Buck, p.18
Buck, page 18
“I can see why you might think I would have, but I didn’t. I had no idea what my brother was up to. It’s difficult to say this about a person you grew up with, but he got what was coming to him.”
“We know,” I say. “We spoke with him a few days ago.”
His eyebrows fly up. “You spoke to Greg?”
“We did.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because Greg was killed in prison over a week ago.”
39
BUCK
No. Just no. This story can’t get any creepier.
“No, he wasn’t,” I say. “We spoke with him.”
“Then you spoke to an imposter.”
“Your brother’s an albino, right?” I say.
Wallace raises his eyebrows. “An albino? Hell, no. He had the same complexion I have. Naturally tan.”
Aspen’s lips form an O. “I don’t understand. The man I saw—the man they brought to me who they said was Greg Wallace—is an albino. Pasty white skin and blue eyes. White hair. He knew the whole story. Said Taylor came to him and— Oh my God. And the albino… He tormented me on that island.”
“I’m very sorry you were tormented, my dear, but that man was not my brother.”
“Who the hell was he then?” I ask.
“If I knew, I would tell you.”
“We’re going to need a lot more information,” Aspen says. “I’m sorry about your daughter, Mr. Wallace, but—”
“You don’t have to be sorry about my daughter, Ms. Davis. I know what she did to you. What she and Nancy and Greg did to you. There’s no excuse for it, and there’s no way I can make it up to you. Although I would if I could.”
“You knew,” I say.
Harrison Wallace doesn’t reply at first.
“Maybe you didn’t know what was going to happen to Aspen, but you knew what your brother was doing.”
“I did not condone it.”
“But you knew.” I inch closer to Wallace. “You knew what they were doing to these young women. How could you not say anything?”
“Gentlemen’s agreement.” Wallace shifts from one foot to another. “Most men above a certain paygrade were aware of what was going on at Derek Wolfe’s island. Epstein’s island. We all knew. Anyone who could afford to go knew.”
“And yet… you did nothing?” I say.
“It’s not that simple. These are powerful people. People who tend to”—air quote—“take care of anyone who interferes.”
I shake my head. “Sometimes I hate humanity.”
“Mr. Moreno,” Wallace says, “sometimes I do too. Do you think it was easy for me to disown my daughter? My brother?”
“Your brother had his own money.”
“He did. Although a lot less of it once I cut him off.”
“Yet enough to keep going to the island,” Aspen says.
“Actually, from what I understand, it cost over a million dollars a day to be on that island. Once I disowned him, he no longer went there.”
“So he couldn’t have been the one who tormented me.” Aspen shakes her head.
“You’re right. Because once I found out what Greg helped Taylor do, I disowned both of them.”
“But Greg’s name was still on the master list,” Buck says.
“That’s right. And apparently there was a narc who named him as well.”
“Pollack,” I say.
“Is that his name?”
“It’s the name he’s using, and yes, he’s in jail awaiting trial for two counts of murder. And I’m guessing, now that his immunity is revoked, a bunch of other crimes as well.”
Wallace’s eyes widen. “You think he killed my brother in prison?”
“I think he probably had something to do with it. I doubt he could actually get into the prison and take care of your brother.”
“So some jackass narc, who turned on my brother in the first place, had him killed?”
“It’s my fault,” Aspen says. “I started asking questions.”
I grab Aspen’s hand. “Baby, none of this is your fault.”
“No, it’s not.” Wallace shakes his head. “It would be easy for me to blame you, Ms. Davis. You were there when my daughter took her own life. And she took her life because you were there asking questions. But is it your fault? No. It’s not. You have the right to answers. And what my daughter did… I’ll never understand, and I’ve thought about it ad nauseum. For the last five years, ever since I found out and disowned her.”
“Some people…” I say.
“You must think I was a terrible parent. But Rita and I… Rita never got over this. And now, Taylor is gone forever. Jocelyn and Gary? They don’t know either. They don’t understand any of it.”
“Why did you force Taylor to marry Nancy?” Aspen asks.
“That wasn’t me. That was Greg’s idea. He figured it was better to keep them both close.”
“Nancy claims she’s not gay,” I say.
“I don’t think she is. It didn’t really matter. It was purely a marriage of convenience. To keep Nancy and Taylor close so Greg could keep an eye on them.”
“What did Greg do after he no longer had money to go to the island?” I ask.
“He had a nest egg of his own. For a while he got involved in drugs.”
“Oh my God. Did he happen to know a kingpin named Lucifer Raven?”
“I don’t know. I disowned him. I have no idea what he was into.”
Luke. Raven. Somehow I just know he’s involved in this.
More than he’s told me so far.
Hey, I get it. He wants to start a new life with Katelyn.
I had pledged to stay out of his way, but…
If he has information about Greg Wallace and how this all came about, I want it.
“I really should get to the wake,” Wallace says.
“We’ve got an appointment with you in a couple of weeks,” Aspen says. “It was the best we could do. But if possible, we’d like to talk to you more. Soon.”
