Cooper's Deale Part 15

"Because..." Addy struggled to think of a reply, but she was too tired-of fighting Karen, of holding on to the anger she'd felt for years. She released a long breath and gave in, trying to say what she felt. "I don't know. I was shocked that you would think me capable of such a thing. You know me better than that."

"Oh, Addy." Karen moved to the opposite side of the picnic table and gazed into her eyes. "I want to help you and Tommy. But I can't if you don't trust me."

Trust. That's really what it boiled down to. The tenderness in Karen's eyes made Addy want to believe her. In the end, Karen was probably the only one she could trust.

"Here you are," Liberty said, strolling up. She sat down right next to Addy. "I've been looking all over for you. Want to go for a drive? Maybe up to Baltimore for the day. The aquarium has a fantastic gallery that traces the water cycle from a freshwater pond through a tidal marsh, onto a coastal beach, and out into the Atlantic. It's a wonderful place to study aquatic environments. Sound good?"

Liberty smiled seductively and ran a finger up Addy's arm, which nauseated and angered Karen. She couldn't believe the smarmy tactics the agent had used to delude Addy. Besides, what kind of date was going to an aquarium? As if Addy hadn't been around the sea all her life.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Addy said slowly. "Let me go change. It'll only take five minutes."

Liberty's eyes were fixed on Addy's a.s.s as she walked away.

That really p.i.s.sed Karen off, and the heat rose to her face.

"I snuck up the tree last night and talked to Tommy again," Liberty informed her. "Man, was he uptight. I tried to get any information I could about Vinson's camera, and this time I really thought he was going to flip out. Something about that camera has him all atwitter."

"I told you to leave him alone. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Despite the bird act, I think he does know something. His sister killed the guy, and he's covering up for her."

Karen laughed. "Now you're the crazy one. What possible motive would Addy have for killing Vinson? And how in the world does that tie in with the radioactive waste you think he was investigating?"

"I was hoping you'd ask." Liberty glanced at the house and lowered her voice. "Seems like Ms. Cooper moved home when her former employer, a Russian import/export businessman, was arrested and his company shut down. We traced some of what he was importing directly to the Russian government. I don't have to tell you how very little control the Russians have over their nuclear a.r.s.enal. It's common knowledge within the department, and all over the newspapers. They'd sell it to anyone for a few bucks and some exported American goods. Think about it."

Karen stared at her. "And you think Addy was involved?"

"It's pretty coincidental, don't you think?" Liberty folded her arms across her chest and smiled. "She had access to G.o.d-knows-what was coming and going in that organization. We checked out her financial situation. It always boils down to money, doesn't it? Aside from a house in Oakland and this place here, financially she's in pretty dire straits. She's got some serious credit-card debt, a mortgage back in California, and high taxes on this property. And she's got no means to support herself, aside from a couple of tenants. She was selling nuclear material to some questionable people, and when Vinson found out, she got rid of him."

"You have got to be kidding. There's no way in h.e.l.l Addy would do such a thing. She's as American as anybody else."

"She went to Berkeley," Liberty said, as though that explained it all. "Cheatham and Gra.s.sley have been doing some digging. It seems Ms. Cooper protested our invasion of Iraq by partic.i.p.ating in a sit-in that turned violent. Let's suppose she didn't do anything intentionally but just needed money. Soon things got out of control and she couldn't find her way out of the mess she was in. That happens all the time. Maybe she didn't mean to hurt him, but she was desperate, and before she knew it, he was dead. I don't have to go for premeditation on the murder. But the nuclear stuff is another thing. She's f.u.c.ked with the environment, and n.o.body gets a break from me. I'll nail her pretty a.s.s to the wall for hurting animals, so help me G.o.d."

"Leave Addy's a.s.s out of it."

Liberty grinned. "Ah, you see? You've got a thing for her and it blinds you to what she's capable of. I don't blame you. She's a great piece of a.s.s, no doubt about it."

