by Jaime Maddox
Laying a hand on Reese’s thigh, Sophie shook her head. “Nothing. I’m really fine. It’s a beautiful day, and I’m out in the sunshine, enjoying the fresh air and company.”
Reese settled in, happy that Ella had brought Sophie. It was truly good to see that she and Ella had reconnected after so many years. Each slender connection to Steph was precious to Sophie, and she knew Ella and the scholarship had brought a little light back to Sophie’s eyes. She’d tried, over the years, and she knew that Sophie loved her and Cass, but it wasn’t until Ella showed up that she saw this change.
“Did you bake the cake, Reese?” Sophie asked.
Reese shook her head and frowned. Mrs. Gates had been a career woman, helping run the family business, but she always made time for Steph and her friends. When Reese visited, there was always something to eat, and the house had the perpetual smell of a bakery. Although she’d tried to teach her skills to Reese, it hadn’t worked. Everything fell flat or burned, and the truth was, Reese just didn’t like the kitchen.
Steph was another story, though. She’d inherited her mother’s love of baking and made everything from cupcakes for friends’ birthdays to dog treats as gifts for her friends’ pets.
Reese decided to share that memory with Sophie. “She never cleaned up, though. She’d make a batch of dog biscuits, and I’d find dough on the refrigerator door, on the stove, on the floor. She was a disaster.”
“I suppose she needed a better assistant,” Reese said, remembering the times she’d helped with the baking.
“I think she needed a full-time assistant. She was brilliant but not very organized.”
They enjoyed the sunshine in silence until the kids started squealing with delight. The RailRiders mascots, Champ and Quill, had arrived, surrounded by a dozen little fans.
“I have to find Cass,” Reese said as she stood.
“No,” Ella said. “You stay. I’ll go find her.”
“She’s probably still on the pumpkin pillow,” Chris said.
“Got it,” Ella said as she trotted off in that direction, weaving through the congestion. The number of people at the pumpkin patch was staggering, and she couldn’t believe all the activities they had for the children to enjoy. When she was a child, she’d gone on a hayride and picked out a pumpkin. Here, that was just a small part of the adventure. After crossing a bridge over the duck pond and navigating the food court, Ella found Sharon Ryan plopped on a post beside the jumping pillow.
“How’s it going?” Ella asked as she hugged her.
“This is about the fifteenth consecutive time she’s been on the pillow. She refuses to come off when her turn is over, and the attendant just lets her stay on. But who am I to argue? She’s having a ball.”
“The mascots from the RailRiders are here. Reese thinks she should come back to the camp.”
“Why don’t you tell her?” Sharon suggested.
“Sure,” Ella said.
She cut into the line and explained the situation to the attendant, then removed her shoes and went through the fence to the pillow. Cass was bouncing up and down, a smile on her face as her hair flew around like a halo.
Ella climbed up and bounced with her. “High five,” Cass said, as she lifted her palm toward Ella.
Ella raised her hand to meet Cass’s. “This is great,” Ella said, feeling like a six-year-old.
“If you stay with me, you don’t have to get off when the time’s up. It’s my birthday, so the lady lets me stay on.”
“Will you stay on forever?”
Cass seemed to ponder the question. “Only till I get hungry.”
“Will you get off to see Champ and Quill?”
Cass’s face lit up. “Are they here?”
“They’re over by the fire, talking to Reese and your dad. If you don’t go over and say hello to them, they might feel sad and leave.”
“We better go right now,” she said and, as quickly as she could, descended to solid ground.
Ella helped her with her sneakers and then picked Sharon up near the gate. They followed Cass, who was still bouncing, as she guided them on the circuitous route back to the campfire site. As soon she spotted the mascots, Cass took off in a run and tackled Quill. He turned and rubbed her head, and then both of the big, furry creatures surrounded Cass and did a little dance with her.
“These are my friends,” she said excitedly, to everyone around.
