The Look of Love Read online

  If they spoke, there would be questions. Piper didn’t want to lie to him. Better not to talk to him at all.

  “I’m going to be totally slammed today, Mom,” said Piper. “In fact, I’m late for something right now. Tell Dad I love him and I’ll call him soon.”

  The sound of chirping birds filled the morning air as people gathered in the meadow to pay their respects to Esperanza Flores. Many of the mourners wore the peach uniforms of the Elysium staff. Others seemed to be guests, some of them dressed in robes, stopping to say a prayer before they went off to their spa treatments. As each person arrived, he or she was handed a helium-filled white balloon.

  Piper saw Jillian clasping Ben Dixon’s hand. Tears were streaming down her face. Anastasia Wilcox was standing at the periphery, her eyes darting around to take in every detail. She nodded at Piper when she saw her.

  Piper also noticed that Wendy Ellis was near the back of the group. A heavyset middle-aged man was with her. Piper surmised he was Wendy’s father. Knowing how hard it was for Wendy to come out in public, Piper was proud of her new friend.

  At the front, Vernon and Irene Abernathy stood together. Vernon stepped forward and began to speak.

  “Friends, we gather here this morning to remember Esperanza Flores. Many of you had gotten to know her well, as she lived here at Elysium over the last months. You helped her recuperate, taking good care of her as she tried to heal after the terrible agony she endured at the hands of the evil person who so viciously attacked her. To those of you who nursed Esperanza and tried to make her days as comfortable as possible, please take solace from that fact. Because of you, Esperanza knew that there are good people in this world.”

  Vernon’s eyes scanned the audience.

  “To those of you who didn’t know Esperanza,” he continued, “thank you for coming anyway. I know she would be touched that so many of you took the time to pay your respects when you could have been focused solely on your own pleasures.

  “Esperanza’s life was short and hard. But she is no longer in pain.” Vernon’s voice cracked. Irene grabbed hold of her husband’s arm while he took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. He finally got out his final sentence.

  “Here on earth we seek justice for Esperanza’s death, but Esperanza herself is at peace now.”

  As the white balloons were released and drifted up into the sky, Piper looked around and saw several men in dark suits taking it all in, their mouths set in grim lines. She knew from TV that the police came to funerals and memorial services for murder victims, hoping that the killer would show up.

  Chapter 53

  Following Holy Mass and midmorning prayer, Sister Mary Noelle had a light breakfast with the other nuns in the refectory. They ate in silence, the quiet broken only by the occasional spoon scraping against the side of a cereal bowl. Afterward Sister Mary Noelle headed for the gift shop.

  There would be no customers today. Sunday was the day to restock and get ready for the week ahead. The nun put on her smock and began stacking the boxes of fresh candies, displaying them to their best advantage in the glass cases. She arranged the plastic-wrapped loaves of pumpkin bread on the multitiered cart. She walked around the shop, straightening the prayer cards, religious pamphlets, and books.

  Satisfied that all was as it should be, Sister Mary Noelle looked at her watch. She still had some time before midday prayer. Leaving the gift shop, she went to the convent’s supply room, where she took inventory.

  The drop cloths, brushes, rollers, and buckets of paint were ready and waiting for the job ahead. So was the turpentine, for any accidents that might happen.

  Chapter 54

  Before the sun grew too strong, Piper wanted to go down to the pool and get in some laps. When she got there, she was delighted to see she had the place all to herself. She sighed contentedly as she stuck her toe in at the shallow end. The water was warmer than the air temperature outside.

  She swam with long, sure strokes. Back and forth, again and again. Swimming never failed to make her feel strong—both while she was doing it and afterward.

  Flipping over, Piper floated, looking up at the sky and thinking. Tomorrow, first thing, she would set up an appointment for a facial with Kyle Quigley, trying to secure one for the afternoon once she got back from her audition. She made a mental note to call Anastasia and tell her that she had decided to help her find out what was going on with those suspicious sleep treatments.

