Weekend Warriors (Sisterhood #1)(15)
The room grew still. Even Charles looked up from the computer he was working on.
“I think we should go into the house and have some food while Charles works on the computers. It is late and we have all day tomorrow to finalize our plans. Is that agreeable to everyone?”
“I must go home,” Yoko said.
“No. You will stay,” Myra said cooly. “Nikki explained all this to you in advance. Please don’t bring this to a test, Yoko. If you do, you will not like the outcome. My arms are long and they stretch quite far.”
Yoko bowed. “I will stay, then. I wish to see in writing the next time what the rules are for me.”
“The same rules apply to each of us. You aren’t special so don’t pretend to be something you aren’t. You speak fluent English and you graduated college. You were born in this country so don’t give us that Asian stuff. I read your dossier,” Kathryn snapped irritably.
“We’ll see you in the morning, Charles. Would you like some coffee or a sandwich?”
“There can’t be food or drink in here, Myra. I’ll get something later. We’ll meet in the dining room at eight if that’s all right with everyone. Good night, ladies.”
Everyone except Nikki passed on the offer of food and headed for the staircase that would take them to the second floor. Kathryn walked to the door and let Murphy out. She waited until he returned and then slammed and locked the heavy door.
The storm continued to rage as Nikki followed Myra into the kitchen. “I’m starved. Did Charles make anything good for us?”
“There’s a ham and a breast of turkey. Would you like me to make some coffee?”
“Myra, what I would really like is a good triple shot of your best scotch. I think I’ll have a ham and turkey sandwich. That’s a no on the coffee.”
Myra measured coffee into the stainless steel basket. At Nikki’s questioning look, she said, “It’s for me. Charles will be in later and I know he’ll want coffee. How do you think it went, Nikki?”
“I’m not sure, Myra. It got a little tense there for a minute. For the first shot out of the gate, I guess it went okay. This was our first meeting. No one really knew what to expect. I think things will fall into place in the morning when Charles shows us what he retrieved from all those computers. Once we set up a plan, things will level off. The women have to get to know one another. It’s the unknown that is throwing everyone into a flap. As much as I hate to admit it, I think it’s all going to work out.” She leaned her elbows on the table and stared at the sugar bowl.
Myra nodded. She knew this beautiful girl sitting across from her as well as she knew herself. There’s something bothering you, Nikki. Do you want to talk about it or is it something personal between you and Jack?”
“I do need to talk, Myra. One of my paralegals told me she saw Jack having dinner with a beautiful redhead the other night. It bothers me. I’m feeling kind of betrayed right now. Marie Lewellen’s case goes to court next month. I’ve used up my last postponement. I can’t win it, Myra. Jack knows I’m just going through the motions. He’s taking the whole thing personally. I hate it when he does that. You should have heard him the day you posted Marie’s bail. He was like a rooster in a duck pond. Did you…ah…decide when you’re going to spirit her and her family away?”
“It’s better if you don’t know, Nikki. Just go about your daily business the same way you always do.”
“Myra, that’s goddamn near impossible. I don’t have a normal life anymore. I’m up to my eyeballs in illegalities. I could lose my license to practice law. I’ve lost my boyfriend who was supposed to put a ring on my finger this year. I damn near cheered when those women voted to castrate those creeps that attacked Kathryn. What does that make me, Myra? Tell me. I need to know what I’m turning into here.”
“Jack will come back, dear. I’m sure the dinner with the redhead was a witness or a friend. Jack loves you. If you lose your license, we’ll have Charles get you a new identity. You know, Nikki, it really isn’t all that hard to do if you have the right contacts. You aren’t turning into anything. You are still the bright, intelligent girl I love and admire. You haven’t changed. Circumstances changed.”
Nikki bit into her sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully. “I can’t be on Kathryn’s team this time around. I have to be here for Marie. After that, I’m all yours. I will take some of that coffee, Myra. By the way, that was a nice thing you did for Isabelle. She’s been having a terrible time.”
“We’ll get her life back for her. If she’s the kind of person I think she is, she’ll pay me back as soon as possible. I like Kathryn. I wanted to cry for her. I like all the women. It’s all so unjust, so unfair. But then that’s why we formed the Sisterhood, isn’t it?
“Nikki, how will you handle it when Marie Lewellen…disappears?”
“Very carefully, Myra. Have you been in touch with her lately?”
“Goodness, no. I’ve stayed away just the way you said I should. She sent me a note thanking me for posting her bail. I haven’t called either. Have you seen her?”
Nikki pushed her plate to the center of the table. “No. I do talk to her on the phone. She told me her husband took his vacation. She said he had something like forty-five days coming to him and was going to do some things to the house. Their pictures are going to be all over the news and in the newspapers. Where are you going to relocate them?”