Promised Lies (A Detective Blanchette Mystery)

by Ashton, Marguerite

  “Is that your polite way of telling me I’m off the case?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you making this decision based off my eval?”

  “Landon stated your stress levels were elevated and he felt it was in your best interest.”

  “Magnificent,” Lily said, retreating in the opposite direction. Her thoughts skittered back to her two victims lying in the field, Morgan getting shot and the sound of continued gunfire, her dad found slain in the parking lot and his funeral, the moment she read the letter; learning she wasn’t a Blanchette. Nothing in her world was right. Not her job. Not her family.

  Lily was hoping to spend a little more time on the case. She wanted to see it through. She wanted to see that bastard go to court and hear the pounding of the judge’s gavel as Sanchez’s sentence was handed down. Even now, the guy Sanchez was working with was probably scrolling through the chat rooms and social media pages sweet talking his next victim.

  When she reached her cubicle, Lily kicked the chair, shut down her computer, and grabbed her keys.

  “Is Sarge being a hard ass?” Evan asked.

  “My vacation started two minutes ago. Sarge said you’d finish my paperwork,” she replied, turning to face him.

  “Wait a second. We need to talk.”

  “What is it?”

  “I still love you.”

  “Don’t do this, Evan.”

  “I want a second chance. We can make it work this time.”

  “Where’s this coming from?”

  Evan moved in closer, trapping Lily between him and the partition. “This past week has forced me to do some thinking. I was a jackass for ending our engagement and I need to explain why.”

  “It won’t change the fact that I’m married.”

  “Julius’s a rebound.”

  “You didn’t want a commitment.”

  “I didn’t know what I wanted back then.”

  “And now you do?”

  A knock on the other side of the panel silenced them. “Evan, Sarge wants to see us,” Alec said.

  Evan kept his eyes on Lily. “I’m coming.”

  “I’m leaving,” Lily said.

  Evan backed away. “We’re not done discussing this.”

  Lily fled from the third floor and down the stairwell. In no time she was sitting in her truck driving toward Landon’s office. She didn’t care about the next set of rumors that were going to surface. There were too many other things that she needed to sort out.

  *

  November 23, 9:26 a.m.

  Landon paced the floor of his office while Ibee berated him. He felt as if he were a broken stallion resisting the harness, saddle and bit, being whipped for failing to act on her commands. Though he knew it was in Ibee’s nature to be demanding, it was still hard to accept his ex-girlfriend’s attitude about Collin.

  “Did you approach your guy in Internal Affairs about Collin?” Ibee closed in on Landon.

  “I didn’t see a need to do so.” Landon walked over to his desk and picked up the binder that held the information about one of his patients.

  “You didn’t see a need because you’ve been too busy playing Deena’s lapdog. To make it worse, you didn’t even let Collin warm the grave before you stepped in to console his wife during the burial service.”

  He crammed the binder into a delivery package, sealed it and set it on his desk. “Whatever Collin had on you is probably buried somewhere in his backyard or shoved into some safe deposit box. I’d look like an idiot bringing this up to them after a decorated officer was killed in the line of duty.”

  Ibee glared at him. “Just know that if this comes back to bite me, I’ll make sure you go down with me.”

  “Get out of my office. Don’t call me again.”

  As Ibee grabbed her coat and stalked out, Landon looked down at the package. What if I’m wrong about my patient? I better make sure before I send this off. He placed the binder in his desk drawer and closed it.

  *

  Dull gray skies settled in the clouds above the Whitewater Mental Health office.

  Lily waited across the street in her truck for the man she believed was responsible for having her taken off the case: Dr. Montejack. She’d agreed to his terms for extra counseling, but still it hadn’t been good enough to convince her boss that she’d be okay. All she wanted to know was what happened.

  Four cars were parked along the curb and the blinds in the windows were closed. Someone was there because in the last twelve minutes, a light had flicked on then off again.

