Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan(43)

She hopes he buys it and is relieved when he shifts focus.

“Either way he’s a bit of a black sheep. My contacts weren’t big on the details, even when I pushed, but they implied that his usual clients are the parents of teen addicts. He hunts down the dealers and convinces them to stay away. Sometimes the convincing gets physical, and the rumor is he often does that part for free. A part-time vigilante.”

“So why help me?”

“He uses expensive clients like you to finance the cost of the addict work. That’s what my source says.”

“The expensive part is right. You should hear what his retainer was. Is he really that good?”

“He’s supposed to be the best. But Holly, he sounds volatile. I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

“I have to try, Barry. I’ve got nothing else.”

He’s quiet for a bit. She can almost hear his thoughts, and she bites her lip, hoping he won’t push. Keeping secrets from Barry by omission is hard enough. A direct question could be her undoing. But:

“I’m not going to pry. But you know I’m always here if you need me.”

She hopes that’s true. She doesn’t know if he would say the same if he knew how many secrets she still had.



* * *





Holly spends the next day working. She signs off on the final Pixie Dust marketing campaign, approves a list of Instagram influencers tapped to receive free samples, and reviews ideas from Elliot and the rest of the science team on everything from an eye cream with yeast and caffeine (green light) to a serum containing sea cucumbers (she sets a reminder on her phone to call Elliot for more details). In between emails she paces. Anxiety about Eden is never far away, and she’s bleary-eyed from another sleepless night spent with the nursery window open to the sky.

Jane has set up a dinner with some of her friends and their grandchildren. When Holly finally makes it downstairs, showered and dressed for the evening, she overhears Nan offering to take Jack to Ed’s lacrosse practice the next day.

“Thanks so much, Nan, but that won’t be necessary,” Holly says, stepping into the kitchen. “I’ll take him.” She can see the disappointment on Jack’s face and feels a twinge of guilt.

“But you don’t know where it is!” he protests.

“It’s no trouble, really,” Nan says. “I have to run my brother over as well.”

Holly smiles at them both. “I’m not sure what Jack’s grandmother has planned for tomorrow. But if we can fit it in, we will. Thanks.”

“Let me give you the address,” Nan says, scribbling it and her phone number on a piece of paper. Jack snatches it from her before Holly can.

Damn. Lacrosse is not what Jack needs right now. Holly has to shut this down. “I didn’t realize how late it was—I’m so sorry to have kept you,” she says brightly. “Have a good night. And Jack, you should probably go clean up. We’d better leave if we don’t want to be late. You know how your grandmother is about punctuality.”

He scowls at her but leaves the room. Holly sees Nan out. She’d like to tell her not to come tomorrow, but she can’t do that, not without angering Jane. So she settles for locking the door behind her.





Chapter Sixteen



Jane’s chosen a trendy Middle Eastern restaurant for dinner. There are a handful of teens present, and they sit at a separate table from the adults. Holly glances over at Jack a few times. He seems to be happily engaged. Good. Maybe she’ll get lucky and they’ll all make plans for tomorrow and lacrosse will naturally fall off his radar.

The evening passes quickly. Jane’s friends are interesting and entertaining, and despite herself, Holly enjoys their company. Several of the women use Darling Skin Care products, and they exclaim about them to Jane, who gives Holly an approving look. An unexpected warmth floods Holly, and it’s not from the wine she’s drinking.

At the end of the meal, the teens decide to see a late-night movie. The show is within walking distance, and one of the older boys offers to drive Jack home after. Holly hesitates. She’d like to say no. Thinking of Jack walking the same streets as Peter gives her chills. It’s why she left London for Cornwall, then fled to New York when Cornwall turned out to be not far enough. But she can’t come up with a plausible excuse. So she gives him some money and reminds him to stay with the group and to call if he’s going to be later than midnight.

“Let him enjoy himself,” Jane says. “You can’t keep him a baby forever.”

Oh, but I can, Holly thinks. Or at least I can keep him safe. She banishes that last day in New York, Jack’s bloody nose, from her mind. The cut from lacrosse the day before that. What will happen to him if she can’t find Eden. Or if Peter finds him first.

No.

Instead she concentrates on the nursery, on the knife under her pillow there.

I can.

“I’d like to go for a little drive, see what’s changed in the city,” she says instead to her mother. “Any chance you can get a ride home?”

Jane gives her a sharp-eyed look. “Should I be worried?”

“Of course not,” Holly says innocently. She feels a sudden, surprising solidarity with Jack. Who, if he were still in the room, would surely be laughing at her.