19. The Truth Narrated by a Liar
19
The Truth Narrated by a Liar
I t was dark outside by the time they arrived back at Spencer’s penthouse. Nessa spent the ride raving about the party, her new friendships, and wishes for her own party. “Can my cake be an ice cream cake? I liked Cindy’s cake, but it was a little dry.”
“An ice cream cake sounds perfect. I’ll make the arrangements for it,” Nicole said, catching Nessa’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
“And we can invite everyone from school?”
“Not everyone, Nessa, but yes, I’ll invite the friends you want,” Spencer conceded.
“Sweet!” She opened her car door and started running toward the doors of the building but made a sharp turn back to the adults as they exited the vehicle. “Ms. Nicole, can you come inside with us? I want to show you something.”
“Um…” she looked at Spencer. He gave her a nod, not wanting to disappoint Nessa after the incredible day she had.
“What do you want to show her?”
“A surprise. It’s a good surprise. I promise.”
Nessa led the way to the penthouse. Inside their place, Nessa grabbed Nicole’s hand and tugged her up to her room. Spencer couldn’t quite fathom the direction today went. From calling Nicole to check in on her to inviting her to a six-year-old’s birthday party, he couldn’t have seen what a great time they would have.
Nessa had an incredible day, and Nicole was a large part of the reason for that. He was grateful to her for that, but reminded himself after every good deed she did today, she was still at her heart a con artist. He had no doubt she was going through the motions of a kind act to earn his trust. A small voice in his head said he didn’t mind if it was all a ruse. He enjoyed their day together as much as Nessa did.
If he knew it was all a part of her act, there wasn’t any way for him to get hurt. Unlike her marks, Spencer knew who the real Nicole was, what she was after. As long as he could differentiate between the real Nicole and the role she was playing, he would be fine.
Nicole came down the stairs with Nessa’s sketchpad in her hands. Her eyes were on the drawings and not where she was going. Her foot caught on the last step, but she didn’t tumble to the floor. Spencer was there in a nanosecond, having seen the spill before it could happen.
He caught her elbow and held her steady against his chest. “Whoa, you okay?”
“I promise I didn’t sneak alcohol into a children’s party. I swear I’m not drunk.”
“So you just like falling when I’m around? Looking for me to carry you again?”
“Not as much as you seemed to be looking forward to carrying me.”
“I was looking to be a gentleman that night.”
She looked up at him, the ceiling light haloing around her eyes. “And now?”
Spencer was too close, so close he could see her breath catching. Smell the coconut oil in her hair, the light strawberry aroma of her perfume. He swallowed thickly. Knowing he should let go of her, but finding himself unable to do it .
“And now what?” he asked.
“Are you going to be a gentleman? Or ask me to repay the favor?”
“I’ll never ask anything of you, Nicole.” His tone was lower than he intended. The way Nicole was looking at him differed from the times she watched him before.
“Really? Cause I don’t mind. Repaying the favor. Can’t have you holding something over me.” She leaned forward, and her hand rested on his chest.
The contact shot through him. Spencer swallowed again, the action difficult. “I’m not the kind of guy who uses a situation to his advantage.”
“You’re better than most men.”
“Or maybe the men you’ve met just suck.”
She chuckled. “Probably a little of both.”
Spencer searched for signs on Nicole’s face for wanting him to pull away. He came up empty. The truth was, he liked having her there, against his chest.
There he could feel her soft breaths against his lips. The rise and fall of her chest as her heart raced. He didn’t want to analyze it, didn’t want to think about the way his own body reacted to her touch. The way he felt more comfortable with her than he had with anyone he held this close to him before.
“Uncle Spence, look what I gave to Ms. Nicole,” Nessa interrupted. Spencer dropped his arms to his side, stepping back from Nicole. Feeling a sudden gratefulness to his niece for her interruption.
“What did you give her?”
“Here.” Nicole held the sketchpad open and showed him. Pages were dedicated to drawings of flowers, beaches, skylines, and more. Nessa kept her sketches closely guarded. She only showed Spencer ones that she deemed perfect. To see her showing Nicole them, imperfections and all, made Spencer realize how much Nessa had come to like and trust her.
“Wow. Nessa, these are amazing!”
“Your uncle is right. You have a talent for this.”
“You’re not just saying that, are you?” Nessa looked at Nicole skeptically.
