Page 95 of The Lighthouse on Plum Island
“No!” Robert denied. “She’s been acting crazy ever since you showed up at the house six weeks ago looking like a supermodel.”
“Robert, you didn’t tell her that, did you?” Caroline sighed.
“I may have mentioned how drop-dead gorgeous you were looking and how proud I am of you for having exceeded your dream of writing and publishing a book series,” Robert confessed. He gave a snort. “Tanya once fancied herself an actress that produced a few television series.” He paused for a few minutes. “For the past five weeks, we’ve done nothing but fight, and she kept throwing how I stole her dream from her in my face. I went to lunch with some actresses I met on the red carpet. It was a business lunch.”
“What business do you have with celebrities, Robert?” Caroline shook her head. “Aren’t you in real estate now?”
“Yes, celebrity real estate,” Robert explained. “I had to spend time with the actresses and take them to the properties they wanted to see, and I’m telling you the truth when I say that’s all it was.” He blew out a breath. “But Tanya has refused to believe me, and the other day, I found a magazine picture of Brandon Danes in her purse.”
Brad and Caroline looked at each other wide-eyed. “She’s probably just trying to get back at you for the actresses.”
“Perhaps,” Robert sighed. “Please, can you help me find her? Tanya insisted we go to New England to introduce Jules to her baby sister this week, and I’ve hardly seen her.”
“Tanya used to love to walk before and she couldn’t because of the pregnancy,” Caroline consoled him. “I’m sure she’s trying to walk off the baby weight.”
“I hope so,” Robert said. “Please don’t let her know I told you this, but she’s suffering from postpartum depression. I’m worried about her, Caro. She’s become like two completely different people, and I never know who I will wake up to each day. I’m even more worried about her being around a newborn daughter.”
“Have you found help for her?” Caroline asked him.
“Yes, but she says she’s going to the appointment and doesn’t show,” Robert told her.
Brad heard Caroline’s phone beep.
“Can you hold on a minute, Robert? I’ve got to check my messages in case it’s from Jules,” Caroline told him.
Caroline opened the message and looked at Brad in wide-eyed shock.
“What is it?” Brad asked her.
“Officer Crowley sent over the sketch from Vanessa’s description,” Caroline told him.
“Let me see,” Brad looked at the sketch and frowned. “She looks familiar.”
“That’s because I introduced you to her last night,” Alex appeared in front of them. “That’s Tan King.”
Brad watched Caroline’s eyes widen even more as she gaped at Alex in disbelief.
“It was baby powder,” Caroline said.
“What was baby powder?” Brad asked her worriedly.
“The smell of the intruder that I thought smelt like clean linen, and Vanessa agreed,” Caroline told him. “It was baby powder.”
“Okay…” Alex looked at Caroline like she had two heads. “Why do you have a sketch of my date on your phone?”
“Robert, when did you get to Newbury Port?” Caroline asked him.
“About two days ago,” Robert said, and Caroline’s eyes flew to Brad’s.
“I’ll call you back, Robert.”
Before the man could reply, Caroline hung up.
“What’s going on?” Jennifer asked as she and Harriet walked back into the clinic with coffees for everyone.
“Vanessa sat with a sketch artist to draw a picture of who we thought was Tan King,” Caroline told them. “Alex has just confirmed it is her.”
“Great, let’s see her picture,” Jennifer said.
