The Opposite of Dark chm-1

by Debra Purdy Kong

  Casey couldn’t hear this right now, didn’t want to discuss Rhonda when more crucial issues were at stake. “Do you know Darcy Churcott?”

  Lillian’s violet eyes didn’t blink. “He works for Theo, why?”

  Casey tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling. “I should have guessed.” No wonder Theo wouldn’t tell her much about him. “He’s renting a room in our home. Was that Darcy’s or Theo’s idea?”

  “Darcy’s. He believes you’ve known where the money is all along. I convinced him that you didn’t know anything. Marcus wouldn’t have dumped that kind of trouble on you.”

  “So, Darcy decided to go on his own treasure hunt while I was away and tear up the damn house, right?” Not to mention her apartment.

  “It appears so.”

  “Then why did Theo tell me that two Mexican clients killed Dad for the money?”

  “Because he figured you wouldn’t believe the truth.”

  “Which is?”

  “Your father earned an enormous fee from those clients and put a portion of it back into the partnership, but not as much as Theo thought he should. Theo was furious with Marcus for wanting to end their partnership to start his own company. He believed Marcus stole clients and feels he should be compensated.”

  “Why did Theo say that Dad left the cash for me to find?”

  “To entice you to look for it. If you find the money, he’ll take every penny and you’ll never see him again.”

  “Why did Dad want to end the partnership?”

  “Theo became involved in controversial transactions that Marcus wanted no part of.” Lillian turned and looked at the ocean. “Anyhow, the longer he and Darcy search for the money, the more frustrated they become, and that makes life dangerous for all of us.”

  “I already experienced Darcy’s nasty side when he tried to beat the crap out of me.”

  The strap of Lillian’s handbag slid off her shoulder. “When was this?”

  “A few weeks ago, in this house.” By the time Casey finished describing the encounter, Lillian’s eyes were blazing. Casey couldn’t tell if she was angry with Darcy or her. “Why’s Darcy going to such extremes to find money for his boss? Is there a finder’s fee?”

  When Mother didn’t respond, Casey said, “I want him out of Rhonda’s house today.”

  “He won’t go until he gets what he wants. You and Summer should leave the city until this is resolved.”

  “Why? Will he tear up Rhonda’s house when he’s finished with this one? I wonder why he started with the living room?”

  “He found a bit of notepaper showing a wall with an insert that he thought was the entertainment center. An arrow pointed to the chair nearest the TV. Darcy searched it and all of the furniture. When he found nothing, he wondered if Marcus had referred to a spot under the floor.”

  Casey recalled the loose sheet with the squiggly lines she’d removed from Dad’s notebook the day she left for Europe. The house address had been written on it, too.

  “Darcy took that sheet from my dresser drawer! Summer saw him coming out of my apartment while I was away. He trashed the place, presumably to look for the money.”

  “Where did you find the paper?”

  “In an old address book.”

  “Where was the book?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” she replied, “and how did you know about the slip of paper? Are you helping Darcy look for the money?”

  “No, but I’m kept informed.”

  Casey crossed her arms. “Obviously.”

  “Listen to me. Theo suspects you’ve seen your father’s old address book or you wouldn’t have visited the places you did in Europe.”

  How could she tell Mother the truth when she didn’t trust her?

  “Since the cash hasn’t turned up,” Lillian added, “Darcy’s convinced the real clue is in that book and he wants it badly.”

  “I gave the book to Detective Lalonde.” Or she would soon. “Did Darcy kill Dad?”

  “Casey, the murdered man wasn’t your father.” Lillian’s mouth trembled just a little, and suddenly she looked tired. “He was Gustaf Osterman. That’s what I wanted to tell you in Paris. I wanted permission to return Gustaf to his family.”

  “Osterman?” Casey’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be bloody joking.”

  “He and Marcus looked alike. Surgery made it possible for Gus to appear identical. It was like falling in love with Marcus all over again.” Lillian’s smile didn’t match the emptiness in her eyes. “Gustaf loved me, you know, but Theo wanted the new Marcus to continue his relationship with Gislinde. I hear you met her?”

