Sweet Liar Part 20

During those years Mike wondered what had happened to Maxie, but he dared not make inquiries for fear of Docas finding either one of them. Mike liked to think that Maxie and their child were safe somewhere, but it wasnat until 1964, when he saw the picture in the paper that he knew for sure that the woman he loved had not only survived but was happy, as he could see from the picture of her holding her pretty little granddaughter. Our granddaughter, Mike thought, glad that he was going to leave something of himself behind. It was after seeing the news photo that he began work on a book that was going to be t.i.tled The Surgeon.

1991.

aI think youad better come now,a Blair said softly to Mike, her eyes telling him what he didnat want to hear.

aSammy,a he said softly.

Samantha took one look at him and knew. aIam not fragile, Mike,a she said, standing and smoothing Maxieas red dress. On the front of it was blood, not real blood, but the glycerine-based movie blood that stayed fresh and red forever. H. H. Walden had played Half Hand and it had been his father who had been the little boy hiding in the closet and seen Doc kill his father. It had been Maxie who had paid for H.H.as education, as well as his siblingsa, and, after she had found them, had kept his family from starving over the years.

aMy grandmother is dying, isnat she?a Samantha said, looking from Blair to Mike.

Mike wasnat going to lie to her, nor was Blair. aYes,a Blair said.

aDoes she know?a aYes. Sheas asked to see you and Mike. She wants to talk to you.a aYes,a Samantha said, aI need to know about Granddad Cal.a It suddenly seemed important to her to know that the man shead loved so much had been loved by his wife, that Maxie hadnat just loved Michael Ransome.

Samantha didnat have to force herself to smile when she saw her grandmother lying on the bed covered with pretty pink sheets. Blair had had her moved to Jubileeas Place early in the day so she could watch everything, but after Samantha as Maxie had walked out the back door, Blair had moved her patient to a private rooma"the room that had once been Michael Ransomeas dressing room.

As she always did, Samantha climbed in bed with her grandmother, but now Maxie was too weak to clutch her in return.

aTell me what happened,a Samantha said, smoothing Maxieas hair from her forehead, feeling that her body was already growing cooler. Both she and Mike had to lean forward to hear her.

aI walked out,a Maxie whispered, her voice raspy. aI had no luggage, just what I had on, my purse, and the cloth bag Joe had given me. I went to the train station and bought a ticket, using all the money I had in my purse. I could go to Louisville, Kentucky, and no further. When I got to the depot in Louisville, I sat down on a bench. I was hungrya"I hadnat eaten in two daysa"the man I loved was dead, I had wounded, possibly mortally, a man who would want revenge, I was three monthsa pregnant, and I had no home, nothing. All I thought I had was ten thousand dollars in a cloth bag, marked money, money that would cost me my life if I spent a penny of it, and some jewelry that could be traced if I p.a.w.ned it.a As she took a breath, Sam and Mike waited for her to continue, knowing that she had to tell what she knew. aIt was in Louisville, when I went to the restroom to try to wash the blood out of my dress, that I looked in the bag and saw a little pouch in the bottom of it. It was a pouch full of large diamonds, three million dollarsa worth to be exact, all of Docas take. Half Hand must have converted the money to diamonds to make it portable. After I saw those stones I knew for sure that if Doc or any of his men found me my life would be over. I went back to the waiting room to debate whether to end my life or not.a A smile came over Maxieas face. aA young man sat beside me and said, aYou look like I feel. You want to get something to eat and talk about it?a I looked into his kind brown eyes and said, aYes,a and that was how I met Calvin Elliot. He took me to a cafe, we drank coffee and ate, and I told him everything, while he listened completely, listened without judging me. When Iad finished he told me about himself. Head just been discharged from the army and two years before both his parents had died of heart failure, and four months ago the girl head loved since elementary school had eloped with a man shead known for six days. And three days ago the army had told him that a bout of mumps two years before had left him sterile.a For a moment Maxie had to fight for breath, while Samantha resisted the urge to tell her to rest, to be quiet, but both of them knew that now no amount of rest was going to save Maxie.

