Liza let her surprise show. “You don’t think Puck is Mr. Right?”
“Could be,”
Marion
said. “But he’s going to have to get his act together first. I don’t want to have to tell our kid that he and Daddy each need a lunchbox for school.”
Liza stayed for a while longer while they discussed anything and everything trivial, and then she went home. She felt better after talking to
Marion
. Not only because
Marion
was always a sympathetic sounding board, but also because Liza now had a plan. She was going to get to the bottom of things with Mrs. Jenkins. Maybe the old woman would be able to clear Dirk’s name, once and for all.
Chapter 12
Dirk’s car was in Liza’s driveway when she arrived home. Occasionally he stopped by for lunch when he could get away. She was always glad to see him, but she hated to have her plans thwarted. Talking to Mrs. Jenkins would have to wait. She gave a longing look toward her neighbor’s house and frowned when she noticed the door standing open.
Mrs. Jenkins was a homebody. Liza had never seen her leave her house. She even had her groceries delivered. Never in the three years Liza had lived beside her had she seen the door gaping as it was now. Worry overcame shyness and caused her to walk the short distance to the other woman’s house.
“Mrs. Jenkins,” she called as she ascended the porch. “It’s your neighbor, Liza Benson.” She peeked around the open door and stopped short as she tried to assimilate the sight in front of her.
Mrs. Jenkins lay sprawled on the floor with her cats prowling and mewing around her. But what alarmed Liza most was the person bent over her.
“Dirk,” she exclaimed. “What are you doing? What happened?”
He whirled to look at her. “I saw her door standing open and came to check on her. I think she’s had a heart attack.”
“Did you call an ambulance?” Liza asked.
“No. I just got here.” He pulled out his phone and handed it to Liza. She called the ambulance and checked Mrs. Jenkins’ vital signs. She was breathing, but barely. They waited in silence until the ambulance arrived and then remained in her house after everyone else left.
“Is she going to die?” Liza asked.
“It didn’t look good,” Dirk said. He stepped forward and put his arm around Liza’s waist. She buried her face in his chest.
“I’ve never seen anyone like that before, so sick and unconscious.”
“I know, Babe,” he said soothingly. He wrapped both arms around her and held her while she fought back tears.
“What am I going to do with her cats?”
He let out a breath and looked around. “The humane society?”
“But when she comes home, she’ll want them again.”
“Liza, I don’t think she’s going to come home again,” he said gently.
Liza swallowed hard again. “But she might. I guess I’ll just take care of them for a while until we know for sure.” She eased out of his embrace to check the cats’ food, water, and litter. As she suspected, they were in perfect order. Mrs. Jenkins loved her cats and always seemed to take good care of them. Dirk put his arm around Liza and led her back to her own house.
“Did you come for lunch?” she asked.
He nodded. “But it’s okay; I’ll just grab something on the way back to the office.”
“No, I’ll make something.” He sat at the kitchen table and watched while she deftly threw together a sandwich, salad, and a couple of cookies for him.
“You’re not eating?” he asked.
She shook her head. She was too shaken up to eat. Men must not have that problem. Dirk looked unruffled. She set his food in front of him and started to move away, but he surprised her by pulling her into his lap. He kept one arm around her and ate with his free hand. She rested her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the comforting warmth of his embrace.
“I wish you didn’t have to go back to work,” she said.
“Me too,” he said. She looked up at him in surprise. He loved his job and never complained about it.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because you’re upset. I would like to stay and be with you, but I have a meeting this afternoon that I can’t get out of.” He kissed the top of her head. She rested her head on his chest again and smiled. She hoped whatever miraculous transformation he had undergone never, ever went away. She was enjoying the new Dirk very much. She tilted her head up again and pressed her lips to his Adam’s apple. His arm tightened on her waist.
“I really can’t stay, Babe.” As if to emphasize his point he stood and grasped her hand to lead her to the door. “Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded.
He tipped her face up, kissed her, and then he was gone.
She stood staring dreamily at the door for a long time. Things were turning out the way she had always envisioned. She had no idea what the catalyst for Dirk’s newfound adoring attitude was, and she didn’t care. She simply wanted to bask in the way things were and hope they never reverted to the way they had been before.
When a knock sounded on the door she thought she conjured it because she so badly wanted Dirk to reappear. She opened it with a smile that quickly faded.
“Link.”
“You’re still mad at me? I thought you would be over it by now.”
She didn’t understand the comment until she remembered their tiff from the previous night. “I’m not mad. It’s been a rough morning.”
“I heard.”
“How?” She stood aside so he could enter. He walked to the couch and sat down.
“I have an alert on your neighborhood. Whenever an emergency call comes within a two mile radius of here my secretary lets me know. So what happened?” He took off his shoes and put up his feet. Strangely he looked right at home, as if he had arrived with her furniture and accessories.
