Jamie kept digging to see what Carol Anne had said about Liza’s stalker.  Based on the notes, photos and e-mails Liza was receiving, Carol Anne had concluded that Liza’s stalker was another woman who wanted Liza’s life.  Based on that diagnosis, Liza had quit cheerleading and concentrated on school full time.  If Carol Anne was right, then maybe that’s why the stalker had stopped.  The life she wanted was the life of a glamorous cheerleader, not the life of a plain graduate student.

He glanced at his timeline and added the current month and year for Carol Anne’s death.  He went back to his search on Lila, to see if he could figure out what kind of cop she was.  He didn’t feel like he was getting anywhere and hoped Jess was having better luck.

~~~~~

Jess recognized Beth Morgan right away.  She was about Jess’s height, at least 20 pounds heavier and had short dark brown hair.  Jess waved as Beth came in and then stood and introduced herself as Corinne Miller.  She gave Beth the back story she’d concocted – that she was an assistant producer for a talk radio station in L.A., and that she’d met Carol Anne at a western states Women in Radio convention just weeks before.  Luckily, Jake knew the bartender and had worked out a deal that no matter what anyone ordered for Jess, she got a plain Diet Coke.  Beth asked what she was drinking, and Jess lied saying it was a rum and Diet.  Beth ordered the same.  Beth told Jess that she and Carol Anne had stayed in contact, mostly by e-mail with an occasional phone call or text message.  By the time Beth was on her fourth rum and Diet, she’d told Jess that Carol Anne was moving to New York for a new job and had decided that she was 33 and since she wasn’t getting any younger that she wanted to have a baby, man or no man in her life.  She was coming to KC to talk to an old friend and get a sperm donor.  Jess almost gagged on her Diet Coke wondering if Ben was the old friend Carol Anne had in mind.  She asked Beth if she knew who it was, but Beth said Carol Anne hadn’t told her.

Beth left after her fourth rum and Diet and Jess sat, still sipping her Diet Coke.  Tanner got up and followed Beth out making sure she made her way to her car and left, although God knew she had no business being behind the wheel.  But he wasn’t a cop anymore and it wasn’t his problem.  After Tanner was sure Beth was gone, he called Jake who got Jess and left.

It was nearing 6:30 p.m. when Jake and Jess called Jamie from the car.  “She was back in KC to get an old friend to be the sperm donor so she could have a kid.” Jess told the boys.

At the same time both Jake and Jamie said, “Was it Ben?”

Jess shook her head.  “Beth didn’t know who it was.  But if it was Ben, that could be more reason to suspect Mom.  Or to suspect Ben”

Jamie told them about the timeline he’d started, saying he needed another set of eyes to look at it.

“Is Mom home yet,” Jess asked.  When Jamie said he hadn’t heard from Ben and their mother, Jake said they were going to hit a drive through for something to eat and asked if Jamie wanted something.

Chapter 15

Timeline

Jamie had just gotten off the phone with his siblings when Lane and Ben came into the kitchen.

Jamie looked up from his laptop.  “So, are congratulations in order?”

“Traditionally you tell the groom ‘Congratulations’ and say ‘Best Wishes’ to the bride, but yes, we are engaged.  As if you didn’t know about it already,” Lane replied.

Jamie smiled. “I didn’t know for sure you’d say yes.”

Lane bent and kissed Jamie on the top of the head.  “Where are Jess and Jake?”

“Oh, they had an errand to run.  They called just before you came in and they’re on their way back.  They’re bringing home food.  If you call, you might catch them in time to place your order.”

She asked where they were stopping.  Jamie really didn’t know.  Jess kept a running tab of everyone’s favorites for all of the fast food options in her head.  “I’m going to go change,” Lane said and she kissed Ben before heading to her room.

Ben saw Jamie’s timeline on the breakfast bar.  “Hey, Bambino, what’s this all about?”

7 yrs. Ago

Carol Anne

started as OPPD consultant

5 yrs. Ago

Lila

promoted to detective

4.5 yrs. Ago

Carol Anne

left OPPD for KCMO as consultant

4 yrs. ago

Liza

dated Ben

4 yrs. ago

Liza

stalked

4 yrs. ago

Carol Anne

said stalker is a woman who wanted Liza's life

4 yrs. ago

Liza

left cheerleaders & stalking stopped

4 yrs. ago

Carol Anne

went into radio at KEAU

3 yrs. Ago

Carol Anne

dated Ben

3 yrs. Ago

Carol Anne

moved to Denver

now

Mom

dating Ben

Friday

Carol Anne

dead

Friday

Mom

accused of murder

now

Lila

investigating the murder

“I was putting together a timeline about Carol Anne, and one search led to another.  I know I’m missing something, but I don’t know what it is.”

“Where are Jake and Jess, really,” Ben asked.  He knew the Parker Kids had a tendency to protect Lane not by lies of commission but by lies of omission.

“Jess went to talk to Beth Morgan and Jake went to keep an eye on her.  Tanner went with them.  Beth told Jess that Carol Anne was in KC to get some guy to be a sperm donor.”  Jamie raised an eyebrow.  “It better not have been you.  I told you about hurting Mom.”

“Bambino.  You have nothing to worry about.  She did call me, but she didn’t say what she wanted.  I told her I was seeing someone and I didn’t agree to meet her.  Your Mother knows this, by the way.  For God’s sake, I just proposed to your Mother.  There’s no way I’d have a kid with someone else. Besides, I suspect given the way we parted that I’d be the last man she’d come to.”

That seemed to appease Jamie, but Ben was curious. What if that was why Carol Anne wanted to see him.  No matter whether that was what she wanted or not, she was dead, and even if she weren’t, his sperm belonged to only one woman and her name wasn’t Carol Anne Woods.

“So, do I call you dad now?” Jamie was grinning at Ben.

“You should probably hold off until after the wedding,” Lane, who had come into the kitchen, said laughingly.

She nudged Ben. “Earth to Ben.  You didn’t even hear him, did you?”

Ben shook his head.  He was still looking at the timeline Jamie had put together.  He picked it up and put it in his pocket. “No.”

Jamie, still grinning, repeated his question.

“Why not, I’ve been calling you my Bambino for three years now.  You know that means kid, male child.  So when I call you my Bambino it’s kind of like calling you my kid.”

“So, maybe I should call you Papa then.”

Ben laughed.  “Call me whatever makes you comfortable, Bambino.”

Jess and Jake had come in carrying take out.  “Who’s calling whom what,” Jake said.

“I’m going to call Ben Dad after the wedding.”

Jess almost dropped the bag she was carrying.  They’d grown up basically without a dad.  When Phillip Parker had come out of the closet and left their mother, he’d left them too.  He’d moved to Chicago to be with Ralphie, his new significant other.  Sure, they’d gotten birthday cards and Christmas cards with money or gift cards enclosed, but they didn’t have him.  Jake was only five years old and Jess was only 18 months old the night Phillip left.  For the first two or three years, they saw him once or twice a year when he came back to Omaha to visit his own mother.  As time went on, Phillip’s visits to Omaha became fewer.  He never asked to have the kids come spend time with him and Ralphie.  It seemed to Jess that he wanted to erase the part of his life when he was their father, and that was just fine with her.  Who needed him anyway?  That didn’t mean she was ready to call Ben dad.  Especially after his behavior in the garage last night.  “Actors on her little stage” indeed.  Who the hell did he think had been keeping the family together these last 18 years?  It sure wasn’t Phillip Parker and it wasn’t Ben Bellini either.