Monster In The Closet (The Baltimore Series Book 5)

by Karen Rose

  Sometimes Jasmine didn’t completely hate her stutter. It gave her an excuse not to talk to people she didn’t like.

  ‘Jazzie!’ Janie had flour on her nose and a sunny smile on her face, and Jasmine’s dark mood lightened just a smidge, as Mama used to say. ‘Me and Aunt Lilah are making cookies, Jazzie! Want some dough?’

  Grandma threw an exasperated look over her shoulder. ‘Janie, I told you not to eat the dough. You’ll get worms or something.’

  ‘I don’t see no worms,’ Janie said, squinting at the lump of dough on her spoon.

  Aunt Lilah bit back a smile. ‘You won’t see the worms, baby. They’re microscopic.’

  Janie made a horrified face. ‘You mean cookies are full of cooked worms?’

  Aunt Lilah chuckled, sounding so much like their mama that Jasmine’s eyes burned. ‘No, baby. But grownups have to tell you not to eat the dough, just in case.’

  Janie inspected the spoon again. ‘So I probably won’t get sick?’

  ‘Probably not,’ Aunt Lilah agreed. ‘Keep it to one spoonful, okay?’

  ‘Lilah!’ Grandma snapped, upset. ‘Don’t be telling her things like that.’

  ‘Eunice,’ Lilah responded patiently. ‘I’ve eaten cookie dough my whole life and I’ve never been sick. The girls don’t need to be afraid of everything. Okay?’

  Grandma turned back to the sink with a sniff.

  Aunt Lilah rolled her eyes, then smiled at Jasmine. ‘We’re indulging tonight. A little celebration. Come sit with us.’

  Jasmine dragged herself to the table and sat next to Aunt Lilah, cocking her head in question.

  ‘Why are we celebrating?’ Aunt Lilah asked. ‘I think just because it was a good day.’

  Janie’s lip poked out in a pout. ‘You get to cel’brate tomorrow too, and it’s not fair. Why can’t I have ice cream too, Aunt Lilah?’

  ‘If you stop whining, I might get you some,’ Aunt Lilah said, then turned back to Jasmine. ‘You’ve hit it off pretty well with Miss Taylor at the farm, haven’t you?’

  Jasmine nodded warily, wondering if they could have seen her looking at the business card.

  ‘Good,’ Aunt Lilah said. ‘Would you enjoy some time with her away from the horses?’

  Jasmine nodded hard. Because the horses were freaking terrifying.

  Aunt Lilah smiled. ‘Excellent. I set up some time for the two of you to have ice cream tomorrow afternoon. You seemed to like talking to her, so I thought maybe . . .’

  Jasmine’s eyes widened. I didn’t talk to her. I said thank you. That’s it. But Aunt Lilah looked so hopeful that Jasmine nodded a final time. Maybe this was a sign that she should tell Miss Taylor the truth. Just so somebody would know. In case he came back.

  Ten

  Hunt Valley, Maryland,

  Saturday 22 August, 7.45 P.M.

  The knocking on her bedroom door had Taylor jerking out of a light sleep. Her chin snapped up, causing the back of her head to smack the headboard. She rubbed her head with a wince. Exactly what my headache needed. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Dinner will be ready in five minutes,’ Maggie said through the door. ‘Ford wanted me to tell you that if you want, he can make you a plate. I can bring it up.’

  Taylor almost said yes to that, the idea of hiding from Ford a little too appealing. She’d all but thrown herself at him – but he hadn’t caught her. Instead he had to be a nice guy. At the moment Taylor wasn’t feeling very nice. She was itchy. Needy. Horny, she admitted.

  But Ford was right. Today wouldn’t have been a good time to start anything – for either of them. He was vulnerable too. She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt any of them. But she would. She already had hurt Clay.

  Goddamn you, Mom.

  ‘Do you want me to bring your dinner up?’ Maggie prompted.

  ‘Is . . . is it just the three of us?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ Maggie hedged. ‘Can I open the door?’

  No. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

  The door opened a crack and Maggie stuck her head in, wincing when she saw Taylor’s eyes, red and swollen. ‘Oh, Taylor,’ she murmured.

  ‘I’ll be all right. Who’s here?’

  ‘Right now, just the three of us. But Daphne is on her way over.’

