Pool of Lies

by J. M. Zambrano

  “I'm…speechless. I'm…happy.” Yes, happy is good. “Are you happy?” Dumb, Rae. What's he supposed to say? Duh.

  Stephen laughed again, a joyous eruption so like Anthony's laughter had been. That was answer enough.

  “When is the wedding?”

  “Next year, when we graduate.”

  Good. That means they don't have to get married.

  Rae, nobody has to get married any more.

  “You met her in school?”

  “Callie's a criminology major, too.”

  Not two of them in the same household. “That's nice. You'll have a lot in common.” See, I can be tactful.

  “Since we're off for summer break, we'd like to come out for the Fourth of July. Then you two can meet.”

  “How about Tori and Jeffrey? We could make it a kind of family reunion-engagement party.”

  “I doubt they could get plane tickets that fast. Mom, plane tickets are something you really need to get in advance.”

  Tori's talked to her brother about next spring.

  Why wouldn't she?

  Stephen continued into Rae's silence, “You've got about two weeks to get ready. Can you do that? How's your schedule?”

  “I'm just winding something up. You'll stay at the house?”

  “If that's okay.”

  Joy, anticipation, and dread dumped on her like a summer snowstorm. “Uh, I'll get everything ready.” So, why was she stuttering? “Uh, one room or two?”

  Her son's laughter again, like music. Don't get maudlin, Rae.

  “One. That's okay?”

  “Sure. I just needed to know how many sets of sheets and all that stuff.” See, Grandma, I'm bending, I'm bending.

  “Okay, I'll email you our itinerary. Gotta go, Mom. I love you.”

  “Me, too. Can't wait to meet Callie.”

  Stephen's news blasted Rae out of her snail shell mode. She started up the car and turned back toward Danny's. While she drove, she conjured up pictures of what Callie might look like.

  At the house, Rae saw that Danny's truck was back. Then she saw him around the side directing the operation by the looks of it. He had more color in his cheeks now, didn't have that hospital pallor as if he'd just crawled out from under a rock.

  She parked and got out of the car. “Hey, Danny, I'm ready for the grand tour.”

  Danny waved, then jogged over to where Rae stood and gave her a brotherly hug. “Another week and we'll be able to inhabit the entire house,” he said. “To actually have a kitchen again. I never thought I'd be sick of eating out.”

  “Where are you and Josh staying?”

  “In the house. The basement. Or the garden level. Basement sounds low class--as in bargain basement.”

  “No bargains here, I'm sure.”

  Danny gave her an edgy laugh as he led her from the new deck into the new kitchen. All granite and stainless steel. A huge island dominated the center. Rae noted the absence of cigarette packs on the island. Her eyes skimmed the other surfaces, sweeping for ash trays, finding none. “I'm impressed,” Rae said.

  Danny smiled. “I've gone into partnership with Pat. This is going to be our showcase for future remodel jobs.”

  “But you're going to live here, right?”

  “You guessed it.”

  “Wasn't such a stretch. How does Josh feel about that?”

  “No argument out of him. Especially since Beth will be right across the lake with her grandmother.”

  “You know. When did you find out?”

  “That my sister-in-law was my mother-in-law?” Danny giggled, but it seemed forced, no humor in it.

  “I was going to tell you,” Rae said.

  “No need. Deidre told me soon after we met.”

  So, Danny could keep a secret. And lie convincingly. As she strained to recall the early conversations on the subject, the words, Morgan is childless jumped out at her. “Did Morgan know you knew the truth? Did anybody besides Deidre?”

  “Not likely,” Danny said and then quickly changed the subject. “Did you know Nate's moved out? They're getting a divorce. Sam is Beth's grandfather. That was news to me.”

  “And you're all on speaking terms now?”

  “We seem to be.”

  So much for Sam's different version of the rift. Rae decided to file that under needlessly inflammatory for the present.