Karen jumped up and grabbed Liberty by her s.h.i.+rt front.

"Karen? What's going on?" Addy let the screen door slam behind her as she gazed curiously at the two women. They didn't like each other, that was obvious. Were they fighting over her again? She hated to admit that she liked the idea, especially Karen's jealousy, but even so, she didn't want things to get ugly.

"Nothing." Liberty removed Karen's hands from her s.h.i.+rt. "Just a friendly disagreement. You ready to go?"

Addy nodded, caught between them.

"I hope you find what you're searching for," Liberty said to Karen. "It would be nice to know the bad guys were behind bars and the world was safe again."

Addy glanced over her shoulder as she followed Liberty to the car. She wanted so much to run to Karen, to hold her and be held. For the life of her, she didn't know why she couldn't.

Tommy pulled the nylon bag out from under his bed and removed the camera. He needed to get rid of it as soon as he could. All the scary people coming to his house to ask him about it upset him. But where could he put it so no one could find it? The police were always searching the land and water, and it wouldn't be a good idea for them to find it here. And while he walked all over the farm at night, he never once left the property. Suddenly, he knew just the place.

The painters left when the sun went down, and Addy hadn't come back yet with that Liberty lady he didn't like. He hoped Addy wasn't in trouble. He saw through his window that Mrs. Bush and Chauncey were at the dining room table, playing cards.

Now was the best time to get it out of his house. As he got up from the floor, the camera strap caught on a bedspring under the mattress and jerked out of his hands. The camera fell to the floor, making the back pop open, and several parts scattered around the room. Scooping it all off the floor, Tommy closed it and hoped it wasn't broken.

He put the camera strap around his neck and scrambled down the tree to the back porch. Quietly he opened the screen door, pausing only when its hinges creaked. The television was on inside and no one bothered to come see who was there. He sneaked into the house and peeped through the kitchen and into the dining room, where Mrs. Bush and Chauncey kept their eyes on their cards.

"Full house," Mrs. Bush announced.

"Mierda," Chauncey said.

Chauncey bent to remove a sock. What kind of game could they be playing? His shoes and one other sock were already scattered across the dining room floor.

"A few more hands ought to do it," Mrs. Bush sang out, like she was excited.

Tommy tiptoed down the hallway and reached the stairs.

He was about to keep going to his grandma's room when a key turning in the front door lock alerted him that Addy was home.

He ran as quietly as he could up the stairs and hid around the corner, peeking down to the door below.

"Let's go to my room." Liberty had her arms wrapped around Addy's waist.

"Shh," Addy said. "They'll hear you."

"They're going to hear more than that if they come upstairs."

She jerked Addy's hand, and Tommy hurried down the hall into Addy's bedroom. He closed the door and waited as they giggled on their way to Liberty's bedroom. When he heard her door close, he sneaked back downstairs to his grandma's closet and dug around inside for a place to hide the camera. First he tried a shoe box that wasn't wide enough, then a plastic tub that wasn't deep enough. Finding a box full of photo alb.u.ms on the shelf, he put the camera on top, replaced the lid, then crept back to the door. He opened it a crack and, seeing no one in the hallway, hurried to the kitchen and out the door without a sound.

Addy lay awake, her body once again sated but sore. Liberty sprawled across the bed, snoring softly into her pillow. Her left arm was flung haphazardly across Addy's stomach, and Addy s.h.i.+fted to lessen its dead weight. Despite her body's tranquil state, her mind wouldn't be still. She had all but decided to tell Karen what had happened that night with Tommy. Better to tell her than some stranger. But what would happen after she divulged the information?

Presumably Karen would have to report it to her superiors, who would have to investigate further. Could she s.h.i.+eld Tommy from the onslaught of questions? Would anyone believe that Tommy had come down from his tree house and simply found a body?