  “Uh-huh.” This was sounding a little creepy.

  “Gustaf didn’t really love her or he would have moved to Amsterdam ages ago.”

  “Surely Gislinde figured out the truth about Dad?”

  “Probably, but she’s pathetically weak. From what I heard, she couldn’t face the fact that Marcus was gone, so she bought into the illusion, as Theo knew she would.”

  So, Dad hadn’t gone underground. He really had died from botulism. Or had she just been given a load of bull?

  “Why would Gustaf pose as Dad all that time?”

  “To look for the money and find out whom Marcus’s clients were. Theo had hoped those clients would contact the new Marcus who would then refer them back to Theo. Gustaf would have received a percentage of any new business generated.”

  Casey didn’t know what to believe. Mother could spin truths with the same finesse that spiders did with webs. “Did Gustaf find the clients?”

  “A few, but most of them would have been in the old address book you found.”

  The guy couldn’t have searched the house that thoroughly, Casey thought. She’d easily found the grocery receipt with Simone’s name. Maybe Gustaf had wanted the lifestyle more than the finder’s fee.

  “Unfortunately, Marcus was a bit of a technological dinosaur,” Lillian remarked. “He wouldn’t keep an electronic address book and only had a few key names in his phone.”

  As Mother stepped closer, Casey inhaled the scent of lavender and moved away. “Even in the best of circumstances and with the best of intentions, Mother, your credibility is lousy.”

  “I swear, I’m being completely honest with you.”

  Revulsion sliced through Casey, as if there was nothing worse than complete honesty coming from this woman. “If Gustaf had surgery just to acquire Dad’s clients, why was he given an appendectomy scar?” Mother’s perplexed expression was gratifying. For once, Casey knew something she didn’t. “I had someone check at the morgue.”

  “For Gislinde’s sake, I suppose. As long as she convinced herself he was the real Marcus then she’d be open to discussing his secrets and plans with the fake one.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Casey, I swear I’m telling the truth.”

  “Then why does Theo’s story contradict yours?”

  Lillian adjusted her purse strap. “Theo wants you to believe Marcus was the victim so you’ll stay involved enough to lead him to the money. Financial problems have made him desperate and, like Darcy, he’s decided that Marcus hid it someplace only you could find.”

  “You sound like a jilted lover out for revenge.”

  “Not jilted, by any means. Trouble is, once you’ve had Theo, it’s hard to get rid of him, don’t you think?”

  Casey frowned. “That’s a bit presumptuous, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but I’d like to know how close you two have become.”

  As if it was any of her business. “Why didn’t you tell Theo that Darcy was living at our house?”

  “He doesn’t need to know everything.”

  “God, you’re not any more honest with your employers than you are with the rest of the world, are you?”

  “No man ever deserved my honesty.”

  “Then I suppose Detective Lalonde doesn’t know you work for Theo too?”

  Lillian strolled past the fireplace. “Lalonde kno
ws more than he’ll tell you. Pay attention to what he’s doing, Casey. The man’s no fool.”

  Who the hell was she to reprimand anyone? “Dad would be alive if he hadn’t been mixed up with you and Ziegler.”

  “Have you forgotten the bleak periods your father went through?”

  Casey remembered that he’d always seemed so preoccupied, too busy for fun.

  “The sad truth is that Marcus was a mediocre architect,” Lillian said. “His business suffered and so did his confidence, but Theo helped change all that.”

  Casey’s jaw was so tight she couldn’t speak. Dad should have told her.

  “The import/export business made your father happier than he’d been in a long time. Marcus was willing to take more risks, and risk was what he was all about. Marcus loved life when it was critical. We both did, which was another reason for starting his own company.”

  “Dad wasn’t like you.” Even as she said it, Casey wasn’t so sure anymore.

  “I understand why you think so. Marcus gave you a stable life, gave up the dangerous sports, the parties, all for you.” Lillian moved closer to her. “Your father married me, accepting my past and my values. He grew to understand that my affairs were no reflection on him.”

