A Lie in Every Truth

by Jamie Lee Scott

  “We’re glad to have you. But don’t get used to this kind of case. We try not to get involved in murders.”

  Piper laughed. “Yeah, tell that to Nick.”

  I laughed, and cringed, then went back to my office, to delve into the case of the nosy mother-in-law.

  Eleven

  Charles

  The last thing I planned to do was spend the day at the office. I had so many things to do. But a lot of my computer forensics equipment was in my office at the agency. I hadn’t expected to be sidetracked by Mimi’s case, either.

  It’s not like I could just shut the door to my office and expect I wouldn’t be bothered. I had two days to go over this court case, dig into bank accounts which were likely overseas, or maybe even closed, then hop a plane to meet the witness. Something told me I might not like the witness after I went through all the files. I mean, was there a chance he was one of the less than five percent who were completely innocent? I doubted it.

  Jared sent me encrypted files, which were my first order of business. A total snooze fest, but I had to start at the foundation and work my way to the penthouse suite. In this case, the penthouse suite was a funeral. In my head, even if there were dangers, I could work around them. I barely slept last night, going over the scenarios to get this guy to the funeral, then back to his other life.

  And the only thing I knew was, this felt like a game. I had someone else’s life in my hands, and I could almost feel the adrenaline pumping at the thought of pulling this off.

  And then came the knock at the door.

  Grudgingly, I said, “Come in.”

  Lydia poked her head in after opening the door a crack. “Am I bothering you?”

  I forced myself not to roll my eyes and say, “Is my door usually shut?” I smiled and said, “What’s up?”

  She pushed the door all the way open and stepped into my office with a cell phone and piece of paper in her hand. “I can’t find what I need, and I’d like to get into this phone.”

  “What’s this for?”

  She placed the phone on my desk. “It’s the Edie Pratt suicide. Her phone is locked, and I’ve tried everything to get the password, but she must have an email account Clive didn’t know about, because the retrieval email isn’t the one I have for her.”

  As much as I wanted to be annoyed, I loved jailbreaking cell phones. “Want to learn to do it for yourself next time?”

  Lydia’s eyes lit up. “Seriously?”

  I nodded.

  “Then my answer is a resounding yes. That would be so cool.”

  I nodded toward my office door. “Close that, pull up a chair and I’ll show you the basics. That way next time you don’t have to…” I started to say, “bug me,” but said, “ask for my help.”

  “I’m really sorry to bother you. But this is the only part of the case Mimi will let me work on. She says I’m too close to the victim to look at the images. I learned a lot about crime scene photos and evidence at my last conference, but truth be told, I’m not eager to see images of my dead friend.”

  I listened to her rambling as I fired up the other computer on my desk, then handed her a legal pad. “I’m going to go over this as I go through the steps. I want you to write them down. If I’m going too fast, just stop me.”

  Lydia grabbed a pen from the holder on my desk and scribbled on the legal pad to make sure it had ink. “I’m ready.”

  It took forty-five minutes to go through the process. Lydia only asked me to slow down twice, which surprised me. She scribbled on the legal pad as fast as she could and listened intently. Her eyes darted from my computer screen to the cell phone and back, and she sighed a few times.

  I relocked the phone and handed it back to her. “Your turn.”

  Lydia’s head jerked back in surprise. “What? Me?”

  “You don’t learn to golf by reading about it and taking notes. You learn by doing it. Go over your notes and hack into the phone. I’ll help you if you get stuck, but try to pretend I’m not here. I’m going to get some of my own work done.”

  That took a lot more time out of my day than I wanted, but at least I wouldn’t have to pull all the information from the phone for her.

  I wanted to put my noise canceling headphones on to drown out the periodic mumbling and sighing coming from Lydia, but then she’d be hesitant to ask me if she got stuck. Going through the steps took a long time, because I went slowly to make sure she understood and had time to take notes, but it shouldn’t take as long for her to hack the phone. Or so I hoped.

  I’d been engrossed in the RICO investigation files Jared sent me and didn’t notice when Lydia placed the cell phone on my desk. She lightly tapped me on the shoulder and I almost flinched.

  “What is that?” she asked, looking at my computer screen.

  “It’s an old investigation on a case that never went to trial. Why?”

  “That name,” she pointed to the screen.

  “Yeah, I know. It was a famous case that was in the papers a lot.”

  “Sometimes we should let sleeping dogs lie,” she said and grabbed the phone off my desk.

  “I can’t. I’m helping a friend. How did it go with the phone?” I had no intention of taking her advice on whether I looked into the case or went to the funeral.

  “I’m in. Thanks.” She stood and walked to the door, leaving without saying another word.

  I twisted the cap on my bottle of water and took it off, tossing it in the garbage can, then I drank half the bottle of water in one long gulp. Staring at my computer screen for almost five minutes, I resolved to continue and find some answers.

  No sooner did I get started again when there was another knock on the door. “What?” I said, not too politely.

  Instead of a timid opening of the door, it swung open and Nick stepped into my office.

  Less irritated, I said, “Don’t you look dapper?”

  “Don’t I always?” he said.

  “Yeah, right, we’ll go with that. What’s up?”