It was quite a crowd, too. In her absence, twenty new faces had arrived, some young, some old. There were four adults with Down syndrome, and they seemed to enjoy the mascots as much as Cass did. Children from other parties came over to meet them, and everyone wanted a photo.
Ella grabbed two bottles of water and walked back to the fire and sat beside Sophie.
“Thank you, dear,” she said when Ella handed her the water. “This is some party,” she said after taking a sip.
Joy was on everyone’s face, from the small children to the eighty-year-old woman sitting beside her. Not a cloud marred the perfect blue sky, and the fire warmed them. She had to agree. It was quite a party.
“Oh, dear,” Sophie said a moment later. “I didn’t think he’d show up today.”
“Who?” Ella asked as she scanned the crowd. The dozens of faces, most of them strangers, all seemed to be smiling, like they belonged.
“Did Reese tell you about her meeting with Bucky the other day?”
And then Ella spotted him, standing off to the side, talking with Senator Nathan.
“No. Why?”
“Perhaps it’s not my tale to tell…but I see the way you and Reese are together. She trusts you.”
After the night before, Ella sure hoped so. She avoided looking at Sophie, knowing how intuitive she was. She’d know, and Ella wasn’t quite ready to share the news just yet. Instead, she stared at the senator and the prospective DA. “What happened with Bucky?”
“After the DA questioned her, she went to Bucky’s office for advice. I guess he’s her lawyer, but more importantly, they’ve been friends since high school. He basically threw her out of the office. He said it was a conflict of interest.”
“Because he’s running for DA?”
Sophie nodded, and Ella looked for Reese in the crowd, wondering if she’d seen Bucky yet and how she’d feel when she did. It had been a tough week for her, and she was finally relaxing a little bit, enjoying herself. Ella was sure a confrontation with him right now would bring her down.
Just as she spotted Reese, Reese spotted Bucky, and Ella rose to follow her as she began walking in his direction. Ella wasn’t sure what the reaction would be when the two came together, but she wanted to be there for Reese. “Excuse me, please.”
Ella arrived at Bucky’s side at the same time as Reese, who said, “Nice of you to stop by, Bucky. It’s not too much of an ethical dilemma, I hope?”
Bucky shrugged. “Hey, Ella. How’s it going?” he said and hugged her. He clearly remembered her from the lake, and the call she’d made to say hello had lasted thirty minutes. They had a lunch meeting planned for after the election, and Ella was looking forward to it. Bucky seemed as genuine as he had as a boy—a nice man, totally unaffected by his family’s wealth and political influence. Whatever happened with Reese had to be a more complicated matter than Sophie had described.
“Reese, I’m sorry. I didn’t handle that day well.”
Reese opened her mouth in mock surprise. “Ya think?”
“Look, I know you didn’t hurt Steph. I can’t prove it, but I know it. And I know you’d never hurt Cass. I told Andrew that, and I think he believes it. But he also had to question you, you know? I mean, we don’t have any leads in Steph’s case. None. And then you have a VIP come in and offer him not only a potential motive, but a suspect as well—what’s he supposed to do? Even if it was preposterous, he had to question you.”
Reese looked at him, unable to process everything he’d said. Was he saying she’d been ruled out as a suspect or just that they couldn�
��t prove she’d done anything? And who was this VIP?
“Buck, what are you talking about? Who told the DA about me and Steph?”
Reese realized she’d just admitted their relationship, or at least suggested it, but it didn’t matter. Bucky knew who’d been talking about her, and she wanted to know, too. Suddenly, he looked uncomfortable.
“I…I probably shouldn’t say, Reese. It’s sort of confidential.”
“Listen, Buck. Someone is telling tales about me—dragging me into a murder investigation, trying to ruin my life. Don’t you think I deserve to know who it is?”
Bucky visibly paled. “Reese, I think he was just trying to clear his conscience, you know? When they asked him if Steph was dating anyone…he wondered. It was a logical question, right? You’re gay, you and Steph were close, right? So maybe…”
“Who was it, Bucky?” Reese asked again, standing taller and folding her arms across her chest.