  “Oh, come on.”

  Lillian gave an exasperated sigh. “Rhonda’s still fueling your hatred, isn’t she? She’s been at it since you were a little girl. By the time I realized what she’d done, it was too late. I know she told you about my indiscretions before Marcus ended our marriage.”

  “I witnessed them, remember? Coming home from school and you were still in bed with some jerk.”

  Lillian lowered her head. “I knew you were angry long before Marcus kicked me out.” Her voice wavered. “That’s why you never said goodbye, isn’t it?”

  What was the use in discussing this? “If you don’t get Darcy out of Rhonda’s house and her life real fast, I’ll have him charged with assaulting me, the security guard, and my friend, Lou, before this day is over, understand?”

  Lillian seemed to be appraising her. “You’ve turned into a tough and resourceful young woman. I’m pleased, but I’m also terribly afraid for you. If you follow through with your threat, Darcy will unleash Armageddon.”

  “Don’t you get it? It’s already begun. When I see Theo—”

  “Stay away from Theo,” she interrupted. “He’s mine.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Theo’s no good for you. He belongs to me.”

  What on god’s earth was going on? “I thought you were mad at him.”

  “One can be angry and still maintain a relationship, dear.”

  “In other words, I’d better not interfere with your conquests, is that it?” Casey waited for an answer but none came. “Theo said it was over between you, that you’d found someone else. Maybe you didn’t get the memo.”

  “You haven’t known Theo nearly long enough to understand that he doesn’t mean half of what he says. So, let me tell you this once more, stay away from him.”

  Casey marched out of the bedroom.

  She was halfway across the courtyard when Mother called out, “We had some good times, didn’t we? When you were little?”

  God, the woman was nuts. Casey walked faster while unwanted memories of good times sprinted through her brain. Periods of harmony during vacations and at Christmas: kisses, hugs, bedtime stories. Memories carved so deeply in her mind that she couldn’t pry them free without losing part of herself.

  Casey was opening her car door when Mother emerged from the house. She scribbled something on the back of a business card and then handed it to her. “In case you need me.”

  What was she supposed to need her for? More in-your-face lessons on Holland dysfunction? Casey read, “Holland Personnel, Specialists in All Clerical Needs: Lillian Holland, President.” On the back was the number and address she’d seen in Dad’s notebook.

  “If you’re telling the truth about Osterman, you can have his body,” Casey said.

  “Thank you.”

  Casey followed Mother’s car out of the driveway and down Marine Drive. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if anything Mother had said was true. She’d seemed bent on discrediting Rhonda. Maybe Rhonda was right: Mother did want to cause trouble, and her possessiveness over Theo and Osterman was definitely bizarre.

  By the time Mother had turned off Marine Drive and disappeared, Casey realized she’d have to ask Rhonda if she’d known about Dad and the house after all.

  Nineteen

  WHEN CASEY GOT home, she found Rhonda’s and Darcy’s vehicles parked in their usual spots. She hadn’t been home in twenty hours and still didn’t want to face them. How was she supposed to deal with that violent maniac?

  She headed up the steps and into the kitchen, where the scent of garlic and oregano filled the room. Spaghetti sauce simmered on the stove. Surrounded by bags of fruits and veggies, Rhonda was on her knees, wiping a refrigerator shelf.

  She glanced at Casey. “How was your night at Lou’s?”

  “Fine.” Judging from the cool tone, Rhonda was still ticked with her for accusing Darcy of any wrongdoing.

  “Where’s Darcy?”

  “Lalonde took him in for a chat. I suppose you’re hoping he’s gone for good.”

  Casey didn’t want to discuss Darcy. “I just saw Mother,” she said, and saw Rhonda stop wiping. “She claimed you knew about the house before the murder. She also said you knew the house was occupied and that you have a two-month-old photograph proving it.”

  Rhonda stood and closed the fridge door. “I didn’t want you to know about Lillian’s twisted head games, but since she’s forced the issue . . .”

