Chapter 97

8:45 p.m. Friday

Estrella and Scott McKenzie sat on an ottoman in the guest room of the Rileys' house and took in their surroundings.

Most of the furnishings had been in the Manhattan townhouse so the view was similar. It was the rest of the situation that they found discomforting.

"She actually seemed sincere," Estrella noted.

"I keep waiting for ... I'm not sure what I'm waiting for but I know it's something nasty," Scott replied. "It's like ... it's like when she was writing her essay for Columbia and wanted me to do it for her. She was super sweet for like a month. She brought all of her cute girlfriends to the house whenever I was there."

"We were dating then," Estrella pointed out.

"Yeah," Scott agreed. "I didn't do anything with them but they were always there and they were nice, too."

"They'd better not have been too nice," Estrella declared.

"They were never too nice," Scott told her. "You remember that crew she ran with back then. There were all a bunch of snobs. I wouldn't have done anything with them even if they wanted me to."

"You're probably lying but I'll let it pass," Estrella said, laughing.

"Yeah, I probably am," Scott agreed. "Anyway, after a month of asking me if I needed a ride somewhere or if I wanted to do something with her and her friends, she finally filled me in why she was being so considerate. She wanted me to write her essay to make sure she got into the school."

"Did you?" Estrella wondered.

"She got in, didn't she?" Scott replied, winking at his wife. "Honestly, no. I was naive but I wasn't a total idiot."

"Must have just been when I wasn't around then," Estrella replied, nudging Scott with her elbow. "Because you were a total doofus every time I saw you. But go ahead with what you were saying."

"I set her up," Scott admitted. "When I didn't agree immediately, she started to pressure me. I just found a way to have Mom overhear some of the threats she made to me. That put an end to Rita's coercion."

"Mama's boy," Estrella jibed.

"I needed an ally," Scott said. "Rita was Dad's Princess. I mean, she could do no wrong in his eyes."

"Still can't," Estrella interrupted. Scott nodded his agreement.

"So, Mom sort of stepped in to make sure the playing field was level," he said.

"You think she wants something from you now?" Estrella wondered. She had been married for 18 years and she figured she'd spent less than a week total around Scott's older sister since their wedding day.

"I don't know what it could be," Scott admitted. "I've tried to look at the problem from several angles and none make sense. We have nothing they couldn't get in about 10 minutes. The only thing I can come up with is that Judge Trainer is a neighbor."

The McKenzie household in Hartford was situated in an upper-class neighborhood. A sitting federal judge lived two doors down - although the families moved in different circles despite the fact that Estrella also was a member of the legal profession.

"That doesn't wash," Estrella said. "Rita would have been vetted pretty thoroughly before being offered a Cabinet post. She doesn't need his help for anything."

"I came to the same conclusion," Scott agreed. "But nothing else makes sense."

"Then there is Regan," Estrella pointed out. "The last time I saw her she was ... standoffish."

"Just say it," Scott replied. "She was a little bitch about everything. She totally ignored our kids and would have probably ditched them somewhere if she'd been forced to take them with her."

"That did piss me off," Estrella confessed.

"I know," Scott said. "It pissed me off, too."

"What does your mother say?" Estrella inquired.

"She said that Rita has experienced a 'metamorphosis, '" Scott related.

The couple fell silent as they pondered their individual thoughts.

"Regan's boyfriend seems ... normal," Estrella posed.

"Right up to the time he weirded out on us," Scott replied.

"Yeah, that was strange," Estrella agreed. "Do you think the girls are OK?"

"I think so," Scott said after thinking for a moment. "I mean, they're older now and Ashlyn can take care of herself if need be. Tori is smart enough to call us if something isn't right."

He glanced at his wife again.

"It sucks when you can't even trust your own sister," he admitted.

Andy drove Regan's car into the parking lot just after Chris Grant arrived. Regan had nervously asked if she could use his larger vehicle to transport the girls from the house and Andy had immediately agreed. Her car was worth a hell of a lot more than his and she'd let him drive it for a week at a time.

Chris exited his car with big grin.

"Done and done!" he declared, extending his hand for a fist bump. He had finished his last exam and resigned from the All-City Orchestra in the previous five hours. He planned to enjoy his summer for a few weeks before heading to New York in late July to begin his preparations for his rigorous first year at Julliard.

The guys grew confused at the segregation between the groups when they started to walk across the lot. One group was chatting amiably; the other was involved in an animated discussion.

Andy headed for the first. Whatever was going on with Regan, Joy and the older sister whose name he still couldn't remember was more drama than he needed just then.

"Jesus," Chris said. "Picture that chick in six-inch heels and leather pants!"

"That's Regan's cousin," Andy pointed out.

"I wasn't going to try to bang her," Chris joked. "I was just saying she could totally be a dominatrix."

"Don't forget that she's Rita's niece so she might have swung a paddle or two in her life," Andy jibed. "That's her sister beside Ruth."

Chris did a double take when he shifted to the other blonde newcomer.

"She's as tall as the other one!" Chris said.

"And she's 14 or something so keep your dick in your pants around her, too," Andy laughed. "You don't get to bag sisters to add to the list of fantasies you've already fulfilled."