She sat beside him and tucked her feet under her knees. “I don’t know. Dirk said he saw the door open and went to check. He thinks it was a heart attack.” She was reaching for the remote so it took her a moment to realize he had sat up in alarm. “What?”
“Your boyfriend found her?”
“Yes.”
“Was he doing CPR when you arrived?”
“No.”
“Had he called the ambulance?”
She was beginning to understand where he was headed. “No, but I called as soon as I got there.”
“Was there a syringe in his hand, or did he move his hands quickly like he was hiding something?” His tone was official now. Any minute she expected him to whip out a pad of paper and take a statement.
“No,” she snapped. “Dirk did not hurt Mrs. Jenkins. Whatever happened to her was natural causes. Stop being so suspicious.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Let’s review: The only witness in our case, the same witness who saw your boyfriend exiting your house dressed as a cable repairman, was just found unconscious. By your boyfriend.”
“He has a name,” Liza snapped.
“A weird one. What kind of name is Dirk, anyway?”
“You’re starting to sound less like a cop and more like a jealous boyfriend,” she told him.
He rolled his eyes. “Please. You’re not my type.”
“What, crazy? No, I’m not.”
“They’re not all crazy,” he said.
She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Fine. They’re all crazy.” He sighed and relaxed into the couch. “Excuse me for caring about your wellbeing. I don’t usually, but you’re innocent in all this, and I hate the thought of you getting sucked in to his schemes.”
“There are no schemes,” Liza told him. “Dirk is not your guy. I’ll admit things don’t look good from an outsider’s point of view, but you don’t know him.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
“How much did he make last year?” Link asked.
“That’s not my business.”
“Does he know how much you made?”
“Well, yes, but only because he helped me with my taxes.”
“How many girls has he dated?”
Liza faced forward. “It seemed like prying to ask.”
“His credit card statement indicates a vacation last year. Where did he go?”
She shrugged.
“You didn’t go with him?”
She shook her head.
“What does he do on the nights he’s not here?”
“I don’t keep tabs on him. He’s a grown man. He has his own life, and I have mine.”
“Who are his closest friends? What are his favorite hobbies?”
She put her hands over her ears. “Stop it.”
He used his hands to remove hers from her ears. “Look, just because a guy takes you out and appears to treat you well doesn’t make him a good guy.”
Her eyes filled with tears. She wrenched her hands out of his and swiped at her tears. “Maybe I don’t know every detail of his life, but I do know his character. He may not be the most attentive boyfriend in the world, but he’s a good man. He’s honest and kind and caring and he would never do anything illicit or illegal, especially not for money.”
“Did you know he has almost three million dollars in the bank?”
She didn’t, but she tried not to look as shocked as she felt. “He’s careful with his spending and he makes a large salary. That’s not so unusual.”
“It’s extremely unusual. Liza, you’re turning a blind eye, and in this case it could get you killed.”
“Stop it, stop it, stop it!” She put her hands over her ears again, but this time she burst into tears.
“Oh no.” Link hadn’t meant to make her cry. Again. “Please don’t,” he said. He was unaccustomed to comforting people. He awkwardly put his arm around her shoulder. When she didn’t shove him away he put his other arm around her. She pressed her face to his chest and cried. She was so confused. It was becoming difficult to discern truth from fiction.
“Liza?”
They both froze and then turned to see Dirk standing over the couch, staring down at them.
Liza couldn’t produce a thought, let alone a word. She sat silent and still as a stone, staring at Dirk in surprise mingled with guilt.
“Hi,” Link said. He let go of Liza, stood, and held out his hand. “I’m Mrs. Jenkins’ nephew, Link. Liza tells me you were the one who found her.”
Dirk held out his hand and the two men shook. “That’s right. How is she?”
“I don’t know yet. I wanted to stop and check on her cats before I went to the hospital. You know how she is about those cats.” He smiled and looked down at Liza.
She looked helplessly between Link and Dirk.
“I’ve never seen you around before,” Dirk said. “I wasn’t aware Mrs. Jenkins had any family.”
“Everyone has family,” Link said. Liza wondered if Dirk would notice his menacing undertone.
“Have you met Liza before today?” Dirk asked. Did he dart a suspicious glance at Liza, or was that her imagination in overdrive?
“A few times,” Link said. “But I’m sure we’ll get much better acquainted in the near future.”
“Why is that?” Dirk asked. He moved imperceptibly closer to Liza.
“Because I’m moving in next door until my aunt recovers,” Link said. At least that’s what Liza thought he said. It was difficult to tell over her sudden convulsive choking fit.
Chapter 13
“You’re what?” Liza wheezed as soon as she could manage a breath.
“I’m moving in next door to keep an eye on things.”
“I was going to watch the cats,” she said.