  The sound of iron scraping against stone roused her from her thoughts. She turned over and stood up in the water. A woman was moving a lounge chair. Blond hair protruded from beneath her big floppy hat. Though the woman was wearing sunglasses, Piper immediately recognized her.

  When the woman had taken off her caftan and settled on the lounge, Piper got out of the pool. She walked past the woman and smiled.

  The woman smiled back. “Have a good swim?” she asked.

  “Amazing,” said Piper. “Just what I needed.” Her heart pounded. And I’m talking to someone I’ve watched and loved since childhood!

  “It’s such a great place, isn’t it?” asked the actress.

  Piper nodded. “Unbelievable. This is my first time here.”

  “Oh, well,” said the actress as she covered herself with sunscreen. “I come here as much as I can. I always leave feeling so much better.”

  Piper hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I hope you don’t mind if I tell you that I’m a big fan of yours.”

  The actress put her finger up to her lips. “Shh. We play a nice little game here. Everyone pretends they don’t know who the guests are—and those of us who don’t want the world to know that we come to Elysium for a little refreshing now and then . . . well, we appreciate no one using our names.”

  As the actress continued spreading the lotion on her smooth skin, Piper caught sight of an ugly and prominent black-and-blue mark on her upper thigh.

  “Isn’t this horrible?” asked the actress as she gently rubbed the bruise. “And the worst part is, I don’t even know how I got it.”

  Chapter 55

  Vernon had been dreading this day. He knew that he’d put it off as long as he could. The task ahead was so daunting that he didn’t want to undertake it alone. Ben had agreed that it would be a good idea if he came along to offer support to everyone involved.

  The men stood at the cottage door, looking at each other, and then both of them drew a deep breath before Vernon knocked. George Ellis opened the door. His expression was solemn.

  “Good morning, gentlemen,” he said. “Come in.”

  The two doctors entered and took seats in the chairs across from the sofa where Wendy was waiting. George sat next to his daughter and grabbed her hand.

  “How are you, Wendy?” asked Dr. Ben.

  “You’re going to be so proud of me,” she said. “I did what you wanted me to do. I talked to someone new on Friday after I left your office, and yesterday I had dinner with her.” Wendy paused for effect. “On the patio!”

  Dr. Ben smiled broadly. “Good for you, Wendy! That’s wonderful.”

  “Yeah, it was great,” said Wendy. “Piper’s going to be here all week. I think we’ll see each other again.”

  “That must be Piper Donovan, I’m guessing,” said Dr. Abernathy.

  “Yes,” said Wendy, nodding enthusiastically. “That’s right. You know her. She’s making your daughter’s wedding cake.” She turned to Dr. Ben. “That’s your wedding cake, too.”

  “Right,” said Dr. Ben. He looked over at his future father-in-law. Vernon cleared his throat.

  “Do you need some water, Dr. Abernathy?” asked Wendy.

  Her father spoke before Vernon could answer. “I think Dr. Abernathy has something he wants to tell us, Wendy. Don’t you, Doctor?”

  Vernon shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Yes, I’m afraid I do.”
/>   Wendy looked from man to man, her eyes widening as she sensed that something bad was coming.

  Vernon continued, deliberately softening his tone. “Wendy, I think the time has come for us to face the fact that there is nothing to be done. We aren’t going to be able to correct things.”

  “Ever?” Wendy asked in barely a whisper.

  “Not now,” said Vernon. “Not with the capabilities we currently have. In time there may be new techniques developed. We can hope that in the future there will be a way we can rebuild your nose. But for now the best and only option is a prosthetic.”

  “You mean this hole in my face will still be here?” Wendy cried. “You want me to have a nose that I put on and take off?”

  “One can be made that will look so good that no one will know it isn’t real,” said Vernon.