When she continued, Maxieas voice was just a whisper. aCal and I sat there and looked at each other, neither of us knowing what to say next, when Cal said we ought to get married. He said it made sense, that he was never going to have kids of his own and it would be a shame if I had a child who had to grow up without a father. He said we didnat love each other now and we might never love each other, but wead love the child and that would be enough.a aAnd you said yes,a Samantha said, holding Maxieas rapidly weakening body.

aNot right away. I told him how dangerous it would be if Docas men found me. But Cal said wead create a new ident.i.ty for me, and theyad never find me. I tried to talk him out of it. I told him there was nothing in it for him, but Cal laughed and said I hadnat looked in a mirror lately.a aSo you married him.a aThree days later,a Maxie said, closing her eyes for a moment. aAnd Doc didnat find me until he saw the photo in the paper, so I left, but even that didnat save your mother.a aAnd you did come to love him.a Samanthaas words were too loud as she changed the subject, as though her grandmotheras closed eyes frightened her. She wanted to pray for G.o.d not to take her, but Samantha wasnat that selfish. Maxie had never said a word, but Sam knew that she was in constant pain that intensified daily; the doctor said that since Samantha had come into her life Maxie wouldnat take her pain pills because she didnat want to be groggy and miss a moment with her dear granddaughter.

aYes,a Maxie continued, her eyes fluttering open. aLoving Cal was very easy. He wasnat exciting like Michael, and he was never one for surprises, but he was always there when I needed him.a She looked up at her granddaughter with love in her eyes. aCal always loved me, just as I loved him.a And thatas how Maxie died, with a look of love on her face.

37.

aI am worried about her,a Blair said to Kane. They were in Mikeas town house, sitting beside each other on stools at the little counter in the kitchen, listening to the sounds coming from behind Samanthaas apartment door. From inside they could hear Samantha cryinga"crying as Blair had never heard anyone cry beforea"and, whatas more, it had been going on for hours. Maxie had died at about two in the morning. Afterward Mike had carried Sam from the room and taken her back to the town house, Blair and Kane following them. Mikeas parents had taken Kaneas boys and were spending the night at Blairas apartment.

As soon as the four of them had entered the house, Mike had taken Samantha upstairs. Through the door, Blair and Kane had heard Mike shouting, aCry! G.o.dd.a.m.n you, cry! Your grandmother is at least worth giving away some of those precious tears of yours!a aOf all thea"a Blair began and started for the stairs, horrified by what shead heard Mike say. How dare he treat someone like that after what Samantha had been through?

Stopping her, Kane looked hard into her eyes. As children Mike and Kane had been more than brothers, they were like clones of each other, and she doubted if either of them had ever considered keeping a secret from the other. She could tell from the look in Kaneas eyes that there were things going on that she didnat know about but Kane did, and he was asking her to trust Mike.

There were more shouted words from Mike. Then suddenly, abruptly, they could hear Samantha crying, great, wrenching sobs of misery that seemed to echo through the house like a ghost that had died in agony.

Sitting downstairs, Blair and Kane listened in silence, neither of them speaking. What could they say while hearing the despondency and despair that was coming from Samantha?

After two hours, Blair said she couldnat stand it anymore, then opening her bag, she got out a hypodermic. aIam going to give her something to make her sleep.a Kane put his hand on hers. aSamantha has years of tears inside her,a was his cryptic answer.

Reluctantly, Blair put the hypodermic away and, instead, filled a pitcher with water. aSheas going to be dehydrated,a she said and went up the stairs. When she returned, Kane looked at her in question.

aMike is holding her, and sheas still crying as though she never intends to stop.a Pouring herself another cup of coffee, Blair sat down with Kane to continue their silent vigil.

