Waiting and Watching (26 page)

“How do you know he really slept with Beth Vreeland? You said yourself they were only rumors,” Julio prodded.

“John actually confided in me that he'd slept with Beth. She claimed she was pregnant by him and he came to me for money to pay her off and keep her quiet. He didn't want your mother to know about his infidelity, but if he'd loved me, none of it would ever have happened. Martin and I were the ones he should have protected. I knew then I would never be more to John than just a friend. But I loved your father so much I was willing to accept anything he could give me. I just wanted and needed to be near him. Even after all these years, I still mourn his death more than anyone. To think I would have had anything to do with his murder is preposterous, and to think Martin killed them is even more ridiculous. I hate to say it, but he's a spineless wimp. Now, I think I've done enough explaining to this cozy little group of vigilantes.”

Nola lifted her head and turned to leave as Earl yelled, “And good riddance. You show that butt-ugly mug of yours on my property again, I'll sic Sniff on you.”

“Any dog with the name of Sniff probably isn't worth the nose on his face. That mangy mutt puts one disgusting paw on my property; it will be viewing your house from the back of the dog catcher's van.”

With that, Nola left, slamming the door shut behind her.

Wednesday—December 31, 1986

At two in the morning, Lily's phone rang. “Oh, shit,” she mumbled, figuring it had to be Sammy. Nobody but Sammy would call her at such an ungodly hour.

Lily took a minute to decide whether or not to answer. She finally gave in and picked up the receiver. “Hello,” she sleepily answered. “This better be good at two-fucking-o'clock in the morning. Do you hear me, Sammy? I know it's you? What in the hell do you want?”

“Yeah, it's me, Lily, and it's a good thing you answered. I'm in deep shit.”

“Right. You're always in deep shit. And you always want me to dig you out.”

“Yeah, but this time it's different.”

“With you, Sammy, it's always different, and it's always an emergency and it's always the same. You need money.” She sighed. “Still no mother showing up to fortify your habit?”

“Not one fuckin' word from her. I'm beginning to wonder if she's dead.”

“Well, if she's smart, she'll let you think so. Face it, Sammy. You're a drag on everybody around you. I don't have any money left to give you. You've emptied me out. This time you're on your own. I'm going to hang up now and go back to sleep, and I'm going to have pleasant dreams in which you are no longer in my life.”

“Please, Lily. I'll pay you back this time, I swear. If I don't make good on the money I owe these guys soon, they're really going to kill me. I may be a wimp, but I'm not going down without a fight and you are going to help me.”

“Don't be so sure of that, Sammy. I've finally got a decent life here in Tilden Park, and I don't want anything to mess it up.”

“Don't forget, Miss High and Mighty, who helped you out when you were broke and fighting off that lecherous alcoholic uncle of yours. Who stood by you then? Who helped you pull off those scams so you could pay the rent? I took a chance helping you when you needed it, and you had better help me now or else,” Sammy snarled.

“Or else what?” Lily snapped.

“Or else I make a phone call to the Tilden Cops.”

“I'm no lawyer, Sammy, but I believe there's something called the Statute of Limitations. Those scams were a long time ago, and I've been paying for it ever since.”

“That may be true, but what if the cops start digging deeper into your past? You know what they might find. We go back a long way and I don't want to hurt you. I'm just desperate. Please, this will be the last time I'll ever bother you. I promise.”

“All right Sammy, but I'm holding you to that. This will definitely be the last time I come to your rescue. Hold your creditors off for a few more days. I'll help you scam and then, believe me Sammy, I'm through with you. Forever.”

“Right, Lily. Done with me forever. I promise. When are you coming down?”

“I don't have any more vacation time until after January first. I need to make arrangements at work and then check the Greyhound bus schedule. I'll call you back tomorrow.”

“Thanks Lily. I'll never forget this.”

“You're not welcome, asshole. And you better believe you won't forget this. Goodnight, and by the way. Happy New Year.”

