Chapter 3
Chapter Three
"You really saw Liam from high school today?" Blair's hazel eyes widen with amazement. "After all these years?"
"He stayed the whole time the police were there," Tori says. "I don't know why he bothered. Just butting in where he wasn't wanted." Though if she's honest, she was sort of glad he stayed. It was nerve-racking talking to those cops. At least he knew all the right questions to ask and things to say.
"Remind me. Who is Liam again?" Road pops a tortilla chip in his mouth.
They're eating dinner at a Mexican restaurant. She called Blair from work and explained the situation, and they immediately came and picked her up.
Blair turns to him. "Don't you remember? He asked Tori if she’d go with him to homecoming. She said no, and then at the dance, he poured a milkshake over her head."
" That guy?" He nods, chewing slowly. "I do remember him."
Tori remembers him too—especially that night. It was her first high school dance, and she was so excited. She wore a gauzy rainbow-colored skirt and this silky pink blouse, with her hair all fluffy and pulled up in front with butterfly clips. She was only fifteen and wanted to have fun with her friends.
The dance had just started when Liam and his obnoxious jock buddies showed up. They came over to her, and out of the blue, she was covered in an icy liquid. She screamed. It was freezing cold, and at first, she had no idea what it was. As it melted, it was in her hair and on her clothes, ruining her blouse and skirt. She can still taste the chocolate running down her face.
People were laughing, especially the jocks Liam hung out with. She'll never forget how callous they were, cackling and pointing at her like it was the funniest thing in the world. Liam was standing right behind her, and there was no mistaking it.
She heard his laughter right along with the rest of them.
Blair was the one who helped her to the bathroom. Tears mingled with chocolate as they tried to clean up the sticky mess, but it was hopeless. She didn’t understand how anyone could be so mean. Tori had to go home and miss the rest of the dance. It was awful.
The chaperones and teachers who were there reported it to the principal. By next week, the whole school was talking about how Liam had poured a milkshake over her head.
"He still claims he didn't do it. That it was an accident," Tori says, fiddling with her glass. "After all this time, he has the nerve to tell me he's innocent. "
"Everyone saw him do it." Blair shakes her head in disgust. "Even I saw him standing right behind you with that cup. What an asshole."
"I know."
"And all because you didn't want to go to homecoming with him."
Tori picks up her iced water. To think she thought he was cute before that whole thing happened. Hard to believe. "We're both adults now. Why couldn't he tell the truth? Just admit he made a mistake and apologize?"
"It sounds like he hasn't changed at all." Blair takes a bite of her food. "Unbelievable."
"He told me he's a federal agent," Tori says. "Does that mean he's with the FBI?"
Her brother glances up from his plate. "Yeah, it does. His father was one too."
Blair looks at Road. "How do you know that?"
"Because I hassled him after what he did to Tori. Let's just say it came up in conversation."
Tori's eyes widen. "I never knew that. You didn't hurt him, did you?"
"No, though I wanted to. I made it clear he better stay away from you."
She wasn't happy hearing this. She didn’t condone violence.
"That's when he told me his father was an FBI agent. I thought it was bullshit at first, but turned out to be true." Road shrugs and takes a swig from his beer.
"Well, hopefully I'll never see him again."
"Hopefully not," Blair agrees.
Their conversation goes back to the business of Mable being stolen, and Tori worries how she'll get around without a car. "What am I going to do? I can't exactly take the bus or an Uber with the animals I pet sit."
"Brody might have something you can borrow at the shop," Road tells her. "Give him a call tomorrow. "
"In the meantime, you can borrow my Honda," Blair says. "In fact, you can pick it up tonight."
Road shakes his head. "Who the hell would steal that old Caravan? It makes no sense."
"She's not in bad shape," Tori says defensively. "Mable's got character."
"Yeah, lots of character." He chuckles. "Lots of dog hair too."
Tori sighs and reaches for a corn chip. She's not really hungry and has barely touched her food. She hopes they find her minivan soon, as she needs Mable for her Happy Pet Nanny business. "So what is it you guys wanted to tell me tonight?" She leans forward. "Will there be a new family member soon?"
Blair laughs. "No, it's not that. We're thinking about selling my condo."
Tori’s disappointed. "You're moving? That's all? I thought you were going to tell me you're pregnant."
Blair glances at Road, and a look passes between the two of them.
Her hopes shoot up. "I saw that. Are you guys pregnant?"
"No." Blair grins. "But we've decided to let nature take its course."
"Really?" She rubs her hands together with glee. "That's great. I can't wait to be an auntie."
Blair and her brother are still smiling at each other when Road leans over and kisses his wife on the lips. "Babe," he whispers, then kisses her again.
Tori rolls her eyes. "Geez, get a room already." She reaches for another chip and dips it in salsa. "In fact, get a room and get busy, because I want a little niece or nephew."
Blair smiles at her from across the table, the happiness there clear and bright. They've known each other for a long time and were like sisters even before she married Road.
