The Deception (19 page)

"He swears he's innocent, Billie, but now I'm absolutely certain that the person who did this is either Scott or Maggie Andrews."

"Well, Alex, if you ever get tired of being an attorney, you can come work for us at the
FBI
. We've finally identified the computer that uploaded the files to
Gentry Magazine
through its
IP
address. That computer belongs to Scott Andrews. The Kansas City Field Office is taking it into evidence."

"But it's only circumstantial. All he has to say is someone else was using it."

"O'Dell is convinced that Maggie is the real culprit," said Billie, "but right now we don't have enough on her to bring her in for questioning. We'll know more once we get Scott's computer and the lab results come back on the fireplace ashes. In the meantime, I'll keep you posted, okay?"

"Sounds good, Billie, and I'll let you if I find out anything new on my end."

T
he scenic mountains of northern Arizona have a special beauty all their own during the late summer months. The goldenrod is in bloom and there's a hint of the coming fall in the air. The last Saturday of August would be the day to bid farewell to Linda Daniels. Alex and Carrie were riding with Steve and Allison in the backseat of Steve's Explorer. Carrie held the container with her mother's ashes in her lap. She was unusually quiet and subdued and her friends decided it would be best to leave her with her thoughts. They arrived in Flagstaff at a few minutes past one o'clock, pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant where they planned to meet the others. Alex noticed his father's car in the parking lot as Steve searched for a space. He found one close by.

"I feel kind of funny leaving Mama all alone in the car like this," said Carrie as she stepped out.

"It's okay, Carrie-Anne." Alex walked up behind her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Her spirit really isn't in that box you know. She's someplace else, probably looking down on us and having a good laugh."

He kept his arm around her shoulder and guided her toward the front door. As they entered the building they quickly spotted his parents, who stood from the table to greet them.

"Alex didn't tell us that you'd become such a beautiful woman, Carrie," said his father as he greeted her with a hug.

"The last time we saw her she was sixteen years old," added his mother as she looked at the others. "Carrie is about three months older than Alex, which meant she got her driver's license before he did. They were going to a movie that night so she came by the house to pick him up."

"And after she drove for about a block I asked her to pull over so I could drive," Alex quickly added. Both of his parents gave him a surprised look. "What? I had my learner's permit. She was a licensed driver. It was legal, more or less, and I wasn't about to be chauffeured."

"So, Alex, you were thinking like a lawyer, even back then," said his father with a smile.

"You know, Alex was our shy child," said his mother to the others.

"Mom!" Alex tried to cut her off.

"No really, he was."

"Was he now?" said Steve. "Tell me more."

Alex's father spoke up. "Now don't embarrass the boy, Catherine."

"I'm not embarrassing him, Armando."

"Mom!"

"No really." Catherine ignored her son's protests as he began groaning in the background. "Mark was our outgoing son. He was the popular boy at school and he was always hanging out with his friends. Alex was our quiet child. I mean he wasn't disliked, but he was pretty shy, so he kept to himself."

"Mom."

"Alex always had his nose stuck in a book. Then one day Mrs. Tyler, his fourth-grade teacher, teamed him up with Carrie for a classroom assignment and that's how they became friends. Here she was, the girl in those
TV
commercials, and the next thing we knew she and her mother were bringing him along to watch while they were filming them. You know, I think Alex's being around all those television people was a good thing. It finally got him out of his shell."

Carrie watched the door while Alex's mother was talking. It opened, and she recognized Hilda and another man as they stepped inside. She quickly waved; motioning for them to come to their table.

"Saved by the bell," muttered Alex under his breath.

Carrie introduced Hilda, who in turn introduced Reverend Fletcher, who would be conducting the memorial service. As they sat down, the conversation took a more somber tone. Everyone began to reminisce, sharing personal stories of Linda while Hilda talked about caring for her at the nursing home. After the meal was over they headed out to the parking lot. The reverend, and Alex's parents, would follow Steve.

"Looks like some clouds are building up," Steve remarked as they settled back into his Explorer.

"Yep," agreed Alex. "It's the time of year for afternoon thunderstorms. We should have enough time, though."

"Where to?" Steve asked Carrie as he started up the engine.

"I'm not exactly sure. Mama never had any place in particular staked out. We'd just get in the car and head north. Once we got here she'd meander down one of the back roads through the forest until we happened upon a spot we all liked."

Steve exited the parking lot and made his way out of the city limits. A half-hour later they were heading down a Forest Service road when something caught Carrie's eye.

"Steve, can you slow down?"

"Sure. Is everything okay back there?"

"I'm good. It's just that some of this is starting to look familiar to me. I think maybe we've been here once before, haven't we, Alex?"

"Maybe, now that you mention it."

After driving for another quarter-mile Carrie asked Steve to pull over. He shut down the engine and glanced in the rearview mirror. The other two cars were pulling up behind him.

"It's somewhere back there." Carrie was pointing out the window. "It's a little bit of a hike, but not too far. It's just on the other side of that clump of trees." She stepped outside and was reaching for her mother's ashes, when Alex walked up behind her.

"Let me take them for you, Carrie-Anne. We have a ways to walk and they're a little too heavy for you to carry by yourself."

He scooped up the container while she led the others into the woods. After a short hike, she entered a small clearing and stopped. It was a beautiful spot. Golden wildflowers were mixed in with the grass.

"This is it. I think Mama's final resting place should be right here."

