Bouquet of Lies

by Smith, Roberta

  Darla put her arms behind her back and scraped the ground with one foot. She couldn’t picture Jake in her bedroom. It was too girly for one thing and he was anything but. She squeezed her lips together.

  He suddenly laughed. “I’ve missed that confused little rabbit face. Although I guess I shouldn’t. The first time I saw it, the three of us were playing Hide and Seek in the house. You were so little and we thought we’d never find you until we heard you calling. Do you remember that?”

  Darla shook her head.

  “We tried to follow your cries, but we couldn’t get to you. And your grandfather showed up with a smirk on his face and this strange, squeaky laugh.”

  Her grandfather rarely laughed anymore, but he used to all the time. A weird high-pitched snicker. She hadn’t thought of it in years. She heard it now in her head.

  “I went and got your dad. I had to push Edward out of the way to do it.”

  Darla wrapped her arms around her waist. She didn’t remember playing Hide and Seek. Not in the house, anyway. The image of a dark room with scary monsters popped in her head.

  “Harper came back with you in his arms. You had wet streaks down your little face. And you took these short hiccuppy breaths that reminded me of a rabbit.”

  Jake was quiet for a moment. “Guess I shouldn’t like it when you make that face.”

  His eyes lowered to the side. “You know your dad just plopped you down and told us to find another game. Like, here she is. No big deal. Never did figure out where he found you.”

  Darla took a step back. “I, um, should go in.”

  “Oh, you should huh?” His smile returned. “I shouldn’t have dredged up that story.”

  “It’s okay.” She shrugged.

  “I could have brought up anything else. Like when I taught you how to ride a bike and you learned so fast. Or how I taught you to skateboard. Or when you insisted I play dress up and I finally gave in.”

  Darla giggled. “I remember that. You made a great girl.”

  “Only played that game once, as I recall. And Lacey liked to play Clue, but you hated it.”

  “Because I never won.”

  “You liked to draw. You had me pose for you a few times.”

  “And you’d move on purpose.”

  “Had to keep you on your toes. I still have one of the pictures you drew.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. It’s pretty good.” They stared at each other. He stuck his thumbs in his back pockets. “I’m only here for the summer. Getting reacquainted with my pop. Now that you’ve made the big move to come say hi, I better see you again.”

  She wanted to ask him where he would go when summer was over. If he would be back. But she bit a fingernail instead.

  “Got a job come September.”

  “Oh. What . . . what do you do?”

  “Restoration. Bikes. Soda machines. Old junk. I like working with my hands. I got a knack.”

  She remembered him repairing a pair of her skates. And a scooter. The wheel had come off.

  He moved closer and touched her nose. “Go eat something, Rabbit Face. Come September you better have gained ten pounds. Fifteen.”

  She stared up at him and her heart beat faster. His eyes were luminous in the twilight. Without a word she backed away and went inside the house.

  Nine

  DAN RUBBED THE center of his forehead with both of his index fingers. The scenario with this girl, this twenty-year-old, this Lacey Bouquet, was growing complicated. Or at least it seemed so, and his head hurt. A glass of wine with dinner was in order. It relaxed him at the end of the day.

  He opened a bottle of Cabernet and let it breathe. Then he pulled a pork chop from the refrigerator, tossed it into a frying pan on the stove, and turned on the heat. He went to work making a green salad and as he sliced a tomato, an avocado and some mushrooms, he pictured Lacey’s gaping mouth.

  You’re taking my car?

  Of course she gaped. First he said he meant to call. Then he said he hadn’t found the time.

  Hadn’t gotten up the nerve, if he was being truthful. He shook his head.

  Then he asks her out and follows up with a lecture about the dangers of speeding.

  A red light runner killed Sally. A drunk driving seventy in a forty-five.

  She doesn’t know that. You impounded her car!

  The chop began to sizzle and he turned the heat down.

