Your Eyes Don't Lie

by Branton, Rachel

  She answered on his third ring, the noise from her television set blaring into the hallway. “Yes? Oh, hi. You’re that fellow Makay’s been seeing.”

  “Do you know where she is? No one answers upstairs.”

  “Of course she’s not answering. She moved.” The woman’s eyes narrowed. “That’s odd she didn’t tell you.”

  Harrison felt like an idiot. Nate had talked about a new place, but he’d thought they would wait until the end of the month. Had his confrontation forced her to move early? Guilt crawled through his mind. “Where is she?”

  The old woman shook her head. “She didn’t say exactly where, but even if she had, I wouldn’t tell you. You understand. I’m sure she’ll let you know if she wants you to find her. Why don’t you give her a call?” Her eyes squinted at him. “Did you two have a fight? I thought it was odd her moving all those boxes today by herself.”

  Her tone implied that any decent boyfriend would have rearranged his schedule to help. Maybe she was right.

  “Call her,” she said. “She has her cell. We’re keeping in touch on account of the groceries. And the funeral.”

  Groceries? Funeral? The woman was speaking Greek or old age. He wasn’t sure which. “Whose funeral?”

  “Sally’s. She lived on the third floor. Makay used to give her groceries even though she never paid a dime like the rest of us. Makay’s a sweet girl.”

  Of course, he thought acidly. Makay can afford to give groceries away because she’s blackmailing people with the little rat-faced scumbag. Ire bubbled inside his gut, but he squashed it down. If she had money, she wouldn’t be living in a hole like this. No, he’d wait to hear her explanation before deciding whether or not to turn her over to the police. But if it came to that, how could he keep his mother out of it? And what about Nate? Anything that happened to Makay would affect him.

  Back in the car, Harrison stared at his dash for a long time before finally punching Makay’s number. Tianna was right. If he never learned another thing about Makay’s motives and how she became involved with that man, he would always wonder. But most of all, if he was honest, at the moment he just wanted to make sure she was all right.

  She didn’t pick up. Big surprise. She probably wouldn’t want to talk to him again. Her voice seemed to ring in his ears, throwing his own words back at him. I’m a liar, a cheat, and a user. You have made that very clear. What else is there after something like that?

  Okay, if she wasn’t answering, he could text her. But what could he say that would make her respond? Not an apology because he wasn’t sure he owed one, and not asking if she was okay, because he didn’t think she’d appreciate that. Finally, he texted We need to talk. Maybe that would be compelling enough to get her to return his call. He did want to talk. He wanted to know how she’d discovered his mother’s secret, why that rat-faced man seemed familiar, and why she’d kissed him as if she’d meant it.

  Discouraged, he went home. No calls came for him that evening, not even from his mother. Would Makay still go through with the blackmail now that he knew? Harrison hated that he wanted her to care about him enough to cancel the whole deal, never mind the morality of the issue. The hard fact was that she might not be in a position to call anything off, not if rat-face was in charge.

  After a sleepless night, Harrison rose early and went to work. He kept his phone nearby, checking it every so often. Still nothing. Finally, he took an early lunch and headed for IHOP. He wasn’t going to talk to her there, but check and make sure she was physically okay. He told himself it was stupid. Why should he care how she was after the horror she’d put him and his mother through?

  Her car wasn’t in the IHOP parking lot. Feeling a twinge of unease, he went inside and asked for her. A stocky, dark-skinned girl with straightened black hair and too much blue eye shadow told him Makay hadn’t shown up for her shift. “Thanks, Peg,” he said, peering at her name tag.

  “She didn’t seem the type to do that,” Peg said. “Hope nothing’s happened to her. If you see her, tell her to call in right away or she’ll lose her job. As it is, she’d better have a good excuse.”

  Harrison walked out of the restaurant, wishing he could somehow wind back time. He should have invited Makay into his car and discussed his information rationally. He shouldn’t have let anger or his feelings of betrayal take over.

  Where is she? He’d run out of ideas.