“That’s sweet, Liza, but you’re not family,” Link said.
Dirk sat and took Liza’s hand, after uncurling her fingers from a fist formation. Link sat on her other side. Dirk stared pointedly at his stocking-clad feet. Link sat back and rested his feet on the coffee table, clearly enjoying Dirk’s discomfort.
“How long did you two say you’ve known each other?” he asked Link.
“A couple of weeks. Feels like longer, though,” Link answered. He smiled. Liza glared, and then turned her focus to Dirk.
“I thought you had a meeting you couldn’t get out of.”
“Heidi called when I was halfway there and said the guy canceled. I thought we could go out tonight, if you’re feeling up to it.”
She nodded. They both turned to stare at Link. “I guess that’s my cue. I should go check on my aunt.” His smile faded and he gave Dirk a scorching look. “It’s really lucky you found her when you did.”
Dirk shrugged and looked at the blank television. Link put his shoes on and stood. “It was…nice to meet you, Dirk. Liza, I’ll talk to you later.” He exited the room and let himself out.
Liza and Dirk sat quietly until the front door clicked and then Dirk spoke. “What was that about?”
“What do you mean?”
“I walked in to find a stranger hugging you. What do you think I mean?”
Dirk was feeling proprietary? Of her? “I was upset. It was no big deal.”
“Why are you so upset? You barely know Mrs. Jenkins.”
“That doesn’t mean I want her to die,” she said, and then felt guilty. She hadn’t been upset about her neighbor. She had been upset about Link’s accusations.
“I don’t like that guy. There’s something not right about him.”
“He seems all right.”
Dirk put his arm around her. “You think everyone is nice. You’re too innocent. The world is filled with bad people, Liza.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’ve heard that before. Do you really want to go out? I could cook.”
“Don’t you want to go out? I thought you would enjoy a night off.”
“I would. But we don’t have to go out.” She put her hands on his chest and gave him a light shove so that he reclined against the arm of the couch, and then she advanced on him, inching toward his lips. “We could get pizza.”
“Pizza,” he repeated.
“Maybe watch a movie.”
“Movie,” he said. He drew her closer and kissed her, and then there was a knock at the door. “If that’s your new neighbor, I’m going to kill him.”
Liza withdrew from his embrace. If it was Link, she just might kill him herself. It wasn’t Link, though.
“
Marion
,” Liza said.
“And Puck,” Puck added.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“Want to go out with us tonight?”
Marion
asked.
“Dirk’s here,” Liza said.
“Dirk,” Puck piped up. “I want to meet him.” He strode by Liza and preceded her and Marion into the living room.
Marion
gave Liza an apologetic look, not only for Puck’s rude intrusion, but also for the meeting that was about to take place. There was a reason the two had kept their boyfriends apart for so long. Few people could be more opposite than Puck and Dirk.
Dirk was still reclining on the couch, but he looked more defensive than relaxed, as if he was staking his territory. “Dirk, you’ve heard me mention Puck,” Liza said. He stood and held out his hand to Puck. Puck looked at it as if he wasn’t sure what to do with it and then he finally shook hands.
“I’ve seen you on television,” Puck said.
Dirk opened his mouth to speak, but Puck continued.
“Do you remove the government chips from the new cars you sell?”
Dirk blinked at him and looked at Liza for an explanation. “Excuse me?” he said when Liza said nothing.
“Puck believes the government puts a tracking chip in each new car,”
Marion
explained.
“Not every new car,” Puck clarified. “Just the ones they took over during the federal bailout.”
“We’re a used car dealership,” Dirk said.
Puck nodded. “Good choice.”
“Let’s sit,” Liza suggested. Puck sat and pulled
Marion
down so she was smashed up against his side, despite the ample room on the sectional sofa. To Liza’s surprise Dirk did the same to her and then put his arm around her for good measure.
Marion
noticed and gave Liza a look like, “I see what you mean.” The most affection Dirk had ever shown Liza in front of her friends was some occasional hand holding. Pulling her half onto his lap and putting his arm around her was leaps and bounds ahead of any other display he had shown.
“Did you guys hear about all those dead birds in
Oregon
today?” Dirk asked. Liza knew it was his attempt at finding a neutral topic of conversation, but it was the worst thing he could have said.
“H.A.A.R.P. is at it again,” Puck said.
“H.A.A.R.P?” Dirk made the mistake of asking.
“It’s the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. It’s the government’s baby up in Alaska, and it has single-handedly caused some of our more deadly weather and earthquakes in recent years, not to mention all these bird deaths.”
Awkward silence followed his announcement. “What about the F?” Liza asked.
“What?” Puck sat forward and brushed his hair out of his eyes.
“You said High Frequency, but they call it H.A.A.R.P. What do they do with the F?”