  It was Taylor’s turn to wince. ‘Is she angry?’

  ‘No. Joseph was fit to be tied when he heard the news.’ A little smile curled at the corners of Maggie’s mouth. ‘He wants to know how you bamboozled his background check.’

  Taylor’s lips twitched. ‘Bamboozled?’

  Maggie’s eyes twinkled. ‘He used a different, less polite word. Luckily he’s off on a case. He won’t be able to interrogate you until at least tomorrow. I think Daphne’s mad at herself for not seeing the resemblance between you and your father. She was plumb flattened.’

  Maggie’s West Virginia twang was out in full force and Taylor understood it was to disarm and charm. She’d heard Maggie fall back into the accent with some of the program’s participants. She would get all folksy, putting kids and their parents at ease. It was putting Taylor at ease right now.

  She smiled at the older woman. ‘So four of us for dinner?’

  ‘Unless someone else shows up, but they shouldn’t. We’ll ask everyone to wait until you and Clay have had more of a chance to talk.’

  Taylor’s smile faded. ‘I hate to think I made problems for him with his new family. That’s not why I came.’

  Maggie sat on the edge of the bed and patted Taylor’s knee. ‘I know that. So do Daphne and Clay. Stevie will come around because she loves him. This thing with Cordelia has been brewing for a long time, so don’t you worry your head about it. Daphne will also understand if you want to eat in your room tonight. She’s coming to check in with Ford as much as to see you.’

  Taylor frowned. ‘Why? Why does she need to check on Ford?’

  Maggie hesitated, then sighed, apology in her eyes. ‘Because I’m a busybody. I guess I was feeling guilty for keeping Cordy’s secret from Stevie, so I went a little overboard in telling Daphne about Ford.’ Gray brows lifted. ‘And you.’

  Taylor stared, stunned. ‘We didn’t do anything.’

  ‘You would have if Ford hadn’t stopped. And before you get your panties in a twist, nobody’s mad about that. It’s just that Ford’s our boy. Daphne, her mama and I watched him grow up, taught him how a man should treat a woman. God knows he never had a decent role model in his own sperm donor,’ she added in a mutter.

  ‘Did Ford’s dad . . . did he abuse Daphne?’

  ‘He didn’t hit her, but he and that family of his did everything they could to manipulate and destroy her.’ Maggie hesitated. ‘Daphne was only fifteen when Ford was conceived. Travis Elkhart got her tipsy and she was . . . well, let’s just say she knew the birds and the bees, but nobody had prepared her for the alley cats with their smooth lines and expensive champagne.’

  ‘Ford’s father was her first,’ Taylor said quietly, understanding. Daphne had only been fifteen. ‘He took advantage of her innocence.’ And so Ford would not take advantage of Taylor after she’d had a shock. That made sense. It was sweet, actually.

  But I’m still horny, she thought irritably. I should have been the one to decide what we did. Because I knew what I wanted.

  Maggie hesitated again. ‘Look, you lost your mom, Taylor, so I’m going to be presumptive and give you a motherly talking-to. You are, pretty literally, just off the farm, finally free of your daddy’s leash. It’s normal to explore. Totally normal. But you need to take care with whom you explore. Once that door’s been opened, it can’t be closed again. Ford would treat you right, but . . .’ She tilted her head forward, her smile gentle. ‘Maybe you both deserve better than a quick tumble in my kitchen.’

  Oh. Oh God. ‘I wouldn�
��t have . . . would never have . . . Wait. How do you know?’ Taylor’s cheeks burned. ‘You spied on us? Cameras in the kitchen? Really?’

  Maggie had the good grace to look embarrassed. ‘No, no cameras in the kitchen, but I was sitting in the next room. It wasn’t that hard to know what was happening. But I didn’t see you. Ford told me. He wanted to come up here and try to explain, but I convinced him to give you an hour or so and let you keep your pride. Ford understands pride.’

  ‘Because he lost his to Kimberly,’ Taylor murmured.

  Maggie looked impressed. ‘So you’re not as fresh off the farm as you appear.’

  ‘I read Ford’s court transcripts. I read about you all, hoping to find some information about Clay.’ There really hadn’t been any, though, and all Taylor had learned was that Ford’s ex was a horrible person. ‘I know that Ford’s ex-girlfriend set him up to be kidnapped. I know that she was only pretending to love him. I’m not stupid, Maggie.’

