Secrets & Lies Read Free

accounting firm. It’s going to be all mine when the boss retires. Isn’t that cool?”
    Mom attempted to say something while chewing and she swallowed badly. She coughed and the nurse had to pat her back until she recovered.
    â€œSorry, I didn’t mean for you to answer with a mouthful of food,” I said.
    â€œOh, that’s all right,” the nurse spoke for her. “We’re okay, aren’t we, Judy?”
    Mom nodded as the nurse gave her a drink of water.
    Unbelievable.
This
was the Black Stiletto. The world wouldn’t know what to make of it. It was why I had to keep her secret safe. It made me want to cry.
    And, as if she had switched on that empathy thing she possessed, tears formed in my mom’s eyes. In fact, she inexplicably cried more than usual on a daily basis. It was a normal symptom of the stage she was in.
    â€œI talked to Gina a little while ago. She said to send you her love.”
    At the mention of my daughter’s name, Mom managed to smile. “I… me, too,” she said. Wow! That was an appropriate response! She always seemed to know who Gina was. Ever since my daughter was born, the two of them had a weird psychic connection I couldn’t explain. And Gina was so much like my mother, it was scary.
    â€œMaybe she’ll be able to come home from college again soon to see you.”
    â€œThat’s … nice.”
    Another score! It was a good day for Mom.
    I reached over and took her free hand. She squeezed mine and smiled at me again.
    As the doc said—one day at a time.
    Maggie handed me a glass of red wine that I nearly chugged. It tasted like heaven. After such an emotional day, I felt a little drained.
    â€œHere, have another, Little Man Martin,” she said as she poured.
    â€œThanks. I needed that.”
    â€œI know. How are you, darling?”
    â€œAw, am I your darling?”
    â€œOf course you are. Aren’t you?”
    â€œYes, ma’am. I’m your darling. Just don’t call me Little Man Martin.” I sat at the table, where she had placed plates of steaming spaghetti and marinara sauce, with broccoli and salad on the side.
    â€œI asked how you’re doing.”
    â€œI’m okay.” I shook my head in admiration. “How is it you can work all day seeing patients, witness me taking some bad news hard, see more patients, and then have dinner on the table when I come home?”
    â€œI try to be Superwoman, Martin, and I thought you handled today very well.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œYes.”
    We ate in silence for a while until she said, “I know how hard it is for you.”
    I had no reply to that, so I just sighed. Then—”Hey, I almost forgot. I have some news. You’re looking at the new partner of Wegel, Stern, and Talbot!”
    â€œOh, Martin, that’s fabulous! Congratulations!”
    â€œThank you, my dear.”
    â€œMaybe that means you should move in with me,” she remarked.
    â€œYou think so?”
    â€œWe haven’t talked about it in a while.”
    â€œGina said the same thing today.” I related how the phone call went. Then I told her about my visit to Woodlands and Mom’s verbal responses.
    â€œIt’s amazing she relates so well to her granddaughter.”
    â€œYeah. I just worry Gina’s going to be—like her.”
    She wagged her finger at me. “Martin, you’re not supposed to think about
her
, and I don’t mean Gina. You’ve been doing so well.”
    â€œI know. No anxiety for three months. I’ve stayed away from the diaries. And I appreciate it that you have, too.”
    She snorted a little. “Frankly, the suspense is killing me. I’ve been dying to read the fourth and fifth diaries, but I haven’t for your sake.”
    â€œNow, now. We can’t have you knowing more about my mom’s story than me.”
    â€œI realize that. That’s why I’ve