When they first heard Samanthaas voice raised in anger, both Blair and Kane jumped and looked at each other. Samanthaas voice became louder, then they heard her start to curse, curse so creatively that Kane raised his eyebrows in admiration.

When the first dish smashed overhead, Blair got up, as though to go upstairs and put a stop to this nonsense, but Kane put his hand over hers and halted her.

The shouting, the cursing, the sound of dishes cras.h.i.+ng and shattering, and what had to be furniture being tossed about went on for over an hour. During that time they heard the words father, Richard, s.e.x was mentioned often, Doc, and Half Hand.

Just when Blair was beginning to think that Samantha was never going to stop, there was a sudden silence, and she and Kane looked upward, wondering what was happening now.

After a while Mike came down the stairs, and Blair had never seen him look so awful, but there was happiness behind the black circles underneath his eyes. aSheas going to be all right now,a he said, taking the stool vacated by his brother, who had his hand on Mikeas shoulder. aSheas sleeping.a Seeing the skepticism on Blairas face, Mike took her hand and squeezed it. aReally, sheas okay. Pour me a brandy and a big gla.s.s of milk for Sam, will you? Iam going to wake her up and tell her something.a At those words, he exchanged looks with his twin, neither of them needing words to know what Mike was going to tell Sam.

With the brandy and the milk on a tray, Mike went upstairs to Sam where she lay exhausted on her bed. The living room was a mess, and in the rest of the apartment shead broken a great many things that had been chosen for her father, for at last she had been able to scream her rage at him for deserting her after her mother died and for practically forcing her to marry a man like her ex-husband.

Setting the tray on the bedside table, Mike woke her, took her in his arms, and told her that people die and people are born and thatas what life is all about.

aMike,a Samantha said tiredly, awhat are you talking about?a aBabies,a he said. aNew life replacing the old.a When she still looked puzzled, he placed his hands on her stomach. aYouare carrying a new life, a life that will replace Maxie and your mother and your father and your granddad Cal.a Samantha was so tired that she could hardly understand him, but when she did, she put her hands over his on her stomach. aDo you think so?a she said, trying to sound calm.

aIam sure of it.a He wasnat fooled by her apparent tranquility, for her heart was pounding against his arm. aIn my family Iave had enough experience with morning sickness that I know when a womanas going to have a baby. Iave held the heads of my pregnant sisters, cousins, aunts, even my mother when she was carrying Jilly. Samantha, my love, youave been having morning sickness for nearly a week now.a She was stroking her stomach and Mikeas hand. aDo you think I might have twins?a Mike kissed her ear. aKane gave his wife twins on the first try and I wouldnat want him to beat me, so I guess it has to be two of them, so drink your milk and make my kids healthy,a he said, handing the gla.s.s to her.

aMichael, I loa"a He put his fingertips over her lips. aI know.a He didnat want to hear the words, words that were in every book, on TV, everywhere you looked until the words had become commona"and meaningless.

aBy the way,a he said brightly, aare you planning to make my kids b.a.s.t.a.r.ds?a Smiling, she closed her eyes for a moment. aMike, may I have a big wedding, a really very big, huge wedding?a Mike was glad her eyes were closed so she couldnat see his grimace. aOne of those weddings where they pray a lot and talk about auniting the love of these two fine young peoplea?a Samantha opened her eyes, and the expression on her face matched his. aHeavens no! I want a cajun band and crawfish touff and enchiladas and lots of tequila and dancing that goes on for three days. I want lots of laughter andaand lots of children born nine months later.a Mike was looking down at her with s.h.i.+ning eyes. aI knew the first moment I met you that I loved you, I just had no idea how much.a aMike,a she said as she licked away a milk mustache, ahow long can we continue to, you know, before it hurts the babies?a aIn the delivery room,a he said seriously as he ran his hand up her leg.

aIs that true?a Samantha asked, playing the ingenue.