Monday—January 5, 1987

Back in Miami, Julio got his daily call from Connie and could tell something was wrong. “What happened to the blissfully happy bride?” he asked.

“Well, I feel reluctant even mentioning this, but I've got some concerns about Andrew.”

Julio frowned. “Like what? You sound down; what's going on?”

“Well, for starters, he's very secretive. He gets phone calls all hours of the night and he sneaks out of the apartment when he thinks I'm asleep.”

“What?” Julio asked. “What could he possibly be doing?”

Connie started to cry. “That's what I'm trying to figure out. I asked him about it and he said it was business and he didn't want to disturb me.”

“Do you believe him?” Julio asked in a skeptical tone of voice.

“I don't know, Julio. Something isn't right. I can sense it. I called Sgt. Reynolds. I wanted him to go over again why the police kept pursuing Andrew as a suspect.”

“Did you learn anything new?” Julio was getting worried.

“Not really. Joe just repeated information we already knew. Andrew never showed up for school that day and his parents had no idea where he'd been. He later came up with an alibi about being in downtown Cincinnati for a political rally, but no one could verify it at the time. A bus driver eventually came forward and claimed Andrew was on his bus that day. The driver had a shady past, but a newspaper reporter later confirmed it. The reporter interviewed Andrew because he looked like an educated, well-dressed Negro who would be able to express himself intelligently. The reporter took Andrew's statement, but agreed not to use his name. The police weren't giving too much credence to the bus driver or the reporter's statement. However, unlike most black families, Andrew's parents had the money to hire a big-name attorney, and the testimony of the two witnesses eventually kept Andrew from being convicted.”

“Connie, listen to me. I want you to leave New York and come down to stay with me in Miami for a few days until you and Andrew sort this out.”

“No, Julio. You've got work and you're busy pursuing Beth and Sammy Vreeland. I'm going to be okay. I've decided to go to Utah to ski, and see Aunt Viv for a few days.”

“That sounds reasonable and won't make Andrew suspicious.”

“He's been through so much, and my suspicions are probably ridiculous. I shouldn't even have mentioned this to you because now I have you worried. I think I've got too much time on my hands or been watching too many movies. I just started getting paranoid and thought I should tell you.”

“Connie, I think I should come to New York and see what this is all about.”

“No, honestly. I don't want you to do that. I'm fine and I'll let you know if this develops any further. Like I said, it's probably just business, like he said. I'm leaving in the morning for Utah, so maybe when I get back. We'll see.”

Julio sighed. “I've got a client coming in now. Call me back if you want to talk about this some more. Okay?”

Julio couldn't get Connie's phone call off his mind. It was difficult to think that Andrew could be anything but the wonderful guy Julio remembered from his youth. But that had been a long time ago and how well did Connie really know him after all these years? People change and life's curve balls often cause good people to do bad deeds. The more he thought about Connie's suspicions, the more worried he became. On impulse, Julio dialed Andrew at work.

“Hey, Julio, what a pleasant surprise. I'm in the middle of a case, but always time for the brother-in-law. What's up?”

“That's what I'm calling to ask you, Andrew.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, I talked with Connie and she's very upset. She says you're taking secret phone calls and sneaking out in the middle of the night. What's going on?” Julio angrily asked.”

“I talked to Connie about this and I thought she understood. Nothing is going on, other than I've got this highly confidential client that I'm defending and it's a life and death situation. He's out on bail, guilty as hell and wants to get a deal by turning states evidence. I'm trying to work him a deal and keep him alive at the same time. It's complicated and dangerous, and as you know, I shouldn't even be telling you this.”

“I understand what you're saying, Andrew, but you've got to understand that my sister has big-time trust issues. She's extremely fragile and she's become suspicious of you.”

“Oh shit, is that the reason for this last minute trip to Park City?”

“Yeah, it is. She needs to feel safe or things will never work out between you two.”

“Thanks, Julio. I appreciate your honesty. I'll do everything I can to put her at ease.”

