Children of the Fog Page 4

  "You still thinking he's—"

  Sadie's prickly gaze halted her.

  "Ah…" Leah murmured. "You know, until you have proof, I wouldn't get too hung up on this idea. For all you know it could be perfectly innocent."

  Sadie made a sour face.

  "Or you could be right," Leah added quickly.

  "I don't know what to do."

  "You gotta talk to the man. But be prepared. You might not like what you hear." Leah's voice softened. "God, you don't deserve—"

  The doorbell rang.

  "Chow's here," Sadie said, grateful for the interruption.

  She headed for the living room, grabbed a couple of twenties from her purse and opened the front door. An attractive older man wearing a damp hooded raincoat stood on the porch. He held a paper bag in one hand and the bill in the other.

  "Thanks," she said, handing him the money. "Hey, where's Trevor?"

  The man smiled. "You must get a lot of chicken if you know us guys by name."

  "My son is hooked on KFC."

  The man nodded and passed her the bag. "Trevor's in the hospital getting his appendix out."

  "Ouch. Hope he gets better soon."

  "Yeah, well you have a good night," he said.

  As she closed the door, Leah snickered behind her.

  "He was so checking you out, Sadie."

  Sadie blushed. "I think he was checking you out, my friend."

  "Nope. He was disappointed to see me here. Gee, should we arm wrestle for him?

  "I'm married."

  Leah gave her a hard stare. "Married, maybe. But you ain't dead, sistah friend."

  "You know I won't do that. I made a vow to Philip and I intend on keeping it. Even if he doesn't."

  "I admire you for that, Sadie. So should your husband."

  After supper, Leah tucked Sam into bed, leaving Sadie to tidy up. When she was finished, she stared at the phone. Philip still hadn't called.

  "I think he just pulled in," Leah said behind her.

  A few minutes later, Philip walked into the house. Ignoring Sadie, he tossed his briefcase on the dining room table and sent an irritated look in Leah's direction.

  "What's for supper?" he asked, eyes flashing.

  "KFC," Sadie replied. "It's in the fridge."

  His mouth thinned as he eyed Leah, his disapproving gaze moving from her head to her feet and back up again. "What, another sleazy party tonight?"

  "Nope," Leah said dryly. "Not unless you know where a good one is."

  "Aw, bite me."

  "I would, Phil, but I don't eat pork."

  Philip's eyes narrowed and he strode out of the kitchen.

  "Time for me to go, Sadie," Leah said, chagrined. "I feel a storm a brewin'. Sorry, hon."

  "I'm sorry. I don't know why he has to be so rude to you."

  "He's jealous of our friendship. But no worries. We're friends for life. Right?"

  Sadie hugged her. "For life."

  As she changed into an oversized t-shirt for bed, Sadie threw a hesitant glance in Philip's direction. He'd hardly said a word to her since Leah had left. No, "how was your day, Sadie?" Or, "what did you do today?"

  "Any new developments in your case?" she asked hesitantly.

  Philip grunted as he peeled off his pants. "You know I can't discuss it."

  Then talk to me about something else.

  She tried again. "Sam had a great day at school today."

  Philip paused in the doorway to the bathroom. "Did he say something?"

  She bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

  "Then he didn't have a great day," he said with a scowl.

  When the bathroom door closed behind him, she slumped on the edge of the bed. She didn't understand what was going on with him. Why was he so distant, so cruel?

  Sliding between the cool sheets, she stared at the spackled ceiling, wondering how much more indifference she could take. Philip had always been driven by his passion for success. He handled multinational corporate trials with ease, winning his fair share of high-profile cases. He kept long hours and often slept on the sofa bed in his office.

  Or so he said.

  The bathroom door creaked.

  She rolled away, just before Philip turned off the lamp and climbed into bed beside her. A whiff of floral perfume emanated from his body. The perfume wasn't hers. It had traces of honeysuckle. Sadie hated honeysuckle.

  Feigning sleep, she waited for his breathing to slow. Or for the snoring to begin. For a long moment, she wondered whether she should say something. Then she felt heavy breathing in her ear, and a hand fumbled beneath the t-shirt and stroked her thigh.

