Fool Me Once (27 page)

Jeff laughed ruefully. “Only that they operate on the water. I don't know the bow from the stern. I do know you're supposed to wear rubber-soled shoes, though. I probably saw that in a movie.”

Dennis laughed. “If you want to, I can pencil you and Ollie into my schedule in September if you want to honeymoon in the area and go out to fish. Think about it—you don't have to give me your answer right now. All that open water. Catching a marlin, there's nothing like it. Even on a honeymoon.”

For a brief moment, Jeff looked baffled at the offer. “Oh, I don't know, sir. I have a feeling I'd probably get seasick. I'm thinking that wouldn't be such a good thing on a honeymoon.” He began to look desperate. “Of course, Olivia has something to say about it. We'll give your suggestion every bit of the thought it deserves.”

Olivia thumped her hands down on the kitchen countertop. “Where are they? They said they were on the way. God, you don't think they're out there talking to all those media people, do you?”

“Ollie, count to ten and sit down. They'll get here when they get here. Stewing and fretting is not going to make it happen any sooner. If you want to go out and give the media statements, do it now. Maybe that will take the edge off things for you,” Dennis said, tipping back the kitchen chair to stare at his agitated daughter. “I'll just sit here and wait for your guests.”

Olivia stared at her father for a long time before she reached for Jeff's hand. “Okay, let's do it.”

When they reached the front door, Olivia looked up at her fiancé. “Do you think my dad knows something he isn't telling us? He looks so…at peace, so calm and relaxed. I don't think I've ever seen him look that way. He always seemed stressed out about something. You don't think he's sick, do you?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“Oh, Olivia, no. My dad looked like that a month after he finally realized he didn't have to work at a job off the farm any longer. It took him that long to realize he didn't have to get up at dawn, go to work for someone else who had the authority to fire him at any given moment. It's called contentment. Everything is right with your dad's world now. He's here for you because you are the most important thing in the world to him. Relax. Look confident and square your shoulders. I'm the one they're going to attack. Smile. Don't let them trick you into saying anything you'll regret later on. All those guys out there do this for a living and know every trick there is. Quick, pick up one of the dogs, and let's get this over with.”

Olivia bent over and picked up one of the little Yorkies. She brought him up to her cheek and whispered in his ear. He licked at her cheek. She smiled. He felt warm and sweet in her arms.

Olivia and Jeff walked to the end of the walkway and waited until a bank of microphones was moved in front of them. Jeff stepped forward. Olivia continued to cuddle the little dog close to her cheek.

“Can you turn Cecil around, Ms. Lowell, so we can get a better shot of him?” one of the photographers shouted. Olivia obediently turned the little dog around. The moment he saw and realized all the commotion, he burrowed into Olivia's neck.

“He's shy,” Olivia said.

“Do you have a statement, Mr. Bannerman?”

“Nothing different from yesterday. We are not giving Cecil up. I was Mrs. Manning's attorney. I'm doing my best to do what she wanted. It's all in her will. If I have to, I'll go all the way to the Supreme Court. I want you all to understand something. This is not about money. We have no problem with Mrs. Manning's cousin inheriting her estate. He can have it all, but he cannot have the dog. A person's last will and testament has to be honored. I think that's all I have to say at the moment.”

“Ms. Lowell, do you want to make a comment?”

“Actually, I do have something to say. Cecil adored Lillian Manning, and she adored him. That's why she provided so handsomely for him in her will. She knew Jeff would love him and take care of him. That was her wish. When Cecil came to us he was traumatized over losing his mistress. We worked with him. This is his new home now, and he loves it here. He has a lot of friends now. As you can see, he's a little frightened at the moment with all you people out here. He trusts us, he knows we're trying to do what's best for him. But like my fiancé says, we are not giving him up. No matter what.” She turned slightly, and the dog in her arms licked her face before he snuggled back into her comforting embrace.

“Thank you all for letting us speak to you. Please, don't let them take Cecil away from us,” Jeff said in his best courtroom voice.

“Hey, Mr. Bannerman,” a reporter shouted, “is it true you got fired because of Cecil? That sure is love and devotion.”

Jeff turned around, his voice and expression serious. “I didn't get fired, I quit, and yes, it is love and devotion. I have another job, so Cecil isn't going to starve.” He turned in full view of the camera, and said, “Thank you all for coming out here today to support us and Cecil. We appreciate it.”

