The Ramseys Boxed Set

by Altonya Washington

  ***

  Quay had taken a drive out to his parents’ home instead of heading straight into the office that morning. He’d taken solace in the den where he sat lounging in one of the overstuffed black cushioned sofas. In his lap, was a photo album dated 1979. His mechanical turning of the plastic covered pages halted when he found the photo he’d been searching for- one of him, Quest and Tykira sharing a ‘school’s out for summer’ party after their second grade year.

  Quay and Ty sat closest to one another in the picture. They looked so happy and, even then, everyone thought they’d one day fall in love and live happily ever after. Then, some years later, things began to happen, Quay recalled, his black eyes growing impossibly darker. There were mishaps, disappearances, murder and happily ever after became an impossibility.

  Catrina Ramsey waltzed into the den humming a low tune. Her mind was on changing the potting soil in her vases, when she spotted her son- younger by three minutes- on the sofa. Setting aside her gardening basket, she removed her gloves while watching him curiously. Her Reebok Classics padded softly across the fuzzy champagne carpeting until she stood close enough to the sofa where Quay sat. Peering over his shoulder, she saw him with the album.

  Quay smiled when his mother’s perfume drifted beneath his nose. Turning slightly, he tugged on her wrist and kissed her cheek when she was close enough.

  “Reminiscing?” she asked, smoothing her hands across the burgundy shirt he wore.

  The melancholy returned to Quay’s handsome dark features. “More like regretting,” he admitted.

  “Yuck,” Catrina replied, making a face, “that’s no fun.”

  “Ma how can situations just suddenly fall so far off track?” Quay asked, once again staring intently at the photo.

  Catrina perched her slender frame on the arm of the sofa. “It’s the nature of life, sweetie. Our job is to ride the waves until they subside and then snatch up as much happiness as possible when they do.”

  “What if the happiness only leads to more pain?”

  Catrina pressed a kiss to the top of Quay’s head and then propped her chin there. “Better to have some happiness than none at all, right?” she reasoned and then dropped a quick kiss to her son’s temple. It was then that she noticed the picture his hand hovered over. “She certainly was beautiful at the wedding.” Catrina smiled down at the young woman who was like a daughter to her. “Not surprising, though, Ty always was such a beautiful child. Bobbie says she’s still not married though,” Catrina referred to Ty’s mother. “I’m sure she has a special man,” she added.

  “She doesn’t.”

  Quay’s brisk reply caused a light to flicker in Catrina’s gaze. She moved from the arm of the sofa to take a seat on the cushion near Quay. “That’s so hard to believe considering how lovely she is. I can’t imagine a man who’d let such a beauty run around unattached,” she stared down at the album and pretended to have no clue about how her words were affecting her son.

  “Quest plans to offer her a job,” he said, needing the conversation to shift from the allure of Tykira Lowery.

  “I heard,” Catrina responded with a nod. “How do you feel about that?” she asked without looking away from the family photos.

  “It’s not a good idea,” Quay snapped, tension suddenly tightening every muscle he possessed. “Tyke needs to stay where she is, which is as far away from me as possible.”

  “And how would that solve anything when you two still love each other?” Catrina slyly inquired, setting down the album to the stand beneath the coffee table. Silence met her question and she glanced across her shoulder to find Quay watching her with a stunned expression. “What? What’s that look for?”

  “We still love each other,” Quay repeated in a flat tone of voice.

  “Oh Baby,” Catrina slapped her hands to her jean clad thighs, “everyone knows how you two feel about each other. Anyone paying close attention to you at the reception could’ve seen it.”

  “That might’ve had to do with another emotion, Ma.” Quay spoke pointedly, hoping his mother understood what he meant.

  She did and waved off the suggestive reasoning. “It was about more than that. Simple desire has a look you can spot a mile away. Desire mixed with love…well that’s seen with more of the heart than the eye.”

  Quay shook his head. “You’re a deep woman Trina Ramsey.”

