Light from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 3) (27 page)

“Because
all my accounts have been frozen.”

Kenzie
refused to feel guilty. He had been living on illegal gains, after all.
Grudgingly, she asked, “You’re here alone?”

“Your
mo- Ellen,” he corrected himself with a slight shake of the head, “became ill a
few months ago. By the time the doctors discovered the cancer, there was
nothing they could do. She passed away last month.”

While
Kenzie sorted through her reaction to the news and wondered why she felt
nothing, not even sadness, Makenna murmured words of comfort. “I’m sorry for
your loss.”

“Cancer
is a horrible, wicked disease. Statistics say -” This time, Joseph stopped
himself. His hand trembled as he lifted a palm, signaling a halt to his
derailed train of thought. “It’s just me here, so I make do.”

“Why
did you do it?” Makenna asked. “Why did you get involved with the Zaffino mafia
to begin with?”

“I
didn’t realize who I was tangling with until it was too late. I was an
accountant for a firm out of Conrad. I made a decent living, but I could not
give Maggie the luxuries she was accustomed to. Of course, she said it did not
matter, she said they were only
things
, but her father had a way of
making me feel inferior…” Having met their grandfather, the girls understood what
he meant. “I took on a few side jobs, and one in particular seemed very
lucrative. And then I discovered a secret, one that could potentially devastate
your mother. When I tried to quit my job, I discovered I was dealing with some
very dangerous and powerful people. They threatened to kill my family if I did
not go along with everything they demanded. I had no choice but to comply.”

“You
could have gone to the authorities,” Kenzie finally spoke up.

“You
don’t understand who all was involved in this organization. Lawmakers, a
federal judge… your own grandfather.”

“Actually,
we know exactly who was involved. Have you not seen the news these last few
days?”

Joseph
looked around the darkened room. “I’m a bit limited on my resources at the
moment,” he admitted.

For
the next several minutes, his daughters explained what they knew about the
Modern Power scam and the aftermath created when they turned over their
evidence. Joseph expanded on his involvement, making no excuses for his
criminal activities but saying he felt forced into doing what he did.

After
several questions, Joseph finally fell silent. In a sad voice, he mumbled, “My
dear Maggie. I had no idea. If I had known what she was doing, I would have
never let her gather and hide such sensitive information.”

“You
didn’t know?” Kenzie asked in surprise.

“No.
She never wanted to believe her father was guilty, but when forced to choose,
she chose me.” His voice broke. “That may well be what killed her.”

“No,
Bernard Franks and his greed killed her,” Makenna said softly.

“She
always hoped there was some way to clear her father’s name. When Harry disowned
her, it broke Maggie’s heart. She adored her father. And even though Leigh Anne
stayed in our lives, there was a strain in their relationship after that. I’m sure
she was hoping to find proof that her father was innocent.”

Kenzie
had read the letter from her mother so many times that the words were engraved
into her mind. Recalling the last paragraphs, she recited them aloud softly, “
Never
lose that desire to find the truth. Always dream, always imagine. Always
search. The answers are there, waiting for you to discover them. Use your head
and think about what I am saying and why I am encouraging you. Never be afraid
to explore the possibilities of life. Go out and save the world, my child!’

“‘Save
the World’ was one of Harry’s favorite slogans,” Joseph said. “I’m sure that
was Maggie’s way of saying his involvement should be questioned, to find the
truth, once and for all.”

“I
think she gathered the evidence to clear your name, as much as she did to clear
his,” Makenna said. She reached a tentative hand out to touch her father’s
knee.

Joseph’s
eyes softened as he looked upon the daughter he had not seen in twenty-three
years. “You are so like your mother,” he said, his voice choking with unshed
tears. “Gentle, compassionate. Beautiful.” He placed his hand on top of hers
and squeezed gently.

Watching
the tender scene, Kenzie felt warring emotions rage within her.

Appreciation,
that Joseph was creating a personal connection with Makenna, rather than making
an intellectual observation.

Envy,
that Joseph was sharing such a precious sentiment with her sister and not her.

Shame,
because Makenna deserved this moment with their father, every bit as much as
she herself deserved one.

Caught
up in the battle of confusing emotions, Kenzie almost missed Joseph’s next
words. “You are both so much like your mother,” he said. With his other hand,
he reached for Kenzie’s fingers. His grip was surprisingly strong, and provided
the balm her bruised heart needed. “Tamara and Tressa, my tiny treasures.”

A
memory teased Kenzie’s heart. “You-You used to say that, didn’t you?” she
whispered breathlessly. She had so few memories, she was afraid she might chase
this fragile one away.

“Yes,
while I bounced you each on a knee.”

“I
don’t remember her,” Kenzie admitted brokenly. “I’ve tried so hard, but I don’t
remember my own mother.”

“If
I could change the past, Lady Girl, you know I would.” Her father’s voice was
uneven with emotion. His grip weakened, and she thought she saw him age before
her eyes. His shoulders slumped even more than before. “You deserved better
than the life I gave you.”

Kenzie’s
only response was a functionary nod through her tears. He was right; she had
deserved better. She could not- would not - pretend otherwise. However, there
was no reason to antagonize him further, and she still had questions.

“If-If
you didn’t know about the evidence our mother gathered, how did
that woman –
Ellen-
get the envelope?”

“I
have no idea.” Joseph puckered his brow in a troubled scowl as a memory
surfaced. “There was that one time… One day when we first arrived in Denver, I
remember that Ellen went to the post office alone. She came back acting very
odd. There was something in her manner, something that I still remember to this
day, all these years later… I wonder if your mother mailed the envelope from
Texas. She must have known she was being followed. She must have wanted someone
to have the information, in case something happened to her.”

“She
addressed the letter to Charlie.”

