The Perfect Liar

by Brenda Novak

  Seconds later, she was standing in Luke’s living room with his door closed behind her. Just in case he’d let a friend borrow his car, which he was prone to do, and hadn’t answered her knock because he was sleeping, she crept into his bedroom so she could check. But his bed was empty, perfectly made.

  Where was he? He had no business being out this late. Even the bars were closed. Had he traveled to San Diego to visit his family? Or was he in Ava’s bed?

  What a whore! The mere thought of them together enraged Kalyna. How could Ava turn her back on a victim just to spread her legs for Luke? She came off like such a prude, too.

  But of course Ava would do that if she could. Who wouldn’t—for Luke?

  There was nothing to worry about. It wasn’t as if Ava was pretty. If anything, Luke was using her. He’d probably taken her to bed to get her to help him, to flatter her so she’d pose no threat. Once he was out of trouble, he’d drop her like a hot potato.

  And Kalyna could make that happen right away. All she had to do was call Ogitani and act a little confused about what she’d already said. Tell her that maybe somebody else had entered her apartment after Luke left, that she was too confused to realize it at the time. She’d say she was remembering more now, and the size of the man was all wrong. Ogitani would drop the case and Luke would drop Ava. Done.

  Standing at the window, Kalyna gazed down at the lot. The vehicles beneath the streetlamps were all parked. A moment later she saw headlights on the road and a car drove by, but it wasn’t a BMW.

  Kalyna told herself she should leave before Luke caught her. But she had good reason to be here. She’d explain that she drove all the way from Arizona, straight to his apartment, to tell him she’d decided to come forward with the truth. He’d want to know as soon as possible. And she’d say the door was open. Since he’d taken the key, he’d have to believe he’d forgotten to lock it.

  That would work. And it meant she could stay.

  Craving every detail she could glean about him, she searched his entire apartment and even stole a few things. Several pictures of him with his family made it into her purse, along with a T-shirt she planned to sleep in at night. And then she found his hamper. Excited that these clothes had so recently been next to his skin, she scooped out an armful and rubbed her face in them, breathing deep. Short of having sex with him, it was the most private, intimate act she could think of. But the smell only made the longing worse. The desire to be with him grew so strong she was afraid she’d be crushed beneath the weight of it.

  Desperate to get close to him again, she stripped off her clothes and climbed into his bed, wearing his boxers. This wasn’t as good as being in his arms, but when she closed her eyes and began to touch herself, she could almost believe it was him.

  Ava was physically and emotionally spent. Still damp from their time in the water and their lovemaking, she lay on the bank of the river, gazing up at the stars. Luke was lying beside her. Their hearts were slowing, their breathing evening out. It was over. But she didn’t mind. Languid, relaxed, content—completely satisfied for the first time in ages—she felt as if they were floating on top of the water that lapped so close to their bare feet.

  “That was the best,” he told her.

  She smiled lazily. It almost didn’t seem possible that the person who’d just made love with Luke had been her. She hadn’t held anything back. But she didn’t regret it. Not yet, anyway. There were too many women in the world who never experienced lovemaking like this. It transcended the ordinary, the mechanical, the casual, to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

  “How do you feel?” he murmured.

  “Fine.”

  “The temperature’s dropping. Maybe we should go in.”

  She angled her head so she could look at the houseboat. It sat there staring at her, its lights shining through the windows. But she could remain in the shadows, embrace the darkness a little longer. “In a bit.”

  “You’re warm enough?”

  “I’m just right. What about you?”

  “I’m perfectly comfortable.”

  She didn’t know how long he held her. Drifting in and out of sleep, she made no effort to keep track of time. At one point, she felt Luke shift positions and cover them with a blanket before curling around her again. Soon afterward, she reluctantly opened her eyes to check the sky. They’d been sleeping for some time. But it was still dark. She could procrastinate for a few more minutes…She’d give herself another quarter of an hour.

