Yeah, sure. Right. “Mother said that Darcy works for you. You’re all on the same damn team.”
“That’s what she wants you to think. Truth is, I fired Darcy six weeks ago. I had no idea he’d decided to keep looking for the money until you mentioned his name. I’m sorry, Casey.”
Should she believe him? God knows Mother was more than capable of lying to pursue her own agenda. And Theo had seemed genuinely concerned when he learned about Darcy. Wesley slowed for the Cambie and Broadway stop.
“Why did you fire him?”
“He was becoming too aggressive.”
“And violent?”
“Yes.” Theo stared at her. “Darcy won’t stop the carnage until he gets the money. If you don’t find it he’ll go after Rhonda and her daughter, too.”
“My purse!” a woman behind Casey yelled. “He took my purse!”
A moment later, the kid with the black and yellow backpack was out the door and running.
Casey bolted after him. “Stop! MPT security!”
The file notes had said the suspect was fast. Big understatement. The kid didn’t look back. Theo charged past her and went after him. Dodging pedestrians, Casey followed the pair west on Broadway. Both turned a corner. By the time she reached the corner, they’d vanished.
Hands on hips, Casey tilted her head back and took deep breaths. Stan wouldn’t be happy. Damn it, she shouldn’t have let Theo distract her. Fatigue had weakened her physically and mentally. She re-entered the bus on rubbery legs. Wesley, who wasn’t known for his compassion, was looking at the distraught victim and the woman she sat beside. Casey felt a swoosh of heat on her from embarrassment, and knew her cheeks were probably turning a gaudy shade of red.
“Sorry,” she said to Wesley and the victim. “I couldn’t catch him.”
“Yeah, well, the kid’s a regular track star. Cops are on their way and I’m behind schedule, so stay with the lady, all right? She and her friend,” he nodded to the woman she sat beside, “want to get off.”
“I need to call my son,” the victim said, dabbing her eyes.
“Would you like my cell phone?” Casey asked.
“You can use mine, Aggie,” her friend said.
“Thank you.”
Casey escorted the ladies off the bus and to a nearby bench. Holding Aggie’s hand, she apologized for what had happened.
“It’s all right, dear,” Aggie replied. “It was all so fast. What could you have done?”
Her embarrassment deepened. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you.”
“Are you with transit security?” her friend asked Casey.
“Yes.”
“Well then, you should have caught that delinquent.”
“I tried, ma’am. I’m sorry.” She removed a notepad and pen from her pocket. “Could you each tell me what you saw? It would also be helpful to know what valuables were in the purse.”
The ladies’ statements were brief and muddled. After Casey took their names and phone numbers, she handed each lady her business card should they need to contact MPT.
“The police will create a file,” Casey said, “and will be your primary source of information. We’ll get the officer’s name when he or she arrives.”
“I should call my son now,” Aggie said.
Her friend handed her a cell phone. While the passenger made her call, Casey spotted Theo carrying a straw handbag and hurried up to him.
“Impressive,” she said. “So, where’s the guy?”
“He got away. Jerk saw me coming and dropped the bag.” He handed it to Aggie who disconnected her call and squealed with joy.
“Thank you so much,” she said.
“You’re welcome.” Theo stepped closer to Casey. “Do you have a few moments now?”
“Thanks for doing that, and sure, we can talk.” If she kept him here until the police showed up, they could question him about Simone.
“My wallet’s gone.” Aggie looked at Casey and Theo as if expecting them to produce it.
“Okay, the police will be here any moment.” She and Theo stepped away from the women.
“Are Rhonda and her daughter okay?” Theo asked. “Seeing Simone like that . . .”
“Summer’s out of town and Rhonda’s surviving, secrets and all.”
“Secrets?”
“It seems my memories of growing up don’t have much to do with reality. The adults in my life, including Rhonda, kept a lot of important things from me, which is rather insulting, to put it mildly.”
“What did Rhonda keep from you?”
“That she and Mother have maintained something of a relationship all these years.” Casey glanced up and down Broadway. No sign of the police yet. “Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised; Rhonda was her childhood friend, after all. She saw Mother as strong, charismatic, and fearless—everything Rhonda wanted to be. She really tried to emulate Mother. Even dressed like her; wouldn’t leave the house without makeup and a pair of earrings.”
“Lillian’s still strong and charismatic,” Theo remarked.
Casey nodded. “Just after my parents were married, Rhonda got engaged and then pregnant right after Mother did. She bought a house two doors down from ours.”
“Sounds cozy.”
“Rhonda once told me that it was fun at first, until she kept having miscarriages and Mother started having affairs. Rhonda babysat me, and I know she provided alibis for some of Mother’s trysts.”
“Why?”
Casey glanced at the victim who was now on the phone. “I asked her that once. She’d said Mother had such a powerful hold on her there’d been no choice.”
Somehow, this explanation didn’t quite fit anymore. Secrets seemed as prevalent with Rhonda as they were with Mother. The circumstances surrounding Summer’s birth had been hushed up. And she knew Rhonda had eavesdropped on tenants before. Secrets had helped Rhonda stay in control, just like Mother.
“Their friendship ended when Mother slept with Rhonda’s husband,” Casey said. “After that, Rhonda focused more on me and Dad, and then Summer. Anyway, I just found out that Rhonda and Mother can’t seem to leave each other alone.”
Casey told him about the letters and Mother’s desire to renew their friendship.
“Sounds like they’re competing,” Theo said. “Lillian thrives on competition.”
“Mother thrives on sex, power, and ambition. Rhonda just wants to be needed and loved.” She watched Theo survey the intersection. Better keep the man talking before he took off. “Think Darcy killed Gustaf too?”
“I don’t know, but Lillian might.”
“Why?”
Theo studied pedestrians. “I told you she had someone new in her life. Unfortunately, it’s Darcy.”
“Oh, just great.” Unless Theo was lying. Maybe Darcy was still on the payroll and simply taking orders. “Did he kill Simone for the money?”
“Probably.”
“So tell me, are these Mexican clients real or not?”
When Theo didn’t respond, Casey pinched the skin on his wrist until he shook her off.
“Have you been eating chocolate?” He rubbed his wrist.
“Answer me.”
“They’re real, but not dangerous, and there was no money owed to them.”
“So, Dad kept the money from you, and when he died you had Gustaf Osterman take his place to find the cash and clients.”
Theo’s long dark eyes examined her. “That must have been some talk with your mother.”
“It was. Tough to figure out whose side she’s on.”
“Lillian’s been trapped in the middle a long time, and believe me, she’s feeling it.”
“She made her choices.”
“As did Marcus.” Theo looked around and kept his voice low. “He’d been stealing clients and moonlighting months before I found out. Before we could settle things, Marcus got sick.”