Turning to the desk, he picked up a stack of papers, walked into Regan’s office, and dropped them in front of her.
He seemed preoccupied when he said, “Here are the forms you wanted. They need to be filled out, signed, and sent over to the accountants as soon as possible.”
“Everything is as soon as possible with you,” Regan said. “We’re in the middle of something,” she added. “We were talking about Cordie’s mother . . . I mean the mother who gave birth . . .” She was making a muddle of explaining.
“He’s all caught up,” Alec said.
“What do you mean, he’s caught up?” Cordie asked.
Alec went to the desk, sat, and turned on the computer. “Remember I called you on your cell right after you left the Blacks’ house?”
Cordie nodded. “I had just gotten back into my car after my lovely visit with Hillary, who told me all sorts of fun stories about her wild friend, my mother dearest, and I was reeling, so you can imagine my state of mind.”
“Regan told me where you were going,” Alec said. “And I was curious to know how it went.”
Cordie recalled the phone conversation. She had been practically incoherent when she answered, and Alec had to calm her down before she could explain what she had found out. “I was very upset, and I might have raised my voice.”
Alec laughed. “Might have?”
Cordie turned to Aiden. “Alec caught you up on my exciting life, then?”
Aiden picked up her scarf and moved her purse so it wouldn’t fall on the floor. “Alec was in my office when he called you. He had you on speaker.”
Oh God. “So you heard every word?” she asked, mortified. She didn’t mind or care that Alec had listened to her tirade. Aiden was another story. She still stupidly cared what he thought. Have to work on that, she told herself. She would add that to her list of feelings she needed to squelch.
She motioned to Regan. “Come on. Let’s get to the gym. I need to kick something.”
“We’re way too early,” Regan argued.
“Don’t leave yet,” Alec said. “I want to show you something.”
Aiden walked behind the desk and stood next to Alec, looking at the computer screen.
“I know what you’re doing,” Cordie said. “You’re looking for Simone Taylor, aren’t you? I wouldn’t bother. That name is probably a lie, too, just like Natalie Smith. I spent hours and hours looking for Natalie on the Internet. Is that what you’re doing, Alec?”
“Uh-huh,” he answered as he typed on the keyboard.
“You’re wasting your time.”
Alec sat back. He was staring at the screen as he said, “I wouldn’t be too sure.”
Aiden glanced at Cordie, then back at the screen. “Wow,” he whispered.
“Wow, what?” Cordie asked.
“Come see.”
She rounded the desk, stepped in front of Aiden, and looked at what had captured their attention. There was a photo, and for a second Cordie thought it was of her. Same eyes, same dark hair . . . same smile . . .
Alec tilted the screen up so she could get a better look and said, “Meet Simone Taylor.”
NINE
S imone was seventeen when this photo was taken. She had just won some beauty pageant,” Alec explained.
“Was it difficult finding her?” Cordie asked. She couldn’t stop staring at her double on the screen. The resemblance was freaking her out.
“Not difficult at all,” Alec said.
Regan leaned over her husband’s shoulder. “Because you had her real name.” She looked up at Regan and added, “Hillary Black was telling the truth.”
Alec had found other information as well. “Simone’s mother isn’t alive, but her father, Julian Taylor, is. He’s about to retire and his son-in-law is set to take over the family business.”
“What is the family business?” Cordie asked.
“Merrick Enterprises,” Alec answered.
“Merrick Enterprises?” Aiden responded with surprise.
“You know them?” Cordie asked.
“They’re probably the biggest real estate developers in
He seemed preoccupied when he said, “Here are the forms you wanted. They need to be filled out, signed, and sent over to the accountants as soon as possible.”
“Everything is as soon as possible with you,” Regan said. “We’re in the middle of something,” she added. “We were talking about Cordie’s mother . . . I mean the mother who gave birth . . .” She was making a muddle of explaining.
“He’s all caught up,” Alec said.
“What do you mean, he’s caught up?” Cordie asked.
Alec went to the desk, sat, and turned on the computer. “Remember I called you on your cell right after you left the Blacks’ house?”
Cordie nodded. “I had just gotten back into my car after my lovely visit with Hillary, who told me all sorts of fun stories about her wild friend, my mother dearest, and I was reeling, so you can imagine my state of mind.”
“Regan told me where you were going,” Alec said. “And I was curious to know how it went.”
Cordie recalled the phone conversation. She had been practically incoherent when she answered, and Alec had to calm her down before she could explain what she had found out. “I was very upset, and I might have raised my voice.”
Alec laughed. “Might have?”
Cordie turned to Aiden. “Alec caught you up on my exciting life, then?”
Aiden picked up her scarf and moved her purse so it wouldn’t fall on the floor. “Alec was in my office when he called you. He had you on speaker.”
Oh God. “So you heard every word?” she asked, mortified. She didn’t mind or care that Alec had listened to her tirade. Aiden was another story. She still stupidly cared what he thought. Have to work on that, she told herself. She would add that to her list of feelings she needed to squelch.
She motioned to Regan. “Come on. Let’s get to the gym. I need to kick something.”
“We’re way too early,” Regan argued.
“Don’t leave yet,” Alec said. “I want to show you something.”
Aiden walked behind the desk and stood next to Alec, looking at the computer screen.
“I know what you’re doing,” Cordie said. “You’re looking for Simone Taylor, aren’t you? I wouldn’t bother. That name is probably a lie, too, just like Natalie Smith. I spent hours and hours looking for Natalie on the Internet. Is that what you’re doing, Alec?”
“Uh-huh,” he answered as he typed on the keyboard.
“You’re wasting your time.”
Alec sat back. He was staring at the screen as he said, “I wouldn’t be too sure.”
Aiden glanced at Cordie, then back at the screen. “Wow,” he whispered.
“Wow, what?” Cordie asked.
“Come see.”
She rounded the desk, stepped in front of Aiden, and looked at what had captured their attention. There was a photo, and for a second Cordie thought it was of her. Same eyes, same dark hair . . . same smile . . .
Alec tilted the screen up so she could get a better look and said, “Meet Simone Taylor.”
NINE
S imone was seventeen when this photo was taken. She had just won some beauty pageant,” Alec explained.
“Was it difficult finding her?” Cordie asked. She couldn’t stop staring at her double on the screen. The resemblance was freaking her out.
“Not difficult at all,” Alec said.
Regan leaned over her husband’s shoulder. “Because you had her real name.” She looked up at Regan and added, “Hillary Black was telling the truth.”
Alec had found other information as well. “Simone’s mother isn’t alive, but her father, Julian Taylor, is. He’s about to retire and his son-in-law is set to take over the family business.”
“What is the family business?” Cordie asked.
“Merrick Enterprises,” Alec answered.
“Merrick Enterprises?” Aiden responded with surprise.
“You know them?” Cordie asked.
“They’re probably the biggest real estate developers in
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