  But the next thing she knew, it was full daylight and she was blinking up at a third person, who was standing over them, blocking out the sun.

  Kalyna was still in Luke’s bed. She’d been waiting for him, hoping he’d return so she could surprise him. She planned to offer him the good news about Ogitani and the apology she’d rehearsed. But despite attempting to reenact June 6, she was as unsatisfied as ever.

  Why hadn’t he come home? He hadn’t spent the entire night with her. Why would he do that for Ava?

  Because he thought Ava could hurt him if he didn’t, that was why. He was only doing what was expedient.

  Pushing off the covers, she got up to check the parking lot. Still no BMW. She was just turning to get dressed when his phone rang.

  She crossed to the nightstand where she could see caller ID. Edward Trussell. His father. Or someone from his father’s house. That meant Luke couldn’t be with his parents. If he was with them, they wouldn’t be calling his apartment.

  She told herself not to answer. But her hand darted out at the last second. She couldn’t help it. She wanted to know these people, be close to them. They were part of Luke. If they liked her, Luke would be more prone to accept her, too.

  “Hello?”

  There was a brief hesitation. Then a female voice said, “I’m sorry. I must’ve dialed wrong.”

  “Not if you’re looking for Luke.”

  “I am looking for Luke. This is Robin Trussell, his mother.”

  “He’s not here at the moment, Mrs. Trussell. He was nice enough to let me sleep late while he ran out to get us some breakfast. But I thought it might be you. That’s why I picked up.”

  There was another pause, then she said, “And you are…”

  “Kalyna Harter.”

  “Kalyna?”

  She could tell by the affront in Robin’s voice that Luke had mentioned her. “Yes. You’ve probably heard about the mess that’s been going on here.”

  “I’ve heard a few things that have had me very worried, yes.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I was…confused. Luke and I were together the night everything went wrong. Then he left, but I was sleeping and didn’t know he was gone. Suddenly some other man came in and—” she gulped for breath “—and it was horrible. He beat me and he…he raped me and I thought I was going to die. It all happened so fast, and I didn’t remember Luke leaving, so…so I naturally assumed it had to be him. I couldn’t imagine someone else coming in so quickly after he got out of my bed.”

  “But why would he hurt you?”

  Kalyna sifted through the contents of his top drawer as she talked, studied the songs he’d loaded onto his iPod, fished out some quarters—she always needed spare change for parking or laundry—made note of the other odds and ends he kept. “We’d had a little argument earlier, when he found out I was seeing someone else. Somehow I…connected it all. It’s hard to describe how fuzzy my brain was. Have you seen the pictures from that night?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  There was a gun in the drawer, a 9 mm, but that didn’t surprise her. Although the guns they used on base had to be checked into the armory after weapons training, a lot of airmen had their own piece, and the 9 mm was the most popular. She’d considered getting one herself; she just hadn’t followed through with it. “I was pretty banged up.”

  “But now you know it wasn’t Luke who did that?”

  “Yes, of course. It’s all straightened out.”

  “Thank G
od…”

  Kalyna hefted his gun, checked the sights. “Luke would never hurt me like that. We’ve talked about it since. As a matter of fact, we’re back together. So everything’s fine.”

  Robin Trussell coughed as if she’d just taken a drink of coffee or some other beverage. “Back together?”

  “Our relationship’s been heading in that direction for a while, ever since I was assigned to his flying squadron. But the unfortunate incident of June 6 nearly tore us apart.” She pointed his gun at her own image in the mirror. “I feel terrible about what I’ve put him through. What I’ve put you through. Please accept my sincere apology.”

  “What we’ve been through is nothing compared to what you’ve been through, I’m sure. That must’ve been a horrible ordeal. I’m sorry for what you’ve suffered, and I hope they catch the man who did it. Do the police have any idea who that might be?”