“Ambrose Martindale said you were a hothead. Is that true?”

Jeff tilted his head to the side and tweaked the dog's whiskers. “Only when it comes to Cecil. Other than that, I'm a pussycat.” The dog in Olivia's arms barked loudly at his response. Everyone laughed.

As Olivia and Jeff retreated up the sidewalk to the front door, Jeff said, “I think that went rather well. I know you want to run into the house, but don't. Walk slow and steady. We did good, Olivia. That doesn't mean we're home free yet. Some judge can still order us to give up Cecil, although I have no idea how they're going to pick him out of the crowd.”

When Olivia set the little dog down in the foyer, he walked away, his tail swishing importantly. The others followed him into the great room and toward their basket of toys.

Olivia nodded. “Jill and Gwen should be here soon. While we're waiting, I'm going to call Mr. Prentice to see if he sent the check to the bank or the insurance company. Do you mind entertaining my dad for a little while? I want you to get to know him. My dad is a great guy. Maybe you should let the dogs out, too.”

“Not a problem.” Jeff kissed Olivia lightly on the tip of her nose before he made his way to the kitchen.

W
hile Dennis Lowell whipped up macaroni and cheese and hot dogs for an early supper, Olivia and Jeff tried to stay out of his way as they prepared to feed the herd of little dogs, who yapped expectantly.

Olivia scooped out dry dog food that Jeff mixed with canned dog food. “Where are they, Jeff? Do you think Jill changed her mind?” Olivia looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. “It's almost five o'clock. She's hours late. Something must have gone wrong. And Prentice O'Brien hasn't returned my phone call, either. I bet they've all seen the circus outside and no one wants to get involved. What do you think?”

Jeff shrugged. A hundred answers flashed through his mind. “It could be something as simple as they got lost on the way here. I suppose it's possible Jill changed her mind. But if she wasn't sure she was going to go through with it, why would she have your father make the trip here at her expense? If you're asking me if she's jerking your chain, I think the answer is no. As for Mr. O'Brien, lawyers rarely call clients unless they have something to report. He probably hasn't heard back from the bank. In my opinion, I don't think the circus outside would deter someone like Jill or have any kind of effect on O'Brien.

“Wow! Look at these little guys chowing down!” Jeff laughed as the little dogs tumbled over one another in the quest for more to eat. He obliged by adding little bits of food to the brightly colored plastic plates. “Okay, guys, let's go outside,” he said after the plates were empty, heading for the sliding doors. A blizzard of silver outran him.

While Jeff was outside with the dogs, Dennis said, “He seems like a nice guy, Ollie. I like him.” As he turned the hot dogs over, he said with a sigh, “I haven't had a hot dog in years. All I eat is fish!”

“There's nothing wrong with fish. It's good for you. Omega-three or something. If you catch your own fish, you know it's fresh, and it is free. You okay, Dad?”

Dennis wiped his hands on a towel. “I'm fine, Ollie. For the first time in my whole life I am doing what I want to do. The charters are coming in steadily. The boat's good. If things keep up the way they are, I should be able to double up on the mortgage payments. How about you, Ollie? How's business?”

Olivia brought her father up to date. “I was going to ask you if you'd be interested in taking over as my advisor assistant to the CEO of Adrian's Treasures, but when all this stuff hit the fan, I gave the job to Jeff. I need someone on the inside until I can make more concrete decisions. You aren't upset over that, are you, Dad?”

“Heck, no. You know my feelings on that subject. Look, Ollie, do what you have to do and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. Now, how does your young man feel about all these dogs who look like Cecil? Does he think it's going to work out?”

Olivia threw her hands up in the air. “I don't know. If you're a dog expert, I suppose you could find differences, but at first
I
sure couldn't pick out Cecil. I had to mark his tail.” She added, “They are so cute. They aren't castaways in the true sense. A couple of them belong to an older man who's having hip surgery. Anita is just caring for them. They make such wonderful companions for an older person. Anita and her mother take them to different nursing homes to cheer up the guests. Yorkies are extremely social. They take to strangers right away. Anita does a wonderful job—all rescue workers do. I'm going to set up a foundation with Allison's money to help her out. What do you think of that, Dad?”

