“It must be difficult for you,” Frankie said. She kept the rest of her thoughts to herself. How horrible to live in a suite with everything your heart desires at your fingertips. She tried, but she could find no sympathy for Kristin on that count.
She frowned. “It is. Until he can finalize the divorce, he's obligated to live at home. He's worried because his wife's mental condition is rapidly deteriorating. She's been in and out of mental institutions. He's trying to get a judge he knows to invalidate a clause in a pre-nup he signed. He thinks it'll work out. I don't know anything about that legal stuff, but he doesn't want her to get everything he's built and worked for all his life.”
Frankie struggled to keep her emotions in check. She wanted to shake some sense into Kristin. Was she that naive? Frankie had to tread lightly...very lightly. Kristin was giving them more than she or Johanna had ever dreamed possible. “Your story is so intriguing. I hope that someday you and your biological mother can work things out.”
She blinked rapidly. “She wants nothing to do with me. She said she made it clear that when she gave me up she dismissed me totally from her life and has no regrets. It was a blow, but I thought she might soften a little where Chloe is concerned, since she is her granddaughter whether she likes it or not. Thatcher keeps pushing the issue with her and is trying to get her to see reason.”
“He knows her?” Johanna asked surprised.
“That the weirdest thing. He's known her for years. They work together. In fact, he's her boss. Talk about a small world. I thought he'd pass out when he found out Becca Manning is my biological mother.”
Chapter 15
Frankie sat with her hands firmly on the steering wheel. “Tell me again that I didn't imagine everything Kristin Robbins just told us.”
“If you did, then I imagined it, too.” Johanna beamed. “We got him, Frankie. I can't believe that Becca Manning is Kristin Robbins’ biological mother. I was never expecting that. So, now we know why Kristin has been visiting Becca Manning. But what I don't understand is why she's persisting if Becca wants nothing to do with her.”
“I'm sure Thatcher is putting her up to it as part of some twisted plan he has. It must be a slap in the face to Becca knowing the man she's been lusting after all these years got a daughter she gave up at birth pregnant. This whole situation is bizarre.” She smiled. “Let's go home and celebrate. We have the rest of the day to ourselves.”
“We need to call Alec and let him know what's happened. Wait till he hears the recording.”
“We can call him in the morning. It's Sunday. You know...a day of rest.”
Johanna lifted an eyebrow. “And when did Sunday ever stop us from working?” She paused. “I just thought of something.”
“What's that?” Frankie asked.
“Kristin said Thatcher's getting a divorce so that he can marry her. Do you think he's planning to take off?”
“Who knows what his diabolical mind is planning?” She shrugged. “Obviously none of the employees know that Becca is Kristin's mother or that Thatcher is the father of Kristin's baby. Someone would have definitely mentioned that.”
Johanna frowned. “Maybe he's going to take off and leave Kristin and the baby behind. How does she really know he's not playing her? He could go somewhere and start a new life without her and the baby.”
“I agree, but I don't think he's in any hurry to take off unless his hand is forced.” Frankie sighed. “I think his greed is going to force him to stay here for as long as possible and take everything he can from Kendall.”
“So you think he's banking on Kristin keeping her mouth shut.”
“That's my take on it.”
“That was a huge risk on his part. She's young and naive.” Johanna chewed her bottom lip. “We had no trouble getting her to open up to us. I thought she'd never stop talking.”
“I think she needed someone she could unload on. We're strangers to her so she assumes her secret is safe with us. Otherwise, why would she have told us? We don't even live around here as far as she's concerned. And what possible reason would we have for exposing her secrets?” Frankie reasoned. “But I felt like bitch slapping her for her utter ignorance where Thatcher Longman is concerned.”
“Are you worried that we could be in danger?”
She shook her head. “No. Why would we be? He has no clue who we are.”
“True. And let's keep it that way. Let's hope Kristin doesn't tell him about our meeting with her.” Johanna frowned. “Since Becca knows everything Thatcher has been up to, wouldn't it make sense that he would have her taken care of?”
“Who's to say that he's not planning to after he gets what he wants?” Frankie exhaled loudly as she pulled up to their gated driveway and pressed the remote.
“I didn't even realize we were home,” Johanna remarked.
“That's because you're consumed with this case, babe.”
“And you're not?” she countered.
“I am, but all I'm thinking about right now is firing up the grill, throwing on a couple of steaks and relaxing for the rest of the day.” She squeezed Johanna's arm. “Look on the bright side, the rain has stopped and the sun is out.”
“But there’s a storm brewing on the horizon.”
Frankie nodded. She knew Johanna wasn’t referring to the weather.
* * * *
“What a gorgeous night,” Frankie
