Chapter 37
Jennie
I heard Lisa say her name all the way from the bedroom. That was the thing about a big and echoic house, especially when all else was quiet. I took a moment to calm myself down and shove my suitcase, half packed, back into the closet. Then I took a deep breath, put on a massive fake smile onto my face, and strode out to the foyer.
"Agent Ahn." I cried out in greeting with the most polite tone that I could muster. Lisa turned to me, with her eyes meeting mine. I could see the terror there. "I wasn't aware you were stopping by today."
"We like to do surprise visits from time to time..." she explained, eyeing us both, "... in these cases."
"Of course. Please, come in."
I gestured for her to enter the house, trying to make myself appear as comfortable here as I would be in my apartment in New York. This was, after all, supposed to be just as much my home as Lisa's. Agent Ahn passed us both, gazing around the house with a shrewd eye. Lisa met my gaze and raised a brow, clearly concerned about how our current fight would affect my cooperation in this investigation. I clenched my jaw and glared back at her as if to say: 'how dare you think I would compromise your status here just because I'm angry with you?', then I turned back to the agent.
"Agent Ahn, can we get you something to drink or..." I started.
"Tea would be lovely, thanks." she replied curtly, cutting me off and striding into the sitting room.
"Nan!" I cried, though I hated doing it. I still wasn't used to bossing people around like servants. But I couldn't let the agent see that. Nan came running around the corner in an instant, brushing her hands off on her apron as she always does. "Please get the agent some tea."
Nan looked from me to the federal agent sitting on Lisa's couch, wide eyed, and then ran off to fetch the beverage.
"Look, Agent Ahn, we have complied in every way with your investigation. I'm not sure what you're expecting to find that you haven't
already..." Lisa began, taking a seat in front of her and starting negotiations as her business sense always pushed her to do. I grimaced. This matter felt a bit more sensitive than that. A marriage was not a business deal. At least, it wasn't normally.
"I just have some questions." she interrupted again. She was clearly a woman on a mission without the time or patience for pleasantries and posturing. As she busied herself with pulling out a tape recorder and a notepad, Lisa looked up at me and I lowered myself into the seat next to her. Under the surface, I was still seething with rage and, truthfully, I didn't want to be anywhere near her. But I would grin and bear it for however long this took because she did not deserve to get deported because of my anger. I, at least, had the presence of mind to understand that.
"So, Ms. Manoban, I understand that you are worth a great deal of money?" She asked. She sounded almost bored. Like the idea of fabulous wealth wasn't nearly as interesting to her as it was to the rest of the world.
"Umm, I suppose you could say that, yes." Lisa answered, caught off guard by her question.
"I just want to be sure we are clear that, no matter how much money you have, you are subject to the same investigation as anyone else."
"Of course." Lisa replied, clearly offended. "Why would I think..."
I placed my hand on her knee. "Honey, I don't think she meant to offend you." I said, calmly.
"Certainly not." Agent Ahn agreed, though her tone said otherwise. She clicked her pen and crossed her legs, watching us as I removed my hand from Lisa's knee. "I'm going to ask you each generic questions about your lives, your marriage, and then we're going to get into the test, to see how well you know each other as a couple. Six years of marriage indicates that you should know a great deal about one another by now, even living so far apart."
We nodded.
"First, what is your job in New York, Jennie?" She asked.
"I'm head writer on a show called Basketcase." I replied, inwardly
groaning at having to say that so seriously. "And where do you live?"
"Like my address or..."
"Your living situation."
"I share an apartment with two friends."
"And do they know about your marriage to Ms. Manoban?"
"Yes. They were just here for a visit, actually."
She nodded, with her pen scratching the paper as she jotted down her
notes.
"The two of you met here, in California, did you not?" She asked without
looking up.
"We did." Lisa answered. "In college."
"UCLA."
"Yes."
"How did you meet?"
"At a Halloween party." I recalled. "She was dressed as a robot. I was
sort of a cat." Lisa grinned at the recollection. I looked away from her smile because it touched my heart too much.
"You are from here originally, yes, Jennie?" The agent asked.
"I am." I replied.
"Have you visited your family while being back?"
"Yes. I went to see my mother today. My father and I are no longer on
speaking terms."
"Despite the fact that your spouse still pays his medical bills?"
Lisa's eyes widened in surprise. My jaw clenched but I answered her
anyway, "Yes."
"And your sister?"
"She lives in Washington State now. But I am not on speaking terms with
her either."
Agent Ahn looked up at that. "A lot of strife in your family." she
observed and then gestured between us. "Does this situation have anything to do with it?"
"No." I answered, quickly. She raised a brow as if searching for more information. I sighed. "My father left my mother for a younger woman when I was a senior in college. Irene took his side. I took my mom's side. We had a falling out about it a few years ago and haven't spoken since."
"Did you know that your spouse was paying for your father's hospital bills?"
"What does this have to do with..." Lisa started.
"No." I told her and Lisa's gaze snapped to me. "But I'm glad she did." I reached over and took Lisa's hand. "She did the right thing." I said. "She always does. That's why I married her."
