Deceived (Free Indeed Book 2), page 2
“Thank you, Lil,” Cara murmured gratefully.
“Of course,” came her friend’s instant reply as Lily squeezed her arm in support. “I’m here for you, Cara. Whatever you need.” Cara raised her face to meet Lily’s gaze and managed to crack out a small smile. “Now tell me, how are you holding up really? Are you ok being back in this house after what happened?”
A hollow laugh escaped Cara’s lips, “No. No, I’m not. Every time I’m anywhere in the house I see my mom just lying there in the middle of the floor.” Now, all Cara could think of in this place was her mom’s cold, crumpled up body and her dull, lifeless eyes. Hell no, she didn’t want to be here. Honestly, she didn’t know if she’d ever want to step foot inside of this house again as long as she lived.
“I literally begged my stepdad to have the reception at the funeral parlor,” Cara muttered with disgust. “But Dickhead Brian wanted to save a couple of bucks and decided to have it here. No matter how traumatic it would be for me.” Cara turned to look her friend in the eyes, “It just feels so wrong, you know, having all these people tromping through my mom’s house, around her things, in the place where she was murdered.”
“He wouldn’t listen to your concerns at all?”
“Nope. And as the surviving spouse, he got his way. I hate him so much right now.”
One more hour or so, she kept telling herself that over and over again. That’s how long she needed to survive this. Then, all she had to do was figure out how she was going to live the rest of her life without her mom. Tears filled her eyes as her heart broke all over again. It just wasn’t fair. Her mom was one of the nicest, sweetest people alive. She should have had a full, happy life complete with a husband who loved her and a house full of grandchildren. Instead, she was stuck with a douchebag husband, a daughter who couldn’t even keep a boyfriend, let alone a husband, and then to top it off, she wound up horribly strangled to death in her bedroom.
Lily reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. She smoothed Cara’s hair in a calming gesture as she just let her friend cry until there weren’t any tears left.
“The crying comes and goes in stages,” Cara hiccuped as the tears finally started to cease. “I’ll feel like I’m all cried out and couldn’t possibly have any left, and then I’ll see the slightest thing that reminds me of her, and I’ll burst into tears all over again.”
“You’re allowed to cry as much or as little as you want. There aren’t any rules for grieving. Just do whatever you need to do.”
“I miss her so much, Lily.” The words came out so softly Cara wasn’t even sure Lily heard her, but judging by the way her arms tightened around her even further, she must have. “I haven’t even seen Dickhead Brian cry once,” she muttered. “It’s like he’s not mourning her at all, while I’m a total wreck.” That same stoic, haughty look that always covered his face never seemed to crack no matter what. It pissed her off and made her want to punch him in the face.
“He is a dick. In fact, he’s the biggest dick on the planet,” Lily chimed in her support. “I don’t know what a classy woman like your mom ever saw in a man like him.”
“Oh trust me, he could ooze the charm around her when he wanted to. He just never had to hide his true colors around me because I wasn’t the one he needed to win over.” A funny look crossed Cara’s face as she turned to her friend, “The weird thing is, that call I got from my mom right before I left school that day, she said something was wrong with Brian and that I was right about him. She was so serious in her message and told me she needed me to come home right away because there were things she needed to tell me in person.”
“She didn’t explain what?”
“No, just that something happened, and she was going to take care of it. Then she mentioned that she had something to show me and it was with the will that belonged to her and my real dad.”
“Why did she bring up your parents’ will? That’s a strange thing to say.”
“I know, right?” Cara exclaimed, “The entire message was odd. I mean, she always made sure I knew where she kept all of her important documents, but it was weird for her to mention it just then.”
“Are they still where your mom left them? Have you checked since?”
“No, I’ve been pretty distracted. Honestly, I forgot that she even mentioned it till just now.” But now the more she thought about it, the weirder it was. “It’d be easy enough to check on, though. They’re in the safe in my mom’s office. We locked that room off for the reception so no one should be in there. Do you want to check it out with me?”
“Sure, let’s do it.”
They strolled across the front lawn and up to the front door. Cara pushed the door open, and they walked inside. As much as possible she tried to keep her head down to avoid eye contact with all the annoying well-wishers. She really didn’t want to talk to any more of them right now. They pushed through the horde to get to the hallway leading toward the back of the house. Her mom had given Brian the bigger front office because he said he needed the larger space for all of his work. Instead, she took the smaller space at the back and converted it to another office space. Her mom saw it as compromising for the man she loved, but Cara thought it was just another way for Brian to take advantage of her.
Reaching the room, Cara unlocked the door and pushed it open so they could walk inside. She made her way past the desk to the closet and slid open the door. In front of her rested her mom’s two-foot tall steel safe. After selecting the appropriate key from her key ring, she inserted it into the lock on the metal surface and then placed her thumb on the fingerprint scanner. A soft beep sounded and the locks disengaged. Cara grabbed the door handle and gave it a twist, then pulled the heavy door open. She peered inside and saw her mom’s files neatly organized in a large stack on the left. Cara thumbed through them until she found the one she wanted and pulled it free. With the file in hand, she made her way back to her mom’s desk where Lily was waiting and pulled out the chair to sit.