Dennis was about to respond when the phone rang and the doorbell pealed at the same time. Father and daughter looked at each other for long seconds before Olivia raced for the front door and Dennis reached for the phone.

Through the frosted glass, Olivia could discern three figures. Her guests had arrived. She automatically smoothed down her hair before she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She opened the door to see Jill, Gwen, and a tall, husky man she assumed to be Gill, Jill's ex-husband. But what really confused her was the huge white basket of red tulips in Jill's hands. Flowers! That must be a good portent.

“Come in.”

“It's pretty busy out there,” Gwen said, pointing over her shoulder.

“Olivia, this is my ex-husband, Gill Laramie,” Jill said. “Did Dennis get here yet?”

Olivia reached out to shake Gill's hand. “Dad got here this morning. I was expecting you earlier.”

“Gill's flight was delayed, so we had to wait for him. I should have called. I'm sorry.” Jill held out the basket of tulips. The smile on her face was rueful when she said, “You looked like a tulip kind of person to me. It's what I call an ‘I'm sorry' gift.”

“I love tulips. My backyard is full of them in the spring. Please, come in. Can I get you anything? Some wine, coffee, a soft drink?” Olivia asked as she led the way into the great room.

“A beer would go nice,” Gwen said. Gill nodded that he, too, would like a beer. Jill opted for a soft drink.

“I'll be just a minute,” Olivia said, backing out of the room. She walked into the kitchen, where her father was just hanging up the phone. They both started to talk at once. Dennis's voice was deeper, huskier, and took precedence. “That was Prentice O'Brien, Ollie. He said the bank in Oxford returned the check, saying they were paid years ago, and the case is closed. He wants you to call him back and tell him if you want him to issue another check and forward it to Great Rock. I said you'd call him back.”

Olivia nodded. “They're here, all three of them. The reason they are so late is they had to wait for Jill's ex-husband. His flight was late getting in. Two beers and a Coke. Do you want anything, Dad? Where's Jeff? Jill brought me a basket of tulips because…because she thought I was a tulip kind of person. Does that make sense, Dad? Oh, God, I'm babbling again.”

“Easy, Ollie, easy. You're in charge here. They came to you. C'mon, take a deep breath and relax. Nothing is going to happen. This is just a discussion, an explanation so everyone can put it behind them. You are in control. Get Jeff, and I'll carry in the tray. It might be a good idea if you let the dogs stay outside for a little while.”

“Okay. I'll get Jeff.” From the doorway, Olivia motioned for Jeff to join her. She explained the situation, and somehow he managed to squeeze through the door, to the dogs' dismay. They howled and yapped as one at the loss of their overgrown playmate.

Inside the great room where the basket of tulips on the coffee table was the focal point, Olivia introduced Jeff to everyone before they sat down.

The sudden silence was louder than any summer thunder. Finally, Jill cleared her throat and started to talk as she fumbled in her purse. She withdrew a white envelope and held it toward Olivia. “The check is certified, so you don't have to worry about it clearing my account. It's mine and Gwen's share of the robbery. If you're wondering why the change of heart, it's because, as you said at our last meeting, it's the right thing to do. I also want to apologize for the merry chase I led you on. And Gwen and I want to apologize to you for all the lies we told you. Both of us, believe it or not, are relieved that our past has finally caught up with us.

“Gwen and I talked it over, and decided to tell you that, yes, we've been in touch through the years out of necessity. The papers, the diary, the request Allison made of you to find us—all of that was lies. She knew where we were and how to get in touch with both of us if she wanted to. She chose to ignore us for good reason. She considered both of us as loose cannons. She was afraid that we would expose her dirty secret. Once she learned that we had freed ourselves from the trap she built for us, she disappeared from our lives. We never revealed her new name, and she never told the good ole boys about it.”

Jill stopped long enough to take a deep breath. “The theft wasn't the simple operation that Allison made it out to be. It was something much worse, which she'd planned and plotted for a very long time. Somehow, Allison found out that Mr. Augustus, the owner of the bank, was involved in something with a few of his cronies. That's when she decided to steal one of the shipments of bearer bonds, being pretty sure he was in no position to go to the authorities. We didn't know all the details in the beginning. All we knew was that she needed us to pull off the robbery. We were young and stupid, and all that money was more than either one of us could turn our back on. Allison made it all sound so easy, so simple. Then she betrayed us, too—but by the time we found out, it was too late. We were in too deep.

