Promise You Won't Tell? (23 page)

It’s clear why Riley didn’t want me to see the video. She knows I’d throw a fit, turn it over to the police, and demand jail time for Ethan. Of course, I can’t do that, having signed a non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement that covers anything and everything I heard, saw, handled, and learned through my conversations with Riley and Gavin.

I feel sick for Riley.

On the other hand, I know the stats. The majority of rapes in America go unreported. Convictions are hard to secure. And convicted rapists often spend less than four years in prison.

Riley made the choice that works for her. Her charity will receive six million dollars, and I have no doubt she’ll put the money to good use. I also have no doubt she’ll fulfill the terms of her settlement with Gavin, and take the extra step of making sure he gets warm and fuzzy press coverage for his massive contribution.

Monday.
We’re sitting in a coffee shop, not far from Riley’s house, when I hand her the check.

She glances at it, then studies my face.

“Aw, shit, Dani.”

“What’s wrong?”

“You watched the video.”

“I—Yes. I made a copy. I watched it, then destroyed it.”

“You broke your promise.”

“Yes.”

“You may have also broken a law, since you knowingly viewed underage sex.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I had no prior knowledge there’d be sexual activity on that CD. Plus, this was my case, and you’re my friend and client.”

“Client?”

“My one-dollar client.”

“Ah!” she says.

Her face clouds up. “I’m sorry you saw that. It was pretty brutal stuff. That had to be hard on you.”

“It was. But it would’ve been much worse had it been real.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought about it all weekend. And realized you set him up.”

She looks at me oddly. Then, in a very polite, conversational tone, asks, “Why would you say that?”

“It’s all too pat.”

“What is?”

“Everything.”

“Name one.”

“The timing window.”

“What’s that?”

“You had to wait till Kelli’s mom went to bed. You also had to count on her being unable to hear any possible activity, such as two semi-drunk teenage boys going up and down the steps and in and out of Kelli’s bedroom. So you couldn’t count on precise timing for that. Then, once the mom is down for the night, you have to coordinate getting the boys there, getting you into Kelli’s room, getting the boys into the house, into the basement, singling Ethan out, getting him, and as it turns out, Ronnie, up the stairs in time to find you passed out, on Kelli’s bed, and all this has to happen before Parker’s mom picks her up, or else Parker won’t be there to run interference on the rest of the gang in the basement.”

“You don’t feel those few events could occur naturally?”

“No.”

“Maybe that’s because you’re looking at it as a conspiracy,” Riley says. “The timing issues only seem difficult because you’re trying to make them fit your theory.”

“Got a better one?”

“Yes, but it’s awfully simple.”

“Tell me.”

“If Mrs. Underhill didn’t happen to go to bed early, Kelli wouldn’t have let the boys come over. And none of this would have happened.”

“But it did happen. And Parker was the key to all the timing issues. She got Ethan where he needed to be. Ronnie followed. She got them all worked up, told them about the sticker, dared them to find and photograph it.”

She laughs. “You must have watched a different video. I don’t recall seeing Parker at all on the one I watched.”

“Here’s the thing: you’re incredibly good. The whole Parker confession threw me off. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided the first part of Ethan’s story was true. I think she coordinated everything, right down to challenging them to find the sticker.”

“I don’t recall them saying anything about finding the sticker on the video.”

“Me either, and I think you got lucky with that, though no doubt, they were distracted. But remember near the end? When Ethan let Ronnie take pictures?”

“What about it?”

“There was a point when Ethan said, ‘Check it out, Ron,’ and Ronnie responded, ‘Bingo!’”

“So?”

“I couldn’t figure out why Ronnie would say ‘Bingo!’ Then it dawned on me he was talking about the sticker. The one he’d been told about.”

“That’s quite a stretch.”

“I agree, which is why I think you were lucky he didn’t come right out and say something like, ‘Parker was right! There it is!’”

She smiles. “That’s your Ronnie impression?”

I smile back. Then say, “Parker got them all worked up, then went back to the party and told the others Ethan and Ronnie were outside, going through their cars for liquor.”

“What motive would she have for doing all that?”

“The ten thousand Gavin paid for her so-called confession?”

“How on earth could she have known that would happen?”

“She couldn’t. But it’s all I’ve got.”

“Everything doesn’t have to fit into a neat little theory, Dani.”

I think a moment. “You didn’t happen to offer Parker a job, did you? Working for your foundation? Assuming your plan worked and you were able to secure funding?”

Riley smiles. “Parker’s extremely intelligent, and a hard worker. I would
love
to have her helping me. But she has plans for college.”

“Kelli also had to be involved.”

“How so?”

“I think she found out about the cameras on her own some time ago, and told you Mitch had been secretly filming her. I think she wanted revenge, and you both planned it out. You picked Ethan because his father understood the law and because you had killer information regarding his birth certificate. And that’s another timing issue that bothered me. You kept that birth certificate information quiet until the negotiating phase. And while we’re on the subject, let’s not forget the on-again, off-again video you saved till the last possible second. Your closing argument, if you will.”

“You make me sound like a mastermind.”

“You are. And I’m in awe.”

She takes a “let’s wrap this up” tone, saying, “Dani, I can always count on you for entertaining conversation. We should do this again sometime, after the legal system works out all the details.”

“The photographs Dillon took.”

“What about them?”

