“And these may be the men who have my son? Dear God, Dad…what am I going to do?”
She was all too aware that the look on their faces was one of pity, but her mind refused to accept all the red flags they were putting up. Even if Ket had sent some of his hired thugs to take Alex, he would surely have warned them not to hurt the boy.
Then she remembered the little information Ket had offered and her hand flew to her mouth. A water glass fell over, its contents drenching her skirt. “I just remembered, I think I was blotting this out because I was convinced Ket had Alex. Ket told Ben Asher, the acting sheriff, that he’d had a phone call from a man, asking for a ransom.”
“Oh, well, there you are…good news! Ket can pay the money, and Alex will be back with us and…” One look at Kathryn’s face stopped Cynthia’s happy speech.
“Ket won’t pay for the ransom. He told me that.”
“He won’t pay…? Why ever not?”
This time it was Fitz who answered. “Alex isn’t Ket’s son. And he knows it.”
****
The boy woke up from a fitful sleep, his face wet from tears that had soaked the thin sheet covering the makeshift bed. Ashamed, he angrily scrubbed his face with small fists. Big boys don’t cry. Isn’t that what his father always told him when he cried? Once he even slapped him because he cried over something. What was it his father slapped him for? He couldn’t remember now, no matter how hard he tried. It seemed like this was all he’d ever known, this damp, dark room. All the other things, like his Momma’s hugs, his toys, and the warm house, seemed like a part of some dream life.
Alex knew his father didn’t like him, was always angry with him, but he didn’t know why. I must be a bad boy, he thought, struggling to sit up. That’s why I’m here in this dungeon. I’m a bad boy and my daddy doesn’t like me.
But then he thought about his Mommy. Mommy loves me. Mommy will make Daddy come and find me and take me away. Maybe Daddy will hit the man who brought me here. Alex thought how much he would like that. He imagined his daddy sweeping him up onto his shoulders like he’d seen other daddies do with their little boys, and then turning around and punching the man for being mean to Alex.
His tummy rumbled loudly and he shivered. It was cold and dark down here, and the walls felt slimy and wet. Would the man remember to bring him something to eat, or would he just forget about him? The man seemed very old, and old people did forget things. His granddaddy, his momma’s daddy, had forgotten all about Alex. His daddy had told him so one day when he’d asked why Momma’s daddy never came around to visit.
He couldn’t help it. Alex started to cry all over again.
Chapter Eleven
“Sheriff Asher? We’ve just had a report come in from Mr. Morgan, Junior. He says his father-in-law has gone missing from Oak Tree Retirement Home.” Officer Jack Medley, one of the officers who worked for the Lobster Cove Police Department, stood uncomfortably in the doorway to Ben’s office, his hat held in big hands.
“My, my…the Morgans do seem to have problems mislaying their relatives,” Ben drawled, and Medley gave a nervous laugh.
“Well, sir, the thing is…you see, when I heard this I went over to the retirement home, and the nurse told me Mrs. Morgan had taken her father from the home, apparently against her husband’s wishes. Seems Ket Morgan’s tail is all in a twist about it and he threatened to have the matron fired…”
“Wait a minute, if Kathryn…Mrs. Morgan, took her own father out of the nursing home, he’s not exactly missing, is he?”
Medley shifted from one foot to the other. “No, sir, I don’t suppose so.”
“So why is Morgan claiming he is?”
A silence followed, with Medley continuing his foot to foot dance and swallowing hard a couple of times, his Adam’s apple bobbing, before he finally spoke. “You see, sir, when Mr. Morgan married old Fitz’s daughter he insisted her old man be put in to a home. For his own good. Fitz had a drinking problem and was supposed to be getting help in the home.”
“Okay, so?”
“So that’s nearly seven years ago. My mom works at the home as a resident’s helper, and she says the old man has been dry and healthy for years now. And pining to go home. She says the Morgans only wanted him in the home because they didn’t want a drunk ruining their family reputation.” Medley gave a quick grin. “Old Man Fitz could put on quite a show when he’d had a few, but there was never no harm in him.”
