She turned and looked at him. "Except for Ken Weber."
Tom frowned. "How would he know unless Bud told him? Marty certainly wouldn't have disclosed anything, especially with Bud paying the bills."
"Ken told me he'd known since the day Marty discovered her pregnancy. But he never told Sandy until I asked him about Melinda."
Tom remained silent for a few moments, then asked, "When Bud told you there were problems at work, did he ever give you the impression that he didn't trust Ken?"
Angie waved a hand in the air. "Never."
Chapter Twenty-two
Sometime during the still dark hours of the early morning, Angie awoke with a start. She lay quietly, listening to the sounds of the house. What had awakened her? It sounded like a door slamming. Suddenly, she heard a car engine revving. Jumping out of bed, she rushed to the window and peered out.
Frantically, she waved her arms and screamed. "Sandy. No!" Throwing on her robe, she raced down the stairs and out the front door. Hugging the porch post, she watched the car crest the hill and disappear.
She dashed back inside and called the gate, but the officer informed her that the car had already driven through. Trembling, she keyed in the number of Tom's cell phone. A sleepy voice came over the line.
"Yeah."
"Tom, this is Angie. Sandy just left in her car."
He suddenly sounded more alert. "When?"
"Just now. I didn't wake up in time to stop her."
"I was afraid she'd do something like this after seeing her last night. She's teetering on the edge."
Angie shoved wisps of hair out of her face. "We've got to find her before Ken does."
"Did she leave a note?"
Glancing at the stairwell, her gaze traveled toward the guest room. "I don't know. Hold on." She dashed up the stairs two at a time. When she reached the room and flung open the door, she gasped. Everything had been left in perfect order. With the room right next to hers, how could she not have heard Sandy moving about?
A white sheet of paper propped against a perfume bottle on the dresser caught her eye. She snatched it up and read aloud as she hurried down the stairs.
Dear Angie,
I've worn out my welcome. It's time for me to leave so you'll have time to handle your own problems. You don't need me to add to that burden. I'll be all right. Thank you so much for all you've done.
Love, Sandy
She grabbed the phone and read the note to Tom. "What are we going to do?"
"It doesn't give a clue where she's headed."
"Maybe she went to her mother's."
"I'd like to believe that. But I'm afraid she's gone to confront Ken. And that could be dangerous."
Angie leaned her forehead on her hand. "Don't you think she'd be afraid to go back home?"
"She's not thinking rationally. Unfortunately, at this point in time, she wants to satisfy herself by finding out the truth."
"But Ken could kill her."
"I want you to stay by the phone in case she tries to call. I'll get in touch with you later."
"Tom, wait." She grabbed the edge of the counter. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to see if I can find her."
The line went dead. Angie dropped the receiver back on the cradle. Her gaze drifted upward to the large photo adorning the wall. She'd always loved that picture of her, Bud, Ken and Sandy, standing in front of the new Nevers building. They all had their hands on the huge pair of scissors that cut the ribbon, celebrating the opening of the new building. That was ten years ago. Bud had his arm tightly around her with an ecstatic expression on his face. His dream had finally come true.
Tears clouded her sight and her chest tightened as the memories flooded her mind. At that instant, the phone rang. Her senses jerked back to the present and she grabbed the receiver. "Sandy!"
"No, it's Tom. I've just circled the Weber house. No sign of her. Is she still driving that dark green BMW?"
"Yes."
"Can you think of anywhere else she might go at this time?"
Angie rubbed her temple and glanced up at the clock. "Not at five thirty in the morning."
Tom's voice dropped. "Hold on. There's a car coming down the road. I think it's Sandy. It is. I'll talk to you later."
The phone clicked, then a dial tone droned. "Tom! Hello. Don't hang up. Damn!" Exhaling loudly, she dropped the phone, ran upstairs and hurriedly dressed.
*****
The first set of headlights flashed through Marty's bedroom, causing her to roll over and groan. But fifteen minutes later, when the second set lit up the room, she stirred from sleep. She squinted at the clock. "What the hell's going on at this ungodly hour of the morning?" she mumbled.
She went to the window and parted the curtains. Seeing only the taillights of a car disappear over the hill, she shrugged into her robe while shuffling out onto the small porch. Looking toward the big house, she noticed that Mrs. Weber's car had disappeared. The light in the garage hadn't turned off yet and she could see that Mrs. Nevers' car was also gone.
"Oh dear," she said aloud. "Looks like there's been some sort of an emergency."
She dressed quickly and ran over to the big house where she found the kitchen ablaze with lights. Hurrying up the stairs, she discovered Angie's robe and gown on the floor. "Yep, something's happened," she muttered, heading back down the staircase. The first thing that popped into her mind were the bits and pieces of conversation she'd picked up from the two women about Mr. Weber. She'd already figured the Webers were having marital problems, but from the tidbits of gossip she'd heard from other housekeepers, there was more. It seemed Mr. Weber had gotten himself into a heap of big trouble. What kind, she'd never understood. But something had taken place this morning, and she'd bet whatever it was, wasn't right.
While making biscuit dough, she thought about how much better she felt about her own situation than she had in months. Marty knew she had to make a very hard decision soon. Either go with her daughter and live a life of hell, or live in peace on the Nevers' property in her beloved cottage. The latter would be her choice if Mrs. Nevers gave her the option. She'd probably lose the love of her daughter. However, she pondered if Melinda really knew what love meant? As much as she hated to believe it, her only child had turned evil.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the bar while the biscuits baked. Finding out that Bud wasn't Melinda's daddy shook had shaken her up a bit. Were those tests that accurate? It amazed her how technology had soared in her short time on earth. Why hadn't she observed the mean streak in Melinda earlier? Mr. Nevers wasn't mean. He wouldn't have hurt a fly.
But Ken Weber proved to be a different type of man. She'd noticed his mood swings when he visited the Nevers' home, especially after he'd been drinking. Before Sandy came into the picture, he'd flirted with her several times, trying to entice her into bed. However, she knew he'd never settle for a housemaid and would only be using her for his own desires, so she turned him down.
How had Ken managed sex with her that night without her knowing? She must have been out cold with too much champagne.
Tom pulled to the side of the road about a half block from the Weber's home, where he could still see the front of the house. He turned off his lights and watched. Sandy had stopped, but not mustered up the courage to actually get out of the car. In his mind's eye, he pictured her fear. He prayed she'd chicken out.