The Perfect Liar (42 page)

"What you have to offer is completely different," she said.

"What does that mean?" he asked. "What do I have 'to offer'?"

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In order to duck out of a real answer, she considered responding with something glib.
The best sex a woman could ask for
, came to mind. But she knew Luke would be offended because he wasn't shallow. Besides, it wasn't fair to cheapen what she felt, or what he had to give, because of her own insecurities. "The moon."

Cocking his head, he narrowed his eyes. "Are you being insincere?"

"No," she said with a sigh. It was a difficult admission to make, but she couldn't regret it when, in the next instant, he cradled her face and kissed her tenderly.

"I'm not like your father, Ava."

She couldn't prevent a silent, "We'l see," but she smiled and nodded.

"I'l talk to you later."

"Tomorrow."

"Okay, tomorrow."

Luke had been planning to get up early and head to the base so he could resume his regular duties. He couldn't imagine he'd be grounded much longer, so he didn't want to take any more leave. But he would've gone into the houseboat with Ava if Geoffrey hadn't been there--and not only because he was feeling so possessive. He was uncomfortable with what they'd found at Kalyna's, nervous that Tati's father stil hadn't heard from her and it was nearly ten o'clock at night. "You sure you'l be okay after he leaves?" he asked.

"Of course. There's no need to worry. Kalyna doesn't even know where I live," she said. Then she waved and closed the door.

Traffic had been horrendous. There were moments when Kalyna had wanted to scream in frustration. She'd driven to Oakland to buy what she needed, and had managed to get there in record time. It was the return trip that'd taken so long. A semi had overturned, backing up traffic for miles.

But she was home now. And she had everything she needed.

She carried the bags into her bedroom and laid her purchases on the bed. She had a hairnet, latex gloves, a black ski mask, a black turtleneck, black pants and black utility boots. She wouldn't use a single piece of clothing she already owned because there could be hair or other sources of DNA that could get left behind.

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Picking up the new boots, she studied them with satisfaction. This was the smartest purchase of all, she thought. They were new, so any footprints wouldn't reveal an unusual tread or the kind of markings that came with wear. And they weren't military issue--important since she was in the military and definitely didn't want to give that away. To top it off, she'd bought the boots in a men's size eleven to mislead anyone who might be looking at shoe size. The rope and the duct tape she'd left in the trunk of her car, along with her knife and a crowbar she'd purchased for good measure.

She pictured Ava's shock. "You won't know what hit you," she said with a smile. The only thing she hadn't bought was a charger for her phone.

But she was too consumed with what she had planned to worry about that.

She didn't want to hear from anyone right now, anyway. There'd be tomorrow and the rest of the week to squirm out of what she'd done to her mother and to apologize to her superior officer for disappearing without permission. It'd be a lot easier to pull her life back together if she wasn't worried about Ava seeing Luke.

As she stripped down, Kalyna had to decide whether or not to shower. She'd already been in the houseboat and could've left traces of DNA then, so in one way it seemed excessively cautious. But depositing more DNA would only raise the chances of it being found and used in an investigation, so she made herself wash and shave al the hair from her body as she'd originally planned. If she had time after kil ing Ava, she'd vacuum and dust and do everything possible to erase her earlier visit, too.

Kalyna was stil whistling when she finished showering. She was going to enjoy telling Ava that she'd never see Luke again, or anyone else, for that matter. She wished she could rape Ava with her knife. She wanted to destroy the very essence of Ava, what made her a woman. That'd teach her to think she could make love with Luke.

But that would mean blood, and blood was the first thing the cops would look for.

She walked into the bedroom to get dressed--and realized she couldn't put her boots on in the apartment. They might track carpet fibers into Ava's place. She'd have to walk out in her socks and put the boots on in her car, after shaking off the rubber mats.

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Maybe she wouldn't have as much fun as she wanted, but at least they'd never catch her. Ava didn't have a chance.

