Ties That Bind (6 page)

Reese frowned. “Maybe. Make a note to check if he was her advocate at Longshore.”

“Done.” She pulled out another article. “This one was written after her third indictment. It’s about repeat offenders. I’ll just read it. ‘Anna Simpson Bingham is a debutant gone bad. Her first foray into crime was credit card fraud. As revealed in court testimony, the bogus dot-com company she set up sucked in Net surfers to purchase vitamins online, then sold their credit card numbers; she was caught in 1989. Bingham’s lawyers were unable to keep her from jail. They did, however, play the system.”‘ Kate scowled. “I resent that. We defended her as well as we could.”

“Don’t take it personally. These writers have an ax to grind.”

And just like in the past that they were trying to ignore, Reese centered her. He’d been able to cut through the crap and see what was important. If her concern wasn’t warranted, he convinced her not to worry. If it was, he told her so.

She continued to read. “‘In 1996, Bingham was sent to Danbury Federal Prison Camp, often snidely called Club Fed.’” Kate shook her head. Though there was no Club Fed atmosphere anymore in minimum security prisons, federal prison camps weren’t your traditional prisons, either. Martha Stewart–type offenders got to live in dorm-like housing, and there were no razor-wire fences around. But they had to wear prison clothing, eat terrible food, work at a tedious job and suffer a kind of boredom that can drive you crazy. Being in a prison camp was certainly no vacation.

“Here’s more of her history. ‘While inside, she was disciplined for black-market trafficking and failure to abide by prison rules.’” Kate frowned. “How would they know this?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to get a court order to get her records if it comes down to that. The newspaper couldn’t have subpoenaed them though. Legally the press can’t get those records.”

Kate continued to read. “‘After Bingham’s release to a halfway house, where she spent three months, she returned to the outside world in 2000. From there, she was charged with tax evasion, and sent to low security prison.’”

These institutions had strengthened perimeters, higher guard to inmate ratios and greater internal controls.

“Where’d she go?” Reese asked.

“Tallahassee, Florida.”

“Who was her attorney?”

“Benning and Benning.”

“Okay, keep going.”

“‘Finally, Ms. Bingham violated probation and, given her history and behavior inside, was sentenced to five to ten years.’” Kate lowered the paper. “This was written at the end of 2005 when she went to Longshore.”

Reese shook his head. “She doesn’t sound like a woman who would commit suicide.”

“I know. She seems too self-absorbed.”

He looked thoughtful. “Kate, what are we hoping for here? With the police investigation?”

“That they find out why she lied in her suicide note.”

“Or there’s another possibility we haven’t mentioned yet. Think about it.” They always used to quiz each other like this. Make each other stretch in their thinking.

She stared out the window as the countryside sped by. Absently she noted the just-budding trees and green grass along Interstate 90. “That it wasn’t really suicide. That someone inside killed her and made it look like a suicide.” She shook her head. “Murders happen in prison, though not often in medium security. Are we stretching too much here?”

“Look at the facts in evidence: She died in prison and she lied in her suicide note. Those are the only two things we know for certain. So if someone else killed her, that person lied about us.”

“What could they hope to gain?”

“I don’t know. We’ll find out though. We have to wait for the police report, which should be available by the end of next week. If they rule it a suicide, we investigate further. If they rule a homicide, they’ll want to work with us, since we’re named, to solve the mystery.”

She blew out a heavy breath. “This is a lot to take in.”

He glanced at her. “We’re on top of this, Kate. We’ll figure it out. Especially together. We did it all the time in our practice—got to the real story. We’re good together like that.”

They were. In some ways the thought comforted her. And in some ways it scared her to death because it meant spending even more time with Reese. Which she didn’t want right now. All night she’d tossed and turned because of him. She hadn’t gone to Tyler’s and had instead slept only with the ghosts. What on earth would happen if this investigation went on too long? Could they endure each other indefinitely?

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You moaned.”

“My mind drifted, I guess.”

His green eyes narrowed. “Where?”

“To…Sofie.”

“Want to talk about her?”

“What’s to say? I am anxious to see her, though. It’s been a month.” She sighed. “I can’t believe I haven’t seen my little girl for a month.”

