by Liz Turner
“Okay, so do you think Natasha Radley is capable of killing her father?” Garcia asked.
Lily laughed. “Well, isn’t everyone capable of murdering their father?” Lily said before noticing Garcia’s face had remained deadpan. “Oh, you’re serious. Uh…” Lily thought back to high school. “Tasha was a quiet girl in school. She was always really nice and seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. But no—I definitely don’t see her as being capable of murder.”
“Well, she has a whack job for a mother, so I guess anything is possible,” Ryan mumbled.
“I have a whack job for a mother,” Lily snapped, fixing an eye on Ryan.
Garcia shook his head and reached for the door handle. “Let’s go.”
“Wait—do you think that I could talk to her alone?” Lily pleaded. “I might be able to get more out of her alone than with you two hanging around intimidating her.”
“It could be dangerous,” Ryan countered.
“I think Lily’s right on this one,” Garcia decided. “Keep your phone on-call so that we can listen in on the conversation.”
Lily grinned and sprang out of the car, following Tasha inside her apartment block. “Hey, Natasha—hold up!” Lily shouted.
Tasha sprang round on her heels, her head flicking nervously from side-to-side as she scanned for a familiar face.
Lily waved and Tasha finally spotted her.
“Lily? Is that you?” Tasha’s anxious face split into a smile.
“Yeah!” Lily jogged up to her. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” Tasha replied in an unconvincing voice, her brown eyes instantly tearing up. “I… uh… just got back from the hospital, actually. My dad was attacked or something. I couldn’t even see him because I didn’t have my ID and the cops wouldn’t let me in. And then I heard my mom is in jail for attacking him last night! I’m such a mess…” She hid her face in her trembling hands.
Lily hugged her. “I’m so sorry. That’s a lot to take in.”
“I’m sorry to be dumping all of this on you, Lily.” Tasha smiled weakly. “I’m just so shaken up. Anyway,” she wiped the tears from her eyes, “what have you been up to? Aren’t you like becoming a doctor?”
“Yeah. That’s kind of why I’m here…” Lily awkwardly looked down to her feet. “I sort of left med school and I work as a consultant for the local police department now.”
“Are you serious? That’s like, super weird, Lily. But then again, you always were one of those crazy smart kids in school…”
Lily cringed as she imagined Garcia’s and Ryan’s running commentary inside the vehicle.
“Natasha,” Lily said, “I’m working with the detectives on your father’s case. I’m here to chat to you about it, actually.”
“Wait, what?” Tasha stepped back, confusion flooding her face.
“Don’t freak out. I’m here to help,” Lily offered reassuringly. “You can trust me, okay?”
“Are there like some FBI guys sitting in a black van somewhere listening to our conversation?” Tasha asked, scanning their surroundings suspiciously.
Lily snorted, hoping her dismissive laughter would hide the truth. She also hoped Garcia and Ryan had managed to duck out of sight before Tasha spotted them and was spooked for good.
“Can we grab some coffee?” Lily asked, changing the subject.
“Sure.” Tasha smiled. “My apartment is right here. Although I’m sure you people already know that…” Her brow darkened as she cast another glance at her surroundings.
Once inside, Lily discreetly checked that her phone call to Ryan was still running. She then gladly accepted the fresh cup of coffee from Tasha.
“All right, Lily—so what’s going on?” Tasha asked, her expression filled with anxiety.
“Where were you on the night of your father’s attack?”
Tasha sighed. “I was out with my mom. We haven’t really spent much time together since the whole divorce debacle started. To be honest, I couldn’t take their fighting anymore. They were married for years, Lily. I couldn’t believe my father was leaving her without a cent!” She shook her head indignantly.
“What did you and your mother do that night?” Lily asked, relieved Tasha was opening up.
“We went out for dinner and just talked. I tried to keep the subject of Dad off the table, but Mom kept bringing up how awful he was to us and how he was robbing her. I think she wanted me to try softening him up.”
“Was your mom with you the whole time?”
