Baby Daddy (25 page)

“
We can stage the boxes, you know, so that the songs are buried on the bottom,” Tulsa said.

“
What if he takes them and we don’t catch him?  Then he’ll have the originals, and we’ll have lost our evidence,” Dallas commented.

I held up t
wo pages, one an original and one a copy.  “So, tell me which one of these is the original,” I challenged.

The guys took the pages and studied them.  They finally were able to pick the right one, but it took
careful scrutiny and holding it up to the light.

“Okay, so we don’t plant the originals,” Dallas agreed.  “It’s unlikely Terry will take the time to examine them that closely, especially if he’s trying to sneak them out.”

“It may not work, but we’ll have one hell of a party.  I’ll get with Pam and we’ll put together a list of who to invite,” Christopher said as he made some notes on his cell phone.

“Reno and I will get all the cameras set up at the house,” Tulsa said.

“Today is the 23
rd
.  I think we should do this as quickly as possible…how about the 28
th
?” I suggested.

“This Saturday?” Dallas asked.  “Can we pull it together that fast?”

“I’ll get Pam to call the caterer.  I’m sure we can find a bartender,” Christopher said, already distracted as he made a mental list.

“If not, I can tend the bar,” Reno offered.

“No, you’re going to be busy setting up the trick,” I told him.

Christopher raked his fingers through his thick hair.  “This is a long shot…but I think it might work.”

My heart ached.  Only I knew that it would also be my going-away party.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

There was a lot
more to putting together a sting disguised as a party than we had imagined.  The last five days had been crazy busy.  Liberty was grounded by her injury, but also by the fact that she had never attended such a formal event, so she volunteered to go through the rest of Roger’s souvenirs and put together the “memory boxes”.  It was important that there be a believable representation of Roger’s tour years.  Equally important was that everything had to either be something we didn’t want to keep or a credible copy of an original.

Tulsa and Reno spent a lot of time at the mansion, setting up the cameras and sound equipment, testing
it and the recording system so we would have every area downstairs covered.

Dallas continued to follow through on our other suspects.  As damning as the evi
dence against Terry was, it wasn’t conclusive that he had been the only person out to destroy Roger…and his heirs.

I lined up the caterer, coordinated getting the bar stocked and the house decorated.  I had photos of Roger and special moments in his
career blown up and mounted on rigid poster board.  And I worked with a local production company to make a sort of music video of his life with a soundtrack of Roger’s songs.  Not the ones stolen by Terry, of course, but the ones Scandals had made famous twenty years ago.  Through all this as I worked closely with Pam, I developed a warm relationship with her.  She was smart, generous and funny, and she had genuine feelings for Roger.  I tried not to think about the fact that she was Christopher’s mother.

Actually, I spent a lot of time during those five days trying really hard not to think about Christopher.  It was easy not to bump into him in the hallways or have awkward moments in the mansion because he had made himself scarce.

On Monday, after his meeting with Harlan and then us, he had gone to the mansion and moved all his things from the Jimmy Buffett room to some unknown location.  If any of my siblings knew, they didn’t mention it…and I didn’t ask.  It was clear he was avoiding me and didn’t want to talk about us, so I was left with no choice but to honor that.

I was sure there was a lot to running a thriving P.I. agency, and he probably had let a lot of things slide last week while he was focusing on our orientation and the search for the truth about Roger’s death.  It was logical that he be out in the field or following up cases or even tracking down
more leads about Terry.  But I suspected his complete absence from the office was simply because he couldn’t stand the sight of me.

Sometimes I couldn’t stand the sight of me either.

I should never have gotten involved with him.  I had a lot of baggage.  I should have been upfront with him and told him about the baby.  I’d had several opportunities when we first met, before our libidos had taken over…and even afterward while we were lying in each other’s arms.  It would have been easy if I wasn’t such a coward.  I was all about grabbing the moment and not facing the truth about the future.