  "I need you to help me with a little problem, Sadie."

  You haven't needed me for a long time, she itched to say. Now you want sex? What about my needs?

  "I need to talk," she said when Philip reached higher.

  His hand froze. "What about?"

  "You know what. I think we need help."

  He snatched his hand away as if her words had burned him.

  "If you want to see a shrink, go see one."

  "Both of us," she insisted.

  The mattress shifted.

  She sat up, turned on the lamp.

  Philip stood beside the bed, wearing nothing but a rapidly dwindling erection. He sent her a piercing stare, glaring at her as though she had lost her mind.

  Had she?

  "I don't need a goddamn shrink, Sadie. I'm not the one with the problem."

  "Our marriage is in trouble," she said, scrambling from the bed. "We need counseling. If you won't do it for me, then at least do it for Sam's sake. Please!"

  "Sam's sake? Jesus Christ, Sadie! Everything lately has been for Sam's sake. We moved out of the apartment into this house for him. Now I have to drive almost an hour instead of fifteen minutes to get to the off—"

  "That apartment wasn't suitable for raising a child."

  Philip stabbed a finger in the air. "You once thought it was the perfect place for us. Until your meddling friend got her nose out of joint."

  "What's that supposed to mean? Leah had nothing to do with why I wanted to leave that apartment."

  "She's changed you, Sadie. So has Sam. If you can't see that…" He shrugged.

  She stared at him, baffled. "Of course having a child changed me. What did you expect? There's someone else to consider now, not just the two of us."

  Philip's jaw flinched, but he remained silent.

  "My God," she whispered. "You're jealous of him? Of Sam?"

  Philip let out an angry huff, grabbed a pillow and stalked toward the door. "I am not jealous of my son. I just don't like the changes I see in you." Cursing, he stormed out of the room.

  "And I don't like the changes I see in you," she mumbled, slumping on the bed. Why am I still with him?

  That was a stupid question, of course. She stayed because of Sam. Because a small part of her still believed that Philip could change. Would change.

  She recalled the night her life began to crumble.

  "I don't want kids," he'd told her. "I'm happy with the way things are. I don't understand why you'd want to jeopardize everything."

  "What would be jeopardized?" she'd asked, stunned. "You'd still have your career and I'd have mine. But I want children too."

  "Well, I don't."

  That was the end of that discussion.

  Believing he'd change his mind and feeling she had no other choice, she secretly went off the pill. Bad move. When Philip discovered the unopened prescription box, he refused to speak to her for the rest of the day. A week later, she found out she was pregnant. She was ecstatic. Philip was pissed. He screamed at her, calling her a conniving bitch.

  She miscarried the next day.

  Yeah, they'd been the happy couple, the envy of all their friends, especially the ones who thought Sadie and Philip had everything. They didn't realize that she was putting on a façade. In public, she'd smile and tell everyone that things were wonderful. However, in
private…

  There was no denying it. She was a miserable mess.

  It started with the occasional drink before bed. To calm her nerves since Philip was always late. But one drink became two. Then three. Before she knew it, she started drinking during the day, hiding bottles where Philip would never find them.

  A second miscarriage sent her into a bout of severe depression and she was sure she was being punished, that she'd never have a baby. She spent most nights with her other 'best friend'—a bottle of rum.

  Then Philip started staying out later and later.

  Her life changed forever the night that he was promoted to partner. At a special banquet, a new partner and his wife were celebrating the arrival of a baby boy. The attention they received and the accolades from the senior law partners made Philip reconsider the idea of children. Suddenly, having a child seemed the perfect way to elevate his social and professional status.

  A year later, Sam was born.

  Sadie had quit drinking the moment she found out she was pregnant. It had been rough at first, but with Leah's help and Sam as the reward, she'd fought all her demons and won.

  She'd been sober ever since.

  As she slipped into bed, she clamped her eyes shut, blocking off tears that threatened to escape. She was not going to cry. Not over Philip.

  Outside, a dog barked.

