Pious Deception by Susan Dunlap Page B

too concerned that I wasn’t.”
    Kiernan waited for her to go on. When she didn’t, Kiernan said, “Fifteen years is a long time to be lovers.”
    Beth jerked upright, the spell broken. “Fifteen years! Haven’t you heard what I told you? There’s been nothing between Austin and me since he chose the seminary. What do you take me for?”
    “But Beth, you followed him to Phoenix.”
    “Followed him! Look, I didn’t follow him. If anything he followed me. I was here months before he ever thought of Phoenix. And don’t start thinking I was front-trailing him like a dog. There was no way I could have guessed he’d be sent out here. He was in seminary back East. His godfather’s brother is an archbishop. Austin got him to pull strings to get him out here.”
    “To be with you?”
    “How do I know?” Her right hand was braced against the back of the sofa; she looked ready to push off, stand up, and stalk out.
    Careful not to meet her gaze, not to challenge her, Kiernan said, “It’s very possible I’ve been given false information. People lie to investigators all the time, Beth. I didn’t know Philip Vanderhooven would come here. And believe me, I am not pleased he did. But there’s more to the question of your relationship with Austin. I found a pair of red lace bikini pants.”
    Beth dug her fingers into the back of the sofa. “Anybody can buy bikini pants.”
    “These had been worn.”
    “So?”
    “They are yours. From fifteen years ago? From the Mexican trip?”
    She hesitated, then nodded.
    “How did they get in his dresser drawer?”
    “I don’t know.” Another truck rattled by. The plastic quivered under Beth’s fingers, but she seemed not to notice.
    “Those pants are a real damning piece of evidence, Beth. How do you think they could have gotten there?”
    “Maybe Austin took them. He was the one who bought them. I never cared about them.”
    “When would he have been in a position to take them?”
    “Look, I don’t know,” Beth snapped. “It could have been any time. I didn’t wear them. They aren’t pants you wear for comfort.”
    Kiernan sat silent, watching Beth consider her own danger. Beth ran her forefinger back and forth across the black plastic. Her eyes were half-closed, her lips pressed hard together. In the waiting room the phone rang again. This time Kiernan could hear the murmur of the receptionist’s voice. Then Beth opened her eyes and swallowed. When she spoke, there was no sign of emotion in her voice. “I’m going to tell you about Austin because it’s in my self-interest. And you can believe what I say or not.”
    Kiernan nodded.
    “I don’t know why Austin came to Phoenix. It’s not that I haven’t given the question thought. Here I am, head of the women’s center. I’m supposed to have my life together.” She gave a forced laugh. “Austin wasn’t sleeping with me. We hadn’t been to bed since college, since the night he told me he was going into the seminary. He took me to dinner, then to a hotel, made love. Austin was always good in bed. I didn’t realize how good until it was over between us and I started dating other guys. But that night it was as if it was the last chance he’d ever get, which of course it was. I just didn’t know it then. Afterwards we sat up, leaning back against the headboard. I remember it was a padded headboard like they had in the fifties. And Austin told me he was going into the seminary.”
    “Tantamount to announcing his engagement to someone else,” Kiernan said.
    “Worse. Another woman, well, you may not like it, but there’s plenty of precedent, plenty of friends who’ve gone through that and are only too happy to console you. But the Church! It’s not like there’s someone better; he just doesn’t want you!”
    Beth’s face had relaxed. In that face Kiernan thought she could see the bewilderment of the college girl Austin Vanderhooven had discarded.
    “I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t awful. Maybe