  Kalyna set down the gun when she found another picture of Luke’s family. His mother was a petite woman, slightly overweight, with dancing eyes and a warm smile. “No. They have no suspects. No one saw the perpetrator come or go. Can you believe it? That’s partly why it got so out of control. A woman named Ava Bixby, a victims’ advocate I contacted for help, kept telling me it had to be Luke, that no one else would’ve had time to come in after he left. But…you and I both know he’s not the type. I won’t let Ava pressure me into believing he is, not anymore. That was killing me.”

  “Did you say Ava Bixby?”

  “Yes. Do you know her?”

  “Luke mentioned her. He thought she understood the truth and was backing off because of it.”

  She was backing off because he’d been giving her the ride of her life. “She might’ve told him that, but only when I started to realize she was manipulating me. She was always saying negative things about him, telling me how he couldn’t be as perfect as he seems, that behind his handsome face lies a very twisted man.” She lowered her voice. “I think she has some romantic interest in him and sees me as a rival.”

  Another pause. Then Robin said, “It seems that a lot has changed.”

  “I know. You wouldn’t believe what these past few weeks have been like.”

  “I’m sorry. And I’m so glad you know it wasn’t my son who hurt you. Luke is a good man.”

  “He’s wonderful. I’m deeply in love with him.” Kalyna sensed more surprise. “He hasn’t told you about us?”

  “Not much, but…you know how men are. They don’t really talk about matters of the heart. Anyway, I can see why you’d love him. We’re very proud of him.”

  “How’s Jenny doing?” she asked.

  “You know about Jenny?”

  Kalyna laughed. “Of course. Luke talks about her all the time.” He’d never actually mentioned his sister to her, but she’d heard other members of their flight squadron ask after his little sister. That was one of the benefits of flying with him. The entire squadron was quite close.

  “Then you’re already aware that she’s giving us a run for our money these days. I’m afraid she’s fallen in with the wrong crowd. You know how teenagers can be. But…we’re working with her.”

  “Is she not in a good school?”

  “It isn’t bad as far as high schools go, but Jenny’s so willful. Much more rebellious than Luke ever was.”

  “Luke’s been worried.”

  “He’s protective of her. We all are.”

  Kalyna pulled out a key that had the BMW logo on it. His spare, no doubt. She put it in her purse. “I’d love to come to San Diego so I could meet you and the rest of the family. Maybe I can talk him into making the trip at Thanksgiving.”

  “If not sooner. I’m feeling a little left out here. But of course he’s been pretty preoccupied the past few weeks.”

  “We both have. It’ll take some time for us to recover.”

  “Right. Well, it’s been a pleasure talking to you, Kalyna. What great news that the charges will be dropped. I can’t wait to tell Luke’s father.”

  Robin sounded wonderful, ideal—just like Luke. She’d make a perfect mother-in-law. “Please tell your husband I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, Ed won’t hold it against you. After what you went through, who could?”

  Still rummaging through Luke’s top drawer, Kalyna found a packaged condom, an Ace bandage and a letter from someone named Phil that’d come from Iraq. This was the only letter he’d kept, so it had to be important to him, which meant it was important to her. “Thank you for your understanding.”

  “No problem. I’d better go,” Robin said. “I have to get to work.”

  “You work?”

  “Yes, once we settled down here I decided to do what I’ve always wanted to do—teach.”

  “How do you like San Diego?”

  “We love it. It’s beautiful here.”

  “What age group do you teach?”

  “Kindergarten.”

  “Do you enjoy it?”

  “I do. Can you have Luke call me at the school when he gets back?”

  “Of course. He’ll be sorry he missed you.” Kalyna sat on the bed so she could read Phil’s letter, but she didn’t want to let this woman go. It was almost as if she was what she’d said she was—Luke’s girlfriend. So she searched for a way to stretch out the conversation, to ingratiate herself further and arrived at the obvious. “We…we have some news I know he’ll want to share,” she said. “So…be prepared.”

  “More news?” his mother said.

  Kalyna toyed with the corner of the envelope she held. “Don’t worry. This is good news. This is the kind of news that deserves a celebration.”