  She placed a stick of gum in her mouth. The spearmint zinged her tongue, taking away the craving of her sudden urge for a half gallon of French Silk ice cream. She’d never eaten the cream mocha and vanilla mousse outside of the holidays, but the turmoil she’d been facing was poking at her need to ignore her made up rule, damn the calories, and indulge.

  Lily’s phone buzzed in her hand.

  Detective Keys’ name blinked on the screen. She swiped the screen and answered. “Keys, call Evan on his phone.”

  “I already did. I heard about what happened.”

  “Then why’d you call me?”

  “To tell you we’ve set up the tracer. The bad news is the waiting. Hopefully CtryGeek23 will log on the WiFi using the same device.”

  “And if he doesn’t use the same device?”

  “We’re screwed.”

  “I appreciate the call, but I don’t want you getting into trouble.”

  “No trouble. A lot of us feel it’s still your case. I’ll keep you updated.”

  The line went dead.

  Lily slumped in her seat as the door to the clinic opened and Ibee emerged wearing a red pencil dress and matching pumps.

  The car alarm two vehicles back beeped.

  Ibee draped her coat over her arm, got in and soon rushed by Lily’s truck as if she were in a hurry to get to her next destination.

  What the hell?

  Lily got out of her truck and went inside the clinic. She stepped up to the reception area. It was lit, but the rest of the office was dark.

  Shoes scuffed against the carpet.

  “How long you’ve been here?” Montejack stepped into the light.

  “Long enough to see the A.D.A walk out.”

  The bell from the nearby church tolled.

  “I can guess why you came.”

  “Damn you, Montejack. You had them take me off the case?”

  “It wasn’t my decision.”

  “For Christ sakes, you knew I had vacation time,” Lily said, stabbing her finger in the air, her voice rising. “I did what you asked. Without access, I won’t be allowed to see this case go to court. Hell, they might not even allow me to testify.”

  “You solved the case you were brought on to do. You’ve done your job. Let I.A. handle the rest.”

  “Why did you go back on your word?”

  “Believe me, Lily. I tried. But no one would listen. I was pushed into a corner.”

  “Pushed into a corner? By whom?” she pressed, stepping forward. She wasn’t leaving until he told her.

  Montejack looked away and walked towards the door.

  “Tell me, please.”

  Montejack rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. “After Collin was killed I got a call. From Deena.”

  “How did Mother know to call you?”

  “She was a cop’s wife. She knew you’d be scheduled to come to me.”

  “You promised me you wouldn’t say anything.”

  “I didn’t. I told her that anything we discussed was privileged information. She was worried about your safety and I caved. It’s hard to explain, but after your session, I got a call from Owen and I reported the truth.”

  “Mother leaned on Sarge.”

  “Using his relationship with your father, I’m sure. When you have time, you should read your father’s journal.”

  Lost in her thoughts, boiling at the news of her mother’s interference, Lily replied, “I alr
eady have.”

  *

  11:22 a.m.

  After the reality check with “Doc,” Lily needed her best friend. She walked in on the tail end of the conversation that involved a recovery plan for Morgan after she moved back to Pennsylvania.

  Lily walked over and hugged Mr. and Mrs. Danvers on her way over to Morgan’s hospital bed.

  “It’s the best news we could’ve asked for,” Mrs. Danvers said.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Lily handed Morgan the bag she’d packed back at the station.

  “Being paralyzed isn’t good news, Mom.”

  “When your daughter flatlines twice in twenty-four hours, it’s the best news parents can ask for.” Mrs. Danvers flipped the channel to a soap opera. “Your show’s on. Dad and I are going to the cafeteria to get something to eat. We’ll be back in a bit.”

  After her parents left, Morgan said, “I’m going to be laid up for the rest of my life.”

  “We don’t know that,” Lily said. “We’ve got to stay positive.”

  “Save that shit for your fucked up world. Don’t bring it here.” Morgan flopped back against the pillows and balled the sheets in her hands. “How could anybody find something positive out of what happened to me?”