  Danny switched on an elaborate coffee maker that ground its own beans. While the coffee brewed, he showed Rae through the house. The upstairs master bedroom suite had a balcony that looked out on the lake. The master bath had his and hers sinks, separate shower and sunken Jacuzzi tub. And there was one of those things with the French name she couldn't remember that sprayed you after you peed, as well as the standard toilet--Danny must be expecting female company. Everything was top-drawer, which meant top-dollar as well.

  Where is the money coming from? “Old man Bayfield must be churning around in his pine box,” Rae ventured with a smirk, “to see such a spending spree.”

  Danny giggled. “I can picture it. Oh, we sold the triplex over on Independence. No sweat. Most of the loan is paid off.”

  Rae nodded her approval as they wended their way back to the kitchen where Danny poured coffee into two stoneware mugs. As she took a seat on a bar stool adjacent to the island, she thought again of the scene Danny had described: Morgan throwing hot coffee at him. The scene Sam told her never happened.

  “Danny, I don't understand how one minute Morgan hates your guts and the next, you're all one happy family. Could it be that you were so stressed that your mind embellished the rift?”

  Danny looked at her quizzically. “It can't be that hard to understand. Once she found out that I wasn't responsible for Dee's contact with JJ, things started normalizing. It must've been reading that police report that set her off. Rae, it was Morgan who called me the night Deidre died. The cops didn't have my number.”

  “She called you in Pagosa Springs?” In another attempt at recall, Rae could have sworn that in Danny's earlier version, the police had informed him of Deidre's death.

  “No. At the motel.”

  “What motel? Where were you?”

  “In town for the intervention. Morgan and I planned an intervention for Dee. It was scheduled for the next day. If only we hadn't waited so long.”

  “Why didn't you tell me any of this?”

  “You never asked. What difference does it make? We didn't do it in time. She died.” His tone was almost matter-of-fact.

  “You're right,” Rae said, “it's going forward that counts.” She took a sip of coffee. Too hot. She set the mug down.

  “That's what I'm doing,” Danny said. “Josh and Beth are amazing considering what crappy parents Dee and I were.”

  “Don't beat yourself up.”

  “I'm not. I've started fresh. Mister Clean in the flesh.”

  Rae rolled her eyes. “Come on now, let's not overdo it.”

  “And how are your two wonderful kids?” Did she detect a note of sarcasm?

  “They're telling me I have to move forward,” Rae said, trying the coffee again and finding it cooled to bearable. “Put the past behind. So I understand something of what you're going through. Going forward is not easy if you've been stuck in a time warp for thirteen years.”

  Danny nodded, looking at her intently. “It's not good to be alone as much as you are. It'll mess with your mind.”

  “Oh, so you've noticed.” She made a funny-crazy face. At least, she hoped it was funny. Danny didn't laugh.

  “Seriously, living out there in the country, doesn't it ever get to you? I mean, it's so isolated.”

  She'd thought of the isolation and its implications but never for very long. “I've got Anthony's police pistol. He taught me how to use it. I keep it close by.”

  “Uh-huh, when did you last fire it?”

  The truth was--never, but she wouldn't admit it. The drift of the conversation was beginning to scrape on old wounds. “Recently enough,” she
lied. “Don't worry about me, Danny. You've got enough on your plate.”

  “Not too much to be there for you. Like you've been there for me,” Danny said.

  Rae was touched. Not everybody could handle money responsibly. That didn't automatically make them a bad person, did it?

  *****

  Her drive home was long and slow, the Wadsworth traffic tedious, giving Rae plenty of mulling time.

  The feud between Danny and Morgan had evaporated like virga over Rabbit Mountain. Apparently there had been no animosity on the night Deidre died. Morgan could have just as easily given Danny's motel number to the police, but she chose to call him herself. Lakewood's police report on the welfare check would've been available to her by then. If she'd had it, she would have already known that Deidre had named Danny as the JJ connection. But what if Morgan hadn't picked up the report until after Deidre died?

  Let it go, Rae.

  But there was an odor from the carcass of the dead case that she couldn't quite identify. Maybe she didn't want to name it. Something about the way Danny was spending money.