  Was he crazy? He’d confused things. Was their date still on after all that? Did he just show up at her house?

  He would have to call her. Or he could go to her costume party and feel things out. He could wear his cop uniform. If things were kibashed, then things were kibashed. It would be for the best, and he still wouldn’t have lied to Uncle Carrick and Aunt Helen.

  He stared at the pork chop, turned it over.

  An anxious feeling rushed through him. He didn’t want things kibashed. He liked her. He shouldn’t have impounded the car. He should have given her another warning.

  But seeing her speed and make that left turn, clearing oncoming traffic in the nick of time . . . That had scared him. He could see her lying in her own blood, limbs broken, face . . .

  No. That was Sally. He closed his eyes when he felt them sting. Why had he come on the scene?

  Because he had to cradle her and hear her whisper her last words: If I forget to tell you later, I had a really nice . . .

  The line from Pretty Woman, Sally’s favorite movie. She said it to him all the time. Only she always changed the words from “nice time tonight” to “nice life with you.”

  The doorbell rang. Then came an energetic knock. He went to the door and checked the peephole. Lacey!

  “Open up!”

  He opened the door and she barged in without invitation.

  “Surprise!”

  “Uh.”

  “Uh, what? Why am I here? Got my car back.” With the door wide open, she motioned toward the street. He saw the Spyder at the curb. “Paid the impound fees. So see. Just what did you accomplish?”

  “I knew you’d get your car.” He closed the door and headed for the kitchen.

  She followed. “Smells good. What are you cooking?”

  “A pork chop.” He turned the heat off. It was cooked.

  “I came for our date.”

  Was she kidding? He put the chop on a plate.

  “Oh, that’s right. We wait for Wednesday next week. Lunch, during the day. I might turn into a zombie at night.”

  “What?”

  She crossed her arms. “Want to know how I found you?”

  “Yes. As a matter of fact.”

  “It’ll cost you a pork chop.”

  He stared at her. She motioned at the refrigerator with her head.

  He grabbed another chop and started the fire under the skillet again. “I’m not a fancy chef.”

  “Neither am I.”

  He eyed the salad. It was big enough for two. Maybe they needed a baked potato. He took two from a plastic sack and began scrubbing them.

  “Now we’re cooking,” she said.

  He stabbed the potatoes with a knife.

  “I hope those aren’t voodoo potatoes.”

  “Huh?” He whipped around, the knife in his hand up in the air like some murderous fiend in a horror movie.

  She put up her hands. “Whoa. Settle down there, Dan-the-Man.” She took a step back.

  He looked at the knife and put it down. “That was not how it looked.” He shoved the potatoes in the microwave and set it for four minutes. They were small potatoes.

  “Good. Because you’re as uptight as my sister and I’m just trying to break the ice.”

  “You mean my balls.”

  She laughed. “That, too, I guess.”

  He couldn’t decide if she was mad or not. She was a little edgy perhaps.

  He watched her open cabinets until she found where he kept the dishes. She grabbed a plate for herself and then hunted for silverware.

&n
bsp; “Okay. Since that pork chop is on its way, I’ll tell you. I waited by the station until you finished your shift. I saw you go in. I waited until you came out. Then I followed you home.”

  “I’ve been home for half an hour. What took you so long to come to the door?”

  “Adrenaline. I needed to calm down. I’m calm now. Can’t you tell?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  She divvied up the salad then grabbed dressing from the fridge. “Well, rest assured. I needed a test run before I decided whether or not to keep our date.”

  She fell silent. He could see she was thinking and waited for her to continue.

  “Now here’s the thing. That left turn I made was a little close for comfort. And I was sort of driving like a maniac today. And I should have registered my car. So there. Now you know something about me. I can admit when I’m wrong.”

  “Impressive.”

  “That better not be sarcasm, because I’m being genuine here. Most people don’t admit when they’re wrong. You know that, don’t you?”

  “I never thought about it.”

