Bad Girl Blues Read online

  "It's an abandoned building," the social worker told the police. "There was a fire here two years ago and the place is practically gutted. The mother has injection needles strewn around. She is not sober. I don't even know where they sleep or what they eat. Can't you arrest the mother at least? She would have an easier time of it in prison."

  "I need grounds to arrest her." The policeman shrugged. "Maybe we'll come back."

  "Yes. You might find her on the street hustling; she's a prostitute too." The social worker put Brigid in the back of the vehicle.

  "She's such a pretty child," the policewoman murmured. "Look at that hair. I'd take her if I had the space at my home."

  "She has lice," the social worker said with a sigh. "We'll have to de-louse her before she can join the other children at the home. She's also starved; look at how thin she is. It's a good thing we got a tip on her whereabouts."

  Brigid struggled to see the building that she had always known as home. It was a large place but it looked like a burnt-out gray shell from the front.

  "Who'd you get the tip from?" The policeman asked.

  "The woman's mother, I think," the social worker said. "I think her name was in the system too. She had the baby and ran away from a private home."

  "She has family and is living like this?" The police sighed. "What on earth is this country coming to?"

  *****

  "You can't just sit there and stare into space like that." Brigid was jerked out of her reverie by Kenzy's voice.

  Brigid blinked rapidly and looked over at Kenzy Blair, her sister Hazel's best friend. For years they had blamed Kenzy for leading Hazel astray by filling her head with all sorts of nonsense and encouraging her to leave the Magnolia house and them before it was time.

  As usual, Kenzy was dressed to the nines in designer jeans and an expensive top. She changed her hairstyle every month. This month it was tousled curls and was colored fire engine red.

  She was looking at Brigid curiously, a tentative smile on her berry red lips.

  Brigid frowned. "Why are you talking to me?"

  "Why not?" Kenzy shrugged. "You are sitting on a bench in front of the Admin office, I am sitting beside you. You are my best friend's sister. I mean, it would look odd if we don't at least say hi to each other."

  Brigid turned slightly away from her and picked up the med school curriculum.

  "You are doing summer classes too?" Kenzy looked over Brigid's shoulder. "So am I. Just stopped by at the last minute to pay my fees."

  Brigid turned around slightly; she was curious despite her resolve to ignore Kenzy at all costs. "You are doing summer classes in medicine? I didn't know you were doing medicine."

  Kenzy nodded. "Unfortunately, that's what my father wants me to do. And I agreed as long as I don't deal with sick people."

  Brigid looked at Kenzy fully and laughed. "It’s medicine. I am thinking that sick people in some form or other will be involved."

  Kenzy shrugged. "We'll see. There is always research or teaching. Why are you doing summer classes? Is it because of the hunky Nick Benedict? I heard from some of the girls in my group that he is fine, like real model fine. He is a real doctor too, a cardiologist. You should hurry and sign up for his class or you will have to take the class with another old fuddy-duddy professor if Nick’s class fills up before you sign up."

  "Really?" Brigid looked toward the admin building. "I don't care how fine Nick Benedict is, I just want to do a morning class. I need my evenings free."

  "Then he's the man. His classes are at ten. Speaking of the devil, there he is."

  She pointed to a tall, slim guy with a cleanly shaved head. He was in a green shirt and black jeans. He walked briskly, like he was a man on a mission. Brigid could tell a lot from a man's walk and this one was a confident, no-nonsense kind of man.

  "Oh yum," Kenzy murmured, "when he walks by here, say hi."

  "No." Brigid looked at Kenzy as if she had grown two heads. "What's the matter with you? Why are you salivating over a guy like you are hungry or something? I thought you had a fiancé."

  Kenzy raised her brows. "Seriously, Brigid. I am just looking. You don't think he is gorgeous?"

  "He's okay..." Brigid said, glancing his way again. Well, a little more than okay, obviously. If she was honest. She stopped speaking when he walked closer to them.

