“Of course,” she said.
They talked for a few more seconds before hanging up.
Julius came into the room and handed Lily a coffee mug. “We have to get going or we’re going to be late.”
Lily pushed it away and sat up. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Her husband sat the cup down, kneeled in front of her and pulled Lily into an embrace. “Maybe you should hand this case over to someone else. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
Lily withdrew from his arms and shuffled to the closet. “Hopefully, this case will be closed soon.” She plucked her black three-piece pant suit from the hanger and got dressed.
“It could’ve been you lying in that casket,” Julius said.
“I know, but it isn’t. Can we go? I don’t want to be late.”
“Don’t forget this.” He handed Lily her badge.
She rubbed her palm over the black band and clipped it to her breast pocket.
Lily slipped her hand in Julius’s and clung to her husband, trying to soak up enough of his strength to get through the next few hours as they made their way out to his vehicle.
*
Light rain drizzled down upon members of the community who held flags and balloons as they waved at the oncoming traffic from the side of the road.
A hearse and limousines were the first of many cars that winded along Highway 89 and continued on over to Main Street where they parked in front of Saint Lawrence Church.
Pallbearers lifted Collin’s casket, draped with the United States flag, out of the hearse and elevated it above their shoulders. As they proceeded through the church doors, a line of officers saluted the casket.
With help from the ushers, Mother found her seat while Lily stood to the side and observed as her dad’s coffin was positioned at its place of honor.
“Your dad was like a father to me,” Evan said, coming up from behind. “Hell, a lot of us guys looked up to him. I’m here if you need me.” They hugged as Alec shook Deena’s hand.
Soon a deep stillness settled over the crowd. The ceremony began and introductions commenced, beginning with the Mayor. Forty minutes later, it was Lily’s turn.
When she reached the podium, she adjusted the microphone and studied the mass of people gathering out in the vestibule. A lump caught in her throat as she fought back tears. “To me, my dad was one of a kind. His zest for life, positive thoughts, and love for hunting were the special things that we shared as father and daughter.
“After I graduated from the academy, he took me on several ride-a-longs. During one of them he said, ‘Keep your head on a swivel and pay attention to your surroundings.’ I thought he had me with him because he was trying to prepare me for my first day on the job. But, I later found out from my mom, it was Dad’s way of letting go of his little girl. He insisted on being the one to drop me off during all of my first days at school, where he’d warn me against boys. This time, he was driving me around our city in an effort to warn me against the danger on the streets.
“Losing my dad was a shock and something I don’t understand. I doubt I ever will. It’s times like this that force us to accept what is and continue on.
“But one thing is for sure, his dedication to his job, the ability to crack the lamest joke and still make me laugh, will forever remain with me.”
Lily looked over at the personalized 11 x 15 wooden frame displaying Collin’s picture on the day he was promoted to detective. The words “End of Watch,” and the date were inscribed at the bottom. “I’m going to miss you, Dad.”
Lily stepped down and took a seat next to Julius. He seized her in his arms and held her.
Shortly afterward, the service came to an end. As Sergeant Owen finished his speech, the grace notes on the chanter were played and Amazing Grace flowed from the bagpipes.
Lily went to assist Deena out of her seat and out of the church while Collin’s casket was wheeled outside to the hearse.
Then a click was heard over the loud speakers.
“All units stand by,” the dispatcher said. “All units stand by for Detective Collin Blanchette, badge number 281. Detective Blanchette, your work is done here. Rest in peace.”
After the “Last Radio Call,” one by one the vehicle engines roared to life and pulled slowly out onto the street, making their way to the cemetery.
With two uniformed officers on motorcycles leading, silent lights flashed among the police procession which contained about thirty different cruisers showing support for their fellow officer and his family.
Family and friends gathered graveside with the priest as they bid farewell to Collin. As it neared the end, Deena burst into tears, crying uncontrollably. Lily closed her eyes to keep from doing the same. As she reached out to comfort her mother, gloved fingers touched hers, gripping Deena’s shoulders. Lily opened her eyes and glanced over to see Montejack guiding Deena gingerly to the limousine.
Lily wasn’t sure if it was sadness or shock, but she couldn’t find her voice to scream at Deena and demand to know why she allowed him to hold her like Dad used to. Julius pulled Lily to him. After the priest blessed the site, Lily followed the lowering of the sterling casket while other mourners began to depart. The rain blended with snow as the workmen closed the burial vault.
Silent tears escaped Lily’s eyes as she knelt down, scooped up a handful of snow and soil and tossed it onto the grave. As she stood and started walking towards Julius, the Surace limo passed her on the right and drove away from the cemetery.
Later that afternoon, Julius followed Lily up the carpeted stairwell and into their bedroom. Two small woven French tapestries, passed down from Grandmother Blanchette, hung on the wall above the four poster bed.
A faded scent from the hazelnut warmer provided a welcoming fragrance; a reminder that Lily needed to add it to her growing shopping list. She switched on the table lamp, slid out of her black dress and stepped out of her heels.