  “When you’re done being bitchy, text me.”

  Morgan shook her head. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. But can you blame me? Look at me. Not long ago I was walking and now I have to depend on others to get around. This isn’t me.”

  “You can depend on your partner.”

  “What am I supposed to do? I mean—say something. You always say something.”

  “You don’t want me to talk about having faith. So I switched to being positive. You didn’t like that either.”

  “Something’s up,” Morgan said, grabbing Lily’s arm. “You’re touchy.”

  “I’m not touchy. I’m just ticked off.” Lily opened up; telling everything that happened after Morgan got shot, including the paternity results.

  “I’m sorry about what happened to your dad. I watched the funeral online. And I don’t care about those stupid test results. Collin loved you and at the end of the shift, that’s all that matters.”

  Lily hugged Morgan and sat down in the chair next to the bed. “Things would be easier if I didn’t have to have a Thanksgiving family dinner without Dad and Celine.”

  “Remember when we first met at the academy?” Morgan asked, reaching for the trapeze above; adjusting her position. “We were the only two chicks there at the time.”

  “That we were,” Lily said, leaning back in the chair. “The second night we went to a party, it was then I realized you were my total opposite.”

  “At that party I said if we’re going to make it, we had to stick together and not get caught crying in front of a bunch of dudes. And it looks like your God has rained on us with another round to carry out that pledge. You and I, we’ve got this.”

  It was the first time Morgan had been able to say God without flinching. And everything she said was true. Time for round two.

  Chapter 25

  November 24, 6:07 p.m. – Thanksgiving

  As Lily entered the house, bittersweet memories rushed in consuming her every thought as the smells of a baked turkey and pies filled the air. With everything going on it was hard to feel at home. It didn’t feel like the place she had grown up in. For Lily, it was if she had walked into a museum.

  The main hall’s accoutrements, which consisted of a baby grand piano and traveling mementos from around the world, made her feel as if she had traveled back into time and was looking at someone else’s life.

  Lily stepped up to the portrait of the man she had known as Dad. I don’t even have Blanchette blood coursing through my veins.

  She continued down the hall and took a right, stopping between the two bedrooms across from each other where she and her sister used to sleep.

  She stepped into her room on her left, flipped on the light, and glanced around at the bulletin boards of color swatches and patterns hanging on the wall. Computer software for home remodeling was shelved between cabinets and counter space. She turned off the light and crossed the hall to Celine’s room.

  She opened the door and peered inside, smiling at the bright yellow walls covered with posters of her sister’s favorite actor. The matching sheer curtains were draped with pink Christmas lights. She reached into the room, plugged them in, and watched as they blinked to life.

  On the dresser was Celine’s favorite paddle brush, packed with her hair.

  Sadness infused Lily. Though Deena had kept the room as it was on the day Celine died, it was no longer warm or filled with Celine’s eclectic taste in music and the smell of carnations and roses. It was cold and still.

  She unplugged the lights. With her eyes closed, she pivoted and found her way into the dining room. There was Deena, sitting at a round table prepared for two. Lily took the empty seat.

  Deena poured herself a glass of ice water. “You’re late. You know I like to eat dinner promptly at six.”

  “I stopped to look at Dad’s picture in the hallway.”

  Sharon, the family maid, emerged from the kitchen and placed hot meals in front of Lily and Deena. The smell of fresh baked peach cobbler clung to her gray uniform.

  “Your dad was a fine man,” Deena said. “More than I can say for your new husband.”

  “You made that clear when you showed up at my house and told Julius you’d never accept him as your son-in-law.”

  Sharon left and returned seconds later with a freezer bowl filled with French Silk ice cream. She placed it next to the cobbler and slipped back out of the room.

  “Is it hard for you to believe that I only want the best for you? I built a successful company from the ground up to make sure my girls wanted for nothing. I’m not going to let some wannabe reporter mooch off of it. Can’t you see that Julius is only after your money?”