She gazed at Liberty asleep and wondered what she was dreaming about or, more importantly, what she was thinking when they made love. The s.e.xual gymnastics were becoming a bit tiring, and she wished they could slow things down. Addy preferred her s.e.x to be gentler, softer, more romantic. Liberty seemed to be trying to impress her more than satisfy her, which wasn't what she wanted. She had run away to California in search of something and someone new, to find only empty promises.

Now, back where she had started from, she had believed she might find meaning in a relations.h.i.+p with Liberty. But that too was proving futile. Only with Karen had she found the happiness she desired-Karen, whom she trusted and confided in, and who had always defended her. She had to trust Karen to believe her, which was what mattered most. But could she?

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.

Addy asked Karen to meet her at Owings Beach the next afternoon, then arrived early to clear her mind. She strolled along the sh.o.r.e, letting the incoming tide wash over her feet before it receded. The cool water on her bare skin and the sound of the waves soothed her. During her childhood, she had spent endless days searching the coast for pieces of washed-up treasure that she kept in a cigar box.

She had first met Karen here on a scorching summer's day, when everyone who could had escaped the city to cool off. Addy was focused on the sand, searching for seash.e.l.ls and anything else of interest to add to her collection. The beach was crowded and she hadn't had much success, so she had extended her coverage beyond her usual sandy stretch. Late in the afternoon when she walked to the edge of the tall gra.s.s and weeds that marked the end of the swimming area, she had discovered a lone girl sitting on a large rock just beyond the sandy area, probing the sandy bottom with a stick, trying to find her own riches.

A car door slammed, and Karen stepped out of the parking area and on to the beach. Except for her black shoes and dark coloring, she blended seamlessly with the sand, like a moving mirage. Addy gazed toward the ocean, intensely happy. But at the same time, the old pain rea.s.serted itself. Her sense of loss nearly overwhelmed her, and she wanted to rage at an unfair world.

"Hi," Karen said, her voice almost s.n.a.t.c.hed away by the wind.

Addy smiled wanly. "Thank you for coming."

"Sure. Do you want to walk?"

Karen's dark hair whipped back and forth across her face as she stood with her hands shoved deep into her pockets. Her air of quiet self-confidence had always made Addy feel somehow stronger.

They didn't speak as they walked on the damp sand near the water's edge. Even though Addy had planned what she wanted to say, now she didn't know where to begin. After a few minutes, though, she began to relax as she listened to the waves and the call of the seagulls.

"Remember the night of our junior year when they had that bonfire here on the beach?" she asked.

Karen pointed to a small cove up ahead. "It was there. You, me, Dee-Dee, and whoever she was with at the time, the Turner twins and their girlfriends. You wore that green sleeveless T-s.h.i.+rt I always liked."

"You remember that?" Addy warmed to the memory.

"I've never forgotten a single minute of being with you. Meeting you over there when we were kids," Karen pointed to the rock, "or the first time we kissed, or the first time we made love."

Addy's eyes filled. She had never been happier, never been so loved and wanted. If only she could feel that way again.

"And I've never forgotten the last time we made love," Karen said softly.

Addy gazed up at her. Karen's expression, filled with such pain and sorrow, made her grasp Karen's arm. They stopped walking and Karen gazed into her eyes.

"I'm so sorry about Miss Wilson. I was such a fool, and I never meant to hurt you. I wish I could take it all back, but I guess it's too late."

Addy still grasped Karen's forearm, and she slowly stroked it with her thumb.

"It's never too late to say you're sorry." Addy wanted to say more, but part of her still held back. She needed to get this thing with Tommy off her chest, but where to begin?

"I am sorry." Karen placed her hand on Addy's. "Please say you forgive me and that we can move on. I've waited a very long time to hear you say it."

The warmth of Karen's hand made Addy tingle inside.

Whenever Karen touched her, Addy's willpower vanished.

"I'm tired of being angry at you. It was a long time ago and we were both so young." Finally, she said, "I forgive you." The words emerged as a whisper and surprised her. A heavy weight lifted from her shoulders, and she felt as though she could fl oat on a gust of wind like the seagulls riding the airstream above.

