Killer Image (An Allison Campbell Mystery) (12 page)

“Let’s find a private nurse, then.”

“How in the world will we pay for that, Allison? Use your head.”

Allison refused to bite. “You find the right person, Faye, and let me worry about the finances. Okay? If need be, I’ll sell
my
house.”

Faye didn’t speak, but Allison could hear her breathing, more pronounced now, on the other end.

“Faye?”

“Okay,” Faye said finally. “I’ll let you know what I find.”

Allison hung up and put her head back against the car seat. She would think of her mother when dealing with McBride. That would temper her pride.

Thirteen

“Daddy wants to be president, you know,” Maggie said.

“Stay still for just a minute, Maggie. I need one more measurement.” Allison wrapped the tape around Maggie’s upper arm and made a notation in her notebook. “There, you can get down now.”

Maggie stepped off the dressmaker’s platform, turned a chair backward and straddled it. She wore a pleated black peasant skirt and the stiff material bunched around her thighs, exposing thick, black-stockinged legs. A jagged runner ran the length of one calf, ending at the edge of a polished Doc Marten.

“That’s the real reason for this bullshit,” Maggie said. “He doesn’t care about the Senate race. The selfish jerk doesn’t want any skeletons in the closet in six years when he tries to become the big cheese.”

“He’s still your father, Maggie, so maybe you could
try
talking about him without the derogatory terms.” Allison stretched backwards, taking care not to snag her own stockings. “He may have trouble showing it, but I suspect there’s at least a little concern in there for you somewhere.” Allison winked. “He did hire me, after all.”

Maggie snorted. “Please. He thinks your corporate brainwashing will fix his only skeleton. Me.” Maggie shook her head. Allison had to wonder. While she certainly didn’t believe everything that came out of Maggie’s mouth, she’d heard rumors that McBride viewed the Senate as merely a stop along his political train ride.

The air in the office of First Impressions felt stuffy, and the scent of patchouli drifting in waves off Maggie’s body made Allison faintly nauseous. She opened two windows. Fresh air. From outside, she heard the sounds of traffic and a wailing police siren, reminding Allison there was a world out there, a world that included the Main Line Murderer. One glance at the morning’s papers had told Allison that the rest of the Main Line was as worried about catching the killer as she was.

She toyed with asking Maggie what she knew but thought better of it. She doubted Ethan was involved and, anyway, she didn’t want today’s session to get off to a bad start.

“He’s not my real father, you know.”

Startled, Allison turned from the window. “Who?”

“Hank. I mean, I’m pretty sure he’s not my real father. We’re nothing alike. He has blond hair and blue eyes and is left-handed. My mother must have gotten so tired of him and his crap that she went out to a bar one night and slept with a musician or an actor. Or maybe a famous scientist. That would explain my interest in the occult.”

Allison had no idea how a scientist-father would explain Maggie’s interest in the occult, but she decided to stay quiet on the lack of obvious connection. Instead she said, “Maybe you just wish he wasn’t your father, Maggie. That’s not such an odd thing for a teenage girl to want.”

Maggie shot her a
you-don’t-know-anything
look. “Trust me. He’s not my father.” She scooted backward off the chair, stood up, and picked up her sack of a purse. “Now what? More catalogues? Another fun trip to the mall? What’s the next chapter in Maggie Makeover 101?”

Allison ignored the sarcasm and thought for a moment. With a normal client there would be at least two or three sessions of interviews, during which Allison would get a sense of the client’s taste and an idea of what he or she wanted to focus on. These interviews would dictate both the sessions that followed and the experts Allison would partner with. Makeup artists. Nutritionists. Personal shoppers. Voice coaches. Allison and her team could help with any number of goals: public speaking, dressing for success, overcoming shyness, returning to the workforce, weight loss. But what she could
not
do was work magic.  She was hoping something would click soon. In the meantime, she’d march onward and hope for the best.

“You pick it,” Allison said.

Maggie just stared at her, head cocked, as though Allison had suggested a flight to Mars.

“You’re joking.”

“I never joke with my clients,” Allison said.

“
Ohmyfreakinggoddess
. Don’t you get it, Allison? I don’t want to go anywhere with you. That’s the point. I don’t want to be seen with you.”

Allison smiled. “Fine, then I’ll pick.”

Maggie plopped back down on the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “This should be good.”

“Don’t say I didn’t give you the opportunity to choose.”

“Where are we going, Allison?”

Allison stood, pointed toward the door and said, “The zoo.”

“You took her
where?
” Vaughn put down the file he was updating and stared at Allison. He’d never known her to go off script. Ever. When it came to her clients, the woman towed the line like a rookie in his first World Series. “No offense Allison, but are you
nuts
? Her father’s a House Representative. He’s paying you to fix his disaster of a daughter and you take her to the
zoo
?”

Allison flashed him a smile that said
I have this under control
, but he wasn’t so sure. He watched her smooth her hair back from her face and stretch her long legs out in front of her. She did seem pretty confident. He wished he shared the feeling.

Vaughn glanced at the clock. 7:16. Mrs. T. had to be out of there at 8:00 and he had no one lined up for the night, so he and Jamie were on their own. He’d rented
American Pie
—Jamie never seemed to tire of its teenage humor—and Vaughn would watch clothes dry if it made his brother smile. But he promised himself he’d get through these files, finish up the billing and check up on the Feldman case today. He had to hurry.

“Fine,” he said. “Then don’t tell me what you were thinking. I’m not sure I want to know anyway. Going to the zoo with that kid?” He shook his head, picked the file back up and stood to return it to the cabinet. Vaughn wished the whole damn family would just go away. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Allison was playing with fire. And taking McBride’s kid to the zoo was, in his opinion, a risky move. “McBride is paying for serious image consulting. He’s going to see a zoo trip as high-priced babysitting.”