Ben smiled. “I remember Fitz. He used to specialize in singing old Irish ballads. Off key.”
“That’s right, but he never did any damage, ’cept to your eardrums. He never got into brawls or anything like that.”
Ben nodded agreement. Kathryn’s father had actually been kind to him, treating him as an equal when Ben’s own family was poorer and lower down the pecking order even than Kathryn’s. He had fond memories of the old man and imagined how much he’d have hated being in the close confines of a nursing home.
“So what do you think of Mrs. Morgan?” He’d begun to hate calling her that. “Where do you think she’d have taken her father?”
“My guess would be to his old cottage. There was some work done there a few years ago to tidy it up and stop it falling down.” Medley said. “Do you want me to go over and check it out?”
Ben pushed his feet off the desk and stood. “No, I think I’ll take a trip out there and find out what it’s all about. Be nice to see the old man again, and to be able to reassure Mr. Morgan all is well with his father-in-law.” He could tell by the quick grin that flashed across Medley’s face that the officer had caught his sarcasm.
****
“I can’t imagine Ket Morgan would accept another man’s son with any good grace.” Cynthia’s words fell into the silent pool of Fitz’s living room like the first few threatening drops of a thunder storm.
The ripples spread out until Kathryn could bear the silence no longer and the words she had never before spoken burst from her mouth. “He knew when he married me. In fact, that’s why he married me,” she corrected herself. “We made a bargain. He needed a son so his father would give him a greater part in the company, to assure him of his inheritance. In return, I would have everything I needed and could spend my time with my son without having to work, and without the stigma of being a single mother in a town like Lobster Cove.” Kathryn could keep her voice steady but she couldn’t control the warm burn of embarrassment that rose up her neck into her cheeks.
“So Ket passed the child off as his in order to convince his old man that he was…well, manly and deserving of the Morgan companies?” Fitz’s voice was edged with anger.
“But it’s not been easy for you, has it, Kathryn?” The compassion in Cynthia’s voice almost broke Kathryn’s control, especially when she realized the housekeeper knew of the terms of her marriage.
Seeing her employer’s discomfort, Cynthia hurried to add, “Oh, don’t worry, I haven’t shared my suspicions with anyone, but I live in the house and it’s hard not to pick up on the currents that flow around. I don’t know if anyone else has guessed, but I do know no-one would dare gossip. Both Ket Senior and Ket Junior are too volatile for anyone to risk crossing them for the sake of a bit of idle chitchat.”
Kathryn smiled gratefully at the older woman who had proven to be such a tower of strength. “I’m so thankful for your friendship. I doubt I would have survived if it hadn’t been for you.”
Cynthia chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, looking as if she couldn’t decide what to say. She glanced at Fitz and then, taking a deep breath, said, “I know things have been rough for you but the other day got particularly bad. I am sorry I didn’t step in…” A hitch in her voice had Kathryn patting her hand. “If it hadn’t been for Ben Asher…”
“What..?” Fitz asked.
“It wasn’t anything, Daddy, really…”
“I think your father should know what is happening up at the Morgan Mausoleum, Kathryn. He needs to understand how dangerous th
ings are, for you and for him.”
“And for you, for helping me.”
“I hope you’re not going to tell me that low-life laid a finger on you?” Fitz’s voice was low with shock and anger.
Kathryn swallowed. How could she tell her father what a mess she’d made of her life, and his, and his grandson’s? Shame lay heavy on her and she lowered her head under its weight. When she began to speak, Fitz had to lean forward to catch her words. When he laid his big calloused hand over hers, she drew strength from him to tell her story.
“Ket ignored me from the very beginning. His father made it plain he thought Ket had married beneath him and the only value I had was the child. But Ket has been increasingly aggressive, mostly because his father still isn’t letting him have the kind of power he wants in the family business. He’s frustrated and resenting Alex and me more and more.” She didn’t, couldn’t bring herself to tell her father or Cynthia the one real reason why Ket was so angry with her—that Ket had seen her reaction to seeing Ben again.
