Jordan and Ellie were first to leave, and that night, Jordan was too occupied to listen to sounds from the hallway or the room next door. If anything, it was Ellie who might get them into trouble.
“Shh,” she whispered, uncertain whether or not Ellie was making an honest effort. The appreciative sounds were both flattering and arousing, so Jordan didn’t make much more of an effort to tell her to be quiet.
She moved up to lie next to Ellie who settled into her arms with a sated sigh, and this time, the silence was comfortable.
* * * *
Kate and Derek had gone out for breakfast, so Jordan and Ellie had the place to themselves the next morning. Ellie told herself she hadn’t made tiny backwards steps during the Delaney case. She was still dealing, and moving on meanwhile. Life was good. She knew that Jordan’s birthmother trying to force contact with her daughter was an issue Jordan still had to solve, but compared to the life or death situations they had faced in the past months, it seemed…manageable. If Kathryn didn’t give up, that meant she was serious about wanting to change. In Ellie’s opinion, this was the best case scenario. If she gave up, like before, that would only prove Jordan’s point. It would be sad, but she was still surrounded by people who cared for her and would help her cope. It wasn’t like Jordan had too high expectations from her birthparents.
Today was the day Ashcroft’s will would be revealed. Maybe that would help her catch a break with the case as well.
Chapter Five
“As I can see you are leading comfortable lives unlike so many others who suffer due to no fault of their own, I’m sure you will understand. I hope you remember that in the long run, we need to take care of more than just our own family. I wish for you to continue that legacy.”
By the time Lyndon was finished reading, Linwood Ashcroft’s expression had turned from a smile into an unreadable mask, Craig’s face had reddened, and Abby was crying even harder.
Mrs. Santos was quiet, though she didn’t look much surprised.
The majority of the Ashcroft wealth was going to various charities. Linwood, Craig and Abby got $300,000 each, and Mrs. Santos $100,000 and selected pieces of jewelry and furniture. There was a college fund for Savannah, Abby’s daughter, and the siblings were supposed to divide the rest of the furniture and assets between them. Ashcroft wanted the house to be turned into a modern therapy center benefiting victims of rape, domestic violence, and bullying and harassment.
The silence was explosive.
“Well, this is not completely unexpected,” Linwood said.
“What the hell?” Abby sniffled. “Family is everything! What was wrong with him?”
“Maybe he realized that most of his family was trying to rip him off.” Linwood again.
Jordan studied the exchange between the siblings with interest. Abby had invited her in, but she seemed to regret her decision now. Linwood was gloating. Jordan couldn’t help but feel a certain kinship with Ashcroft—sometimes, it was better to invest in other people rather than your blood relatives. For a man who had lived such a privileged life, he was surprisingly aware of the less fortunate around him. Maybe he’d just been tired of their pretense—and it was remarkable that all of them got the same amount. It might not seem much to them, but she’d seen lots of antique furniture in the Ashcroft mansion. They would not be broke and starving anytime soon.
“You know that’s not true,” Craig answered his brother. “We’re all hurt, but let’s not accuse one another. It’s bad enough as it is, but here we are. It looks like we’re all in the same boat.”
“Oh, no, we’re not. I didn’t need to be creative with the books to finance my addiction—or some stupid idea that would never go anywhere.”
“See, that’s how it always goes. Maybe he couldn’t stand Linnie’s self-righteousness anymore.”
Judging from the stormy look on his face, Linwood didn’t approve of the accusation or the nickname. He composed himself.
“There is no mention of the fishing cabin. I wonder if he just forgot about it? That’s unlikely, after all he went just last month, all of a sudden.”
Tamara looked puzzled. “That’s right, not a word. I guess you’ll have to go up and see what’s there.”
“I think it should remain in the family,” Linwood said. “Since my siblings won’t be able to, I’ll take care of it. I’ll go this weekend. Unless you need me to stay in town, Detective?”
“That’s all right, Mr. Ashcroft.”
“Wonderful. Are we done now? I need to get back to work.”
Abby shook her head. Craig didn’t say anything, but his expression spoke volumes.
“Perfect. The sooner we can all go back to normal, the better.”
“Linwood, wait. There’s more,” Tamara Lyndon said. “We have to talk about the company, of course.”
“Yeah, so? I know Dad wanted me to take over. Craig can continue to do the books, but I’ll have someone make sure it’s all legit.”
