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“I chose not to bring them. Against their wishes. I’m not a man who likes to walk about with an entourage. Despite what Benjamin will tell you, I prefer a quiet life. So I only use bodyguards when I believe I’m in grave danger.”
“It looked like Ben would take you out if he could,” Dare said.
“I think if Ben truly wanted me dead, he would have done it by now.” Huisman seemed to shrink a bit. “That is not Benjamin’s plan. No. He doesn’t want me dead. He wants me to suffer.”
“How do the two of you know each other?” Taggart asked.
“We were childhood friends. Ben was my best friend. He was a kind child. I was a bit awkward, and my father did nothing to curb those tendencies. He wanted me to be a wunderkind. When my IQ tests came back at a genius level, he put me in all kinds of extra classes. I was not allowed to be a child. Except when I was with Ben. His family lived on our street and we were in the same classes, though I’m a bit younger than he is. I think if my father had lived he would have moved me through school more quickly and our friendship would have waned.”
“But he died when you were seven.” That didn’t seem like a lot of time in school.
“And I entered first grade when I was barely five,” Huisman explained. “I was reading at three. My father wanted to have nothing but tutors for me, but by that time he and my mother were divorced and she insisted I go to a school. I met Ben the first day, and we were close after that. As you can imagine, it was hard for such a young child to fit in. Ben was kind to me. We seemed to fit in a way I didn’t with anyone else. His parents were the ones who came for me the day I watched my father die. I stayed at their house until my grandfather came to retrieve me. Then I didn’t see Benjamin for a few years. We reconnected in high school and things were good between us. We were the best of friends.”
“When did they go bad?” Dare was curious. He was seeing Ben from a different perspective.
Huisman flushed, a light pink staining his cheeks. “We went to two different colleges. The young lady he was dating at the time ended up attending Harvard with me. Ben stayed in Canada. Time and proximity brought Deanna and I closer together, and I’m afraid Ben was hurt when we could no longer hide our feelings for one another.”
“So this was all because you started dating his girlfriend?” Tasha asked.
“There’s more,” Taggart said, his voice tight.
A brow rose over Huisman’s eyes. “So you’ve been doing some research on me. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Benjamin would have made certain you were concerned. Mr. Taggart is correct. Benjamin refused to accept that Deanna and I were in love. He came to Massachusetts and confronted me. We fought. I said some things I shouldn’t have said, but I was in love with her. Deanna…she couldn’t handle the tension. She offered to go somewhere quiet and talk to Benjamin. I never saw her again. Not alive. She died in an accident. Ben survived. I sometimes wonder…no. It was an accident.”
“There was a question?” Dare asked.
“It seems Benjamin was driving quite recklessly that night,” Huisman answered. “There were witnesses who said he took corners far too quickly. I’ve dreamed about how frightened she must have been. He blames me, of course.”
“Why would he blame you if he was driving?” Tasha asked.
Dare knew. “She wouldn’t have been in the car if he hadn’t gotten involved with her.”
“It’s worse,” Huisman corrected. “Benjamin believes I tampered with the vehicle. It was a car he’d rented. She wasn’t supposed to be with him that night. He believes I sabotaged his car so I could get rid of my rival for her affections. I didn’t need to get rid of him. I know this isn’t well done of me to say, but I could provide Deanna with a much more luxurious life. His parents had lost much of their wealth by this time. Deanna was a pragmatic woman. I loved her, but I also understood why she chose me over Benjamin. Ben was exciting and I was stable.”
“The police don’t believe there was any tampering. According to the reports I read they found no wrongdoing. Deanna Fisher’s death was ruled an accident,” Taggart said. “But I’m sure Ben would point out that police can be bought.”
“Yes. My grandfather came into town the next morning and spent some time trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Benjamin decided that he paid the police to hide the fact that the vehicle had been tampered with.” Huisman leaned over. “It was…a hard time. I said things to Benjamin I wish I could take back. I know how hard all of this was on him, but it’s been years and he’s still trying to take me down, as he puts it. He accuses me of all manner of crimes. Why exactly is he coming after me this time?”
