Duplicity - A True Story of Crime and Deceit by Paul Goldman (surface ebook reader txt) 📗

ocean, trying to consider ananswer, but Mr. Allen really wasn’t looking for one. “It’s becausewater transmits green light better than red, and blue light betterthan green. Shallow water transmits some green light but more bluelight, and deep water only transmits blue light, so it appearsblue.”

“That's very interesting,isn’t it Johnny?” I remarked flatly, still gripping the hand of myfour year old son.

“Johnny, do you know howthe ocean waves are made? A wave is made by the wind tides and theEarth’s rotational movement,” Mr. Allen continued, unconcerned ifanyone was actually listening. Physics for a four year old, yes,that was appropriate, I thought to myself. If Mr. Allen hadactually been interested in sharing something with me or my son, Iwould have indulged his scientific interests. But he was not, andso I did not.

It was becoming clear to me why Mr. Allendidn't become an executive in his father's company. He didn'tinherit the charisma, or any other characteristic of a successfulexecutive. This was a man who had an entirely different story, butfor the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what it was. And I didn’treally care. This was all about Audrey and getting through the day.Speaking of Audrey, she and her mother were far ahead, leaving onlythe faint sound of Spanish, her mother’s native tongue, to find usin the breeze. Their barely perceptible chatter was quicklyoverpowered when Mr. Allen began his third science lesson, which Ituned out.

“I really had a lovelyafternoon, and it was so nice to meet you both,” I said, only halfmeaning it when we arrived back at my car. I turned to Johnny withmy eyebrows raised, nudging him ever so slightly, knowing he’d takethe cue. “Didn’t we have fun today, Johnny?”

“Yes, Daddy,” he replied.That’s my smart boy.

The drive back home was quiet. Everyoneseemed lost in their own thoughts and my own were consumed with thepeculiarity of it all. Audrey and her father clearly had no strongrelationship and, from what I could tell, her parents didn’t seemto have one either. Regardless of the forty-five years they shared,I don’t think they exchanged ten words with each other the entireday. What’s more, despite spending four hours together, they knewabsolutely nothing of me, excepting the fact that I had a son. Whatwas the point? Did Audrey have something to prove? Our trip wasreally a road to nowhere, and now I was happy that road was leadingus home, a home I hoped would soon include Audrey.

CHAPTER SIX

The Engagement

January 2007

Happiness is a home filled with children,laughter, and the aroma of freshly baked anything. Though I hadbeen spending the last hour in my office trying to finish someinvoices for clients, the trickles of laughter coming from thekitchen where Audrey was making cookies with Johnny was a welcomedistraction. I listened as she encouraged him to stir the batterand I chuckled when I heard them both giggle after she caught himstealing a fingertip of dough. Before I knew it, the smell ofchocolate chip cookies had wafted up the stairs, pushing allthoughts of work out of my head, and beckoning me downstairs.

This was only Audrey's second time in myhouse, since all our dates had always been out. Today, she hadstopped by to sign some of the forms for our wedding license andoffered to watch Johnny while I got some much needed work done.This was also the first time she offered to do anything for me. Iwas thrilled that she had taken an interest in something other thanherself, and it made me feel that we were heading in the rightdirection.

I turned off my computer, shuffled mypaperwork into a pile, and checked to make sure I had set aside thenew contracts. When I rose from my seat, I caught a dark glimpse ofmyself in the reflection of my monitor. Without even realizing it,I caught myself smiling.

Hoping to watch their fununnoticed, I surreptitiously sneaked down the stairs. The kitchenwas now quiet with the exception of Audrey’s faint murmur. With mycuriosity peeked, I peered from around the corner and caught sightof Johnny staring through the oven door, eyes wide andmouth-watering. I was still smiling. I looked over at Audrey, whowas standing with her back to me, hunched over the kitchen sink,washing the dishes while quietly talking on the phone. The sweetsmell of the cookies became overpowering. My stomachgrowled.

Johnny glanced in the direction of the sound,and I put my finger to my lips to signal my stealthy motives. Hesmiled and nodded, happy to be in on the secret plan. Without asound, I slipped into the kitchen with the intent of surprisingAudrey from behind. Johnny stole up next to me, cupping his mouthto keep from giggling and alerting Audrey to my presence. I held upmy finger to count, 1, 2….

“I told you I’ll be there,okay? Quit riding me about it,” Audrey whispered into thephone.

My fingers signaled the number three and weboth jumped up with a “Ha!”

Audrey shrieked, dropped the phone onto thefloor, and turned in horror as I realized our sneak attack had beenentirely too successful. “What the?” she panted, clearly alarmedand confused.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’tmean to really scare you! Sorry.”

“God, well you did,” shereplied, clearly annoyed. She crouched down to the floor, retrievedher phone, and whispered into the mouthpiece, “I’ll have to callyou later. Right. Gotta go.” I moved over to her and enveloped herin my arms.

“Really, I’m sorry. Wewere just trying to have a little fun,” I explained as I buried mynose in her neck, taking the opportunity to breathe her in. Shesmelled like cookies and lavender. “Who were you talking to?” Iasked.

“Oh, just my aunt,” shesaid, and gently spun out of my embrace and returned to the dishes.“We can't seem to coordinate our schedules for my grandmother. I’mtrying to convince her to set up a schedule with me so I can counton regular, weekly visits to better coordinate with Joe, my firsthusband.” Audrey’s grandmother was ninety-two years old andstricken with Alzheimer’s. Unable to care for herself, she dependedon Audrey and her aunt to look after her on a nearly constantbasis. Since putting her in a nursing home was out of the question,Audrey made the