Once Upon a Friendship

The older woman shook her head. “I thought he was an accountant. Walter told me he had no family, other than Liam, that he grew up in foster care and has no ties to that part of his life. Why wouldn’t he have told me that he’d known Ray all his life? Who is this guy?”

“He’s a financial broker at Connelly,” Liam said. “He and my father—” he glanced at Tamara “—our father,” he corrected, “grew up together. Ray got into some trouble, did some time in juvenile detention. I’ve wondered if maybe Dad was involved in whatever it was and Ray took the rap for both of them. All I know is that Ray straightened himself out as soon as he got out. Because he’d been a juvenile offender, his record was sealed. He went to college and was working as a bank manager for a major chain when Dad offered him the job at Connelly thirty years ago. Ray was as eager to leave the past behind as my father was. I’ve known him all my life. He’s a good guy.”

“He sent you checks.” Gabrielle jumped in when Liam finished. She was looking at Missy. But didn’t miss the sharp turn of Liam’s head as he aimed his steely gaze at her. “I spent part of yesterday and last night going through files the FBI sent over on the five top-floor executives at Connelly. I noticed that Buckus had made a couple of deposits into your offshore account.”

Missy nodded, looking slightly sick. “When Walter was out of the country. I just thought it was his accountant making the deposits. Walter told me his name because he wanted me to have someone I could call if I ever needed anything and couldn’t get in touch with him.”

“Did you ever call him?” Tamara asked.

“No.”

“But you knew my father was paying you through an offshore account.” Liam’s comment bordered on accusation. Tamara slumped down to the rocking chair next to her mother’s cutting table.

“I did.”

“And you didn’t find that suspicious?” Gabrielle was interested in the answer, as well.

“He told me that because Connelly does global business, some of their accounting is in Switzerland. It had to do with tax breaks.”

Liam’s expression smoothed a bit, which indicated to Gabrielle that Missy’s answer was plausible.

And as a lawyer, she had some questions.

“Did he ask for his stuff back?” She’d been wondering why Walter hadn’t already made arrangements to collect his files and other personal items from his ex-mistress.

“No.”

“And you didn’t find that odd?”

“Truth be known...” Missy was choking back tears.

“Dad broke my mom’s heart,” Tamara said, her tone gaining an edge now. “She’s barely been able to work.”

“What do you do?” Liam asked.

“She’s a registered nurse. She works for a doctor’s office here in town. When Dad called and told her they were through...”

With a hiccup, Missy said, “It’s all right, sweetie. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” She turned to Liam. “I loved your father—blindly, apparently. I was so shocked when he broke things off.”

“You two weren’t having problems?”

“No more than we ever did. It was hard, with him having two lives...”

“Did you ever suggest moving to Denver?” Gabrielle asked.

“Of course.

Walter valued our anonymity as a family too much to give it up. And then there was Liam...” She glanced his way.

“Did he tell you why he kept you hidden from me?” Liam’s chin jutted forward as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“He said you’d never understand...because of your mother. And then, later...we were years deep in our secret. He said that telling you would cause problems that we didn’t need.”

Gabrielle watched the expressions chasing themselves across Liam’s face. He might have made trouble. His father still should have trusted him. And told him even if he didn’t. Liam had had a right to know.

Gabrielle stepped forward around the desk, easing closer to Liam. “So you didn’t wonder why Walter didn’t send for his things?”

“He’s a billionaire. Nothing here he couldn’t replace. He even had copies of his files....” She looked into the box she’d been sorting through. Probably figuring none of the memories meant anything to Walter.