  "I guess a puppy for Sam is out of the question then."

  It seemed as though she had just closed her eyes, when the sound of breaking glass woke her. A piercing scream sent her heart racing and she flew out of bed.

  When she left her bedroom, the first thing she noticed was the chill that swept down the hall. The second thing she saw was Sam's half-open door.

  She pushed it. "Jesus!"

  Her son's bedroom blasted her with frigid air. When she glanced toward the far wall, she spotted the culprit. The blinds were wide open and the window was shattered. On the floor, a foot from Sam's bed, was a brick.

  "What's going on?" Philip demanded, flicking on the light.

  Speechless, she reached a hand to her throat as her eyes swept over the room, then screeched to a stop on Sam's bed.

  His empty bed.

  Panic seared through her, hot and fearful. "Sam?"

  Behind her, the closet door creaked. She moved closer, but Philip beat her to it. When he whipped it open, she was overwhelmed by relief. Her sweet boy was curled up in the corner, tears flooding his face.

  She swept Sam into her arms. "Only my bat boy would hide in the closet," she murmured, stoking his hair. "Philip, who would do such a thing?"

  "Shit, I don't know. Probably just kids out carousing. Tuck Sam back into bed and we'll clean this up."

  "I'll put him in our bed," she said dryly. "He's not sleeping in here tonight."

  "Fine. I guess I'll clean up the glass then."

  Sadie hefted Sam to her hip and made for the door. She could feel his heart beating rapidly, and it didn't slow until she reached her bedroom and tucked him into the king-sized bed. When he reached up, she kissed his forehead. "No worries. You're safe, honey. I promise."

  Lugging the vacuum behind him, Philip paused in the doorway. His gaze wouldn't meet hers.

  "I'll report it first thing in the morning," he said before disappearing.

  A minute later, the vacuum roared to life.

  These were the moments—although rare—that reminded her of why she had married Philip. He always took care of business.

  5

  Leah arrived just after one-thirty on Sunday afternoon.

  Sadie took one look at her friend's downcast face and knew instinctively that something was wrong.

  "What?" she demanded.

  "They didn't have your cake order, Sadie."

  "But I called it in last week. How could they—" She caught sight of Leah's sly grin and twinkling eyes. "What's going on?"

  "April Fools!"

  Leah darted down the sidewalk, then returned a minute later bearing a sweet gift. Sam's Batman birthday cake.

  "April Fools' Day ends at noon, you know," Sadie muttered.

  "Not in Canada, silly. Besides, I couldn't resist."

  Sadie gave her a saccharine smile. "No problem. I'll get you back next year."

  Juggling the cake box, Leah kicked off her shoes and made a beeline for the kitchen. "There's no room in the fridge."

  "Leave it on the counter then," Sadie said, emptying a bag of steaming microwave popcorn into a bowl. "Are you ready for this?"

  "It's a kids' party. How bad can it get?"

  Sadie opened her mouth, but then clamped it shut. Leah didn't have kids.

  And after today, she'll be very thankful of that fact.

  When they entered the living room, it was already in a state of chaos. Toys and kids were scattered on every piece of furniture. In one corner, twin boys jumped on the sofa, fighting over a plastic sword. Victoria, Sam's new school friend, stood nearby with her hands on her hips.

  "Stop it!" the little girl demanded. "Put that down and stop fighting!" Her blond pigtails bounced with every word.

  In the middle of the room, a copper-haired boy sat on the floor, eyes glued to a movie. Beside him, Sam was busy pretending to be a T-Rex, his voice competing with the screams of his friends and the deafening volume of the TV. So far, he was in the lead.

  The look of sheer horror on Leah's face was almost comical.

  "Oh…my…God," she said. "How on earth are you gonna survive all these monsters?"

  Sadie grinned and passed her the popcorn bowl. "That's what I have you for."

  Leah's face paled. "Hey, you only asked me to pick up the cake. You never said anything about me staying."

  "Then you don't get any cake."

  "But that's…blackmail!" Leah sputtered. "Fine then, but I'm leaving after the ice cream."

  The doorbell rang.

