by Claire Booth
‘Cuz I’m going to get it now, in the will? Twenty-two grand.’
‘No,’ she said, in the gentlest tone she’d used with anyone all day. ‘Because less than two weeks before he died, he cashed out part of his retirement CD for exactly that amount. We found it hidden in the desk in his living room.’
Lonnie raised his head and squinted up at her. ‘He was going to give me the money? After saying no? And after being an asshole all those years?’
‘That’s what it looks like. That he finally believed you weren’t the one who did it. And that maybe changed how he thought about you.’
‘Huh.’ He sat stone still for a long time. Sheila waited. She wasn’t in any hurry.
Finally, he spoke. ‘I don’t even know what to think about that.’
‘Family. It’s a bitch, isn’t it?’ Sheila said.
He let himself in the front door as quietly as he could. Which wasn’t the least bit necessary. Everyone was still awake. The kids were in the kitchen from the sound of it. The adults were sitting in the living room and turned toward him as one with the same question on their faces.
‘She killed him. Tina did. She basically admitted it.’
‘Thank God,’ Maggie whispered. The rest of the sentence – that it wasn’t Lew – remained unspoken.
He shrugged off his coat and went to put his service weapon in the bedroom gun safe. When he came back, two hyper-exhausted dervishes ambushed him. He picked up Benny and tried to hold him at arms’ length. ‘Is that a black eye? What the hell happened to you?’
Maggie pointed toward the kitchen, where Jerry stood in the doorway. ‘He happened.’
‘I didn’t know you were here.’
Jerry shrugged. ‘It didn’t seem right to send the lovely Aunt Fin on the long drive from Columbia by herself.’
Maggie stood and gave Jerry a wry smile. ‘And he managed to keep the kids occupied while you were arresting people on our front lawn.’
Hank looked at his children. Maribel showed him five different ‘tattoos’ before he spoke again.
‘You let them play with Sharpie markers?’
‘No, no,’ Jerry said. ‘I didn’t let them do it. I did it. Look at that artwork. Little kids couldn’t do that. That’s good stuff. Look at that unicorn.’
Hank pointed to the black eye patch on Benny.
‘OK. I didn’t do that. That one wasn’t me. They both wanted it. I got outvoted.’
‘That’s not how parenting works, Jerry. The adult doesn’t get outvoted,’ Maggie said, but there was a tiny hint of amusement in her voice. He tried to seize on it as a sign that his family would be OK, but he couldn’t quite get there. He looked over at Duncan and Fin on the couch, both of them bloodshot and blotchy.
‘It will be all right,’ he said. He’d spent the last five days peddling half-truths. Why stop now? ‘Everybody should try to get some sleep.’
Jerry moved first, taking two small hands and skipping with the kids down the hall. The McCleary siblings followed silently and slowly. Finally it was just him and Maggie. She crossed over and wrapped her arms around him. He laid his cheek on her shoulder. ‘I’m sorry.’
Her arms tightened. ‘Don’t be. Please. Just be my Hank. Be my funny, brilliant, kind, happy Hank. That’s what will make everything all right.’
He brushed her hair back from her face.
‘I’ll try.’
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Once again, I was incredibly fortunate to have help bringing this novel to life. My first readers – Carol Adler, Paige Kneeland, Mike Brown, and Sarah Pollock – always have feedback, opinions, and advice that is invaluable. I couldn’t do it without them. Thank you so much. Another debt of gratitude goes to Luis Enrique Meneses Jr. for his generous help with Spanish translations, as well as Meredith, whose initial guidance in this area got me started in the right direction. I also want to thank Brian Hall, who is always so giving of his time when a friend needs assistance.
Carl Smith and Kate Lyall Grant and the rest of the Severn House Publishers team are great to work with and have provided the Hank Worth series with wonderful care and support. And my agent, Jim McCarthy, has helped me navigate this business for a long time and knows just when I need that extra dose of encouragement.
And lastly, my family is the reason I’m able to reach this finish line every time. You are always first in my heart.