Julius handed Lily her robe. “Are you sure you want to do this now? You just got back from Collin’s funeral.”
“I have to do this,” Lily said, putting on her robe. She lifted the corded phone off her bed, holding on to it a little longer. She smiled. Her dad had given it to her last year for Christmas to compliment the old world décor in her bedroom.
“Do you need me to stay?” Julius asked, scooting Collin’s box across the bed toward her.
“No,” she said, placing the phone on the nightstand. “I’d like to sort this out alone.”
“Want some soup and tea?”
“Just tea.” Not sure where to start, she leafed through the items and retrieved her dad’s journal. She opened to the first page. Many of the entries were filled with details about his day after work; other pages were about his hunting trips and family.
About midway into the journal, an entry forced Lily to reread the words written before her.
March 2: I’ve decided to stay with Deena for the girls’ sake. Yes, Celine and Lily are old enough to understand divorce. However dating isn’t as simple as it used to be. Another reason being, I feel partially responsible for the way our marriage is now. I wasn’t home enough to be the husband Deena wanted me to be. She still cares for me, I think. Although, I can’t help but feel, after all this time, Deena resents me for not being more like Doc.
April 7: Went down to McGinley’s to celebrate Lily making detective. It was great to see Morgan and the others. I only wished Deena would’ve been able to make it, but she was out showing another house.
I’m beginning to know how Deena felt when I wasn’t able to attend family events due to work. Maybe one day she’ll forgive me.
Lily skipped a few pages to the section marked with a ribbon.
April 10: I think it’s time to start thinking about retirement. Lily will do fine as a detective and carry on the family legacy. I need to make time for Deena, like I promised over twenty years ago.
April 22: I’ve been inconsolable since Celine’s death. Deena has been my
rock.
April 23: Listened to Celine’s voicemail from two days ago. She’d gotten into another fight with Deena after overhearing something that I hope to God is untrue. Although, I have a feeling that I’ve known the truth all along.
Lily flipped to the next page, her eyes settling on the next entry.
September 14: It’s our anniversary and I had to cancel my dinner plans with Deena. I can’t sit at the same table with her anymore, knowing what I do. After all, Deena has lied to me for the third time and I need some time to think. I’m reconsidering divorce.
Dad was going to leave Mother.
*
4:00 p.m.
Lily watched as a man and a woman emerged from a home and stood next to the Blanchette Realty yard sign that swayed gently in the wind. Along the circular driveway leading up to the chateau inspired house, an eclectic blend of native white birch and white cedar had been groomed to accent the deep green manicured lawn. Burning bush and Japanese barberry blazed crimson flanked the potted mums guarding the double lighted entryway door.
A few seconds later, a stoic Deena Blanchette exited the home, locking the door behind her. She had her hair in a severe bun and wore a full length mink coat.
Dad and my sister are dead. How can she seem like she doesn’t have a care in the world?
Deena walked up to the couple, shook their hands and the three parted ways. As Deena continued down the walk, Lily climbed down from the Ram and closed the door.
“Not even guilt slows you down,” Lily said, strolling up to her mother.
Deena stopped abruptly. “What is it now, Lily?”
“It’s good to see you, too. I’d thought after your cozy moment with Landon at Dad’s funeral you’d want to reassure me it wasn’t what it seemed.”
“You accosted me on my job. The least you could do is not waste my time.”
Lily kept her eyes on her mother and tried to determine if she was as cold as she seemed, or was this all a front? “Ah, since you don’t want to talk about Dad, talk to me about Celine? I need to know everything.”
“I know as much as you do. Maybe even less,” Deena replied, walking around her
daughter and pressing the alarm to her Cadillac Sedan.
“Liar.”
Deena spun on her heels. “It isn’t my responsibility to hold your hand because you can’t let go.”
“Celine told me you two argued that night.”
Deena’s face flashed tension. “I always argued with your sister. Her refusal to carry herself like a lady was beyond frustrating.”
When was she going to let up? What Celine did in the past didn’t matter anymore.
“Mother,” Lily begged, “quit shutting me out.”
“It was never my intention to have you feel that way,” Deena said. “The death of your father has taken a toll on me. More than I realized. I’d made some poor choices during our marriage and I wish I could take them back.”
What poor choices? Was she talking about the suspected affair? Did Mother know Dad had concerns about their marriage before he died? If so, did he find out who it was? Lily wanted to ask, but felt she would be compelled to tell her mother the truth about her dad’s journal. “Was Dad going to divorce you before he passed away?”
Deena walked energetically to her car. “We were fine. As for your sister, I’m not sure why she hated me.”
“Please, help me make sense of this. I only heard Celine’s side.”
“Your sister brought what happened to her on herself.”
“My sister had a name, Mother. Why can’t you call her by her name?”
“Why can’t you let this go?”
“Running away won’t help,” Lily called after her.
Deena snatched opened the driver’s side door and looked over the hood of the car. “Believe me; I’m reminded every day about that tragedy. I created my own hell. Protecting you is what gets me through.”
