Throw a Double for Spite

by Cherie Mitchell

  Riley nodded and lifted her hand to knock on the door. Samantha pulled it open almost immediately and Riley promptly scolded her for opening the door without checking first to find out who was on the other side.

  Samantha took no notice of her. “Grandpa!” She grabbed Bill’s hand and beamed up into his face. “Did you bring me a present?”

  “Samantha, how many times have I told you about remembering your manners? You don’t demand a gift from a guest.” Morgan walked out into the hallway, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. Jessica charged past her and threw her arms around Bill’s legs, causing him to stagger and laugh as he gripped both sides of the doorframe and attempted to haul himself inside the house, clowning around for his willing audience. Riley was quietly impressed by the girls’ obvious devotion to their grandfather; she hadn’t realized that such a bond existed between them. But then again, she herself knew that Bill at his best was an attractive and engaging proposition for any young female.

  “Dad, can you amuse the girls for a while? I want to talk to Morgan. It’s important.”

  Bill nodded, holding her gaze while holding his giggling grandchildren at arms’ length. “We’ll leave the two of you to it. Come on, girls.” He led them into the living room as the children danced around and threw shouted questions at him.

  Morgan gave Riley a questioning look as Bill closed the door behind the noisy group. “What’s up?”

  The girls’ squeals of laughter rushed unseen from the other side of the living room door, their unrestrained giggles and the accompaniment of the cheerful boom of Bill’s voice a chorus of merriment. Riley decided she’d much rather be in the living room with them rather than out here with Morgan, but she’d promised Ruth she would talk to her sister. “Can we go into the kitchen? It will be quieter in there. Where’s Kevin?”

  “He’s working late. Riley, what’s the matter? I knew Dad was coming over but I didn’t know you were coming too. Is there something wrong?” Her voice rocketed up in pitch, growing taut and strained. “Did something go wrong with Dad’s treatment today?”

  “No, nothing like that.” Riley took her sister’s arm and steered her towards the kitchen. “You can make me a coffee and then we can talk.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Morgan sat in stony silence after Riley finished speaking although to be fair, she had not interrupted once while Riley outlined all that she needed to say. “Did Mom put you up to this?” she said at last.

  “She’s worried about you,” Riley said gently. She fondled the R on her necklace, drawing strength from the familiar shape and form of the pendant. “I’m worried about you.”

  Morgan stared sullenly down at her hands. “I have a busy life. It’s stressful. Drinking helps me to relax.”

  “And no one begrudges you the chance to relax. The drinking only becomes an issue if you’re relying too heavily on it in order to relax.”

  “You both think I’m an alcoholic,” she said bluntly.

  “I don’t think so but Mom has her concerns. She’s been there, Morgan. She knows the signs.”

  “I’ve always wondered about that. The way she always says no to a drink didn’t sit right with me.”

  “I must be the bad daughter. It never made me raise an eyebrow. I didn’t ever consider it was because she was an alcoholic – I honestly thought she didn’t like the taste.”

  Morgan looked at her fondly. “Oh Riley. You always were far too innocent about the realities of life for your own good.”

  Riley wasn’t sure if she liked that analysis of her character, especially coming from Morgan whose own life experiences had been moderate rather than challenging, but she brushed it aside for now. “So you’re not mad at me for being so frank?”

  “No, I’m not mad at you. To tell you the truth, I was starting to worry about how much I was using wine as a crutch anyway. I don’t believe I’m an alcoholic, at least not yet, but I do know that I need to cut down.”

  Riley cocked her head on one side and asked teasingly, “Have aliens abducted my sister and replaced her with a look alike? I’ve never known you to agree so readily with me before.”

  “Who said I’m agreeing with you? You made a few valid points but I’ll ignore the rest.” She smiled to soften the impact of her words, just as Bill popped his head around the kitchen door. “The girls have their pajamas on and they’re ready for bed. Does Mommy want to read them a story?”

