Dangerous Deception

by Beverly Barton

  Her lips twitched in a hint of a smile. A hard, sarcastic smile that told him she wasn’t afraid of him and wouldn’t succumb to any bullying tactics.

  “So check me out,” she said. “I’m not lying.”

  “Want to fill me in on—”

  “No, I don’t. I’ll tell the police what I know, then if either they or you want to know more, y’all will have to dig up the info on your own. Why should I make things easier for you, especially considering the fact that you don’t believe me?”

  “You sure fooled me, honey.” He sat down in a chair directly across from her.

  “And that galls you, doesn’t it? It wounds your male pride. You really believed I was Audrey Perkins.”

  “My male pride will survive. This wasn’t my first mistake and it won’t be my last. The thing I don’t understand is why you insisted on being brought back here to Chattanooga, straight to Edward Bedell.”

  “Somebody tried to kill me—kill Audrey. Impersonating Audrey for money and the perks of first-class travel and expensive shopping sprees is one thing, but I didn’t sign on to be a body double in a murder case.”

  “So why not just split?” Dom asked. “Why come back to Chattanooga to see Audrey’s father and be found out?”

  “Because he has the right to know that someone wants his daughter dead and that I’m not going to be her stand-in any longer. He’s a rich, powerful man. He can do something to save her life…and mine.”

  Dom studied her curiously, and she knew he wasn’t sure he could believe her. “Do you think Audrey hired you because she knew someone wanted to kill her and set you up as a moving target?”

  “Yeah, the thought has crossed my mind a time or two since that guy tried to slit my throat this morning.”

  “You do realize that the police might come up with another theory.”

  “I did not kill Audrey Perkins. I didn’t harm a hair on her head.”

  “Can you prove it?”

  “Can you or the police prove otherwise?”

  “No, but if we can’t find Audrey, you might want to hire yourself a good lawyer.”

  Lausanne shrugged. “I guess I should have known that once you found out I wasn’t a rich heiress, you wouldn’t give a damn about me, that you wouldn’t be on my side, wouldn’t stand by me.” She shrugged. “That’s the story of my life.”

  “The story of your life, huh? So, you’ve impersonated a rich heiress before?”

  She emitted a mirthless chuckle. “No, this was a first for me. What I meant was that this isn’t the first time a guy who whispered sweet nothings in my ear wound up disappointing me. The only difference is I don’t think you’re really an uncaring, unreliable son of a bitch like the others.”

  Dom stared at her, but said nothing.

  Then again, maybe he was just like the others, only wrapped in a prettier package. Just because Dom professed to be one of the good guys didn’t make it true.

  So, here she was one her own once again. All alone and in trouble up to her eyeballs. She couldn’t count on Dom Shea to help her. The only person she could rely on was herself.

  SERGEANT MIKE SWAIN stood five-nine, was built like a fireplug and chewed gum while he talked. His carrot-red hair was cut military short and his large brown eyes were hidden behind a pair of thick glasses. His superior, Lieutenant Bain Desmond, was older, close to forty where Swain wasn’t a day over thirty. Tall and lean, with an easy smile that proclaimed him a good old boy, Desmond entered the Bedell living room as if he owned it. The guy wasn’t cocky, just self-confident. He surveyed the group of people one by one, then turned his baby blues on Lausanne.

  “Start at the beginning, Ms. Raney, and tell us exactly how and why Dom Shea found you in Palm Beach impersonating Audrey Bedell.”

  Lausanne swallowed hard. This wasn’t the first time she’d been interrogated by the police nor was it the first time she’d been presumed guilty.

  “I’ve been working as a receptionists at Bedell, Inc. for the past six months. Ten—no, eleven days ago, I received a telephone call from Audrey Perkins, asking me to come to her home. She said she’d seen me when she’d visited the main office and thought I’d be perfect for a special job she needed done.”

  “And so you went to see her?” Desmond asked. “At her home?”

  “Yes, I went to her home. After all, she was Audrey Bedell Perkins, the boss’s daughter.”

  “Was there anyone else there when you arrived, a maid…a secretary…anyone who can verify that you met with Ms. Perkins?”