“So what happened the other day?” She looked into her father’s face and saw again a flash of the strong, proud man he’d once been, the protector of her childhood self, before the drink had him in its claws.
“Ket has been more and more abusive. It started with sarcastic words and progressed from there…squeezing my arms until he left bruises or the imprint of his nails, then slaps. Yesterday, after I called Ben Asher about Alex, he was furious. I’ve never seen him like that. He’d been talking to his father and the next thing was…he…he used his fists on me. He claimed he thought I had kidnapped Alex myself and hidden him away…”
Her father’s hand tightened into a fist as it rested on hers, and she felt a flash of fear that Fitz would do something to make the Morgans turn their fury on him. “That’s how you got that swollen lip and the bruises on your face?”
Kathryn nodded. “But Ben, Sheriff Asher, arrived and stopped it. Oh, Daddy, I am so afraid Ket will kill me. And I’m afraid he… he may have already hurt Alex…”
“So, is Ben your boy’s father?” The truth must have been written on her face. “That must burn Ket’s tail now that Ben’s back in town, and as a sheriff at that.”
“Do you think Ket’s losing it because he’s afraid everyone will find out who Alex’s real father is?” Cynthia asked. She had gone to put her arms around Kathryn.
“Oh, I think the Morgans have a lot more to fear from Ben than just his fathering that child,” Fitz said, his eyes never leaving Kathryn’s. “The whole pack of them will be afraid of what Ben will find out, now that he’s in a position of authority under the law.”
“What do you mean, Daddy?” Cold fingers of fear were skittering along Kathryn’s spine now. “I agree there’s more to Ben Asher’s return to Lobster Cove than he’s letting on, but that’s the least of my worries right now. I need him to help me find Alex—after that I need to find a way to stop Ben from taking my son away from me, like he’s threatening to do.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the chime of the doorbell.
Cynthia peered out through the lace curtains that covered the window. “Speak of the devil,” she said with a grin. “It looks like you’ve a visit from Asher himself.”
****
It was a good thing his years in service had weaned Ben from any feelings of discomfort when entering a room. If he allowed himself to be sensitive to the undercurrents that swirled in Fitz’s tiny neat living room, he’d have been unable to concentrate on the person who immediately became his focal point.
Kathryn. Conflicting emotions as strong as the vibes in the room rose up in his chest—feelings of love and desire, betrayal and disgust swamped him. But love was the dominant one, and he had to stop himself from going over to her and kissing away the frown on her face.
Of course, if he did she’d probably backhand him. The thought brought a grin to his face which scattered all other feelings.
“Sorry to be bothering you folks,” he said to the room in general, nodding at Fitz and Cynthia Warren, the Morgans’ housekeeper while his gaze flashed and sizzled over Kathryn.
That she wasn’t pleased to see him was evident in her voice when she demanded to know what he was doing there.
“Your husband called, Mrs. Morgan,” he said, his voice formal. The pain he felt on using the words husband and Mrs. Morgan shivered across his spine, to be replaced by anger at the shocked expression of impending doom that carved lines into Kathryn’s face.
“What’s happened? Is Alex…?” She couldn’t finish the words.
Ben cursed himself for being an idiot. Of course she’d panic at his arrival; any mother of a missing kid would assume the worst when a serious faced lawman walked into her room. “So far we’ve had no news about your son.” He hurried to reassure her, all the while thinking no news wasn’t necessarily good news. Kathryn’s face stayed paper-white but her expression calmed. The bruises Ket Morgan had inflicted on her stood out in high relief and Ben’s hands curled into fists at the memory of the morning’s altercation.
“So what does bring you here? Why did my…why did Ket get in touch with you?”
“Your husband seems to think you have kidnapped your father from the nursing home where he’s been for the last few years. He is worried about your health, Mr. Fitzgerald, because your daughter has taken you away from medical care.”
Fitz made a rude sound. “That man isn’t concerned about me or anyone else, Ben. He’s kept me a prisoner in that place because he’s afraid I’ll take to the bottle and disgrace the Morgan family name. Not that he’s not done a pretty good job of that himself.” Fitz patted the seat next to him. “Come and take a load off, Ben. Cynthia, is there any more coffee in that pot?”