  “Yes I will.” Morgan locked eyes with Riley as she pushed herself away from the counter. “Thanks, sis.”

  Bill took Morgan’s place at the counter, inclining his head towards the door as she left to see to the girls. “What was that all about?”

  “Girl talk. Why didn’t you tell me that you’d spent so much time with Samantha and Jessica? I had no clue that the three of you were so close.”

  “You didn’t ask.”

  Riley had nothing to say to that. He was right – she’d gone ahead and assumed without asking the pertinent questions. “I thought you didn’t turn up at Samantha’s birthday party because you didn’t care.”

  “I didn’t come to the party because I was struggling to come to terms with what the doctor had told me, despite all my bluster and bravado. I needed a little time by myself for it to sink in. I went out to the lake and spent a while walking with just my thoughts for company. Can you remember going to the lake when you were little?”

  “I can remember.” Sunny summer days at the lake formed some of her fondest childhood memories. “I’m sorry. Your bluster and bravado had me fooled. Are you ok now?”

  He waved her concerns away. “I’m ok as I’ll ever be. All that aside, I’ve had a lot of experience with little girls’ birthday parties and I don’t think I missed anything by avoiding Samantha’s. They’re not for the fainthearted.”

  Riley grinned at her father, her memories ignited now. “Remember my twelfth birthday? I persuaded my friend Megan to smuggle in her pet rat and she sat it on the table next to the cake. I’m sure that people could hear the screams in the next county. Mom almost climbed to the top of the curtains and Sarah Agnew ran two miles home without stopping.” She giggled. “You turned into the Pied Piper of Hamlin and started whistling Three Blind Mice, swearing that wild rats responded to subtle musical signals. I think you were disappointed when Megan told you it was a pet.”

  Bill grimaced, although his eyes still twinkled with patent good humor. “How could I forget that day? You and Megan were always getting up to tricks together. Are the two of you still close after all these years?”

  “Our relationship fell apart for a while, which I think was a natural part of growing up, but we’re friends again now. Yes, I can still call Megan one of my best friends.”

  “That’s good to hear.” He turned to the door as Morgan walked back in. “Are they are all settled?”

  “Quiet as little mice.”

  Bill and Riley exchanged a smile. For the first time in a long time, Riley felt as if she were part of a family again. Morgan had taken her frank advice with surprising calm, and sharing anecdotes from the past with Bill only served to remind her of how many good times they’d shared. She felt a stirring of hope that one day the rift might heal completely. I don’t hate my father and I don’t dislike men.

  Morgan slipped her arm around Bill and gave him a quick squeeze. That was another surprise; Morgan was not an openly affectionate person but there was obvious devotion apparent between father and daughter. Riley and Bill had once shared that same easy affection. Had Morgan taken her place while she was too busy feeling sorry for herself? Riley wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  “Anyone want a coffee? Or a wine?” Morgan’s eyes sparkled devilishly and for a second or two, she looked exactly like Bill.

  “No, I’ve still got some coffee here.” Riley reached for her mug.

  “And I’m eating clean during the course of the treatment. No red meat, no coffee, and no alcohol. Doctor’s orders.” Bill rubbed his small paunch. �
�It’ll probably do me some good.”

  Morgan poured herself and Bill a glass of water and sat Bill’s down on the counter in front of him. “How did Lacey take the news that the relationship was over? I hope you let her down gently. She plainly adored you.”

  Riley blinked, astonished that her sister could speak so easily to Bill about such matters. Where was the barely restrained hurt and anger? Was she the only one who had been holding a grudge for so long? Had she really been so blind to the lives of everyone around her? She’d certainly been hit by some hard truths over the past few weeks, and she was slightly ashamed now that was faced with the extent of her self-absorption.

  “Lacey’s young. She’ll bounce back.” Bill looked steadily at each of his daughters in turn. “I have something to tell you both. It’s timely that Riley arrived when she did. We can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

  “Uh-oh. I knew something had gone wrong with your treatment today.” Morgan was instantly back on alert. “I want to know everything. Don’t sugarcoat it.”

