Beyond Innocence Read online

  She touched his face, and when he looked at her he saw the glistening of tears. “Luke? Do you want me to tell them to leave? This is too much. You need time.”

  He shook his head. He wanted to be angry, but he had no idea who to be angry at—himself, or the detectives, or this Calvin, or his supposed wife. At that moment he was just tired, but rest seemed a long way off.

  He dragged himself back to his feet, unwilling to let these men see the weakness that was threatening to consume him. He put one foot in front of the other and made his way back to the couch, but Marnie’s hand never left his. They sat down together, and when he met Pete’s eyes he held the other man’s gaze with determination. “I’m sorry, but all this means nothing to me. What do we do now?”

  The two men exchanged an unreadable glance. “Well, the doctors suggested that taking you home might help tweak your memory. We’d really like you to remember. Your testimony as to the assault and Sam’s…” Pete’s voice faltered, “Sam’s murder would be invaluable. But before we do that, we have another alternative.”

  “Yes?”

  “Your wife is in town with your son. She’d like to see you.”

  Luke couldn’t speak but Marnie took up his cause. “This woman participated in betraying and trying to kill her husband, and she wants to see him?”

  “She is facing some jail time for her involvement and she is here under supervision. But she claims that she was coerced into it, and that she is very remorseful. And she came forward with information when she didn’t have to. She claims this meeting is more for her son than for her. But she wants to be present.”

  “I have a son.” Luke said it quietly, as if saying it would make it real. “Tanner, you said?”

  Something passed over Pete’s face that Luke couldn’t identify. “Yes. That’s his name. He’s anxious to see you as well. He was convinced you were dead. I don’t think he quite believes you’re alive yet.”

  He looked to Marnie. “It’s up to you, Luke.”

  “When?”

  “She’d like to come right away. We can have her here in ten minutes.”

  Ten minutes? His world as he knew it was changing, falling apart, and being rebuilt in a matter of moments. And in the tiny span of ten minutes he could be faced with a woman with whom he had shared a good chunk of his life, and the son they had conceived and raised together. He remembered none of it. Did he want to?

  “Okay.” He heard Marnie’s intake of breath and turned to her. “I want to get this over with. I want to know.”

  She nodded but her misery cut him. He gently kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Nothing can change how I feel about you. I’m sorry I’m not what you thought.”

  She shook her head and whispered back. “You haven’t changed. Even if it’s all true, a past like that can’t change who you are now.”

  He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against hers for a moment. He’d never loved her so much as he did at that moment. He withdrew from her with regret and turned back to the detectives. “Let’s do it.”

  * * * * *

  Pete and Kyle stepped out into the bright afternoon sun. They slid into the bucket seats of their rented Ford Taurus and Pete slipped the key into the ignition. He didn’t turn it on.

  “Do you believe him?” asked Kyle.

  Pete considered. “I don’t know. If that’s an act, it’s a hell of a good one.”

  “Didn’t you say he was always so good at making people think what he wanted them to?”

  “Yeah.” Pete turned the key and revved the engine. “But you could always see this wiliness, this slyness in his eyes. That was Tate’s face, but those weren’t Tate’s eyes.” He raked his fingers through his hair and tried to sort out his thoughts. “And the way he was with that woman. So…” The words eluded him.

  “They’re in love. Starry-eyed, puppy-dog, forever-after kind of love.”

  “Yeah. That’s sure how it looked, and I’ve never known Tate to look at anybody like that. And she was hardly like his usual taste in women. Nothing like Faye, and nothing like his girls at the bar.”

  “I’d give anything to be there when he meets with Faye and Tanner.”

  Pete pulled into traffic and said at last, “I think we should be. What if she tries to kill him again? What if he tries to kill her? I think, if for no other reason than to protect Tanner, that we should be present for that meeting.”

  “You’re stretching it.”

  “I don’t think so. And somehow I don’t think Tate will object.”

  “Or do you mean Luke?”

  “Whatever. Now shut up and help me find a Starbucks. I need a good dose of caffeine before we tackle this one.”

