Chapter Thirty-Four
Soul of a Woman
Rowan
Imagine my surprise when I awakened in a hospital room. The last thing I remembered was spilling my drink at the table, Mallory handing me hers, and then BOOM! I wake up in the hospital…again. Over the next few days, pieces of the story began to unfold, starting with Mallory’s account of what happened when I collapsed outside of the restaurant. Nash filled me in on the hours directly after that, but I could tell from the glassy-eyed stares and hushed whispers there was more to the story than I was being told. Something else had happened, but no one was talking about it. I understood that Nash wanted to protect me, but in doing so he was distancing himself from me and hurting me in the process.
The day before I was due to leave the hospital, Nash received a phone call. When he stepped out of the room to talk in private, something he’d been doing a lot of lately, I swallowed down tears of frustration. When he reappeared no more than five minutes later and told me he had to take off for a bit, I played it off as no big deal, but it was a big deal. He was keeping things from me.
When Mallory showed up in my hospital room half an hour later with a chocolate milkshake in each hand and a very hesitant smile on her face, I completely fell apart.
After listening to my meltdown, Mallory said, “Nash is going to kill me.” Before I had a chance to respond, she handed me one of the cups in her hand, dropped to the foot of my bed, and took a long draw from her milkshake. “You’re not going to believe this shit. In order for you to understand, though, I’ll have to start at the beginning.” She then told me about how she and Grant had fallen in love. I’d heard parts of the story from Nash and Maeve, but Mallory left nothing out. She told me all about the evolution of the Melties and a girl named Michelle Harrigan. She explained how Chelle, as she liked to be called, had started an on-line Meltdown fan group and how she’d amassed a huge following. She talked about what happened when Grant fell off the stage and how she became involved with the band. She explained how Chelle was obsessed with Grant, hated her, and how Grant was finally forced to ban Chelle from having anything to do with Meltdown.
“After Grant kicked her to the curb, she got a job with Blane’s dad. Can you believe that shit?” Mallory asked.
Not quite sure what Blane’s dad had to do with anything, I asked, “Blane’s dad?”
She let out a dramatic sigh. “I forget you weren’t around for all of the crazy. Did you know Blane lost the label?”
“I know something happened that forced Grant and Nash to purchase the label, but not the details.”
She explained all about Blane, his dad, and the infamous card game. Then she went on to explain how Chelle got herself hired by Blane’s dad behind Grant’s back.
“I thought Grant was going to lose his mind when Chelle showed up at the New York show. It was crazy enough with Grant’s parents being there, but when Grant told Chelle to leave, she had the nerve to challenge him on the grounds that she was now part of management. Management my ass,” Mallory laughed.
Literally on the edge of my seat, or should I say my bed, I asked, “So what happened?”
“In a nut shell, Blane helped Grant take down his dad, which, in turn meant that Chelle was officially out on her ass.”
I laughed at her sour expression. “Let me guess, she retaliated?”
Mallory made a loud slurping noise with her straw. “No. In fact, Grant never heard from her again. However, her best friend Paula, who the band hadn’t seen since Chelle was fired, showed up on the first leg of their mini tour.” I wracked my brain trying to remember where I’d heard that name before. Then it hit me.
“As in Chaz’s girlfriend, Paula?” I asked.
Mallory nodded her head. “One in the same.” In one of our various phone conversations, I remembered Nash mentioning Chaz’s bizarre relationship with his girlfriend, Paula. “Anyhow,” Mallory continued, “Grant thought it was strange that Paula was there. According to him she was practically glued to Chelle’s side. When he questioned her about it she swore up and down that Chelle had moved on and she was there for Chaz. Grant wanted to ask her to leave, but because Chaz wanted her there, and Chaz didn’t really do the girlfriend thing, the guys agreed to let her stay.”
“Wait. Didn’t she cheat on Chaz?” I vaguely remembered Nash also mentioning something about that, but wasn’t sure if I’d misheard him or not.
Mallory’s face twisted into a look of disgust. “It’s hard to cheat on someone you were never with in the first place.”
Both confused and surprised by her response, I asked, “They weren’t together?”
“Nope.”
I took a sip from my milkshake while mulling it over. “I’m now thoroughly confused,” I admitted. “What’s the catch?”
