“No. Cait, you’re grounded. Forever. Pam, you’re grounded, too.”
“Okay.”
“And whatever you stole, Cait, you’re giving back.”
Cait fiddled with her backpack then handed Karen a wad of money. “Here. I still owe about sixty bucks. I’ll pay that back with the tips I make at Uncle Nasty’s.”
Karen folded the money and slid it into the side pocket of her purse. Everything would be okay. She had her daughters back and Cait was making jokes. Yes, she’d probably have to send Cait to military school one day soon. But they could deal with that when the time came.
“If it helps, I think that’s about all the secrets,” Will said.
“You think?”
“That’s all I know, anyway.” He shifted in his seat. “Somehow I have to get into Denise’s closet.”
Karen closed her eyes and sat back against the seat. “Okay, I give. What does Denise’s closet have to do with anything?”
“That’s where Cait dumped the roll of film and the notebook.”
“I think the film is there,” Cait said.
“You think? Earlier you sounded sure.”
“I was. But now that I think about it, I can’t really say for sure. I heard her and Dad talking and I shoved all the stuff back in there. I knew I missed some things and I think the film was one of the things still on the floor. But I’m not entirely sure…”
Will chewed the inside of his lip and sighed. “Well, I’ll just have to go in there and find out.”
“I can go. I remember where I left the stuff.”
“No,” Karen and Will said at the same time.
“What are you going to do, Mom? Drop in on Denise and sit down to a cup of coffee, then rummage through her closet when she goes to the bathroom?”
“Maybe you can tell Denise you want to borrow some of her clothes,” Pam said with a laugh. “You know how much you love her clothes. And you know how much Denise would love to share with you. While she’s showing off her collection of feather boas you can grab the film.”
“You’re both very funny,” Karen said.
“Cait, I’m going to need a layout of the condo and the location of the closet, and most specifically where you think the film is. If you happen to know Denise’s schedule that would be a big help, too.”
“You sound like an investigator,” Karen said.
“Mmm, well, I guess I am,” he said absently, concentrating on the road and whatever he was cooking up in his head.
“Hey, that’s it!” Pam leaned forward and looked closely at Will. “I know where I’ve seen you before. You wrote a book about a guy who went to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.”
Will nodded. “A few of them, actually.”
Karen gaped at him. “You did?”
“Yes. I did.”
“One of the girls in my dorm studied the case about the guy who was convicted of raping the store owner, in her Criminology class. I read the book you wrote about the case.”
“Really? You know that guy opened a hot dog stand out by the Interstate in some place in Texas. He got married a couple of years ago. He still writes to me.”
“I can see why. You saved his life.”
Will shrugged. “Nah, I just got his case reopened.”
Karen held up a hand. “Wait a minute. What is going on here?”
“She's talking about a case I investigated a few years ago. The guy was innocent and got screwed over by his lawyer and I did some research to help him out.”
“It was a fascinating book, Mom. I read Dawn's copy.”
“But…” Karen frowned at Will. “You investigated a – you’re a – a – an investigator?”
“I guess that’s what you’d call it. People contact me for help in getting their cases reopened or their convictions overturned. I look into it and help them if I can, help find them a good lawyer. And then I write books about it because…” He shrugged. “Because it’s the only way I could figure to make a living. It’s kind of…what I do.”
“So you’re like, what? Champion of the downtrodden underdog?”
“Oh, I like that.” He winked at her. “Champion of the downtrodden underdog. Mingling with the sordid underbelly of society.”
“I thought – I thought you were a tattoo artist.”
“I'd hardly call myself an artist. But I'm learning. I can do basic things. Like smiley faces.”
“Why didn't you tell me you'd written a book? Several books?”
“You never asked. But then, it's not the kind of thing that’s easy to just work into a conversation.” He grinned at her, those white teeth flashing.
“You said I had heard all the secrets.”
“That’s all their secrets. I have lots left.”
“But…” What the hell?
“They were studying my book in the class? Or did she just pick it up for a reference?”
“They were studying the case, and your book was required reading. The professor said you'd been one of his students.”
“Required reading, huh? That’s cool. What's the professor's name?”
“I don't remember.”
“Probably Hegy. Asshole.” He threw Pam a glance in the rearview mirror. “Sorry.”
“It's okay. That's what Dawn called him, too.”
“He always thought I would end up working on a loading dock.”
“Showed him.” Pam nodded decidedly.
“Yeah. Showed him.”
Karen felt like she’d stepped into an alternate reality. Cait had been attacked and had stolen someone’s purse. Pam was coming home. And Will – who was supposed to be an impetuous fling and nothing more – was beginning to look like an honest-to-God hero. He’d come with her to find her daughter rather than chase the woman who could exonerate him from drug charges. He’d held her hand and given her strength when she’d needed it more than she had at any point in her life.
And he dedicated his life to fighting for the underdog. That didn’t sound like someone she would have a fling with. That sounded like someone she would fall in love with. Hard.
They left the girls at the house with strict orders not to go anywhere. Then she called Terri to come watch them, just in case.
“We don’t need a babysitter,” Pam said.