  Who might know? The only people he knew who also knew Makay besides that old lady at her apartment building in Mesa—and she obviously had no plans to share anything she might learn—were her friends he’d met at the club, those connected with Lily’s House. Fortunately, he knew where that was, and he drove directly there. As he arrived, two battered cars left with several young girls inside. No blue Sebring.

  Lily opened the door, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, her young son on her hip. Her protruding stomach seemed to have doubled since the last time he’d seen her. “Hi,” she said brightly. “I ordered the alarm equipment, but it hasn’t come yet. Should be here next week.”

  He shook his head, feeling suddenly very awkward. “That’s not why I’m here. It’s about Makayla.”

  Lily’s brow furrowed. “Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know. A lady at her apartment said she moved out, but she’s not answering my calls.”

  Lily relaxed. “Oh, don’t worry about that. She moved in with Brette. I think you met her at the nightclub.” She laughed and tossed her head, sending her ponytail swinging. “Brette’s not happy staying at her mother’s house alone, but she’s sick of irresponsible roommates. Tessa and I thought Makay would be perfect. Plus, it’s a lot better place for Nate and Snoop.”

  Relief flooded Harrison. “That would explain a lot. Except that she didn’t show up at her job today.”

  “Come on in. Let me call her.”

  Lily led him into the kitchen where she set her son on the countertop. “Wanna play with Nate,” he said.

  “I know, sweetie. I’ll ask his mom, okay?” When he nodded, Lily reached for a phone on the wall, but before dialing, she asked, “So is there some reason Makay wouldn’t pick up for you? Did you guys have a fight?”

  Blood rushed to Harrison’s face. “We, uh, had a few words. I’m hoping it’s a misunderstanding.”

  Lily frowned as her fingers ran over the buttons. After a moment, she shook her head. “She’s not answering for me, either. I’ll call Brette. She’ll be at work, but she always picks up if I call.” Again she pushed buttons and waited.

  “Hi, Brette? It’s Lily. Look, I’m trying to reach Makay, but she’s not answering and she didn’t show up to work today. Is she sick?” There was a pause while Lily listened. “Oh, I see. You can sleep here tonight, if you need to. Oh, the dog. That’s good, I guess. Does he actually like you?” Lily laughed. “I see. Guess you’re right. He doesn’t have to like you to keep intruders away. Well, I’ll keep trying to call Makay, but let me know if you hear from her, okay? Talk to you later.”

  Lily hung up and looked at Harrison. “She left early this morning with Nate. Said she wouldn’t be back tonight. Brette has the idea that they were going to stay another night at her apartment. She didn’t ask why, but she assumed it was something related to one of her neighbors dying. Makay must have mixed up her work hours, or maybe the person you talked to didn’t realize she’d cleared the time off. Makay is one of the most reliable people I know. If she says something, she means it.”

  Her explanation didn’t help Harrison at all. “I didn’t get the impression they even knew when the funeral was going to be yet. And the lady I talked to at her apartment said she moved all her stuff out.”

  Worry crept back into Lily’s blue eyes. “Brette did say something about her taking a large duffel bag with her. She didn’t ask what it was. She also said that she brought in a few boxes, but left most of what she’d brought in her car. Brette joked about her maybe waiting to see if it was going to work out before hauling it all in.” She paused
, chewing on a thumbnail. “Tell you what, I’ll call my sister. Tessa works nearby, and today is one of her half days so she’ll be leaving soon. She’s picked up Nate from school before—I bet she can find out if he’s there.” She turned to her son and helped him down from the counter. “You go find some toys to play with, okay? I’ll come play with you in a bit.” The child nodded and, with a mistrustful glance at Harrison, hurried for the door.

  Harrison walked to the window and stared into Lily’s backyard. He remembered how Makay and Nate had played with Snoop there, and something shifted painfully inside him. What was he going to do once he found Makay? He couldn’t let his mother pay the blackmail money, but would Makay be able to call it off? Would she choose to?