“Yeah, every minute. Why? You don’t think she had anything to do with the attack, do you?” Tasha nervously chewed at her lip, a habit she’d held onto since high school.
“Your father was attacked last night in the hospital,” Lily explained gently. “Unfortunately, your mother’s prints and DNA were found at the scene. She’s just confessed to attacking him, but I want you to know that she was in an emotional and desperate state. Her willingness to cooperate with the police could help her case, especially if she can help us find the attacker.”
“I can’t believe it. I guess Dad just pushed her over the edge,” Tasha reasoned, her eyes staring unblinkingly into her coffee mug. “But there’s no way it was Mom in the park. She was with me the whole evening. After dinner, my boyfriend joined us and we went to watch a late-night movie.”
“What time did the movie end?” Lily asked, her mind playing through the crime timeline.
“Around one in the morning.”
Lily’s heart kicked up a pace. “Where did your mother go after the movie?”
“Well,” Tasha blushed deeply, and she looked at her shoes, “my mom had a little too much to drink. She’d snuck a bottle of vodka into the cinema, so Levi helped me carry her inside. She passed out on my couch for the rest of the night.”
“Did Levi stay too?”
“Yeah, he had a quick cup of coffee and then left for home around two at the latest.” Tasha thought for a second. “I remember checking my watch when I climbed into bed and cursing myself that it was two in the morning. But listen, Lily—my mom stayed asleep on that couch. There’s just no way she’d really kill my dad.”
“Okay.” Lily leaned back into the sofa, her mind racing for any more potential leads Tasha could offer. “What about your relationship with your father? Did you have any difficulty with him?”
Tasha shook her head. “He was a good man, but he seemed to upset a lot of people. I always defended him and I really do love the guy, but he just sets people on edge. He pushed Mom away, and then me…”
“How did he push you away?”
“Well, he sent me this really strange letter,” Tasha explained with a frown. She got up and walked to the bookshelf where she pulled a handwritten letter out of a book. She unfolded it and scanned through the scrawled writing. “He…uh… threatened to disown me if I accepted my boyfriend’s proposal. I just can’t get my head around it.”
“So what did you do?”
“I told him that Levi loves me and that we’d get married when the time was right. I also told him that I didn’t care if he disinherited me.” Tasha spoke with a heated voice, the emotional wound clearly still fresh. “I hate money!”
“Tasha, your father was worth millions. He has a trust in your name where you stand to inherit ten million upon turning twenty-five.” Lily watched Tasha’s face pale and her eyes grow wider with each word.
She shook her head. “No. That’s not possible. I turn twenty-five in two months and I knew nothing about this.”
“Maybe he kept the money a secret for your protection,” Lily offered. “Ten million is a lot of money that could lead to a lot of people targeting you, trying to come into your life.”
“This doesn’t make sense. We battled through life from not having enough money!”
“Your father only inherited the fortune after your grandfather passed away six years ago. It seems he didn’t want his inheritance to change how people viewed him, so he kept it secret. Your mother was s
et to inherit millions upon your father’s death, but her affair meant she lost out on that.”
“Her affair?” Tasha asked, dumbfounded.
“Uh…” Lily hesitated. “I’m sorry to enter your life and dump all of this unwelcome news on you, Tasha. I think you should pay a visit to the station and see your mother. It seems like the two of you have a lot to talk about.”
An angry scowl ripped through Tasha’s face, but she nodded slowly.
“Don’t give up on your father,” Lily smiled reassuringly. “We’ll catch his attacker and put an end to this. try to visit him again at the hospital. Your voice might help encourage his recovery.”
“Thanks, Lily. Who knew I had such idiots for parents,” Tasha said with a frown.
“Tell me about it,” Lily laughed. “You might think yours are bad, but I had to investigate my own parents when my grandfather was killed.”
Tasha’s face softened. “Can you give me a ride to the station?” she asked, her face serious again. “I want to see my mother and speak to the detectives. If there’s anything I can do to help catch my father’s killer, I’m all in.”