“In the wee hours of Sunday morning I’m watching the video on the same computer that had the photos Dillon took of Kelli’s room. And it dawned on me how you made a point to get my attention focused on the first four photos, the ones he took with the flash. I didn’t get it at the time, but you were trying to get me to see the reflection of the camera lenses. You must have been disappointed in me that day. Of course, Fanny came through, so you didn’t have to come up with something more obvious.”

Riley shrugs.

I say, “And what about the CDs in Mitch’s room?”

“What about them?”

“There’s been no mention of CDs, videos, or video surveillance equipment being found in Mitch’s room. Police were there, investigating his death. Even the news reporters have nothing to say about the presence of video equipment.”

“So?”

“Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

“I guess I’ve been so busy with my own issues, I haven’t taken time to think about that.”

“I have.”

“What do you think happened?”

“I think you, Parker, and Kelli removed all the equipment from Mitch’s room after making your video. I think you destroyed all the evidence except your video. I think you went through Mitch’s room with a fine-tooth comb last week, and probably caught a break since his and Kelli’s rooms were on the second floor.”

“How does that help?”

“The wiring between the two rooms went through the attic, and was easy to find. Then, sometime after Dillon took pictures of Kelli’s bedroom, and you knew we finally figured out there were cameras, you removed them from Kelli’s room. Then, when Mitch came home, I think Kelli confronted him and told him she watched all the videos, called the police, and they showed up and confiscated everything. I can practically hear her saying, ‘They’re gathering evidence even as we speak. They’re going to see video evidence that you raped me. And by the way, the police have already issued a warrant for your arrest. They’re coming to get you, Mitch!’ I think he was devastated that all this was about to come out. I think Kelli may have talked Mitch into committing suicide. If she didn’t kill him herself.”

She looks around the coffee shop, then gives me a sympathetic smile and says, “Please tell me you’re not wearing a wire, hoping to bait me into confessing something that might give credibility to this outlandish tale.”

“I’m not wearing a wire. We can go in the restroom right now and I’ll prove it, if you’ll tell me how you managed to put all this together.”

She studies the check carefully. Then says, “This is what you thought about all weekend?”

“It is.”

“And when did you come to the crazy conclusion the whole thing was a setup?”

“Last night.”

“And yet you still went to Gavin today and collected the check?”

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m on your side, Riley. I always have been, and probably always will be. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like what you did. But I’m okay with it.”

“Let’s pretend for a minute your accusations are true. How could you possibly be okay with it?”

“I make my living doing decoy work.”

“So?”

“People pay me to test other people’s characters. It’s usually wives or fiancés paying to see if their husbands or future husbands can be trusted. I find the mark, tease him, tantalize him. Make him prove his character. At the point I can prove he’s faithful, or not, I turn the evidence over to the person who hired me.”

“You must have had some close calls.”

“Good point. Which is why I always have an ally close by, someone who can protect me in case things go too far. When I’m on a date with a mark I do my best to keep him from getting drunk, but as you well know, it’s not an exact science. You get a guy all worked up, he might go too far.”

“Interesting.”

“I’m always concerned at the end of the evening when the moment of truth arrives, because it usually involves a hotel room, or a car, or even an elevator. My biggest fear is he’ll pull a knife on me, lock the elevator between two floors, and rape me.”

“And you’re telling me all this because?”

“I’ve had years of experience as a decoy. And even
I
wouldn’t dare be alone in a room with two teenage boys who’d been drinking.”

“You’re asking me if I had an ally.”

“I am.”

“Why is this so important to you?”

“Because I’ve decided to focus on what I do best.”

“Which is?”

“Decoy work.”

“It does sound fascinating.”

“Here’s what I think. You may be young, but you’re the best I’ve ever seen. You’re a natural. Parker and Kelli might prove to be equally good as decoys, though they’re obviously not mastermind material.”

“Are you offering the three of us a job?”

“Yes. I want you to work with me. At least from time to time.”

“Why would we possibly want to do that? I’ve got my charity, the girls have senior year and college coming up.”

“You’d all have to be eighteen, of course. But as for why you might want to? Simple. It’s exhilarating! The three of you put together the most intricate, innovative scam I’ve ever seen. And you’re just getting started. You can’t tell me you didn’t feel an incredible rush, making all this happen. I’ve been there. It’s euphoric. Intoxicating. Addictive. Good as you are? You’re going to want more. Even when money isn’t important to you anymore, you’re going to miss the rush. You’ll crave the excitement.”

“You sound almost jealous not to be included.”

“But I
was
included. I figured it out before getting the check today. I could have brought up all these concerns to Gavin.”

“Could you have proven them?”

“As it turns out, yes.”

Her expression turns serious.

“What are you talking about?”

“Everything I’ve mentioned raised a red flag. The timing, the CDs, the way you tried to get us focused on the photos, your prior knowledge of Ethan’s birth certificate…but you’re right, there was nothing I could prove.”

“And yet?”

“Dumb luck reared its head...”

She waits.

“…In the form of panties.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Riley says. “And that’s the truth.”

“I have a client who thought his wife, Erica, was cheating on him. Saturday, he brought me a pair of Erica’s soiled, stained panties so I could test the semen residue.”

“Dani. About that job offer? It’s a no. A
firm
no.”

“That’s not part of the decoy job, it’s from the business I’m trying to get away from. But hear me out. Yesterday I tracked Erica down and had a talk with her. And learned who she’d been sleeping with.”

“Someone I know?”

“Mitch Underhill.”

“That’s an amazing coincidence. But where are you going with all this?”

“Can you imagine how shocked she must have been to hear he committed suicide only hours after they had sex?”