie’s dismay, the cold seemed to be worsening. “What did you do to him?”

Leslie could only kiss her eight-year-old daughter’s forehead, resting her head upon it.

It was all she could bring herself to do.

By the end of the following week, it was clear Kathryn needed to see Dr. Granado, her pediatrician. The cough had worsened; she was wheezing and burning up with fever.

When she took her in, the doctor examined her, and before Leslie knew what happened, Dr. Granado was calling the hospital. What started out as a simple cold was now very likely pneumonia. Kate had to be admitted right away.

To the
hospital
.

Leslie froze immediately. She simply could not move. Her brain seemed to malfunction.

The hospital.

“
Mrs. Cavanaugh?” Dr. Granado looked up from the notes she’d been scribbling. “Did you hear me? You can drive her right over to Palm Beach Children’s. They’re getting a bed ready for her now.”

Slowly, Leslie moved into action.

In the car, she called Luke’s cell phone, leaving a message on his voice mail. “Luke, it’s me…I’m on my way to Palm Beach Children’s Hospital with Katie. I took her to see Dr. Granado and it looks like she’s come down with pneumonia.”

Then she dialed Dawn’s direct number at C&C.

“
Good morning; this is Dawn.”

“
It’s me. Dr. Granado says it looks like pneumonia. Can you come to the hospital? Please?” She told Dawn where to meet her and then she snapped the cell phone shut.

“
Don’t worry, Mommy,” Kate said on a wheeze, seeing her mother’s panicked state. “I’m gonna be okay. Cindy Plankton went into the hospital last month to get her tonsils out, and she came out all better.” The Plankton family owned the largest home on their street.

Leslie looked over at her daughter.

“
I’m so very sorry to tell you this
…
but I don’t have good news
.
” A long pause
.
It had seemed an eternity before he said it
.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Phillips has died
…
”

When she turned in to the hospital, Leslie’s palms moistened. Aside from when she’d had Kate, Leslie had been in a hospital only twice before.

Sweat broke out on her brow. Her hands began to tremble.

She just couldn’t do it again…she simply couldn’t.

When Dawn arrived, she spotted Leslie’s Lexus sitting in the turning lane of the hospital’s entrance. Cars coming in from behind realized the SUV was at a standstill, so they were driving around it.

Pulling up alongside her, Dawn blew her horn and rolled her window down. Leslie sat motionless, her head turned toward the passenger seat.

Moving out of the street, Dawn parked along the swale and ran over to knock on the window, her gaze on Kate as the child huddled in her seat. “Leslie?”

Leslie’s head turned and Dawn saw tears on her face. The window came down. “I can’t do it,” said Leslie in a chocked voice. “I can’t take her in!”

“
Do you know where she went?” Luke asked when he arrived.

Kate had been admitted and settled into a private room, at Luke’s request. He also asked for a cot, so he could stay with her overnight. He phoned his parents, and left messages for his brothers, telling them the news, and they were all on their way. His partners at the firm also promised to come visit Kate. Everyone was worried. Everyone wanted to be at the hospital.

Everyone except Leslie. Everyone except Kate’s mother.

Dawn shook her head. “She just drove off after I took Kathryn from the car. She touched her face, told her she loved her, and asked me to stay with her. Then…she just drove off.”

Luke swore.

“
I’m really worried about her, Luke,” Dawn continued. “I think she needs help. Some kind of grief counseling. It’s a long time coming, but I think she definitely needs it.”

“
Fuck that,” Luke spat. “This is her daughter! Her
daughter
! She’s sick as a dog and Leslie just drives off and leaves her in the goddamn parking lot? Un-
fucking
-believable!”

Chapter 32

The following morning Leslie was at her desk working, checking voice mail when Monica buzzed.

Luke was there to see her.

Leslie’s face went pale. “L-Luke?”

“Uh-huh.”

Her eyes flew to the door. “Uh, s-send him in.”

She stared at the door.
Oh, God
.

Suddenly it opened and Luke stepped in. He closed the door quietly behind him.

When he spoke, his voice was low and even. She could tell he was working overtime to keep his anger in check. “Why aren’t you at the hospital?”

She stared at him. How could she explain?

He asked again. This time she knew she had better answer.

“Luke, I…I was afraid. More afraid than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

He walked toward her, rounding the desk. Kneeling before her, he rested his palms on her knees.

The sunlight filtered through the blinds and fell across his handsome face. That terribly familiar face.

“Our eight-year-old daughter is in the hospital with pneumonia—a very serious illness—and you leave her in the parking lot and drive off? Leslie…” He paused, confusion in his eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Her intercom buzzed. “Leslie? Just a reminder that you have the compensation meeting at nine thirty. Room three-oh-one.”

She glanced at her watch and buzzed back. “Monica, call upstairs to Jerry Weiner and tell him to hold the start for me. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She faced Luke.

“I’m sorry,” she said, taking his hands. Their eyes connected. “You know I love Katie very much…It’s just that…” She tried to look away, but he wouldn’t let her. “I’m just afraid of hospitals. People go in but they don’t come out. You know who comes out instead? The damn doctor. He comes out in a white coat with a dreadful look on his face because…he’s coming to tell you…”

To tell you Jeffrey is dead
! she wanted to shout—but she didn’t. She didn’t dare.

Shaking off her hands, Luke stood up. “Kathryn isn’t going to die, Leslie. But she needs her mother. She can’t understand why you just left her there. She can’t understand why you’re not there now.” He held her gaze. “Your daughter needs you,” he whispered. “She’s not going to die. Come with me to the hospital.”

Leslie looked away.

“
Right now.”

“
Who’s there with her?” she asked. “Is she all alone?” Leslie felt terrible.

“
Of course not. Mom’s there now. She’s there with Gillian.” Gillian was his sister-in-law, his brother Evan’s wife. “You should be ashamed—you left her in the goddamn parking lot.”

Anger flashed in Leslie’s eyes. “Will you stop saying that? I did not leave her in the parking lot. Dawn was there. Dawn brought her in.”

Luke’s jaw flexed. “Dawn is not her fucking mother.”

Leslie flinched.