Liar

by Campbell, Jamie

  “I forgot my manners. This is Amelia Landau, she’s helping me work on a case. Which is why we’re here,” Leo explained as Amelia gave a nod in acknowledgment. “Renee White, the mother of the five year old that was killed, she committed suicide in the early hours of this morning.”

  “I heard, that’s a terrible tragedy. Good work on catching the guy, I hope I get the case. I want to put him behind bars for a very long time.”

  “Me too. But I have some questions about the mother, I hope you might be able to help.”

  Rose nodded. “I think I know why you’re here then.”

  “She received calls from your office a few times. Did she speak with you?”

  “She did,” Rose sighed. “I met with her once too.”

  Amelia listened carefully. Just because the woman was friendly, and a member of the courts, it didn’t mean she was beyond lying. It would be more surprising if she didn’t lie, lawyers were terrible for using the truth liberally.

  “Why did she contact you?” Leo asked, his notebook and pen all ready. He rarely got a chance to actually write anything pertinent in it, but he was always hopeful.

  “I shouldn’t really be telling you.”

  “She’s dead, it’s not going to matter.”

  Rose hesitated, protecting a witness was always her highest priority. Even a dead witness deserved the same kind of respect. “I don’t think the information is going to be helpful to you.”

  “Anything is helpful.” Leo was trying to keep the frustration at bay. He was sick and tired of being stonewalled. It seemed like it was a day for it. “Please, Rose.”

  She sighed. “Renee said she had information for me, but would only speak in person. So I agreed to meet with her.”

  “What information did she have?”

  “When we met, she said she had something big but she wanted full immunity first. I told her I couldn’t guarantee that until I knew what she had. It was a catch twenty-two but I wasn’t willing to risk giving her a free pass unless it was worth it.”

  Leo nodded, understanding the process. Too many D.A.’s had been burned before by offering immunity to prosecution only to discover the informant was one of the bad guys and deserved to be locked up and off the streets. They had a rule now not to make any promises if they weren’t sure what they were giving up. A chatty snitch could still be a criminal that needed to be removed from the community.

  “So what did she say?”

  “She said she would have to think it over some more. I told her if it was so important and she didn’t want to make a deal, then she could report it to the police anonymously. I kind of felt sorry for her but I didn’t want to waste my time if it wasn’t going to lead anywhere. Let the cops deal with it… sorry.”

  “It’s okay, the young ones love getting anonymous tip offs, they think they’re dealing with the mob or something,” Leo replied affably. “So what happened next?”

  “She called again. She asked whether her name could be left out of it. I said I could only promise to try and that I needed all the details first. She was very insistent on wanting to stay out of it, she just wanted to give the information and run.”

  “Is that normal?” Amelia asked, not being able to stop the question. Her only source of reference were television shows, she didn’t know how well they mirrored real life.

  Rose turned her attention to the woman for the first time, as if just remembering she was there too. “Not entirely normal, no. Most people want immunity but they are prepared to act as a witness when it goes to trial. Renee didn’t even want to offer that. She wanted the immunity to prosecution and to keep her name off the case. That is quite difficult to do, especially if we needed to rely on witness testimony.”

  “Right, thank you,” Amelia replied.

  “So you wouldn’t agree to her terms?” Leo asked.

  “I said I would do my best but would have to know the details before I could commit. By that stage, I was just trying to get her trust so I could find out more. She didn’t seem to want to go to the police which would have been less risky for her.”

  “Some people find the police intimidating,” he pointed out. For some reason, the uniforms and badges freaked people out. It was possible Renee White felt more comfortable speaking with a woman in a normal looking building. “Did she end up trusting you?”

  “She agreed to meet again and talk about what she had. It was going to be off the record so I could get a feel for what she was offering.” Rose gestured as she spoke before bringing her hands together on the desk in front of her. “Unfortunately, in the meantime her son was kidnapped and she cancelled the meeting. I never heard from her again, even though I tried to contact her on several occasions.”

  “Is your number private?” Amelia asked, remembering back to the phone records.

  “No, all our lines show up as the main switchboard when we ring out.”

  Leo made a note of it, crossing her off the list. “She didn’t speak with you at all after the kidnapping?”

  “She never returned my calls. I wanted to at least check to see whether she was alright and the kidnapping had nothing to do with the information she was offering. But I never got the chance so I figured she had changed her mind.”

  “Do you think the kidnapping could be related?” Leo perked up, he had yet to make that connection himself.

  “I don’t know,” Rose said honestly. “She made it sound like whatever she had was big. In my experience, if someone has good information then it’s possible people would want to silence her. Taking her child is the most effective way to keep a mother quiet. I have two children of my own, trust me. But you have the guy in custody, you’re probably in a better position to answer your own question.”

  He didn’t exactly want to admit they had the wrong guy. There was no way Blake Turner would know anything about what was going on. At least, he didn’t think so anyway.

  “He hasn’t mentioned anything like that,” Leo replied honestly. The only thing Turner had confessed to was the murder, he didn’t mention any conspiracy against Renee White.

