Fool Me Once

by Fern Michaels

  “It’s raining now, but it’s melting a lot of that ugly black ice. Okay, I’ll see you this evening. Is Cecil okay?”

  “Cecil is fine. I’ll see you this evening.”

  The cell phone still in her hand, Olivia called Cyrus Somers one more time. “I’m going to be taking some things with me. Can you find me some boxes so I can pack up what I want to take?”

  An hour later, the cargo hold of Olivia’s Bronco was full of cartons as well as Adrian’s computer. She’d cleaned everything out of the safe and the desk drawers. What she’d hoped to find was a mystery to her.

  Olivia shook hands with the caretaker and scratched Brutus behind the ears as she prepared to climb into the Bronco. “Mr. Somers, you don’t have to retire or leave here if you don’t want to. I’d like you to stay on if you’re up to it. The estate will continue to pay your salary. You don’t have to give me your answer right now. Think about it and get back to me when you can. You have my home phone number.” Olivia wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw relief in the old man’s eyes. He nodded as she slipped the Bronco into gear and drove away.

  It was four o’clock when Olivia realized she was starved. She cruised into the parking lot behind Kosco’s, parked the Bronco in front of the Sleep Inn, and headed for the Daily Grind Coffee Shop, where she ordered a large coffee and a sandwich. She could have eaten more, but Jeff would be bringing dinner so there was no point in stuffing herself now. She liked eating with Jeff and talking about everything and nothing.

  Olivia was home forty minutes later. She debated carrying in the boxes, but it was raining. Maybe Jeff could do it later. He needed to earn that dollar she’d paid him. She grinned at the idea. She really liked the guy. No, no, that was wrong—she was falling in love with Jeff Bannerman.

  Inside the house, she paid the dog-sitter and played with the dogs for a while. They refused to go outside in the rain, so she put down pee pads by the door.

  Olivia popped open a soft drink to carry into the great room, where she searched for the portable phone that was, as usual, between the cushions on the cocoa-colored sofa. She called her father, her foot tapping on the floor as she waited for him to click on his cell phone. The moment she heard his voice, she laced into him, her voice angry. “Why didn’t you ever tell me your ex-wife, the woman who gave birth to me, sent presents to me? Why did you send them back? How did you even know they were from her? Dammit, Dad, why did you lie to me?”

  He didn’t hedge. He didn’t try to wiggle out of the question. “What would have been the point, Ollie? You thought your mother was dead. They were sent from a law firm. Who else could they have been from?”

  Olivia’s foot was tapping so furiously, the dogs stopped what they were doing to watch this strange behavior. “Why didn’t you tell me when this all came to light? Why did you continue to keep me in the dark? I had a right to know, Dad. I don’t know if I can forgive you for that.”

  “Ollie…I know you want me to say I’m sorry, but I can’t do that, even for you, Ollie. Look at what you’re going through right now. This is what I never wanted to happen. As cruel as it is, she didn’t want you, Ollie. She said so, to me, to the nurses, to the lawyers she had there waiting for me, hours after you were born. For God’s sake, the woman robbed a damn bank to get what she wanted. Those gifts she sent were guilt gifts. She knew where you and I lived, otherwise how could she have had her lawyers send those gifts? If she wanted to see you, she could have stopped by at any time. If she had done that, Ollie, I wouldn’t have turned her away. It was her choice.” After a pause, he added, “When are you going to be done with this mess?” Frost dripped from his voice.

  “I don’t know,” Olivia snapped.

  “I don’t much care for your attitude, young lady. If you have more to say, say it now. I have no desire to go through this every few days. I can’t change the past. In fact, even if I could, I wouldn’t. I gave you a good life, Ollie, a damn good life, and you know it.”

  “Well, guess what, Dad, I don’t much care for the way you lied to me all these years. I think I have a good reason to have a bad attitude, as you call it. I think we should hang up now before one of us says something we’ll regret.” Olivia knew her father was angry when the connection was ended without a good-bye. She burst into tears.

