Heads You Lose - Lisa Lutz [72]
“Okay,” Paul said. “And?”
Brandy took a moment to compose her response.
Then Paul panicked. “Wait a minute, knew him knew him?”
“God, no,” said Brandy. “Actually, it’s not so much about Hart as it is about his dad . . . and my dad.”
“What about them?”
Brandy unconsciously twirled her finger through her hair, lapsing into ditz mode. “They were, like, kind of the same guy,” she said.
Paul swayed for a moment, then found his balance. “Hart was your brother?”
Brandy took a deep breath and snapped back to her normal self. “Half,” she said.
“When were you planning on letting me in on this?”
“I don’t know—as soon as possible? I didn’t want to drop everything on you at once. You were so sweet about the other stuff.”
Paul sat down for the rest of the story.
“After Hart’s dad left the Drexel’s ranch down south, he lived up here for a while. That’s why Hart’s mom moved back up here with Hart—she was still hoping to bring the family back together. Anyway, he met my mom, swept her off her feet, and voilà: Brandy. He didn’t even stick around for my debut. Now he’s a cattle baron in Argentina. I’ve never met him.”
“How’d Hart get in touch with you?”
“His mom found out about me and told him. He was sweet to me, you know? We’d just get together for lunch and stuff like that. He always said his plans were on the brink of paying off, and he loved to talk about putting me through school. Then he started getting weird. He became more and more obsessed with Lacey. The way he talked about her, it was like they were still together.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” said Paul.
“I’m sorry, Paul. But this has been hard on me, too. You know what, Hart really liked you. In fact, that’s how I first learned about you. The way he described you, you sounded like a great guy. When I met you, I felt like I already knew you.”
“Jesus. Is that everything? What else do you know about Hart? Did he ever talk about the Babalatos or . . . Doc Holland or Tate?”
“He kept the specifics to himself. One thing always stuck with me, though.”
“What’s that?” Paul said, bracing himself.
“He always said he wasn’t going down without a fight.”
NOTES:
Lisa,
Okay, I have a confession to make. After spending a little time with Sook, it’s hard not to make him a little bit cute. It just feels like that’s how the character wants to be. Just like Brandy has a heart of gold, no matter what you say about her. After thwarting your latest attempt to sully her name, I’m hoping you’ll finally accept her for who she is.
Overall, I’m feeling good about how things are going. I even put one of those workplace-safety signs up on my bulletin board: ___ DAYS WITHOUT A GRATUITOUS MURDER BY LISA. For the record, we’re now at six days (in Mercer time), and I do appreciate your restraint.
Another note in the spirit of harmony: I’d just like to confirm that, since you wrote the first chapter, I’ll be writing the last one. I’m trusting that you’ll acknowledge the logic and fairness of this.
Dave
Dave,
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I think it would be unwise for you to write the last chapter. It’s one thing to end a TV season with a vague and unsatisfying cliffhanger, but readers generally like some closure with their crime novels. At least if I write last, I’ll have a chance to tie in all the wayward clues. Plus, I have more experience.
Interesting chapter, by the way. I wouldn’t have pegged you as a telenovela fan, but clearly that’s the plotting school you attended.
I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with Harry Lakes.
Lisa
CHAPTER 23
The sharp ringing of the telephone woke Lacey from a restless sleep. She stumbled through the house, searching for the cordless. She yelled at Paul for not putting it back in the cradle until she realized that he wasn’t home. He was with Brandy, of course, which left Lacey with a queasy feeling in her gut.
The phone rang until the answering machine picked up.
Paul’s voice said, “You know what to do.”
Lacey shook her head.