“Why were you unhappy?”
“There are at least two sides, Margot. I’m sure you’ve heard the other one, loud and clear. Lisa became discontented with me and my career. I was trying to establish a law practice, which, as I learned, is hard to do in a small town like this. Look around the square, there are so many lawyers. Lisa wanted a lot more. She was raised with money and she was spoiled by her parents. Stephanie married a doctor and before long they were in a bigger house. Lisa watched everything they bought, talked about every trip they took, and so on. Her parents obviously favored Stephanie and Dean and often made comparisons, especially her mother. I never measured up, was never good enough. As you are acutely aware, they’re hardcore Baptists and expected me to be in church at least three times a week.”
“That hasn’t changed.”
“I’m sure. It was too much for me. I got sick of their hypocrisy, their materialism, their racism, all in the name of God. I tried to avoid them, and Lisa and I drifted apart. We chose not to fight in front of you and Helen, so we settled into a routine of faking it and trying to ignore one another. We were both pretty miserable. There you have it. My side of the story. The marriage was over and both of us wanted out. I saw an opportunity and ran away.”
She cocked her head and took a long drag, much like a beautiful actress in a crime movie, a sexy move she had down pat. She extended her bottom lip and exhaled a stream of smoke that rose to the ceiling. She had yet to offer anything close to a smile. She said, “Helen, of course, was oblivious, but I knew from the age of ten that things weren’t right. You can only hide so much from kids.”
“I’m sure I’ve caused you a lot of embarrassment.”
She rolled her eyes as if to say, If you only knew, then placed the cigarette in the ashtray and said, “Yes, you have, but it’s not all bad, Mack. It has really opened my eyes and it has taught me a lot about people. The rich kids, my old gang, have enjoyed the gossip behind my back, the put-downs, the snide comments, the stuff they’ve heard at home. The middle-class kids want to hang with the rich ones so they’ve piled on too. The poor kids have enough of their own problems. The black kids actually think it’s cool that my father beat the system and got away. They know what it’s like to be judged, so they don’t judge. They’re a lot more fun. I’ve learned a lot about people and most of it’s not good. In some weird way, I should say thanks, Mack.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Always the smart-ass, right?”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I get that from you. Mom has always said that I’m a natural smart-ass, just like my father.”
“That’s the nicest thing she’s said about me in years.”
“See.” And she finally smiled. The expensive teeth were dazzling.
Neither spoke for a long time. There was so much to say, but then they had already covered a lot of ground.
She took her purse and said, “I need to be going. I told Mom I was running some errands. She wants us to stay close.”
“And she has no idea we’re meeting?”
“No, no way. She would be furious if she knew. We’ve been lectured by her, and by Hermie too, that we are to report any effort by you to contact us.”
“I’m not surprised.” Mack had worried that the meeting was a ruse by the family to confirm the rumors that he was indeed back in the area. Now that he had been spotted, they could make their next move, whatever it might be. But those concerns were over. His beautiful daughter was blunt and honest, and could be trusted.
He said, “I’ll be thinking of you and Helen, and Lisa too. The next few weeks will be difficult.”
“Thanks, I guess. I gotta tell you, Mack, I’m tired of crying. I love my mother and I’ll die when she dies, but at some point I’ll wake up and get on with life. And it won’t be around here.”
“Got someplace in mind?”
She shook her head as if she’d had enough. “Not really. Look, let’s talk about it next time.”
“So we can meet again?”
“Sure.” She stood and walked to the door, where she stopped and looked at him. “Maybe next time, Mack, I’ll be ready for a hug.”
“I love you, Margot.”
Without a reply, she opened the door and left.
（23）
Of the four Special Agents assigned to the Oxford office of the FBI, the one with the least seniority was a rookie named Nick Lenzini. He was a cocky sort from Long Island, and when he left training at Quantico the last place he wanted to go was Mississippi. But, as he knew well, that was the way the Bureau operated. He would do his five years and transfer to a bigger assignment as soon as possible. The file landed on his desk when the other three agents quickly passed on it. They were too busy fighting terror, hate groups, cybercrime, and drug cartels. Bankruptcy fraud was not a priority.