47
It was a little while later Larry arrived. He had come bearing news about Ben’s death but seeing Rachel’s swollen eyes he knew she heard the news already. All he could do was wrap his arms around her, his mind going back to the last conversation he had with Ben, the man had mentioned leaving the studio even after the Allen Brothers offered him more shares of the network’s earnings. He couldn’t help but see the red light there.
Dropping the takeout food and bottles of wine he had gotten on his way over, he leaned back and peered into Rachel’s tear-stained face. “You don’t think the Allen Brothers could have done this do you?”
Rachel didn’t know what to think. “The GHIA seem to think Jacob might be responsible. I fail to see the connection between the Allen Brothers and Jacob. He didn’t even know them, he knew only what I said about them.”
“Yet he knew Dana well enough to be cheating on you with her.”
“That there was my fault, maybe. Look, Larry, I need time to grieve.”
Larry released her and reached for the plastic bags of food. Mabel went to the kitchen to bring plates and handed them to him. Their hands brushed and she looked away from Larry’s searching gaze. To further avoid him she went to the other side to sit beside Rachel. Larry looked away and focused on the issue at hand.
“I don’t think there’s enough time for that now. Jacob has made it obvious that he wants war, we can’t just sit down now and cry. If we can find the link and Ben’s murderer then we can grieve. I think you should take the job for the GHIA, go uncover and see what you can find out about Jacob. It might seem farfetched that he is involved in the murder given the fingers Ben pointed at the Brothers when he told you about their possible involvement in sex trade but if in the process you find out he is involved then you have even more leverage for separation when you take your divorce to court.”
Rachel’s eyes fell on Larry as she considered his words. This was one of the reasons why she could always trust Larry, he was more than an agent he was a friend.
“You really think so?”
“Yes, I do and you can have your life back without having to wait for a Nathaniel Madden to come to the rescue again.” He glanced at her with sympathy. “I heard what happened, I don’t know the details but Tom told me what happened, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t pushed you you wouldn’t have gotten hurt again.”
Rachel swallowed and smiled reassuringly. “It wasn’t your fault. My world was falling apart and I thought, what the heck, might as well be the bad guy.”
Larry handed the food of black bean ramen with spices, pork chops, and eggs in it and patted her thigh. Rachel raised the chopsticks to her lips and gagged. Suddenly pushing the plate away she hurried to the kitchen where she emptied the contents of her belly. She gagged some more, groaning as what little was in her belly spurted out of her mouth. Mabel was right behind holding her hair back and rubbing her back murmuring sweet words to her.
Rachel rinsed her mouth and washed her face. “I don’t know how long I’m going to keep up. I just want this episode of my life to pass as soon as possible.”
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I wish I could take your pain and worry away.”
“I did this to myself,” Rachel sighed. “I made the first mistake when I married Jerkface Henderson but I am going to right this wrong. I have to. I need to go, I’m actually hungry. Do you want my pork chops and eggs?”
Mabel smiled. She offered to wash the sink and sent Rachel back to the living room so she could seat but she couldn’t help watching her baby sister leave, a forbidden thought forming in her mind.
A few minutes later all the food was cleared but Mabel’s mind was still in turmoil. She coiled a hand around her sister’s shoulders offering her silent support. There were too many problems now, she couldn’t add to Rachel’s problems especially since her sister didn’t know. Or did she know of her suspicions? Was she purposefully ignoring them?
She decided to make the decision. Standing she grabbed the truck keys off the table.
“I need to get some stuff from the grocery store. Anything you need?” Mabel asked.
Larry who was still at Rachel’s side looked up at her. Rachel noticed him watching Mabel. Larry had numerous flings but if there was one thing Rachel knew, Larry had heart eyes for her sister. Ever since that one time Mabel introduced them to each other when she and Jacob finally completed the construction of their house. Even in the dark fog that was her life, she appreciated his feelings for her thick-skulled sister.
She glanced at Mabel. “I don’t need anything. But Larry might need something, he should probably go with you.”
Mabel’s eyes widened. “You can just tell me what you want. Besides you need someone to watch you, Rach.”
“Yes because I’m two years old.” She rolled her eyes. “Besides, I need to think without you two hovering like buzzing bees, thank you,” Rachel concluded with a pointed stare Larry’s way. Larry smiled. He stood up and without giving Mabel a chance to speak grabbed the truck keys and headed outside. Mabel glared at Rachel but she joined Larry outside.
Satisfied with her work as a matchmaker Rachel sank back in the chair and considered her options. Outside the truck drove into town.
Rachel would love to see Jacob go down, she would love to have her life back and she was ready to do anything for that.
That was what worried Mabel about her kid sister. She knew that Rachel would choose to work for the GHIA so she could get closure over everything that happened with Jacob, Dana and Nate. Yet she worried that what she suspected about her sister's sudden refusal to eat and nausea were symptoms of something she believed could not have come at a worse time. If her suspicions were true, this was even the worse time ever for all these to be happening. She worried so much that she couldn’t even enjoy her time with Larry, she could barely answer his questions about why she was avoiding him. All she wanted to do was get home to make sure she was there when Rachel made her decision.
But as she and Larry rode back into the yard after 40 minutes of grocery shopping, and saw the front door ripped out of its hinges she feared the worst.
Larry was out of the car before her but she got inside the house before him, the groceries in the car now forgotten. The living room was a mess, the tables and chairs were strewn all over the place. There were signs of struggle everywhere. One of Rachel’s shoes was half hidden under a chair. Worst of all there was no sign of Rachel.
“Fuck!” Larry swore. “Someone got here before us."
“This is bad, this is bad…!” Mabel cried reaching into the back pocket of her jeans to retrieve the pregnancy test kits she had gotten. “Rachel is pregnant!”