  Like a drunken sailor.

  Right on, Grandma.

  *****

  After her barn chores were done, Rae sat before her computer and logged into Jeffco's Virtual Courthouse. Beside her were the copies of documents she'd kept from Deidre's estate file when she'd turned the job over to Sandy. She focused on the list of real properties Deidre had owned at her death, all held in the name of the limited liability company Danny had mentioned previously, but never by name: DanDee Properties, LLC, a company listed as having been created only months before Deidre died, and over which Danny held management control.. Then she proceeded to do all the things she would have done had the completion of the estate tax return not been turned over to Sandy Robinson.

  She looked for deeds. Deeds of trust recorded after loans had been taken out. There were nine properties in all, including the personal residence. All nine had been mortgaged. Rae pulled up the first document--the one for the residence. The only one Danny acknowledged having taken a loan on. But the deed of trust was recorded in late March, not as recently as Danny had claimed. As she pulled up the information on the balance of the properties, a sickening feeling churned her stomach. Each and every one had been stripped dry of equity. In fact, in today's declining real estate market, they would probably not bring enough to retire the loans. The deed of trust on the Independence property had not been released, possibly because the sale Danny had told her about had been so recent--unless Danny had lied about that, too.

  The irony was irrefutable: Danny had duplicated the sins of his father who had drained his children's trusts by pulling all the cash out of the real estate, that comprised the bulk of the trust investments, for his own ill-fated investments.

  Many years ago when they were working together on a sensitive case, Sandy had given her his private number. Now she used it for the first time, not really knowing what she would ask. Hoping that Sandy would give her some reassurance--an explanation that would make her say, Oh, yeah. Why didn't I think of that? And Danny would still be something of a screw-up, but not a thief.

  “Rae?” Sandy's voice sounded alarmed upon seeing her ID on his private phone at such an hour. Not late, but she'd never called him at night before. “Is something wrong?”

  She was tongue-tied for a moment. “I'm hoping you'll tell me that there's not. Something wrong, that is.”

  “What is it? Your kids okay? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “I saw Danny today and he said the Independence house sold.”

  “That's right.” Sandy sounded a bit miffed.

  “Come on, Sandy, you must know that all the properties are mortgaged to the hilt. Danny has drained them dry and has been using the later loans to pay down the earlier ones.”

  Silence.

  “Sandy?”

  “I'm surprised that you'd put me in this position, Rae. I can't discuss this with you.” His voice was colder than Rae had ever heard it.

  “I just thought…” What had she thought? That Sandy would come up with an explanation that would make the suspicions go away? And she realized how attached she'd become to Danny Lassiter. It seemed that doubting him cut nearly as deep as if he'd been her own child or younger brother.

  Sandy didn't help her out. “I'm sorry,” she finally said in a small voice. “I won't trouble you again.” She hung up without waiting for an answer from Sandy.

  Chapter 51

  Rae presented her bill to the Lakewood PD office in person just to have a chance to talk to Veronica. She felt a need to share her thoughts about Danny and her discovery of his ongoing immaturity. But as she approached Veronica's office, she realized that discussing the matter with the detective would be no more appropriate than phoning Sandy had been.

  Veronica called to her through open her door as Rae approached, “Ready for your next assignment?”

  “You've got one?” Rae entered and sat down in Veronica's guest chair.

  “Not really, but I'm confident that it's only a matter of time.”

  “You have time for lunch?” Rae asked.

  “Next time.” Veronica glanced at her watch.

  Rae got up and moved back toward the door, relegating thoughts of Danny Lassiter to her mental transfer file. Just let it be. Veronica followed her and held out her hand, then apparently thought better of it as she embraced Rae. “Don't be a stranger.”

  As Rae hugged her back, she thought of Justin growing up not knowing his brother and sister. She thought of Tori and Stephen, the unsuspecting siblings, and her heart did a frog-leap in her throat. I'll really have to mull this one.

