The Perfect Liar (Last Stand #5)(76)
Author: Brenda Novak

Tati hoped she wouldn’t miss her mother’s funeral in the process. She figured she’d be okay, as long as she could make it back by Wednesday.

They hadn’t even done the autopsy yet.

The entire car shook as the engine roared to life. Her father was so proud of his eight-cylinder. He was a simple man, a man who worked hard and had few pleasures. Life hadn’t been easy for any of them. Why couldn’t Kalyna understand that? Why did she think she was the only one who’d suffered?

Being careful not to scratch the car on either side of her, Tati backed out of her parking space and headed toward Sky Harbor International Airport. She didn’t want to make this trip, especially alone. She didn’t get out much, even around town. And she knew her father wouldn’t be pleased when he learned what she was up to. But Kalyna couldn’t handle this situation as carelessly as she’d handled problems in the past. This was serious. If she wasn’t careful, she’d go to prison for the rest of her life for a crime she didn’t commit.

A Verizon store came up on Tati’s right. Tempted to stop, she slowed down. She didn’t have a cell phone. She’d never been able to justify spending the money. The landline at the mortuary was adequate for someone who worked the hours she did. But now that she was flying to California, she should have some way of staying in touch with her father and Kalyna–if Kalyna ever picked up–shouldn’t she?

She thought so, but…how long would it take to buy a phone? If it was more than a few minutes, she’d miss her flight.

A car honked behind her. Then the impatient driver swerved around her, making a rude gesture. She had to make a decision; she was holding up traffic.

Giving the Oldsmobile some gas, she passed the store. She could get by without a phone for the time being. It wasn’t as if she needed help finding Kalyna’s apartment. Using the address her sister had dictated to her after Christmas, when Kalyna had called to have Tati mail the hair dryer and shoes she’d accidentally left behind, Tati had downloaded directions from MapQuest before leaving the house.

Wil ing herself to relax, she leaned back as she drove. Kalyna would be okay, she told herself. Everything would be okay.

She just had to talk to her sister before the police did.

The sight of Ava wearing no makeup and a hastily donned pair of cutoffs with a plain T-shirt and flip-flops should’ve reminded Luke that he’d been with prettier girls. Instead, it reminded him that she looked the way she did because she’d just been with him on the bank of the river. And that made his heart pound. Why, he couldn’t say. A few minutes earlier, Kalyna had all but beckoned him to the bed, and it hadn’t affected him in the least.

But Ava showed up in some baggy old clothes that did absolutely nothing for her thin figure and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Wishing he could turn off whatever she did to him just as easily as she’d sent him away this morning, he set his jaw so she wouldn’t guess at his true feelings and blocked the doorway with his body. "What do you want?" he asked.

Her gaze shifted to a point behind him, and he knew she was looking at Kalyna. "I was afraid…I wanted to be sure you were okay."

"I’m fine. We’re both fine. Kalyna has called Ogitani and told her the truth. They’re dropping the charges."

Ava hesitated briefly. "So I’ve heard."

"That means you don’t have to worry about anything. Your job is done. But thanks for coming by. I’l put the donation I promised you in the mail." He closed the door, then sucked in a quick breath to absorb the sting that resulted from treating her so coldly.

"You okay?" Kalyna had moved. She now stood right behind him.

Straightening, he managed a nonchalant shrug. "Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?"

Her eyebrows gathered. "I know you weren’t in a good mood to begin with, but seeing Ava didn’t seem to help. You–you weren’t really yourself with her."

"What do you mean? I just told her where we’re at with the case."

"I guess. For a minute, it seemed…" She gave an awkward laugh. "I don’t know, like you cared about her."

"Well, I don’t." At least not deeply, he told himself. He’d known Ava for barely a week. He respected her; that was all. She was deep and real and concerned about others–and he enjoyed being around her. No other woman he’d met could compare. But if she didn’t feel the same, he could walk away. Marissa was the only woman he hadn’t been able to forget.

He’d feel better in a few days.

"Maybe you’re tired," Kalyna said. "Why don’t you get some sleep?"

He crossed to the window. Ava was climbing into her bright yellow, rattletrap Volkswagen. Would she ever call him again? He couldn’t see why she would….

"I have to go," Kalyna said.

That was a relief.

"But I’l take your laundry. I have to do mine, anyway. And helping you out is the least I can do for…for what I’ve put you through."

Luke caught only bits and pieces of what she said because he wasn’t really listening. He didn’t realize she’d asked him a question until she fell silent, then prodded him, saying, "Luke? Did you hear me?"

"What was that?" He turned to look at her.

"I said I’l do your laundry when I do mine today, okay?"

"No. Don’t touch it. I’m fine."

"Please? Let me make it up to you. I’m trying to be nice, Luke. Why won’t you–"

He raised a hand to stop her. "Fine. Whatever," he interrupted. As long as she left him alone for a while, he didn’t care. What did it matter if he let her do his laundry? He couldn’t get rid of her, anyway. She was pregnant with his child. She’d be part of his life forever.

"See you later," she called.

He was stil staring out the window. "Later," he echoed. Then the door opened and shut, and finally– finally–he was alone.

With a sigh, he walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. Phil’s letter lay right in front of him. The letter he’d never answered. Why hadn’t he written back while he had the chance?

He thought of Marissa. She was trying to cope with Phil’s death, not only as his wife, but the mother of his child. Would the situation be different if he’d declared himself before she married Phil? Would she have married him instead? Would they have a kid or two?

If so, he wouldn’t be looking at sharing a child with a woman he disliked, and Marissa wouldn’t be going to bed alone at night.

He considered calling her. In the past it’d been difficult, painful at times, to hear her voice when he called to talk to Phil. Through the years, he’d missed her smile, lamented the loss of their friendship as much as any deeper relationship. But today…today the only person he wanted to call was Ava.