Fame, Fortune & Secrets (The Redemption Series: Book 2) Page 2

  He gripped her until he could speak. “Sweetheart, I’m so grateful to have you as my wife. I thank God for you. I love you with all my being. I’d be dead without you.”

  She clung to him with surprising might. “Everything is going to be okay, David. As long as we have each other, everything is going to be fine.”

  How could he go on? His voice was almost a whisper. “Sweetheart, General Pearson wants me to do an interview with Amanda James today—to tell our story. But I won’t do it if you don’t want me to.”

  “Amanda James! Oh, I think you should do that, David. Amanda James is very nice. I’m sure it will go well.”

  “He also wants to have you beside me for the interview.”

  “Me?” He felt her quiver.

  “The General thinks it will build credibility—you know—that you still love and support me. And he wants you to answer questions, too.”

  “Oh! I don’t know what to say.”

  “You mustn’t worry about that. All you need to do is be yourself.”

  “Okay, David. I’ll do my best.”

  Glori

  General Pearson’s secretary escorted Cindy and me out into the hall in time to see Joe Harris barreling out of a conference room, followed by General Pearson.

  “Glori! Cindy!” Joe pointed his ragged cigar at us. “You girls need to find a suit for Debbie. Something in pink that flatters her. Pink. Right? She needs to look believable—innocent. But she looks like that anyway.”

  Joe was obviously off in space somewhere, and Cin and I looked at each other.

  “What’s going on now, Joe?” Cindy was pretty disgusted with this whole scandal thing and how it would hurt Debbie. She spent most of her life trying to protect Debbie, like she was her little sister.

  “Amanda James is coming today to interview David and Debbie. So we need wardrobe, hair and makeup. You girls can arrange for that. Okay?”

  Cin walked over to him and went nose to nose. “What harebrained scheme do you have going now? I won’t have Debbie having another heart attack over your plot to cover up a bunch of undercover, secret agent crap!”

  It was then that I noticed my very favorite secret agent standing in the doorway with his secret agent friends. Agent Alain Dusseault stood smiling at me. He was pretty well used to all kinds of crap—secret agent and otherwise. But this seemed to amuse him. I batted my eyes at him.

  General Pearson didn’t look too happy about Cin’s attitude, and Alain quit smirking when he turned to look back at his men.

  “Joe! Why don’t we all have a seat and discuss this matter with Cindy and Glori,” Pearson said.

  He ushered us all into the room, and I took a seat beside my favorite secret agent. I made a face at Agent Jimmy Hollinger, sitting across the table. I’d taken upon myself the mission of annoying him whenever possible. It was pretty easy to do.

  Eduardo was the one that looked as upset as Cindy. Agent Eduardo Clemente was David’s best friend, and it was his sixteen-year-old brother who led the band I was hitching my star to. This brewing scandal could only help us, because let’s face it, any publicity is good publicity. And this was downright juicy.

  I decided it was time to make my opinion known. “General Pearson, you’re a smart guy. You had to have known rock stars and secret agents are kind of a strange combination. Just to be clear—Joe’s job is to get the most publicity for us. And I thought your job was to keep everything real secret. I guess we’re here cuz the rock stars are winning?”

  I made a paper airplane out of a blank piece of paper I found on the table and sent it flying to Jimmy. I was surprised I had time to do that, and Jimmy intercepted it before there was a sound from anyone.

  I looked over to see Pearson had his head in his hands, and Joe smugly sucked on the unlit cigar. “Honey, it’s not like that here. We’re all one big happy family, right? I gave the General a strategy that works for everyone. Paulo will be successful with his music, and you boys will go off into the sunset with your new training jobs and with superhero reputations. We’ll play the cards right, Glori. I’m not gonna let a couple of strippers get the better of this organization.”

  Joe had that look in his eye. And Cindy and Eduardo saw it, too. Dollar signs.