  Kyle was grinning as they sped away from the condos.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Marnie felt as if she were flying apart.

  She threw her suitcase on the bed, yanked a pair of jeans out of her bag, and cursed an uncharacteristic blue streak when a slew of socks rained down over the floor. She threw the jeans into the closet and reached for a sweatshirt that had lain beneath them. When it refused to hold its carefully preserved folds she grabbed it by the shoulders and tried to tear it in two. When she couldn’t even do that she shoved it brutally into an open drawer.

  She swiped at the moisture on her cheeks, determined to ignore the reason for her frustrations as she continued her vigorous unpacking job.

  By the time she heard Luke’s voice in the doorway, her room was a disaster area of rumpled clothes and open drawers.

  “Marnie.”

  “What?” She grabbed the empty bag and rammed it into the closet.

  Just as she slammed the closet door closed she felt strong arms wrap around her, pinning her arms to her sides in an attempt to keep her together, and keep pieces of her from flying off and joining the litter on the floor. He rested his chin on her shoulder and said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

  She closed her eyes and basked in his warmth. “You have to stop apologizing, Luke. It’s a nasty habit.”

  “No. I’m sorry that you have to feel this way. I’m sorry to be putting us both through this.”

  “It’s not your fault. It’s out of your control. It’s…”

  “It’s a nightmare.”

  She nodded in mute agreement.

  He turned her around and cupped her face in his hands. “I won’t feel anything for her. I know it. We obviously hardly had an ideal relationship.”

  “But your son. What about him?”

  “I don’t know if I’ll feel anything, but I will have a commitment to him.” He kissed her so gently it made her want to cry. “But that won’t change this. Nothing can change this.”

  “What about your…businesses?”

  She regretted bringing it up. She hadn’t intended to cause him pain, but that was exactly what washed over his face. He let go of her and turned away. “I don’t know about that. I-I don’t understand it and I don’t know if I want to. Maybe I could sell them. I can get rid of them somehow. I’m not him. I’m not this Tate person.”

  “Of course not. I didn’t mean to suggest you were.”

  He turned to face her.

  The ringing of the doorbell downstairs cut through her like a sword. It was a cheerful death knell, a happy little warning that her life was going to change. Whether for the better or for the worse was yet to be determined. “I know this is selfish but I don’t care. Whatever happens down there with her—whatever happens, I’m not giving you up without a fight.”

  He smiled and reached for her hand. “Funny, but I was thinking exactly the same thing.”

  Together, they descended the stairs. At the bottom she suggested, “Why don’t you wait in the living room and let me bring them in? This isn’t a meeting that should happen in a doorway.”

  He nodded agreement and plodded away. She watched his retreating back and hoped desperately that tonight he would still be sharing her bed. He was a part of her life now. Maybe the best part. And the thou
ght of his walking out of it was enough to tear her in two.

  When she was certain he was settled in the living room, she took a deep, fortifying breath, placed her hand on the knob, and opened the door.

  “Detectives,” she said evenly.

  Pete and Kyle flanked a woman who looked to be a little older than Marnie, with dull blonde hair and green eyes and a layer of makeup that would have made Marnie’s mother wince. The boy standing stoically beside her was a miniature version of his father. He had the same chestnut hair and the same eyes. But then she rethought that observation. There was an oldness about those eyes that seemed out of place in the youthful face. It was a characteristic he did not share with his father.

  “Marnie Grant,” Pete was saying. “This is Faye and Tanner Barton.”

  “Is…is Tate here?” asked Faye as she wrung her hands. The red silk blouse she wore strained over ample breasts, and her leather skirt ended a breath below her buttocks. The image of Luke and this… this woman engaged in an embrace struck her as absurd. Outrageous. Unthinkable. Yet here she was. And apparently they had done much more than share a hug or kiss. They had shared a bed. The boy was living proof.

  “Y-Yes,” she finally managed to stutter in answer to Faye’s question. “He’s waiting in the living room. But, just so you know, he’s been answering to the name Luke for more than two months now.”