  Casey followed her to the living room. Rhonda knelt in front of a secretary desk in the corner. She removed a key taped under the bottom, unlocked the desk, and lifted out a stack of postcards and letters.

  She handed the stack to Casey. “Not only was I treated to phone calls, but Lillian started sending letters shortly after Marcus threw her out.”

  In a thicker envelope, Casey removed a news clipping about “L.H. Personnel” and a half-dozen photographs dated eleven months ago. Theo was in three shots, Mother sprawled across his lap in one of them. In another, they stood with their arms around each other at the Eiffel Tower. The accompanying note said, “Many thanks for the lovely snapshots of Summer and Cassandra.”

  Casey looked at Rhonda. “You sent pictures of us?”

  “She asked for them, so I thought why not? I’m proud of you two. Lovers and careers mean nothing compared to raising happy children.”

  But Rhonda hadn’t raised her; she’d just been around a lot. A cream-colored card stood out from the pile. Casey picked it up and saw Dad and Gislinde’s wedding invitation—real classy of Mother. The last envelope contained a snapshot of the house on Marine Drive. In the photo, Dad, or possibly Gustaf Osterman, was washing the Jaguar. Mother had written the address on the back.

  Casey held the snapshot in front of Rhonda. “Did you go to the house?”

  She began to shake her head, then stopped and nodded. “I started to drive out there once. Got as far as West Van before I decided the picture was one of Lillian’s nastier jokes. She knew I’d try to see him. I figured she’d doctored the photo, hoping I’d freak out.”

  “So you didn’t actually see the property?”

  Rhonda’s eyes glistened as she took the letters from her, “Seven weeks ago I went back again. That time, I talked to Marcus.”

  “Are you sure it was him?”

  “Totally, it was his voice, everything, though he pretended not to know me.” The letters slipped from Rhonda’s hand. “Then I realized he really didn’t know me. Something had happened to his mind.”

  “Oh, Rhonda.” If the man was Osterman, he wouldn’t have known her.

  “At first, I thought Lillian had put Marcus up to this, but he didn’t even mention you. If he’d been in his right mind, he would have.” She picked up
the envelopes. “I should have told you about the letters and seeing Marcus, but I didn’t want to upset you.”

  Too late, though she blamed Mother more than Rhonda. Casey put her arms around her.

  “I didn’t kill him,” Rhonda mumbled. “If that’s what you were wondering.”

  “I wasn’t, but why keep this stuff?”

  “To have proof of how it was between Lillian and me, so no one could accuse me of making it up. I mean, my relationship with her is weird.”

  Yeah, estranged codependency was definitely weird.

  Rhonda wiped her eyes and tried to smile. “You had a right to know about Marcus, but seeing him the way he was wouldn’t have brought you much comfort. Let’s face it, Marcus was a negligent parent long before he died.”

  “Good thing he didn’t have more kids.” She thought of Gislinde Van Akker.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think Marcus wanted more, which was why he had a vasectomy.”

  “Really? I didn’t know.” Was Gustaf Osterman the father of Gislinde’s child? Had Mother told the truth about him posing as Dad? But vasectomies could be reversed. On the other hand, Simone Archambault had been adamant about Dad dying three years ago, so maybe Mother had told the truth. It would also explain why Gustaf’s ex-wife hadn’t been able to locate him.

  “You were right about my parents keeping in touch over the years.” Casey told her about Theo Ziegler and her parents’ role in his import business.

  “That explains all his trips to Europe.” Rhonda let out a long sigh. “You’d think Lillian would have thrown the news in my face.”

  “She wouldn’t have wanted you asking too many questions,” Casey replied. “Mother also said that Darcy works for Ziegler too, and I believe her. Darcy wants the missing three million bucks that he thinks I have. It’s what the attacks were about, why my apartment’s been trashed, and why he’s spent time getting to know us.”

  Rhonda pulled at her disheveled hair. “Un-friggin’-believable.”

  “I’m not saying he doesn’t like you and that your relationship isn’t real,” Casey added, “but the money’s Darcy’s main mission.”