  Catrina shrugged. “I know a little somethin’ somethin’. You could’ve had her, you know? Ty loved you so much, but then you went completely crazy and you started to treat her so coldly.”

  Quay’s gaze faltered. He didn’t want his thoughts to take him back to that time, but it was unavoidable.

  “Anyway,” Catrina said with a quick toss of her bouncy silver gray tresses, “I wouldn’t blame her for wanting to get as far away from you as possible. Do you think she’ll come all the way back here just to take this job?”

  Quay’s trademark sly grin flashed in an instant. “It’s a challenge, it’s something most people would expect a man to do and most importantly, she knows I won’t like it. Yeah Ma, she’ll most definitely take the job.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  A shiver touched Michaela’s spine as she stretched lazily. The sensational kisses showering her back made her want to snuggle in bed forever.

  “Quest,” she felt his fingers becoming a more pertinent part of the scene. She pressed her face into one of the pillows littering the headboard and began to grind her hips in sync with his thrusting fingers.

  A second later, he was turning her to her back and they were kissing madly. Soft moans filled the darkened space of the spacious bi-level bedroom. Mick arched into her husband’s sleek, chiseled frame, her nails grazing his neck where his soft hair tapered.

  The tiny, yet noticeable ring from the phone on the nightstand chilled the moment. They groaned simultaneously, but the passionate kissing continued.

  “Leave it,” Quest growled into her mouth when she made a reach for the phone.

  Mick was happy to comply and snuggled back into the erotic embrace. Quest broke the kiss to trail his lips down the line of her neck and lower still to the swell of ample cleavage.

  “Good morning Michaela, this is Johnelle Black returning your call…”

  The sound of the voice rising from the answering machine had Mick’s undivided attention. Wrenching away from Quest, she snatched the phone off its hook, before Johnelle could finish her message.

  “Good morning!” Mick greeted breathlessly, slapping at her husband’s groping hands.

  “Michaela? I know it’s early. Is this a bad time?”

  “No Johnelle,” Mick paused to slap at Quest’s hands again before flashing him a warning look, “no this is a great time. Thanks for getting back to me so fast.”

  “Well it sounded urgent,” Johnelle noted, a slight twinge of uneasiness colored her words. “Have you had a break in the case?”

  Mick winced, pushing herself up in bed. She should have been clearer in her message. The last thing she wanted was for Johnelle to get her hopes up unnecessarily.

  “Not exactly, Johnelle. I mean, there could be something. What I really need is the other diary. The one you said Sera may’ve written. The one you said might be missing,” Mick explained.

  Johnelle sighed. “I could be mistaken about that. I really never had solid proof that another existed, but from reading the one I did have-”

  “You have a strong suspicion there may be another one,” Mick finished. “Johnelle it’s important that we try and find it.”

  Johnelle uttered a shuddery sigh on the other end of the line. “I have to tell you that’s not something I’m looking forward to going through. Sera’s things…it just makes me miss her even more.”

  “I understand,” Mick whispered, pressing her lips together and fearing to say more lest she be responsible for making the woman break down in tears. “I can’t even begin to imagine what it really feels like to go through something like this. Take your time
on deciding and think about what it could mean if we do find the other diary.”

  “You’re right,” Johnelle replied, drawing a deep breath and releasing it in a refreshing sigh. “I can’t stop searching now. We’ve uncovered too much.”

  Mick’s amber eyes sparkled with emotion for the woman’s strength. “I still want you to take your time with this,” she cautioned.

  “I know, I know,” Johnelle promised, her voice sounding firmer. “But if there is another diary, I’ll find it. I mean that.”

  “I’ll let you go then,” Mick leaned close to the nightstand.

  “Alright and thank you Michaela.”

  Setting the phone back to its cradle, Mick stared at it for a while. A weary smile touched her mouth though when she heard Quest clearing his throat. “I’ve already heard your upcoming lecture from County,” she said, flashing him a knowing glance across her shoulder.

  “And it obviously did no good.”