  *****

  Telling Tori about Justin had been the easy part. Her daughter was so full of love, Rae would have been surprised at any other reaction than the immediate acceptance she voiced.

  “But I do have some bad news, Mom,” Tori had added. “We can't afford to come for the Fourth. It was too late to get any good deals on tickets.”

  “I could send you some money.”

  “No, Mom. We've discussed it. We're coming for Christmas. Can't we meet Justin then?” Before Rae could answer, Tori continued, “Did Stephen tell you they were going to Callie's folks' for Christmas?”

  “I don't think so…”

  “Well, we'll be there with you in Colorado. I'm going to book our flights soon. I'm just waiting for fares to go down. You can go on Orbitz and ask for the cheapest flight.” Tori paused. “Mom, you can go on line and book your flight…”

  “Your brother already reminded me of this option.”

  “Well?”

  “I'm getting there. Don't push.”

  *****

  Rae feared telling Stephen that his father had another son might be more of a problem than telling Tori. What if she didn't get all the information out before he jumped to the wrong conclusion? Wasn't that what she had done when Veronica had tried to explain how Justin came to be?

  Through Rae's stuttering starts and stops, Stephen had held his silence. Then his expressed wish to meet his brother had been as genuine as his sister's had been.

  The only person left to confront was Veronica.

  *****

  After Rae extended her invitation, there had been silence on Veronica's end. Rae held the phone, waiting, feeling like a fool. Feeling rejected. The hand of friendship, slapped away. Worse than one of those dead-fish handshakes. Much worse because this was the offer of family that was being rejected.

  When Veronica finally answered, Rae thought she heard tears in her voice. “I…I'm not sure if we can do that. If we did…and later, after Justin had become attached to his brother and sister…”

  “What? I don't understand. They already love him. That's how my kids are.”

  “It's not your kids I'm worried about, Rae.”

  Rae stiffened in her chair. “You're worried about me? You think I'm going to take some proprietary interest in your son? Try to replace you?”

/>   “No…” Rae heard along sigh from Veronica. “Your offer, I can't imagine anything that would make Justin happier…or me, too, for that matter.”

  “Then what is it?” Rae couldn't keep the impatience out of her voice.

  “Can we meet somewhere? Away from both our offices? I…there's something…I haven't told you.”

  “Oh?”

  Rae had a queasy feeling, as if the other shoe was about to drop.

  Chapter 52

  Rae met Veronica met at Dawson Park on the following day. The park snaked around McIntosh Lake, at the quiet north end of Longmont. Veronica had taken the day off and offered to come to Rae's territory.

  From the look of her, Rae judged that Veronica didn't have an appetite either, so lunch was not a consideration.

  The park was quiet at mid-afternoon on a weekday. Just a handful of kids. A couple of moms--or nannies--pushing strollers along the path that ran by the swings and climbing bars. Rae sat down at one of the picnic tables, her back toward the mountains. Veronica took the bench opposite her, and Rae watched her glance move along the panoramic view that was dominated by Longs Peak for which the town was named.

  Somebody has to start this conversation. “You get a great view on a day like this,” Rae said. “That snow patch? It never melts.” Veronica nodded. Rae thought she saw tears in the detective's eyes. Maybe they were just from the bright sunlight.

  “I know the Lassiter case has left you frustrated,” Veronica said. “You wanted justice for Deidre and answers.”

  What has that got to do with Justin meeting my kids?

  Veronica continued, “We may not always find all the answers. Or the ones we get may not be the ones we wanted.”

  Rae twisted in her seat, suppressing her urge to comment. A squirrel nabbed a crust of bread from under their table and scurried away.

  “But sometimes justice comes when you least expect it. From no effort at all on your part.”

  “What are you trying to tell me?”

  “Reggie Navarro…”

  At the sound of his name, Rae imagined the rage Morgan and Veronica must have felt as they came from viewing Deidre's tape to find one of the perps up to his ass in cedar boards. “You did what I'd have done. Is that what you're trying to tell me? Left him flopping in the fence? You think that bothers me?”