When Day Breaks Read online

  MARY JANE CLARK

  WHEN DAY BREAKS

  For Margaret Ann Behrends,

  honor student, homecoming queen, weathergirl,

  talk-show host, television producer, animal lover,

  communicator, humanitarian.

  Happy birthday, dear sister, happy birthday to you!

  And for all those who struggle with Fragile X syndrome,

  with the persistent hope that a cure is near.

  Contents

  PROLOGUE

  Here’s a real treasure.” The animal-shelter attendant pointed at the…

  FRIDAY MAY 18

  CHAPTER 1

  The morning rush was on.

  CHAPTER 2

  I need this job,” whispered B.J. D’Elia.

  CHAPTER 3

  Stuart Whitaker adjusted his black-framed eyeglasses as he stared with…

  CHAPTER 4

  Traveling down the West Side Highway, Eliza stared out at…

  CHAPTER 5

  Faith stuffed the sheets into the washing machine, added detergent,…

  CHAPTER 6

  Give Boyd a call, will you please, Paige?” Eliza asked…

  CHAPTER 7

  Why was it, Boyd Irons wondered, that whenever Constance bossed…

  CHAPTER 8

  Eliza made sure to give herself enough time to get…

  CHAPTER 9

  As soon as the guests took their seats at the…

  CHAPTER 10

  Constance arrived at her country house as the sun was…

  CHAPTER 11

  The pool lights flickered and then went off, but there…

  SATURDAY MAY 19

  CHAPTER 12

  Saturdays were busy at the Cloisters. On a hill overlooking…

  CHAPTER 13

  The little girls in red-and-white uniforms were gathered at the…

  CHAPTER 14

  The sound of the hooves as they pounded the soft…

  CHAPTER 15

  As soon as she arrived at the Broadcast Center, Eliza…

  CHAPTER 16

  By two o’clock scores of visitors had gathered in the…

  CHAPTER 17

  What’s worse? Faith wondered. Would it be worse to have…

  CHAPTER 18

  Jason Vaughan sat on his couch staring at the television…

  CHAPTER 19

  Engrossed in thoughts about what had happened to Constance, Eliza…

  CHAPTER 20

  As the Saturday-afternoon visitors were milling through the halls of…

  CHAPTER 21

  A string of vans, cars, and satellite trucks with New…

  CHAPTER 22

  Getting increasingly closer to deadline, Lauren found fault with every…

  CHAPTER 23

  The five o’clock news blared from the radio in the…

  CHAPTER 24

  B.J. waited until Lauren’s piece had been fed from the…

  CHAPTER 25

  At 6:57 P.M., during the commercial break, a medium-height, redhaired…

  CHAPTER 26

  As soon as the broadcast was over, Lauren tore down…

  CHAPTER 27

  The report on the Evening Headlines meant that it was…

  CHAPTER 28

  The kids were already fed, bathed, and in their pajamas…

  CHAPTER 29

  When the phone was answered, the sound of dogs barking…

  SUNDAY MAY 20

  CHAPTER 30

  Eliza was still asleep when Janie came cautiously into the…

  CHAPTER 31

  Sipping a cup of coffee, Vinny Shays leaned on his…

  CHAPTER 32

  B.J. sat in his car eating a jelly doughnut and…

  CHAPTER 33

  Trying to keep the packages and newspapers balanced in his…

  CHAPTER 34

  The Hvizdak family lived in a thirteen-thousand-square-foot French cha226teau-style home…

  CHAPTER 35

  Once the search-engine page was on the computer screen, “URSULA…

  CHAPTER 36

  Faith stole in through the garage door, hoping she wouldn’t…

  CHAPTER 37

  The assortment of news vans and crew cars that crowded…

  CHAPTER 38

  Back at the Broadcast Center, Eliza went to her office…

  CHAPTER 39

  While the roast beef sat in the oven and got…

  CHAPTER 40

  After spending the better part of Sunday afternoon in the…

  MONDAY MAY 21

  CHAPTER 41

  Like more than 40 million other Americans, Eliza switched back…

  CHAPTER 42

  In, out, pull. In, out, pull.