"So is that why you've decided to move?" Tori asks. "In case nature takes its course?"
"We need a place that's both of ours." Road leans back in his seat.
"Plus, it's too small," Blair adds .
They talk about the kind of house they’re looking for and which areas in Seattle they plan to check out.
As Tori watches them discuss the merits of different neighborhoods, her thoughts drift back to earlier, back to seeing Liam after all this time. She pictures Rachel, Miss Fancy Pants’s owner. A long haired brunette with big brown eyes.
Little did she know Rachel was in a relationship with Liam of all people. Were they dating? Did they live together? She wonders what happened to her and why she's not in the picture anymore, though it’s not that hard to figure out.
She probably dumped him because he’s an awful person.
It's Saturday afternoon. Liam’s sitting on the couch in his house going over one of his active cases, a guy named Walter Yates who's running a Ponzi scheme while claiming to manage a hedge fund.
From what Liam can tell, Walter pays high dividends, but nothing so impressive as to draw attention. The investors are told up front that they're only allowed to withdraw a small percentage of their money or they'll be charged a hefty administrative fee, which discourages redemptions.
Smart. The whole setup is smart. And from what he can tell, Walter's been running it for at least five years.
In fact, if he hadn't gotten greedy and tried to bring in a wealthy Bolivian investor, the FBI might have never been tipped off. Unfortunately for Walter, the Bolivian got suspicious when it took two months to pull his money out. That's when he contacted the feds.
Liam is running point on this one, and so far things are on track. He contacted Walter recently, claiming to be a relative of one of his current investors. They set up a meeting for next week.
"Knock, knock," his older sister, Elena, calls out as she opens the door in front. "Can we come in?"
"Sure." He closes his laptop and puts it on the coffee table. Good thing too, because a moment later his two nephews—seven-year-old Marcus and five-year-old Sam—run inside and pile on top of him.
"Can we play baseball in the backyard like last time, Uncle Liam?"
"Do you have any pop?"
"I want ice cream for dinner! No, wait, McDonald’s!"
Liam laughs, pretending to fight them off. "You two monkeys have overpowered me. If you want ice cream, go get it from the freezer."
"Boys, get off your uncle. And you don't get ice cream until after dinner." His sister's tone leaves no room for argument. "If you're hungry, I'll make you a sandwich."
"A sandwich?" Sam laments. "But Uncle Liam lets us have dessert first ."
"You weren't supposed to tell her that!" Marcus turns to his brother in exasperation.
Elena gives Liam a look. "Do you really let them eat dessert first?"
"Of course not," he says, using his best poker face. He glances at his nephews, who are giggling like a couple of imps.
She rolls her eyes. "It's probably best if I don't know the truth."
"Probably. Hey, I bought some new water blasters recently," he tells them. "Why don't you guys go in the backyard and check them out."
"Cool!"
Both boys dash over to the sliding glass door and run outside.
Elena plops herself on the couch. "Those two have more energy than the sun."
He chuckles. "You're right about that." He looks over at his sister. She was widowed three years ago, and he knows it’s been tough on her. He tries to help with his nephews as often as he can.
"You're so good with them. Amazing, really."
He shrugs. "They're great kids."
She goes quiet, considering him.
"Do you want anything to drink?" He gathers the paperwork on his coffee table together. He's been working a lot of extra hours lately and is glad Elena stopped by with his nephews. He could use a break. "I made a fresh pitcher of iced tea this morning."
"You know, I blame myself for Rachel leaving you."
He stops and glances over at her. "She ran off to Argentina with her podiatrist. How are you to blame?"
"Because I'm the one who introduced them in the first place. I never should have recommended him. He has too much sex appeal."
"Forget it." He snorts and goes back to what he was doing. "Rachel was always impulsive. If it wasn't him, it would have been someone else."
"No, you're not a woman. Dr. Schoen is like a Nordic god. Tall and blond, and you should have seen his ass." She shakes her head. "It’s like it was carved from marble."
"Do I really need to hear this?"
"I'm just giving you the facts."
"I don't want the facts," he mutters. "Besides, I met the marble-assed god and wasn’t impressed." He tucks his laptop and papers back into his computer case.
"You did?" Her eyes widen. "When did you meet him?"
"I took Rachel in for an appointment when her Jetta was in the shop." He remembers how the doctor's waiting room was covered with pictures of him skydiving, zip-lining, and driving race cars. Obviously an adrenaline junkie. Probably a narcissist too.
Rachel used to tell Liam he was boring, but she loved him anyway. She always said it like a joke, but he could tell part of her meant it. "It's lucky you're so handsome," she used to say, teasing him. "At least that will never bore me."
It turns out it did.
"I want more," she told him the day she left. "I'm sorry, Liam, but this isn't enough for me, and it never will be."
All that skydiving and race car driving is what must have made Dr. Adrenaline Junkie so appealing. Apparently living with an FBI agent wasn't as exciting as Rachel imagined it would be.