  “Let’s not start this, Mother.” Lily picked up her fork, considering the Thanksgiving feast before her. Turkey, cornbread dressing, and sweet potatoes with bacon--cut and peeled just the way she liked them. The aroma from the cobbler was enticing, but also a heavy reminder that her dad and sister were not there to challenge her to see who’d get the final bite.

  Her throat clenched as she fought back the anger that roared through her. “Ugh, I can’t do this.”

  “Can’t do what?”

  “Pretend.” Lily’s fork clinked against the fine china as she pushed her plate to the side. “I read Dad’s journal. And I’m aware of the paternity test.”

  Deena’s face tightened. “You should’ve handed it over to me.”

  “You should’ve gone down and picked up the stuff Dad left behind. Owen tried getting in contact with you.”

  “I want it returned to me.”

  “How could you do that to Dad?”

  “I made a dreadful mistake. I tried to protect you from my errors.”

  “You weren’t trying to protect me. You were covering your ass.”

  “Talk to me that way again, and you can just leave.”

  “Why did you treat Celine like she wasn’t yours? It was like you were ashamed of having her as your daughter. Why?”

  “Because Celine reminded me of myself. She was a disgrace. I did everything to try and fix her. To help her straighten up and fly right. If you want to blame me, fine.

  “Just remember you’re the person that you are today because of me. Because I invested the best in you, Lily. Your father and I placed you in the best schools. We sought out extra-curricular activities to broaden your mind so you would excel above the norm.

  “You listened. You adapted and made me proud to be your mother.”

  “Proud? It was all about control, Mother. You melded me into the perfect little daughter. At the same time, you crafted this world built on lies.”

  “It was for the best.”

  “Was having me thrown off my fucking case for the best? A case tied to Celine. Do you realize Dad
was killed while working Celine’s case?”

  “Stop it!”

  “Do you even care who killed your daughter? Let alone your husband?”

  “That’s enough. You get out of my house this instant,” Deena yelled, swatting at the air.

  The tea pot in the kitchen whistled.

  “Who is he, Mother?”

  Deena stirred as Sharon came into the living room, set the kettle on the hot pad, sliced the cobbler and left quickly.

  “I want the name of my biological father.”

  “Collin was your father. He raised you and that’s all that matters.”

  “Matters?” Lily pushed away from the table and stood. Unwilling to completely lose out on her Thanksgiving dinner, she scooped a piece of cobbler and ice cream onto a saucer. “Nothing matters to you, Mother. You play games with people’s lives as if it’s okay to do so.”

  “The reading of your father’s will is on Monday,” Deena said, slicing into the moist turkey. “It’s important that you’re there.”

  With saucer in hand, Lily held her breath, turned and strode out of the room. Even after everything, you still want to dictate what happens in my life? We’ll see about that.

  *

  November 24, 7:03 p.m.

  Soft rock music played from the speakers above in Melli’s Coffee as a handful of college students sought shelter from the blowing snow outside.

  CtryGeek23 sat in his favorite spot—a corner booth facing the side entrance into the coffee house. It was the best place to catch a glimpse of his next guppy. And she had returned. His new favorite.

  Finding Nadia Camden had been a cinch after he learned the monogrammed letters on her school uniform stood for Academy of Music. CtryGeek23 scrolled through her latest status updates.

  “Parents are away on vacation. Bored. Text me. 608-555-0188.”

  “What a way to spend Thanksgiving. My ride stood me up. Stranded at Melli’s.”

  CtryGeek23 leered at Nadia sitting next to the window dressed in her school uniform. Just as beautiful as when we first met. My lovely, Nadia. I can’t wait to touch you. To be inside of you.

  He rose from his booth and walked over to Nadia’s table.

  Nadia looked up from her tablet and smiled. “Oh, hi!”

  “Any more problems with logging on to Wi-Fi?” CtryGeek23 asked, pointing to her tablet.