His wife, on the other hand, was a diva to the bone. Until Monica came into the picture, Isabella had been playing hostess and wannabe jewelry designer in Montana but frequently flew back to New England to attend her friends’ parties and to always remain in the “know” of what was happening in high society. There were social deals to broker and promises to be made. She yearned to judge those she deemed beneath her and to be all up in her children’s business. When Monica became engaged to Henry, all of that was dialed up to a hundred as Isabella realized she had completely lost control of the Warren name she had also married into.
Gerald was weak and pathetic, but Isabella was a dangerous torrent. There wasn’t a member of this family who hadn’t been brought to sobbing tears of self-hatred because of Isabella’s poisoned admonishments. Except for Gerald, perhaps. He had nothing else to lose… except for, perhaps, his peaceful golden years.
Was it any wonder he wanted this third round of inquisitions over with?
“First it was France, now it’s Thailand!” Gerald turned toward the other corner of his recliner with a huff. “I don’t know where the damn woman is. Quite frankly, she could fall off a cliff inCapri and I wouldn’t give a damn! All she’s ever done is cause trouble. From the moment I foolishly married her, she’s been scheming, dreaming, and driving me to the ponies!”
“You don’t get to blame Mom for your gambling addiction,” Eva informed her father. “Besides, Henry and I know all about your habit back in college.”
Monica wasn’t aware ofthatdetail, but it didn’t sound like anyone was going to say anything else about it.
“Bah. Whatever. You say she took the kid to Thailand?”
“Yes. To some secret holiday compound the Beaumonts have…”
“That so? Well, I may have visited some place of theirs in Thailand a time or two. Jean-Pierre he, ah, partially grew up in Southeast Asia because his father Raphael was heavily involved in some of the post-war industrializing going on there. The Beaumonts even go as far back as Colonial Vietnam, you know.”
This wasn’t helping, and Monica made sure he knew that from the look on her face.
“Where’s the compound?” she asked.
“Hold on a second. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been there? I’ve barely spoken to Raphael in the past ten years. They came to your damn wedding, and that was it, it was like I didn’t exist anymore. It’s always been about Lily and Isabella, anyway. Those two? Peas in a pod. You should have seen when the original Evangeline was part of their group! Ha! Hey, did you know your mother named her after that girl? I didn’t get much say in anything about you.”
“Dad. Stay on topic.”
“I know so little about this! I can confirm that Jean-Pierre probably runs the family compound in Thailand now, but what city it’s near? I truly do not recall, girls. Either way, I’m sure Abigail is perfectly safe. Your mother is a bigger fancy-pants than me and would hardly be seen roughing it like I used towhen on holiday with Raphael. I’ve gone to the bathroom in places even your delicate behind wouldn’t touch, Evangeline.”
“Dad.”
“Could be near Bangkok. Or Chiang Mai. Or Phuket, for all I know! All completely different parts of the country. I’ve been all over. Jean-Pierre knows it like the back of his hand. Used to have a girlfriend in every province. Don’t ask me how old some of them were… I’d rather not know. Never had those tastes.”
Just the mention of such a thing made Monica stomp up to her father-in-law and slam her hands on either side of his chair. “Yourgranddaughter has been taken to Thailand to be raised in this family’scompoundso she can be married off in ten years to one of those bratty boys of Jean-Pierre’s!” Monica didn’t know how true any of this was, but in her heart of hearts, she knew somethingbadwould happen to the daughter taken from her if the family didn’t interfere immediately.How dare this man sleep through it?Gerald had never shown genuine love to any of this family, but even he did his dutiful duty of pretending to fawn over Abigail’s birthday presents and school projects. She sat on his lap on Christmas mornings and spoke to him over Facetime when he bothered to be available in Montana. Monica knew that, as the years went on, he’d drift away from her.Assuming he even lives that long…She merely prayed that the distance would be Abigail’s idea and not her grandfather’s. It was better that way.Let her have the memories and learn the truth when she’s older.
At this rate, though…
“Didn’t Henry go to Nice? He should ask them himself.”
“That’s such a stupid idea, Dad! He’ll give us all away! We want to intercept Mom before she even knows we’re coming. If Henry’s at the Beaumonts’ villa, they’re already informing her that we know they’re involved. They’re trafficking your granddaughter!”
“If you say so…”
I will slap this man, so help me God.Instead, Monica shoved herself away from him before she couldn’t control herself. “This is ridiculous,” she said. “You know something, Gerald. Youknowwhere your wife has taken Abigail. We just need you to shake that noggin harder and figure out where exactly it is. What name it goes by on maps… who in Thailand to bribe to tell us… it’s like you don’t even care.”
He rolled his eyes as if Monica couldn’t be more hysterical.
“Give me a moment.Give me a moment.” Gerald pointed to his daughter. “I don’t know where the old family albums went, but the brown one with gold writing has some of my old travel photos. Thailand would be in there. Maybe there’s something that can tell us a name. You.” He pointed to Monica. “You know about bribes? Then get on the phone with the American consulate in Thailand. They’ll tell you what to do,andhow much it might cost. But only if you play the Warren card. Otherwise, they’ll play dumb. And you don’t involve the police any further unless you’resureyou can’t go any farther.”
At his unconventional command, Eva and Monica split up to their separate tasks. Monica didn’t know what drove her crazier: being on hold with the American Consulate in Thailand, or searching through an attic’s worth of old photo albums hoping against hope that the one in question was even still functional.
By the time she hung up on the folks in Thailand, Eva was already back in the other room with three albums that her father flipped through as if he were searching for his own baby pictures. Monica forgot about what she had written down from her conversation because she was too transfixed on what her father-in-law was up to.
“What?” Eva was almost offended by Monica’s surprise. “If there’s one thing I beat everyone at here, it’s remembering where my parents stash shit nobody cares about anymore. God, I need a cigarette.”
Monica could have quipped,“But you don’t even smoke,”except this wasn’t the appropriate time. Besides, she knew exactly how Eva felt. All this standing around, waiting for one old man to collect a modicum of care about his granddaughter, was stressful.
Gerald had an answer within fifteen minutes. Monica used an app on her phone to name the location in the photo, and the app replied that one of the plants was indigenous only to southern Thailand. Further prodding of Gerald’s memory revealed the name of the family holiday estate about an hour south of Phuket.
Monica stared at the location on her phone map. Sure enough, there was a nameless void in the middle of the otherwise articulate map. A sure sign that a family had paid for their estate tonotbe documented. The Beaumonts had that kind of money.