  Pacing around the great room, stopping only to wipe at her drippy eyes and nose, she thought, It isn’t fair. I didn’t ask for this. And there was no way she could make it all go away. She raised her eyes to the ceiling. “I want my life back! I want to stew and worry about my calendars. I want to budget my money and know when I can or cannot buy something. I want to live here with my dogs, my work, and, most of all, I want to have a relationship with Jeff. Can You hear me?” When there was no response from the ceiling, Olivia threw herself on the sofa and bawled her eyes out, all the while telling herself she was going to have red, puffy eyes when Jeff arrived.

  Later, when Jeff got there, he took one look at the miserable woman standing in front of him and took her in his arms. He crooned words of sympathy as the dogs crowded around his legs.

  “You’re a lawyer, Jeff. I paid you a retainer. Tell me what to do. Tell me how to handle this. That…that woman has, in death, done more damage than she did in life. My dad is angry with me. In a way, I don’t blame him. He thinks he’s right. Then, there’s her, reaching beyond the grave to turn what we had to ruins. Am I wrong to feel like this? It’s never going to be the same again, is it? Maybe that’s what I can’t accept,” Olivia said, sobbing.

  “We’ll talk later,” Jeff said soothingly. “By the fire, with a nice glass of wine. Right now, though, I’m really hungry. I brought Italian. Spaghetti and meatballs in a garlic lemon sauce from Mama and Papa’s. The best Italian restaurant in the District of Columbia. Wait a minute! I did bring it—where is it?” he said, looking around.

  “Did you set it down?” Olivia asked.

  “Yes. Oh no!” Together, they raced into the great room. Four defiant furry little faces gazed up at Olivia and Jeff as much as to say, “It was past supper time, what did you expect?” Then they started to lick each other’s whiskers. Plastic containers littered the great room. “Guess they don’t like spaghetti. They just ate the meatballs.” In spite of himself, Jeff was laughing. Olivia joined in the laughter as she helped Jeff clean up the mess the dogs had created.

  The dogs raced off to hide under the bed when Olivia started to wag her finger in front of them.

  “Shame on all of you.”

  “I like scrambled eggs.” Jeff guffawed. “Do dogs do stuff like this a lot?”

  “Yeah. They’re like little kids. Did you see how defiant and guilty they looked?” Both of them burst out laughing again. Suddenly, Olivia felt a hundred percent better.

  The following morning, as Olivia was struggling to hook up Adrian Ames’s computer, Dennis Lowell was waiting in the marina office for his FedEx delivery. He alternated between pacing and talking to a wizened old man with skin baked to a rich mahogany color. It also looked dryer than shoe leather. He had no idea what the old man was talking about, and he responded with absentminded grunts. He sighed with relief when he saw the red, white, and blue FedEx truck drive into the parking lot. He had to fight with himself not to run out to the truck.

  Dennis knew he looked a total mess, his eyes red-rimmed with lack of sleep. He knew in that moment, if Allison Matthews, or Adrian Ames, or whatever she called herself, had still been alive, he would have searched her out and killed her himself. If there had been a way to blame the hydraulics problem with his boat on her, he would have.

  Dennis signed for his envelope and walked back to his boat. He needed to get a deposit ticket before heading to the bank. Most important, he wanted to sit in his canvas chair and look at the checks that were literally saving his retirement years. Ollie hadn’t failed him. It’s just you and me, kid, he thought. Why did he ever think it wouldn’t be any different with three people in the mix?

  As Dennis stared down at the
checks in his hands, he was seeing the numbers, but his thoughts were back in Winchester with his daughter. She was upset with him. Well, he was upset with her, too. She was waffling where Adrian Ames was concerned because she couldn’t bear to accept the truth. If she had to make him out to be the bad guy, that would have to be okay as long as she could come to some kind of peaceful resolution where her mother was concerned.

  There was a spring in Dennis’s step when he hopped off his boat and started down the dock to his car, a battered, secondhand, open-air Jeep with a stick shift. He’d chosen the stick shift because Lea didn’t know how to drive a stick. She had her Honda. Until two days ago, he hadn’t realized how divided their relationship was. This was his, that was hers. Sometimes he was really dense, and things didn’t register until it was too late. At least that’s what Ollie used to tell him. Certainly that had been the case with his first wife!

