Identity (41 page)

“You have a nice voice; why are you rolling your eyes?”

“Because it’s dorky.”

“It’s not dorky,” Patty said. She held up two shirts. “Do either of these still fit?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, then, try them on.”

Haley struggled off the bed and took the shirts from Patty. She stepped into the en suite bathroom, and Patty claimed her spot.

Patty looked at Fina. “Scotty told me about the photos.”

“Good. I don’t have anything new to report, but the Newton PD is going to keep an eye out.”

“What are you guys whispering about?” Haley asked from the bathroom. “This one doesn’t fit.” She tossed a shirt back into the room.

“We’re whispering about you, of course,” Fina said. “What else is there to talk about?”

“Very funny. This looks too preppy. Seriously.” Haley stepped into the room wearing a button-down that was too short in the sleeves and looked like it came from an L.L.Bean catalog circa 1989.

Patty studied her. “You’re right. We’ll have to get you something new.”

Haley returned to the bathroom and emerged a moment later with her T-shirt back on.

“So you just came by to say hi?” Patty asked.

“And to borrow some clothes. I’m having drinks at the Four Seasons, and I don’t want to look like too much of a bum,” she said, gesturing at her dark-wash jeans, T-shirt, and flats. “I was in the neighborhood and didn’t want to drive all the way home. Could you hook a girl up?”

“Sure. Let’s go into my room.”

Fifteen minutes later, Fina was headed out the door wearing a
purple silk top, chunky earrings with amethysts, and wedge sandals. She cleaned up good.

•   •   •

Juliana was waiting for her at the bar wearing a deep orange shift dress that showed off her tan and toned body to maximum effect.

Fina climbed up onto the bar stool next to her and asked the bartender for a mojito. Juliana was sipping a martini.

“Is that allowed in your training regimen?” Fina asked, nodding toward the glass.

“You bet. There are some things I’m unwilling to give up.”

The bar was filled with hushed conversation, and more than half the cocktail tables were occupied. A couple got up from one by a window, and Juliana picked up her drink. “Let’s go over there. We’ll have a little more privacy.”

The bartender acknowledged their move, and Fina followed Juliana. They sat down in large upholstered chairs that looked out onto Boylston Street. Across the street in the Public Garden, Fina could see men in suits and women in business attire heading home for the day.

“I think I owe you an apology,” Juliana said, sitting back in her seat. Fina was quiet. “I’m very protective of Michael and even Hank. I know we were divorced, but you don’t just shut those feelings off after twenty-four years.”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t expect you to.”

A waiter came over and placed a mojito on the table in front of Fina. It was swimming with crushed mint and ice. He also set down a plate. “These are seared ahi tuna bites with Oriental dipping sauce.”

“Thank you,” Juliana said, and waited for him to walk away. “I was having a bad day yesterday. I don’t want you to take that out on Michael.”

Fina narrowed her gaze. “I don’t follow. Why would I take anything out on Michael? And how?”

“Well, he mentioned that you were upset with me and, therefore, upset with him.”

Wow. That guy could be a real brat.

“No,” Fina said. “I just reiterated that it was hard to investigate if you two are anything less than forthcoming. I don’t understand why he would hire me, only to tie my hands behind my back.” Fina stirred her drink and took a sip with the straw. It was like summer in a glass.

“That wasn’t his intent. He’s just protective of me and his father. You can understand that.”

“Sure.” Fina took another sip. “So does a do-over mean you’re willing to answer some more questions?”

“If I have anything to add, I’d be happy to.”

Fina didn’t understand where this was going. That was hardly an offer to spill the beans, and yet it seemed important to Juliana that Fina view her as being helpful.

“The fight you had with Hank?”

“That was a misunderstanding, compounded by Bud’s lack of context. We weren’t arguing about the funding itself but rather the distribution of it.”

“So the center was going to get the same amount it usually does?”