  ***

  Amanda James and her crew arrived shortly after we helped Debbie into her pretty pink silk suit. The makeup artist did a phenomenal job of bringing out her natural beauty. Everything about Debbie was pale—light blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin. But when she exited the makeshift dressing room, she looked like a supermodel.

  I stood with Amanda as she watched Debbie and David with General Pearson, and she was intrigued with them. “Handsome—couple,” she said.

  But I knew she was just trying to be professional in the midst of a bunch of sexy guys in uniform. “Yeah. I think he’s used to women coming on to him—if you know what I mean.”

  Amanda smiled. “Well he’s handsome all right, but it’s the way he looks at her. That’s what grabs me.”

  “Yeah, they’re in love, and it was love at first sight. And it’ll probably be love at last sight, too.”

  “How sweet. The General told me they just got back from their honeymoon when all this started,” she said.

  Amanda got the signal, and she took a chair across from Debbie and David, seated on a couch. She introduced herself as her assistants focused their bright lights on them. Wide blue eyes gave Debbie that expression of innocence Joe wanted, and she looked even younger than her nineteen years.

  David drew her tightly to his side with his left arm and held her hand on her lap with his right. Amanda thanked them for the interview and turned to Debbie.

  “Debbie, I understand you and Agent Lambrecht are newlyweds.”

  “Oh yes. We were married on June first.” Debbie nodded in that forceful way that always made David smile.

  It made Amanda smile, too, and I could tell she was hesitating to ask the next question. It was obvious she liked Debbie right away, and she probably understood that prying into a new wound could really mess up her mind. Amanda spoke in a soft, sympathetic voice. “What did you think when you read the article in the newspaper?”

  “Oh! I—I was shocked.” Debbie nodded again. “And I thought how very sad it was—because I—I think she loved David—really. But I don’t think that other lady did. I think she just wanted to get away from those awful drug people. But—but I feel very sorry for Sylvie Mason. It—it was a very sad story.”

  “But you believe Sylvie Mason did truly care about your husband?”

  Debbie nodded again. “Yes.”

  “And you seem to feel such compassion for her. I’m amazed by that—that you can read this article that so graphically portrays her sex life with your husband and another woman. And you can feel sorry for her?”

  “Yes.” Debbie nodded and white wisps of hair floated around her face. She spoke in a firm voice with her eyes fixed on Amanda. “David loves me. He doesn’t love her. He married me and not her. And I wouldn’t want to live without David. I’m so grateful that God sent him to me.”

  Go Debbie. Cin and I turned to each other, impressed. Debbie sure had changed over the past six months. She never said boo to anyone before she met David.

  I noticed Amanda’s jaw dropped as she turned to David—captivated by the adulation on his face. He was so focused on Debbie—like there was no one else in the world. Amanda took some time to reorganize her notes.

  But she still stumbled over the next question. “David—Agent Lambrecht—I—I understand you and Debbie met at a hospital where she was being treated for complications of—an eating disorder?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your friends tell me it was love at first sight, so to speak?”

  David smiled at his wife, who was beaming up at him. “Yes,” he said to Debbie.

  Amanda looked like she’d been sucked into their love affair.

  Unfortunately for her, she’d have to snap them all out of it. “Agen
t Lambrecht, General Pearson told me shortly after you met Debbie, you were sent on a mission to take down drug lords and terrorists that profit from the international drug trade. I’m told you almost didn’t make it out of there alive. You were severely wounded in the line of duty and almost died of septic shock. And, the General told me—it was the thought of your wife, Debbie, that kept you alive during that terrible time.”

  “That’s true.”

  David wasn’t doing much to help Amanda out, and I could tell she was getting frustrated with one word, matter-of-fact answers. So she turned to Debbie again.

  “And Debbie, it was the prospect of being with David that spurred you to begin eating again, to overcome your illness?”

  “Yes.” Debbie giggled. “Everyone always says we saved each other’s lives.”