  He watched her get the butter and sour cream and then clear newspapers from the table so they both had room. She moved quickly, not overly concerned with how neat the papers looked or how the butter was placed. Her methods were nothing like Sally’s.

  He plopped the pork chop onto her plate.

  She squeezed the potatoes and declared them done. Her eyes fell on the open bottle of Cabernet and she poured each of them a glass.

  He took hers away before she even sat down.

  “Just testing.” She gave him a sly smile.

  They sat together and he lowered his eyes while he said a silent prayer. When he was done he saw that she was watching him.

  “So I’ve made my decision,” she said. “Next Wednesday is on. And you’re coming to my costume party. There will be alcohol and you are not going to go around asking for ID. Everyone, mostly, will be over twenty-one anyway.”

  “You aren’t.”

  “I’m like three months away. Do I need to postpone the party?”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I’m kidding. But not about you being there. You need some fun in your life. You scowl too much.”

  Dan pressed his lips together to stifle a grin. He did scowl too much. Ever since Sally had died. But now that he’d met Lacey he had a feeling that was about to change.

  He caught his breath. Wait a minute! They were going on one date. One.

  “And if things get crazy, you might even get to arrest someone. Would that make you smile?” She tasted the chop. “Mmm. Master chef. This pork chop is good. Sure would go great with a nice glass of red wine.”

  She walked two fingers across the table toward his glass. He slapped her hand away and she laughed.

  He took a sip of the Cabernet and peered at her. He had never met someone quite like Lacey. Beautiful, spoiled, rich, and a good sport.

  “I’ve never met a cop like you,” she said.

  Their thoughts were running parallel. He smiled inwardly. “Had a lot of run-ins with the law, have you? I guess with the way you drive—”

  “No . . .” She made a face of bogus disgust.

  “You mean someone charming and devilishly handsome who puts mushrooms in the salad?” He was starting to feel relaxed around her.

  Okay, this was not good. He did not need a party girl in his life. Not that this girl would seriously allow him into her life in any meaningful way.

  Maintain your distance. Maintain.

  “Charming? You think you’re charming?” She pointed her fork at him. “The jury’s still out on that one. No, I mean someone so young, smoking hot, and uptight.”

  He felt his face grow warm. Smoking hot?

  “You know who you remind me of? Xavier Samuel with really short hair.”

  “Who?”

  She laughed again. “Okay. Time for you to get out more. And we’ll start with my party this Saturday night.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Good. Don’t think. Just do. If you don’t show up, I’ll send my man Henry to look for you.”

  “Your man?”

  “Our chauffeur.”

  She was hard to resist. Hard to say no to. Especially with those sexy eyes focused on him . . .

  “I’ll take your silence as a yes.”

  What could it hurt? A party. There’d be lots of people. It would really make his lie to his aunt and uncle the truth. He would be sharing her with a lot of people though.

  He frowned. Share her? He suddenly realized he wanted to go and he didn’t like the idea of lots of people around.

  “Okay,” he said.

  “That’s my little Xavier.”

  “Only don’t call me Xavier.”

  “Okay, Dan-the-Man.”

  His stomach muscles tightened. What happened to maintain his distance? Maintain.

  Ten

  DRESSED IN FISHNETS, a low-cut red leotard, royal-blue tails, and red, white and blue top hat, Lacey sat on her father’s bed facing the door. The costume party was picking up momentum and before she joined her guests in the ballroom she had one last thing to do. Invite Daddy to the ball.

  He wouldn’t come, but it would annoy him that she wasted his time asking. She hadn’t so much as passed him in the house in days. It was time for an encounter.

  Voices carried from down the hall and she leaned forward to listen.

  “I can’t believe you let her do this.” That was Edward.

  “It’s her house, too. I can’t stop her.” That was her father.

  “Tell her no.”

  “I did. You see where it got me.”

  “Slow down. I want to talk to you.”

