composure.
Richard Blaylock, Van Weldt Jeweler’s vice president of legal affairs, had arrived shortly after Kimberly. In his early forties with a lanky build, blue eyes, and blond hair, Blaylock’s clean-cut good looks made him, along with Kimberly, a natural spokesperson for the Van Weldts’ business affairs. More than that, after nearly two decades of working closely with the Van Weldts, he had become a close family friend.
Alyssa didn’t know him very well but had gratefully accepted his comforting hug when he’d arrived. After he released Alyssa, he’d pulled Kimberly close. “This is horrible. How are you two holding up?”
Alyssa shrugged. “I feel so awful. I can’t help thinking, what if I had been here?” Her voice cracked, and she choked back a sob. “Maybe I could have stopped her—”
Kimberly shook her head, grief and resignation closing over her face. “We all knew Mother was getting worse. If you’d been here”—she paused, squeezing her eyes shut against tears as her shoulders heaved once, twice, before she regained control—“if you’d been here, who’s to say you wouldn’t have been killed, too? We all know Mother didn’t want you here.”
Guilt coiled like a snake around the pit of Alyssa’s stomach. She’d wanted her father to accept her into his life, into his family, more than anything. But not at this price.
“Stop it,” Kimberly said, taking her by the shoulders and giving her a light shake. “This is not your fault. If anything, it’s mine.” She held up a hand when Alyssa opened her mouth to protest. “I knew how unstable Mother was, how out of control her drinking had become. I knew I needed to speak to Daddy about getting her into a treatment program, but I kept putting it off. I didn’t want to have that discussion with him, didn’t want to have to deal with the public fallout of Mother being carted off to rehab.”
She sank down on the sofa and buried her face in her hands.“I was afraid of how the family’s reputation would suffer, especially after you moved up here and we launched your campaign.”
Alyssa tried not to take the comment personally.
“It’s no one’s fault,” Richard said soothingly. “Your mother made the choice to put a gun in her hand. No one forced her.”
“You don’t have any reason to believe a third party is involved?” Detective Thomson, who had arrived within minutes of the police, entered the living room, having obviously eavesdropped on their conversation.
Kimberly shook her head. “As much as I never thought my mother would be capable of this kind of violence, I knew she was depressed, maybe even suicidal.” She wiped away a tear with slender fingers. “I never imagined she’d hurt Daddy, too.”
The detective nodded. “We won’t finish the investigation for several days, but I’m sorry to say I think you’re right.”
He spent another half hour questioning Alyssa before letting her leave. “I need a number where you can be reached,” he said.
Alyssa gave him her assistant’s number. “Andy will always know how to reach me.” She stood up, feeling dazed as she looked around her father’s living room. “I suppose I should call Aaron or a cab to take me home.” She started to pull out her cell phone.
“Not on your life,” Kimberly said and slid her arm around Alyssa’s shoulders. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight, and God knows I don’t want to be. I’m taking you home with me.” Through the horror and grief, Alyssa felt a little spurt of warmth. This was new, having someone she could lean on, someone who needed to lean on her, when things got really bad.
She quickly packed a bag of essentials from the collectionof odds and ends she kept in the guest room and followed Kimberly out to her car. She ducked into the backseat of Kimberly’s Mercedes. Kimberly slid into the passenger seat as Richard climbed behind the wheel. As they pulled out of the front gate, their path was blocked by at
Richard Blaylock, Van Weldt Jeweler’s vice president of legal affairs, had arrived shortly after Kimberly. In his early forties with a lanky build, blue eyes, and blond hair, Blaylock’s clean-cut good looks made him, along with Kimberly, a natural spokesperson for the Van Weldts’ business affairs. More than that, after nearly two decades of working closely with the Van Weldts, he had become a close family friend.
Alyssa didn’t know him very well but had gratefully accepted his comforting hug when he’d arrived. After he released Alyssa, he’d pulled Kimberly close. “This is horrible. How are you two holding up?”
Alyssa shrugged. “I feel so awful. I can’t help thinking, what if I had been here?” Her voice cracked, and she choked back a sob. “Maybe I could have stopped her—”
Kimberly shook her head, grief and resignation closing over her face. “We all knew Mother was getting worse. If you’d been here”—she paused, squeezing her eyes shut against tears as her shoulders heaved once, twice, before she regained control—“if you’d been here, who’s to say you wouldn’t have been killed, too? We all know Mother didn’t want you here.”
Guilt coiled like a snake around the pit of Alyssa’s stomach. She’d wanted her father to accept her into his life, into his family, more than anything. But not at this price.
“Stop it,” Kimberly said, taking her by the shoulders and giving her a light shake. “This is not your fault. If anything, it’s mine.” She held up a hand when Alyssa opened her mouth to protest. “I knew how unstable Mother was, how out of control her drinking had become. I knew I needed to speak to Daddy about getting her into a treatment program, but I kept putting it off. I didn’t want to have that discussion with him, didn’t want to have to deal with the public fallout of Mother being carted off to rehab.”
She sank down on the sofa and buried her face in her hands.“I was afraid of how the family’s reputation would suffer, especially after you moved up here and we launched your campaign.”
Alyssa tried not to take the comment personally.
“It’s no one’s fault,” Richard said soothingly. “Your mother made the choice to put a gun in her hand. No one forced her.”
“You don’t have any reason to believe a third party is involved?” Detective Thomson, who had arrived within minutes of the police, entered the living room, having obviously eavesdropped on their conversation.
Kimberly shook her head. “As much as I never thought my mother would be capable of this kind of violence, I knew she was depressed, maybe even suicidal.” She wiped away a tear with slender fingers. “I never imagined she’d hurt Daddy, too.”
The detective nodded. “We won’t finish the investigation for several days, but I’m sorry to say I think you’re right.”
He spent another half hour questioning Alyssa before letting her leave. “I need a number where you can be reached,” he said.
Alyssa gave him her assistant’s number. “Andy will always know how to reach me.” She stood up, feeling dazed as she looked around her father’s living room. “I suppose I should call Aaron or a cab to take me home.” She started to pull out her cell phone.
“Not on your life,” Kimberly said and slid her arm around Alyssa’s shoulders. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight, and God knows I don’t want to be. I’m taking you home with me.” Through the horror and grief, Alyssa felt a little spurt of warmth. This was new, having someone she could lean on, someone who needed to lean on her, when things got really bad.
She quickly packed a bag of essentials from the collectionof odds and ends she kept in the guest room and followed Kimberly out to her car. She ducked into the backseat of Kimberly’s Mercedes. Kimberly slid into the passenger seat as Richard climbed behind the wheel. As they pulled out of the front gate, their path was blocked by at
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