  “No, there wasn’t anyone else there. She’d made certain that we met alone, in private.”

  “I see.” Desmond nodded. “Go on.”

  “When I arrived at Ms. Perkins’s home, she asked me if I’d like to earn fifty thousand dollars and—”

  “Did Ms. Perkins pay you that amount?” Desmond asked.

  “Yes, she did.”

  “Cashier’s check, personal check—”

  “Cash,” Lausanne replied and heard the collective ah-ha sigh reverberating around the room. “I deposited the money in a savings account. Regions Bank.”

  “And what service were you to provide to earn the fifty-thousand?” Lt. Desmond watched her carefully.

  “Ms. Perkins offered me the money, plus an extravagant vacation, new clothes, and use of her credit cards. And all I had to do was travel from one city to another, moving every three or four days, registering under the name of Audrey Bedell Perkins and pretending to be her for a few weeks. She said that the reason she’d thought of me for the job was because she remembered seeing me at the office one day and had noticed that we were about the same height, same size, same coloring and even close to the same age. When she offered me a chance to earn fifty-thousand dollars, she also promised me that my job at Bedell Inc. would be waiting for me when I returned to Chattanooga, that she’d make certain of it.”

  When murmurs rose from others in the room, Sergeant Swain requested quiet; then Desmond continued with his questioning.

  “Did Ms. Perkins tell you why she wanted you to impersonate her?”

  “Yes, she did. She told me that she intended to run away with her boyfriend and she didn’t want her husband or her father to find them, that all they needed was a good head start on any search her family might instigate.”

  “And you didn’t have any qualms about—”

  “Yes, I had my doubts, but when she handed me a bag filled with cash, I pushed aside all my doubts. Fifty-thousand is a great incentive for most of us who don’t have that kind of money.”

  Desmond nodded, as if agreeing. “Do you have any idea where the real Audrey Perkins is right now?”

  “No, sir. I have no idea.”

  “And do you have any proof—other than fifty-thousand dollars in your bank account—to back up what you’ve just told me?”

  “No,” she admitted. “The only person who can verify that what I’ve told you is the truth is Audrey Perkins.”

  “And Ms. Perkins just happens to be missing.”

  “Yes, sir. And considering the predicament I’m in, I want her found as much, if not more, than anyone else in this room.”

  Dom had watched and listened, studying Lausanne’s body language, her voice, every aspect of her responses. He wanted to believe her; some part of him did believe her. But was that part his head or his heart? Or a region a little farther south?

  “I don’t believe anything this woman has told you.” Cara Bedell’s declaration broke the momentary silence. “She’s lying. She knows where Audrey is.”

  “I agree,” Grayson said. “Audrey would never concoct such an elaborate scheme just so she could run away with one of her lovers. She’s gone off with other men before this and never found it necessary to—”

  “But she’s never been in love with any of the others,” Patrice pointed out. “Bobby Jack Cash was different.”

  “Yes, he was different,” Edward said. “He was a lowlife scum. And he was dangerous. Why Audrey w
ould give a man like that the time of day is beyond me. She was far superior to him in every way.”

  No one else noticed the stricken look on Lausanne’s face at the mention of the name Bobby Jack Cash, but Dom had been staring right at her. He got a sick, sinking feeling in the pit of his belly. He’d bet his last dime that Lausanne knew the man, that there was a connection between them. And here he’d been on the verge of believing all her lies, of being taken in by her sweet, innocent appearance. An ugly scenario formed in his mind, one that put Lausanne Raney and Bobby Jack Cash together in a wicked scheme that ended in murder.

  “Ms. Raney, do you know Bobby Jack Cash?” Dom asked.

  CHAPTER SIX

  LAUSANNE HAD TWO CHOICES—lie or tell the truth. But considering the trouble she was in and the fact that the truth was bound to come out, she chose complete honesty.

  Mentally preparing herself for Dom’s condemnation and suspicion, she looked directly at him when she responded to his question.

  “Yes, I know Bobby Jack Cash.”