  CHAPTER 43

  As soon as her twins were out the door and…

  CHAPTER 44

  Near the end of KEY to America, Harry Granger, with…

  CHAPTER 45

  It was early, but already the bouquets of flowers were…

  CHAPTER 46

  As she stepped into the elevator, Eliza didn’t know how…

  CHAPTER 47

  Paige was waiting when Eliza reached her office.

  CHAPTER 48

  Annabelle came into Eliza’s office and held out the report.

  CHAPTER 49

  The Great Dane lay on the examining table. Before he…

  CHAPTER 50

  The police called Constance Young’s assistant, wanting to know if…

  CHAPTER 51

  Mr. Welles? Mr. Graham Welles?”

  CHAPTER 52

  Oh, my God, you’re not going to believe this, guys,”…

  CHAPTER 53

  The detectives entered the office building of Whitaker Medieval Enterprises.

  CHAPTER 54

  Just after five o’clock, Jason pushed the buzzer and waited…

  CHAPTER 55

  The KEY Evening Headlines began precisely at 6:30 P.M. At…

  CHAPTER 56

  Watching and listening to Eliza Blake, Ursula knew what she…

  CHAPTER 57

  A microchip in the Great Dane. Who could have anticipated…

  CHAPTER 58

  It was a balmy evening, and Eliza and Mack walked…

  TUESDAY MAY 22

  CHAPTER 59

  The heavy rain fell steadily as the taxicabs and limousines…

  CHAPTER 60

  O God of grace and glory, we remember before you…

  CHAPTER 61

  A candle burned in front of the brass box that…

  CHAPTER 62

  Faith stood at the back of the funeral home, shaking…

  CHAPTER 63

  The rain had let up, but as the mourners filed…

  CHAPTER 64

  What luck! It couldn’t have worked out any better than…

  CHAPTER 65

  The windshield wipers flipped from side to side as Eliza…

  CHAPTER 66

  Eliza had been back in her office at the Broadcast…

  CHAPTER 67

  I’m telling you. I have no clue how it got…

  CHAPTER 68

  I talked to my police source,” said Annabelle, plopping down…

  CHAPTER 69

  Before she left for the day, Lauren marched into Linus…

  CHAPTER 70

  Ethan had forgotten his calculator when he was over the…

  CHAPTER 71

  Washing her supper dishes in the tiny kitchen, Ursula’s hands…

  CHAPTER 72

  Two men stood outside on the New York City courthouse…

  CHAPTER 73

  The minute the broadcast was off the air and the…

  CHAPTER 74

&n
bsp; A call ahead of time to the Dropped Stitch Needlecraft…

  WEDNESDAY MAY 23

  CHAPTER 75

  After a nearly sleepless night, Faith got out of bed,…

  CHAPTER 76

  Stuart felt for his glasses on the nightstand and put…

  CHAPTER 77

  In her dream Eliza felt the warmth of another body…

  CHAPTER 78

  Painfully early in the morning, Boyd found himself waiting in…

  CHAPTER 79

  The owner of the Dropped Stitch Needlecraft Shop parked her…

  CHAPTER 80

  When Eliza arrived at the Broadcast Center, she met up…

  CHAPTER 81

  The Associated Press local wire broke the story first, and…

  CHAPTER 82

  Waiting in the lobby for B.J. to bring the car…

  CHAPTER 83

  Rowena Quincy was on the phone in her office at…

  CHAPTER 84

  There were no more loose ends.

  CHAPTER 85

  KEY News wasn’t the first on the scene at the…

  CHAPTER 86

  Her head ached as she pushed the vacuum cleaner around…

  CHAPTER 87

  As soon as they got back to the Broadcast Center,…

  CHAPTER 88

  This is The KEY Evening Headlines with Eliza Blake,” the…

  CHAPTER 89

  The car pulled up to the entrance of the Cloisters.

  CHAPTER 90

  Some doctors took Wednesdays off, but Margo Gonzalez worked all…

  CHAPTER 91

  During the cocktail hour, many people came up and introduced…

  CHAPTER 92

  Annabelle had just scooped out some frozen yogurt for the…

  CHAPTER 93

  Eliza escaped to a secluded corner, pulled the cell phone…

  CHAPTER 94

  It was growing dark as Stuart Whitaker walked with Faith…

  CHAPTER 95

  Eliza checked her watch. It was almost time for the…

  CHAPTER 96

  With the twins finally settled into bed and Mike at…

  CHAPTER 97

  It was almost nine o’clock when Eliza took the podium.

