Escape to Paradise

Claudia didn’t know what to believe, and everything she read bordered on lunacy. She was stunned by the arrest, absolutely blindsided by it. William was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a crook, was he? The question ran through her mind again when the two plainclothes detectives arrived later that day to interview her.

Or rather, to interrogate her.

They questioned her about William’s business dealings and eyed her suspiciously when she didn’t give them the answers they were looking for. Then, after an hour in the hot seat, they accused her of being his accomplice. Burning with indignation, she vehemently denied the accusation. The detectives were convinced she was lying and threatened to haul her down to the precinct for further questioning. Images of being handcuffed, booked and fingerprinted attacked her mind. What would her clients think if she was named as a coconspirator in the case? And how would it affect her company? When it was all said and done, would she even have a business to worry about?

Claudia cleared all thoughts of her ex-husband and his troubles from her mind. Like she’d told the two detectives who’d interviewed her, William wasn’t her problem anymore, and she had better things to do than waste time pondering his guilt or innocence.

“How long will you be gone?”

“I’m not sure. A month. Maybe longer. It all depends on how things play out. I was thinking of going to Lynchburg to see Aunt Hattie, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

“But the last time you went down there you vowed to never go back.”

“I know, but I’m desperate,” she admitted. “I haven’t done anything wrong, but I’m being made out to be the bad guy. You’d think I was the one who embezzled two million dollars from Qwest Capital Investments.”

“The only reason the media’s taken an interest in you is because you’re the beautiful, much-younger trophy wife.” Maxine shrugged and offered a sympathetic smile. “Your rags-to-riches story makes for good TV, and it will probably sell a ton of newspapers, too.”

Thinking about the state of her event-planning business made Claudia’s hopes crumble and her shoulders sag in despair. “I’ve lost three jobs in one week.”

“You’re planning the mayor’s luncheon, and that’s bound to be great for business.”

Claudia cleared her throat. “Someone called yesterday from his office and said my services were no longer needed.”

“I don’t understand why you’re being punished for something William did. He’s the one who stole from his investors, not you.”

The tears Claudia had been holding in finally broke free. “I feel terrible about what he’s done,” she confessed, covering her face with her hands, “and I can’t help feeling responsible. I was his wife. I should have known what he was doing, I should have stopped him.”

The car jerked forward violently when Maxine slammed on the brakes.

“Don’t you dare blame yourself for what he did,” she scolded, twisting around in her seat like a human pretzel. “William ruined those people’s lives, not you. You were surprised by his arrest, just like the rest of us.”

“I wish there was something I could do to help his victims.” Sniffling, Claudia cleaned her mascara-stained cheeks with her fingertips. “If my accounts weren’t frozen I’d—”

Maxine gasped. “The banks froze your accounts? They can’t do that!”

“They can if there’s a court order. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a request with the court on Monday, and there was nothing my lawyer could do to stop it.”

“I don’t understand why the authorities are pursuing you. You’re innocent.”

“The investigators are convinced I was in on it, and since we were married for ten years and only recently divorced, they argued for additional time to substantiate their case against me.” Hearing herself repeat her attorney’s words made the situation more real, made her realize that things were going to get a whole lot worse before they got better. And that brought a fresh batch of tears. “Mr. Tibbs said I’ll probably be subpoenaed to testify in William’s case.”

“I can’t believe these people. Next thing you know they’ll be fitting you with an ankle bracelet and confiscating your passport.”

“They tried, but the judge refused.” Claudia forced a smile. “It’s a small victory. At least I’m free to come and go as I please without fear of being hunted down.”

“If you need anything, just ask. Money’s been tight ever since Royce lost his job, but I don’t mind dipping into my savings to help you out.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that. You’re pregnant.”

“I know, but it’s the least I could do. I was the one who encouraged you to date William and look how things turned out.” Maxine made a clicking sound with her teeth. “If I had known he was a lying scoundrel, I never would have advised you to marry him.”

