Such a Beautiful Family: A Thriller(33)

Nora’s shoulders relaxed. Jane didn’t have to mention her competitor’s name, but she had, and she sounded genuinely exasperated. “I haven’t had the chance to meet Levi,” Nora said. “It was a young woman who obviously likes to gossip. I told her she shouldn’t spread misinformation without concrete evidence to back up her story, and then I walked away.”

“Thank you. And I’m sorry. I thought people in our line of business were better than that, but maybe I was wrong. I forgot about Levi Hale. My absence has gotten tongues wagging again. Maybe I should fly to Paris tomorrow after all.”

“I wouldn’t bother,” Nora said. “It was one person. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all.”

“Don’t be sorry. If people were spreading false tales about you, I would ask you, too.”

A heaviness fell over Nora. Maybe she was jet-lagged. All her excitement about seeing Mona Lisa had left her. “If you could hand the phone over to David, I should go. I have a lot to do before the meet and greet tonight.”

“I’m not sure where everyone ran off to, but do you want me to find one of the kids so you can say good night?”

“No. That’s okay. Tell them all good night for me.”

“I will.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Goodbye, Nora.”

Nora’s espresso had gotten cold. She called the car service to let them know she was ready to be picked up. Then she grabbed her things and headed out.

Goodbye, Nora. Jane had said those two words with a chilling finality. Jane Bell became known as a honey badger. Fearless, unwavering, and ferocious. Rhonda’s words verbatim if she remembered correctly. Why ferocious? Nora wondered now. Because of the photos Levi Hale had received after returning home? Anyone could have sent them.

As she walked toward the exit, she tried to remember her first conversations with Jane, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember how Jane had answered Nora’s question when she’d asked what made Jane want Nora to work for her. It boggled the mind to think that Jane had come after her with that same unwavering determination she was known for.

Visions of Jane sitting at the kitchen table with her family when Nora had returned from a spa day flooded her memories. And now, once again, Jane was at her house, cozying up to David and her children. Yes, Nora considered Jane a friend, but that didn’t mean she wanted her to take her place whenever she was gone. If she’d felt as if her kids needed to be looked after, she would have asked Mom and Dad to stay at the house.

As the crisp, fresh air outside hit her smack in the face, she knew it wouldn’t do her any good to get herself worked up, especially when she was a world away from her family. She thought about the woman she’d met in the registration line. Rhonda. What if the stories were true and it was Nora who was being naive?

Going forward, after she returned home, she decided it would be in her best interest to stay vigilant when it came to Jane. Find out more about her childhood and what made her tick, all the while protecting what was hers—her family.



Trevor sat on the couch with the remote, flipping through channels. He’d rather be upstairs in his room on his computer, but he didn’t like the way Jane hovered around Dad, always touching him and laughing at all his stupid jokes. He still couldn’t believe she’d ended the call with Mom without asking any of them if they wanted to talk to her. He thought about going upstairs and calling Mom, but she would probably notice he sounded worried, and she would call Dad and things might spiral out of control. It was better if he stayed right where he was so he could keep an eye on her.

All night long, Trevor had gone back and forth between thinking Jane might not be so bad and thinking she was the devil. Sometimes she would smile a certain way that made him wonder if he was blowing everything she said and did out of proportion. But then he’d noticed her eyes darken and her face go slack when no one was looking, and he would go back to not trusting her. It was like watching a chameleon change its colors depending on its background, only Jane changed her expressions and tone of voice instead.

It also bothered him that the minute he’d gone to his room for something, Jane had put Tank outside. Hailey and his dad never left Tank outside. If Tank had to relieve himself, they left the door open until he returned. At the moment, Dad and Jane were in the kitchen. From where he sat on the couch, he could see Dad’s face. Dad appeared perfectly content to have Jane at the house, even looked as if he enjoyed her company. He didn’t even flinch when her laughter went a full octave higher.

Hailey walked into the family room and plopped down on the couch next to him. “What are you watching?”

“Nothing really. Here.” He handed her the remote and rolled his eyes when she changed to a streaming site that had the reality show starring the Kardashians. He wondered if Hailey noticed Jane flirting with Dad. “Do you think Jane likes Dad?”

Hailey didn’t look away from the screen. “Of course. I think she likes all of us.”

“No. I mean like like.”

“Ewww. You’re so gross. Dad is old.”

“So is Richard.”

“Richard is single, and he does whatever she tells him to. She’s probably just using him.”

“Using him for what?”

“You’re such a weirdo. I don’t know. Companionship, I guess.” Hailey made a noise as if she were disgusted by the idea of anyone being with Richard. Then she looked at her brother and laughed. “We know it’s not for Richard’s good looks or charming personality. Jane is gorgeous and could have anyone she wanted.”