“Thank you, sir. Cynthia.” Ben settled himself comfortably at her father’s table and Kathryn had to struggle not to grind her teeth. How could her father be hospitable to the man who’d ruined her life?
Then Alex’s small face rose up in her mind, with the serious expression and the big brown eyes so like his father’s. Ben hadn’t ruined her life—he’d given her Alex, who was her pride and joy, her reason for living. No, she’d ruined her own life by grasping at the straw that Ket Morgan had offered her. An easy way out.
“So, as you can see, I’m alive, well, and a free man over the age of 21. I don’t need to be kept under sedation and treated like a baby in some so-called nursing facility. My daughter has done what I’ve been asking her to do the past few years. She’s freed me from involuntary incarceration.” Fitz chuckled at his own choice of words and the sound made Ben grin, too.
“Well, Cynthia, you and I have chores to do,” Fitz told the housekeeper, heaving himself up from the table. She was quick to take the hint, gathering up the cups they’d used and following him into the kitchen.
Before the door closed, Ben heard Cynthia whisper, “Are you sure it’s a good idea to leave them alone together? Kathryn looks like thunder and Ben doesn’t look exactly friendly.”
He couldn’t stop the grin that flickered across his face as he heard the older man’s reply. “Don’t you worry about my girl. She’s mad enough to take on the whole Morgan clan, and she’ll soon learn how to handle that boy in there. Save your sympathy for Ben Asher.”
Chapter Twelve
The dark look Kathryn gave him quickly demolished that grin.
“Have you moved out of the Morgan home?” Ben asked, helping himself to a second cup of coffee.
“No, much as I might wish to, I need to stay there until my son is found.”
“And what if your husband wants to use you as a punching bag again? What then?”
Kathryn bit her lip. That thought had been on the periphery of her mind since the confrontation, especially as she knew another row awaited her when she returned home. Ket was obviously furious she had brought her dad home. Why else would he have called in the sheriff? But what choice did she have?
“Don’t worry about me, Sheriff, my marital pr
oblems aren’t your concern.”
“But the lives and wellbeing of the people of Lobster Cove are…I’m sworn to protect, remember?” Ben’s lips lifted in a self-deprecating smile.
Kathryn swallowed. One thing she was sure about was that her attraction to Ben Asher had not faded over the years. What in the world was she going to do?
“So far I’ve hit dead ends on every lead about my…your son,” Ben stumbled over the words.
“He’s your son, Ben, can’t you accept that?” Her voice was soft, telegraphing a plea for understanding. When she raised her gaze, the fury and longing mixed on Ben’s face took her breath away. Her dad was wrong. Ben was never going to forgive her for keeping him from his son.
“I wrote to you, Ben, and never received a single word in reply.”
Ben’s look grew even more fierce. “Don’t lie to me, Kathryn. I wrote, time and time again, but there was never a word from you.”
“I’m not lying, Ben! When I realized I was carrying our child, I was thrilled…and terrified! My first thought was to tell you, but I never heard a word back from you. The weeks passed, and I was so alone. Fitz was drunk and you were ignoring me. Can you blame me for believing you didn’t want our child? Or me?”
****
Didn’t want her? Her face, her soft skin, her voice, her whispered promises in his embrace—these memories had kept him going through those first few months of the war. In dangerous moments, when his heart had pounded with fear, the thought of Kathryn waiting for him had given him the will to go on, the will to fight for his life.
But to return home to find her married to another man and holding another man’s child… He thought her betrayal would kill him.
Kathryn was rummaging in her purse. She pulled out a small blue comb and a child’s toothbrush. He gazed, fascinated, at the tiny items. Looking up, he saw tears in her eyes.
“Ben, I know you don’t want me, but think about our son. Can you get DNA from these to prove he’s your boy? I know if you accept this child as your own flesh and blood, you’ll move heaven and earth to keep him safe.”
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