  Sadie wiped her fingers on a dishcloth and hurried to the front door. When she opened it, she was relieved to see that the entertainment Philip had hired had arrived.

  Clancy the Clown stood on the porch, his curly orange hair flapping in the wind. His face was caked with white paint and a bulbous red nose covered his own. An exaggerated crimson smile took up the lower half of his face. To Sadie, it seemed more grotesque than happy.

  "Hey, Mrs. O'Connell," the man said in a nasally tone. "Sorry I'm late. My car broke down and—"

  She waved him inside. "Don't worry about it. I'm just thankful you made it. You look very…uh…colorful."

  The clown sported a blue and orange striped jacket, a white shirt and bright yellow baggy pants held up by lime green and gold suspenders. A tiny top hat was perched on his head and a huge daisy was pinned to the left lapel.

  Sadie suspected that one sniff would get her drenched.

  "Do you want cash or a check?" she asked.

  "Cash, if you have it."

  She pulled a wad of twenties from her pocket. She counted out three hundred dollars, paused, then added an extra forty.

  You'd better be worth it, Clancy.

  Handing him the money, she said, "Three hours, right?"

  The clown nodded, placing the bills inside a canvas bag. "I'll let myself out at…" He checked his watch. "Five-fifteen. Then you're on your own."

  "Gee, thanks."

  Clancy smiled. "Did you call the agency?"

  "I've had my hands full with these kids."

  The crimson smile stretched further. "The boss doesn't know I'm late then. Thanks."

  A snort sounded from behind Sadie.

  "If you want to thank her," Leah said wryly, "then round up the little hooligans and do your thing."

  The clown's brown eyes shifted to Sadie. "No problemo. Su casa es mi casa."

  With a bob of his head, Clancy and his neon red, size fourteen shoes clomped into the living room. He was welcomed by a boisterous Sam who shrieked with delight.

  "Oh, Jesus," Sadie moaned.

  "Just think how loud things'll be when Sam starts talking
," Leah said. "Once he starts, you won't be able to shut him up."

  "That will be the best day of my life."

  Leah's expression grew sad. "I know."

  Sadie watched Sam and his friends play with Clancy. The kids were fascinated by the clown, pulling on his suspenders and stepping on his huge shoes, and shrieking when he sprayed them with the daisy.

  "Hey," Leah said, jabbing her. "Let's grab a glass of chocolate milk. I need something to wash down this popcorn. "

  As Sadie followed her into the kitchen, she peered over her shoulder. Sam's beaming face brought a smile to her own.

  "You're a lucky mama," Leah said softly.

  "I know. Sam is the best thing in my life."

  When the door closed behind the last child, Sadie and Leah released a collective sigh, looked at each other and laughed.

  "Birthdays were way easier when he was a baby," Sadie said.

  Leah pushed back her limp hair. "I just have one thing to say to you, my friend. I'm going to have a root canal this time next year. It'll be a slice of heaven compared to this."

  "If you can get a two for one special I'll come with you."

  "Yeah, but that would mean Phil would have to actually show up," her friend said sourly.

  The smile on Sadie's face faded.

  "Hey," Leah said. "I'm sure he's got a good reason for not making his own kid's birthday party."

  Sadie raised a brow. "You think?"

  "Well, he must have. He may be a jerk to me and treat you like crap most of the time…but he loves Sam."

  "I know, but sometimes I think he loves himself more."

  "Well, cheer up," Leah said, eying the mess in the room. "Sam's party was a complete success."

  Sadie slumped into a chair. "Yeah. Thank God for Clancy. He did a great job keeping the kids entertained. I was so busy in the kitchen trying to get those darned sparklers to light that I didn't even see him leave.

  "And lucky you, you get to do it all over again tomorrow."

  "Yeah, the family birthday party. You'll be here, right?"

  "Wouldn't miss it. Sam'll be so happy when he sees that bike you got him."

  "I'm going to take him to the park to practice on it next weekend. Do you want to come?"

  "Sure."

  Leah disappeared into the kitchen and Sadie heard her rummage through the fridge.