All He Really Needs(59)

“Do you have any idea how hard I’ve worked trying to get you clues? How hard it was to keep Dalton off the right trail? How complicated this has been to try to feed you information without revealing how much I knew?”

Caro’s voice was rising steadily toward hysteria. Griffin just stood there, shaking his head slowly back and forth. He was so tired of his mother’s manipulations. If just once she’d stood up to Hollister, maybe he could feel more sympathy for her. But over and over again, he’d watched his mother sacrifice her pride, her dignity and her children to her own greed. She would never stand up to Hollister because doing so might jeopardize the status quo. Even this one tiny rebellion she’d tried to hide and bury beneath a wealth of lies. Another woman would have divorced Hollister long ago, but Caro was either too proud or too greedy, Griffin wasn’t sure which.

Hollister’s expression had sharpened into bitter distaste. “Caro, you ignorant twit,” he said.

All three of them turned and stared at him. It was the same phrase the letter had used, and Griffin felt another pang of sympathy for Caro. No matter how manipulative and mean she might sometimes be, she didn’t deserve to have her husband speak to her like that. Ever. Let alone in front of her son.

Griffin turned his back on his father and spoke to his mother, his voice softer now. “Mother, is there any truth to the letter at all? Does Hollister have a missing daughter, or did you just make it all up?”

Caro clenched and unclenched her hands in front of her chest, the tears in her eyes now spilling over. “Vivian really was Dalton’s nanny. She really did give birth to a girl and I believe that girl is Hollister’s child. Why else would Vivian have been so obsessed with Hollister? Why else would she have taken his mother’s ring?”

“She could have just been angry that you fired her. Did you think of that?”

“No,” Caro shook her head. “If you’re angry, you take something valuable. You steal a thousand dollars’ worth of silverware that no one will notice until Christmas. You take the five hundred-dollar bills off the dresser. I wasn’t wearing either ring that day. She overlooked my engagement ring with its eight-thousand-dollar diamond as well as probably ten grand in other jewelry, all so she could take Hollister’s damn heirloom. That’s either stupid or crazy.”

He turned back to his father. “Okay then, it’s on you. Did you sleep with that young woman?”

Hollister didn’t even look at the picture. “Of course I did. But Vee turned out to be crazier than a June bug in July. Following me back here. Hiring on as the nanny. I refused to see her.”

“So this girl, Vivian, Vee, you never even knew she was pregnant, did you?”

“If I had known, do you think we’d be having this conversation now? But don’t you start thinking you’ve won, buddy boy. Identifying the mother was never what this challenge was about. I don’t care who sent that letter.” His long speech caught up with him and he once again dissolved into a fit of coughing. When he spoke again, his voice was thin. “You have to find the girl.”

“No. No, I don’t.” Griffin looked at his father first and then back to his mother, once again shaking his head. “But if Cooper wants to, this will give him a place to start.”

“What are you saying, boy?”

“I’m out,” Griffin said simply.

“You’re what?” Sydney asked. It was the first time she’d spoken in the entire conversation and everyone looked at her. Caro still looked tearful and broken. Hollister looked like he hadn’t even realized she was there. Griffin turned and smiled at her.

“I’m done. Just like Dalton. I’m done looking for the heiress. I’m done working for Cain Enterprises. I’m tired of being a part of this sick, dysfunctional family. So I’m done.” He walked back to where Sydney stood beside the door and held out his hand. She put her hand in his automatically, even though she knew she couldn’t hold it long.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go.”

She let him lead her out of his parents’ house. He moved so fast it was like he was fleeing.

She stumbled along, taking three steps for every two of his. He knew he was walking too fast for her, but he also knew she’d be able to keep up. And he just wasn’t willing to stop until they were well clear of the house, crossing the lawn back to his car. Then she dug in her heels and tugged her hand from his.

“Wait. Griffin, wait.”

Griffin turned to look back at Sydney, half expecting to see that she’d stopped because she’d lost a shoe or something. But instead, she was just standing there under one of the sprawling live oaks that draped over his parents’ lawn.