  “I’ll know!” yelled Wendy. She turned to her father and threw her arms around his neck. As she sobbed, his face reddened. George held her, patting her hair. There were tears in his own eyes.

  “I think that’s all for now, gentlemen,” he managed to say.

  “If you need me, Wendy, if you want to talk,” said Dr. Ben, “I’ll be available through the switchboard.”

  The doctors got up and left. George stayed behind and tried to soothe his devastated child.

  Chapter 56

  For the first time in a long time, Hudson was going to drive through the front gate. He smiled at the security guard, not recognizing his face. Hudson briefly wondered how many other new hires had been made since he’d been the director.

  “I’m Hudson Sherwood. I have an appointment with Dr. Abernathy.”

  The guard consulted his clipboard. “Yes, Mr. Sherwood. Dr. Abernathy is waiting for you at his home. You go down this road—”

  Hudson interrupted. “I know where it is.”

  “Yes, sir,” said the guard as he pushed the button to raise the gate.

  Driving away, Hudson took it as a good sign that Vernon had agreed to meet with him so quickly when he’d called the doctor yesterday. An even better sign was that Vernon had invited him to have lunch. That signaled that he was allotting at least an hour for them to talk.

  Hudson was determined to be pleasant and not show any animosity. Vernon’s decision to have Jillian replace him as Elysium’s director had caused Hudson years of misery, but this wasn’t the time to rehash all that. Vernon had to think that Hudson wanted to let bygones be bygones, even if he didn’t really feel that way at all.

  As his car pulled into the Abernathys’ driveway, Hudson’s hands gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white. He stared at the sprawling house on the well-tended grounds. Vernon Abernathy had been living large while Hudson Sherwood had been reduced to clipping coupons out of the newspaper to save a few cents on toilet paper.

  He turned off the ignition and glanced in the rearview mirror. Wipe that scowl off your face, you idiot. He’s never going to rehire you if you look like you want to kill somebody.

  Chapter 57

  When she got to her room, Piper sat on the bed, took a deep breath, and called Anastasia.

  “All right,” she told the reporter. “I’m in.”

  “Really? That’s fantastic, Piper. Thank you,” said Anastasia. “Maybe we should get together, talk over the details, and come up with a more precise plan. Want to meet at the pool?”

  “I was just down there,” said Piper. “And guess who I saw?”

  Anastasia chuckled. “Let me think. Was it a blond actress who hasn’t done anything in a long time?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Because I was excited the first time I spotted her, too. Plus, I saw her this morning with her beach bag and caftan. I knew where she was headed.”

  Chapter 58

  As George watched his daughter, he was deeply relieved. She had finally fallen asleep. Wendy had cried for so long—deep, racking sobs that tore at him. As much as he tried, George couldn’t console her. Gradually, though, the tears subsided and Wendy just stared straight ahead for what felt like forever, saying nothing. Finally she got up from the sofa, went to her bed, and lay down.

  She closed her eyes and murmured, “I don’t want to live anymore.”

  “Oh, angel, it seems like that now,” George said softly as he sat on the edge of the mattress. “But you’ll see. It will work out.”

  Wendy opened her eyes above the mask. “No it won’t,” she said. “But I love you, Dad.”

  “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

  He listened for her breathing to become deeper and more even. Once he was satisfied that Wendy was truly asleep, he returned to the living room. Exhausted by physical and mental fatigue, he kicked off his shoes, put his feet up on the sofa, and lay back.

  The phone rang. George grabbed the receiver before it could ring a second time, lifting it and hanging it up again. Then he set it to not ring.

  Deep as his anger was, he was too tired to scream or yell or lash out in despair. What good would that do anyway? There was no point in holding his fist up to God and chastising him for the tragedy that had caused, and would continue to cause, Wendy the most dreadful anguish. God wasn’t to blame.

  Vernon Abernathy was.

  Chapter 59

  The blond actress was just getting up from her chaise when Piper and Anastasia arrived at the pool area. Piper nudged her companion and led the way to chairs just past where the actress had been lounging.