“Obviously you do,” Karen said as she grabbed her purse. “And besides, Terri said she wanted a turn at hugging and strangling both of you.”
Cait had already called Denise on her cell phone on the pretext of reassuring her she was okay, but actually to determine whether Denise was home or not.
“She said she was out and wouldn’t be home for a while, if ever,” Cait said, hanging up the phone.
“If ever?”
“That’s what she said. If ever.”
Karen raised her eyebrows and took the condo key from Cait. “If ever, huh? Sounds like there’s trouble in paradise.”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Will told Karen. “I don’t think I’ll need any help. It won’t actually be the first time I’ve searched someone’s closet for evidence.”
Karen shook her head. “I want to go. I’m ready to get this over with.”
Karen and Will tiptoed up the stairs in Denise and Michael’s condo, Karen clutching the back of Will’s shirt.
“If ever. That sounds…not good. Ha ha.”
Will shushed her.
“Sorry.” She tiptoed up another stair. “Well, not really sorry. After everything he’s put me through I have to admit I’m more than a little thrilled at the prospect of things not going Michael Way’s way. Way’s way.” She giggled. “Sorry. Way’s way.”
“Would you hush?” Will hissed.
“I’m sorry. I’m nervous. I giggle when I get nervous.”
“I get irritated when I get nervous. So hush.”
Karen giggled louder.
Will clamped his hand over her mouth. “Hush,” he said ominously. “I heard something.”
That shut he
r up.
He lifted his hand away slowly, frozen in place.
“What did you hear?”
“Shhh!”
She shhhed. After a few minutes he began to move up the steps again.
“What did you hear?” she whispered as she headed after him.
“Nothing, I guess.”
“Good. I’ve been trying to decide what I’d say if Michael or Denise caught us, and I can’t come up with anything good.”
“Me either. So let’s get in and out before we get caught.” He stopped at the top of the stairs. “She said it was the second door at the right of the landing.”
Karen pointed to her right. “That must be it. Their room. The lovebirds' room. Their love nest. Their –”
Will left her there talking to herself. He crossed the room and found the light for the closet.
Karen looked around the bedroom. “Can I just say that Denise must have gotten her decorator's license on Ebay.” She turned to the closet. “Okay, let’s find the goods.”
He was too busy crawling around the closet floor to reply. Karen joined him on the floor and pawed through a few thousand dollars worth of shoes.
“Cait said it was behind the shoes.” Will sat back on his haunches and looked around. “Do you see any more shoes?”
“I hope she doesn’t have any more. She could keep an entire sorority in black pumps as it is. Who needs eight different pairs of black pumps? Seriously.” She held up a pair with stiletto heels. “And how does she manage to stay upright in these?”
“What is your deal?” Will's voice was tight.
“Deal? I don’t have a deal.”
“Then just let it go. Quit sniping.”
Karen lifted her nose. “Forgive me if I'm less than gracious about entering the bedroom of the woman who stole my husband.”
“So, she stole your husband. Big deal.”
“Hello? Yes, it's a big deal.”
“Why? Do you want him back?”
Karen stopped, momentarily flabbergasted. “Want him back? Of course not!”
“Then wish the couple well and get on with your life.”
“Oh sure. It's just that easy.”
Will stepped close enough she could actually see his eyes flash with anger, even in the dark. “No, it isn't easy. But it's flat-out impossible if you insist on constantly feeding your bitterness. You'll never move on if you make hating them your new hobby.”
Karen drew her head back. “It's not my new hobby.”
“Then stop, okay? Just stop. If a person didn't know better, they'd think you were still in love with Michael and –and dying to get back together with him or something.” Will sliced a hand through the air.
“Well, I'm not.”
“Are you sure? Because you’re acting like the jealous ex-wife.”
“Really? Well, you’re acting like the jealous boyfriend.”
“I wonder why?”
Karen froze and blinked. “Why?”
He didn’t answer. He shook his head and moved to the other side of the closet. “Let’s just find the film and get out of here.”
She looked at Will, then put the shoe back down. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m utterly ridiculous. I’m just bitter because…because I was supposed to leave him, damn it. I wanted to leave him. Back when I was still young enough to go back to school, find someone else, do something with my life. But I stayed with him because I’d made a commitment. A promise. Because I owed it to my daughters to make it work even if I didn’t really want to. So then the bastard waits till I’m almost forty and he leaves me. It wasn’t supposed to happen that way.”
Will stared at her. “Yes, you’re utterly ridiculous. As if you couldn’t crook your finger right now and have any man you wanted. As if thirty-eight is too old to do anything. As if you haven’t already found someone else and completely overlooked him.”
Karen opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t.
Will sighed and lifted his hands. “It doesn’t matter. The film isn’t here.”
Karen looked around. “Maybe it’s –”
“It’s not here. Cait put it back in the purse. Or Michael found it. It’s not here.”
“He’s right. The film is not in there.”
Karen looked up to see Denise standing in the closet doorway. She held a very nice, shiny little gun in her hand.
“Denise,” Karen stood on suddenly weak legs. “This – this must look strange.”