About to pull on the turtleneck, Kalyna walked around the bed--and stepped in something wet that seemed to be spreading out from under her suitcases. Surprised, she pushed it aside and glanced down. It felt as if she'd spil ed a glass of water on the carpet. Except that the spot was too big.

She went into the bathroom to see if her toilet had overflowed in her absence, but she'd used it before getting in the shower. And the carpet between the bed and the bathroom was dry. There was only one wet area, and it was right in front of her dresser.

"These crappy apartments," she muttered. "There must be a plumbing leak." But she'd have to deal with that tomorrow.

It was time to go.

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W
hen the phone rang, Luke was lying on the couch. He muted the TV

and answered without bothering to check caller ID. He was hoping it'd be Ava. He hadn't liked leaving her with Geoffrey and had felt a little unsettled ever since--which was why he hadn't gone to bed. He planned to call her if she didn't contact him by eleven-thirty.

But it wasn't Ava. The voice on the other end of the line took him by complete surprise.

"Luke?"

Marissa sounded so familiar and yet so different. Older. Strained. It was as if he could hear the years in every word--the years they'd spent apart, struggling to forget each other.

Suddenly too tense to remain in a prone position, he sat up and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at the carpet.

"Yeah, it's me."

"This is Marissa."

"I know." He wanted to ask how she'd been, but there were so many emotions pouring through him he couldn't say anything at all. An awkward silence ensued before he managed a strangled, "I'm sorry about Phil."

"So am I."

Silence again. His mind whirred and his muscles grew tense--he could hear his blood rushing through his ears--but Luke didn't know what to say.

"It's late," she said. "Would you rather I called back another time?"

That was a loaded question if ever he'd heard one. She was asking if he wanted to talk to her at al . And he couldn't decide. He'd stifled his feelings for so many years that he wasn't sure what, if anything, was left.

Had she become nothing more than a dream? An ideal? The one woman no one else could compete with?

He had no answers. Neither could he say if Phil would continue to overshadow them. It wasn't as though either of them would ever forget Phil.

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He and Marissa had been married. They had a son. Luke didn't want to make a move on his best friend's wife and child. That was just too...opportunistic, made him feel lower than dirt. Which was why he hadn't even allowed himself to think about Marissa, let alone contact her. This whole nightmare with Kalyna had made it easier than it otherwise would've been, but now the past was staring him right in the face.

"This is fine." He couldn't hang up. He was mesmerized by the temptation of Marissa and the possibilities.

"Your mother called me earlier today," she explained. "With her regrets. She said I should contact you."

He chuckled without mirth. His mother had no clue what she might've started. "She told me that, too," he admitted.

"Yet you didn't act on it."

"Probably for the same reason it took you this long to call me."

"It's always been complicated between us, hasn't it?"

Ever since Phil had declared himself. "Yes."

"Even at this moment, I'm telling myself I'm stupid to ask for more disappointment and pain. But sometimes, when it's late like this, I think about you, and I--" Her voice broke and she didn't finish.

The silence was awkward again. Was she crying? He couldn't tell, but he suspected she was. And that made him feel terrible. They'd been friends. At the very least, he owed her his sympathy. "Don't cry, Marissa. I can't stand it."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. That I didn't hold out for you. That I got pregnant so soon and felt as if I was locked in for life. That Phil's dead and we both loved him. Maybe I wanted you instead, but I did love him. I hope you believe that."

She didn't have to convince him. That part was none of his business.

"Why didn't anyone tell me about the funeral?" he asked.

"I thought of it. Of course I thought of it." Her voice turned bitter. "But I was so angry at you for--for not taking me out of the situation I've been in for the past few years. And I couldn't mourn Phil, couldn't even think about him, if I knew you were going to be there."

What she'd revealed made him feel guilty all over again. "I couldn't take you out of the situation, Marissa. You were married to my best friend."

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"So he meant more to you than I did."

"You were
married,
" he said again. "I was waiting to see what would happen with you and Phil. I didn't want to get in the way."