  “Hello again,” said Piper as they walked by.

  The actress smiled sweetly. “Back so soon?”

  “I wanted to keep my friend company,” said Piper.

  The actress stretched. “Well, I’m going to head upstairs and take a nap. I don’t know why I’m so tired. I had the most wonderful sleep treatment yesterday. You’d think I’d be totally rested.”

  Piper and Anastasia looked at each other.

  “Oh, really?” asked Anastasia. “What’s that like?”

  “They have a wonderful paramedical aesthetician here,” said the actress as she stuffed a magazine into her bag. “His name is Kyle. I went for a facial, and he suggested this new treatment he’s developed. He said they’re doing it in Europe but not in the United States yet, except for him.”

  “I haven’t seen any sleep treatment on the spa menu,” said Piper.

  “That’s why,” said the actress. “It needs FDA approval or something. I guess because he gives you an injection.”

  “Of what?” asked Anastasia.

  “I don’t really know,” said the actress. “I saw the bottle, and it looked very official, but I didn’t really notice the name of the stuff. Besides, I wouldn’t worry. A place like Elysium wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t safe.”

  Slipping on her sandals, the actress started to pull her caftan over her head. Piper elbowed Anastasia and nodded in the direction of the actress’s long, slender legs. Anastasia looked in time to see the giant bruise on the right thigh.

  “Whatever Kyle did, I’m going back for more,” said the actress, gathering up the rest of her things. “My face hasn’t looked or felt this good in ages.”

  Chapter 60

  Well, thank you for lunch, Irene,” said Hudson as he rose from his chair. “That was the best chicken salad.”

  “I wish I could take credit for it,” said Irene, smiling and touching her expertly tinted hair. “But I had them bring it over from the Elysium kitchen. Just think: You’ll be having that food again all the time.”

  “I’ll be looking forward to that,” said Hudson. He glanced at his watch. “I can’t believe how late it is. I’ve been here for almost three hours.”

  “Time well spent,” said Vernon as he patted Hudson on the shoulder. “I’m so glad we’re both willing to let bygones be bygones. It will be good to have you with us again, Hudson. I know that Jillian feels the same
way. She’s well aware that she needs help. And after the wedding I want her to take some time off, even after she and Ben come home from their honeymoon. So I’m glad you can start right away.”

  “Yes,” said Irene, slipping her arm through her husband’s and snuggling against him. “Vernon has been so worried about Jillian. All of us will rest easier having you as Elysium’s assistant director.”

  Hudson’s jaw tensed. He managed to smile, shake hands with Vernon, and kiss Irene on the cheek. As he walked out to his car, Irene’s words irked him. Assistant director wasn’t good enough.

  Chapter 61

  The cloistered sisters at the Monastery of the Angels looked forward to the second Sunday of every month, a day of fewer chores and a more relaxed, retreatlike schedule. Today the bells rang at two forty-five so that the sisters would be gathered in the chapel by three o’clock for the special speaker.

  Mother never revealed who the visitor would be, so it was a surprise to watch a Passionist monk leave his pew and walk toward a wooden lectern set up in front of the altar. The light that illuminated the golden tabernacle also took in the lectern. The tall, handsome, black-haired priest stepped into the glow.

  Sister Mary Noelle took the measure of the man. Crisp black cassock, with a heart-shaped emblem sewn over his chest. His left hand was wrapped around a foot-high wooden crucifix stuffed into the wide black leather belt around his waist. He was the spitting image of Gregory Peck—as if he had just stepped off the set of To Kill a Mockingbird. She thought, This is going to be good.

  “My dear sisters,” he began, “God wants one thing, and one thing only, from each and every one of you.” He shifted the crucifix from its jaunty position over his left hip to a spot perpendicular to his ribs, his fingers enclosing the shoulders and chest of the dead Christ. “He wants something beautiful.”