  “Can we come in?” asked Pete impatiently.

  Marnie was startled to realize she was still blocking the doorway and had not yet invited them in. “Yes. Sure. Sorry.” She stepped aside and closed the door behind them before leading the little party down the hall toward the riddle in her living room.

  When they entered, Luke stood and swept his eyes over the group. He wiped his palms on his jeans and Marnie could see his pulse throbbing in his temple. “Hello.”

  Marnie crossed to him and immediately took his hand while the detectives sat down. They watched in silence. For an instant they reminded Marnie of circling vultures waiting for the imminent death of a wounded animal.

  Faye remained rooted in the center of the room, staring at her husband. She reached for the boy’s hand but he ripped it out of her grasp and stepped away.

  “You’re…Faye?” asked Luke.

  She nodded.

  Luke frowned as his eyes roamed over her from head to toe.

  “Do you remember me?” Marnie wasn’t certain what she read in Faye’s voice. It should have been hopeful, but she thought it sounded more like dread. But, of course, in light of what had transpired between her and Tate, perhaps that was to be expected.

  Luke shook his head. “No.” Then he dropped his eyes to his son. He let go of Marnie’s hand and moved over to kneel before the boy with the glistening eyes and the determined chin. “Tanner. Right?”

  He nodded.

  Luke touched a finger to his son’s cheek. He stroked a few stands of disheveled hair. He dropped his hand to Tanner’s shoulder and the expression on Luke’s face was torturous. He squeezed gently and his breathing accelerated. The concentration on his face was so fierce it made Marnie’s throat ache. She could almost hear his nails raking over solid stone, clawing away at the impenetrable wall that stood between him and his memories.

  Tanner broke the spell. “Daddy?” he whispered. “I—” His little voice cracked and one tear slid down his cheek. “I missed you.” Then a pair of desperate little arms latched around Luke’s neck as he buried his face in the cradle of his father’s shoulder.

  Luke’s eyes closed as he wrapped his own strong arms around the son he didn’t know.

  As Marnie wiped away a few tears of her own she saw Tanner lift his head and whisper in Luke’s ear. Quickly, urgently, she could see his lips rushing on. The words must have been tumbling over each other in their haste to make it to his father’s ear.

  Luke nodded but Marnie could tell the words troubled him. He whispered something back as he gently extricated himself from the web of desperation he had found himself in.

  He grabbed Tanner’s hand and squeezed once more before saying simply, “Okay? Can you do that for me?”

  Tanner nodded solemnly and flicked a hostile glance at the woman who had given birth to him.

  “Do you want to sit with me?” asked Luke.

  Again Tanner nodded and followed his father to the couch. Luke sat in the middle, Marnie on one side and Tanner on the other. Faye took a seat beside the detectives, across from her husband. It was as if the coffee table were a line drawn in the dust and Luke was daring one of them to cross it.

  “Wow,” drawled Faye as she reached in her purse. “You look different, Tate. But compared to the last time I saw you, I guess it’s a miracle I even recognize you at all.”

  “Why?” asked Luke.

  Faye frowned, her hand submerged in the depths of her enormous leather handbag. “What? Why what?”

  “Why did you do it?”

  Faye drew out a pack of cigarettes and with a flick of the wrist expertly expelled one into her palm.

  “I don’t allow smoking in the house,” said Marnie.

  Faye froze with the cigarette dangling from her lips. “Really? So where the hell does Tate do it?”

  Marnie frowned. “Luke doesn’t smoke.”

  “Huh? No kidding! He was smoking a pack a day the last three years.”

  Luke was shaking his head. “I haven’t craved one at all.” He looked to Marnie for explanation.

  “He was in a coma for almost a month. No doubt his body had passed the withdrawal stage. He didn’t know he smoked, and his body no longer craved it, so…”

  Faye nodded acceptance and the detectives looked on.

  “You didn’t answer me.” Luke’s eyes were searching.