“Hold onto your hospital bed,” she mused, “because I’m about to blow your mind. Two days ago I was sitting in that chair over there,” she pointed to the chair across the room. “You were still down for the count. Poor Nash looked like death warmed over. Grant and Evan finally talked him into walking to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite to eat, while Hank, Chaz, and I kept an eye on you. They’d been gone two minutes when the head of the hospital security poked his head in and asked to meet with Hank. Chaz and I told him we had it covered, and to go ahead. Chaz had just stepped into the bathroom to pee, when the door opened and a woman walked in. I didn’t recognize her, but something about the look on her face made me uneasy. It was as if she wasn’t all there. I asked if I could help her and she very politely asked if I’d seen Grant. Something told me to lie, so I told her that Grant wasn’t at the hospital, but I’d be happy to give him a message for her. She turned to leave and I relaxed back into the chair. All of a sudden she whirled around and charged straight for me. I didn’t see the needle in her hand until she was almost on top of me. Suddenly Chaz was there. She raged at him while he held her off and shouted for me to run.” Mallory paused long enough to chug more of her milkshake. “I remember thinking, Where in the hell am I supposed to go? They were blocking the damn door. Then Chaz screamed her name, and it clicked. Holy shit, this is Chelle! He called her pet names, like baby and sugar, Rowan. It was creepy.” She waved her hand dismissively through the air. “Anyway, so, right as I hurdled over the back of the chair, Chaz dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, and the bitch was on me. Thankfully, I shoved her off before she could jab the needle in my arm. When she lost her balance, I dove for the bathroom, but she was fast. Somehow, I knew that there was poison in that needle. That if she stuck me I would die, so I fought her. God, did I fight her. I really don’t know what happened next. The bathroom was tiny. She kept trying to stab me and I kept deflecting her jabs. Then the door opened, the needle went flying, and I went down. That’s all I remember. Look,” I gasped when she leaned forward and parted her hair. “Can you believe this shit? Ten stitches, and right before my damn wedding, too.”
“Oh my God, Mallory! That’s crazy!” I exclaimed.
Mallory leaned in, and in a hushed voice, said, “Chaz cried when they took her away.” It took me a second to catch up. She nodded her head at my shocked expression. “Yep. It turns out they were together, as in together-together.”
I pulled back and gawked at her. “Noooooo.”
She nodded. “According to Grant, and mind you he only got part of the story, Chaz and Chelle have been together this whole time.” I was confused. If Chaz was with Chelle…
“But what about Paula?” I asked.
“Paula was their beard.” She was about to say more, but the door opened, and in walked Grant and Nash. Both had stern expressions on their faces. Ignoring their daunting glares, Mallory asked, “Where’s Chaz? Is he okay?”
“He’s in the car, and he’s fine,” Grant answered. “I think you’ve been here long enough, don’t you?”
“Fine,” Mallory huffed. She pointed her finger at Nash. “Talk to her. She’s stronger than she looks.” Then she gave me a hug, told me she’d see me tomorrow, and marched out the door after Grant.
“I love her,” I sighed.
“What did she tell you?” Nash warily asked.
“Let’s see. We were at the part where Paula was Chaz and Chelle’s beard.”
“Fuck,” he exclaimed, and ran his hands through his hair, something he always did when he was worked up.
“Look, I get it. You don’t want to upset me.”
Nash whirled on me and all but shouted, “You almost died! That crazy, fucking bitch almost killed you, Rowan! Garrett saw the footage from the restaurant. Chelle was the one who bumped into you. When you bent down to pick up your napkin, she dumped poison into Mallory’s glass, only Mallory didn’t drink it. You did.” The look of agony on his face made my heart ache.
“I’m okay, Nash.”
He glared at me from across the room. “I’m not okay. None of this,” he waved his hand through the air, “is okay. I’ve almost lost you twice now.”
“Come here.” I scooted over to make room for him. When he got to me, I patted the mattress beside me, and said, “Get in.” He crawled in and gathered me to his side.
“I was so scared,” he whispered.
“I know. I’m here. I’m fine. It’s over.”
