Read Online Cast into Doubt by Patricia MacDonald - Free Book Online Page B

was crying in the back seat.’
    ‘You said it was snowy,’ Shelby cried. ‘Maybe the car skidded and she hit her head.’
    ‘She was drunk,’ said Rob firmly.
    Shelby’s eyes blazed. ‘With Jeremy in the car? No. Not Chloe. I don’t believe it. She never . . . she would never do anything that might hurt that child.’
    Rob’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Don’t you think I know that? That’s how I realized how bad it was.’ He began to sob. Shelby looked at him wonderingly.
    Finally he sniffed and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. ‘I confronted her and it all came out. She was hiding vodka in water bottles. She was drinking at work and while Jeremy was at preschool. It’s a miracle something worse didn’t happen. For a long time I wouldn’t let her take him in the car after that. But she joined AA. And she swore she was sober. She promised me . . . over and over. Swore she had stopped . . .’
    ‘Why didn’t she tell me?’ Shelby cried.
    Rob shook his head. ‘She was so ashamed. She wouldn’t tell anyone. Except for the people at AA, I guess. And she made it a point to go to a meeting far from home. She used to go down to some church in Old City. So she wouldn’t . . . I don’t know, run into someone she knew. I tried to explain to her that it wasn’t a sign of weakness to ask for help. But she was ashamed. She made me swear.’
    Tears filled Shelby’s eyes, and ran down her face. ‘Why?’ she wailed. ‘Why would she do that?’
    ‘Do what?’ Rob asked wearily. ‘Keep it from you? She knew how you felt about your mother’s drinking. Chloe wanted your approval. Don’t you know that? She always worried that you wouldn’t think well of her.’
    ‘I loved her,’ Shelby protested.
    Rob shrugged. ‘She didn’t want you to think she was weak.’
    Shelby shook her head, trying to shake off the truth of what he was saying. If she was honest with herself, she knew there was always a sadness in Chloe that nothing could assuage. But she couldn’t bear to imagine her daughter worrying about being judged. Fearing her disapproval. It was too painful to think about. Not now. Not ever.
    ‘She wasn’t weak,’ Shelby insisted. ‘She was strong. I mean, you know how strong she was. She was always so disciplined. So fit. In fact, I am thinking that she might have survived the fall from the ship. People have jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge and survived. Chloe might have survived. I’ve been thinking about this. Tomorrow I’m going to go on board the cruise ship and see where it happened for myself.’
    Rob shook his head.
    ‘They can’t stop me,’ she said. ‘Just let them try.’
    Rob put his head in his hands.
    His defeated look made her suddenly furious. ‘What? Why are you doing that?’
    ‘The ship is gone,’ he said.
    Shelby stared at him. ‘What?’
    ‘It’s gone. They’re underway to their next port of call.’
    Shelby felt stunned. ‘They can’t be,’ she whispered.
    ‘They are. They have a lot of passengers who’ve paid a lot of money.’
    ‘That’s more important than Chloe’s life?’ Shelby cried.
    Rob did not reply.
    ‘Well?’ she demanded. ‘And you just let them go?’
    ‘They didn’t have to ask my permission,’ said Rob coldly. ‘It’s what they do. It’s perfectly legal. Captain Fredericks explained it to me.’
    Shelby felt a sudden fury in her heart at his matter-of-fact tone, at his words that sounded so clinical. ‘So, that’s fine with you? You don’t even care that she’s gone, do you?’ Shelby accused him. ‘You’re glad that she’s gone. And who can blame you? You’re rid of your alcoholic wife.’
    As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them.
    Rob sat for a moment without speaking, and then he stood up. ‘I need some sleep,’ he said. ‘Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.’
    Shelby felt ashamed of herself. ‘Rob, I’m sorry. That was unfair,’ she said.
    ‘Doesn’t matter. There’s