Chapter Fifty-Five

Virginia Bonetti aka Jennifer White

Jennifer had spent so long convincing herself that Virginia Bonetti was dead that she almost thought of herself as Jennifer White. She'd even adopted some of her dead best friend's mannerisms, like twirling her hair when she was nervous.

But as soon as she saw her father walk into the conference room with Margo and Jack Thursday evening, she remembered exactly who she was. She expected anger and fear; instead she felt a deep overwhelming sorrow.

Her father looked like a shell of his former self. His hair gray, thinning. He still dressed well in his lightweight custom-made Italian suit. But he'd lost weight, his suit hanging loosely on his gaunt body.

A memory flashed from long ago, before she knew her father and grandfather were criminals, before she knew that her mother had been murdered. When her best friend was still alive and the two families—the Whites and the Bonettis—had a barbeque one Fourth of July. She and Jenny were nine and swimming in the pool and she clearly remembered her dad laughing at something Jenny's dad had said, and the two of them looked so happy, as if they weren't the bad guys, as if they were just average normal dads on a normal holiday weekend.

She and Jenny were making plans for both the upcoming school year and a trip to North Carolina with Virginia's grandparents. A whole month in the mountains, no younger siblings, just her and Jenny and her grandparents.

The flash of young joy and excitement disappeared when she saw her brother walk into the room with Jack.

Jennifer was watching the room through a video camera. Her father didn't know she was here, didn't know she could hear everything he said. Ava Angelhart and her daughter Tess were with her, watching her, watching the room.

Jennifer stifled a sob as she realized that Tommy had grown into a man. He was twenty-four now—she had missed eight birthdays. He was so handsome, but he looked sad, too. She'd left him like she'd left her father. She'd left her little brother who she loved...but she hadn't trusted him with the truth. She feared he would stop her.

That she would have let him stop her.

Ava put a hand on her arm. "Who is that?" she asked quietly.

"Tommy. My brother." Her voice was a squeak, barely audible, but Ava took her hand, held it, and Jennifer felt better.

Margo offered coffee or water. Her dad took water. Tommy took nothing. They sat at the large table, prearranged so that Jennifer could watch her dad's face.

"I talked to Jennifer—Virginia—and she's not coming," Margo said. She put a water bottle in front of Jennifer's dad and sat down next to Jack. "You need to convince us that you're no threat to her, and we'll relay that to your daughter. Ultimately, any decision about how to proceed will be up to her."

He nodded once. "Thank you for your time. I'll get right to the point. You know that my daughter staged her death eight years ago and has taken another identity."

"Yes."

"And she told you about my business."

"I learned most on my own, but she filled in some holes."

"Virginia was always a smart girl," he said wistfully. "I hadn't even considered she hadn't died. Even though there was no body..." He took a deep breath, coughed, drank some water. "Jenny White was Virginia's best friend. She died just before their fourteenth birthdays."

"Died in an arson fire, correct?"

A nod. Jennifer saw the flash of pain and anger in her dad's eyes, then it was gone.

"Her father was my best friend. My...enemies...killed them."

His words were calm, cool, but Jennifer felt the heat of his eyes as he kept them firmly on Margo.

Margo said, "How did you find her?"

"Two weeks ago, a local investigator called my insurance agent to confirm the deaths of the Whites. Jimmy and I had used the same insurance firm, and my agent thought it was odd—he hadn't had inquiries about Jimmy or his family for years. The investigator told the agent he was tracking a woman named Jennifer White in Phoenix who had parents of the same name. White is very common, but my agent wanted to let me know, in case...well, in case someone was trying to mess with me. It made me wonder..." He shook his head. "I didn't believe that Virginia was alive, but I thought I should look into it. I hired Trident Security and asked them to locate Jennifer White, twenty-six, in Phoenix and provide me with a photo and fingerprints."

"And she did."

"The photo, yes, and the fingerprints were being run. But I didn't need them—I knew by the picture that it was Virginia. I asked Ms. Endicott to track her so I had information before I reached out. I didn't know how I would do so."

Fingerprints. How had they gotten them? Had they broken into her condo? Her work? Her car? Jennifer probably shouldn't be surprised.

"And then...?" Margo prompted.

"Thomas and I consulted and decided the best thing was to talk to Virginia face-to-face. But when we arrived on Monday, she was missing. I feared she had somehow found out I was here, that she ran and I would never be able to find her, to explain everything."

His voice cracked, and Jennifer sucked in her breath. Her dad looked like he was still grieving.

"What do you plan to do with Jennifer?"

"Do with her?" He shook his head. "Talk. Ask for her forgiveness. I would like her to come home."

Jennifer shook her head. She would never return to Florida. It was full of pain and grief and death. Never in a million years.

"But mostly," he said, "I want to see her, to tell her I am sorry about the life I gave her. It wasn't fair to her, or to Thomas. Her mother and I...we grew up the same, in families that, let's say, didn't always play by legal rules. We knew how hard it was, but we didn't face death as Virginia did. First my wife, my strong, beautiful wife, taken too soon. Then my best friend, murdered. And I didn't see what it did to my children. I don't know if I would have cared if I had seen, not at the time. Now I see everything clearly, and I want to make it right."

"How?" Margo asked bluntly.

It's what Jennifer would have asked.

"I love Virginia. With all my heart and soul, I love my daughter and I will beg for her forgiveness. For what I did, for what she suffered. Thomas was gracious enough to forgive me."

Her dad was crying. She had never seen him cry. Not after her mom died, not after the Whites were murdered, not ever. But tears rolled down his hollow cheeks.

Tommy took their dad's hand and squeezed it. For the first time, he spoke, "My dad is dying. We walked away from everything in Miami—everything," he repeated for emphasis. "We bought a hundred-acre ranch in Wyoming, and that's where we're going tomorrow. We want—both Dad and me—for Virginia to come with us. I want my family back."

Jennifer didn't notice she was crying until the tears dripped off her chin. She got up, almost fell down. Tess steadied her.

"Is it true?" Jennifer asked Ava, searching her eyes. "Is he dying?"

Ava nodded. "I spoke with Miriam Endicott earlier. He provided her with a copy of his medical records. They could have been falsified I suppose, but looking at him, I think they're accurate. He has pancreatic cancer and treatment has been unsuccessful. He has three to six months to live."

Jennifer had been terrified that her father would find a way to bring her home, to put her under his thumb. But she hadn't expected this.

"Are you ready?" Ava said.

Jennifer could only nod. She let Ava escort her down the hall and into the conference room and she stood there and stared at her brother, her father. She couldn't contain her flood of conflicting emotions, and on a sob said, "Daddy, is it true?"

He slowly stood, nodded. Took a step toward her, his face in pain. Emotional and physical pain. He was dying.

She ran to him and hugged him. Tommy, who towered over both of them, wrapped his long arms around both of them.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm sorry. I just... I hurt. I couldn't live like that anymore. I felt...broken and lost and..." Her voice cracked.

"No apologies," her dad said. "You owe me nothing. I'm sorry that you were in so much pain, that you suffered because of my actions. I didn't think. I just...didn't realize how much you knew, what you saw, how you felt." He stepped back and looked at them. "I gave up the business, all of it, because Thomas asked me to. I can't promise you it won't be dangerous to stay with me now, I still have enemies, but because I've disengaged, they have no reason to come after me. I love you so much, Virginia. In the time I have left, I will do anything to make it up to you and Thomas."