  “Make it snappy. I have a meeting in half an hour and I have to pack. I fly out tomorrow morning.”

  “What? Now? Are you out of your mind?”

  “What’s wrong with now?”

  “You know what’s wrong!” Edward voice was tinged with fear.

  “That? You should have thought—”

  “Don’t lecture me.”

  “Actions have consequences,” Harper lectured. Lacey smiled.

  “What’s done is done. I can’t unring the bell.”

  “It’s wasn’t like it was even your money.”

  “I said I can’t unring the bell.”

  “No. I have to do that. Look. I hired Stark.” Harper flew into his bedroom. “He’ll find—” He stopped dead at the sight of Lacey. “What the devil are you doing in here?”

  “Waiting for you. Who’s Stark?”

  “None of your business,” Edward snapped as he hobbled into Harper’s room.

  Lacey stood up and moved to her father. “I want you to come to the party.” She tapped his chest with her index fingers and gave him her brightest smile.

  “I don’t go to parties except for business. And I certainly won’t attend one with a bunch of teenagers.”

  “Young adults.”

  Harper grabbed a suitcase from the closet. “Out.”

  “Yes, out!” Edward poked Lacey with his cane. She knocked it away.

  “You, too, Dad.” Harper tossed the suitcase on the bed and opened it.

  “What about, you know?” Edward said.

  “I told you I was taking care of it. Now scat.”

  Lacey’s eyes moved from Harper to Edward to Harper again. “Taking care of what?”

  “Go. This is your Big To-Do. Go play hostess to your guests.”

  She watched her father place shirts in the case. She had needled him about as much as she was going to get the chance. She headed for the party.

  As she descended the stairs, she danced to music that drifted into the foyer. The big ballroom’s curved south wall was the north wall of the sweeping staircase. Guests were arriving in droves and she paused to look at the costumes.

  Lacey spotted Courtney dressed as sexy Jessica Rabbit. “Woo-who, look at you, girlfriend.” Lacey took her frien
d’s arm and they walked through the foyer toward the arched opening at the rear of the stairs.

  “Is he coming?” Courtney asked.

  “Who? Dan-the-Man?” Lacey laughed. “He said yes, and if I know anything about him, I know this. He’s a man of his word.”

  “Bor—ing,” Courtney sang.

  “Well, if it’s excitement you want, I’ll hook you up with the magician I hired. He’s one tricky dick. I practiced with him all week. You really have to watch his hands.”

  Courtney looked perplexed.

  “It’s a joke. Watch his hands. He’s a magician. Get it?”

  After a second they both burst into laughter.

  Darla, in her Alice dress, clung to a shadowy corner and took in her surroundings.

  The ballroom was huge. To the rear a series of French doors opened to the patio, gardens and pool area. There were three arched entrances connecting to the rest of the house. One exited to the foyer. One, along the east wall, exited to a hall that separated the ballroom from Harper’s office. That hall opened to the foyer at the front of the stairs. The third entrance, along the north wall, opened to a corridor that ran parallel to the ballroom and connected to another hall. Beyond it was the north arm of the house where the theatre room, the game room, four guest bedrooms and a den were located.

  Darla looked at the stage that had been erected for a magic act. A banner read: The Amazing Alcazar.

  Caterers moved in and out making sure refreshments remained plentiful. Lacey preferred rock music and current pop songs, so that’s what played. Strobe lights blinked. Antony gyrated with Cleopatra. Superman with Lois Lane. Jessica Rabbit with Jack Sparrow. A fox, Little Bo Peep, Ghost Rider, Pebbles, and eighty or so other costume-clad guests jammed the floor.

  Darla had only hyperventilated twice. Each time she refocused on the idea that her mother would soon show up and managed to calm down.

  Out of all the guests, there were only two in blond wigs. One was dressed as Marilyn Monroe, the other as Elle Woods. Both occasionally grabbed her attention which she found annoying. Neither of them was her mother.