  “If that’s all,” Rose started, looking at her watch. “I have a meeting to get to.” I don’t have a meeting to get to.

  Amelia grinned at the polite lie, she had spent the entire time waiting for the eventual fib. At least she had told the truth on the big things.

  Leo stood, followed by Amelia. He shook the D.A.’s hand. “Thank you for everything, I appreciate your time.”

  “You’re welcome, Detective. You have a good day now.” Rose stood and watched as they left.

  They stalked the long corridors of the public building and headed outside into the warm open air. The sun was already starting to head down over the horizon, casting long shadows everywhere. Traffic was starting to buzz in rush hour.

  “So Bree was telling the truth,” Leo admitted, half surprised by the revelation. “Renee White had information about something.”

  “Something that made a good story and a good case,” Amelia pointed out. “Why go to the media and the district attorney instead of the police?”

  “Some people don’t like the police.”

  “I wouldn’t think to go anywhere else.”

  Leo shrugged, he couldn’t even figure out his dog let alone the human race. “I think the bigger issue is whether Jordan’s murder has anything to do with the information she was offering.”

  Amelia had to agree. “It would be a big coincidence if it didn’t.”

  “Sure would.”

  * * *

  Amelia heard the front door open and slam closed, making her jump with the sudden noise. She was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner. She hoped the old adage was true and the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. If she fed Lane well, perhaps he would forget about her disappearing act the night before. Optimism was never her strong point.

  “Hi, Lane,” she said hopefully, sounding more upbeat than she felt. “Did you have a good day at work
?”

  He grunted in reply.

  “I made tacos, your favorite.”

  Another grunt from the bedroom as he stripped off his overalls and changed into a pair of shorts and t-shirt. He flopped onto the couch, flicking on the television.

  She considered her next move, obviously he was still angry with her. She hated walking on eggshells, she knew she had to do something to get them past it. While she really didn’t want to, she decided to be the adult, the mature one.

  “I’m sorry about last night,” she said, hearing her own lie filter through her words. “I shouldn’t have walked out like I did.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have.” A complete sentence, it was a good start. Way more than a grunt.

  She placed a beer in his hand. “Sometimes I think it’s just easy if I avoid an argument rather than stay and resolve it.” That one wasn’t a lie.

  “And how do you think that makes me feel? I’m left here to worry about you and where you’ve gone.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  He continued watching the television, even though he was just staring at the screen.

  “Forgive me?” Amelia asked, sliding her hand into his. He didn’t react, didn’t even move. “Lane, please?”

  He turned to her, forgetting about pretending to watch the television. He looked at her, trying to stay calm and explain himself rather than just yelling. It was difficult. “Every time we have this same conversation, it feels like déjà vu. Then I remember, it’s because we have had it dozens of times before.”

  She couldn’t call him a liar, it was true. They were always arguing about something she had or hadn’t done. It wasn’t like he was perfect, but it seemed like she was the one that always stuffed things up.

  “I’m trying, I really am.”

  “Really? Amelia, are you really trying? Because it sure doesn’t seem like it.”

  The hurt in his eyes was apparent. She hated being the cause of it. Deep down, she loved him but it was so difficult maintaining the relationship when every single one she had before had ended in lies and tears. His lies and her tears. She spent the entire time just waiting for him to do the same thing as all the others before him. It wasn’t exactly fair to Lane, but she couldn’t help it.

  “Maybe I could do better,” she said, her voice so quiet it was barely a whisper.

  “Do you love me?”

  She hadn’t been expecting such a confronting question. Nor should it have been so confronting. It was perfectly normal for a partner to ask whether they were loved and she knew it. She was also well aware that she shouldn’t need to think about the answer. But she did. Did she love him? Yes. Did she love him as much as he loved her? Probably not.

  “Of course I do,” she replied, hoping he hadn’t noticed her hesitation. “I’m here, aren’t I? I’m trying to fix us.”

  Lane rolled his eyes in disbelief. “Don’t make it sound like such a chore. If it’s too much to try and talk to me, then don’t bother.”

  “Lane, that’s not what I meant. I-”

  “Why won’t you even admit you have problems getting close to people? Your mother, your sisters, everyone. You never let anyone into your world. I guess I’m a chump for thinking I would be any different.”

  “You are in my world, Lane,” Amelia said pleadingly. “I have let you in. I have never let anyone get this close to me before. I don’t know what more I can do to prove that to you.”

  “You shouldn’t have to prove it to me, I should see it in everything we do. We should be a team and not just two people living together.”

  “I promise I’ll try harder.”

  Lane stopped and stared at her, as if trying to determine whether she was worth it or not. His frustration evident in his tightly clenched fist and jaw.

  He sighed, visibly forcing himself to relax. “I can’t keep doing this, Amelia. You have to want this as much as I do or we’re not going to work. There’s only so much I can take.”

  She took his hand, trying to remind him of how much she cared for him. “We can work, I promise.”