Cara flipped the file open, and sure enough, the documents her parents painstakingly put together to see that she was taken care of were right there where they always were. She already knew what the documents said, her mom had made sure that she understood them fully, so she flipped through the file quickly until she came to the end. When she turned the last page, Cara found some additional paperwork she had never seen before.
“What is it?” Lily asked at the strange look that crossed Cara’s face.
Cara held up the paper and turned it so Lily could see, “It’s a petition for divorce.”
“Oh my God,” Lily softly exclaimed. “So she was going to leave him.”
“And just recently too,” Cara continued, surprise creeping into her voice. “This is dated just about a week prior to her death.”
“Is there anything else?”
Cara continued to flip through the papers, “More divorce paperwork, receipts from her lawyer, bank statements, and—” her voice froze as she lifted a smaller item from the file and turned it so Lily could see as well.
“What the hell?” Lily gasped. “Is that Brian?”
“Yeah,” Cara replied as she glanced down at the photo of her stepdad next to a woman she had never seen before. They were sitting in the center of the photo shoulder to shoulder with their hands clasped together. But what was even more confusing was the six children of various ages that surrounded them from behind. Smiles were on all the faces as they stared at the camera.
“Was he married before your mom?”
“No. I remember my mom specifically saying that he’d never been married before and didn’t have any kids.” Her surprise was evident in her voice. “He actually said he didn’t want kids. I thought that was the reason he never liked me.”
“Well, he sure looks chummy with that woman and the kids,” Lily snorted.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Cara murmured as she rifled through the remaining papers, flipping quickly from one to the next with Lily peering over her shoulder.
“Are those driver’s licenses?” Lily asked in confusion as they stared at several sheets of paper in front of them containing photos taken of several different driver’s licenses.
“They’re all Brian,” Cara confirmed without taking her concentration from the pages in front of her. “All his picture anyway. This one says his name is Joseph Kent. This one, Robert Hayes. And this, Frank Marshall.”
“What the hell is going on, Cara?” Lily whispered, uncertainty with just the hint of fear creeping into her voice. “Why would he have so many under different names?”
“I don’t know, but whatever’s going on my mom found out about it, and it was bad enough for her to file for divorce.”
“Do you think—would he have hurt her? If he knew?” Lily stammered, almost afraid to say it. To even imply it. She looked over at her best friend whose brow was furrowed in deep thought as she pondered the papers in front of her.
“I don’t know,” Cara whispered back. “I just don’t know. But I’m going to find out.” She raised her determined gaze to look her friend in the eyes.
The door to the office burst open, and Brian stuck his head in without a knock. Both girls jumped at the sudden intrusion, and Cara barely had time to slide the yellow folder over the photos lying on the desk before his gaze scanned over the area.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Cara. The guests are starting to leave. As hostess, you need to be out here to say goodbye to everyone.”
She wanted to hit him. Literally hit him. First in the face, and then maybe in the balls. Why Brian couldn’t just play host for a while was beyond her. It was the same with her mom when she had been alive. He always needed someone to do all the work and the things he didn’t feel like doing.
Whatever. She could do this last bit of service on behalf of her mom. Not for Brian, because she really didn’t give a flying fig about what the hell he thought of her anymore. But for her mom, and the people who came to honor her memory, she would suck it up a little bit longer and plaster a smile on her face as she thanked them for coming.
“I’ll be right out,” Cara muttered in Brian’s direction.
“What are you two doing in here anyway?” he inquired as he gestured at the papers on the desk.
“We’re mourning...in private,” Cara snapped. “Do you mind? I said I’d be right out.”
Brian looked at the papers one last time as if trying to make out what they were regarding before turning around and exiting the room, deliberately leaving the door wide open.
A burst of pent up frustration escaped Cara’s lips as she jerked out of her seat and stomped around the desk to slam the door shut. What was up with that man? His lack of consideration infuriated her, and his very presence ticked her off to no end. She completely detested him. Always had. And he never tried to hide that he wasn’t too fond of her either. Though he always managed to make it look good in front of her mom.
She turned back to look at Lily and sighed. They shuffled all the papers in a pile and placed them back in the manila folder before returning it to the safe. After locking the door securely shut, Cara turned back to her friend.
“Can Brian get in here?” Lily asked gesturing toward the safe.
“No,” Cara replied shaking her head. “My mom always used it for her confidential work files, so Brian never had access to it. She only gave me access in case of an emergency, so I’d be able to get to her will and records.”
Good thing too because no doubt Brian would be very interested in what her mom had put together on him. It definitely needed more looking into. Once this funeral was over anyway.
“Ready to go back out there?” The look of pity from Lily softened the question.