  Ten minutes later, Tessa called back and Lily looked somber as she hung up the phone. “Tessa says Nate didn’t go to school today. And what’s more, Makay emailed the teacher and said he wasn’t returning at all. It surprised the teacher that Nate wouldn’t be back even just to say goodbye. She was worried because they had some clay projects they were working on and Nate’s a bit sentimental that way.” She shook her head. “That’s not like Makay to pull him out so abruptly. Is there something you’re not telling me? This wasn’t just a simple disagreement you had, was it?”

  Harrison slowly turned to face her. “I think Makay might have gotten herself into a little trouble.” He hesitated before adding, “I wasn’t very nice when I confronted her about it. That’s one of the reasons I’m worried. I could have handled it better.”

  Lily’s eyes narrowed. “Wait, does this somehow involve Nate? Because Makay’s first motive for doing anything is always to protect Nate. It has been since day one. His mother was like those mothers you read about in the newspaper. You know, after their babies are found dead from neglect or abuse. She was the type of woman who would push a twelve-year-old outside at night in the dead of winter because the child drank some beer from the fridge when she was desperate for something to eat. Makay saved that boy’s life a dozen times over, and if she felt he was threatened in any way, I can absolutely believe she’d pick up and leave.”

  Harrison raked a hand through his hair, thinking hard. “If I report what she’s doing to the police, it would definitely affect Nate.” He felt terrible even voicing the words. He’d seen how much Makay and Nate meant to each other.

  “Report her to the police? You’d better do no such thing.” Lily’s eyes flashed, and her hands clenched at her sides. “Whatever you think she’s done, you’re wrong. I thought when she met you, things would get better. She deserves better.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not the one you should be telling that to.”

  “I know that, too.” He started across the kitchen, pausing at the doorway. “Look, if you see her, tell her I’m sorry and that I just want to talk.” He turned to leave, but Lily’s voice stopped him.

  “Makay may have done things in her life that she’s not proud of to survive, but if you had any idea what she came from, you wouldn’t be so judgmental. To my knowledge she’s never purposely been unkind or unfair to anyone.” A tear escaped Lily’s eye, and she impatiently wiped it away. “You know those little packets of syrup, the kind you get at McDonald’s or wherever? When I first met her, she told me that as a child she’d go through the garbage and hoard them at one of the parks where she’d sleep at night to escape her stepmother. The sugar made the other food she found more palatable, especially when it was old.” Lily’s face crumpled, and her tears began to fall in earnest. “I admire Makay more than anyone I’ve ever met, and every time things get hard and I think about closing this house, I put it out of my mind because I never want any girl to have to go through life like she did just so I can have a little less stress. Whatever she’s gotten herself into, I believe in her.”

  Syrup. There it was again. I am such an idiot. Everything he knew about Makay told him something was wrong, that there was something he was overlooking, but in his own self-righteous manner—Eli’s manner—he’d only paid attention to his own pain. He’d completely overlooked the fact that he couldn’t judge Makay by any yardstick he’d known before. Not if any of the past Lily had hinted at was true, and he’d glimpsed into Makay’s soul enough to believe it was. Sure, he was attracted to her almost out of his mind, but that was only the beginning. He wanted to protect her, to make her laugh, to feel her hand in his. He wanted to play pool with her and Nate every day for the rest of his life.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again. “If I could take it back, I would.”

  “I hope it’s not too late.”

  “So do I.”

  Lily nodded, sniffing hard. “Don’t forget. I’ll expect you next week to install the alarm.”

  “Please, just let me know if you hear that she’s okay.” Harrison left her his phone number and somehow found his way back to work.

  Chapter Twenty

  Makay’s idea was simple: record Lenny telling her about the money pickup and mail the recording, the folders and everything she knew to Harrison before splitting the state. It was the only thing she could think of that might protect his family and prevent Lenny from hurting others.

  Last night, she’d dreamed about Sherry being her mother. Sherry had welcomed her to her house, had hugged her and told her how happy she was to be with her. Then Eli had come into the room and thrown her out of the house. Sherry had stood with him and said, “Go away. I never want to see you again. Why did you think I’d want you after I already gave you away?”