“I hope so. I know you can't compromise your client's case, but I want you to know I'm holding you accountable for Connie's safety and happiness,” Julio said sternly.

“I know Connie's upset and scared. I'll make things right with her. I promise.”

“You do that,” Julio said and hung up.

That night Andrew came home with a dozen red roses and a box of Connie's favorite Lindt Chocolates, “Honey, I'm sorry about the situation right now. Things are hectic right now, and I can't talk to you about any of it.”

“I know, and I do understand, but that doesn't mean I like all the secrecy. I think you're carrying it a bit too far. I'd just like to be kept in the loop about your comings and goings. I hate getting up in the middle of the night to find you gone without any explanation.”

“I know, baby. And I'm sorry, but sometimes that happens.”

“Okay, I'm just asking to be given a heads up.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Connie buried her nose in the bouquet of fragrant buds. “I love these, by the way. They're beautiful.” She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

Andrew swept her into his arms. “Connie, you're the most important thing in my world. I got behind on things over the holidays while we were away. Now it's crunch time. As soon as I can, I'll make it all up to you. Please, just hang in there with me. I love you, babe, and don't ever want to lose you again.”

He pulled her close and kissed her hard. In spite of her suspicions, when he touched her, she became putty in his hands. Andrew picked her up and carried her romantically into the bedroom. The roses forgotten on the nightstand, they made love with the fervor of newlyweds and fell asleep in each other's arms. Connie rolled over in the early hours of the morning only to find Andrew gone. She called out to him and got no answer. When she went into the living room, she found the roses in a vase on the living room credenza, and Andrew nowhere to be found.

Wednesday—January 7, 1987

Connie was happy to see her Aunt Viv and to be back in Utah. She was anxious to breathe the cold, crisp mountain air of Park City and do some serious skiing. The slopes were only about thirty minutes from her aunt's house. So, while her aunt was at work, she would rent a car and spend the day skiing.

But first, she wanted to visit her old office and talk with her former co-workers. She was curious to know how her replacement was working out. Everyone was eager to hear about New York and shocked to learn that she was married. No one saw that coming because as far as they knew, Connie never dated.

The day Connie decided to go skiing was crystal clear and warm with sunshine. She drove up to The Canyons, her favorite resort and where she still had a season pass. The fresh air revitalized her, and as the chair lift swept her up and away from the ground, she felt the worries about her marriage and the secrets surrounding Andrew's comings and goings disappear. The sway of the lift relaxed her and that familiar sense of freedom she associated with the mountains returned.

Connie hopped off the chair lift with the energy and enthusiasm of a young girl. She skied all her favorite trails. The sun felt wonderful on her face and after a few runs, she took off her jacket and skied with only her turtleneck. She didn't talk to anyone all day except for the polite chitchat with her seatmate on the lift. There was a charming alpine café, new this year, at the bottom of the ski lift where she wanted to have lunch. Connie sat at a sunny table by the window and watched the skiers shooting down the glistening slope. It was so pleasant to see families skiing together and she marveled at the little children scooting along so carefree on their little skis.

As Connie was staring out the window watching the skiers soak up the sun on the chaise lounges, she was startled to see a man who looked just like Andrew. He definitely had Andrew's build, but he had on sunglasses and a knit cap that covered most of his face. The man was walking along the front window of the lodge doing his familiar nervous motion of snapping his fingers on one hand into the other hand in front of him.

Oh my God,
Connie said to herself.
It's Andrew. I'd know him anywhere.

Thursday—January 8, 1987

Connie rushed out of the ski lodge. She got to her rental car and turned on the ignition before she realized she'd forgotten her skis. She was in a state of such anxiety she didn't want to go back for them. Andrew was here, the Andrew who was too busy to even talk to her at home. The same man who'd made love to her and then disappeared. What was he doing here? Is he following me? Did he murder my parents and now he's come here to kill me, too? This would be a perfect spot, she thought. He could easily make it look like a skiing accident.