  ‘No, you’re not.’ She patted Taylor’s shoulder. ‘You’ve got brains and guts. And I think you have a good heart. Just remember that Ford looks big and tough and brawny, but down deep he may be as scared as you are.’ Maggie stood up and walked to the door, her step slower than it had been earlier in the day. It was hard to believe the woman was in her seventies until you saw her move at the end of a long day. ‘Should we bring your dinner up here?’

  Pull up your big-girl pants, Taylor. Look Ford in the eye and don’t be embarrassed. ‘No, ma’am. I’ll be down in a few minutes.’

  ‘Good girl,’ Maggie said approvingly. ‘Wash your face, child, and lay a cold rag on your eyes. They’re only one step up from ground hamburger.’

  Taylor’s laugh surprised her. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

  By the time Taylor made it to the dinner table, Maggie was gone, as was her plate. Ford was waiting in a chair quietly, his plate still empty. He’d set Taylor’s place right next to his.

  ‘Maggie took her dinner to the front porch,’ he said. ‘She said she’d waylay my mother for a little while. Just to let you finish eating before Mom comes to talk to you.’

  Taylor forced back a shudder. ‘Maggie said that your mom’s not mad.’

  Ford gave her a sympathetic smile as he dished up chicken and vegetables for them both. ‘She won’t be. She will be nosy. She might be a bit worried.’

  ‘Worried?’

  ‘Well, about the program. You slid through Joseph’s background check like a hot knife through butter. That could jeopardize Healing Hearts – especially if you also falsified any other important items.’

  Taylor felt the blood drain from her head. ‘Jeopardize Healing Hearts? What items?’

  ‘You could have a criminal record.’

  ‘I don’t!’

  He lifted a shoulder. ‘I believe you, but . . . you came here under false pretenses. I don’t know if there will be any repercussions from that.’ He met her eyes squarely. ‘You didn’t lie about your qualifications, did you?’

  ‘No. I really do have a degree in psychology and I really did grow up around horses. The only thing I hid was my birth name.’

  ‘And your reason for being here,’ he said mildly.

  ‘Oh God.’ Taylor hadn’t really considered what would happen after telling Clay who she really was. She hadn’t expected to like everyone on the farm so damn much. She hadn’t expected the program to be so important.

  She hadn’t, but she should have. ‘What could happen?’ she asked hoarsely.

  ‘The state licensing board could put the program on probation. Worst case, they yank Mom’s license and she’d have to shut down.’

  Taylor’s stomach heaved. ‘I’d throw me out,’ she whispered. ‘If I were your mother, I’d call the cops on me.’

  ‘That’s the worst case. Best case, nothing happens because nobody finds out. Try to relax. Mom might be worried, but she isn’t going to yell or scream at you.’ But Ford’s hand wasn’t exactly steady when he picked up the bottle of wine on the table and poured himself a half-glass. ‘Would you like some?’

  She eyed the bottle wistfully, then shook her head. ‘At this moment, I almost wish I drank.’ But it was at this moment that she needed to be stone-cold sober.

  She thought of Jazzie and Janie and the other children who’d come to therapy during the past two weeks. This program was important – critical – to their recovery. Please don’t let me have hurt the program. Please.

  Baltimore, Maryland,

  Saturday 22 August, 8.00 P.M.

  The buzzing of his cell phone roused JD from his pleasantly sated drowse. He checked the number, saw it was Lilah Cornell. This was a call he had to take. He glanced down at the woman in his arms. Lucy was still sleeping, her head on his shoulder as he sat propped against the pillows of their bed. He’d exhausted her, but he couldn’t be sorry. Dropping a kiss on her strawberry-blond hair, he answered quietly. ‘Detective Fitzpatrick.’

  ‘Detective, this is Lilah Cornell. Jazzie’s aunt. Is this a bad time?’

  ‘No, of course not, Miss Cornell,’ he murmured. ‘I’m just not in a place where I can talk loudly at the moment. Did you speak to Jazzie about meeting with Taylor Dawson?’

  ‘I did. She seems to like the idea. Especially since they wouldn’t be around the horses. Jazzie is afraid of them, I think.’

