The Perfect Liar (Last Stand 5)

"I suggest you take his advice in the future," she said as she left.

Chapter 14

How was she going to do this--for the second time?

Ava sat in her car even after she reached her houseboat. She had the windows down to take advantage of the perfect sixty-five-degree weather and was staring out at the moon. She'd expected to see the Myerses and the Greenleys, the two couples who owned the houseboats that so often docked where she did, back from their fishing trip, but her boat remained a solitary hulk upon the water.

"Where are they?" she muttered, but she knew she was only trying to distract herself from what she needed to do. She'd been going back and forth on the Kalyna Harter case the entire ride home. She wanted to be sure she was dropping Kalyna as a client because she thought Kalyna was lying and not because she was attracted to the accused. But she wouldn't have had such a positive reaction to Luke if she truly believed him to be a ra**st. Everything she'd felt when she was with him told her he wasn't. So she had her answer, didn't she?

Bracing herself for Kalyna's disappointment, she finally picked up her cell phone and dialed. Kalyna wasn't Bella; this was different. It had to be different.

"Hello?"

"Kalyna?"

"Yes?"

"It's Ava Bixby." Calling to sever ties...again.

"Oh, hi." She sounded surprised and a little wary. "Is...is something wrong?"

"No, not wrong exactly."

"Then why are you calling?"

Ava's car door creaked as she opened it. She shoved it wider with her foot, but made no move to get out. "I'm afraid I have some news you probably won't want to hear."

There was a brief silence. Then Kalyna said, "What is it?"

"I've decided I can't take your case, after all."

"What? But... why?" she cried. "Just last night you said you would.

You said it wouldn't be easy but you'd be there for me. How can you break your word?"

"It wasn't a promise, Kalyna. I was hesitant even then, and you know it."

"But what changed your mind?" Her tone became accusing. "Did my sister call you back?"

This question made Ava feel even more convinced that she was making the right choice. "No, she didn't. What would she have said if she did?"

Another pause. "Nothing."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"She's afraid she might've gotten Mom in trouble because of what she admitted to you last night and she feels guilty about it. She doesn't want to be drawn into a family feud. She stil lives at home, has to put up with the backlash. And she doesn't like talking about the past to begin with.

Neither of us do."

Except when there was some advantage to doing it, Ava thought.

Then Kalyna seemed plenty ready to talk--in great detail. "Kalyna, I have no doubt you had a difficult childhood. I feel terrible about that. But if you're lying about Luke Trussell, you'd better stop, because you could be prosecuted yourself."

"I'm not lying!" she snapped. "How can you accuse me of that on top of what I've been through? You have no idea what it was like when he attacked me. I thought he'd kil me! I have nightmares about it every night."

Ava couldn't help herself; she had to ask. "You honestly feared for your life, Kalyna?"

"Yes! He was so...angry and violent. And the brutal way he held me down and forced my legs apart..."

Ava squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to think of Luke with Kalyna, was glad she wouldn't have to now that she was taking herself off the case. "You already told me what happened. There's no need to go into it again."

"But you don't believe me!"

Ava wanted to accuse her of lying, to demand the truth, but she knew that would only make this call more difficult. The case would get sorted out without her. "I just don't see how I can be of any value to you."

"What does that mean? You're looking for an excuse-- any excuse--

not to do your job."

"That's not true."

"Then what went wrong? Are you giving up because you don't like me? Is that it? Is it personal?"

"It isn't personal at all, Kalyna." Ava began gathering up her briefcase, purse and the bag of groceries she'd bought on the way home.

"It's a business decision. I have to be careful with the charity's assets."

"I'm not good enough for the charity's assets?" she shouted. "I haven't suffered enough? You're useless, you know that? You couldn't help anyone if you tried!"

Ava was tempted to come right back at her, but if she wasn't going to be involved, what was the point? It was better to avoid an argument. "I'm afraid we take on only a select number of cases, and there isn't sufficient evidence here to determine guilt, that's all." Proud of her restraint and professionalism, she drew a deep breath. She wasn't going to let Kalyna get under her skin.

"You don't know that," Kalyna said. "We were just getting started.

Come on, stick with me!"

"No, definitely not." Ava's arms were too full, so she set the groceries back in the seat. "I've made up my mind, Kalyna. I'm sorry."

"What good is a victims' charity if it won't help when you really need it?"

"We assist those we can."

"So what do you expect me to do?" Her voice rose to a whine. "Let him off?"

"That's not your decision anymore. It's up to the prosecutor. But there isn't enough evidence to convict him, so I'm guessing they'l drop the charges at some point."

"You're wrong! He deserves to be punished. And Major Ogitani will see to it."

Ava considered explaining that unless something else came to light, Major Ogitani wouldn't have a choice. But she bit her tongue. Sooner or later, Kalyna would find out for herself. "Good luck."

"That's it?" Kalyna said. "I come to you, beaten and bruised and crying for help, and you turn me away? What kind of person are you?"

Despite the little voice in her head that warned her to keep her mouth shut, Ava couldn't resist. "What kind of person are you?" she replied.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Did you call Luke Trussell last night, Kalyna? Did you tell him you wanted to feel him inside you?"

"No!"

"What if I told you part of that call was recorded?" She held her breath, wondering if Kalyna would fall for it.

Dead silence suggested Kalyna assumed she'd been caught.

"And how did you really get those injuries?" Ava asked.