  He looked familiar, maybe because he was a Benedict. Most of them, even the older men, had the same kind of tall and stately look. This Benedict was remarkable, though. He had warm cocoa butter shade skin that was emphasized by his green shirt. Brigid swallowed. Two of his top shirt buttons were opened. She wondered why she noticed that and the fact that his neck column was smooth and he had a little cleft in his chin.

  She also noticed that his nose was straight and his lips were slightly full and pale red. He was going to be a distraction to the female students in his class, that was for sure, but not for her.

  She was immune to the charms of men, at least for now. She had one aim and that was to be a doctor. Men, love and all the drama that usually accompanied them were not going to sway her from that goal. She didn't have crushes or fall in love or any of that foolishness.

  Besides, whenever she thought of having a serious boyfriend she imagined having to tell him about her family. Not many men would want to have Sonia as a mother-in-law, and the rest of her family history was murky at best.

  "Male model." Kenzy breathed lustfully as he walked by.

  "For the love of...shut up," Brigid said a bit too loudly.

  He looked in their direction when she said shut up and his deep-set brown eyes connected with hers. It was only for a moment. Just one tiny moment in time but it felt like an eternity before he actually dragged his eyes from hers and went into the admin building.

  "Deep-set sultry eyes," Kenzy continued with her commentary. "Can you imagine him looking at you in class every day for the next six weeks?"

  Brigid got up. "Goodbye Kenzy. I don't have any idea how Hazel can put up with you for longer than a minute."

  Kenzy chuckled. "Because I am fun. You will see. I am trying to get you and Caitlin to like me. I am going to sit beside you in Dr. Benedict's Biochemistry class."

  Brigid almost considered not signing up for his class just to avoid Kenzy but she had to make herself available for her summer job as hostess and girlfriend to Thomas Kellier, and the mornings were the only time she had free.

  Chapter Three

  Nick pushed the door to the lobby of the admin office and almost turned back to see if the girl he just saw was real or if he had seen correctly. She was certainly striking enough to warrant a second look but before he could act on his wild impulse, his phone rang. It was his mom; she was probably over-anxious about him taking over her class for the summer.

  "Don't worry about it, Mom. I am heading to the office to get my package; all the coursework documents are finished and ready to be picked up. It's an intro course. I won't mislead your students in any way."

  His mother laughed. "Thank you, honey. I wasn't calling about that, though I am relieved to hear that you are getting on okay. Did I tell you thank you for filling in for me?"

  "A million times," Nick replied. And he suspected that he would hear it a million times more. He could afford to help her out with her classes now because he had joined the doctors at Sunrise Medical Associates, at Luca's insistence; he had more flexibility with his hours now.

  He could sacrifice an hour and a half in the mornings for the next six weeks to do the lectures. Anything for his mother, Dr. Marisol Kellier-Benedict, who had learned last minute that she had a schedule clash. Nobody else was willing to give up six weeks of their summer except him.

  "Your cousin Thomas arrived on the island last night." His mother was choosing her words carefully because she knew how much he disliked Thomas.

  Nick groaned. "Mom, no. If it has anything at all to do with Thomas, please remember I am already doing you a favor."

  "Yes, and I am gra
teful," his mother said, "and I know you two have not always gotten along."

  "That's an understatement." Nick said, looking around the lobby for a place he was not likely to be overheard. He spotted a place close to a potted palm. It had a clear view of the outside and the girl. She had her head down and her long, curly hair was covering her features.

  "Nick, are you there?" his mother asked, reminding him that he had paused too long as he stared at her.

  "Yes...yes, I am... uh. Thomas is always in some kind of competition with me. I am sure now he wants to rub his status in my face since he has made it as a big time record producer. I wouldn't doubt that he is out here now just to see me and gloat."

  "Nicholas Benedict, I am sure Thomas' world does not revolve around you. You are both adults now," his mother said soothingly. "Let bygones be bygones. Live and let live."