“Great.” Lily laughed nervously. “Now, don’t be angry, but the detectives working your case are waiting outside…”
Tasha snorted. “Black Chevy, right?”
“Yeah,” Lily admitted, smiling guiltily.
“I knew it!”
Chapter 8
The Crossroads
“Are you coming?” Ryan asked Lily as Garcia led Tasha to the conference room for an interview.
“I’ve got a call I need to take,” Lily said, looking up from her phone.
“Okay…” Ryan’s eyebrows furrowed with concern. “Anything serious?”
Lily shrugged. “I don’t know yet, but we can talk about it later.”
Ryan nodded, his eyes scanning Lily’s face for telltale signs. He slowly turned and walked away. “See you later than.”
Lily waited until he was out of sight before rushing into Garcia’s empty office and calling the college number back.
“Good day, BUSM. How can we help you?”
“Hi. This is Lily Wilkens. I missed your call.”
“Ah, Ms. Wilkens, please hold for the dean,” an efficient voice sang on the other end of the line.
“Thank you,” Lily squeaked, her heart pounding.
“Hi, Lily,” the familiar voice greeted from the other end.
“Hi, Mr. Riley,” Lily replied meekly.
“Well, I’m surprised that after seven attempts to contact you, you’ve finally returned my call,” he teased gently. “How are you?”
Lily sighed. She’d put this phone call off for almost a year, and now, she had to face the music. “I’m fine.”
There was a pause on the other end; Mark Riley could always tell when Lily was lying. They had formed a formal friendship due to the many awards and bursaries Lily was offered as their top student. Lily’s research and papers were often published, and she’d stood beside the beaming dean in many newspaper photographs.
“Lily,” Mr. Riley sighed, “I’ve tried to give you as much time as you needed to cope with the awful tragedy of your grandfather’s passing—”
“I appreciate that,” Lily offered, dreading the next sentence that would follow.
“—but we can only pause your med course and credits for so long. BUSM needs to know if you’re returning to complete your MD or not,” Mr. Riley pressed.
Lily dropped into Garcia’s desk chair and groaned. She put her phone on speaker mode and laid it on the desk.
“If I’m completely honest, Mr. Riley, I just don’t know yet,” Lily admitted as she ran her hands through her wavy hair.
“Lily,” Mr. Riley donned his rationalizing voice, causing Lily to cringe, “you were one of our most promising students. We have an incredible future ahead of you in the world of medicine. If anyone was going to find the cure for cancer in the labs at BUSM, our hopes were pinned on you. I understand you’ve endured a terrible tragedy, but you can’t run away from what you’ve achieved and what you’ve yet to complete.”
“I know…”
“I’m giving you a week to decide if you’re coming back at the start of our next semester,” Mr. Riley said firmly. “If you choose to complete your course, we’ll make allowance for the time you’ve missed. But if you choose not to return, then you’ve thrown away the last six years of your life.”
“Thank you for your patience, sir,” Lily managed before her throat closed with emotion.
“I’ll wait to hear from you then,” the dean concluded. “I hope you make the right choice, Lily…” He paused again. “Look, for whatever reason, your heart is anchoring you there in Douglasdale. Ignore it, Lily. Cut the ties and listen to that smart head of yours instead.”
“Okay,” a despondent Lily said. “Talk soon, then.”
The phone clicked dead and Lily sighed.
“What’s going on?” Ryan’s voice echoed through the doorway.
Lily jerked her head up in surprise. She hadn’t even noticed him standing there. “How much did you hear?” she asked.
“From about where you were about to cure cancer or something,” Ryan joked, though his face was clouded with concern. He closed the door behind him and stepped closer to Lily. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?” he said quietly, hurt filling his blue eyes.
“I’m sorry. It’s just everything happened between you and me, and I kind of put things off to see where this was heading,” Lily explained, gesturing to herself and Ryan.
“And if things didn’t work out, you’d just up and leave?” Ryan asked with wounded confusion. “Were you ever going to tell me about this?”