As he's thinking about all this, Miss Fancy Pants comes limping into the living room, headed straight for his sister. The dog only gives him a dismissive glance.
"What happened to her?" Elena asks with concern. "Why is she limping?"
He tells her about the sprained leg. "I'm not really equipped to deal with this. I mean, what do I know about dogs?"
The furball manages to jump onto the couch, sitting next to his sister. "I don't think she should be jumping like that. Not with an injured leg."
Liam shakes his head. "I don't know how to stop her. The damn thing is a daredevil."
"Poor little daredevil." Elena scratches Miss Fancy Pants behind the ears. "She probably misses Rachel. I can't believe the way she abandoned her."
The dog lets out a huff of pleasure as Liam’s sister continues to scratch gently.
"She told me she plans to send for her once she's settled in Buenos Aires."
Elena rolls her eyes. "Give me a break. I mean, who drops everything and runs off to South America like that?"
It was hard to believe it, but when they first met, he thought Rachel's impulsiveness was a good thing. He knew he could be stodgy at times, too old-fashioned. He thought she might balance him out. The yin to his yang. Instead, they clashed constantly. If he was honest, he'd grown tired of her constant need for attention. Her impulsive ways seemed more like selfishness than anything else.
"Maybe I should take Miss Fancy Pants home with me," Elena says as the dog rubs her head against her leg. "At least until Rachel sends for her, if she ever does."
Liam's tempted by the offer. It would be a relief to get rid of this dog. But then his gaze goes to the backyard, to where the kids are running around yelling and squirting each other with blasters. Miss Fancy Pants avoided his rambunctious nephews whenever they stayed here, and he suspects it's because they made her nervous .
"Let me think about it," he says, not entirely willing to close that door.
"You need to get her groomed too. Her coat is getting really tangled." Elena picks through the mass of long hair. "Do you have a brush? I could try combing some of these knots out."
He gets up and goes into the laundry room where Rachel kept all the dog’s supplies. There was a small changing table in the corner with grooming items on it. She used to brush the dog’s long coat every night. He grabs a hairbrush.
Miss Fancy Pants had been one of Rachel's many impulses. He came home from work about six months ago, and there was this prissy dog sitting on the couch. No prior discussion about it. No asking if he even wanted a dog.
After handing his sister the hairbrush, he picks up his empty glass from the table. "You sure you don't want any iced tea?"
"Okay, I'll take a glass." Miss Fancy Pants lies on her side and seems content as Elena brushes through her coat.
He reflects back to the vet visit as he heads into the kitchen. He's been thinking about it a lot. "You'll never believe who I saw at the animal hospital."
"Someone we know?" Elena's head is bent down as she keeps brushing.
"Yeah, from high school. Tori Church."
"You're kidding?" His sister makes a face and glances over at him. "The one who accused you of dumping a milkshake on her?"
He adds some lemon to each glass of ice before pouring in the tea. "That's the one." His sister, who was a senior at the time, was one of the few people besides his parents who believed him when he said it was an accident. They knew him better than that. Even his friends seemed to think he did it on purpose. Everybody treated him like he was an asshole the rest of the school year. "She's still holding a grudge too."
Elena shakes her head. "It figures. That whole Church family was nothing but a bunch of hoodlums."
He brings both glasses of tea out to the living room, setting his sister's on the coffee table before wandering over to the back door to check on his nephews.
"I remember her brother was one of the star football players," Elena says, gently brushing around the dog's face. Miss Fancy Pants closes her eyes and seems content. "His whole family would be at the games drunk and loud. People could barely hear us doing our cheers over the racket they made."
He takes a sip from his iced tea, still watching the boys out back. "Her brother threatened to kick my ass."
His sister glances over to him. "He did? You never told me that. What happened?"
He shrugs. "Nothing much. He shoved me around. Made a lot of threats and told me to stay away from Tori."
"You should have reported him to the principal. It was bad enough you were in trouble for something you didn't do." Elena goes back to brushing the dog. "Should’ve gotten that jerk thrown out of school."
Reflecting back on it, it never occurred to him to report Road. Part of it was he felt bad about what happened with Tori, and the other part was he doubted it would make any difference.
He'd been intimidated by Road. Even though he'd played baseball, he was only a skinny kid back then. Road was bigger and more seasoned. Worried he’d get his ass kicked, Liam warned him who his father was. That made him back down, though he glared at Liam with menace the rest of the school year.
It had been a relief when Liam’s family moved to Portland the following summer. The bureau promoted his father to ASAC—Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Portland office. It turned out, Liam’s new high school had a great baseball team that needed a catcher.
He tried to forget about the whole incident.
Liam watches his nephews go over to refill their blasters at the faucet outside. Both boys are soaking wet. He has a flash of how Tori looked when that milkshake flew out of his hand and drenched her.
After moving to Portland, he tried to forget all about what happened.
He tried to forget all about her too.
But he never did.