“Not at all,” Denise said. Her eyes had a funny glint. As if she weren't quite there. “Nothing looks strange to me now. You're looking for these.” She held up an envelope, the kind pictures come in. “I can certainly see why everyone wants to know what was on that roll of film.” Her top lip quivered a little, as if she were debating whether she wanted to throw up or cry.
“Well?” The gun notwithstanding, Karen was pretty curious about what those pictures showed. And if they were what she thought they were – Michael in a compromising position with Kitty – that meant he was cheating on Denise now. Which kind of made her happy. “Let's see them.”
“You don't want to see this. Believe me.” She stared at the wall beyond Karen's head and dropped to the padded bench just inside the door. “I think I'm going to throw up.”
“Denise, why don't you put the gun down and we'll talk about it,” Will said. He took a step toward her. “So Michael cheated on you. It's not the end of the world.”
“I wish he'd cheated on me. I wish I'd just opened a picture of him with another woman.” She raised her perfectly arched eyebrows and her head wobbled, lowering the gun to her lap.
Okay, now Karen really was curious. She edged closer to Denise. “Honey, it'll be okay. Let's talk this out.”
Denise raised the gun again. “You shut up. You're not even supposed to be here. I'm supposed to confront Michael and get an explanation. A costume party. A joke. Something.”
“Good Lord. What's in the pictures?”
“I'm telling you, Karen, you do not want to know.” She raised her gun hand and rubbed her forehead with her thumb knuckle. “I have to think. What does this mean? How does this affect our future?”
“Oh, are you feeling insecure about your future?” Karen asked sweetly, cocking her head. “I’m so sorry. That’s a shame.”
“Karen, if I were you I would just shut up. I had Michael talked into sending your ass to jail, too, and I can still do it, despite what’s in this envelope.” She dropped the envelope in her lap and leaned her elbows on her knees, rubbing both hands in her hair. “Ugh. What am I going to do?”
“Here’s what I would do,” Karen said. “Give Will the gun, give me the envelope, and together we three can work out a plan of action for you, okay? Sound good?”
Denise lifted her head and stared at Karen. “You know, you’re even more clueless than I am. You had no idea either, did you?”
“Ummm…about what?”
“No, she had no idea.”
Karen looked up. Michael stood in the doorway.
“And there’s the freak now,” Denise said grandly, standing to wave a perfectly manicured hand in Michael’s direction.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“I am not a freak.” Michael reached for the envelope that fell to the floor. Denise planted a foot on it.
Michael pursed his lips and stepped back. “Denise, what are you planning to do with that gun?”
“I was planning to shoot an intruder, until I realized the intruder was your stinking ex-wife and her new boyfriend. Now I don’t know what exactly I’m going to do. Shoot you, maybe?”
“Hand me the gun. This is something we can talk about.”
“Believe me, this is number one on the list of things I do not want to talk about!” She glared at him. “I was supposed to be a senator’s wife. I was going to Washington.”
“We can still go, darling. There’s no –”
“Don’t ever call me darling again! You’re a freak.” She picked up the envel
ope and threw it at him.
Will reached out a long hand and caught it. “I’ll just keep this.”
“No, you won’t.” Michael’s voice shook.
Will grinned. “Oh yeah. I think I will.” He tucked the envelope into his shirt. “Now, what’s this about Denise talking you into carting Karen off to jail?”
Michael’s jaw twitched, and he looked from the envelope sticking out of Will’s shirt to the gun in Denise’s hand. He took a frustrated breath and tightened his mouth, looking at Karen. “You were never going to jail. I wouldn’t have let it go that far.”
“Sure,” Karen said, nodding. “I believe that.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of court-ordered rehab, you idiot?” Denise snapped. “It was a good plan.”
Karen looked at Will, her eyebrows raised. “A good plan. Send me to rehab for an addiction I don’t have.”
“My campaign advisor said it didn’t look good for me to have left my wife and kids and move in with Denise. So we needed some way to help my image.”
Karen nodded, beginning to understand. “And what better way to make you look good than to make me look really, really bad?”
“Exactly,” Denise said. “Voters would have been sympathetic to his predicament. I told you it was a good plan.”
“I see. You can’t be faulted for leaving me because I’m a crack addict. Then the courts take pity on me and send me to rehab instead of jail, and you come off looking like the long-suffering saint.”
“I didn’t want to do it, Karen,” Michael said, looking truly sorry. “If this opportunity in Washington hadn’t presented itself I never would have. But my leaving you for Denise was an insurmountable obstacle unless we put a spin on it.”
“Too bad Haney didn’t die before you left me,” Karen said. “You could have done things differently.”
“I know.” Michael nodded, his voice full of regret. “If only I’d known.”
“You are such an asshole,” Will said. “Such a cold-blooded opportunistic bastard. I’m going to enjoy hanging you out to dry.”
“There’s no need for anyone to do anything. Everything can be worked out right here, right now.”
Will shook his head. “I don’t know what’s in these pictures, but it must be good. You don’t mind if I just take a little look, do you?” He pulled it out of his shirt and lifted the corner of the flap.
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