  Nick didn’t sit down or even settle in. “We’re going to see the house. Mimi doesn’t seem to be thrilled about it. Do you think she’s using our limbo with the housing situation to put off wedding planning?”

  Nick wasn’t going to like my answer, but never one to sugar coat anything, I said, “I think she’s using Dominic to put off the wedding plans.”

  Nick frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I need to do some research, and I don’t have time to do it this week, but I think she’s afraid your marriage won’t be legal.” She’d never come out and said it, but it wasn’t like Mimi to procrastinate over this type of thing. She loved a good celebration. I was reading between the lines.

  “He’s dead and gone. You can’t tell me she’s still holding out that he’s alive and well and coming back.”

  I waved him off. “No, it’s not that. He hasn’t been declared legally dead. At least I don’t think so. To be honest, I don’t think she wants to deal with it. She doesn’t want to dig deep into that situation.”

  Nick shook his head. “Did I make a mistake?”

  I laughed. “Dude, how far back do you want me to go on that one?”

  “Ha ha, very funny. Maybe I jumped the gun. I didn’t realize she was still dealing with all of that.”

  “You didn’t, and she isn’t. But I am surprised you two haven’t discussed it. I mean, it is a criminal side of her life. You’ll be marrying a mobbed-up widow.” I loved rubbing it in that Mimi had no idea just how messed up her husband’s family really was.

  Nick rolled his eyes. “Give it up. There’s no proof that Dominic was involved in his family’s affairs.”

  I shrugged. “Think whatever you want.”

  “We should talk about it, but I know she doesn’t like to, and I don’t relish it, either.”

  “Might want to do that before you tie the knot,” I said, thinking I’d want all the answers if I was getting married.

  “Anyway, I c
ame by to tell Mimi we have an appointment to go look at the house tonight. She wanted to wait until the weekend, but I have a light case load right now, and I know it won’t last.”

  I jumped up. “When? I want to go.”

  “Six,” Nick said. “You really want to go with us?”

  “Sure, I do. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  “You’re more enthusiastic than Mimi is,” Nick said. “She said she’s got too much to do and will probably be working late.”

  “She’ll be there, even if I have to drive her.” I sat back down. “I’m right in the middle of something, too. Give me the address and I’ll meet you there. I’ll be dragging Mimi from my bumper if I have to.”

  “That’s a little too National Lampoon’s Family Vacation for me.” Nick read off the address and I typed it into my phone. He closed the door behind him.

  I went back to my research. But Dominic’s death scratched at the back of my brain. I’d have to do some checking into that now, too.

  Twelve

  Mimi

  Walking down the hall, I startled when I saw the door to Charles’s office closed. Had he left already? Nick had stopped back into my office to say Charles was going to the showing with us. Of course he was, I thought. He wanted me to feel guilty if I didn’t like the house.

  Figuring he’d left already, I opened the door.

  “Jeez, lady, don’t you knock?” Charles said. He moved his hands quickly and his computer screen went black.

  Unfazed, I said, “What are you working on? You never close your door.”

  “I’m working on none of your business. It’s not agency related, but I need to use this computer.” Charles swiveled his chair around to face me directly.

  “Whatever. You sure are jumpy,” I said.

  When he acted like this, it was a good bet he was up to something. I couldn’t for the life of me think of what he might be doing that wasn’t agency related. This much I knew: it had nothing to do with the junkets he took when he disappeared for weeks and months at a time. He never worked on that stuff at the office. He did that at the Naval Postgraduate School. That was stuff he didn’t want traced back to him, even though he knew how to cover his tracks.

  “I’m just tired. Max and I had drinks with a friend last night, like I said earlier, and it went late. And I’ve been staring at the computer all day.”

  “Not all day,” I said.

  Charles tensed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Something was definitely up. His question reeked of defensiveness.

  “My mom came by my office earlier. She said you taught her to hack into a phone.”

  I could see him visibly relax. “Oh, that. Yeah. Did she get anything from it?”

  I smiled. “She did. In fact, that’s why she came by my office. She wanted to let me know she was meeting with a friend of Edie’s for drinks. She seemed excited, so maybe she’ll have something for us.”

  “Good for her. And for me. Now you all can go to her when you need phone stuff. She’s a quick learner.” He turned his chair back to his desk, shutting down his computer system. “You ready to go? If we leave now, we’ll barely make it on time.”

  I wasn’t ready to go. “Let’s get this over with. And don’t make me look like the bad guy if I don’t like the house.”

  “If you’re unreasonable, I’ll call you on it, just for fun. I’ve got to do a few things. I’ll meet you there.” He sat staring at me.

  I wanted to ask him what was really going on. He could be secretive, but he seemed weird. I shook the thought out of my head and felt his eyes on me as I left his office.

  The entire drive to River Road, my stomach churned. With most of my stuff in storage since I sold my house, I couldn’t place why I dreaded buying a new house. I wanted something that belonged to Nick and me exclusively. Something we could call ours before we were married. Something we bought with our money, not his or mine.

  I read the addresses along the road and smiled as I turned into the driveway.