  CHAPTER 98

  B.J. finished his beer, paid the bill for his dinner,…

  CHAPTER 99

  Eliza stood with Rowena Quincy next to the unicorn’s display…

  CHAPTER 100

  B.J. stared at the screen studying Ursula’s poem until he…

  CHAPTER 101

  Eliza tried to leave the reception, but she was stopped…

  CHAPTER 102

  Annabelle went in to check on the twins. They were…

  CHAPTER 103

  Eliza found Linus and introduced him to Stuart Whitaker. Then…

  CHAPTER 104

  And listen to this,” said Annabelle. Over the phone she…

  CHAPTER 105

  By the time Eliza finished speaking to all the people…

  CHAPTER 106

  After repeatedly calling Eliza’s cell phone and getting no response,…

  CHAPTER 107

  Wow. It’s beautiful up here," said Eliza as she stood…

  CHAPTER 108

  The Cloisters security guards combed the museum looking for Eliza…

  CHAPTER 109

  The skirt of Eliza’s dress rustled in the evening breeze…

  CHAPTER 110

  The car sped up the West Side Highway. B.J. wove…

  CHAPTER 111

  Lauren looked down at the wounds on her open palm.

  CHAPTER 112

  By now B.J. had joined the search.

  CHAPTER 113

  Lauren closed in, the syringe in her hand.

  THURSDAY MAY 24

  Epilogue

  Good morning,” Eliza Blake’s voice welcomed the television audience. “It’s…

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books by Mary Jane Clark

  Credits

  Cover

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  PROLOGUE

  THURSDAY, MAY 17

  Here’s a real treasure.” The animal-shelter attendant pointed at the small, sad-eyed beagle who peered out of the cage. “She’s a sweet little thing, but she still doesn’t know what hit her. Her elderly owner died, and nobody in the family wanted to take her.”

  “Actually, I was thinking of something larger.”

  “Well, we have a nice collie–German shepherd mix over here.”

  The animal sat on the floor of his pen, his head resting on his outstretched paws. As the attendant approached, the dog rose to his feet, wagged his tail, and eagerly pressed his nose against the metal screen.

  “Why is he here?”

  “The owner said the dog shed too much. Can you imagine? This dog is highly intelligent, loyal, and dependable. But it wasn’t worth brushing every day.”

  “What about that one?”

  The attendant turned to the large pen against the wall.

  “Ah, the Great Dane. He’s our gentle giant, but he’s not going to be an easy one to place. He’ll eat somebody out of house and home.”

  “What do you think he weighs?”

  “I can tell you right now.”

  The attendant opened the cage and led the black dog to the scale at the rear of the room.

  “One hundred and twelve pounds,” he announced, petting the dog’s short, shiny coat.

  “How hard is he to handle?”

  “He’s a sweetheart, very affectionate and playful. He was well trained when he was a puppy. Too bad, his owner had to move across the country, and he couldn’t take the dog with him.”

  The dog licked the attendant’s hand.

  “What’s his name?”

  “Marco.”

  “As in Polo?”

  The attendant shrugged and smiled. “What can I tell you?”

  “Does he like the water?”

  “He should. Danes usually do.”

  “I think he’s the one for me.”

  “Are you sure?” asked the attendant. “A Dane should really have a large yard and plenty of exercise room. He’ll require very long walks regularly.”

  “I promise. That won’t be a problem.”

  After the nominal adoption fee was paid in cash and the licensing application filled out, the attendant slid a piece of paper across the counter.

  “Here’s a list of care instructions and suggested dog food.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  When Marco was led out onto the city sidewalk, his new owner dropped the instructions into a trash can.

  As the vehicle traveled farther and farther away from Manhattan, the trees lining the highway grew more plentiful, covered in the fresh green leaves of spring. An unusually warm, sweet May breeze blew in through the open windows. The dog stuck his nose into the whipping air as the car sped up the Hutchinson River Parkway, while his new owner removed a baseball cap and the thick-lensed eyeglasses that had been purchased at a drugstore.