“What does Linda have to do with Daniel’s breakup with Audrey?”
“Linda and Audrey are close.”
Holly’s stomach lurched. A friend of Audrey’s was delivering bad news about Sabrina? What were the odds of that being a coincidence?
At the newsstand, Raffaela dropped several coins into the box and snatched a copy of the New York Times from it. Holly followed her as she headed for the car, unlocking it and getting in, before unfolding the paper.
She handed Holly half the sections. “You check these parts, I’ll check the others.”
Hastily Holly flipped through section after section, scanning the headlines and looking at every picture, when she suddenly heard Raffaela gasp.
Holly whirled her head to her and instantly noticed how her face had paled, her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.
“Raffaela? What is it?” Holly peered at the spot Raffaela was staring at. Her eyes focused, and her breath caught in her chest. “Oh my god!”
This couldn’t be happening!
“Promise me not to tell Sabrina about any of this. I have to talk to Daniel first,” Raffaela said.
Holly nodded, full of guilt. If she hadn’t come up with this harebrained idea of letting Sabrina pretend to be an escort, this would never have happened.
5
Over the hands-free system in his car, he heard the phone ring twice, until his attorney Elliott Langdon answered. “Daniel?”
“Elliott, listen, something happened. I need you to do something for me and—”
“I was expecting your call. Let me guess: you want to sue the New York Times?” Elliott interrupted.
“Then you know what’s going on.” At least it meant that he didn’t have to launch into lengthy explanations about the article.
“I nearly choked on my toast this morning. I’m assuming it’s all fabrication?”
“Yes. I’ve already spoken to the reporter, Claire Heart.”
“What’s she got?”
“She wouldn’t reveal it, but I figured out who her source is.”
“Who?”
“Audrey Hawkins.”
He heard Elliott whistle through his teeth. “Not giving up, is she? Well, in that case, let’s get to Audrey and force her to give us what she has.”
Daniel sighed. “Tried that already. She’s disappeared. She knew I’d find out and come after her.”
“In that case, I’ll start with the legal counsel of the New York Times. I know one of the attorneys on their team. Let me talk to him and see what I can find out.”
“Good, but don’t make any waves yet. I don’t want to launch a lawsuit before the wedding. It would cause too much attention.” And it would mean that Sabrina would find out for certain.
“No worries, I know how to handle this.”
“Thanks, Elliott. In the meantime, I’ll try to find Audrey. Knowing her, she didn’t go far. She would want to be around to enjoy the chaos she created.”
“Sounds like her. I’ll call you when I know more.”
“Thanks.”
Daniel disconnected the call and concentrated on traffic.
He’d already called several of her friends and acquaintances, asking them about Audrey’s whereabouts, but nobody had heard of her. All claimed that they didn’t know where she was.
On the drive to the Hamptons, he continued to make phone call after phone call, but none of their mutual acquaintances had seen her.
By the time Daniel pulled into the driveway of his parents’ house, he was exhausted. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Daniel got out of his car, shut the door and locked the car. It was early evening, and the sun was just starting to set. A walk along the beach with Sabrina, watching the sun go down, would be just what he needed to calm his nerves.
Before Daniel could put his key into the front door, it was opened from the inside. Both his parents stood in the entrance, their faces masks of worry. His stomach clenched. Something had happened.
“Mom, Dad. What’s going on? Is Sabrina all right?” he asked, darting looks past them into the house. It was unusually quiet.
His mother nodded. “Tim and Holly took Sabrina for a walk on the beach.”
“So we might talk without Sabrina overhearing us,” his father added cryptically.
Panic and dread collided inside him. “What’s going on?”
His parents motioned him inside, ushering him into his father’s study, which was located off the foyer. Only when his father had closed the door behind him, did he speak again.