  I took a deep breath and got out of the car, waving at Nick and the realtor (what was her name again?) as I approached. No sooner had I walked up, when I heard Charles’s Spyder crunch across the gravel of the road’s shoulder. He parked on the side of the asphalt driveway, behind my car and jumped out like his butt was on fire.

  Jogging over to us, he had a childish grin on his face. He whispered something in Nick’s ear, then shoved his hand at the realtor. “I’m Charles Parks, consultant to Nick Christianson.”

  Thank goodness for Charles. She shook his hand and said, “Bev Trask,” then added, “Consultant?”

  Nick said, “He’s kidding. He’s Mimi’s business partner and our good friend.”

  She raised her brows, appraising Charles. Of course, Charles barely noticed, because he got this reaction from most women. He didn’t even bother with correcting them.

  Just to stir the pot, even though I saw the ring on her wedding finger. “Charles is single, and he may be looking for a new house soon. You should give him your card. Maybe you two can meet for lunch to discuss his needs.”

  Nick snickered but covered it with a cough.

  Charles said, “I have another meeting, so let’s get the show on the road.”

  As much as I wanted to hate the house, I fell in love from the moment I laid eyes on it. Nick knew me better than I imagined. The driveway I drove up led to a Victorian house, much like the house the Gotcha Detective Agency occupied. Only this one boasted a massive English style garden in the front yard, complete with boxwood hedges and feathery flowers.

  Off to the left, when facing the house, was a carriage house with what looked like an apartment above the converted garage. The carriage house was painted in the same color scheme as the main house: taupe siding with pale blue, green and brown on the decorative finials and railings.

  The icing on the cake before we even entered the home? A wraparound porch. The Victorian house that Gotcha occupied had a nice front porch, and just a landing at the back door. I’ve dreamed of a house with a full wraparound porch since I was a kid. The handmade wooden rockers made it that much homier.

  I did my best to keep a straight face, and not let on about how impressed I was. I said, “This yard. Oh, my goodness, it’s lovely, but we’d have to rip it out and lay concrete. We don’t have time for this.” Hehehehe.

  The look on Bev’s face made me choke back a laugh.

  “But it’s so lovely and well maintained. I imagine it looks even better from the porch.” She walked up the steps and turned around.

  We followed. She was right. The full view of the garden could be seen from there.

  “Looks like you’ll be hiring a landscape man. I can give you the number of the guy I use,” Charles said, trying to sound unimpressed.

  “Yeah, not in the budget,” I said.

  The entire time, in the back of my head, I kept thinking, how are we going to afford this? The house alone was probably listed at a million plus. Then we’d need a yard guy and a cleaning service. I mentally shook my head and smiled. “Let’s see the inside.”

  “Don’t be too put off by the interior,” Bev said as she unlocked the door. “The owners moved to Italy over a year ago.”

  Bev opened the front door and Charles said, “Put off by what?”

  Bev said, “It’s a little dusty.”

  “Yeah, it’s atrocious,” I said, joking. But all heads turned to look at me as if I’d called Bev a bad name.

  So far, Nick hadn’t said a word. I think he was afraid to like the house, knowing I’d veto it. And I wanted to veto it, but with the garden, and now the farmhouse chic interior, I had no words.

  “Does the price include all of the furniture and décor? Because this tacky farmhouse crap is just Mimi’s style,” Charles said. He looked like he wanted to vomit.

  Nick spoke up. “That’s a good question. And it’s not tacky, Charles, it’s charming. Light and airy, and the perfect place to spend our l
ives.”

  Charles waltzed right past us into the other room. For some reason, we followed. There it was, the perfect kitchen.

  The rest of the house was a blur because my mind was still on the kitchen. Even for someone who didn’t really cook all that much, it was a chef’s dream. Every single room in the house looked staged for the showing. It had to be, because the owners had moved out of the country.

  “Is this house staged?” I asked once we were back on the porch.

  Bev shook her head. “No. In fact, they just spent a small fortune to redo the entire house. All new furniture and everything, then the husband was transferred overseas. Such a shame.”

  “Yeah,” I said. For them.

  If I could justify any way we could afford this place, I’d make an offer on the spot, but we didn’t have that kind of money. It made me sad Nick would even waste the realtor’s time.

  “I’d like to make an offer, but not tonight. We need to talk it over and of course, go through the motions with inspections and appraisals, and whatever else needs to be done.” Nick avoided my gaze as he spoke to Bev.

  No way was I going to make a fuss in front of a stranger, but I wanted to slap Nick back to reality. Besides, we had a wedding to plan, and we needed money for that.

  Bev beamed. That made me wonder how long the house had been on the market. I needed to do some homework when I had time, which might be the end of next year. But it didn’t matter, because we weren’t buying this house of my dreams.

  “Call my cell and we can set up an appointment to do the paperwork,” Bev said.

  We went through all the formalities, then Bev left us standing in the driveway of the house we’d never be able to afford.

  “What was that? Did you want her to think we can afford an offer?” I hissed.

  Charles patted me hard on the back. “Are you that naïve?”

  I turned on him. “What? Naïve that we can afford a million-dollar home that has been completely remodeled, and just happens to be my dream home?”