“What she didn't tell us was that when Mr. Augustus began to suspect her, she made a deal with him. It was a pact with the devil himself. Mr. Augustus got the insurance money. She got the bonds. At first he didn't even know that anyone other than Allison was involved. Win-win, that kind of thing.

“A year
after
, and I stress the word
after
, we successfully pulled off the robbery, Allison told us about the string attached to the deal, courtesy of Mr. Augustus.” Jill reached down for the can of Coke and took a long gulp. She set the can down on a paper napkin and prepared to continue.

Gwen reached over and patted Jill's hand. “I'll take it from here, Jill.” She turned to face Olivia and the others. “Allison said it was no big deal. All we had to do was become couriers for future shipments of bearer bonds. Pure and simple, it was blackmail. Allison said she'd been doing it for a year, moving the bonds from D.C., where she was working, to Oxford. You see, after the robbery, it was no longer possible for the bank to get insurance on that kind of ‘transaction,' so Mr. Augustus had to figure out a way to get someone who would not be suspected, and who he had leverage with, to transport the bonds. Once he knew that Allison was involved with the theft, she fit the bill perfectly. But then something happened, I don't know exactly what, and she could no longer get away the required four times a year. So she had to bring us into it. She told us how Mr. Augustus had begun to suspect her and forced her to agree to his scheme. When Allison told us about what we had to do, and where the money came from, Jill and I said no, absolutely not. Then Allison painted us a picture of prison life in Mississippi. In the end, we did it because we were literally scared out of our wits. It seems that these good ole boys were the ringleaders of a group that ran a number of houses of prostitution using underage girls—and boys. The bonds were the money-laundered proceeds from that activity.

“Years later, we were able to get out from under. After Allison divvied up the bonds, Jill and I found the courage to threaten the old geezers with exposure to the authorities. We were prepared to go into hiding and turn over the evidence about their activities we had managed to gather over the years. Being the pillars of the community that they were, they didn't want to be
charged
with the crimes they had committed even if they couldn't be convicted.

“They all sat on boards. They were all wealthy. They donated handsomely to every charity in town. Their wives and children were what we called upper crust, however lowlife the men themselves were. They finally let us walk away when they realized we had the evidence, which we had arranged to be turned over to the authorities if anything happened to us. By then, of course, Allison had left Dennis, left Olivia, changed her name, and disappeared, so they couldn't find her.

“When I got married, I was a terrible wife. I couldn't love any man because I could no longer love myself. Later, I was a terrible mother. It was the same with Jill. I assume it was the same with Allison, and that's why she gave you up, Olivia. But she was so corrupt, I can't really be sure. I'm so sorry that I'm the one to be telling you this, but you came looking for us. If you hadn't, we probably never would have done anything. Allison must have wanted you to know just how base she was—otherwise, she wouldn't have sicced you onto us. She was an ugly, hateful person, and I no longer care why she did what she did. I think I speak for Jill, too.”

It was Jill's turn again. “Yes, Gwen speaks for me. Of course, Gwen and I didn't want them to know about the prostitution ring, the money laundering, the robbery. We still don't want them to know. When you showed up, Olivia, Gwen and I both knew it was just a matter of time before it all came out. We came here to bare our souls to you. I gave you back the money. Please, will you let it all die a natural death now? Our children and grandchildren are innocent. No good can come of telling them how their parents and grandparents spent the years after college,” Jill pleaded.

Then, without giving Olivia a chance to respond, she continued, “But now I have to reveal one last thing, after which you may understand why I have no contact with my family. Gill is not Mary Louise's natural father.”

There were gasps all around the room.

“Two years after we were married, on one of the courier trips I had to take, Mr. Augustus threatened to tell my husband about the crime if I would not have sex with him. So I did. And that's when I became pregnant with Mary Louise.”

“Oh, Jill, you poor darling,” Gwen said. “Why didn't you tell me? I would have helped.”

“How?” Jill replied. “We had no money. Remember, it was almost a year before we divvied up the bonds. Abortion was illegal. There was nothing to do, and I was so ashamed, I didn't want anyone to know.”