“I used to think that about you. After we divorced.”

“Reese…”

“Shit. I didn’t mean to say that.” He hit his fist on the steering wheel as he made the comment. “Replaying the past doesn’t help. Let’s concentrate on Anna Bingham and Sofie.”

“Fine by me.”

“Look, there’s a breakfast place off the interstate. I’m going to stop. I need some space.”

“Me, too.”

Forcefully Kate squelched all her fears about being with Reese, about doing everyday ordinary things with him like driving in a car and eating together again. It would take their combined intellect, insights and professional competence to ferret out exactly what was going on with Anna Bingham. If they didn’t, they’d have a lot more to worry about than their reactions to each other.

With that sober thought in mind, she turned back to the articles until she could escape from the confines of the car—and Reese—for a while.

o0o

“HEY, THERE’S MY girl.”

Sofie looked up from where she sat on her bed and found her father standing in the doorway. For some reason, the sight of him brought tears to her eyes. She bolted off the bed and flung herself into his arms. “Daddy.” His strong hands gripped her tightly. She headlocked his neck.

“How are you, princess?”

“I’m okay,” she lied, burying her head in his shoulder. He smelled the same—of some nice soap, an aftershave she forgot the name of and just her dad. Drawing away, she said, “I—” then stopped when she saw her mother standing a few feet away. For a minute her heart leaped at the sight of the woman she once thought hung the moon. Then Sofie’s insides went cold. “What’s she doing here?”

The phony smile disappeared off her mother’s face. For a minute, she got a glimpse of the real woman inside of the tough cookie that she meanly dubbed, Judge Judy. But then Kaitlyn Renado threw her head back and stuck out her chin. “I found out your father was coming up and asked if I could tag along. I hope that’s okay.”

Sofie stepped back from her dad. “Whatever. You’ll get to see me run.”

Something they’d shared. Her mom had been a runner, too. Despite her resolve to stay distanced, Sofie remembered things: That’s it baby, jog with Mommy…Okay, little girl, let’s race to the swing set…Come on, Sofie, a teenager should be able to keep up with an old lady like me. If nothing else, her mother had given her the desire and helped her develop the ability to run. In some ways she was like her parents and in others, she was so different. Like, duh, in needing a stable home life!

“I’m anxious to see one of your meets.” Sofie hadn’t invited her up for any of them this year. “But I’m more happy to spend some time with you.”

She nodded to the bathroom. “I gotta get ready.”

“Fine.” Her dad dropped down on her bed. “We’ll wait and walk with you to the field.”

“Take that silly hat off, Daddy. You’ll embarrass me.”

He tugged on the bill of the cap. “No way. It makes me feel like a jock again.”

Her dad had been a star pitcher in college and still played summer ball. Sofie had liked to watch him play. Her mother used to scream like a banshee cheering him on.

Sofie smiled softly at her father, the man who loved her unconditionally. Always had. “Be right back.” She didn’t even glance at her mother.

Inside the john, Sofie sank onto the toilet and buried her face in her hands. She hated seeing her mother. Already, Sofie was looking for some summer program up here so she didn’t have to go home and live with her. Or with her dad and his bimbo. Jesus, wasn’t he too old to be thinking with his dick? She glanced at the sink. Behind its pipes was her stash of uppers. She considered taking one. But she hated to compete when she was on anything. It didn’t seem fair. And she was still hung over from trying some blow with Jax last night. Oh, just wait until her mother got a look at her new boyfriend. Would she freak. As Sofie dressed in her track clothes, she remembered her mother’s advice on guys: Don’t fall for any sweet words, honey. Guys will have them all…First find out what kind of person he is…When the time’s right, you’ll know.

Did you with Daddy? Sofie had asked.

Uh-huh. I knew he was the one for me before we made love.

How’d you know, Mama?

I just did. You will, too. When you meet a wonderful man like your dad.

Ha! Sofie tied the laces of her track shoes. Her mother had been lying through her teeth. Not long after, they had another conversation.

