The Perfect Liar (Last Stand #5)(60)
Author: Brenda Novak

And what about that picture Mark had e-mailed? What did it mean?

It couldn’t mean what he said it did. Kalyna had always been aloof.

She’d been moody and difficult and, except for a few magnanimous acts like buying Tati those jeans at the mall yesterday, selfish. But she would never murder for the fun of it, like Mark said.

I only helped her dispose of the body, Tati.

Why didn’t you tell someone?

Are you kidding? I was madly in love with her. And she promised me all kinds of sexual favors if I’d get her out of the mess she was in. It wasn’t until she threatened to tell your parents about me and…you know, the corpses, that I gave in. But she liked screwing with the corpses, too. Don’t think it was just me. She’s the one who got me going. She said she wouldn’t sleep with me unless I proved my love for her by–

"Hello?"

Veering away from the sick accusation she was hearing again, this time in her thoughts, Tatiana swallowed hard. "Ava? It’s Tatiana Harter. I-I’m returning your call."

"Are you okay, Tatiana?"

Tati hadn’t expected to hear such concern in Ava’s voice and couldn’t help responding to it. "I don’t know." She started to weep. "I’ve never been so scared or…or confused."

"What’s going on over there?"

"It’s chaos. No one knows anything. Except that my mother is dead."

"Have you heard from Kalyna?"

"Not since this morning when I told her about Mom."

"You don’t think she’s to blame for what happened, do you?"

"I don’t want to think so, but…nothing makes sense."

"The police told me it might be a man named Mark Cannaby. That he’d had a few run-ins with your parents, spouted some threats."

"I’ve talked to Mark several times today and he…he claims he’s innocent." And, heaven help her, thanks to that picture she was beginning to believe him.

"Does he have an alibi, Tati?"

"No, he says he was home alone last night. But…Kalyna doesn’t have an alibi, either. She said she left at midnight, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.

The ME has indicated that the estimated time of death is anywhere from 1:00 to 4:00 a.m. Even if Kalyna left when she said she did, midnight is close."

"A guy came to see me tonight," Ava said. "He claims he had an interesting conversation with Kalyna in a bar a few weeks ago."

Tati cringed to think what that might be. Kalyna liked to shock people, which often embarrassed Tati. "What’d he say?"

"She told him she’s kil ed someone before. She was convincing enough that he believed her, and after hearing what the police had to say about that hitchhiker…I’m concerned there might be some truth to it."

At this, Tatiana broke down completely. "Oh, God, how can you think you know someone but not know them at all?" she sobbed.

"It happens all the time," Ava said quietly. "Did you ever see or hear anything that might support his story?"

"Not really, but–" Tatiana did her best to recover so she could speak.

"Can you give me your e-mail address? I have something to send you."

Chapter 24

The woman Kalyna had cut off to get into the bathroom at the gas station in Auburn, where she’d stopped to fil up, gave her a dirty look as she emerged, but she merely smiled. After fifteen minutes at the Kinko’s down the road, she had a document that appeared to prove she was pregnant, and that was all she needed. At least for the time being. She could hardly wait to show it to Luke. Even if he tried to verify it through the clinic, they wouldn’t tell him anything. Places like that kept everything strictly confidential.

Kalyna moseyed down the rows of the gas station’s mini-mart. Once he’d had a chance to adjust to the idea, he’d be more receptive, she told herself. She just needed to convince him to forgive her. As soon as she could reach Ogitani, she’d tell her she no longer believed it was Luke who’d raped her, and Ogitani would drop the charges. Then Kalyna would tell Luke she’d come forward with the truth because her conscience and her love for him wouldn’t allow her to lie anymore. And while he was feeling relieved and grateful, she’d apologize for her bad behavior and promise him it would never happen again.

She could convince him. She could be very persuasive.

Her smile turned dreamy as she imagined them kissing and making up. What she wouldn’t give to be in his arms again–

"Watch where you’re going!"

"Up yours," she snapped. The near collision was her fault, and the person she’d nearly bowled over was only a teenager, but she didn’t care.

She’d spotted something that instantly and completely captured her imagination: baby items. There was a whole row of diapers and formula and teething toys, rubber spoons and tiny T-shirts and rattles….

Once she and Luke were back together, maybe she’d really get pregnant. Then she’d finally have what she needed to hold him forever.

She stroked a terry-cloth sleeper. It was so soft. Picturing herself toting Luke’s son around in an outfit like that, she couldn’t resist buying it.

Then, because it made her favorite fantasy feel even more real, she grabbed some diapers and baby food.

"Got a little one at home, huh?" the checker said as she rang up the items.

"I’m expecting," Kalyna replied.

"How exciting! Is this your first?"

"Yes, it is." She took Luke’s picture from her purse. "This is the baby’s daddy. He couldn’t be prouder."

The checker looked up from her work to smile at Luke. "Wow, he’s a handsome devil."

"And he’s got a really big dick," Kalyna whispered, and walked out, leaving the dumbstruck woman standing there holding thirty-five cents in change.

"So now you’re saying I might’ve impregnated a double murderer?"

Luke couldn’t even look at the screen, didn’t want to see that picture of Kalyna. Naked or not, he found her hideous. "What a legacy for my kid."

"We don’t know she’s a murderer. For that matter, we don’t even know she’s pregnant," Ava said.

Having slept with Kalyna was bad enough. "She said she’d send proof. That makes me fear she’s telling the truth for a change."

"You were together one time and used a condom."

"But you know what she did with it."

"She could stil be bluffing, using pregnancy as another way to get your attention." Ava sat back but continued to stare at the picture Tatiana had sent her. "That’s what this has been about from the beginning. She’s trying to force you to notice her, to make it impossible for you to move on and forget her."

"She’s definitely succeeding there."