  “Dad?” Riley moved closer, her eyes on his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing to do with the cancer,” Bill said quickly. “It’s personal rather than health related.” He looked at Riley pleadingly. “I’m just not sure how you’ll take the news.”

  “Just say it,” Morgan ordered. “Just rip that Bandaid off.”

  “Jacqui and I have started seeing each other again. I bumped into her at the grocery store a few weeks ago and we arranged to have dinner over the weekend. It was after midnight before the conversation ended, and by that time we’d realized that some of the old feelings might still be there.” He was still looking at Riley rather than Morgan, waiting for her reaction. Riley felt as if the floor had opened up beneath her feet and she stood poised on the edge of a yawning chasm.

  “Oh, I thought it was bad news.” Morgan had already moved on. She checked the time on the microwave clock. “Kevin will be home soon. I’ll warm up his dinner. Does anyone else want anything to eat?”

  “No.” Riley was still staring at Bill. Nothing he could have said could have shocked her more than this. Jacqui was supposed to be gone from his life forever.

  “Riley? How about a hug?” Bill held his arms wide and expectant, waiting for her embrace.

  Riley moved stiffly into his arms but she only remained there for the briefest of moments. She pulled away quickly and gave him a grim smile that did not reach her eyes. “I just want you to be happy,” she managed.

  The front door opened and shut and then Kevin was in the kitchen, windswept and battle weary after a hard day at his job as a new build site surveyor. He swung his briefcase up onto the counter, peeled off his orange safety vest, and looked around at the now silent group. “What happened? What did I miss?”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Riley drove over to Megan’s house the next afternoon, turning in that direction as soon as she left the office parking lot. Megan had called during the day to say she had some exciting news for her and Riley was sure it must have something to do with finding Briar’s birth records.

  Megan looked pretty and happy as she let her into her apartment. She had brushed her hair and she was wearing freshly applied lipstick, as if she was expecting someone special to call around. “Hello! I’m glad you didn’t stay too long at the office today. You’re spending far too much time there.”

  “My job is important to me. Anyway, it’s not as if anyone is forcing me to stay late. I like to finish whatever I’m doing before I leave. Angus is away and the atmosphere feels lighter in there, plus there are less meetings to attend. It’s a good time to catch up on the things I’ve put aside.”

  “Angus? I’ve forgotten which one he is again. Is he the foghorn one or the silent one who stares at everyone?”

  “He’s the foghorn,” Riley reminded her. “Paul’s father.”

  “Ah, and how is your little office romance going?” Megan poured her a glass of wine without asking if she wanted one.

  “Thanks.” Riley took the glass and followed her friend into the living room, where the TV flickered in the background and Megan’s shoes lay discarded in the middle of the floor. “Paul is an interesting character. I didn’t give him enough benefit of the doubt at first. He’s managing a difficult home life while trying to live up to his father’s expectations. It can’t be easy for him.”

  “And is he still hitting on you?”

  “He never exactly hit on me – he asked me out for a drink and I said no.” Riley felt slightly ashamed of herself for her possibly over-exaggerated reaction to Paul’s friendly offer. If she knew then what she knew now, she would never have been so mean to him. “Have I ever given you the idea that I don’t like men?”

  Megan twisted a strand of hair around her hand, considering the question. “You’ve had some bad luck,” she said at last. “I can understand why you might come across as anti-men sometimes.”

  “So you do think that I don’t like them?”

  “Not really, but then I do know you better than most.”

  It was time to change the subject before Riley had to face the truth about the person she was portraying to the world. A solid wall of comprehension was starting to build up somewhere around her midriff and it was making her feel queasy. “What news do have you have for me? Did you find a way to access the birth records at the library?”