He stretched out beside her. aTrust me, I know about these things.a aWouldnat that, er, inconvenience the doctor?a He was moving on top of her, running his hand down her side. aNaw, the doctor will be a relative, and they understand about my family.a aOur family. Iam going to adopt them.a aSure, sweetheart, whatever you say.a He was fumbling with her skirt. aWhereas the G.o.dd.a.m.n b.u.t.ton on this thing? Ahhh,a he said at the sound of ripping cloth. aThereas your b.u.t.ton.a

Epilogue.

S amantha followed Mike out of the elevator, her stomach going ahead of her like a tugboat that she was moving in the wake of. Just this morning Blairas tests had shown that Samantha was indeed carrying twins, and while Sam sat on her chair, stunned, tears of happiness streaming down her face, Mike listened to the prenatal care that Blair prescribed for her.

Afterward, they went to F.A.O. Schwarz and bought toys, then bought maternity wear for Samantha. She wasnat big enough to need anything but loose garments yet, but she had insisted on wearing a maternity top out of the store.

aShow-off!a Mike had said, grinning with pride at her, wondering if in two weeks, when they were to be married in Colorado, in a reception with nearly five hundred guests, shead wear a white maternity gown. Sam was so proud of being pregnant that he had no doubt that she would.

The only sour note in the day was that this morning an express letter had arrived from his brother Frank and in it was a key. Mike hadnat yet told Sam about the letter or the key, because the letter concerned Maxieas will, which she had given to Frank, naming him as her executor. Sam hadnat had enough time to recover from Maxieas death, and Mike knew that the death of Doc from what had apparently been a suicide had also affected her.

Maxie had left a letter telling that she had taken Half Hand Joeas diamonds with her when she left Louisville in 1964 and gone to Amsterdam and sold them. Shead also spent a little of the cash Half Hand had left her, but she was afraid to spend too much of it, afraid of being caught and leading a trail back to Cal and her family.

Frank, who, among other things, had a law degree, had made out the will for her and with his usual finesse had asked her what shead done with the millions she must have received for the diamonds. Frank wrote Mike that Maxie had laughed and said shead spent every penny of it. Mike could almost hear his brotheras disdain for that remark, because Frank didnat believe in buying anything that wasnat going to triple in value.

One of the things Maxie had bought was an apartment in New York, where shead lived in relative seclusion for many years after she left her husband and son, having decided to live in the city where she could keep an eye on what Doc was doing. Maxie told Frank that her biggest regret in life was the picture that had appeared in the newspaper after Samantha was born, for it had caused her to have to leave and, ultimately, it had caused the death of Allison Elliot. Doc had tired of searching for Maxie after head found her in Louisville only to have her disappear as shead done after shead crippled him in 1928. So, years later, head sent a man to find out if her family knew anything about where shead gone. Unfortunately, Allison had been the one the man had caught.

In her will, Maxie left the apartment and the contents to Samantha, and that was where he was taking Sam now, having waited until she was in such good spirits that nothing would be able to bring her down.

Still glowing from Blairas report, Samantha floated into the apartmenta"and came up short at a picture of herself as a baby in a silver frame on a narrow table in the foyer.

aThis is my grandmotheras apartment,a Samantha said softly to Mike, and he nodded.

With her hands on her belly that she dearly wished were larger, she walked about the apartment. It was s.p.a.cious, what the realtors called a cla.s.sic six, a penthouse with three terraces. Samantha thought the apartment was decorated beautifully, not contrived as too many interior decorators made a place look. Maxieas apartment was the home of a beautiful woman to whom taste was as natural as breathing.