  Amanda smiled. “Well it’s a remarkable story. You met just after Christmas—after a heart attack on Christmas Eve—hospitalized for your anorexia. A few weeks later you found out he’d been seriously wounded—may not survive the surgery. Then he went into septic shock, an overwhelming infection in the blood, and you were by his side for weeks while he was in and out of a coma.”

  Debbie’s giggle was infectious. She leaned forward like she was confiding to Amanda, “Most of the time we knew each other we were in the hospital.”

  Cin and I grinned at each other. Who knew Debbie was such a natural?

  ***

  Cin and I followed Amanda, Joe, and General Pearson into the conference room and took a seat. Amanda tugged at her ear and addressed us across the table. “It was an interesting interview. Certainly not what I ever expected. Don’t get me wrong, Agent Lambrecht seems like a fine man. I’m sure he makes a great secret agent. But he’s not exactly conversational—and therefore not a very sympathetic character.” She watched Joe wince. General Pearson wiped sweat from his brow.

  “But I think it will come off well for you. Debbie is an absolute angel. She’ll have the hearts of everyone watching. And one thing I’ll say for him—it’s apparent that she has his heart—completely.”

  Joe smiled as he fingered his cigar. “So it’ll be on your show tonight.”

  “Some clips on the nightly news, and on my show—tonight,” Amanda confirmed.

  Debbie

  I hadn’t seen David’s new office, but it was stacked with boxes everywhere. They were in the process of sorting and packing things, because General Pearson was planning to move the training program to Salzburg, Austria. I was thrilled—David and I had such a wonderful time there on our honeymoon.

  His parents lived just down the road from a property they gave us for a wedding present. The house was being renovated by Eduardo’s cousin, Raphael Dominguez, and his construction company. They were doing a beautiful job, and I was so excited at the prospect of living there. Eduardo’s family lived on the adjacent property, so there was a family community that would be perfect for us.

  David guided me to the office doorway as Jimmy was clearing the mess on his desk into a box. Eduardo nagged him with a string of obscenities until Jimmy had had enough and grabbed him by his shirt. David broke them up before it turned serious, I guess. Watching them, I wondered how they didn’t kill each other a hundred times a day. I never had siblings, but I supposed they acted like brothers. I knew they’d do anything for each other. I’d seen that time and again over the past months.

  I was grateful they gave us privacy. David picked me up and landed in his chair with me on his lap. He gripped me as though he was clinging to life itself. I threw my legs over the arm of the chair and whispered up at him. “Everything is going to be okay, David. Remember what Grammy said.”

  He grinned at me. “I know. God loves me.”

  I put my hand up, and he kissed it. Then he repeated what he knew I wanted to hear. “Okay. She said, ‘Remember, nothing can separate you from the love of God.’”

  “Exactly.” I nodded.

  “Hmm.” He gripped me tighter still. “You never did answer all my questions about that, you know.”

  “I’m sorry, David. I guess I wasn’t being completely honest.”

  A low rumbling in his chest turned to laughter. And I realized how I sounded. I guess neither one of us had been completely honest.

  “I—I didn’t want to worry you, David, so I just glossed over some details. I’m sorry. The important thing is I was in heaven with Grammy for just a second or so, and now I know how much God loves us.”

  He kissed my forehead. “Yes. And I called your cardiologist to get his explanation of what happened. So you’re off the hook. You don’t have to explain it to me.”

  “I bet my story is better than his.”

  “It is.”

  I climbed up and kissed his mouth. We almost got carried away, right there in David’s office behind a wall of boxes. But General Pearson’s voice in the hallway got my attention. He rapped on the doorframe, and David took his hand out from under my silk jacket. I pulled it closed so the General wouldn’t see the buttons of my blouse undone.

  “David, I hate to tell you this, but George Aldridge has been harassing my secretary with phone calls all day. You should really give him a call. At least let him know Debbie is okay.”

  “Thank you, Sir.” David rolled his eyes.

  “We don’t have to talk to Daddy if we don’t want to,” I said.