  Forty minutes later, Dennis walked out of the bank feeling like a new person. He then did two things from his Jeep. He called the hydraulics firm and set a date for the work to begin. Next, he made his way to the local newspaper, where he renewed the ads he ran in hopes of getting more charters.

  On his way home, he pulled to the curb and bought a hot dog with chili, sauerkraut, onions, and relish, along with a soft drink. He gobbled the hot dog down, finished off the soda, and kicked the Jeep into gear. The check for Lea felt hot in his pocket.

  Lea was sitting on the steps, a paperback novel in one hand, a glass of ice tea in the other. The Jeep’s wheels squirted gravel as he pulled to a stop. He climbed out. They eyed each other warily. Lea didn’t look angry, just resigned. He felt something tug at his heart, and he straightened his shoulders to get rid of the feeling. Lea moved to the side so he could sit down next to her. He waited to see what she would say, if anything.

  “This isn’t working, is it, Dennis?”

  “I don’t think so, Lea. It sounded wonderful when we were planning this way back when. We didn’t allow for things like the hydraulics. I guess that was my fault. I’m sorry about that, Lea. I really am. I know you’re not happy here. I’m sorry about that, too. I overheard your phone conversation with Olivia. I walked home and came in the back-door. I heard you ask for the money from Adrian’s estate. How could you do that, Lea, knowing how I feel about it? How, Lea?”

  All the fight seemed to have left Lea. Her voice was wan when she said, “It would have made our lives so much easier, Dennis. I can honestly say I wanted it more for you than for myself. These are our golden years. What they’ve turned out to be are tarnished brass.” Lea moved on the step, her voice now brisk and cool. “What do you suggest we do, Dennis?”

  Dennis reached into his pocket and brought out the check he’d had the bank make out to Lea. “I called Ollie yesterday and asked her to take out a second mortgage on the house. Here’s all the money you put into the boat and the house. There’s a little left from the loan to pay off the boat’s gas bill and the house bills. I can get some of the minor stuff done on the boat and hire out to Hemmings or some of the other guys. I’ll sell the house and live on the boat. It will cut down on overhead.”

  “You’re assuming I’m leaving, is that it?”

  “We’re too old to play games, Lea. Of course you’re leaving. This life isn’t for you, we both know that. I’m really sorry it didn’t work out. I don’t think I could ever come to terms with what you did. Just so you know, Lea, Ollie didn’t tell me about your phone call.”

  Lea nodded sadly. “I’m sorry, too, Dennis. This is all happening so…so quick. Are you sure you’re going to be all right? Or…”

  Dennis’s eyes narrowed in the bright sunlight. “Or what?”

  “Are you getting rid of me so you don’t have to share Allison’s money with me?”

  Dennis stood up and looked down at the little woman sitting on the step. He noticed that the ice cubes in her tea had melted. The tea looked like pale colored water. All he did was shake his head from side to side before he walked over to the Jeep. “Good-bye, Lea.”

  Chapter 19

  “You look cute in the morning,” Olivia teased. “Look! The dogs think so, too.” She burst out laughing when all four dogs hopped on the bed. Cecil or Loopy nibbled on Jeff’s ear while Alice tugged at his arm to get him to move. Bea, ever flirtatious, sat on Jeff’s chest, making funny, adoring sounds as she licked the stubble on his chin.

  Olivia leaned up on one elbow, drinking in the sight before her. It would be like this every morning if she married Jeff Bannerman. Assuming, of course, that Jeff asked for her hand in marriage. If that did happen, who would take care of the dogs during their honeymoon? Where would they go on a honeymoon? Maybe they would have to take the dogs. Four dogs on a honeymoon should be interesting. She felt laughter bubbling in her throat at the thought.

  “What’s so funny?” Jeff grumbled good-naturedly as Bea suddenly made a flying leap to land half on the pillow, half on Jeff’s head. Alice growled, then swatted the suddenly rambunctious Bea. Jeff made a mighty leap and was off the bed. Thinking the game was ongoing, the dogs followed him to the bathroom. When the door closed, as one, they howled their disapproval.

  Olivia reached for her robe. She led the parade to the door to let the dogs out. A quick glance at the kitchen clock told her Jeff had time for toast and coffee. She made both. She was spreading butter and jam on the toast when Jeff entered the kitchen. She almost swooned. He was wearing what she would call a power suit of charcoal gray with a pristine white shirt and red-striped tie. His dark, unruly hair was slicked back and he smelled…heavenly. She said so.

