Page 43 of The Family Guest

Her eyes were watering; my heart was breaking.

I told her that it wasn’t possible and gently kissed her goodbye on her forehead.

She closed her eyes as Matt and I exited the room.

I couldn’t wait to have her back home.

The sooner the better.

A shiver whipped through me. Another chilling what if.

What if she took a turn for the worse?

TWENTY-THREE

PAIGE

Tanya came home all too soon. The next day. I had to admit she looked pretty bad. Maybe the gnarly gash above her eye would leave an ugly permanent scar. It would serve her right. She didn’t even apologize for stealing and wrecking my car.

We had the day off from school. It was one of those teacher conference days that intermittently took place throughout the year, but I knew they were just an excuse to give the teachers a three-day weekend, which was fine by me.

So far, Tanya hadn’t left her room. My mother stayed home, canceling all her activities and meetings, and doted on her. Treating her as if she were a fragile porcelain doll. Will and I watched them on the spy cam until we couldn’t take it anymore. Plus, we had far more important things to do.

While Will tried to track down Mary Burton, the registered owner of Tanya’s laptop, I took it upon myself to research the drugs I’d found in her night table drawer. It was an easy task, but one that made my eyes pop. All of them were anti-psychotics, prescribed for schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and extreme aggressive behavior. Questions whirled in my head. How did Tanya get all these meds? Who was she really? And were we living with a sociopath?

I urgently needed to talk to my mom. Pump her for information. An opportunity finally presented itself when Tanya took a nap and she came downstairs. Leaving Will behind with Bear, I joined her in the kitchen. She was seated at the island, a glass of wine beside her, thumbing through a thick book.

I cleared my throat. “Hi, Mom.”

Her back to me, she swiveled her stool around.

“Oh…hi, dear.” She reached for the glass and took a sip of her white wine. “You startled me.”

“Sorry.” A beat. “What are you up to?”

She set the glass down and lifted the book. The Vegan Gourmet’s Soup to Nuts Cookbook. “I’m looking for something to make for lunch that everyone will enjoy.”

My heart warmed. I had to give my mom credit. At least she respected my vegan diet and was trying hard.

“Come join me and help me pick out a recipe. We can make it together.”

Cooking with my mom? That was a first. Something I didn’t recall doing when Mom’s favorite, Anabel, was alive. Or since kiss-up Tanya had been here.

“Sure.” I joined her at the island, sitting next to her. Another first. Just the two of us. A perfect opportunity to squeeze some information out of her.

“Mom, how’s Tanya?”

As if I really cared, but it was a conversation starter.

Her face brightened. “Oh, honey, how sweet of you to ask. She had a really rough time yesterday, but she seems to be doing better today. In less pain.”

“That’s good.” That sucks.

While I flipped through the cookbook, my mother imbibed some more wine. It was a little early in the day for it, though I’m sure she drank a glass or two daily with her friends at lunch. And, importantly, it would keep her loosened up.

“Did Dr. Lefferman come by and see her in the hospital?” I asked.

“No, but she visited him back in September. Your school wanted her to have a physical.”