  I knew that wasn’t very nice, but Daddy took every opportunity to give David a hard time. And now, I guess he had a pretty good reason. So I knew he’d be extra hard on David, and I didn’t want that.

  “You have to call your parents, David. It’s getting late in Salzburg. Daddy can wait.”

  He took a heavy breath and dialed the phone. “I guess it’s best if they hear it from me first.” His arm was so tight around me, I couldn’t button my blouse.

  “Papa.”

  I could hear Frederick’s startled voice on the other end. “David! Are you all right? Debbie?” He sounded like he was shocked out of his sleep.

  “Papa, I’m so sorry to wake you up. I need to talk to you. We’re both okay, but I need to talk to you.”

  I looked up at watery eyes, and concentrated on deciphering the conversation in German.

  When David got off the phone, he had another of his coughing fits. When he was shot, he fell into a mucky river, and his lungs were damaged. The doctors said he’d make a full recovery, but it would take time. He’d made remarkable progress, but I noticed the cough especially when he was stressed. I brought him a glass of water, and he dialed the phone to call Eduardo’s parents—his godparents.

  Then he picked up the phone to speak to Daddy. “George, I want to apologize for putting Debbie and our family through this terrible situation. I should have realized the consequences of my actions, and I’ll do whatever I can to resolve this as quickly and as best for Debbie as I possibly can. I hope you understand I would never intentionally do anything to upset your daughter in any way. She’s shown me incredible understanding and forgiveness, and I’m so grateful for her love and support.”

  I could hear Daddy yelling on the other end. “I knew I never should have given you permission to marry my daughter! Her life is ruined! Ruined by some so-called secret agent playing house with whores! Nineteen years old and living in the middle of a scandal—and I suppose she still thinks she’s in love with you! How can she divorce you now? It would kill her altogether!”

  David took a heavy breath and coughed into the phone. “George—”

  “I’ll see you burn in hell for this, Lambrecht!”

  David clicked the phone off. “He hung up on me.” He got up and sat me back in his chair, then went into the bathroom and vomited.

  Chapter Three

  David

  Prior to their marriage, David had arranged for a small suite at the Ross Hotel to be close to his extended family in the time between their return from their honeymoon and leaving for the new assignment in Austria. All he wanted to do was collapse into the featherbed with Debbie and
make the world go away. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be that easy. He needed to speak with Cat first, and he wasn’t looking forward to it.

  Cisco, the eldest of the Clemente brothers and his cousin Cat’s fiancé, greeted David and Debbie in the family’s sitting area. He’d obviously heard the news, and embraced them both with sympathetic hugs. “I’m glad you’ll finally have a chance to talk with Cat. She’s been having all kinds of nightmares and premonitions. She hasn’t been getting much sleep, and then this morning we couldn’t get her to wake up. I know she was having more visions, but she won’t say anything. I hope she’ll talk to you, David. Maybe if she gets it all out the nightmares will stop.”

  David took Cisco by the arm. “You look like you’ve been going through the nightmares with her. I hope you both can get some rest tonight—if Amanda James doesn’t cause more turmoil.”

  He left Debbie and Cisco to share a pot of tea and a plate of scones, and headed to Cat’s room. He found her in a window seat, scribbling on a notepad, her blonde hair lit up in the late afternoon sunshine, a striking frame to her face. A face that looked too tired for a twenty-four-year-old.

  She stood up to greet him. He took her outstretched hands, bent down to kiss her cheek and then embraced her. He felt a sense of serenity washing through him. Strange he always took such comfort from one who seemed to absorb everyone’s troubles—past, present and future. Yet she was always calm—at least in her waking hours.

  “Cisco told me you’ve been having bad dreams.”

  Cat looked up at him. “David, I’ve had bad dreams since the time you left home.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I put you through all that.” Nausea welled up. He’d never really thought about the consequences to his family when he and Eduardo set off on this life of adventure that would supposedly make a real difference in the world.