Joseph
nodded. “We were to be the Sanders family there. A boy named Charlie and a girl
named Carly. By addressing it to a son, she knew anyone finding the letter
would never suspect our true identity. And by sending it ahead to Colorado, it
was her way of saying something had gone wrong, that she would not be joining
us.”

“What-What
did you think had happened to me?” Makenna asked in a small voice.

His
eyes were full of sorrow when he looked down at her. “I thought I had lost you
forever, Tamara. I thought you were gone.”

Makenna
wiped away the tears that streamed down her face. “I was raised by a wonderful
family,” she assured him. “I had a happy childhood and a very stable life with
a loving family.”

“I’m
glad one of my girls had a good life. I’m only sorry Lady didn’t have the same
good fortune.” His smile was sad as he looked first at Makenna, then Kenzie. A
new light came into his eyes, edging away the sadness. Even the timbre of his
voice changed. “You really do look so much alike. Yes, I think you must be
half-identical. Polar body twins, I’m most certain.”

His
sudden change of topics and concentration level drew a frown from Makenna.
Kenzie was right; he was difficult to talk to, difficult to relate to. His
genius put him on another wavelength, demanding his attention even amid the
most personal of conversations. Or perhaps, she realized, that was his coping
mechanism; when he grew uncomfortable with matters of the heart, he relied upon
his analytical mind to rescue him.

Taking
note of how Kenzie had broken through to him earlier and pulled him back on
track, Makenna tried the same method. She touched his knee again and spoke
firmly but softly. “Joseph. F-Father.” Only Kenneth Reagan deserved the revered
title of Daddy. “I want to ask you something.”

“Yes,
of course, Tamara.” To him, the auburn haired beauty was still his little
Tamara. Her twin had been so many different people - Charlie, Amy, Shannon,
Lisa, Jessica, Tara, and now Kenzie, just to name a few - that he no longer
thought of her as Tressa; he thought of her as Lady, his resilient little
trouper who played every role he ever asked of her. No matter what he called
her -Lady Girl, Ladybug, Little Lady- he secretly thought of her as his Lady
Luck.

“Would
you consider talking with my fiancé, Texas Ranger Hardin Kaczmarek? Hearing
your story, I have no doubt you were forced into the situation. If you turn
state’s evidence, your name would be cleared and you could go into the Witness
Protection program. You could have a normal life again.”

“Without
Maggie and my little treasures, my life will never be normal.” His words were
surprisingly sweet, hardly something within his usual character.

“It
would be better than hiding out in a basement.”

He
looked first thoughtful, then uncertain. For an intelligent man, he suddenly
appeared so lost and confused that Makenna felt her heart go out to him. Even
Kenzie was moved by his vulnerability. “Lady?” he finally asked, raising his
lost gaze to hers. “What should I do?”

She
knew what he was asking. Exoneration would mean forgiveness; was he worthy of
either?

No
matter how many times he had hurt her, no matter the nomadic life he had forced
her into, no matter that he had lied to her about her mother and
that woman
…
the fact was, he was still her father. The little girl in her, the one that
still loved and needed her father, answered in a husky voice.

“I
think we should call Hardin, Dad.”

***

With
Hardin’s help, Joseph Mandarino and his daughters slipped from the basement
hide-a-way, unseen and unscathed. Captain Ramirez personally drove them back to
Austin, where the Mandarino family was tucked away inside a safe house for the
next two days. Between questioning by the Rangers and the US Deputy Attorney
General, the girls squeezed in questions of their own, most centered around
their mother and their early childhood.

On
the third day, Joseph was moved to an undisclosed location, and goodbyes were
in order. Unsure if their paths would ever cross again, the final moments
together for the Mandarino family were bittersweet.

“Tamara,
it has been a true pleasure for this old man to get acquainted with such a
fine, responsible daughter. Maggie would have been so proud of the woman you
have become. Your parents did an excellent job rearing you with values and
morals and proper manners.”

Makenna
threw her arms around her father’s neck and hugged him. His surprise was only
momentary, and then he was returning the embrace.

“I’m
sorry we were cheated out of all those years together,” she whispered. “I’m
sorry we lost your Maggie. She sounds like an amazing woman.”

“That
she was.” He covered the crack in his voice by clearing his throat and forcing
a bright tone. “Like mother, like daughters.”

“Be
safe. Thank you for agreeing to testify, so that the guilty people will be
properly punished.” Makenna moved away, wiping at the tears that spilled from
her eyes.

“My
only regret is that Bernard Franks was killed before he could be politically
ruined. He deserved far worse than a quick, simple death.”

“I
agree completely.” Makenna moved aside, allowing Kenzie to come face-to-face
with their father.

“Lady
Girl,” Joseph said, his throat thickening with true emotion. “My little Tressa,
all grown up and so strong and brave.” His voice warbled and cracked. “I’m
sorry, Lady. I’m sorry for what I put you through. I’m sorry for Ellen and I’m
sorry for dragging you all over the country and I’m sorry for not telling you
the truth about your mother and your twin sister. I’m not asking you to forgive
me, Lady. I’m just asking you not to hate me.”

“I
don’t,” Kenzie whispered, surprised to find that it was true. She made a
hesitant move forward. He made an awkward move her way. They met in the middle,
bumping elbows as they made a floundering attempt to hug. When they finally got
it right, it was the sweetest and most poignant embrace Kenzie could ever
remember. “I don’t hate you, Dad. I’m proud of you for doing the right thing.”

“And
I am proud of you, Lady Girl of mine. You are such an amazing woman. I know I
had nothing to do with that. I can’t take credit for your strength or your
integrity. You learned those things yourself. You’ll have a fine future, Little
Lady. You’ll make some lucky child a very good mother, just like my Maggie.”