  Megan picked up a folded sheet of paper from the coffee table and passed it across to Riley. “I sneaked in. No one saw me. That’s a photocopy of her birth certificate. Briar and her twin brother’s birth certificate.”

  “So she is a twin!” A frisson of excitement dispelled the queasiness as Riley unfolded the page. “Born 20th November, Kennedy Briar Franklin, twin to Bartholomew Douglas Roger Franklin.” She screwed up her nose and gazed across at Megan. “Kennedy? I didn’t know that was her real name. I wonder why she uses the name Briar?”

  Megan shook her head. “Who knows? Perhaps she likes it better. Her twin’s name is a mouthful to try and get your tongue around.”

  Riley read the boy’s name again. “Bartholomew... I wonder if they shortened it to Bart? Was there a death certificate for him? She said he died when they were two.”

  Again, Megan shook her head. “The records were originally kept at a local registrar. A fire went through the building a few years ago and destroyed several boxes of the death certificates that they had on file. Computerized records weren’t as common back then. The missing years match up to the time when the little boy would have died.”

  “It’s such a shame. I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her to lose her twin. I’m sorry for her, but I’m also glad to have proof that she was telling me the truth.” She carefully refolded the page. “Can I keep this?”

  “Sure you can. I don’t need it.”

  “I really appreciate the trouble you went to. You’ve always been a good friend to me, Megan. Bill and I were talking about my birthday party last night, the one where you brought your rat and sat it on the table with the cake. Do you remember that?”

  “Your twelfth birthday. Yes, I remember it well. That was when we were still best friends. Everything had changed by the time you turned thirteen.” Megan’s gaze had hardened, becoming steely and unyielding. “You didn’t even invite me to your party that year.”

  “Didn’t I?” Riley bit her lip. “I honestly can’t remember. That entire year was a whirlwind, although I can remember spending a lot of time with Tracey and Becks. You know what teenage girls are like – buried in their girly cliques, obsessed with boys, and ravaged by hormones. I can see why parents in the Middle Ages chose to marry their daughters off as soon as they hit puberty.”

  Megan didn’t laugh at her attempt at humor. She banged her wine glass down on the coffee table, hard enough for a several drops to splash over the side, and abruptly stood up. “Are you staying for a while? Do you want me to make something for dinner?”

  “No,
I won’t stay. I’ll finish my wine and then I’ll head home.” She watched her friend closely, trying to fathom why her mood had changed so quickly. “Tell me about your date. Did you have fun?”

  “What date?” Megan snapped.

  “You were having lunch with a friend...”

  “It wasn’t a date. I told you that.”

  Riley looked past her, to the TV screen. “The news is on.”

  Megan turned the sound up. “I wonder if they’ll have any updates about the Condo Killer?”

  “I can’t believe they haven’t caught him yet.” Riley threw a quick sidelong glance at her friend but her foul mood seemed to have shifted just as quickly as it had arrived. “They were doing a DNA test on a cigarette butt they found at the murder scene.”

  “Sssshhhh. They’ve found something else.” Megan held up her hand to silence her. “I want to hear this.”

  The announcer shuffled the pages on the desk in front of her and the shot changed to show a single black leather glove lying on a table. The announcer’s voice explained the details of the scene from somewhere out of frame. “At this stage, investigators believe the glove is one of a pair belonging to the Condo Killer.”

  Riley stared at the glove. She’d seen a pair exactly like that before. Angus had a pair. She was about to open her mouth to say something when the announcer spoke again. “Unfortunately, this brand and style of men’s glove is freely available at a number of discount and department stores across the country. Police say that finding the matching glove will be akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. Hopes at this stage remain pinned on further DNA testing of this and other items found at the crime scene.”

  The news bulletin moved onto the next item and Megan turned back to Riley, all smiles now. “You haven’t told me how your date with Jack went. Was it that much of a disappointment that you don’t want to talk about it? Please don’t tell me he turned up wearing his underpants and a cat-skin vest.”