  “I hate surprises. Are you really going to make me wait?” she said with a laugh.

  Kalyna smiled as she fell back on Luke’s bed. She and his mother were getting along so well. It was just one more sign that she and Luke were meant to be together. “I’d tell you, but I think Luke would want the honors.”

  “I’ll act as if I’ve never heard it before, I promise.”

  Laughing, Kalyna hugged Luke’s pillow to her. “Okay, but mum’s the word. Are you ready?”

  “I’m ready.”

  “You might want to prepare for a small addition to the family.”

  “A baby? You’re expecting a baby?”

  “Yes. A boy—Luke, Jr.—I hope. Can you believe it? That something so fantastic could come out of what’s happened these past few weeks?”

  Silence. Then she said, “I…I don’t know what to say. I’m going to be a grandmother and I haven’t even met my son’s, er, my grandchild’s mother?”

  “He’ll bring me to visit. But we might want to get married first. You know, a quick trip to Vegas. Ever since he learned about the baby, he’s been in a big hurry.”

  “His father and I…well, we’re a bit old-fashioned,” Robin explained. “We’d like the baby to have our name. But we’d also like to be part of the wedding.”

  “I’ll talk to Luke about it.”

  “Okay.”

  Kalyna sat up and withdrew the letter from its envelope. “You’re not disappointed I can’t say yes right now, are you?”

  “No. I thought this would happen differently, that’s all. But…that doesn’t mean we’re not thrilled. If Luke loves you, we’ll love you, too. No question. How far along are you?”

  “Just a month.”

  She counted the months aloud. “So it’ll be a February baby?”

  “Yes. Just in time for Valentine’s Day.”

  “How exciting.”

  This woman was so trusting. She believed it all—and so easily. Kalyna supposed it didn’t hurt her credibility that she’d answered Luke’s phone at a time when ordinary guests wouldn’t be visiting. “I’ll send you a copy of the ultrasound. I should be getting one very soon.”

  “I’d love that.”

  Kalyna ironed out the letter so she could read it. “Can you give me your address? Or should I just get it from Luke?”

  “Who knows if Luke even
has it? He drives here, but I don’t think he’s ever mailed us anything,” she said. “Do you have a pen?”

  “Just a sec.” Kalyna hopped up and dug a pen out of the odds and ends in Luke’s drawer. “I’m ready,” she said and jotted the address on the envelope of Phil’s letter. She finished it off by writing “Mom and Dad” at the top, then told Luke’s mother goodbye and stuffed the envelope in her purse. She’d definitely go down and visit them. Soon.

  27

  It was Geoffrey. Ava stared up at him in shock. He was standing there with a Starbucks cup in his hand and his jaw hanging down to his knees. And she was lying naked with Luke and couldn’t get up without sacrificing their only cover. She’d never been at such a disadvantage in her life.

  “Is this some kind of optical illusion?” he asked. “Because it looks to me like you just slept with…with this soldier boy.”

  Luke’s entire body had tensed the moment Geoffrey’s shadow fell across them. Ava could tell he was reluctant to confirm his nudity by standing up, but if he didn’t she’d have to or they’d be stuck cowering on the ground. Either he recognized that, or he didn’t want to be caught on his back in case Geoffrey decided to throw a few punches, because he relinquished the blanket to her, got to his feet and pulled on his pants.

  Wrapping the blanket securely around her, Ava got up, too. “Geoffrey, I…I—” She felt sick at heart. She was pretty sure she hadn’t cheated on him, but some warning would’ve been nice. She would’ve appreciated such a courtesy had their roles been reversed. But last night had…gotten away from her. She hadn’t thought of what she and Luke were doing as having any impact on reality. It’d been pure fantasy—that was all.

  “Geoffrey. That’s good. At least you remember my name.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I never expected you to come out here. You hardly ever do. But…if it makes you feel any better, I would’ve told you. I wouldn’t have tried to hide it.”