Juliana reached over and plucked one of the ahi bites off the plate. “Essentially.” She popped it into her mouth.

“Does that mean it was the same amount or it wasn’t?”

“It was.”

Fina didn’t believe her, but sometimes you learned more by keeping up the charade. She was curious to hear what Juliana wanted her to.

“So there wasn’t going to be any disruption to the center or its services?”

“Nope. Have one of these; they’re delicious.” She pushed the plate toward Fina.

“What about Forty-four Oak Street?” Fina asked before eating the ahi.

Juliana was bringing her drink to her mouth, and there was the slightest hiccup in the motion. “What do you mean?”

“Buying a big house in Cambridge is extremely expensive. I would think you would need significantly more cash than usual to make a purchase of that size.”

“Expansion has always been part of our plan. I believe in dreaming big; your only limit should be your imagination.”

Fina sucked on her drink and mentally bit her tongue. It was like happy hour in the Hallmark store.

“Did Hank have any health issues that you were aware of?”

Juliana looked surprised. “Not to my knowledge. Why? Was he sick?”

“No, I just wondered if there was anything that might not be obvious or a family history.”

“His dad died of a heart attack, but that was part of the reason he took good care of himself. He didn’t want to drop dead prematurely.” When the words were out of her mouth, she gaped as if trying to give them a place to return to. “That came out wrong.”

“I know what you meant,” Fina said. “He didn’t want to die from something that could be avoided.”

Juliana nodded and drained her drink.

“Have you ever heard of a young man named Brett Linder?” Fina asked.

Juliana shook her head. “Doesn’t ring a bell. Why?”

“He claims he’s one of Hank’s.”

Juliana rolled her eyes. “I always told him the shit would hit the fan one of these days.”

“What do you mean?” Fina asked, trying to free the crushed mint embedded in her straw.

“The sperm donations. I told him it would come back to haunt him.”

“When did you have this conversation?”

“I don’t know. Twenty years ago?”

“Wait—so you knew about the sperm bank?”

“Not when it happened, but he told me a few years into our marriage. We were having fertility issues, and it came up.”

“You weren’t upset?”

“Of course I was upset, but we’d been broken up at the time. There was nothing I could do about it.”

“But Michael never knew?”

“No. There’s really no good time to tell your child he might have dozens of half-siblings, and until one of them materialized, there didn’t seem to be any point.” Juliana stood and grasped an expensive leather handbag by its handles. “I’m glad we were able to clear the air.”

“Me too,” Fina said, standing and offering her hand.

“Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can answer more questions.” She strode out of the bar, and Fina dropped down into her seat.

More questions?

That would suggest she’d answered any.

•   •   •

She and Milloy ordered Greek takeout later that night and sat on the couch eating and watching
I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant
.

“I don’t buy it,” Fina said, popping a stuffed grape leaf into her mouth. “How do you not know?”

“Don’t ask me.”

“But, seriously: Ask any pregnant woman, and she’ll tell you it’s like having an alien onboard. If you mistake that for indigestion, you should be seeing a lot of specialists, not just an ob-gyn.”

As the credits rolled, Fina muted the TV. “I think I might need to hire some protection for Haley.”

Milloy dipped a triangle of pita into some taramosalata. “But you’re on the fence?”

“Completely. If I do, then I have to tell her and tell my dad and on and on.”

“But it would probably keep her safe.”

“Safer than not having protection.” Fina munched on a corner of pita bread. “How is this kid ever going to have a normal life?”

“Her life is never going to be
normal
, and unless you’re willing to get a new job, there’s not much you can do.” Milloy stretched his arms over his head. “Has anyone considered boarding school for her?”

“It came up briefly, but she wasn’t enthusiastic, and we all have high hopes for the Patty and Scotty arrangement.”

“Which seems to be going well.”

“It is. It’s the threats to her personal safety that are posing a problem.”

“You don’t have to figure it out this minute. Sleep on it,” Milloy suggested.