Allison shrugged. “Not sure it helped, but how could it have hurt? I was looking for a way to get through to her. Thought maybe a change of scenery would do some good.” Allison stood up and reached for her coat, which lay draped across the extra chair in Vaughn’s office. “Maggie was not happy, but once we arrived it wasn’t too bad.”

“But why the zoo?

“The professional spin or the truth?”

Vaughn closed the file cabinet and turned to face Allison. She looked tired. He wondered about that morning, when Jason had answered the phone. Since their divorce, Jason had never answered Allison’s phone. Did this mean they were together again? He didn’t want to think about Allison sleeping with Mia’s son, but he had to admit, he’d rather see her back with Jason than making the rounds with some other guy who didn’t appreciate her. Jason was good people. Still, it was all a little
too
cozy.

He said, “Both. Start with the spin.”

Allison held her coat in her hands and sat back down. “I wanted to make the point that one of the things that separates us from the animals is choice. A lion is a lion, a monkey is a monkey. Animals don’t have the wherewithal to change colors. A monkey can’t reinvent itself as a lion. A giraffe can never be an elephant.”

“And? Did she get it?” He glanced at the clock again: 7:22. He put the last of the files away and sat facing Allison across his desk.

“Eventually. At first she took the analogy literally and thought I was saying she was an ugly duckling who could never become a swan. But I think I convinced her that I didn’t mean that at all. Humans have a wondrous ability, unlike those animals, to choose our thoughts and, eventually, change our behavior. All I was saying was that Maggie has the choice, like the rest of us, to set her sights on what she wants to be and make it happen.” Allison shrugged. “So that’s the spin. A bit of hands-on learning.”

“And the truth?”

“I had absolutely no idea what to do with her.”

Vaughn laughed, relieved that Allison had a reason for the zoo trip, bullshit or not. “How’d she handle it?”

“Like any other kid, I suppose. She grumbled and complained. Threatened about a thousand times to tell Daddy. And finally shut up when I bought her a stuffed gorilla and French fries.”

“Ah, bribery.”

She nodded. “She mentioned Ethan Feldman again.” Allison frowned, stood up, and reached for her purse.

“What did Maggie say?”

“They’re dating behind their parents’ backs. The McBrides have forbidden her to see him, and Arnie Feldman had done the same. Arnie caught Maggie and Ethan having sex in the Jacuzzi one afternoon last fall.”

Vaughn said, “Was Maggie upset? About Ethan’s involvement with the police over this murder?”

“Very. In usual teenage fashion, she was overly dramatic about the whole thing: they’re going to run away together, it’s the world against them, she can’t live without him.” Allison looked thoughtful. “I know the police are questioning the Feldman boy about his father’s murder. It’s just odd though—”

“Yeah?”

“Jason said Ethan has no alibi for that night.”

“So?”

“So Maggie let it slip that she and Ethan were together. Why wouldn’t Ethan admit to that?”

The clock read 7:29. Vaughn needed to have left ten minutes ago to get home in time. “Maybe she snuck out later to be with Ethan.”

“Maybe.” Allison opened the door. Vaughn could feel tendrils of cool air reaching across the foyer to where he stood. He shivered, but whether it was from the cool air or Allison’s next words, he wasn’t sure. “Or maybe the kids are lying.”

Vaughn said, “Have you heard anything more about Mia?”

“No, and that worries me. I’m going to call Jason when I get home. I’m not sure whether the shift in police focus to the kids has taken the heat off of her. Do you know?”

Vaughn shook his head, feeling like an ass. Although he didn’t know where the police thinking was currently headed, he did know more than he was letting on. And he hated keeping things from Allison.

Allison looked worried. “I wish Mia’s name was off the list.”

“Me, too.”

Allison made a what-can-you-do gesture with her hands. She said, “Dinner?”

Vaughn shook his head. As much as he would’ve liked to join her, he had to get going.

The corners of Allison’s mouth turned down in disappointment. “A date?”

He looked away from her, toward the door. He hated lying again. But Jamie was his best kept secret. He couldn’t explain Jamie without explaining his own past. And he wasn’t ready to come clean yet, not even to Allison. Especially not to Allison. So Vaughn said, “You could say that.”

On his way home, Vaughn called Mia. Her voice sounded hoarse, as though she’d been crying. “You okay, babe?” he said.

“Sure.”

His heart ached for her. He knew the police, the questions, were dredging all of the pain again, it was like a goddamn soul excavation. He wished there was something he could do to make it better.

“Want some company? I have Jamie tonight, but you can join us. We’d love it.”

“No, but thanks, Vaughn.” A pause. “I got another visit from the police. One of Helms’ henchmen.”

“What’s the latest?” he asked gently. He shifted into fourth gear and eased up on the clutch. The night was warmer, and he rolled the window down for some fresh air.

“Same questions, over and over again. And they won’t let up on my whereabouts the night Arnie was killed.”

“Then tell them, Mia. I’m tired of the lies, anyway. It’s time.”

“No.”

“Allison won’t care. And Jason—Jason’s a big boy. He wants you to be happy.”

Mia took a moment to respond. “It’s not just them, Vaughn.”

“Then what the hell is it? We were together the night Feldman was killed. There is no way you coulda been there and been with me. Why can’t you tell the police that?”

“You, Vaughn.”

“
Me
?”

“Your past. What if they don’t believe we were at my house? If they start digging, they’ll find out about your record. The arrests. Then Allison will find out. Do you really want to risk that?”

Vaughn turned into his apartment complex  and killed the ignition. No, he thought, I don’t want to risk it. It’s the reason I haven’t told Allison about Jamie. It’s the reason I live in a goddamn house of cards. But it wasn’t worth Mia’s pain.