"And now?" she asked. "I'm a widow. Do you stil feel anything for me, Luke? Anything at all?"

Of course he cared about her. He'd always care about her. But could he walk away from what he'd just started with Ava?

He rubbed his face. "Too much is happening at once. I need time to think."

"Call me when you decide. I won't make the same mistake twice. I'l wait as long as you need me to," she said, and disconnected.

Ava was glad when Geoffrey left. She felt horrible that he was taking the disruption of their relationship so hard, but she couldn't even call it a breakup because they'd already broken up. She hadn't expected him to care about losing what was left. He'd been so casual, so preoccupied, so...ready to accept the bare minimum. But he'd stayed for nearly two hours tonight, trying to convince her that she didn't know Luke well enough to choose accurately between them. He said she didn't need to be exclusive with either one, that she should give him another chance.

But she couldn't. She was already in too deep with Luke. For better or for worse, she'd finally summoned enough trust to at least try for the kind of relationship every woman wanted.

Her father had called three times while she and Geoffrey were talking, but she hadn't answered. She felt slightly guilty about that because she knew he couldn't be calling from Carly's house. He wouldn't have dared anger his young wife by showing he cared that much. Which meant Carly must've kicked him out. But even the thought of him on his own didn't make Ava want to speak to him. Why did he reach out to her only when he didn't have anyone else?

"What a day," she grumbled. Hoping to relieve the residual tension from her talk with Geoffrey, she stepped into her shower and felt more relaxed when she got out. She toweled off and was about to put on a nightgown when she remembered Luke's sweatshirt. She preferred to sleep in it, to feel close to him. But she couldn't find it. She thought she'd left it on 315

the floor, the bed or her chair, but it wasn't any of those places.

He must've taken the sweatshirt with him when he went home this morning. She'd been so humiliated and embarrassed by Geoffrey's sudden appearance that she hadn't watched him collect his things. She'd gone into the kitchen and made coffee while waiting for them to leave.

She checked the clock. Nearly midnight. At this rate, morning would come far too soon.

Finished dressing, she turned off the lights and climbed into bed.

She'd cut off her relationship with her father and Geoffrey and welcomed a new man into her heart and her bed, all on the same day. What would tomorrow hold?

Who could say? She fell asleep happy in spite of all that, because she was dreaming of Luke swimming toward her in the river, the moonlight glinting off his bare arms and chest.

Kalyna parked nearly half a mile from the pier where Ava docked her houseboat. It was after midnight. Even with a full moon, the lack of streetlights made this place seem darker than anywhere she'd ever been--

except for the inside of a coffin. Not many people could say that with any authority, but she could. Mark had put her in one. It'd been part of their usual game of Truth or Dare. She always chose Dare. Dare got you what you wanted. Truth only got you into trouble.

The ground was too spongy for her footsteps to make any noise. As she got out of the car and went to the trunk to get her tools, a loud chorus of cicadas welcomed her to the delta, along with the fecund smell of vegetation. Using a flashlight to avoid walking into a tree, a ditch, a puddle or a slough, she slung her backpack over one shoulder and kept the beam pointed at the ground to avoid being detected in case anyone else was in the area.

But she'd been here before. She knew there was no one else. No other houses. No other boats. Nothing to worry about.

The darkness felt thick enough to slice with her knife--probably because it was so hot and there was no wind. Beads of sweat rolled between Kalyna's breasts as she hiked to the road and made her way down to the pier, but she didn't think the temperature was exclusively to 316

blame. She had so much adrenaline pumping through her it felt as if her heart would leap right out of her chest.

Ava's houseboat was as dark as the night, but the lapping of the water against its sides helped cloak the creak of Kalyna's footsteps on the wooden pier. She was fairly certain Ava was home, and she was fairly certain Ava was alone. It was a weeknight, her car was where she usually parked it and there were no other vehicles. Kalyna had called Luke from a pay phone only forty minutes ago, and hung up when he answered, just to be sure he was at his apartment.