Fina looked at him. “You wanna stay over?”

Milloy raised an eyebrow.

“For company,” Fina clarified. “No promises on the nooky front.”

“Company’s good,” he said, and stood up. He reached out his hand and pulled her off the couch.

Nestling next to Milloy in bed felt good. She breathed deeply and inhaled his scent, which was a mélange of soap, clean cotton, and a hint of sweat. He fell asleep quickly, and the rhythm of his quiet breathing soon helped her do the same.

They parted company the next morning in the garage. Milloy backed out of a visitor parking space as Fina ducked into her car. She was putting the key into the ignition when her door was flung open and she was pulled out and tossed onto the cement floor. Before she could formulate a cogent thought, her assailant punched her in the face. Fina kneed him in the groin, and as he pulled back in pain, she punched him in his windpipe. This bought her enough time to roll over and start scrambling away, but not enough time to cover much distance. He was on her again, and they grappled, a maelstrom of nails, fists, and elbows.

It felt like they spent an eternity in this violent embrace before he miraculously pulled away from her. Fina crab-walked away from him, her palms scraping the rough surface of the garage, before realizing it wasn’t a miracle at all. Milloy had the man in a headlock and proceeded to punch him in the face and body until he succumbed and collapsed into a heap.

Fina fought to slow her breathing and looked at Milloy. He massaged his knuckles.

“I forgot my phone,” he told her.

“Good,” Fina said in a daze. “That’s good.”

•   •   •

Fina sat in the open bay of the ambulance, an ice pack pressed to her face. She watched Cristian and Milloy engaged in conversation in the alley behind the building. Fina’s assailant was getting medical care in a second ambulance.

The blow to her face had caught the edge of her eye and her temple, and there was dirt and blood matted in her hair. Fina’s palms were cut and bleeding, and she’d torn through the leg of her pants. She plucked off a small stone that was stuck to her bloody knee.

Pitney strolled over and climbed into the ambulance beside her.

“What’s the verdict?” Pitney asked the young EMT who was tending to Fina.
JOE
was stitched onto his uniform shirt.

“She’ll live,” he said. “We’re going to take her in, though. They’ll want to run some tests.” He hopped out of the ambulance and started conferring with a colleague.

“I’m surprised you agreed to that,” Pitney commented. She was wearing a pantsuit the color of cranberries with a green top. Fina must have sustained a head injury since her impression of the outfit wasn’t one of total visual dissonance.

“Documentation,” Fina said, and pulled the ice away from her face. “It’s the Ludlow holy grail.”

“Of course.” Pitney nodded. “And if they think you need to go”—she gestured at the EMTs—“you should.”

“Is he saying anything?” Fina sat back against the bench seat. The EMT had tried to convince her to lie down on the gurney, but she wasn’t
that
injured.

“Not yet. We’ll get him back to the station. That might make him more talkative.”

Fina and Pitney were quiet. They watched Cristian and Milloy across the street.

“Can you imagine the conversation?” Pitney mused, grinning.

Fina glared at her.

The two men walked across the alley toward them.

“We’re all set,” Cristian said.

“Do you want me to ride with you?” Milloy asked.

“No, and you don’t need to come. It’s just routine stuff. I’m fine.”

Milloy tilted his head in question. “Okay,” he said after a moment. “I called the office, though.”

“Thanks.”

Pitney climbed out of the back of the ambulance, accepting Milloy’s helping hand in the process. “We’re headed back to the station. I assume you’ll keep her updated?” she asked Cristian.

“I’ll call you,” he said to Fina.

The EMT returned, climbed up next to her, and pointed at the gurney. “Now you have to let me strap you in. It’s the law.”

“That’s not a compelling argument to her,” Cristian said.

“But I’m happy to do it for you, Joe,” Fina said, shifting over to the gurney and allowing the young man to fasten the seat belt low and snug around her hips.