“Ryan,” Lily paused, her hand reaching out to touch his, “going back to BUSM has been a mental and emotional battle of mine since the day my grandfather died.”
“Do you want to?” Ryan asked, studying her expression. She knew he could read the truth in her eyes, and that it distressed him. His gaze dropped to the floor, and his face hardened.
“I love medicine, Ryan,” Lily tried to explain, “and I do want to complete my MD, but…” She tried to squeeze his hand, but he pulled away. Lily swallowed. “But I love my life working cases with you, Garcia, and Banks,” she resumed. “I love this whole other world of pathology and forensics that I feel I’m just scratching the surface of…”
“So, what are you saying?” Ryan asked gruffly. “That if you get tired of things here, you’ll just rush back to Boston and forget about us?”
Lily frowned. “How could you even think that of me?”
“You did it to Nick,” he countered and then instantly regretted it when tears spring to Lily’s eyes.
“That was a low blow,” she hissed before pushing past him towards the door.
“Is everything okay in here?” a bemused Garcia asked as Lily nearly plowed through him.
She stopped abruptly, her fingers hurriedly flicking away her tears. “We’re fine.”
“Lily got a call from her med school,” Ryan said, ignoring Lily’s panicked expression and proceeding. “They want to know by the end of the week if she’s coming back.”
“Well,” Garcia smiled grimly, “at least we finally have some honestly flowing from the two of you.”
Ryan blinked, taken aback by Garcia’s comment.
“Look, whatever’s going on in your personal lives,” Garcia’s glare moved from Lily to Ryan, “you need to put it aside. Lily,” he turned back to her, “I’m giving you five minutes to clean yourself up and sort yourself out before we head out of here.”
Lily nodded and silently ducked out of the office.
The car ride began in steely silence.
Drained of energy, Lily was watching the passing scenery outside of her window when her phone buzz with a text message: I’m sorry I exploded. Let’s talk later. I don’t want to fight with you.
Her heart soften instantly at Ryan’s apology. Smiling, her fingers bus
ied themselves replying: I’m sorry too.
As Ryan turned to look out his window, Lily saw his own smile reflected in the glass. A small flame of hope ignited inside of her, telling her that despite having a weighty decision ahead of her, she at least had someone on her side to help her make the right one.
“So, we’re here to talk to Levi Smith,” Garcia said, interrupting Ryan’s and Lily’s silent conversation.
“Tasha’s boyfriend?” Lily asked, confused. “Why? Did you find anything on him?”
Garcia shook his head. “No, a background search pulled up a clean record. He graduated with honors from university and shows great promise in the business world.”
“He’s still looking for work though and hasn’t quite been able to get his business off the ground yet,” Ryan continued.
“Seems like a decent guy,” Lily commented. “Tasha wouldn’t get mixed up in any trouble. But she did say her father threatened to disinherit her should she marry Levi.”
“Exactly. So let’s see what possible cause this guy might have given Doug to make such a drastic threat,” Garcia said, pulling over their vehicle.
“Yeah, Doug and I weren’t the greatest of friends,” Levi shrugged. “His sweet little girl fell for me and I think he naturally went on the defense about it.” He grinned at them with a dimpled smile. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his soft brown eyes lit up when he mentioned Tasha. “I mean, can you blame the guy? I was about to propose and whisk Tasha off on an adventure of a lifetime.”
Garcia chuckled. “Sounds like a typical father-in-law. So, did you ever give him any reason to dislike you?”
Levi shook his head and laughed, holding his hands up innocently.
“Do you know of anyone who might want to harm Mr. Radley?” Garcia proceeded.
“Wait… Sorry. Hold up, Garcia. Before you move on,” Lily turned her focus to Levi, “I saw a letter from Douglas Radley to his daughter, threatening to disown her if she married you. That’s a lot stronger than simply being protective over his daughter.”
Levi’s dimples disappeared as he frowned. “I don’t know anything about that… Did Tasha show you the letter herself?”
“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes, signed by her father,” Lily said. “So I think you’re not telling us the whole truth.”