Reese and Blaine anxiously watched as the door began to open. Blaine wasn't sure who would be walking in or what would happen next, but he was determined to get some answers. He was thrown off guard when, instead of Sebastian or a hired goon, two young women were standing in the doorway, looking as surprised as he was.
"Who are you?" Zara asked as she looked from Blaine to Reese. She had come here at Cassandra's insistence, but hadn't expected to find anyone else there. "And what are you doing here?"
"We were locked in," Reese spoke up. Turning to Cassandra she added, "By your father."
"What?" Zara asked in disbelief. "It must have been an accident, right? He left in a hurry last night."
"Only if we were drugged on accident too," Blaine replied sarcastically.
Zara frowned. "I don't get it. What happened here last night?"
"I was hoping you could tell me," Blaine replied. "Reese and I came here to talk to Vanessa. When we explained to her husband that we wanted to tell her that she's the heir to an inheritance, he said we could meet her back here. Then he drugged us and locked us in. What I want to know is why."
Zara shook her head and shrugged. "I wish I knew." She opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated. When she decided to continue, she spoke slowly. "Dad and Vanessa left last night in a hurry. He wouldn't say what happened or where they were going."
"In that case, do you mind if we get out of here?" Reese asked, rubbing at her aching neck. "I'd really like to go home."
"Sure," Zara replied, stepping out of the way.
As Reese started out of the room, Blaine turned back to Zara and Cassandra. "Look, I don't know what Sebastian Barrett thought, but we were really here for the reason we said we were. If you hear from him or Vanessa, could you let us know?"
Zara wasn't sure what to say, but Cassandra immediately agreed. "Of course."
Blaine smiled at her. "Thanks." He asked Reese for one of her business cards and then jotted his name and number on the back side before handing it over to Cassandra. "I appreciate it."
As they walked out of the building, Reese sighed, "I'm glad that's over with. I thought we had gotten ourselves into some serious trouble."
"Me too," Blaine mumbled, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
They walked to the street in silence. Reese stole glances at Blaine, but she wasn't sure what she wanted to say to him. Finally she said, "Well, it looks like we'll just have to wait until there's news. I guess I'll talk to you then?"
"Sure," Blaine said absently. "But in the meantime I'm going to do some research on Sebastian Barrett. I want to know what he's hiding."
"Hello? Can you connect me to Chad Vanderburg's room?" Hector asked the hotel receptionist over the telephone. "What do you mean he checked out? When was that?" After the receptionist answered, he thanked her and hung up.
"What's going on with him?" Hector wondered. He had called to chew Chad out for missing the job interview that he had set up with his boss, but now he had other things to worry about. Where had Chad suddenly disappeared to? And would he be back in time to be the best man at the wedding?
He didn't want to alarm Eileen, but he thought he should call her up and tell her. Maybe they should find a replacement, just in case Chad failed to show up for the wedding too.
When he called, Eileen's stepmother, Veronica, answered. "Of course you can talk to Eileen. I'll go get her." A few moments later, Veronica was back on the line, "Um, Hector, Eileen doesn't want to talk right now," she said apologetically. "Can she call you back later?"
"Sure," he said with a frown and then hung up the phone. "This is ridiculous," he mumbled to himself. He wasn't going to wait around until Eileen felt like calling him back. He picked up his car keys and headed out the door.
When Hector knocked on the Townsend's front door, Veronica let him in.
"I really need to talk to Eileen," Hector said impatiently. His tone wasn't urgent, but it was clear that he didn't want to play games. "Is she alright?"
Veronica shrugged. "She says she's fine, but she's been in her room most of the day."
"Can I go up?" Hector asked, motioning to the stairs.
"It's ok with me," Veronica replied. She watched as Hector hurried upstairs, then decided that she should follow him. She made it to the top just as Hector was knocking on Eileen's bedroom door.
"What is it?" Eileen asked from the other side of the closed door.
"Eileen, it's me," Hector replied. "I just came by to see what's going on. Why wouldn't you take my call?"
"I don't feel like talking."
"Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?"
There was a long pause before Eileen answered, "No. I just want to be alone right now, ok? I'll call you later."
Hector sighed and gave up, "Ok." He turned away from the door and said to Veronica, "I'll show myself out," before heading downstairs.
Veronica waited until she heard the front door shut before knocking on Eileen's door.
"Eileen, can I come in, just for a minute? Hector's gone."
Eileen hesitated before answering, "If you want."
When Veronica entered she found her step-daughter lying in bed staring at the ceiling. As she walked into the room, Eileen stood up.
"Is everything ok? Are you feeling alright?" Veronica asked. "You've been awfully quiet."
"I'm fine," Eileen insisted. "I just have a lot on my mind."
"You know, I'm here if you want someone to talk to."
"I know," Eileen replied. She did want someone to talk to and she trusted Veronica, but she didn't think Veronica was the person to confide in about this. Veronica was a psychiatrist. If she told her that she believed Hector was a murderer based on psychic intuition and flimsy evidence, Veronica would think she was crazy. And it couldn't help that the only other person who knew about Eileen's suspicions was Cassandra, one of Veronica's patients. "Thanks, but I just need time to think."
"Ok. If you change your mind, let me know."
Veronica quietly closed the door behind her as she stepped out into the hallway. She was about to go to the kitchen, when the phone rang. "Hello?"
At first no one responded. Veronica was about to say hello again, when someone began to speak.
"Hello, Veronica? This is Ed... Edward Wilton."
It was Veronica's turn to be momentarily speechless. She hadn't talked to Edward in years, but she recognized his voice before he introduced himself.
"I'm sorry to call you at home. But I need to speak with you."
"I - I don't think that's such a good idea, Ed."
"It's not anything personal," he was quick to clarify. "It's about a patient. I believe we have a mutual patient, Cassandra Barrett. I'd like to talk to you, as her psychiatrist, about her case. If you don't mind."
"Of course I don't mind," Veronica replied, but her voice held little confidence. "When should we meet?"
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