  "Any other clichés, Mom?" Nick asked sarcastically. He spun around from the window and saw the chief administrator, a friend of his mother’s, heading to his office.

  "Mom, I have to go."

  "He is planning a family get-together on Saturday night at seven. Please say you'll come."

  Nick inhaled and then exhaled slowly. "Just family?"

  "Well, your aunties and our husbands will be there. I don't know about your cousins.

  "I bet nobody wants to go while Thomas lords it over them," Nick murmured. "Where is he staying?"

  "He bought a house in Jacks Hill."

  "He's showing off," Nick murmured. "I am sure it is not just a house but a mansion, and he probably has butlers and maids and all of that stuff and wants everybody to refer to him as Master Thomas."

  "I don't know," his mother chuckled. "Show up, please. Do it for me."

  She hung up before he could argue further. He went to see the chief admin and then left with a comprehensive lecture guideline, course materials and what-not.

  After the first ten minutes of looking over the course load he was rethinking his very generous offer of filling in for his mother. He hadn't even realized that the course was so involved. At least he had two weeks to prepare. It would feel like going to med school again.

  He automatically glanced over at the spot where he had seen the pretty girl earlier but she wasn't there, not that he expected her to still be there anyway. But he had to make sure, and he felt a niggle of disappointment that she wasn't.

  He wanted to confirm that she was indeed that good looking and maybe, if he had the courage, get to know her.

  He hadn't done that in a while—ask a girl out. Usually they were the ones who asked him out. Usually women found both doctor and Benedict an attractive combination.

  His surname was well known in Jamaica and for good cause; his father's family were entrepreneurs. His grandfather and his twin brother had started a bakery, a simple bakery on the outskirts of the city that had quickly grown into a massive island-wide brand.

  Between the Benedict brothers they had thirteen children and were invested in every endeavor in which they could make money: supermarkets, hotels, manufacturing plants, beverages.

  His father was the only one of the Benedict brothers’ children who had not chosen to go into the family business full time. His dad was a judge in the Home Circuit Court.

  Nick's name had given him a complex when he was much younger; he used to wonder if any one liked him for just him or the fact that he belonged to the Benedict clan. If people found out that he belonged to 'those' Benedicts he was usually petted and fawned over, especially by females. He couldn't help but be a little cynical, especially where the opposite sex was concerned, and it seemed as if the more cynical he was the more women seemed to like him.

  That had been the main sore point between him and his cousin Thomas. Thomas was his mother's nephew from her only brother, Charles Kellier, who had died when Thomas was pretty young.

  Thomas had grown up with Grandma and Grandpa Kellier, who had been a little overprotective of him. His only relief from his grandparents and their ultra-conservative ways had been regular visits to his aunts, Marisol, Nora, and Norma.

  Unfortunately, when Thomas visited his aunts he had to share them with their children.

  Nick and Thomas were about the same age and the aunts had encouraged them to be friends but that had never happened. Thomas always seemed to blame Nick for having what he wanted.

  First, it was the fact that Nick had a loving father and a close relationship with his sister, Tessa. Then when they started high school the covetousness had turned into full-blown envy.

  Thomas had done a degree in Business Management, Nick had chosen science and they shouldn't have crossed paths too often but Thomas had always liked the same girls who liked Nick and when he pursued them and they spurned him he had blamed Nick for it. Nick had always been the reason for all of Thomas' girl problems.

  And the competition with Nick had no ending. Thomas always seemed as if he had something to prove, and he had. In the last five years he had achieved worldwide celebrity status. He was a sought-after producer and his name was associated with some huge stars in the music business.

  Thomas was going to be difficult to socialize with at this family party sham.

  Nick gritted his teeth in anticipation of how awful it was going to be to sit through a bragging session with Thomas.

  He could imagine it now: his cousin would flash around his wealth, name drop about his famous friends and generally be his usual boorish self.

  Nick's only consolation was that Thomas would not have a girlfriend at the party. He had just gone through a public break-up with a popular actress.