I had no idea what was going through his mind right now.  However, he had made it clear he didn’t want me in his life.  Well, in less than twenty-four hours he would have his wish.  I had secretly loaded most of my things in the Mini Cooper.  I was confident Terry was guilty.  I was equally sure he was stupid enough to fall for our set-up, which meant that by the end of the party tonight, we…or rather my siblings would have all the information they would need to prosecute him and reclassify Roger’s death as a homicide. 
I planned on getting a good night’s sleep in the room I had grown so comfortable in, watched over by John, Paul, George and Ringo, then telling my new family goodbye and leaving immediately before they had a chance to try to talk me into staying.  I knew it was the right thing to do.  In the long run, they would thank me.

And it didn’t mean we couldn’t keep in touch.  I hoped these new brothers and sisters would be in my life forever
.  After my graduation, I might even consider returning to Austin.  It was a nice place, small enough to feel homey but large enough to have a lot going on all the time.  By then, maybe I wouldn’t ache every time I thought of Christopher.  Maybe I would have met someone else that made me feel like he did.  Maybe someday I’d even be able to bump into him at the mall or a restaurant with his wife and kids and not want to scratch her eyes out and then go cry myself to sleep.  Maybe…but not likely.

I made one last walk-
through of the entire first floor of the mansion, making sure everything was in place, the caterer had the hors d’oeuvres ready, the bartender had plenty of booze and mixers and the DVD about Roger was running continuously on all the televisions throughout this level.  I passed Reno and he gave me a thumbs-up, assuring me the beefed-up surveillance system was operating perfectly.

Finally satisfied that everything was ready,
I stepped out on the front porch to get some fresh air and enjoy the shade.  We had scheduled the wake to begin at 8 to avoid the 90 degree plus temperature.  This time of year in central Texas the sun didn’t set until almost 9 p.m.  Since the back of the house was to the west, the pool area offered a great view of sunsets, but it could be uncomfortably hot before it dropped below the hills.  But the front was already cast in deep shade.  A breeze swirled through the portico, and I lifted my hair on top my head for a moment so I could feel the cooler air against my neck.  I heard someone walk out behind me.

“We’re ready,” Tulsa said with satisfaction. “
We so have this guy.”

“You’re
having fun with this, aren’t you?”

She nodded and smiled. 
“The stuff in IT is okay I guess, but working with all this equipment is exciting. I think I’ve found my calling in life, you know.  How about you?  How are you getting along?”

I sighed…no
t the right time to open up.  “I’m okay…it’s been a whirlwind for the last month since Harlan knocked on my door.”

“
I know what you mean.”

“People
should start arriving soon,” I said, trying to keep her from pressing me for my future plans.  “Who’s answering the guard gate calls?”

“
We hired security guards to screen each guest.  They have a list with pictures of every invited guest.  The last thing we need is another nutcase with a bomb.”

“
You’ve got that right,” I agreed.  “Hey, there’s Harlan!”  We waved at Harlan as he pulled into the circular driveway and parked on the other side.  There was a lot of flagstone-covered space in front of the mansion, allowing for plenty of parking.  I was certain this wasn’t the first party this mansion had hosted, and definitely not the last.  With a rock star as its owner, this place had seen more than its share of celebrities and wild behavior.  Not to mention, a lot of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll.  Who knew what would happen tonight.

Harlan walked up the driveway with his usual ga
it…part John Wayne, part Regis Philbin.  “Hey kids…nice evening, isn’t it?  How’re you gals doing?”

I returned his hug when he reached the porch and then he hugged Tulsa.
  The jury was still out on whether or not he was a knowing accomplice, and we had all resolved to be friendly to him until we found out the whole story.  “I still can’t believe that I’m here, hosting the wake of a father I never knew I even had.”

“You regret opening your door to me?”

My smile was bittersweet.  All things considered, I had only one regret, but Harlan didn’t need to hear about my stupidity.  “No, it’s been worth it.”

“Decision time coming soon
,” he reminded us.  “How about you Tulsa?  How’re you doing?”

“
It’s tight,” she told him.

“I thought I’d come a little early and help with the name tags.  I probably
know everyone who’ll be here tonight…although some are from a long time ago, so I hope I recognize them.  Who is the master of ceremonies?”

“
Reno,” I told him.  “He’s comfortable being the center of attention.  And I think he wants to show off some of his magic.”

Three more cars
rolled up the drive and parked next to Harlan’s car.  The occupants got out and greeted one another with handshakes and hugs before they headed to the house.