Bucky looked around nervously. “Promise me you won’t say anything, Reese. Andrew told me in confidence, and I need his support to win this election.”
“Who was it?” Reese asked, looking around herself. Ella suspected she was trying to act casual, and as if on cue, Reese laughed. “He’s watching us, right? That’s okay. I’ll never mention it. Just tell me, Bucky,” she said as a huge smile appeared suddenly on her face.
“It was Josh.”
The smile didn’t fade, but Reese shook her head. “No, Buck. I don’t believe it.”
He shrugged.
“What? Who are you talking about?” Ella asked.
Bucky looked at Reese, then Ella. “Josh. Senator Nathan. He told the DA that Reese and Steph were lovers.”
No, it couldn’t be, Reese thought. He knew Reese as well as anyone. He had to know she could never hurt another human being. She was a doctor! She healed people, had cared for his mother a dozen times in the ER. What had she ever done to make him think otherwise? And she’d come out fifteen years ago, so why step forward with these suspicions now? It just didn’t make sense. She’d thought they were friends, but was there a side to Josh she didn’t know?
No. She didn’t believe it. Josh was her friend. He, more than anyone, had helped her heal after Steph died. They’d talked about her and kept her memory alive, even all these years later, but not because he’d had some sort of creepy love for a dead girl. He’d liked Steph, but Reese didn’t believe he’d ever loved her, except as a friend. Reese had always thought Josh was sort of lucky that Steph broke up with him, because he’d dated a dozen other girls after Steph. He’d married right after law school and had five children. Even if Steph broke his heart in eleventh grade, by the next month, he’d moved on. And always, over all these years, they’d been friends.
Reese shook her head again, denying his words. Bucky was wrong. No way had Josh Nathan been responsible for this rumor.
* * *
He needed another glass of punch. Nothing was going right. In spite of a brilliant plan, Cass hadn’t died, and he’d still had to pay a small fortune to the man who’d tried to kill her. At least he didn’t have a murder on his conscience, but for how long? Because truthfully, nothing had changed, and he still needed to worry about Cass. He’d thought for sure Reese would come under suspicion in the attack on her, but no one seemed to believe her capable of hurting her sister, even to save her own hide. He’d handed the DA the suspect, and the motive for not one, but two crimes, but nothing seemed to be happening. They’d interrogated Reese and let her go, and that was that. The DA’s office was still questioning old witnesses as if they had no suspect, and he wasn’t in a position to challenge the DA’s strategy without drawing attention to himself.
He made his way to the food tent as he watched Reese and Bucky laughing about something with Ella Townes. What could they possibly be laughing about? As the probable next DA, Bucky would be prosecuting the crimes Reese was being investigated for. He should be keeping his distance, not kissing Reese’s ass. But that was Reese, right? She’d wormed her way into Steph’s heart, making Steph turn on him. It wouldn’t surprise him if Bucky dropped the investigation into Reese once he was in office. He liked her too much.
Josh poured the vodka into his paper cup and thought how juvenile this was. Here he was, a United States senator, one of the most powerful men in the country, sneaking alcohol at the pumpkin patch. The thought made him laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Reese asked.
He told her, and she laughed, too. “I think it tastes better when it’s forbidden,” Reese said. “How are you, Josh? Is everything okay with you?”
Suddenly he felt naked, as if his crimes were tattooed like a scarlet letter, visible to Reese’s prying eyes.
“Yes, of course. I’m great. Busy, juggling a million things, but good. And how’s Cass? She must be really freaked out by what happened.”
Reese shrugged. “She’s okay. She thinks she fell, and we haven’t corrected her misconception. Why worry her?”
“That’s a smart idea,” he said with a pat on her back.
“So hey, I want to ask a favor of you.”
“Anything,” he said, and Reese knew Bucky was wrong. Josh was her friend. “The Scouts who rescued Cass. Can you give them some sort of senatorial merit badge or something, to recognize their heroism?”
