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CHAPTER5
TODD
An hour later, Piper and I are still in my office, thinking about ways to resolve the situation I’ve created. No matter which way our gazes shift, however, the optimal solution remains in the form of Rebecca and Elliot playing the parts of my wife and son. It irks me that she didn’t immediately say yes. For that amount of money, I would’ve jumped at the opportunity, especially given her financial situation.
I admit, I’m slightly offended. I’ve never been the self-absorbed type, but even I have a mirror at home, so I know what I’m working with. And it was clear as day that Rebecca desired me. I heard it in her voice. I saw it in her mesmerizing hazel eyes, too. She’s not my usual type, far from it, but there is something about her that’s got me wondering, still. We would’ve made a nice pretend pair, surely.
Piper keeps fiddling on her phone while sitting in the guest chair. “I could always dig deeper into her past,” she says. “Maybe I can find something to get her to say yes. Nobody’s squeaky clean in this city. Nobody.”
“You sound like a shady vixen out of an old noir movie,” I scoff.
“I could find out more about Luke. Elliot’s father. The guy works for a hedge fund. I’m sure we could dig up some stuff there.”
I shake my head. “What happened between them, anyway?”
“Oh, just the usual attachment-issue garbage,” Piper says. “They were both young. Luke liked the ladies and the freedom a little too much. All he does now is send Rebecca a monthly check and that’s it. He’s not involved in at all. He doesn’t even come visit the kid.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. The man is out of their lives, can’t even be bothered to acknowledge that he has a son. To be honest, I find that kind of behavior appalling, but at least he’s out of her hair and she doesn’t have to deal with him on top of raising a child. Because we both know she’d be raising that boy alone even if he married her.”
“Absolutely. They’re better off without that kind of guy…”
I’m fascinated by this woman. I come from a stable household where love and devotion actually mean something, so I can only imagine how hard it must’ve been for Rebecca to raise Elliot all on her own—or mostly on her own, anyway.
“And the sisters do as much as they can,” Piper says, as if picking up on my train of thought somehow. At least she’s got them, you know.”
“So, then… why blackmail her and make her life even harder?”
She gives me a confused look. “I want to help you, Todd.”
“Sure, but let’s not railroad the one woman who could actually help us,” I say. “Listen, she just needs a bit of time to think about it. Maybe I can up the figure sometime within the next couple of weeks, see if that will sweeten the pot. Maybe you can try being friendlier with her. You know as well as I do, Piper, that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
“You sound like my dad.” She rolls her eyes.
“He was definitely onto something. I do appreciate your spirited nature,” I reply, smiling. “But I think we need to give Rebecca just a little more time to come round to the idea. I could tell she had a hard time imagining herself playing the part. It’s not something people immediately jump into, anyway. Technically, it counts as fraud. It could be framed as such even by John’s lawyers. I understand her hesitation.”
Piper offers a defeated shrug in return, prompting me to open a browser page on my computer and start searching for Rebecca’s full name on every possible social-media platform.
“I need to get to know her a little better,” I say. “You’re more than welcome to do some of that digging you mentioned, but not for anything nefarious. I need to know more about who she is and where she’s been so far.”
“Worst-case scenario, you’ll hire an actress, like we originally said.”
“I still don’t like that idea. It’s too risky, too dangerous, too prone to disaster. Rebecca—”
“Becky,” Piper says. “Nobody really calls her Rebecca.”
“Right. Well, Becky here is an interesting woman. She’s already dealing with a full plate. She seems smart. She’s definitely talented, otherwise she wouldn’t be working here. I could tell before I even saw her portfolio.”
“You’ve been looking into her.”
“Don’t grin like that,” I say quickly.
Piper laughs. “You like her.”
“Notlike-likeher. I appreciate her. You know she’s nowhere near my usual type,” I reply dryly.
“Yeah, yeah, Todd. Whatever you say. You obviously have a bit of a soft spot for her, and I get it. The single-mom aspect alone tugs at the right heartstrings,” she says. “And you’re right about me being nicer to her. I’m gonna do just that and see if I can ease her toward a yes the next time you two talk about it.”