“No, that’s not what it says. I believe he must have made some changes recently…Gerald wants you all to be equally involved in the company. That means you’d need to take more responsibility, Craig. Abby, he wants you in marketing, but still as a voting member on the board.”
“What the—?”
Jordan noticed with interest that this news got a rise out of Linwood Ashcroft.
No one had expected this.
The more she learned about Gerald Ashcroft, the more she liked him. He was giving them quite a puzzle.
* * * *
The waitress had directed Ellie to a table in the bistro where she was supposed to meet Jordan for lunch. Jordan had told her she might be late, depending on how her morning went.
Ellie had a lot on her mind—the case Kate had told her about, the Ashcroft mystery they were all trying to solve, her own reaction to dark, narrow spaces. At least, she hadn’t been confronted with any since she helped Mrs. Delaney out of the cellar. That neighbor feud would be over now.
At first, she didn’t recognize the woman who had come in and headed straight for her table. Ellie thought she must be mistaken, but then she recognized Kathryn. Compared to the last time she’d seen her, in the hospital, after her ex-lover and Jordan’s father had tried to kill her, Kathryn looked surprisingly put together. Ellie perpetually imagined her younger, her and her husband Jim, a couple of irresponsible kids who had no idea how to take care of a child.
“It’s Ellie, right?”
“Yes, but…Jordan will be here in a moment. I’m sorry, I don’t think she’d appreciate us talking.”
“I know. I need a moment of your time. I’m sorry about what I said in the hospital.” To Ellie’s dismay, she pulled herself a chair. “I know you care about Jordan, and that’s why I need you to hear me out. I know she doesn’t want to talk to me. I understand why, I really do, but I was hoping you could…”
“Convince her otherwise? I’m not sure I can do that. You’ve only reconnected…” Ellie couldn’t help cringe at the word, and she thought maybe Kathryn did too. “Recently. You have to give her time, and texting and calling all the time is not helping, I’m afraid.”
Kathryn sighed. “Look at me. I don’t have that much time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you really interested?”
“She might be, but I am not. Leave.” They both flinched at the icy tone of Jordan’s voice. “You heard me.”
“Jordan, if you want me to leave you two alone for a moment and—” Get this over with. Ellie didn’t say it out loud.
“No, thanks. Kathryn?”
“Why won’t you talk to me? How many times do I need to apologize?”
“Until you mean it. Have a nice day. And if you don’t leave right now, I swear, I’m going to arrest you.”
“Jordan,” Ellie said quietly.
There were people at other tables looking on with interest.
Kathryn got up, her head down.
“You know where to find me,�
� she said and left. Ellie was both relieved and worried as she watched her leave the restaurant. She and her husband had done something terrible, possibly unforgivable, but there was something about her Ellie found hard to ignore. Broken. There was no doubt she had suffered too. Ellie was anxious that even acknowledging this might make Jordan believe she was any less on her side.
“What the hell was that?”
Ellie couldn’t answer right away, because the waitress arrived at this moment.
“I really want that cheesecake now,” Jordan mused. “And to think that Darla is the pregnant one…”
“Did you hear from her? How is she doing?”
“Don’t try to change the subject. What was she doing here? Why are you talking to her? Don’t ever do that again.”
“I don’t know, and I had no choice. It would have been a bit weird not to say a word. Look. I think it could be good for both of you. Just talk, that doesn’t mean you have to forgive her or your father for anything.”
“Paul is my father, not any of the men who had sex with her. It’s unfortunate that they were involved in a case, but it’s over now, and I don’t need any of them in my life. I need you to not encourage them. I don’t expect you to understand, but please, do as I say, that’s all I’m asking. Where’s that food now?”
Ellie understood a lot more than Jordan thought, about the many issues simmering under the surface of this conversation. She had irrationally felt let down by her parents after their death, and she knew, in Jordan’s case, there was nothing irrational about the sentiment. It seemed logical though, that talking to Kathryn would help all of them move on.
She was tired too.
“Yeah, I hope it will be here soon. I need to get back in a bit.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know. It’s okay.”
Jordan took her at her word, and they changed to easier subjects. Work was always one of them.
* * * *
“What happened? Did you see a ghost?” Derek asked when Jordan, back at her desk, tossed her jacket over her chair.
“Something like that. She’s definitely haunting me,” she muttered. “All right. I wish we could take a look at that cabin. Something tells me he wasn’t up there alone, and that this did have something to do with Ashcroft changing his will.”
