The Perfect Liar (35 page)

A chil ran down Luke's spine at the mention of his baby sister--

probably because it brought back what he'd learned about Sarah, that fourteen-year-old hitchhiker who'd fallen into Kalyna's hands. "Listen to me, Mom," he cut in. "You've got to get Jenny and Dad and go somewhere else, okay? I don't know that you're in danger, but you could be, and I don't 258

want to worry about you. Go to a hotel for a week or so until I can figure out what's going on. I'l pay for it. Just pack up and get out of the house, and do it
now."

"But I'm at work."

He didn't want to frighten his mother, but he thought it imperative she know what Kalyna was capable of. "This person might've kil ed the woman who raised her. She might've murdered someone else, too--a young hitchhiker, years ago."

She gasped. "How do you know?"

"Ava Bixby found out. She's been working with me."

"But Kalyna said Ava's the problem."

"She's not the problem." Well, she was one of
his
problems, but she wasn't the kind of problem Kalyna meant.

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure." The highway patrolman finally exited the freeway, and Luke punched the accelerator. He had to catch Kalyna in his apartment.

This might be his only chance to stop her. If he could arrive while she was stil there, he could call the cops and, hopefully, they'd take her in for breaking and entering. And maybe by the time she got off the hook for that, the Mesa police would want her to stand trial and she'd be extradited.

As the needle on his speedometer edged up to ninety miles per hour, another call came through. He told his mother goodbye and hung up so he could switch over. But then he saw that the call was coming from his own number.

It was Kalyna. He wanted to answer--but he didn't want to tip her off that he was on his way, so he set his phone on the console and concentrated on driving.

When her calls eventually stopped, he considered letting Ava know that he'd located Kalyna. He thought she might want to hear the latest.

And, if nothing else, it would give him the chance to talk to her. To ask her how she could make love to him as if her heart and soul were involved, only to shrug him off the next morning.

But then he remembered her telling him to leave, remembered her polite, distant nod when he walked out. She'd washed her hands of this mess when she'd washed her hands of him.

259

Somehow he'd manage on his own. If Ava didn't want him in her life, he'd stay the hell out.

260

T
he stil ness seemed deafening. Ava tried to convince herself that this was the peace and quiet she'd always loved, the reason she lived on a houseboat in the delta, but today she wasn't enjoying it. The place was
too
quiet--in a nerve-racking sort of way. She knew her problem centered on the unsettled feeling she'd had ever since Luke and Geoffrey had left. But she couldn't help that. She could only return to the comfort, such as it was, of her usual routine. Before she screwed up any worse.

With that intent, she'd been trying to make herself get ready for work.

If she could immerse herself in her cases, maybe she could forget last night and the terrible scene that'd followed. But she doubted anything could make her forget Luke's touch. And so far, she hadn't been able to get moving. She felt sick. Only she wasn't sure what kind of sick. There were no physical symptoms.

Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the nightstand, where she'd put it when she'd burrowed beneath the covers a few minutes earlier. It was within reach--but she couldn't summon the energy to grab it. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She wished she could shut out the whole world until she was ready to deal with it again.

The call went to voice mail, providing a brief respite, but more ringing intruded on the silence right afterward.

Someone was trying to get hold of her.

Leaning over far enough to see who it was, she blinked when she saw that the call had originated from Luke Trussell's apartment. That couldn't be. Luke had been gone maybe twenty minutes. The drive took twice that long, especially in rush-hour traffic, which was what he'd face this time on a Monday morning.

What was going on?

Her stomach twisting into apprehensive knots, Ava snatched up the phone and hit the Talk button. "Hello?"

"Ava?"

261

It was a woman. "Yes?"

"Is Luke with you?"

Kalyna.
Ava hadn't immediately recognized her because she'd used such a funny, chirpy voice. But she could tell now. Kalyna was back from Arizona. And, somehow, she was in Luke's apartment.

"What're you doing, Kalyna? Trying to get yourself in more trouble?"

"Just looking for Luke."