  Poor kid’s afraid of too many things, he thought. ‘Good. I’ll follow up with Miss VanDorn. She was going to check Miss Dawson’s availability. I’ll call you with the time.’

  ‘Perfect. Thank you so very much.’ The gratitude in her voice was nearly as heartbreaking as her next words. ‘We need this to be over. I’m about to break from the strain and I’m . . . well, old enough to have coping skills. Jazzie’s too young to carry this burden, this fear. She’s withdrawn so deep that I’m afraid we won’t be able to pull her out.’

  He wanted to reassure her, to make promises, but he’d been a cop too long. He knew never to promise. But he could hopefully give her a little comfort. ‘You’re not alone in this, Miss Cornell. Our department is working the case as its highest priority, and Healing Hearts will support you as well, however you need them.’

  ‘I know,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll keep hoping.’

  He hesitated. But she needed to be aware of the potential danger. ‘Have you heard from the girls’ father?’

  A long pause. ‘No. Can you hold on for a moment?’ From the other end there was quiet conversation, then the sound of a closing door. ‘Sorry. I didn’t want to have this conversation around Eunice, the girls’ grandmother. She’s . . . well, she still trusts her son.’

  ‘You don’t?’ He’d asked Lilah this question before and her response had always been consistent. JD liked consistency, and Lilah’s had made him less nervous about the children living with her while they searched for Valerie’s killer. Once again, she gave the same answer.

  ‘No,’ Lilah said curtly with not a beat of hesitation. ‘He’s a liar and abusive. Why? Have you found him?’ Her voice grew shaky. ‘Is he here? In the city?’

  ‘We don’t know. We haven’t had any reports that he is. I’m just trying to cover all the bases.’

  Her swallow was audible. ‘Is Jazzie in danger, Detective?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ he answered honestly. ‘Just keep her close to you for the next few days.’ He’d told Joseph to expect Gage Jarvis to surface. His gut told him that it would be sooner rather than later. ‘I know that’s vague, and I don’t have any more information for you at the moment, but as soon as I do, I’ll let you know. Either way, I’ll call you back with the time for the meeting tomorrow. The place is a restaurant called Giuseppe’s.’

  ‘I know it. Can you keep my niece safe there?’

  ‘Absolutely. We have a secure room with a private entrance at the back. Text me when you’re five minutes out, th
en park in the lot behind the restaurant. I will be waiting for you there, and I’ll escort you both inside. We can guard Jazzie’s safety in the private room and listen to her conversation with Miss Dawson without her knowing we’re there.’

  ‘It feels wrong, listening to her conversation when she thinks it’s private,’ Lilah admitted. ‘But I’ll make sure she’s there. I’m at my wits’ end with worry. Something has to change or we’ll all implode from the stress.’

  If Jazzie wasn’t taken out by her mother’s killer first. ‘If you hear anything suspicious, call 911, then me. Don’t hesitate, even if you think it’s silly.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ she assured him with a shaky laugh. ‘I won’t. Thank you.’

  He hung up, then glanced down again to find Lucy’s eyes still closed, her breathing even. He had to make a few more calls but didn’t want to wake her. He considered moving, but knew that would wake her up, and she needed her sleep.

  He called Maggie next. ‘It’s JD,’ he said when she answered. ‘I can’t talk loud because Lucy’s asleep. Can you hear me?’

  ‘I can. Poor girl needs her sleep. Chasing after that hellraiser of yours is hard work, JD,’ Maggie said fondly. But she sounded off. Subdued.

  ‘Jeremiah is a handful,’ he agreed. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘Nothing. Really. I assume you’re calling about Taylor meeting with Jazzie? Taylor has agreed. She’s on duty tomorrow, but lessons should be finished by two. She’ll need time to brush down the horses and clean up after lessons. She could be there by four.’

  ‘Sounds like a plan. Are you sure you’re okay, Maggie? You don’t sound like yourself.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ she said warmly, all traces of her off-ness disappeared. ‘Though I appreciate you asking. ’

  He suspected she was blowing smoke his way, but he knew better than to push. Maggie carried as many secrets on her shoulders as he did. ‘Thanks. I’ll call with final details tomorrow.’

  He hung up and dialed Hector. ‘How you doin’, man?’ he asked when Hector answered with a grunt. The loss of any cop hurt, but Mancuso had been Hector’s friend.