Everyone formed a circle and the reverend began his eulogy. He began by reading a few Bible verses, then he spoke of Linda's dedication to her friends, her coworkers and, most especially, to her daughter. He mentioned her desire for Carrie to have a better life than the one she'd had. He spoke of her friend, Bernie Carson, as he recalled the times when he consoled Bernie after Linda's stroke. He concluded by saying while both Linda's and Bernie's deaths were indeed untimely, their souls were now together in Heaven, where one day they all would be eternally reunited. As he led the group into a final prayer the sun went behind a cloud and a breeze began to blow.

"Amen," said everyone in unison.

"Are you ready, Carrie?" he asked.

She suddenly felt hesitant. She looked at Alex, not sure what to do.

"Come on, Carrie-Anne. It's time to tell her goodbye."

He took her by the hand, leading her a short distance away from the others. He stopped to open the container. He tilted it slightly forward, allowing the contents to slowly escape. They were quickly caught in the breeze, which scattered them across the grass, blending them into the wildflowers. As the last of the ashes trickled out Carrie began to weep.

"She's finally free now, Carrie-Anne." He took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "But there will always be a part of her that will live on in you." He held her for a few moments.

"Alex, could you do me a big favor?"

"Anything."

"Would you go thank everyone for coming? And then would you mind waiting in the car with Steve and Allie? I need a few minutes alone."

"I understand." He gave her one last hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Take all the time you need."

He stepped away quietly and relayed Carrie's words of appreciation before everyone headed back to their cars. He walked his parents to their vehicle, telling them goodbye and thanking them once again for coming. He stood by the side of the road, waving goodbye as they drove away. As he walked back to the Explorer, he heard the distant sound of thunder. The clouds were thick and heavy and the sky was turning dark.

"Looks like it's getting ready to rain," he said as he hopped into the backseat.

"Is she okay?" asked Allison.

"She's fine, Allie. She just needed a few minutes alone."

As the minutes passed a smattering raindrops began to appear on the windshield.

"I wonder if I should go get her."

"You just said she's fine," Steve reminded him. "I have a hunch she'll be along in a couple of minutes."

A few more minutes passed, and then the rain began falling in earnest. A bright flash of lightening streaked across the sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder.

"That's it," declared Alex. "I don't care if I have to drag her back here by the hair."

He jumped out of the Explorer and ran toward the clearing. He soon found Carrie, working her way toward him. He ran up and put his arm around her, trying to shelter her from the pelting rain. As they jumped into the backseat of the
SUV
, Alex noticed she was soaking wet.

"Sorry, guys," she said as she reached for her seatbelt. "I guess I just lost track of the time."

"You're shivering," observed Alex, "and you're soaked to the bone. We don't need you catching cold. I've got a sweatshirt for you to put on." He reached behind the seat and handed it to her.

"I have a blanket in the back as well," added Allison. "It's got some of Lucy's fur on it, but other than that it should be clean."

"Don't worry Allie, I happen to love your dog," replied Carrie as Alex reached for the blanket and began covering her up. She noticed he was soaking wet too. "You may as huddle up underneath this with me. That way you won't catch cold either. We can keep each other warm and dry off together."

Alex eagerly accepted her invitation. Once they got back into town Steve took them through a fast food drive-thru to get hot coffee for the two of them and soft drinks for Allison and himself. Before long they were back on the Interstate, bound for Phoenix. Steve glanced into the rearview mirror. Alex and Carrie had dozed off in each other's arms, but by the time they reached Phoenix both were wide-awake and dry. He dropped them off at Alex's door. Everyone said goodnight as Carrie once again thanked them for coming. Steve waited until they were safely inside before he pointed the Explorer toward home. As they headed down the road, he let out a loud sigh.

"Is something wrong, Steve?"

"I'm afraid so."

"What is it?"

"Alex and Carrie. C'mon, you saw it. They've become much too emotionally attached to one another."

"They go way back," she reminded him.

"No, there's more to it than that. He's fallen for her. Hard. Really, really hard."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"In itself, no. They're two of my favorite people and under normal circumstances I'd be happy for both of them, but their situation isn't normal. He's representing her in a civil case and he's losing his objectivity."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he replied, matter-of-factly. "A few days ago I walked into Alex's office. He'd just happened to have gotten off the phone with our old buddy, Scott Andrews. Apparently Scott had made some crack about his prior involvement with Carrie and Alex went into a screaming rage. I've never known him to ever do anything like that before. It was like listening to a jealous lover. That's what has me worried."

"How so?"

"Alex has always been unflappable. That's why he has such a good track record. He stays calm and collected, just like a lion stalking its prey, while he waits patiently for the other side to make a mistake, and then he goes for the kill. He's always been able to do that because he never allows himself to become emotionally wrapped up. But now he's crossed that line, and even though it appears to be an open and shut case, this time he could, very easily, be the one who makes a mistake. If that happens, he could lose, and this is the one case, Allie, the one case that he can't afford to lose."

"Damn," she said. "You can't let that happen, Steve. It could destroy both of them."

"I know that, so I'm going to have to keep close watch on him and I'm going try to persuade him to bring Reggie on board."

"Who's he?"

"He is a she. Regina Peters. Remember, she was at our engagement party? I introduced the two of you."

"Oh, right," recalled Allison. "I think I remember her now. She was tall, thin, forty-something, with a dark-brown pageboy."