  “Quest-”

  “I’m not going to ask you to stop trying to solve this thing,” he promised, folding his arms across his bare chest as he leaned back against the pillows, “I just don’t want you so obsessed with it that you forget about everything else.”

  Mick’s smile softened then. She took in the stubborn set to his gorgeous profile before snuggling closer to tease his earlobe with a brush from her lips. “Baby are you trying to say that you think I’ll forget about you?”

  Quest rolled his eyes. “You could never forget about me.”

  “Oooo, confidence,” she laughingly replied. “I like it,” she murmured against his cheek.

  “Hmph.”

  Leaning away, Mick decided to try a different approach. “Honey I know how you feel about this, but it’s so important that I find more answers for Johnelle, yes. But, especially for Quay. He needs this and I’m really concerned for him.”

  Quest shook his head. “Yeah, I’m concerned too. I thought if he at least knew who might be responsible for this it’d be something of a comfort.”

  Mick grimaced. “Not when that person is running loose and preventing you from going after the woman you love.”

  “Tykira.” Quest guessed.

  “Tykira,” Mick confirmed.

  “You know, everybody except Quay wants her on this project for the rail. I’m calling her as soon as I get to the office.”

  Mick propped her chin on her husband’s shoulder. “You think this’ll work?”

  Quest’s heavy brows rose momentarily in a gesture of uncertainty. “My brother won’t be too happy, that’s for damn sure.”

  “But you’re hoping he’ll be too mesmerized by Tykira to argue?”

  “It’s happened before,” Quest shared, his gray eyes narrowing murderously.

  “Mmm,” Mick rested back into the crisp, sandalwood linens, “but that was before he felt her life was in danger.”

  “I have to try,” Quest whispered, his hand flexing into a fist. “I want him happy. He’s been like a zombie since he saw her at our wedding reception,” he turned when he felt his wife’s nails grazing his spine. “Besides, it’s because of him that I have you,” he murmured against her lips when he’d settled next to her again.

  The conversation silenced and the moment segued into a sweetly erotic interlude…

  ***

  A group of five men sat stonefaced and silent while they stared at the woman at the head of the table. Their handsome faces were rarely void of grins or full blown smiles. As usual, however, their boss had succeeded in catching them off guard.

  Tykira kept a calm smile on her face as she sought to judge the reactions from her crew chiefs. Their expressions gave away nothing. Well- that wasn’t exactly true. Ty could clearly see that they weren’t a happy bunch. Folding her arms across the front of her V-neck tanned sweater, she waited. Not known for her patience, she cracked a second later.

  “Will you guys please say something?!” She demanded.

  “You’re kidding, right?” Frank Royers finally spoke up.

  “She better be,” Morton Garner added, his blue eyes snapping with frustration.

  “You’re just a little tired,” Samuel Bloch added.

  “Tired or going crazy,” Kenny Sutton teased.

  Gary Charles ran a hand through his curly blonde hair. “We haven’t taken a break in five years,” he argued.

  “That’s why this is the perfect time,” Ty pointed out, her brown eyes sparkling with encouragement. “We’ve been working non-stop and that’s not healthy.”

  “Making money is always healthy, Ty,” Kenny challenged.

  “What’s really going on here, Ty?” Morton asked, his green eyes narrowing as he studied her closely.

  Finally, Ty let her façade drop. She stared down at her hands and began to fiddle with the thumb ring she always wore, “I guess I’m bored,” she admitted at last, peeking beneath the heavy fringe of her lashes to see her crew frowning out of sheer confusion. “Yes, we’ve made a great name for ourselves, but now I’m ready for a real challenge. Frankly, I think I’ll scream if another choo-choo to go ‘round somebody’s house comes our way,” she complained, her low voice still resounding in the room.

  The guys exchanged closed looks. “I think you’re oversimplifying what we do, love,” Samuel chastised quietly.

  “I’ll say,” Gary agreed, “our projects range Ty, you know that.”