“I’m not. You’re a natural. Have you ever thought about pursuing this? Taking a drawing class?”
“I don’t want my art judged.”
“That’s not a bad thing. Not all criticism is bad.”
“No, but it feels bad.”
Nicole took a deep breath. “You’re right. Good criticism will help you better your skills. Bad criticism will try to hurt you. Your dad will try to shield it from you as best as he can, but there will be people who try to bring you down. But can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do you love drawing?”
She nodded.
“Do you get enjoyment out of making art?”
“Yeah. I like turning a blank page into something beautiful.”
“Then you should do what brings you joy and forget about the people who try to put you down. Some people will always rain on other people’s parades because they see how happy they are. They’re jealous they don’t have that for themselves. Draw because you love it. It’s a gift people envy you for having. Don’t stop because you’re scared of what those people may say about it. You put your art out there and you’ll be braver than most. And you can be proud of yourself for that.”
Spencer stood silently, letting her words sink in. Her words weren’t a ruse. They were sincere. He could feel Nicole’s passion. Feel she meant what she said. Besides talking about the rain, it was one of the first times she spoke and he knew she wasn’t putting on an act.
“Okay,” Nessa finally said. “I’ll keep drawing. Thanks Ms. Nicole. ”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
“Uncle Spence, can Ms. Nicole stay and read me a bedtime story?”
“Only if you change into your pajamas.”
“Deal!”
When she was up the stairs, he turned to Nicole and said, “You don’t actually have to do that. I’ll tell her you had to go.”
“Actually, I would like to read her one. If that’s okay with you.”
It was more than okay with him, which scared Spencer. “I don’t mind at all.”
* * *
Spencer stood in the doorway of Nessa’s room as she finally gave out and fell asleep without protest. Nicole put the book back on her shelf and slowly inched herself out of the room. Spencer closed the door behind them. “You’re really great with her,” he said when they were downstairs again.
“You sound surprised.”
“I didn’t mean to. I just know—”
“I have a complicated relationship with my daughter so I couldn’t possibly know how to talk to kids? Spencer, I’m aware. I get it. Trust me, I know I’m a shit mom. You don’t have to worry about me filling Nessa’s head with nonsense.”
“Hey.” He touched her elbow, stilling her long enough to look at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“No. I snapped and I shouldn’t have. Today, before you called, was a lot.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She went quiet, then reached into her back pocket and pulled a card out. She handed it to him. Spencer took it, not understanding its significance until he read the words. “Debts eventually demand their due? What is this?”
Nicole sighed, making her way over to the couch. Spencer sat beside her, not wanting her too far away from him. “This note came with flowers to my office today. I’m being threatened by someone I screwed over in the past. This isn’t his first threat, either. My daughter told me he tried to come backstage to one of her theater shows. I’ve been threatened by many men in the past, but this was the first one that actually got to me. I don’t know how I can protect myself or my daughter from him. So I’m feeling more of a failure than usual.”
For the first time since he’d met her, Spencer could hear the fear in Nicole’s voice. Her tough as nails exterior was crumbling right before his eyes. As a con artist, he doubted she ever showed her vulnerable side to anyone for fear they might use it against her. Yet, here she was, showing him her soft underbelly.
Nicole trusted him. She wasn’t scared of him. Knowing that should’ve filled Spencer with relief, but it made him sick. He was the last person she should trust. “Who is this guy?” he brought himself to ask.
“His name is William. William Harrison.”
The pit in Spencer’s stomach grew deeper. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I confronted him about it, and he owed up to following my daughter. To wanting to make our lives a living hell. So far, he’s living up to his promise.”
The William she was describing was not the William he had come to know. It may have only been a few weeks, but the William Spencer knew was the one responsible for the penthouse they were currently sitting in. The suits in his closet were paid for by William. He was paying for the expenses of Nessa’s party.
Sure, he was a flawed man. He made mistakes in his past, but everyone did. His anger directed at Nicole made sense, considering what she took from him. His pursuit of justice against her wasn’t a bad thing unless he was taking things into his own hands.
Spencer was left with a choice in who he should trust. William, his client. Or Nicole, the con woman he was investigating. The answer seemed to be clear. “What did you do to him to warrant him coming after you?”