  Faye shifted in her seat and tugged her meager skirt down a paltry half-inch. “It’s…complicated. Calvin made me. I don’t really know myself.” She rolled the cigarette between her fingers. “You tellin’ me you really don’t remember anything? The clubs, the business—not even the day on the mountain?”

  Marnie jumped in. “It’s common even for victims who regain their memory to never recall the events that immediately led up to the trauma. He will likely never remember that day.”

  “Shit!” The curse came from Detective Sergeant Gruber.

  “Detective?” asked Marnie.

  “Well, that’s just peachy! We need his account. It would make an iron-clad case against his partner.”

  “His partner who is still not in custody, right?” taunted Marnie, grateful for an outlet for her own frustrations.

  Pete’s chest heaved with the stress of holding in the rage Marnie could see brewing in his face. “Right.” He stood abruptly. “Well, I’ve had enough of this little reunion.” He studied Luke. “Still nothing?”

  Luke shook his head. “Sorry. I wish…” He shrugged to indicate he didn’t know if he wanted to remember or not.

  “Well then, we should get you back to Philly and see if that helps. How soon can you be packed?”

  “What?” Marnie launched from her seat. “Luke! You’re not going with them, are you?”

  In the next instant Luke was beside her, a calming arm wrapped around her shoulders. “No. No, I’m not.”

  “But…” This time it was Faye’s turn to stand and face the crowd. “But you gotta! Somebody’s got to take over the clubs and help with Tanner. You can’t stay here! Philly is your home!”

  Marnie ached to point out that it was hardly a happy one, and that this was the only home Luke had ever known but Luke saved her the trouble.

  “I’m not saying I’ll never come, but I’m not ready yet. Give me a few days or a couple of weeks. Let me get used to all…this.” He dropped his eyes to Tanner and laid a slim hand on his son’s shoulder. “When I’m ready, I’ll come. But not before.”

  “This is crazy!” Faye was obviously approaching hysteria. “Pete! Do something. You can make him come, can’t you? He—he has to!”

  Marnie was confused by Faye
’s desperation. She had tried to murder her husband and now she was desperate to have him home? Or was she just that desperate to not be alone? She had lost her latest lover—perhaps even the prospect of rekindling a loveless relationship was preferable to facing her life alone.

  “I can’t make him, Faye,” growled Pete, his frustration plain. “I told you that before. He’s here and he’s not breaking any laws. There’s nothing we can do.”

  “But what about Tanner?” pleaded Faye. Did she really care that much about her son, or was she using him as a lure to try and draw her husband back home?

  “I’m okay. I can wait.” He looked up at his father, and Marnie could see he was trying to be strong. She wondered if he had pleaded with Luke to let him stay, and Luke had to turn him down. “I’ll be okay for a while.”

  Luke nodded approval and Tanner glowed. What had transpired between them in those few whispered sentences? She was aching to get Luke alone and find out.

  “Come on.” Pete was herding Faye toward the door. “Let’s get back to the hotel and get home. I’ve got a goddamn funeral to arrange.”

  Marnie had almost forgotten about the other man. What was his name? Sam? He had been Pete’s partner. A lot of people were hurting over this, and she had a feeling it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.

  Marnie felt relief flooding through her as they reached the door and the detectives and Tanner stepped outside. Faye however, lingered. She tugged on Luke’s hand and pulled him in close enough that his arm was rubbing against her breast. “You can’t tell me she’s got anything on me, baby. Don’t you miss it? The sex? The parties?”

  Luke’s face was cast in stone. “Please go.”

  “If you change your mind, we’re staying at the Holiday Inn. Our flight doesn’t leave until the morning.”

  “Go.”

  But she wasn’t so easily daunted. “Not without just one kiss for old times’ sake.” And before they knew it, Faye had dug her nails into his shirt and dragged him down to her level. Her lips molded to his in a desperate frenzy of need, and it took him a full five seconds to wrench himself away from her. He pushed her out the door and stumbled back. “Get out!” he yelled as he slammed the door.