Nash’s head jerked, and his big, blue eyes filled with worry, fear, and love clashed with mine. “Is it?” he asked. “We thought it was over after Conor and then…this. Is it really over, Rowan? Because I’m not sure I can handle much more.”
Gently pressing my lips to his, I repeated, “It’s over.” After a long pause, he let out a frustrated sounding sigh before settling down beside me. I snuggled into his warmth. Finally, not able to stand it any longer, I said, “Now tell me about Paula being Chaz’s beard.”
He pulled back and narrowed his eyes at me. “Seriously?”
“What? Everyone else knows but me,” I whined. When his lips twitched with repressed humor, I knew that we were going to be okay.
“You’re very transparent, you know?” I kissed him again, and we both smiled. Then I settled down beside him, and waited. “I don’t know how we didn’t see it. I mean, we knew that something was up with Chaz and Paula. Now that I think about it, I never once saw him touch her.”
“What exactly do you know?” I asked.
“Not much. The police have been questioning both Chelle and Chaz. They’re looking for Paula because she knows more than anyone about what Chelle was up to. Chaz is fucking shattered, Ro. He was in love with Chelle, and she played his ass like a finely tuned fiddle. Chaz isn’t talking to any of us, so we’re getting second-hand information from Garrett. This whole thing is seriously whacked.”
* * *
Three days after that…
“Hello?”
“Hey babe, what are you doing?” Nash asked. He’d been gone all morning and was finally calling to check in.
I gazed around the room at the mixture of old photos and knick-knacks I’d just finished unpacking, and smiled. “I’m just putting a few things away.” I zipped up the black bag and shoved it under the bed, before making my way across the room and dropping down onto the love seat. What’s up? Anything new on Chelle?” According to Garrett, the police had found Paula and they’d pulled Chaz in for more questioning. We were waiting to hear more.
“Are you sitting down?” Nash asked. My pulse leapt into my throat.
“Oh, God, what?”
“It turns out that the poison you ingested was the same poison that killed Conor.” I sat there with my mouth hanging open for the longest time. This made absolutely no sense.
“I don’t get it. How? Did Chelle know Conor, or was it a coincidence?”
“That’s what the police are trying to figure out. They’ve warned Chaz not to talk with anyone but them about it, which really doesn’t mean anything because he’s not talking much to us anyway. Garrett said they’re pouring over video footage on Conor’s apartment right now. If they can definitively link Chelle to Conor’s death, then they’re charging her with murder one on top of attempted murder. Either way, she’s going away. According to Garrett, Paula wants to cut a deal.” A really bad thought popped into my head.
“Nash, is Chaz going to go to jail for this?”
“I don’t know babe. We’ve got him the best lawyer that money can buy, but I honestly don’t know.” A second horrible thought popped into my head.
“You don’t think he had something to do with this, do you?”
“A week ago I would have said no, but now…I just don’t know.”
* * *
Nash
Two weeks later…
“Any word from Chaz?” Evan asked.
“No. I tried calling his phone this morning, but it’s no longer in service,” Grant replied.
“Fuck!” Evan responded. I didn’t say a word. I knew this was coming. Chaz’s entire world had blown up in his face. Stupid decision after stupid decision, and here we were. New music plus no drummer equals fucked.
After ten days of carting Chaz back and forth to the police station, he was officially cleared of any wrong doing. Everyone, including the police, saw Chaz as a victim. In the end, there really was no appropriate punishment for being a dumbass. The night before Chaz took off for who knows where, he came clean to Grant. Early the next morning, Grant called and asked me to stop by his house. Grant, Evan, and Hank were all three waiting when I arrived. That’s when Grant told us that Chaz was gone.
“Gone where?” I asked.
Grant shrugged. Then he explained how Chaz had sought him out the night before, and what he’d said. “In simple terms, Chaz was played. Chelle never loved him. She loved me. She used Chaz in order to get close to me and Mallory, and used Paula to keep tabs on the band. Chaz said that he went along with the Paula scheme because he knew that Nash and I would never understand his feelings for Chelle.”
“He’s right. We wouldn’t,” I agreed.
Grant continued. “According to Chaz, using Paula was Chelle’s idea. She was his only way to be with Chelle and still be with the band. In all actuality, Paula was spying on us and reporting what she’d found back to Chelle. Chaz feels responsible for what happened.”
