Lured into Lies by Melanie Martins
Chapter 5
Manhattan, October 24, 2020
Matthew Bradford
“Pops, she’s here!” I shout as I watch Tess leaving her Uber from the window of our living room. Then I hear footsteps approaching, and looking over my shoulder, I find Pops checking himself in the mirror of the entryway. A quick smile plays on my lips as I observe the whole thing, and I can’t help but ask, “Are you wearing that new cologne I got you?”
He raises a brow at me, cocking his head to the side, his lips in a straight line. “Matt, this is not a date. It’s purely professional.”
Yeah, right… “Well, you have my blessing if you ever consider dating her.” His eyes widen in surprise, which is understandable since out of all the women he dated, I’d never liked any of them. “Honestly, you’d make a great couple.”
“She’s a Dutch politician,” Dad snaps, desperate to find an excuse.
“And you are an American one,” I reply, my eyes still on him. “That can only be good for both countries.”
His attention goes back to the mirror, and he adjusts his collar and sleeves. “I’m just helping a mother get her daughter back while putting a predator behind bars. That’s all.” Pops might play it down, but I saw how they looked at each other at the last meeting. The smiles they exchanged wouldn’t even fool a blind man. Seriously, Roy was such a dumbass to let her go. She’s so beautiful, poised, and super smart. I’ve got no idea why Pops insisted on having me as a third wheel though. Anyway, I guess it’s just to cover up that this is in fact a date. As I come to think of it, I take my iPhone and discreetly check if Petra has replied to my last message, in which I asked her if she was okay and when we could meet again to finish our presentation for philosophy.
No, of course she didn’t. She is most likely mad at me for siding with her parents against her godfather while she keeps romanticizing her toxic relationship with him. I shake my head, hoping one day she will see through it. Yeah, I’m a fool to keep hopes up, but she’s just eighteen, and in my book, that’s an age where we make a lot of mistakes; including being in love with the wrong person. That’s part of life though. We need those bad experiences to grow. Her mother is a perfect example of it; maybe if she had never been married to Roy, she wouldn’t be the Tess Hagen that she is today.
The sound of the doorbell echoes around the apartment, so I run a hand on my hair to compose it a bit, and hurry up to open the door. “Hey,” I greet warmly as Tess walks in. “Thank you for coming.” We exchange a handshake, but Tess leans forward and to my surprise gives me a cheek kiss. She then goes and greets my dad, letting the smell of her perfume permeate the air of the hallway. I notice how Dad tries his best to remain stoic and unmoved by the kiss she gives him on the cheek. I swear, Pops looks like a teenager as he cuts eye contact, a bit troubled, and invites her to the living room.
“May I offer you a drink?” he asks, already running to the bar, most likely to conceal his flushed face. I chuckle inwardly seeing the uneasiness in his posture. “Um, I have gin, Sauvignon Blanc, whiskey, beer…”
“A glass of Sauvignon is fine,” she says with a voice more polite and sweeter than usual.
“And you, Matt?”
Oh, Dad is asking for me too? Wow. That’s unusual. “Same,” I say.
Meanwhile Tess and I sit on the sofa and wait for Pops to bring our glasses.
“Did she reply to your text?” Tess asks me, breaking our silence.
My heart tightens at the question, knowing it’s a negative answer. “Unfortunately, no.” I let out a sigh, wondering if Petra will ever bother to reply to it. “I don’t think she will forgive me for what I did.”
“Matt, you are a true friend,” Tess says, reassuring me. “My daughter is in a toxic relationship, and you have always warned her, even though you knew she’d stop talking to you in the process.” She pauses, her lips twisting in a smile. “One day or another, I’m sure she will see you for what you are.”
I return the smile, but I’m not that optimistic.
“Here is the wine.” Pops walks in, gives Tess a glass, and then goes and gives me one too. Afterward, he leaves the living room again to get his drink, which to my surprise, is also a glass of wine. Once he gets back inside, he stands in front of us and says, “Well, cheers, to our newfound friendship.”
“Oh,” Tess utters, sounding astonished. “So I can consider you a friend?”
“Of course,” Dad answers back. “You can count on me for whatever you need.”
With a smile on her lips, Tess stands up, and I do the same.
“Then to friendship,” she replies, raising her glass, and we all clink them together.
After we quietly give a first sip, Tess turns to my dad, thinking something through. “I’ve got something to give you.” I raise my brows as I watch her put her glass on the low table and take something from her purse. She then hands a big envelope to my dad, and I can’t help but wonder what’s in it. “This is the access code and a notary authorization to access my vault in case I die.”
We both frown at her statement.
“In case you die?” I ask.
“A vault?” Pops interposes.
“Yes, I have a vault here in New York; you have all the instructions in this envelope to access it upon my death.”
Despite her explanation, Dad and I remain totally perplexed, and we exchange a confused glance.
“But, um, why are you giving me this?” Dad asks.
“Because in there is all of the evidences you need to arrest Van Dieren and put him in jail for a long, long time.”
Wow! Now that’s a surprise!
Dad frowns in confusion. “But for which crime exactly?”
“Murder.”
What? He killed someone? “Who did he kill?” The question rolls off my lips.
Tess turns to me and with a contemplative smile on her lips, she says, “Me.”