“Well…route them
through the foyer and I’ll get them branded.”  Harlan waved to them and then went into the house.

“Hey folks,”
I said as I smiled.  “Welcome!”  I looked around and noticed that Tulsa had disappeared.  She definitely didn’t like to be the center of attention.  Someday, I hoped to have the chance to find out what made her so reserved and closed.

By 9:30
, the mansion was filled with laughter and the volume of chatter was amazing. As expected, the crowd had spilled out onto the patio.  I circulated, making sure everyone had plenty to eat and drink.  I’d never been a hostess for a party like this, so I was a little freaked out. Even though everyone seemed to be having a good time, I felt responsible and kept fluttering back and forth between the kitchen, the bar and the guests.

Actually, I was surprised to find that I knew many of the people, including Scandal employees and the people we had met around town. 
I had greeted each guest personally, keeping my fingers crossed that Terry would actually show up.  Pam had sent his invitation through his agent, and even though he had RSVP’d, we were worried he’d change his mind.  When he finally arrived over an hour late, I had breathed a sigh of relief.  Without a mark, there could be no sting.

Like a compass needle drawn to true north, m
y gaze locked on Christopher who stood on the other side of the family room, talking to Sunny and Trey.  They were laughing and joking like old friends…and I was so jealous I could scream.  He was particularly handsome, dressed in black slacks and a blue-and-white striped Oxford shirt.  I
had
to talk to him tonight before I left.  I wanted the air to be clear between us so we both could move on.  I glanced over at Sunny who had her hand on his chest…his hard, tanned chest that I had so recently used as a pillow.  He obviously didn’t need the closure…but I did.

W
ith only a few minutes to go before Reno started the program, I made my way to where Terry was standing with a couple other men by the pool steps.  I thought I’d just wander by and see if I could overhear something interesting.

“…and that’s why that hotel would never let us stay there again…shit
, there wasn’t another bed within an hour of that gin joint and Harlan fucked it up!” Terry’s voice carried clearly.

“
It wasn’t Harlan’s fault…that girl wasn’t underage.  She just looked like it to the manager.”

Hmm…sounded like Terry and Harlan had been friends for a long time.  It didn’t make me feel any more confident that Harlan’s hands were clean.
  I circled back into the house and found Reno, Dallas and Tulsa going through some last minute details.

“Let’s get this over with,
” I whispered.

“Break a leg,”
Dallas said.

“Sell it,” Tulsa added.

“Nail his ass,” Liberty declared, and we all turned to stare at her, shocked at her language.  “Television,” she said as if that explained it, then smiled, shrugged and started to step-hop away on her crutches.

Reno looked the part with black dress pants
and a crisp white tuxedo shirt open at the collar.  It was easy to visualize him in a Vegas magic act.  He adjusted the microphone and verified it was turned on, then tapped it to judge the volume setting.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen…I am Reno
Marks. I’ll be your MC this evening as we remember and honor the man and the memory of Roger Elliot…a friend, a band member and for some of us…the father we never knew we had.  Usually family has the best stories about someone after they’ve passed, but we have no memories of him to share.  However, we are looking forward to hearing your stories about our father…so we can know him better.  But first I wanted to let you know that we’ve found several boxes packed full of everything you can imagine from Roger’s years on the road.  We started to look through them, but most of the things meant nothing to us.  So we’ll have those boxes on the table in the library for you to sort through.  If it brings back memories…good or bad…of your friendship with Roger, then take it.  I’m sure he’d want you to have it.”

“
Here’s a sample.”  Reno reached into one of the boxes and pulled out a colorful matchbook.  He held it up.  “This is from the Cadillac Ranch on Route 66 west of Amarillo.”

The audience applauded, laughed, gestured and nodded.  One lady screamed out, “I want that!”

“Hold on a minute…”  He flipped opened the matchbook.  “There’s a woman’s name inside…can you tell me the name?”

“It
’s Cindy!”  She yelled.  Her energy…and her boobs…were almost too big for her black bedazzled tank top to contain.

“Okay
, that could have been a lucky guess…what’s the phone number?” Reno challenged her as he flashed his usual broad smile.

“What the fuck
?  That was years ago.  I can’t even remember my current number!” she exclaimed.