When Samantha walked back into the living room after exploring the other rooms, Mike was leaning against the mantelpiece, an odd expression on his face.

aWhatas wrong?a aI think I know what Maxie bought with Half Handas millions.a When Samantha looked puzzled, he said, aDid you look at the pictures in this place?a Like an English country house, the walls were covered with paintings, as were the tabletops and nearly every flat surface. aTheyare lovely,a Sam said. aDonat you like them?a Mike looked at a tiny watercolor on the mantel. aWhen I was in college I had to take an elective course in art so I chose something called Lost Art. It was a study of art that has disappeared over the centuries. A lot of architecture has been torn down, gold sculpture melted, jewelry broken up, that sort of thing, and many paintings have disappeared in the last one hundred years. The Russian Revolution, World War II, et cetera. I wasnat seriously interested in the course, but if my memory is right, I think I see three of those paintings on the wall behind you.a Pausing, he waited as Samantha turned to look at the oilsa"French Impressionists. aIf my memory for paintings isnat good, I do remember numbers,a Mike continued. aSam, if these paintings are some of the lost art and if you can prove owners.h.i.+p, I think you may be a very rich young lady.a aVery rich?a she asked.

aVery, very, very rich.a He quirked an eyebrow at her. aWhat do you plan to do with your newly found wealth?a Smiling, Samantha answered instantly. aI am going to open some nursing homes,a she said, as though shead been thinking about what shead do if she suddenly came into a great deal of money. aNice nursing homes. Places where the people are treated with respect and the lights donat buzz. And Iam going to call them aMaxieas.a a Then, with a soft smile of satisfaction, a smile that conveyed her feeling of irony, she said, aAnd the first one Iam going to open will be in Docas Connecticut estate.a With a startled look, Samantha put her hand on her stomach. aMike, do you think itas too early to feel the twins kick?a aYes,a he said softly. aI think that was Maxie giving her approval for what you want to do. Come on,a he said, holding out his arm for her, aletas go feed my babies.a Pausing a moment, he looked at the late afternoon sun that touched her hair, turning it golden. aAll three of my babies.a

Thank You.

I couldnat have written this book without all Iave learned about New York over the last ten years, and Iad like to think that I couldnat have written it without the fulfillment of a dream: I bought my own apartment in my dear, beloved city.

Iad like to thank Paula Novick, realtor extraordinaire, of Douglas Elliman, for taking me to see town houses in New York and for finding my lovely apartment for mea"and for becoming my friend along the way.

Nancy Miller of the Bank of New York (51st Street branch) helped me attain my dream and made me laugh while doing it. Thank you.

The people of Pocket Books readily wrote and rewrote letters of recommendation for me so that I could pa.s.s the co-op board: Jack Romanos, who wrote about numbers, as well as said kind things about me.

Bill Grose, who went to the apartment with me and gave his approval and his advice.

Richard Snyder, who so graciously helped me with every aspect of my apartment.

Lily Aliceas dad, a.k.a. Irwyn Applebaum, my publisher, who writes letters for me, cheers me up, gives me money, takes me to lunch, and makes me laugh until I can hardly stand up.

Thank you very, very much.

Iad like to thank Carrie Feron of Putnam-Berkley, for showing me some interesting parts of New York, such as the street fair and the antiques market on Second Avenue. Carrie was also one of the first readers of Sweet Liar and didnat mind telling me again and again that she liked the book.

Iad like to thank the people at the Santa Fe ComputerLand for selling me all nine of my computers, as well as eight printersa"nearly all of which I still have. (I love the exasperating little dudes.) My friend Judith McNaught taught me, by example, how to McNaughtize my book, then stayed up all night reading Sweet Liar and called me to tell me how much she liked it.

Special thanks go to the Pocket Books production staff, unsung heroes who make my books look so good. I pestered them a lot with this one. And, Sophie, we all miss you.

I would like to thank Lamont for climbing mountain after mountain with me while I plotted Sweet Liar. He was the best listener I ever had, never losing patience at hearing the same pieces of plot over and over as I worked them out. If he didnat have four feet, Iad marry him.

Most of all, Iad like to thank two very important people in my life: my secretary/friend, Gail; and my editor/friend, Linda. Thank you more than I can say.

Books by Jude Deveraux.