"He's not here."

"But he spent the night with you, didn't he? I know he wasn't at home last night."

Images of Luke's larger body covering her own flashed through Ava's mind. "No, he wasn't here."

"Stop lying! I'm carrying his baby, Ava."

Ava couldn't help hoping that wasn't true. Whether she planned to see more of Luke or not, she didn't want to imagine him having a child with this woman. "We have yet to see proof that you're carrying anyone's baby, let alone Luke's."

"We?"
Kalyna gave a bitter laugh. "Oh, you got it bad, don't you? You got it bad, just like me. You're no different. Not really. He won't treat you any better. He'l toss you aside and move on to the next woman. You think he didn't tell me all the same stuff he whispered to you, Ava? Did he tell you how sexy you are? How beautiful? His mouth's been on
my
breast, too.

His--"

Ava interrupted; she couldn't listen to this woman cheapening what had happened last night. Maybe she was giving Luke up, but she wouldn't allow Kalyna to destroy the memory. "What do you want from me, Kalyna?"

"I want you to know you're going to lose. I'l get him back. You'l see."

"But you never had him in the first place." Ava had never had him, either. That was the catch with men like Luke and her father, the catch too few women understood. That kind of man was extremely handsome and almost unfailingly pleasant--but didn't know how to love deeply enough to stay with one woman. It came down to whatever or
whoever
was most stimulating at the moment.

"I have his baby, don't I?" she taunted. "That's practically as good. He was only using you--using his body to win you over so you'd help him get 262

out of a rape charge. But Ogitani's dropped the case. As soon as Luke finds out, he'l realize he doesn't need you. And then you won't hear from him again."

After the way their night together had ended, Ava didn't expect to hear from Luke, anyway. "What are you doing in his apartment?" she asked. The fact that Kalyna was at Luke's and wasn't hiding it signified a boldness that frightened her. Did she have a gun? Was she waiting for him to walk through the door so she could make sure he'd never be able to reject her again?

"He gave me a key," Kalyna replied.

"That's not true."

"Then how did I get in?"

"You
broke
in."

"He might tell you he's not interested in me, but that's not what he says to me. You know how men are. I'l be the one with him tonight, gasping and moaning and laughing my ass off that you thought
you
were special."

"Kalyna--"

She hung up.

"Shit!" Her hand shaking, Ava dialed Luke's cell phone.

He answered on the first ring.

"Don't go home!" she cried. "Kalyna's there."

"Is this
Ava?
The woman I made love to last night?" he asked. "How nice of you to call."

He was angry, and he had reason to be. She'd turned on him pretty fast. But this wasn't about them. This was about keeping him safe. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you. I know she's there. She's been talking to my mother, and she's tried to call me. I'm hoping she'l stay put until I can get home."

"What are you talking about? Luke, no! Don't go there. She could have a gun!"

"If she's been snooping, she has one of
my
guns, a 9 mm. But if she fires at me, she'l go to prison."

"
One
of your guns?"

"I have another one. It's in the trunk."

263

"Oh, God. This is going to turn into a shoot-out! Don't take the risk that you'l die first. Let the police handle it."

"Come on, Ava. You know what she's like. She'l tell them some bullshit that I invited her in, or she's my girlfriend, or she came to tell me about the baby and the door was unlocked and she thought I was inside sleeping. Unless she's hauling out my TV, what're they going to do? Tell her to leave? I don't think that'l do much to intimidate her."

"At least you won't get shot!"

"Today! What about the next time she's waiting for me? We have to catch her committing a major crime, something punishable by an extended prison sentence, or she'l never leave me alone. I plan to call the police, but not til I feel it will do some good."

"By then it could be too late. You don't have to walk into that apartment. This could be over soon. What about the case in Arizona?"

"I can't count on that. We have no idea how it'l go down. Even if she's their lead suspect, they have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."

"Maybe she won't be able to make bail."

"And maybe she won't even be charged. How wil they prove she was the kil er? There's legitimate reason for Kalyna's DNA to be in the house.