Protecting me from what? More secrets or more lies? Was her admission from the heart? Or was it something she used to dodge the conversation?
Before Lily could ponder Deena’s motive, her mother was gone.
Damn you, Mother!
*
7:11 p.m.
Lily sliced the last thick piece of ham, handed it to Julius and observed as he put the sandwiches together to make her favorite, Monte Cristo. With everything that had happened lately, she hadn’t had much of an appetite; she was grateful that she was finally hungry.
She tossed the knife into the dish water, picked up her dad’s journal and leaned against the kitchen counter combing through the journal pages. Anything about Celine or the case she was working on would be helpful.
October 21st: There’s nothing more embarrassing than being told by my former partner, Kevin, that he saw Deena having lunch with “him” again.
October 23: Retirement will have to wait. Following up on a lead about Celine’s murder. Hoping Julius can help me.
Lily fastened her gaze on Julius as he flipped the sandwiches out of the skillet and onto saucers. “When did you discuss my case with Dad?”
“I didn’t discuss anything with your Dad,” Julius said, putting the saucers down on the table. “You want powdered sugar or preserves?”
“Preserves.”
“No thanks to Ibee, Collin came to me wanting information that I had from a source. He practically bullied it out of me.” Julius scooped some strawberry preserves and spread it lightly on top of the sandwiches.
“I’m pretty sure he didn’t bully you.”
He cracked half a smile and handed Lily her sandwich. “He said our marriage would end if you found out I didn’t give up what I had.”
“He was right. I hate being lied to. As for the marriage…,”
“What?”
“I’m kidding,” she said, hugging her husband. “But seriously, what did you guys talk about?”
“Babe, don’t make me go through this with you, too. It’s my job. We made a promise, remember?”
“I remember. Although I can’t help thinking that under the circumstances, we’d bend, just a little.”
“I bended and gave Collin some info to be respectful to you. I’m not doing it again.”
As much as Lily desired to investigate the discussion between her husband and father, she figured it was better to drop it. No matter how she looked at it, Julius was right. She took another bite of her sandwich and buried herself back in the journal.
“October 25: I didn’t think I could be hurt any more by my wife. I knew it was true but I needed confirmation. It was all I could think about when I read the test results from FPC.”
She flipped the page to continue reading, but the remaining pages were empty.
What results, Dad? What is FPC?
Lily barreled out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into her bedroom. She flung back the lid on her storage trunk and rummaged through her Dad’s items until she found an envelope marked FPC.
Though it was unsealed, she hesitated.
What obstacle in their relationship forced Dad to be so angry with Mother? What test could hurt him?
Her hands shook as she opened the envelope.
The heading on the yellow letter read: Family Paternity Clinic.
Lily’s gaze fell on the mid-section of the letter.
“Collin Blanchette is excluded as the biological father of Lily Blanchette.”
Chapter 24
The next day at the beginning of her shift, Lily cleaned off Morgan’s desk and packed up the things her friend wanted her to bring up to the hospital.
As she reached for the bottle of antacid, she looked over at the picture next to it with Morgan, Collin, and her at McGinley’s. How can it be that Collin Blanchette isn’t my dad? He’s the only one I’ve known. He cared for me when I got hurt. He kissed my tears when I was unhappy. Was this all going to be taken away because Mother refused to keep her legs closed?
The personal questions that plagued her: Where is my dad
? Does he know that I exist?
What respect she had left for her mother was now gone. She was lying yesterday and she’s been lying for the last thirty-four years of my life.
She imagined ways to confront her mother. And what better time to do it than during Mother’s “let’s come together as a family at Thanksgiving dinner?” Lily’s uncertainty about the dinner had turned into determination. She would be there, all right, with questions that demanded answers.
After Lily finished packing, she headed toward Sarge’s office, stopping him in the doorway as he was leaving. She pointed at the bag and said, “I’ll run this to the hospital later.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “Joshua identified Martinez as the one who was burning the clothes, but we never uncovered any burnt items during our search. Also, they found a hunting knife under the seat of Martinez’s car. It had his prints and an unidentified partial. That knife was used to kill Victor.”
“What about the victims? Was it the same knife?”
“They don’t think so. The lab is still going through the stuff found at Sanchez’s. And we’re waiting to hear back about the DNA. The only thing Sanchez is being charged with is menacing. For now.”
“I wished I’d found something more concrete. Like the weapon. Something to link him definitely to the killings. The D.A’s office might not want to prosecute this case.”
“Are you having doubts about Sanchez?”
“Not at all.”
Lily’s heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She wasn’t brave enough to tell what she was contemplating. I’m confident that Sanchez’s involved. But I’m not sure to what extent.
Sarge said, “That’s good. You’ve done well as lead on this case. I want you to take a few days to get yourself together. Evan and Alec can finish up the paperwork.”
Shocked, Lily backed out of the doorway and leaned back against the glass window looking into the office. “I see.”
“Don’t take it as a slam against you. Once things cool down on both ends, you can come back to work.”
Promised Lies (A Detective Blanchette Mystery) Page 16