  Closing her eyes, Ty relaxed against the black leather chair she occupied. “I know,” she conceded, rubbing her arms through the over-long sleeves of her mohair sweater. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she added in a weary voice.

  “Maybe Sam’s right,” Frank was saying, “maybe you are tired. All this on the go work, travelling, up all night, maybe it’s starting to wear you down.”

  “Yeah Ty, maybe you should take a week or three off. Go home, visit your mom, get some rest,” Kenny suggested.

  Tykira leaned back in her chair and considered the suggestion. It would be nice to get away and her mother would be quite surprised to see her prodigal daughter arriving home out of the blue. But then, those unwanted warnings of seeing Quaysar Ramsey and anything associated with him resurfaced and she began to silently talk herself out of it.

  “Ty?” Morton called. “What do you say?” he prompted.

  After another few seconds of silence, Ty graced the men with her most dazzling smile.

  “Yeah Jason?” Sam called when the phone buzzed amidst their laughter.

  “Hey guys,” the intern greeted, “Ty, I got a Quest Ramsey on the phone for you.”

  Her laughter vanishing, Ty’s heart jumped to her throat. Calls from Seattle from anyone besides her mother were about as common as a warm winter in Denver. Immediately, she feared there might be a problem with Bobbie. She was berating herself for not visiting more when she picked up the phone.

  “Quest?”

  “Hey girl, what’s goin’ on out there?”

  “Is my mother alright?”

  Quest hesitated on his end of the line. “Yeah…why wouldn’t she be?”

  “Dammit, don’t scare me like that,” she hissed, glancing back to see her crew involved in another conversation. “I already feel guilty enough for not seeing her more.”

  “Honey I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Quest said, though laughter still colored his voice. “Maybe we can do something about your not visiting. I have a proposition for you.”

  Curious then, Ty perched on the edge of the small desk in the conference room. “Continue,” she urged.

  Quest chuckled. “Afraid I can’t. To find out what it is, I’ll need you in Seattle before the end of the week.”

  Shaking her head, Tykira fiddled with a bouncing curl from her ponytail and turned to fix her crew chiefs with a wide grin. “I think that could be arranged,” she told Quest.

  ***

  “Are you getting anywhere with this stuff?” Quay eyed the monitor of Michaela’s laptop with decided skepticism.

  “Wak
e Robinson is a very educated man,” Mick reminded her brother-in-law, her eyes focused as she scrolled the screen. “I never know when an idle search might pay off. It’s been close to three years, maybe he’s snagged a high level position somewhere. It never hurts to check,” she advised.

  “I guess it’s a good idea when you put it like that,” Quay leaned back in the chair he’d pulled behind the desk where Mick was working. “I never realized Wake was so resourceful- making his way through college with no help from family.”

  “Hmph, it can be done. Trust me,” Mick confirmed, a rueful smile curving her mouth. “If you are resourceful, you can slip under the grid by using cash and disposable cell phones.”

  “I know,” Quay said, understanding that his sister-in-law may have done the same and probably had a rougher time of it. Leaning forward, he squeezed her knee. “I’m surprised you never thought to check the net for business ties before,” he said after a while.

  “Actually I have,” Mick confided, with a quick toss of her unruly curls.

  Quay slanted a narrow dark glance her way. “What’s that tone about?”

  “I’ve been at this for weeks. It’s almost become a daily ritual for me. A ritual that produces no results,” she groaned.

  Quay’s handsome features were a picture of concern. “Mick I want you to let go of this.”

  “What?” she whirled around to face him.

  “I don’t want you to keep wasting your time on a dead end case,” he pointed his index finger towards the laptop.

  “Quay-”

  “I mean it. Hell, you’ve already discovered more in less than a year than it’s taken a league of detectives.”

  Mick inched closer to him. “That’s because I really want the truth.”

  Quay’s dark eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You think they didn’t?” he asked.

  “I think it could’ve been a show to make people think the Ramseys were after the truth. A pretense,” Mick suggested.