She lived there. And Mark's as good a suspect as she is. Whether we believe him or not, he did threaten the deceased before she was murdered."

"There's the hitchhiker."

"We have two people pointing a finger at each other, that's all. 'He said, she said.' What jury would convict on that? What D.A. would prosecute?"

"You never know what might happen, Luke. Call the police."

"The hope of someone else solving my problems doesn't feel very real or immediate. I want her out of my life. She just told my mother we're getting married. Then she talked my mother into giving her their address so she could send them a copy of the ultrasound. I can't let this go on. It endangers everyone around me."

"But you could be kil ed!"

"If she's in my apartment and she fires at me, I'l fire back."

264

"You want to kil her?"

"I want to put an end to this. And I'm not afraid to defend myself. I'm a soldier, Ava. That's what I'm trained to do."

"She's trained, too."

"That's what makes it fair."

"Damn it, Luke--"

"Hey, what do you care, Ava? This morning was essentially goodbye, right? Isn't that what you meant when you sent me home without so much as saying 'I had a nice time--call ya later'?"

Ava dropped her head in her hand. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. What she
wanted
was so different from what she felt she needed. She simply couldn't believe they had a chance, couldn't rely on him for fear he'd be the fool's gold her father was.

"I'l take that as a yes," he said when she didn't respond.

"I
did
have a nice time," she mumbled.

"Yeah, well, let me know when you want to go skinny-dipping again.

I'm good for a free fuck every now and then. Ask Kalyna."

Ava stiffened. Luke never used profanity around women. Less than an hour ago, he'd told Geoffrey to watch his language. "I'm sorry if I hurt your pride, Luke."

"My
pride,
Ava? Of course. It would have to be pride, because a guy like me couldn't have a heart," he said, and hung up.

Stunned, Ava sat blinking at the phone. Then she tried to call him back. They had to put their differences aside. Kalyna was dangerous.

But he wouldn't pick up.

With a curse, she called the police. Then she threw on her clothes, shoved her hair into a ponytail and ran out to her car.

Not wanting to alert Kalyna to the fact that he was home, Luke parked a block from his apartment building. He had no idea what he'd discover when he entered his place, but he was ready for anything. He had the 9

mm tucked beneath his belt. Just handling a gun with the thought of potentially using it might've scared some people, but he was a soldier. It actually felt more comfortable to him than battling unfounded accusations and defamation of character.

265

He jogged to his apartment building, where he checked the lot for the car he'd seen her drive when she'd come on and off the base. Sure enough, it was parked in one of the five guest spots along the perimeter.

He came up next to it and glared in at a bunch of fast-food wrappers, brown-paper sacks and luggage.

What did she think she was doing here?

Taking the stairs two at a time, he strode purposefully to his own door. Then he paused outside to listen. The TV was on. It was so bold of Kalyna to settle into his apartment, he almost couldn't believe she was for real.

"What'd I ever do to deserve this?" he muttered under his breath, and tried the knob. It was unlocked, but...did she have his gun? Would she try to use it?

He cracked open the door as quietly as possible. He could see the kitchen and most of the living room. They were both empty. So where was she?

Another apartment door opened down the hall. Not wanting to be hailed by someone he knew, Luke quickly stepped inside and closed his own door.

A cup sat on the kitchen table, along with a letter--his letter from Phil.

The sight of it spread out like that, as if Kalyna had been reading it, made him even angrier. Entering his apartment without permission was an intrusion, but reading his private correspondence was worse. What'd happened between him and Phil was so private. Even his parents didn't really understand the extent of what he'd felt for Marissa.

Gritting his teeth, he headed to the bedroom. In the hall, where the TV wasn't quite as loud, he could hear water running. No way could she be taking a shower, he thought--but the sound grew more distinct as he moved closer.

Although it, too, showed signs of habitation, his bedroom was as empty as the living room and kitchen. His bed was rumpled as if she'd slept in it, a pair of his underwear lay near the pil ow and his dresser drawer had been left hanging open.