  He gripped her hand back, feeling her small fingers in his large palm. He drew it up to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. “I hope so.”

  They sat in silence, eventually eating dinner and letting the television fill in the gaps. Amelia stayed there for as long as she could stand before retreating to their bedroom. Lane may not have lied to her during their conversation but they were coming thick and fast on the television. She much preferred to clear her mind with reading, words on the page never lied. They could only tell the truth, their voice only in her own head.

  By the time the morning rolled around, she was ready to get out of the oppressive house. She didn’t know how she was supposed to act around Lane, how she was meant to prove her love for him. She wished they could just erase the last few days and start over again. She would either tell him about the investigation or do a better job of covering it up. Either way would have been better than getting into the argument and having to suffer the consequences.

  Sitting in Leo’s car as they crossed town, Amelia still couldn’t shake her melancholy mood. It wasn’t only Lane playing on her mind but the two deaths they were investigating too. She hadn’t stopped to think how it was affecting her until then, but it was. That poor child had been caught up in something and he was completely innocent in it all. It was a tragedy beyond words.

  “Everything alright this morning?” Leo asked, not having to be psychic himself to pick up on her mood. “You haven’t said a word since I picked you up.”

  “It’s all just a bit to take in.”

  “I’d like to say it gets easier, but it doesn’t. Making the arrest makes it all worthwhile but it’s definitely not easy.”

  “How do you do it all day, every day?” She waited for the lie, for some reassuring adage that didn’t mean anything. But it didn’t come.

  “I have no idea,” he said honestly. “I just get up and do it.”

  “You must find it hard trusting people when you see the worst of humanity all the time.”

  “Not really.”

  Amelia was taken aback, not expecting that answer either. “I don’t believe you.” She knew it wasn’t a lie, but still couldn’t believe it. It may have been his truth, it may have been what he thought he meant, but surely it couldn’t actually be true.

  “Look,” Leo started seriously. “If you believe the worst in people, that’s what you get. I prefer to see the good in people. It’s a decision I make, just like seeing the bad is a decision for others.”

  “Do you approach relationships the same way?”

  He grinned. “Yes, I do.”

  “Spoken like someone who has never been cheated on before.”

  Leo hesitated, considering how much he wanted to reveal to the woman he had only known for a few days. For some reason, he didn’t feel the need to hide anything. “I have actually. My last girlfriend.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she muttered, not wanting to bring up bad memories for him. She hadn’t planned on tearing his mood down too.

  “It’s okay. I got Harley out of the relationship so it wasn’t all bad,” he laughed. “I take it you’ve been cheated on too?”

  “I think I have a penchant for attracting cheaters.”

  “Was that what you were arguing with your boyfriend about?” He ventured, unable to turn off his cop interrogation skills. He was used to asking the hard questions, the line he shouldn’t cross long forgotten.

  “No, nothing like that,” Amelia said quickly. She looked out the window, avoiding his gaze. “Apparently I have a wall around me that I don’t let people inside.”

  She hadn’t meant to throw it on the table but it was out before she could stop it. Damn the detective and his way of getting people to open up to him. She made a note to be more careful.

  “Why do you think that is?” Leo asked.

  She shrugged. “I’m a private person. I don’t see the need to share everythin
g with another person, even if you are in a relationship. You are still two people, not one. They don’t have to know everything.”

  “It’s nice to share though.”

  “Not everything.”

  “I guess people like to feel included.” Leo pulled up outside the office building he was looking for. “Perhaps your wall is just in the eye of the beholder. Here we are.”

  Amelia was grateful they had finally arrived. She jumped out of the car and followed Leo to the building and through the automatic sliding doors that beckoned them to enter.

  Kale White was an accounts manager for Moore & Sparkes Architects, one of the largest architectural firms in the city. When Leo called him the previous night, he had insisted they meet at the office. He was avoiding his home and all the terrible memories that were made there recently. Working was a way of keeping his mind off the deaths of his family.

  They were taken into Kale’s office and he closed the door behind them. The walls were made of glass, giving them no visual privacy. Leo doubted that even with the door closed, they probably still weren’t afforded much secrecy. Co-workers in the surrounding cubicles cast them quick, indiscreet glances whenever they thought they weren’t looking.

  “Tell me you are investigating her murder,” Kale greeted them. “Renee didn’t kill herself.”

  Leo had been expecting the hostility and reminded himself it wasn’t directed his way. He was angry at the world and he just happened to be the face of it. “We’re looking into it, yes. Why don’t you think Renee was capable of taking her own life? She was going through horrible grief.”

  Kale perched on the edge of the desk, taking off his reading glasses as he composed his answer. “We were both grieving, I’m not going to deny that. Losing Jordan has been the worst experience of my life. But Renee and I were getting each other through it. We were going to put the past year behind us, we agreed.”

  “The past year?”

  “I meant everything that happened with Jordan.” I meant the past year.

  Amelia noted the lie and let Leo continue. “How were things with your wife before Jordan went missing?”