He had said people, so that meant that more than one person was involved in my mother’s death. I sighed—that obviously meant that it was more than just Jeremiah Bradley, something that hadn’t occurred to me before. Then I thought of the last line: People who knew that your mother’s death would change everything. What people and what did it change? What did my mother’s death change? I’d assumed that he’d been talking about himself stepping away from the company due to grief, but that seemed too simple now. Yes, everyone mourns in his or her own way, but most people wouldn’t withdraw from society and their stake in a major corporation. How was someone to know that my father would do that?
“Do you think my father knew my mother cheated on him?” I spoke out loud as I thought. “And why would my mother cheat? Didn’t she know about the other women as well? She couldn’t possibly have thought Jeremiah was going to stay with her. We already know he was hooking up with your mom, and then the lady in the photograph, and then David’s mom. That’s three other women, and those are just the ones we know about. Why would my mom add herself to the mix?”
“Why do women do what they do?” Jakob shrugged as he pulled up outside David’s building.
“I’m going to ignore that comment for now.” I shook my head as I got out of the car. “Your dad was the man-whore.”
“Is this our first argument, Bianca?” Jakob grinned as he walked up next to me on the pavement.
“I think this is our fiftieth.” I laughed.
“But first official one as a couple.”
“There will be a second official one in a minute if you don’t shut up.” I glanced at his laughing eyes and leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I must be crazy,” I whispered as I reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Let’s go inside and see David.” Jakob walked me into the building and the doorman nodded at him.
“Good morning, Mr. Bradley.”
“Good morning, Joseph. We’re just going up to see my brother.”
“Certainly, Mr. Bradley.” Joseph paused. “He has a guest right now.”
“A guest?”
“His girlfriend, Roma.” Joseph gave me a look. “I only tell you, sir, because Mr. Bradley had me make a trip to CVS.”
“Oh.” Jakob paused and then grinned. “I see.”
“I just got back ten minutes ago,” Joseph continued. “So maybe come back in fifteen minutes?”
“I’ll come back in thirty.” Jakob laughed and grabbed my hand. “That should be enough time. Come on, Bianca. Let’s go get a doughnut.”
“Speaking of condoms . . . ,” Jakob said once we were walking down the street to the doughnut shop.
“Yes?” I could feel my face growing red as he stared at me.
“You and me.” He nodded. “You might need to get tested.”
“Tested?” I said stupidly, knowing exactly what he was talking about. It had been weighing in the back of my mind as well, but I hadn’t wanted to think about it.
“You might be pregnant, Bianca.”
“I’m sure I’m not.”
“We need to check though, just in case.” He squeezed my hand.
“I’ll get a pregnancy test, but I’m sure I’m not.”
“I don’t think this is something you can be sure of.” He looked at me as we entered the shop. “We’ve had sex without protection more than once, Bianca. It’s a possibility.”
“Shhh.” I glared at him as I saw two men staring at us with interest. “Keep your voice down.”
“I’m just saying.”
“Well, don’t just say.” I turned away and stared at the doughnuts. “Who is Roma, by the way?”
“I’ve only met her once.” Jakob shrugged. “But she’s some girl he’s been seeing on and off for a few years.”
“You know her name, and you know they’ve been seeing each other for a few years, but you’ve only met her once?”
“We’re not exactly close.” Jakob shrugged. “He never offered for us to hang out more than that and I never cared. She’s a pretty girl, but there’s something a bit off about her.”
“So he was dating her when he was seeing me?” I asked quietly.
“I guess so. Like I said, I don’t put my nose in his business.”
“So how did you guys work out the kidnapping, then?” I looked at Jakob with intense eyes. “Who figured all of that stuff out? You must have talked.”
“At the time we had a mutually beneficial reason to want you gone.”
“There’s something that doesn’t make sense to me.” I gazed at him for a few seconds. “I get the box from Larry. Larry warns David that I’m investigating. David knows what I’m doing as soon as we meet at the shareholders’ meeting. He knows my dad created several of the inventions. He believes I’m trying find a way to bring down his family company or take my share or whatever.”
“Uh-huh.”
“So that adds up fine. Even the fact that he contacts you and says he wants you to take care of this problem, to protect your money.” I stopped and looked at Jakob carefully. “What I don’t get is, who told you to go to the coffee shop? And why? You weren’t enticed with money. You were enticed with information. Information about your mother. You were enticed with the truth.”
“Yes, so what?”
“So isn’t that a huge coincidence? Larry warning David, David warning you, and another party also warning you about the same person, but for totally different reasons?”