He nods. Pulls a card out of his pocket. “Call this number. Tell them you need to see me tomorrow. I’ll make sure you get on the calendar.”
“Thank you,” Aspen says.
“Will you be coming to the wake?”
“No,” I say.
“I understand. I’ll talk to both of you tomorrow.”
40
ASPEN
Buck is angry.
Luke and Katelyn went ahead home after the funeral.
But now…
Buck wants to know more.
As soon as Harrison Wallace mentioned that his brother got into the drug business, I knew Buck was going to go for Luke’s jugular.
“Calm down,” I say as we drive back to the beach house.
“Calm down? Fucking Raven probably knows more than he’s letting on.”
“I don’t think so, Buck. He loves Katelyn, and Katelyn loves me. If he had any more information, he’d tell us.”
“Yeah? I will find out everything he knows if I have to beat it out of him.”
I bite my lower lip. How can I reason with Buck? All this time, he’s tried to get me to back down. To simply focus on healing rather than dredging up the past.
I couldn’t do it.
Seems the tides have turned now.
“Luke wasn’t Luke then, Buck. You know it and I know it.”
“Right. He was the guy who abused my sister, kept her locked in the very damned house we’re staying at.”
“I know. But that’s not who he is anymore, and Emily is happy. You said so yourself.”
“She is.”
“And so are you. We found each other. Just like Emily found Scotty. And Katelyn…”
“You know I adore Katelyn,” Buck says, “but for God’s sake. She can do better.”
“Not in her eyes she can’t. She and Luke are in love. You can feel it every time the two of them are together. They don’t take their eyes off each other, and they’re always touching in some small way. She’s happy, Buck, and I don’t want to take that away from her.”
He inhales, holds it for moment, and then exhales with a whoosh. “Don’t you want all the answers, Aspen? Isn’t that what you’ve been gunning for this whole time?”
“I know. But not if it’s going to hurt Katelyn.”
“For crying out loud, you were fine if you were the one getting hurt.”
“I suppose I was,” I say. “But maybe I was wrong, Buck. I dragged you into all of this. You, the man I love more than anything. I shouldn’t have done that. You got hurt.”
“I’m fine.”
“Yeah, you’re fine. Because Luke went to find you. You might’ve bled out on Gloria’s carpet otherwise.”
He stiffens a moment.
Good. He’s thinking.
“I still want to know what he knows.”
“Fine. I want to know as well. But don’t hurt him. For me. For Katelyn.”
He doesn’t respond.
And just when I think he’s never going to respond—
“Fine.” His lips are pursed into a line.
And that’s quite a feat for someone with beautiful full lips like Buck Moreno.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Luke says.
We’re back at the beach house and out on the deck having a glass of wine—Luke’s having sparkling water.
Buck shakes his head. “Funny that I don’t believe you.”
“The underground drug trade is huge in LA,” Luke says. “I had never heard of Greg Wallace before I met Aspen, and I don’t know him by any other name either. Don’t you think I care about these women just as much as you do?”
Buck doesn’t respond.
“Buck…” From Katelyn.
“Don’t,” Luke says. “He’s never going to forgive me for what I put his sister through. And frankly? I don’t even blame him.”
“I think he’s telling the truth, Buck,” I say. “He’s been researching this thing using all his connections. If he had come across Greg Wallace, he would’ve told us.”
Luke nods. “Absolutely.”
“Fine. Whatever.” Buck takes a sip of his wine. “You got any bourbon?”
“Of course he doesn’t have any bourbon,” I say.
“Actually,” Katelyn says, “we do have some bourbon. We keep a stocked bar, you know, for guests.”
Buck rises. “Just show me the way.”
He returns a few moments later with a couple fingers full of bourbon, neat. He downs it all in one swallow.
“Smooth,” he says. “Nothing but the best for you, huh, Raven?”
Luke doesn’t reply.
In my estimation, Luke is being very patient with Buck.
And Buck is being…
He’s being a brother. And I understand.
“Fine,” Buck finally says. “So you didn’t know Greg Wallace when you were into drugs.”
“First of all, I wasn’t into drugs. I sold drugs. I was into alcohol.”
“Whatever.”
“And no, I did not know Greg Wallace. I could put out some feelers, if you want, but I’m not sure why it would matter at this point. The man is clearly dead.”
“Yeah, but why did the albino take his place? They obviously knew each other from the island.”
“I guess we need to figure out who the albino truly is,” Katelyn says, “and what his connection is.”
“I know what his connection is,” I say dryly.
Buck tenses next to me. “It’s okay, baby.”
“Katelyn knows everything.”
“Oh, Aspen,” Katelyn says. “He’s not the one…”
I simply nod.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry you had to face him.”
“I’m not. It was hard. No doubt. But I feel better. It’s kind of like eating those fish tacos, just a million times more difficult. But I feel like a got a little piece of myself back.”
“Piece by piece, baby,” Buck says. “That’s how you’ve got to take it. You will come back. Hell, you’re already back.”