  “You think so, huh? Do I smell good enough to marry?”

  Olivia whirled away from the toaster. “Is…is that a proposal?”

  “Well, yeah. I guess it wasn’t very romantic, huh? Did I do it wrong? You know, I never proposed to anyone before. I could get down on one knee. Should I call your father to ask for your hand? What? Help me out here.”

  He was so agitated, his face so pink, Olivia took pity on him. She handed him a slice of toast with shaking hands.

  “Ah…I didn’t even brush my teeth yet,” she blurted. “You don’t have to ask my dad for my hand, and you don’t have to get down on one knee, either. I…no one has ever proposed to me, so I guess we’re starting out even. I accept. I do. I mean, I will marry you. When?”

  Jeff’s eyes bugged out of his head. “When? Well…when do you want to do it?”

  “We should probably think about a date when we have more time. You have to leave now or you’ll be late.” God, how brilliant was that?

  Jeff looked at the clock. He grimaced as he headed for the door. “I’ll leave early and bring some champagne. I’ll try to make it more romantic. All I do is think about you, Olivia. I can’t concentrate. Is it okay if I call my parents today to tell them?”

  Telling his parents would make it official. Olivia nodded, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

  “Good! Call your dad, too. Talk me up real good—you know, tell him I don’t have any cavities, I’m a hard worker, I’ll take care of you. Tell him we’ll have beautiful children, and don’t forget to tell him I love dogs. Really love dogs! Bye. Oh—I love you!”

  Olivia stood in the middle of the kitchen, a blank look on her face. Children. He’d said children. That really made it official. He wanted her to call her father. He was going to call his parents. Tonight they were going to celebrate. All he did was think of her. “Wooeee!” she shouted to the dogs. And on top of that, he’d said he loved her. What better way to start the day?

  It must be a new game, the little herd decided. They swooped down on her when Olivia crouched down. Soon they were all rolling across the floor with Olivia screaming out her happiness. Yesterday she’d been in a terrible funk—today she felt like she was on top of the world. “Call your dad,” Jeff had said. She would. After all, he would be giving her away.

  Olivia rolled away from the dogs. She could feel the color draining out of her face. It was j
ust an expression. All fathers gave their daughters away at a wedding. It was normal, it was expected, it was the way of things. Unless you got married in Las Vegas.

  Olivia raced down the hall to her bedroom, where she showered, then dressed in jeans and a bright yellow sweatshirt. Her feet had wings when she ran to her office to call her father. The moment she heard his voice, she started to babble. When she finally wound down and there was no comment from Dennis, she prodded him.

  “I’m happy for you, Ollie. If it’s what you want, then it’s what I want. I guess you know it won’t be ‘just you and me, kid’ anymore.”

  Olivia’s euphoric mood changed with her father’s words. Her voice turned cool and flat. “In case you didn’t notice, it hasn’t been that way for a long time. Since Lea, actually. By the way, how is Lea?”

  The silence on the other end of the phone boomed in Olivia’s ear. This time she refused to prod her father.

  “Ollie, I overheard Lea the day she called you asking for money. I walked home that day because it was so beautiful out. I went into the house by the back door. I had no idea she felt the way she did. It never, ever, occurred to me that she would do what she did. To make a long story short, I gave her the check, and she’s leaving. I plan to sell the house and live on the boat. I just wanted you to know that. I’m happy for you, Ollie. Right now my head is in a hundred different places, so if I’m not coming across the way you’d like, that’s the reason.”

  “It’s okay, Dad. I’m really sorry about Lea, but maybe it’s for the best? Look, I have to go. Like you, I have a hundred different things on my mind. Stay in touch, okay?” Olivia had to stab at the OFF button three times before she finally broke the connection.

  Don’t think about this, Olivia. Shelve it—put it out of your mind. Don’t even think about crying.

  Olivia sat down at the computer, turned it on, and waited to boot up her e-mail. The only e-mail of any importance was the message from Miki Kenyan of The Private Detective Agency. It was short but meaningful.