Ruth saw Chris walking toward her and broke free from Tori, Elizabeth and Paul. She ignored Andy and offered Chris a chaste kiss on his lips. Andy just kept walking toward his friends - and another person whose name had slipped his mind. He was going to have to pay closer attention, he decided, but a lot of information had come his way in a short amount of time.

"Hey," he offered the group at large. Paul shook his hand and Elizabeth gave him a brief hug. That left Tori standing there. "What? Nothing from you?"

He extended his fist and the young woman tapped hers against it with a grin. Andy smiled back at her for a moment.

"Uh, look, I'm not a total dumbass, OK," he said. "The truth is, I got hit with a lot of stuff all at once today. I mean, with Regan's folks' announcement and then the stuff with my mom, I've ... I've forgotten your name. I'm really sorry. Regan has told me that you're a real sweetheart so I hope you'll forgive me."

"Tori," she said with a slight blush. She couldn't imagine Regan calling her a sweetheart.

"Tori," Andy said. "God, I knew that. I really feel stupid. Uh, your sister?"

Tori glanced over her shoulder to the threesome headed toward them. She was used to people forgetting her name but everyone always remembered her sister.

"Ashlyn," she said.

"Like ... Kentucky?" Andy wondered. Tori spelled the name and Andy nodded. "Thanks, I promise, I won't forget again. I'm Andy, by the way."

"I know that," Tori said, laughing.

"I thought the rest of your crew was coming with you," Andy said to Elizabeth and Paul.

"Dad's bringing John and Lupe," Paul replied. "Chuck is staying home to study ... and Noel said go-kart racing sounded gay."

"Oh my God!" Tori said, rolling her eyes dramatically. "She and Ashlyn would totally be BFFs."

"Is your sister an asshole, too?" Andy wondered - not realizing that the aforementioned sister was within earshot. Tori glanced over his shoulder and he turned to see Regan and Joy fighting giggles and Ashlyn scowling at him.

"Well, I guess I should just go to the source," Andy said, peeved at himself for the gaffe and at Ashlyn for glaring at him (not to mention the fact that she had been arguing with Regan a minute earlier). "Are you an asshole like John's sister? We might as well get it out of the way now if you are."

"I'm not an asshole," Ashlyn huffed.

"Well, good," Andy shot back. "Then there is no reason we can't have fun and get to know each other."

Regan gave Andy a soft hug - far more sedate than her typical greeting - just as Joy said, "Told you," to Ashlyn.

"Is everything OK with your mom?" Regan asked.

Andy nodded but Elizabeth's interest was piqued.

"What's wrong with Camille?" she wondered. Andy noticed Joy and Ruth looking at him questioningly, too - not to mention Tori. He glanced at Regan, who shook her head. She hadn't told anyone about why Andy was upset.

"Just a ... misunderstanding ... I guess," he said. "We're OK."

Andy put his arm around Regan and whispered his thanks as they waited for John and Lupe to arrive then headed to the go-kart track. Things with Camille might be OK but things weren't OK with the attendant. He informed the group that those without a driver's license couldn't use the cars alone.

That produced a trio of groans. John and Lupe had no license and Tori's was a learner's permit from Connecticut. The rest of the group - except for Ashlyn - had "restricted licenses," not that they (or the police) paid much attention to those restrictions.

"We have karts you can use," the attendant told Regan. "Uh, the thing is, we only have two of them left tonight. It's not usually this busy so we didn't get them all ready this afternoon. Really, we only have five single karts left - and the two doubles."

Ashlyn had shown the guy her driver's license and stepped to the back of the group. She saw frustration written on several faces and she waited for Regan's tirade to begin.

"And I'm sure you weren't expecting 11 to show up at a time," Regan said instead. "It's no problem."

She stood and looked at the costs on the board over the guy's head for a moment.

"OK, how's this?" she wondered. "It's $10 for half an hour and we'll need the seven karts you have left. You close in two hours. That's... $280. Here's $300 and we'll figure out the rest."

The attendant looked grateful - but no one else did. They all had their wallets open or money in their hands.

"This is on Mom and Dad," Regan said, turning around and seeing the situation.

"Then why are we at a go-kart track?" Chris asked. "Hell, the next time they're paying, tell me earlier and we'll go car shopping!"

Ruth nudged him with her elbow but the rest laughed at him.

"Seriously?" Andy asked in a soft voice. Regan nodded. Rita had been so pleased that her daughter was willing to change plans to include her cousins that she had given her $1,000 to keep everyone entertained.

She braced herself for Andy's protests but he just offered a shrug and a wink. The group moved to the railing to watch the karts zoom past while the attendant got things set up for them.

"This looks like fun," Regan said.

"Just like mini golf was a couple of weeks ago," Ruth pointed out. "Who's riding with who?"

"Whom," Lupe corrected automatically. Ruth stuck her tongue out and Lupe cringed.

"Allow me to rephrase," Ruth said, winking at Lupe. "Who shall share vehicular accommodations with whom?"

"Lupe can ride with me first and John can ride with Paul," Elizabeth proposed. A couple of people shifted their eyes to Tori to see her reaction but she only nodded.

"I'll sit out the first run," Andy offered. "I rode to the store with Regan last weekend and I'm still a little shaky. She thinks a parking lot is a race track. I want to see how she behaves on a real one before I get on the track with her."