“Oh, yes! What a great idea.”
“I’ll text you the information with the name of their troop leader, okay?”
“Perfect. I’ll be back in town for the blood drive in a couple of weeks. Maybe we can do some sort of presentation then—you know, with Cass, and the mayor, and all the people involved.”
“You’re the best,” she said, but the look she was giving him made him uncomfortable, and fortunately, his escape presented itself.
“Perfect. Now, there’s my wife. I’ll see you later,” he said, and with a quick hug, he headed out of the tent.
“Don’t forget to be back at three for the cake,” Reese called after him.
If he could leave Roba’s and the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and go somewhere, anywhere else, he would. Instead, he plastered on a smile. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
Chapter 25: Beyond Suspicion
Ella dropped a tired Sophie off at the lake before heading back to Scranton. Once at Pip’s, she showered and packed an overnight bag, and at six o’clock, she was knocking on Reese’s door.
Not surprisingly, Reese looked exhausted, and Ella shocked herself by mentally adjusting her expectations of the night. Reese had only piqued her interest; they had much more to explore. Yet, even though she’d thought about a naked Reese all day long, sex suddenly seemed very unimportant.
Reese’s mood seemed to mirror her own. She pulled Ella into a tight hug and then kissed her tenderly on the lips. It was a sweet, gentle kiss and held none of the passion Ella remembered from the night before.
Ella pulled a bottle of cab from her bag. “Would you like some wine?”
Reese nodded. “Best idea I’ve heard all day.”
As Reese poured the wine, Ella got cozy on the couch, and a moment later, Reese joined her. “To a great day,” Ella said.
“I was kind of hoping for a great night,” Reese said.
Ella tilted her head and studied Reese. “You look exhausted. I’m thinking early night.”
Leaning back into the cushions, Reese sipped her wine and then closed her eyes, allowing the taste to soak into her tongue. Ella was right. She was exhausted. It had been three o’clock by the time she’d gotten back to her parents, and she’d been up by seven to prepare things for Cass’s party. And between hauling the supplies in and Cass’s birthday loot out, and serving as hostess for the duration of the four-hour party, Reese felt like she’d worked hard.
“Maybe you’re right.”
Ella reached across and gently touched Reese’s cheek. “It’s okay. I’m pretty tired, too.”
Reese leaned sideways for another kiss, this one as tender and soft as the first but lasting mu
ch longer. “On second thought…”
Ella playfully pushed her away. “I don’t have any place to be in the morning. No rush.”
“We haven’t even been lovers for twenty-four hours, and we sound like an old married couple.”
“Hardly. It’s been a tough spell.”
“It has. I didn’t really stop to think about everything, because so much was going on, but on the way home, I just started thinking and, you know—it’s all unbelievable.”
“It is.”
“Why would someone want to hurt Cass?”
“It doesn’t make sense, Reese. Just some predator, I guess.”
“But it wasn’t random—that’s the thing. He knew her story, wore the baseball uniform. She was deliberately targeted.”
Ella nodded. Reese was right.
“And this whole thing with Josh turning me in to the DA. I don’t believe it. Why would he do that? I think the DA is lying about this to cover for someone else.”
The mention of Josh’s name reminded Ella she’d seen him in the park. And it made no sense, but…hey, nothing did right now. But Josh had apparently tried to implicate Reese in Steph’s murder. And then, someone had tried to murder Reese’s alibi. And Josh Nathan just happened to be in the park at the time Cass was attacked.
“What? Josh was at the park? Why?”
“I don’t know, Reese. I didn’t talk to him. I saw him when I was driving home, and again from my balcony, but once I got to the park, he was gone.”
“And you’re sure it was Josh?”
“Yes. I recognized his hat.”
“Huh?” Reese looked confused, and Ella explained how she’d seen him at her parents’ house the week earlier wearing the same funky Phillies cap.
Suddenly Reese grew cold with fear, and she sat up on the couch as she turned to face Ella. “Did you talk to him? Tell him about the baseball player?”