When Nicole lied, Spencer would know what she was doing. That the pain in her voice was a part of her act. A ploy to make him feel sorry for her. So when she looked him dead in the eyes and said, “I conned him out of thousands.” Spencer couldn’t believe it.
The lies he expected to hear weren’t there. And for the first time since meeting her, Nicole was being 100% honest with him. He didn’t know what to do or how to respond. “What?”
“It’s true. I’m a con artist. Was,” she corrected herself. “I used to run a scam with my daughter. We would pick out a millionaire and I would begin a relationship with him. By the next year, we were married, but I would gradually pull away from him. Sending him into the arms of my daughter. Him cheating broke our prenup, and I got a huge check, then we disappeared.”
Spencer knew all the details. William had told them to him, but hearing it from Nicole in all its raw truth was another thing. “Why are you telling me this? I could turn you in to the police for all you know.”
“You won’t. Who else is going to plan Nessa’s party?” She tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“That’s not funny, Nicole.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I told you, except I know I don’t want to lie to you. Something about you makes me not want to lie. I’ve lied to everyone who has come into my life. I don’t want to do the same to you.”
He scanned her face. Not for signs she was telling the truth or lying, but for the woman who was sitting across from him. She was no longer the Nicole he met in her office weeks ago. This woman was scared.
That’s why he didn’t make a play to turn his phone on and record her confession. It’s what he should have done. It was the evidence he needed to solve this case, but Spencer already crossed one line to try to end this case. He wouldn’t cross another.
“I know what you’re thinking. This is my karma. What I’ve had coming for stealing since I was a teenager. Maybe it is. I just wish he would leave my daughter out of this. It’s my fault she was ever involved. I should have protected her, but I didn’t. And now I can’t protect her from him. If he wants to stalk her, there’s nothing I can do to stop him.”
“You could turn yourself in. Give him what he wants.”
“Yeah. That’s what I thought too, but when I offered, he said he would just keep doing it. He would still go after her even if I went to prison.” A single tear rolled down to her chin. “William’s not after justice. He’s after revenge. He wants me to hurt as much as I hurt him. Going after my daughter,” her voice cracked. “He knows how much she means to me. Going after her is how he gets to me.”
Inexplicably and with little thought, Spencer reached out and wiped the tear off her face. His fingers trailed her cheek, the touch sending shivers down his spine. Nicole’s gaze went up to meet his. Her brown eyes wide as they bore into his. Her bottom lip trembled as they stared at each other.
“Is this how you feel when someone talks about Nessa being taken away from you?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Yes.”
“Then you must hurt all the time. How do you manage it?”
“I’m not sure how,” he whispered, his thumb grazing her jaw. He swallowed hard. “By enjoying the time I do have with her. It’s never promised we’ll have another day. ”
Her eyes went down to his lips and back up. She released a low sigh and leaned back into the couch, further away from him. Her hand rested on top of his on his knee, her touch sending heat up his arm. Spencer left his other hand against her cheek, allowing her to nuzzle into his touch.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Not judging me when you have every right to. For not kicking me out when I admitted I was a thief. And for the last three days, you’ve done more for me than anyone I’ve ever known. You’ve been more generous to me than I deserve.”
“You’ve done the same for me.”
“Have I?”
“You have.” He meant it.
They were silent. Neither knowing what to say next. What do you say to comfort the woman you’re investigating for a client who’s stalking her and her daughter? How could Spencer make the situation better?
He was the first to speak, his voice low. “I wish I could make this better for you. I want you to know, whatever happens, I’ll do what I can to keep you safe. I got you.”
She closed her eyes tight, laying her head against his shoulder. “There’s nothing you or I can do.”
“We’ll see about that. No one is untouchable. Not even William Harrison.”
“I hope not.”
Spencer could sense her unease, her uncertainty, as she melted into him. Her head was against his shoulder as he hooked her legs over his lap. He never cradled another person before. Never interested in the closeness and intimacy of the act.
Holding Nicole, letting her derive what she needed from the act, made him change his mind. Something about the touch felt right. It shouldn’t have. He was supposed to be sending her away to jail, but as she sighed in relief in his chest, Spencer couldn’t imagine sending her anywhere.
As she snuggled further into him, he held her tighter, hoping the gesture would convey that his offer was more than just words. Spencer wouldn’t let Nicole get hurt. Not when he had the means to prevent it.