“You understand, don’t you?”
“Hell yeah. There are parts of me that are still in Afghanistan. But little by little, I’m getting them all back. You’ve helped a lot with that.”
I take his hand and squeeze it.
I look at Buck, and then at Luke.
Katelyn is the closest thing I have to a best friend. I love her dearly, and it would be so great if Luke and Buck could be friends as well.
I think Luke would be up for it. But Buck?
I’m not sure he ever will be. Not that I can blame him.
I mean, I don’t have any siblings, but if I did, how could I forgive someone who hurt one of them? I could never forgive anyone who hurt Buck or Katelyn.
So I’ll be more patient. More understanding.
“All right,” I say. “A couple of things. Chris Pollack.”
“What about him?” Katelyn says.
“He’s probably the one who offed Greg Wallace. I mean, it happened right around the time Gloria and Brian were killed.”
“But why?” Luke asks. “Wallace was already in prison.”
“Yeah, but he knew stuff. And since he was already in prison, there was no reason for him not to speak up.”
“But it doesn’t make sense,” Luke says. “He knew way more than Gloria and Brian knew.”
“Right,” I say.
“I have to admit I’m baffled.” From Buck.
It’s a mystery…and I want to know the answers. But is it time to let this go?
I know how I got on that island now. The people responsible are paying or have paid for it.
Maybe there are some things I just don’t need to know.
“Maybe it’s time we move on,” I say to Buck. “We can find a place of our own. Settle down.”
“Here?” Buck says.
“I know it’s probably not your first choice,” I say. “But Katelyn is the closest thing I have to a sister, a best friend, and I think we need to be near each other.”
“I second that,” Katelyn says.
“But your family’s in Colorado,” Buck says. “And the Wolfes…”
“You can work for the Wolfes from here,” I say. “And I know they’re good people. I get it. But I can’t be close to the Wolfes, Buck. Their father is the one who…”
He squeezes my hand this time. “I understand, baby. It’s too much for you.”
“That’s just it. It’s not that it’s too much for me. It’s just that I need to take back my life. And I think I want to start here.”
“We can’t afford a place like this.” Buck rolls his eyes.
“Are you kidding me? I don’t care where we live, Buck. We can live in a one-room apartment. A shack. As long as we’re together.”
41
BUCK
We sit in the reception area of the Wallace Leathers corporate headquarters.
True to his word, Harrison Wallace made time for us today. He’s willing to answer more questions.
Something needles at the back of my neck, though. Call it my fight-or-flight instinct.
I’m not sure why, but I feel like we’re walking into something.
Another one of my hunches.
And I can’t ignore it.
Aspen has more questions for this man, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to answer any of them. Does he even know who the albino is?
And why the albino took his brother’s place?
We won’t find those answers here.
Harrison Wallace himself comes out to greet us. “Mr. Moreno and Ms. Davis. Thank you for coming in. Come on back.”
We rise. Aspen sets down the coffee table book she was perusing. I eye the title. Disneyland Through the Years. I can’t help a slight smile. She truly is a Disney princess with those big brown eyes and long lashes.
She can deny it all she wants, but it’s true.
We follow Harrison back to his corner office. Glass windows line both outer walls, and the view is spectacular.
“Have a seat, both of you.”
He walks behind his desk, and Aspen and I sit in the lush leather chairs facing him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t have more time to talk to you yesterday.”
“We totally understand, Mr. Wallace,” Aspen says. “It was your daughter’s funeral, after all.”
“Yes, it was. But unfortunately, Rita and I had to say goodbye to Taylor a long time ago. After what she did to you.”
“But she’s still your daughter,” I say.
“Was,” he says. “She’s in a better place now, Mr. Moreno.”
“Buck.”
“Then you must call me Harry.” He turns to Aspen. “Now Ms. Davis, what else can I enlighten you on?”
Aspen clears her throat. “I guess I just want to know… why? What made Taylor go rogue like that? At the time, she was dating my backup, Gloria Delgado, and Nancy was third in line for my position.”
“I don’t think she ever really got over Gloria,” Harrison says. “She used to call Gloria the love of her life.”
“Really?” Aspen says.
“Yes. I think she was more upset than Gloria was when you took the spot on the team.”
Aspen wrinkles her forehead.
That doesn’t jibe with what Gloria or Taylor told us.
But then again, why should we believe Taylor? After all, she’s the one who got this whole ball rolling.
“According to Taylor and Nancy,” I say, “Gloria was very upset about Aspen taking her place on the team. And she was upset that she was reacting negatively, as she was a devout Catholic and didn’t like having these kinds of feelings about someone.”
“She was a devout Catholic?”
“Oh, yes,” Aspen says. “Very. Very nice girl, and she prayed for everyone.”
“That’s strange,” Harrison says. “Taylor never mentioned that.”
“She didn’t mention that her girlfriend was a devout Catholic?” I ask.
“Not that I recall. I think I would’ve remembered that.”
“Yeah, you probably would have,” Aspen says.
