She hurried home, running in to quickly change while Jess gathered up everything she needed and loaded her things into the cargo area of the Escalade.  Jess’s flight wasn’t until 7:30, but it was about a 45 minute drive to the airport; and by leaving now, they’d be able to hit a drive through and grab a bite on the way and still miss traffic.

Jess had spent the day studying the audition script to learn her lines.  Thursday, when she was back in L.A., she’d run lines with one of her friends.

“I pulled Harts in Time from my archived books and started reading it again.  I think you’ll make a wonderful Kit and Kate.”

Jess smiled.  She knew her mother was biased, but still she appreciated hearing it.  “Thanks, Mom.  Does that mean you see me in the movie in your head while you’re reading?”

Lane smiled.  “Yes, that’s exactly what it means.”

They went through the McDonald’s drive through for drinks and fries and then went through the Burger King’s drive through for food.  Luckily they were only blocks apart from each other and both on the way, north on Metcalf where Lane would get on Interstate 635 to head to the airport.

Jess had checked in on-line and was carrying her luggage on, but all four Parkers liked to do their waiting at the airport.  Lane liked to be at the airport at least two hours before her flight.  Sure that meant that she’d be stuck in the airport, but she’d work or read while she waited and she had never missed a flight.  Lane knew Jess would spend the time studying the script for the audition.

She pulled up to the door for United’s flights and got out of the SUV.  She opened the hatch for the cargo area and Jess got out her bag.  “Mom, I really am sorry about ruining your wedding plans.”

“Jess, you haven’t ruined anything.  Ben and I will still get married, just not this Friday.  The only thing you need to think about right now is your audition.  Break a leg Friday.  And call me when you get home tonight.  No matter how late.”

They hugged, each saying, “Love You, Bye,” to the other, as Jess walked into the airport.

It was a little after five o’clock as Lane got back in the Escalade.  She made sure her phone’s blue tooth was connected and called Ben.

“Hey, Red.  Did you just drop Jess off?”

“Yes.  Have you finished at the dentist?”

“Absolutely.  I’m home and in the middle of changing.  Hold on a minute,” Ben said as he put the phone on speaker and put it on his dresser.  “All right, I’ve got you on speaker so I can finish changing,” he said as he hung up his suit.  Lane heard a scuffling noise.  She waited a couple of beats imagining Ben opening his closet and hanging up his suit, getting his khakis and polo shirt out.  Then she heard him talking and it was obviously not to her.

“Rochelle, how did you get in here?”

“Mr. Bellini, I know everything about you.  I know the code for your garage.”

Ben knew Lane was still on the phone. Rochelle had a gun, but Lane couldn’t see that through the phone.  He knew better than to charge someone holding a gun and he hoped his tone was calm and casual enough so he could find out what the dentist’s receptionist was doing in his bedroom.

“I see, Rochelle, but what are you doing in my bedroom?

“Why’d you do it, Mr. Bellini?”

“Rochelle, do you mind if I finish dressing?”

Lane had heard enough, she pulled onto the shoulder and put Ben’s call on hold.  She scrolled through her contacts until she came to Mick McGuire.  Mick was a detective with the Leawood police department.  Lane had met him during the summer when she’d found her first dead body.  He was a friend of Ben’s, and since Ben’s house was in Leawood, and since Mick was the only Leawood cop she knew, she called him.

“Lane,” Mick said as he answered the call.

Mick had fallen for her, but she had no idea.  He knew she was dating Ben, but he’d known Ben for a long time and knew it was only a matter of time before Ben moved on to his next woman.  Ben wasn’t exactly a womanizer.  As far as Mick knew, Ben was what you might call serially monogamous.  He only dated one woman at a time, but he just didn’t stay with any one of them for long.  Mick had been waiting for Ben to screw up and let this one go too.  Maybe this was his lucky day.

“Mick?  I have Ben on my other line and it sounds like the receptionist from our dentist’s office is with him.  I think there’s something wrong.  I can three-way you in so you can listen.”

“Sure.  Where is he?”

“He’s home.  I was talking to him while he was changing clothes and then he started talking to Rochelle.”

“Patch me in.”

“Mr. Bellini, you know I love you,” a voice that must have been Rochelle’s said.  Oh, God, Mick thought, please tell me that Bellini isn’t cheating on the best woman in the world and making her listen in.

“Why’d you do it?  Why’d you get engaged to Mrs. Parker?”  Engaged, Bellini and Lane were engaged?  Mick was driving toward Ben’s house but was approaching without lights or sirens.

“You know that I’ve loved you since you started seeing Dr. Andersen.  You know that you belong with me, right?”

Lane knew that Ben kept a loaded gun in his night stand.  Rochelle sounded calm and rational but Ben hadn’t said anything for a while.  She was speeding toward Leawood, but there was the damned rush hour traffic to contend with.  Should she get off Interstate 635 at Metcalf?  Then she would run into the city rush hour traffic.  She knew Mick wouldn’t say anything to her now that they were on the line with Ben, because they both wanted to hear every word that was being said in that bedroom.  Ben and Rochelle must still be in the bedroom.  Ben had put his cell on speaker and put it on the dresser so he could finish changing.

“Rochelle, I had no idea you cared so much about me.  Maybe it would be easier to talk if you gave the gun to me.”

“No, Mr. Bellini, I don’t think so.  Do you love her?  Mrs. Parker I mean.  Do you love her?”

Hell, what was the right thing to say in a situation like this?  Rochelle was obviously walking the fine line between sanity and insanity; like a high wire act working without a net.  What would upset her the least?  What would keep him alive so that he could marry the woman he loved?  Sometimes the right thing to say was nothing.

“I know she’s prettier than I am and smarter, more sophisticated and more refined, has more money and a better job but she doesn’t love you the way I do.”

“No,” Ben thought, “she sure as hell doesn’t love me the way you do.  And you left out that she’s saner than you are.”

“You know she’s a lot older than you are. You know she has grown kids, kids my age, don’t you, Mr. Bellini?”

What was this woman thinking?  That he’d gotten engaged to Lane without knowing all of that?  He knew she wasn’t rational, but wouldn’t she know he wouldn’t get engaged to someone without at least meeting her family.  He did a mental head shake.  This woman really did think that she had some kind of relationship with Ben.  Maybe even thought he had feelings for her too.  Hell.

“I could prove it to you.  Right now.  I could prove to you how much I love you.”

Holy Hell what was she thinking?  That he was going to have sex with her so she could prove in some perverted way that she loved him more than Lane did?  But if she took her clothes off, she’d have to lay the gun down.  Unless… oh dear God, she could tie him up.  That particular fantasy had never appealed to Ben.  Bondage just wasn’t on his play list.

“Can I call you Shelly?  I’ve heard people at Dr. Andersen’s call you Shelly.”

She nodded.

“Bonding.” Ben thought, “Bonding is good, bondage is not.” He took a breath and said calmly, “Shelly, you don’t have to prove anything to me.  I believe you.”  He forced himself to flash his million watt smile.