“That’s in the past. I’ve moved on, and despite everything that’s going on right now I’m in a really good place.” Claudia tugged on her cap, pulling it down so low it covered her eyebrows. Okay, so she was lying, but she didn’t want Max to feel guilty about something that wasn’t her fault. William was her past, and as of last Thursday they were officially done. That painful chapter of her life was over and she was determined to move on.

To escape the thoughts crowding her mind—thoughts of losing her house, her business and her sanity—Claudia shut her eyes and leaned back in her seat. “I wish I could disappear. Just go somewhere where nobody knows my name.”

“Oh, that’s right, they don’t have TVs or newspapers in Lynchburg,” Maxine quipped, her tone ripe with sarcasm. “You know how much Aunt Hattie likes to talk. The whole town will know you’re coming before your plane touches down!”

They drove in silence for a moment, and then Maxine let out an ear-piercing shriek. It was so deafening Claudia was surprised the windows didn’t shatter into a million pieces.

“You should go to Cabo San Lucas!”

“I can hardly afford the plane ticket to Lynchburg, let alone to Mexico.”

Weaving in and out of traffic like a NASCAR driver going for broke, Maxine took the exit marked Departures, zoomed up the ramp and flew into the first available parking space. “Royce and I had such a great time there during our honeymoon that we purchased time shares. It’s a good thing we did when the market was strong, because we could never afford it now.”

Claudia screwed her face into a frown. “I don’t want to go to a resort that’s packed with kids and rude tourists. I need to rest, clear my head.”

“And you think you can relax in Lynchburg? I love Aunt Hattie but she yaks nonstop. You’d get more peace and quiet staying at an amusement park!”

A giggle tickled the back of Claudia’s throat. It didn’t matter how bad she felt, Max could always make her laugh. “Don’t bad-mouth Aunt Hattie. She’s the only family we’ve got left.”

“Then we’re in really bad shape!”

Claudia didn’t laugh, but Maxine did. Her laugh was smooth, easy, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. And she didn’t. Despite her present financial woes, she had a husband who loved her, a home in a gated community and not a single reporter camped outside her house.

“Picture it,” she said, spreading her hands out in front of her. “You stretched out on a beach, sipping cocktails under the hot Mexican sun, and being served fresh fruit by an Antonio Banderas look-alike with rock-hard abs and a tight ass!”

“That’s no way for a pregnant woman to talk.”

“Girl, please, I’m only a few months along. The babies can’t hear anything!”

Claudia shook her head at her sister.

“Go to Cabo and enjoy yourself,” Maxine instructed. “I promise you won’t be sorry.”

Famous for its breathtaking waterfalls and endless blue skies, Cabo San Lucas was reputed to be one of the most beautiful peninsulas on earth and a place Claudia had always wanted to see. But her furious work schedule left few hours to sleep, let alone travel to faraway lands.

“The Sea of Cortez Resort is world-class all the way. I damn near fainted when Royce carried me into our oceanfront suite. And who knows,” she said with a devilish smirk, “maybe you’ll meet someone while you’re down there. A night of passion with a sexy tourist is exactly what your sex-deprived ass needs.”

“I’d rather swim in shark-infested waters than indulge in a seedy holiday fling. After everything I’ve been through, the last thing I want is to get caught up with another no-good man.”

“There are still some good guys out there, and it’s high time you met somebody new.”

“My divorce was only finalized two weeks ago.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been legally separated for a year,” Maxine challenged, her tone accusatory. “I don’t know how you’ve gone that long without having sex. I need a man to keep me warm at night, or I’ll go insane!”

Claudia shrugged, conveying how little she cared about having a man in her bed. Since they were teens, her sister had treated dating like an amateur sport and, if not for getting knocked up by her boyfriend-turned-husband four months ago, she’d still be racking up numbers in her little black book. “Maybe I should go down to Cabo for a few weeks.”