She began to walk again, but separating from Karen chilled her. She needed to let go of one last thing.

"I need to tell you about that night."

Karen listened to Addy's story as open-mindedly as she could. Addy was obviously telling the truth. She wouldn't lie, and the details of the story were simply too bizarre to invent.

When Addy finished, Karen remained silent, trying to process what she had heard.

Tommy had to be innocent, but who else but them would believe that? What exactly did he know about the death of Scott Vinson? Had he seen anyone nearby before the murder, and if so, would she be able to extricate that information from him?

"You don't believe me," Addy said softly.

Karen stopped walking and faced her. "That's not true. I don't for one minute suspect you or Tommy."

Unable to stand, Addy flung herself into Karen's arms and sobbed. She cried until she was spent, then rested in Karen's embrace. The wind and the waves crashed around them, safe together.

"You know I have to tell the sheriff everything you've told me."

Addy tensed, then let go. She couldn't deny what she'd said, and the inevitable consequences of the truth had to play out. She nodded.

"Please, help me take care of Tommy. He can't take the pressure of being questioned, and I could lose him forever." She had been Tommy's guardian such a short time and was already failing. Her grandmother would never have let things get so far out of hand. Without Karen, Addy would surely lose control entirely.

"I'll do everything possible to help him. But the detectives handling the case will definitely want to talk to him. It might be best to have a psychiatrist available."

Addy couldn't hope for anything better, but she still worried.

She clung to Karen, willing her strength to infuse her.

Karen gazed out at the ocean, pondering Addy's story. She had denied knowing anything about the crime, and this Johnny-come-lately revelation would go hard on her. But Tommy really worried her. Others might view him as unstable and potentially capable of a crime, and Addy's apparent cover-up could make her an accomplice. Would she be able to safeguard either of them?

"I guess we should be getting back," Addy murmured.

Karen nodded, but was reluctant to release her. She closed her eyes and allowed the sensation of Addy in her arms to wash over her. All too soon, Addy pulled away, and Karen opened her eyes to the wind.

As it loosened a strand of hair from Addy's barrette at the base of her neck, Karen placed her fingertips on the strand and couldn't let go. This was Addy, standing before her as she had dreamed of for so long. It was time to clear the past of all the cobwebs. Addy had forgiven her, and now she could forgive herself. Now that the moment was here, she wanted it to last forever. She brushed Addy's cheek and let her fingers rest under her chin. Tilting Addy's face upward, she kissed the soft lips that she had fantasized about for so many years.

Addy leaned forward, the heat of Karen's body drawing her like a magnet. She ached for her touch, ached to lie alongside her as they had during simpler times. They were different people now, but the pa.s.sion that Addy had believed was long gone rushed to the surface in a groundswell of need. The gentle kiss quickly changed to open mouths and furtive tongues, searching for the truth of each other's emotions.

She teased Karen's lips with her tongue, then traced a flickering path inside her mouth until she was lost in the heat and the thrill of the familiar. She knew Karen's body and needs as well as her own, and she realized she had finally found what she was seeking-herself. Karen was as much a part of her as Tommy, and had been in her life almost as long. The two of them were her home.

When the intensity abated, Karen stepped back and held her at arm's length. "You need to go home, and I need to..." Her voice was rough.

"I know." Addy pressed her fingers to Karen's lips. "You need to do what you have to. I understand."

Holding hands, they walked slowly back to the parking lot.

Karen helped her into her car, then closed the door. Addy knew Karen would head immediately for the station.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.

Addy stepped out of the shower and toweled off, feeling much better. The hot water had rinsed off the sea salt and erased her troubled mind. She put on clean clothes and brushed her hair back into a ponytail. Tossing her towel into her laundry basket, she frowned at the overflowing basket, but as she picked it up she felt a twinge in her back.

"Oh." She placed a hand near the base of her spine.