  A loud rumble of angry, accusatory voices bombarded her, but once again Sergeant Swain quieted the Bedell family with a stern warning.

  Lausanne hated the expression on Dom’s face, knowing that any chance she’d had to persuade him of her innocence had now been lost. Damn it, what was wrong with her? Why did she always pick the wrong guy, the guy who’d disappoint her, get her in trouble and break her heart?

  “Ms. Raney?” Bain Desmond spoke her name.

  She turned to him. “Yes, sir?”

  “How do you know Mr. Cash?”

  “I met him when I first went to work at Bedell, Inc. He was employed there as a guard.”

  “So, you were simply fellow employees and that’s the extent of your relationship with the man?” Dom asked.

  Keeping her gaze on the police lieutenant and avoiding direct eye contact with Dom, she replied. “No, not exactly. We went out on a couple of dates, but that was months ago and—”

  “You were Mr. Cash’s girlfriend?” Lt. Bain asked.

  “No.” Lausanne shook her head. “It was only two dates. That’s all.”

  “Were you lovers?” Dom asked.

  Cackling laughter drew everyone’s attention away from Lausanne and to Patrice Bedell. Realizing her outburst had removed the spotlight from Lausanne and focused on her, she quieted. Then chuckling softly, she glanced around at the others.

  “What’s the matter?” Patrice asked. “Don’t the rest of you find this as amusing as I do? Bobby Jack was bonking this little nothing receptionist while he was having an affair with Audrey, who fell madly in love with him. My bet is that Audrey found out and—”

  “I did not have sex with Bobby Jack,” Lausanne swore. “We were not lovers.”

  “I think she and Bobby Jack murdered Audrey,” Patrice said.

  “I didn’t murder Audrey. And I haven’t dated Bobby Jack in months.” Lausanne wanted to scream, to rant and rave. But most of all, she wanted to kick her own rear end for getting embroiled in such a complicated mess. First of all, she never should have dated Bobby Jack Cash; but the guy had been so persistent, so charming and persuasive. And she’d been lonely. But it had taken her only two dates to realize the guy was bad news, just like all the other men in her life, starting with her own father.

  Hindsight was twenty-twenty, of course. If only she’d said “thank you, but no thank you” to Audrey Bedell’s proposition, she wouldn’t be in trouble. Again. No one would be accusing her of murder.

  “I want you to arrest this woman for murder!” Patrice got right up in Lausanne’s face. “You might as well admit what you did. You and Bobby Jack Cash. You killed her and we all know it.”

  “For once I agree with Patrice,” Cara said. “Make her tell you what they did with poor Audrey.”

  “No!” Edward Bedell stepped forward, a haggard expression on his wrinkled face. “We have no proof that this girl did anything other than what she said she did—impersonate Audrey. There’s a good chance that Audrey is in the Caribbean or in Europe, either alone or with Bobby Jack Cash. Until we find Audrey, we can’t be certain of anything.”

  Lausanne stared at Mr. Bedell, surprised by his attitude, but thankful that he was at least giving her the benefit of the doubt.

  Lieutenant Desmond nodded. “Mr. Bedell is right. We have no hard evidence against Ms. Raney, no proof she’s done anything illegal. And no witnesses to any crime.”

  “Are you saying you can’t arrest this woman?” Grayson asked.

  “Yes, sir, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Desmond walked over to Lausanne. “Just because I can’t arrest you doesn’t mean I believe your story. Until Ms. Perkins is found and can corroborate what you’ve told us, you will remain a person of interest to the Chattanooga PD. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, I understand.” Lausanne understood all too well. Once the police ran a check on her and discovered that she had served five years in the TPFW, she would become their number one suspect if anything had happened to Audrey Perkins. And she had a really bad feeling in her gut that if Audrey wasn’t already dead, she was in grave danger.

  “I’d appreciate it if you’d cooperate by allowing me to ask you a few questions in private,” Desmond said. “Of course, you have every right to call a lawyer—”

  “I don’t need a lawyer, do I?”

  “No, ma’am,” Lt. Desmond replied. “Not at this time.”

  “I’m willing to cooperate…up to a point.”