“Let’s do this,” Cara replied, her voice edged with determination. She could do this. She had to.
“So, I’m thinking I’m going to sell the house,” Brian stated without preamble as he walked into the finally empty living room.
All the guests had finally left, followed shortly by Lily, leaving her alone with her stepdad.
“I have to head out this afternoon on another business trip,” he continued, “but I think I’ll get the paperwork started first thing when I return.”
Cara stopped cleaning up the mess from the reception at her stepdad’s words. “Excuse me.” No way. He did not just barge into this room and say that he was selling her house.
“With how much I travel and with you away at school, there’s really no reason to keep the house. Plus now with all the bad memories attached because of what happened, well, I imagine you probably don’t want to set foot in this place any longer.”
Cara bristled at the implication that he actually was trying to say he was doing this for her. Sell her house as a favor so she wouldn’t have to deal with the memories? Well, he could shove that favor right up his khaki Docker covered ass.
Instead of telling him off, though, she bit her tongue, “Nope, I’m good thanks. I’m actually going to keep it.” Even if she had no intention of ever coming to this house again, she’d be damned if he thought he could come in here and take over what was hers.
Brian froze. He actually seemed stunned for a moment that she had shot him down. “What do you mean?”
“It’s my house,” Cara stated matter of factly, “and I’m going to keep it.”
Brian just stood there staring at her for a moment as her words sunk in before finally managing a rebuttal, “It’s your mom’s house, which means it passes to me in the case of her death.”
“Try again, stepdad,” Cara continued as she turned back to cleaning up the cups and plates around her. She probably should have given him her full attention, but she knew it would piss him off that she didn’t. And that gave her a tiny bit of happiness that she desperately needed right now. “The house and my parents’ estate was actually willed to me in the event of one of my parents’ deaths. When my dad died, everything went to a trust set up for me with my mom being trustee. So while you’re entitled to everything my mom made during her marriage to you, unfortunately, the house is mine, and it’s not for sale.”
Unable to resist, she spared a look to the side to see Brian jerk upright as if an iron rod was inserted into his spine as he stared back at her. She could see sheer fury start at the base of his neck and spread up into his face. The anger that seeped from his eyes made her want to shiver, but she refused to back down and give him an inch. Cara had nothing to lose by pissing him off. Honestly, she never even wanted to see him again after today, so she may as well lay it on thick.
“Thank you so much for thinking of me, though. Your concern is always greatly appreciated.” His face tightened up even further at the sarcastic edge to her tone.
“Do you really want to have to take this to court and battle it out?” The bite in his voice evident as he challenged her back.
“Do what you have to do. The will is rock solid and has been in place long before you came along. My parents were lawyers, after all, so they kinda knew what they were doing.”
Brian stared at her, his mouth twitching like he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite get the words out. Finally, he settled for, “We’ll talk more about this when I get back.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. You’re not touching my money, and you’re not laying a finger on my house. If fact, I think it’d be better for both of us if we just went our separate ways and didn’t see each other again. If you have any questions about what was accumulated in your time together with my mom, then we’ll let the lawyers hash that out.”
Cara watched as Brian clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flaring with barely suppressed rage. Right when she was certain he was about to take a step towards her, he instead spun on his heel and stomped angrily from the room.
She listened as he fumbled around in his office gathering his things together, and then stormed down the hallway to the garage. The door slammed shut just before he hit the button to raise the garage door.
As she heard his car engine start, Cara stood up from her chair and moved to the hall closet. Reaching inside, she grabbed her overnight bag that she had prepared earlier and slung it over her shoulder. Then she stepped to the front door, placing her hand on the knob, she paused.
Once she heard Brian’s car exit the garage and the door close, she eased the front door open a crack and watched him back out of the driveway and onto the street. As soon as the car started to drive away, Cara dashed out the door locking it quickly behind her. She sprinted down the front walkway to her car and tossed her bag onto the passenger seat before jumping behind the wheel and starting the engine. Cara pointed her vehicle in the direction that Brian had left and followed a cautious distance behind.
It was time to find out what Brian actually did on these business trips of his.
Chapter 3
Cara had been following Brian for hours. Now they were deep in the mountains, and she was worried if they didn’t stop soon she was going to run out of gas. Fortunately, she had started out with a full tank, but she wasn’t going to make it too much farther before she was going to have to stop. The last thing she wanted was to get stranded out here in the middle of nowhere surrounded by woods, ticks, and hicks.
In the distance, she watched as his car finally turned off onto a small side road and disappeared into the woods surrounding them. A few moments later she reached the turnoff and spun the wheel to follow after him. The car bumped through dips and potholes as it crunched down the dirt road. She could no longer see Brian in front of her, but that was fine, since there were only a couple turnoffs on the twisted path in front of her, and none of them seemed very traveled on. So she just stayed on the main road. Of course, road was a very generous word for it considering how ragged and bumpy it was.
