Part 9 (1/2)
”Yes, I do. I have to be there for you. That's more important than my need to keep everything calm.”
When Callie's phone rang later that night, she jumped as though she'd been stung. She was wearing her earphones, so all she had to do was press a switch to hear Regan's voice.
”I don't think I'd be very good at police work.”
Even though she was tense, Callie found herself smiling. ”Where are you?”
”I'm at a coffee shop across the street from the restaurant. I actually went inside and asked for the group from Cambridge Software, and some guy tried to lead me there. I'm sure they thought I was crazy when I said I was just checking.”
”What are you going to do? Just sit there?”
”Well, I could go wait in the lobby of the hotel. It's just down the street from the restaurant.”
”Which hotel?”
”The York. That's where Cambridge puts everyone up.”
”Not Marina. She only stays at the Sheffield. She says it's for the points, but it's probably so she can have a parade of women striding through the lobby and not have any co-workers know.”
”Not what I wanted to hear tonight,” Regan said softly.
”d.a.m.n! I'm sorry. I'm making things worse, aren't I?”
”You're not. It's really helping to have you to talk to. Can you look up the Sheffield? I don't know the address.”
”Yeah, of course.” As she searched she asked, ”Aren't you afraid of being spotted in the hotel?”
Quietly, Regan said, ”Marina doesn't know what I look like.”
Letting out a breath, Callie said, ”Right. Right. But you don't know what she looks like either.”
”Yes, I do. I googled her. Plus, there's a picture of her on the company website. She's pretty.”
”Okay-so you know what she looks like and when she goes into the hotel alone, I hope you can go home and try to make up with Angela.”
”I hope so too. I really do. If Marina goes into that hotel alone I'm going to wipe this from my mind and throw myself into making a fresh start with Angela.” She paused for a moment. ”After I tell her I know she was lying about how many times they were together. A relations.h.i.+p has to be based on trust. I'll find out the truth or it's a waste of my time.”
Callie had to wait almost two hours to hear from Regan again. She spent the time trying to do some work but hadn't been able to concentrate for ten minutes straight. Even though it was dark out, she was considering going for a run when the phone rang. She pressed the switch and knew, without a word being spoken, that something very bad had happened. ”Regan? Are you there?”
”Yes.” Harsh, ragged breaths filled the line. It sounded like she was on the verge of sobbing. ”They went into the hotel together, and I decided to give them a few minutes just in case they were exchanging files or doc.u.ments or whatever the f.u.c.k they do.”
With her heart thudding in her chest, Callie asked, ”How long ago was that?”
”Thirty or forty minutes. I don't know what to do. Do I go up there? Do I accost her and make a scene in the lobby when she comes back down? Do I go home?”
She sounded so remarkably sad, so disconsolate, that Callie desperately wanted to be there for her. She wished she could magically appear in Boston and hug Regan so she knew she had a friend-someone she could trust who knew how it felt. ”What do you think would make you feel better?”
”I'd like to go home...to my parents' home. I want to tell my mom what happened and have her make it all go away.”
”How far is that?”
”I don't know,” she said, sounding confused. ”Maybe a half hour? But...” She took in a shaky breath. ”My mom's in Florida now. I forgot.”
”Do you know anyone who lives closer? Anyone you trust?”
”My sister is about ten minutes away.”
”Do you think she's home?”
”Probably. Or she's just getting home. She usually leaves work by eleven.”
”Think about it for a minute. Will she listen to you? Will she be on your side?”
Regan barked out a short laugh. ”She acts like she likes Angela, but she doesn't. She'd like nothing more than for me to break up with her.”
”She sounds like the right person to be with. Call her before you go, so you don't waste a trip, and don't leave before you're sure you can drive safely.” A thought occurred to her and she added, ”Take a cab. I'm worried enough about you as it is.”
”Thanks,” Regan said, sounding a little more in control. ”I just don't want to see her.”
”Then get out of there. Go to the hotel bar or to another place nearby. Don't put yourself in a position you don't want to be in.” She could hear Regan moving around, then she heard some street noise.
”I'm going to go to my car, if I don't freeze to death first. Then I can call my sister and make some plans.”
”Okay. It sounds like you have things under control. But promise to call me when you get where you're going. I'm worried about you.”
Regan's footsteps echoed noisily and Callie could tell she was in a parking garage. She heard a car door open and when it closed the background noise was greatly reduced.
”Thanks. I'm not thinking clearly.”
”That makes perfect sense. Don't forget to call me back.”
”I won't. Thanks for being there for me. I could tell how tense this whole thing made you.”
”You'd do the same for me.” That was undeniable. You could rely on people with morals.
Chapter Nine.
During Regan's move back to her parents' house and the difficult weeks that followed, she called Callie almost daily for support.
”My mom and dad are in town for my nephew's birthday, and they're making noises about having me committed,” Regan said one afternoon.
”Committed? Are you joking?”
”Yeah. Kinda. But they're both hovering over me so bad that I'm about to lose my mind. Then they'll really have reason to have me locked up.”
”Doesn't sound like fun in the Manning house. It must be hard on your parents too.”