  “Then why don’t we step outside in the hall for a couple of minutes.”

  All eyes were on the two of them as Desmond and she exited the room. She caught a glimpse of Dom in her peripheral vision and wondered if his strained expression was concern or condemnation.

  Once Lt. Desmond closed the door behind them, he led her a good eight feet down the hall, then paused and confronted her.

  “When Dom Shea called me in on this case, he gave me your name and I ran a preliminary check on you and found out that—”

  Lausanne finished the sentence. “I served five years in the Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville.”

  “The reason I didn’t mention this in front of the others is because I didn’t figure that bit of information was anyone’s business. At least not at this point in my investigation.”

  Lausanne met the detective’s gaze head-on, trying to figure out if he was on the level or if he was playing her. “Thanks. I guess.”

  “If you had anything to do with Audrey Perkins’s disappearance, now would be a good time to tell me. Cooperate and I’ll do what I can to help you.”

  “I’ve had all the help I want from men and that includes policemen. But I’ll tell you again, I have no idea where Audrey Perkins is. And keep in mind one thing—you don’t know that anything has happened to her. Not yet.”

  “What do you mean not yet?”

  “Didn’t Mr. Shea tell you that somebody attacked me in my hotel room in Palm Beach?” She glared at Lt. Desmond. “Somebody who thought I was Audrey tried to slit my throat.”

  “Yeah, Shea told me. But for all I know, whoever tried to kill you was after you, not Ms. Perkins.”

  “Get real, will you. Why would anybody want to kill me? But I’ll bet you could find quite a few people who might want Audrey dead.” Lausanne glanced over her shoulder and nodded toward the closed living room door down the hall. “Starting with some people in that room.”

  “What happened to you in Palm Beach could have been an attempted robbery.”

  “I don’t think so. This guy could have stolen everything in my suite and been gone before I returned,” Lausanne said. “No, I’m pretty sure he was waiting for me. He intended to kill me.”

  Lt. Desmond studied Lausanne for a couple of seconds, then grunted. “Look, I don’t need to tell you not to leave town, do I?”

  “The only place I’m going is to my apartment in East Brainerd,” she told him. “Then first thing tomorrow, I’ll be job hunting.” She could li
ve for quite a while on the fifty grand she’d stashed away in the bank, but she didn’t want to waste it on living expenses. So, that meant finding another job ASAP.

  “I’ll have Sergeant Swain take you home.”

  “I can call a cab.” But before she left, she intended to get her suitcases out of Dom’s car. Audrey Perkins had told her that whatever she bought during her all-expenses-paid vacation, she could keep. She wasn’t about to hand over thousands of dollars in clothes and jewelry and…She’d bought several things that she thought any ten-year-old girl might like. Things she hoped to somehow give her daughter as gifts. But first, she had to find her child.

  “Just wait around for a few minutes, okay?” Lt. Desmond told her.

  She shrugged.

  “After I talk to Mr. Bedell, I’ll probably have a few more questions for you.”

  “If you’ve got more questions, I want a lawyer.”

  Desmond’s lips curved upward in a tentative smile. “For the sake of argument, let’s say I believe you about Ms. Perkins hiring you and about someone trying to kill you, thinking you were she.”

  “What are we doing, playing pretend?”

  He chuckled. “From what Dom Shea tells me, you’re quite good at that game.”

  Lausanne huffed. “He’s just pissed because I fooled him.” Yeah, and he fooled me, too. I thought he actually liked me and all the while he was just chasing down a runaway heiress.

  Desmond took her by the arm and led her farther down the hall. Then he opened the door to the study and gave her a nudge over the threshold. “Wait in here. And don’t even think about leaving without my permission.”

  “I REGRET THAT THINGS turned out this way,” Dom Shea said. “I’m sorry that the woman I found in Palm Beach turned out to be an imposter.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Edward Bedell said. “Apparently my daughter is determined not to be found. She went to great lengths and some expense to put us off track.”

  Cara glowered at her father. “You can’t mean to tell me that you believe that woman’s lies. Something terrible has happened to Audrey and we all know it.”