“They had to leave it out,”
Marion
said. “H.F.A.A.R.P. just doesn’t roll off the tongue the same way.” She and Liza giggled, Dirk cracked a smile, but Puck remained stoic.
“I hope you guys will still be laughing when a tsunami strikes us,” he said.
“Since we’re a thousand miles inland I would probably find it more shocking than humorous,” Dirk said dryly.
Puck clasped his hands together in a pose Liza and Marion knew well. “You think you’re safe, but that’s what they want. They want everyone to feel nice and cozy and then BAM!” he yelled, and Liza jumped.
Marion
had probably been expecting it because she looked unfazed. “That’s when they strike. They turn on their weapons and wreak havoc on the innocent. The only sure way to beat them is to be prepared.”
“How are you preparing?” Dirk asked. His tone was somewhere between mocking and curious. Most likely he had never encountered someone like Puck before. He was probably both fascinated and skeptical. That was how Liza had been at first. Now she was used to him. Conspiracy theories were his favorite topic, but he wasn’t as crazy as he seemed. Sometimes she thought he said things just to be lively and get a rise out of people.
“Knowledge,” Puck said, tapping his temple. “Knowledge is power. You have to be able to adapt and survive. You need to know how to live off the land.”
“Like MacGyver,”
Marion
supplied. Puck was a big fan of the old show.
“What about money?” Dirk said. “You’ll need lots of money in the new world order.”
“Yes, but the banks aren’t safe. Rothschild made sure of that,” Puck said. He sat back with a frown.
Liza squeezed Dirk’s knee, but he either didn’t get the message or he was too curious to contain himself. “I’m not familiar with what you’re referring to,” he said, and then sat back to listen to Puck’s rambling explanation of how a few families control all the world’s wealth thanks to their central banking system.
“And the Federal Reserve, it’s not even federal, man. Every dollar they print illegally is a dollar in Rothschild’s pocket.”
“But if the banks aren’t safe, then surely Wall Street is,” Dirk said.
“Wall Street,” Puck exploded. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Who do you think controls our gas prices?” He launched into another narrative that lasted until Liza’s stomach growled.
“We were thinking of getting pizza,” Dirk surprised her again. “Can you join us?” He looked expectantly at Puck. Was he waiting for him to offer up some crazy pizza-associated theory?
“Pizza sounds great,”
Marion
answered. They spent a few minutes deciding what to order then
Marion
and Dirk bickered over who was going to pay. In the end Dirk won and ended up treating everyone.
You can let him get this one,
Liza wanted to tell
Marion
.
He’s a multi-millionaire.
She bit her lip and studied Dirk. Where had that money come from? She had no idea how much he made, but three million seemed an enormous sum. Had he really saved it all from his wages?
He used his index finger to coax her bottom lip from between her teeth. “Why are you staring at me with a worried frown?” he asked when Marion and Puck went to the kitchen for drinks.
“Lots of reasons,” she said evasively. She looked around and leaned in to whisper. “What do you think of Puck?”
“He’s either really crazy or really smart, or both. He’s sort of funny, but between you and me I think
Marion
could do better. Don’t tell her I said so.”
“She wouldn’t believe me if I tried,” Liza said.
Marion
and Dirk were almost like a brother and sister duo who had been estranged their entire lives. They weren’t close, but they bickered affectionately with each other most of the time they were together.
The pizza arrived and they made normal, pleasant small talk while they ate. Dirk asked Puck about his many majors, and the conversation lasted until long after the food was finished.
“And now I’m majoring in criminal justice again,” Puck finished when his saga came full circle.
“Admittedly I don’t know you well, but that seems like a strange choice for someone who thinks our government is corrupt,” Dirk said.
“But that’s why we need people fighting on the inside. Corruption can’t be brought down from the outside.”
“What about the
Berlin
Wall?” Dirk asked. “It was the influence of the West that changed things and eventually brought about the collapse.”
“But it was the people on the eastern side of the wall who pulled it down,” Puck said. “They may have taken their cues from the West, but they did the hard, dangerous work from the inside.”
It was the most reasoned, intelligent thing Liza had ever heard him say.
“What does ending corruption from the inside mean to you?” Dirk asked him.
“It means I’ll have to follow my gut, sometimes when it runs contrary to what the government is telling me to do.”
“But what if your gut is wrong? You’re prone to all the same passions and prejudices as any other man. What if instead of following your gut you end up following your greed, or lust, or rage?”
Puck shook his head. “Not me, man. I won’t fall prey to any of those things.”
Dirk smiled, but it was an odd sort of smile that made everyone at the table go silent. “Better men than you have fallen prey to their baser instincts,” he said. He stood to throw his napkin in the trash.
Across the table
Marion
caught Liza’s eye. Liza didn’t need a translator to understand
Marion
’s silent questions. Was Dirk talking about himself? If so, what did he mean?