  At least that would make one less topic for Thomas to brag about since they were now both single.

  *****

  "Good, you are back," Sonia said as soon as Brigid stepped into the house after school. "Thomas would like to meet you in person. I don't think he trusted the picture that I sent of you."

  "He would?" Brigid headed for the fridge and grabbed a fruit plate. Sonia was on a fruit diet and Brigid wondered how long the fruit diet fad would last. Sonia had the fridge stacked high with various fruit plates. She even had them labeled according to dates.

  Brigid opened one and saw that it was labeled for yesterday. Apparently Sonia wasn't keeping up; yesterday she had scarfed down the Chinese takeaway as if it was going out of style.

  She looked over at Sonia, who hadn't changed her nightgown since she left for school. Sonia looked a bit down, which was unusual for her. Sonia was the type of person to shrug off disappointments and discouragements and not look back.

  "You are not Hugh Hefner, you know," Brigid teased. "What is with this nightgown in the day thing you have going on?"

  Sonia smirked. "I don't have the energy to put on any clothes. I am weak. This fruit diet is this close to killing me."

  "So why are you even on it?" Brigid speared a grape with her fork and chewed it slowly. "And didn't you have Chinese yesterday?

  "You don't understand. I want to be thin again," Sonia said, sprawling on the settee. "Since I quit smoking I packed on the weight."

  Brigid inclined her head and looked at Sonia assessingly. "The extra weight suits you. You don't look gaunt as usual, and smoking was slowly killing you anyway. You just couldn't see how badly it was blackening your lungs."

  "No lectures, please." Sonia sighed. "I am tired of your lectures. You remind me of my mother."

  "Granny Manderson?" Brigid quirked her brows. "You never voluntarily talk about her."

  "And I won't today," Sonia said, despondency dripping from her voice. "Didn't you hear that I am depressed? Talking about my family will surely push me even further into it. I survived all these years through some of the worst things, but talk of my mother will finish me off."

  "I thought about you today." Brigid pushed herself from the counter. "I remembered back when I was three and the social workers came to get me."

  Sonia sighed. "Please don't bother bringing that up. No more fishing about my past. Spare me, Brigid
. Spare me."

  Brigid shook her head. "It occurred to me that you were distraught when the lady took me away and while I was growing up you always showed up at Magnolia House every five years or so, just to see me. You love me, don't you?"

  "I might have a sliver of affection for you somewhere," Sonia said breezily. "I mean, I didn't have to struggle to keep you even though I had zero resources and had to hustle to make ends meet."

  "But why? That's what I can't understand," Brigid said, pushing. Sonia was in an unusual mood; maybe she could hear a little bit more about the past from her now. "Your parents own a cattle farm in St. Thomas. They are not poor. You..."

  "Yes, now I remember," Sonia said, slapping her forehead and effectively ending Brigid's line of questions without blinking an eye. "Thomas Kellier. He said he wants to meet you today at three. It's now two thirty. You have to go and get ready."

  "Should I drive up to his place?" Brigid asked, slightly put off that Sonia was still so tight-lipped about her past.

  It annoyed her because it was her past too. She didn't know who her father was, or what happened between Sonia and her parents. There was so much she wanted to know.

  She had hoped that she would have found out something at the beginning of the year because out of the blue Sonia had announced that they would be visiting her parents. She didn't even known that Sonia had family. It had been a revelation in more ways than one.

  Sonia had referred to them as the assembly of the inbreeds and Brigid had prepared herself to meet a bunch of savages living in a cave or something, all of them resembling each other and having rotting teeth, but she had been pleasantly surprised to find that Sonia belonged to a normal enough family.

  Sonia had a sister who was a kindergarten teacher, one brother who was a manager at a hotel and another who was a farmer. They had been a bit cold to Sonia and the conversations had been stilted but still...

  "Yes to your earlier question." Sonia snapped her fingers. "Yes, you should drive to his place. I am texting you his address. You'll have to go and put on a dress and some makeup."