Sofie, your father and I are separating…We have some things we can’t work out…No, it’s nothing we care to discuss with you…People grow apart…they lose the feelings they have for each other…

Sofie had known her mother wasn’t telling the whole story. So she’d gone to her dad…

We can’t live together anymore, princess. We don’t agree on so many things…

Later, when she remembered the fights she wasn’t supposed to hear, she started piecing it together, and realized her dad wanted another kid and her mother didn’t. It was then that the thought took hold, and like the evil monsters from her childhood story books, got their talons in her. If Kaitlyn Renado had really liked being a mother, she would have had another baby. Especially since her dad had wanted one. Ergo, he loved Sofie with his whole heart and her mother didn’t.

That was why Sofie forced herself to start hating her mother. When she got a new boyfriend, and her dad had gotten a girlfriend, Sofie had realized there was no room in either of their lives for her, and insisted on going away to school.

She came out of the bathroom to find them talking softly. “This is new.”

“New?” her mother asked from where she sat at the desk.

“Usually you two are yelling at each other when you’re within fifty feet.”

“We’re trying to do better with that, honey,” her mother said.

“Yeah, sure.”

“We are, baby.” Her dad stood. “We’ll show you today. We’re all going out after the meet.”

“Terrific.” Sofie crossed to the mirror and pinned up her straw-colored hair. Now that had gotten a reaction out of both of them when they first saw it at Christmas…Oh, Sofie, what did you do to your pretty dark hair? Her mother had unconsciously touched her own. Why wouldn’t she? Sofie’s had been the exact texture and color of hers. Even her dad had commented…Oh, baby, it just doesn’t look like you.

They made small talk on the trek to the fields. Sofie asked about Emily and the boys, whom she loved like brothers. At least she still got to see them. Her parents made up questions to keep the conversation going, and Sofie was glad when they reached the track so she could get away from them. She bounded toward the teammates without a word. She heard her father call good luck after her, but didn’t turn around. She kept on running, like she had since they got their divorce. Too bad she couldn’t cut them out of her life like they cut out each other.

o0o

“I SHOULDN’T HAVE come,” Kate said as she walked toward the stands with Reese. Her hands were shaking and she felt ill. How could this have happened to her life?

Reese stopped, forcing Kate to halt, too. “Of course you should have. Sofie needs to come face-to-face with her problems with us.”

“With me.

“No, Kate. You don’t see it, but she’s mad at me, too.”

“She hugged you and wouldn’t come near me.”

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”

His kindness brought tears to her eyes. She’d forgotten how they’d always tapped into each other’s softer side. Since they’d split, she’d squelched that part of herself and wondered if he had, too.

A tear trickled down her cheek. Disgusted, she swiped it away.

He said, “Don’t cry.”

“I…” She sniffed. “I just can’t believe that’s my little girl. Scrawny as hell. Hair out of a fright flick. And an attitude that’s impossible.” When Reese didn’t respond, his face a mask of pain, she asked, “How did this happen to our baby?”

His hands fisted at his sides. “When your world caves in, and you hurt so much, you strike out at the nearest target. Or the people who caused it.”

Kate watched him stare out at the field.

“I did. When we divorced.” His voice was gritty with the admission.

“You did?”

His piercing green gaze locked on her. “Yeah, didn’t you?” His tone was accusatory.

“Yes, I just didn’t know you did.”

“You were my world, Kate.”

Because she was hurting, and because being with him made her confront what she’d lost, she conjured facts that made the spilt happen in the first place. “Not quite. What we had wasn’t enough. You wanted more.”

“I wanted another child.” His words were curt, and the snap of them made her think he was coming from the same place as she.

“Things went bad before you started singing that tune.”

He sighed. “Sometimes, you know, I can’t figure out how.”

“The competition started wearing on us.”

“We thrived on that competition from day one.”

“No, it got to be too much. We couldn’t deal with it any longer.”

“I—”

Just then the whistle blew for the start of the match. She straightened. “Let’s go sit. I hate rehashing this.”

“Good idea.” He strode ahead of her, and they found a place on the bleachers.

Kate watched her little girl warm up. She watched her take her position on the field. She watched her gear up for the hundred meter dash. And she watched her come in seventh.