“He told you that?” Hank asked in a disbelieving tone.
“He didn’t have to. You should have seen his face…heard his voice. He was devastated. He blames himself. He said that he had questions, but didn’t act on them.”
“Such as?” I asked.
“Things began to change about halfway through the tour. He started to notice things and began to question Chelle’s motives. He found pictures of me in Chelle’s bag with Mallory’s head cut out or burned off. He also discovered a vial of clear liquid in Chelle’s purse with no label on it. When he confronted her, Chelle always had an answer for everything. The pictures were old. She meant to throw them away. The vial was her emergency stash of insulin. Whenever she couldn’t explain something, she used sex as her weapon of choice.” Grant’s eyes cut to me. “You know what Chelle was like. “She made Chaz into a fucking sexual junkie.”
Evan grinned at me. “You slept with her, too? Damn, this chick gets around.” Chelle might have been good in the sack, but she was one screwed up bitch. That’s why I never went back for more.
“The week Rowan was kidnapped, Chaz and Chelle were having dinner at a little neighborhood restaurant a few blocks from her apartment. A guy walked in to pick up a To-Go order. Chaz said the guy looked straight at them, and by Chelle’s reaction, she recognized him.” Grant leaned forward. “Get this. It was Conor O’ Brien.”
I sat straight up in my chair, and asked, “What do you mean it was Conor?”
“Remember when Garrett was flashing around that picture of Conor and asking us if we’d ever seen him lurking around? Well Chaz recognized him as the guy in the restaurant getting takeout that night.”
“Motherfucker! And he didn’t say a word,” I hissed in anger.
“He didn’t want to let anyone know that he was seeing Chelle. Right around that same time, she had a bad diabetic attack. Chaz said that he ran to get her insulin from her purse. Only, it wasn’t there. When he asked her about it, she claimed that she carried insulin in a kit, not her purse. He didn’t think much of it until the day Rowan ingested the poison. He said that Chelle wasn’t answering her phone, and when he texted Paula and asked if she knew where Chelle was, he got a cryptic reply:
You might want to look in your own backyard. Chelle said she’s finally finishing what she started.
“That was when he knew. The pictures, Conor, the vial of insulin that clearly wasn’t insulin. He knew that Chelle had something to do with it all. So, he went to the hospital and he waited.
“And the bitch showed up,” I said.
“And the bitch showed up,” Grant affirmed.
“What was her connection to Conor?” Hank asked.
“Apparently, sometime during our last tour, Chelle bumped into Conor outside one of our venues. They struck up a conversation, and Conor showed her a picture.” His eyes drifted to me. “It was taken when Rowan and Maeve came to hear us play in Oklahoma. We had our arms around Maeve. Mallory and Rowan were chatting in the background. Evidently, Conor had circled Rowan’s image. When he asked Chelle about his friend Gillian, she was happy to tell him what she knew, including that the picture was actually Rowan Burns, Nash’s Mom’s nurse, and where to find her.”
Now, seriously pissed off, I asked, “How do you know all of this?”
“Garrett got ahold of the transcripts from the police interrogations,” Grant answered. “Chaz, Paula, and Chelle’s statements all line up and confirm what I’ve been telling you.”
“I don’t get the Conor connection. Why would she kill the guy?” Evan asked.
“She told the police that she didn’t have anything to do with Conor’s death, but then they found footage of her entering and leaving his building the same afternoon he was found dead. Even though she had on a hat and glasses they could tell it was her. Once they’d busted her, she cracked wide open. She killed Conor because she was afraid that he would tell Rowan that he’d seen her with Chaz.”
“Rowan didn’t even know Chelle,” I snapped.
“And Conor didn’t know Chaz,” Grant stated. The four of us stared at each other.
“So she killed the guy for nothing?” Evan asked.
Grant’s jaw clenched. “She was planning to kill Mallory all along. She was going to blame it on Chaz. When she saw Conor in that restaurant, she snapped, and her plan went off the rails. That’s when she got desperate.”
“So Conor, Rowan, Chaz, and Paula were all just collateral damage,” Evan stated.
I sat back in my chair in stunned silence. All of this had been the machinations of a sick and twisted bitch. How fucked up was that?