"Were we rude to leave like that?" Veronica asked Tom. They had returned to her new apartment after leaving the seance and Veronica had poured them each a glass of wine. Now they were settled on the tiny patio off her living room. The air was heavy with humidity and fireflies lit up the sky every few minutes.
"Does it matter?" Tom asked. "I'm glad we left. I didn't like any of that crap."
"Neither did I," Veronica agreed. "Besides, Chelsea will tell me what happened after we left."
"Mindy will probably tell Kirk too," Tom added.
"They aren't seeing each other anymore," Veronica replied. "I think Mindy was a little too driven for my son."
"I can't say I blame him. That young lady reminds me of a bulldozer on steroids. Nothing is going to stand in her way."
"It is hard to understand why she's editing a paper like the Schuyler Square Tribune," Veronica agreed. "With her attitude she should be running the National Enquirer."
"She's young," Tom noted. "Give her time and she'll probably be doing just that."
"Probably," Veronica agreed. She looked at Tom over the top of her wine glass. He looked tired and a touch agitated. They hadn't had much of an opportunity to talk since he'd told her about his daughter and she wondered if Tiffany was the source of his agitation. "How are things going with you? Have you seen Tiffany yet?"
"No. We were supposed to meet for dinner but she cancelled on me at the last minute. Nerves, I suppose. It can't be easy to find out that the dad you've never met wants to take you out to eat."
Veronica shook her head. "What is it about the Schuyler family that anyone involved with them sooner or later finds that their life is a total mess?"
"Must be part of their gene pool," Tom guessed. "You're right, though. Anyone who ever dates or marries a Schuyler ends up with trouble. That's why I'm surprised that poor schnook Peter Van Husen is still keeping his head above water. Mavis Schuyler can't be easy to live with."
"So when are you going to get together with Tiffany?"
"I'm working on that. Actually, speaking of the Schuylers, Mavis suggested I go over to Schuyler Manor and see Tiffany there."
"I don't know about that," Veronica said. "I think a neutral territory might be better. Why don't you meet her at the coffee shop on the square or at a park? You could even meet her here. This would be better than having Mavis lurking in the background or her son listening at the doorway."
"You're giving them both too much credit. I have the feeling no one in the Schuyler household is all that interested in Tiffany. I have the feeling that no one in the Schuyler household is all that interested in anyone but themselves."
"True." Veronica asked the question that had been at the back of her mind ever since Tom told her about Tiffany. "Tom, it's none of my business but are you sure that you're really Tiffany's dad? You said there was a question of paternity."
"To tell you the truth, no. I'm not sure. But what can I do? The guy who might be Tiffany's dad is no longer in Schuyler Square."
"Who was he?"
"I think it had to be a guy named Vlad Sidham. He was visiting from Russia one summer and stayed with the Schuyler's. He had something to do with computers and was working at Schuyler Enterprises. My ex-wife saw him and pretty much flipped. I watched her flip and pretty much knew my marriage was over."
"Vlad Sidham," Veronica repeated. "I wonder whatever happened to him?"
No comments:
Post a Comment