  Makay knew it was only her imagination. She knew Sherry had suffered with the decision to place her child for adoption, and whether or not she was Makay’s birth mother, Sherry had thought she was doing the best thing for everyone.

  They’d already been driving for seven hours, and Nate had fallen asleep in the backseat of the Jaguar. At first he’d been excited about the trip, but after three movies on his second-hand portable DVD player and far too much sugar, he’d started whining. It was a relief for everyone when he dropped off to sleep.

  “I don’t know why you had to bring the kid,” Lenny grumbled now.

  “I put a blanket down. He’s not getting food on your seats.”

  “I thought you didn’t want him around me.”

  “What else am I supposed to do? I don’t exactly have a babysitter on speed dial.”

  “You should. I would if I had a kid.”

  “Do the world a favor and never have one.” A child raised by Lenny would be frightening.

  Lenny faked a laugh, his mouth a sneer. “Whatever.”

  “Where are we going? Can you finally tell me now? It’s not like I won’t read the signs when we pull into town.” She pressed the record button on Nate’s digital recorder inside the backpack on her lap. It was a microphone-shaped toy she’d bought him on sale last year, and while the sound wasn’t quality and the microphone rather cumbersome, it was all she had. The recording feature on her phone was worse. “Unless you’re going to blindfold me so I don’t know where you’re forcing me to go.”

  He snorted, as if that was amusing. “Colorado Springs. At this speed we’ll get there in plenty of time to check in at the motel and eat before we go for the pickup.”

  “Who is it?”

  “You mean, whose money are you going to take?”

  “Yes.” Great, at this rate the recording was doing as much to convict her as it did him. Well, she’d keep trying. “Who have you set me up to meet?”

  “A real winner,” Lenny said with a chuckle. “This guy is practically begging for us to hit him up. He beats his wife.”

  As if that made what they did okay.

  “Haven’t you read the new folder I gave you?” Lenny asked.

  “You didn’t tell me it was for this job. I thought it might be for one of the other scams you’ve got set up. How am I supposed to keep folders straight when you’re talking about three different jobs?”

  Lenny glanced over at her. “You okay? You’re talk
ing a little weird. You only have two folders right now.”

  “I’m fine. Keep your eyes on the road.”

  “I could drive this car blindfolded. Haven’t you noticed how well it handles the corners?”

  “What I’ve noticed is how you love breaking every speed limit.”

  “Those are only for idiots who can’t handle the road, at least along this stretch. Anyway, of course the folder is for today. But don’t worry, it’s short. Basically, he’s just a businessman who had a fling with his secretary and pretty much forced her to place the baby for adoption. The child lives in New York now and recently had a happy reunion with her birth mother. Thanks to me, I might add.” Lenny gave her a gloating smile. “Looks like our business is expanding clear to the other side of the States.”

  “You mean your business. I’m just doing this because you make me.”

  “Now, now.” Lenny rolled his eyes. “You could be involved in the other side, if you wanted, finding the birth parents who want to be found.”

  “And have you be my only source of income?” Makay had once hoped to work that side of the business exclusively. From the little she had done before college, she’d found it interesting work, though she hadn’t reunited anyone in the entire six months, but by that time she’d already learned that she was far more valuable to Lenny for the scams.

  “There are a few details you should look at,” Lenny continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “He might ask about the birth mother, and you’ll need to have the information about the hospital and the date of birth just in case. I’ll tell you his name when we’re ready for the pickup.”

  Makay fished in her backpack for the folder. The other one was there, too. The folder with her birth date. She hadn’t decided whether or not to keep a copy before she sent it to Harrison. She probably should have been careful not to wipe off Lenny’s fingerprints in case he passed it on to the police, but it didn’t really matter because she’d need to wipe off the envelope anyway so her own prints weren’t there. Lenny would probably rat on her if the police caught up with him, but she wasn’t going to make it easy for him to accuse her.