“I agree, but we’ll never get that warrant,” Derek pointed out. “It’s now in the siblings’ possession, and I don’t think they’ll just let us walk in.”
“Maybe they will. Abby might be open to the idea. I’ll call so one of them can come sign the paperwork to release the body.”
“Yeah, you do that.”
Jordan was about to make the call when Linwood Ashcroft walked in, heading for her desk.
“Detective Carpenter,” he said. “I apologize for the chaos earlier. I’m used to it from my siblings…but, let’s just say, this was quite the change of plans from Dad’s point of view.”
“It’s good you’re here. I need you to sign some forms, and then we’ll be able to release the body.”
“Yes, sure, thank you.” Jordan caught Derek’s speculative gaze. All of a sudden, the younger Ashcroft son didn’t seem in that much of a hurry, a very different picture from the man who had threatened to sue the whole department only days ago.
“I was thinking that maybe you’d like to join me up at the cabin. I don’t know, there might be something relevant after all. I know we’re all wondering about the sleeping pills found at Dad’s house. Maybe we’ll find an answer as to why he was taking them.”
“That would be helpful, thank you. I’ll go,” Jordan said, remembering Derek had mentioned he and McCarthy had plans for the weekend. Keeping her distance wasn’t such a bad idea until she had figured out how to make it up to Ellie for her earlier outburst.
She wondered if there was a lesson in being confronted with these privileged kids who couldn’t seem to let go, and bring everything in their lives back to their deceased father.
Then again, he had made an honest effort, which was a lot more than she could say about her birthparents. Still, she was beginning to question if her anger towards Jim and Kathryn still served her. There was someone who could possibly help her with this answer.
She stole into her office for a few minutes to make an appointment, and Dr. Burns agreed to see her after her shift.
* * * *
“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Dr. Burns remarked.
Stating the obvious, Jordan thought. She made sure to attend mandatory appointments after the confrontations with Darby, Pratt. Experiences lingered, that was normal. Jordan could see the benefit in these conversations, but she remained wary. A long-term relationship with a psychiatrist had taught her that.
“I was pretty busy. I finally took a vacation which was…amazing. I almost forgot that normal people do that every once in a while.”
“I’m glad to hear that. So things are calming down for you.”
“As much as they ever can, but…lately, I don’t know. I’ve been yelling at people for no reason. I don’t like to be that person.”
“Have you been sleeping?”
“On and off.” That was nothing new either. For all her griping about a person next door, she slept surprisingly well at Ellie’s apartment. It didn’t mean she had any less need for space. It simply meant Ellie was good for her. She’d better not screw this up. Jordan had high hopes since the vacation had gone so well, but she was disappointed in herself. And Kathryn. Come to think of it, none of it was so new. “It has nothing to do with a case, present or past, at least I don’t think so. My birthmother wants to keep in touch…I really don’t want to, and she can’t or doesn’t want to get the message.”
“Have you thought about taking legal action?”
Jordan shrugged. “Not worth the time. She’s not dangerous, just…persistent.”
“What do you think would happen if you talked to her? Would that make the situation better or worse?”
Jordan gave this question some consideration. “Frankly, I don’t know. I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
“It doesn’t mean you’re giving in, or even changing your mind. Like you said, this is different from a case, though…I understand there is a connection.”
“Yeah, but Pratt is not trying to reach me. In fact, I think we both would be fine if we never saw each other again. Darby has been quiet. I overreacted when I went to see him. It turns out he had nothing to do with Officer Harding’s abduction. We’re doing okay. I just need Kathryn out of my life again.”
There had been a time when Darby wasn’t quiet, in her mind, at least, but Jordan had worked hard to reclaim that space. It wasn’t anything she wanted to touch right now, and Dr. Burns fortunately understood that.
Ironic that she couldn’t seem to figure out what to do about Kathryn, given the other challenges in her life.
“What if you chose the terms? The place, the time you’re willing to give her—it would give you more control than you feel you’re having right now, and if she’s genuine, she will probably agree. It’s not a binding contract.”
“I’m scared.” Where the hell did that come from?
“What scares you?”
“Excuse me, there’s somewhere I need to go right now. Thank you for your time, that was very helpful. I’ll think about what you said.”
“Are you sure you want to end this here?” Dr. Burns asked, sounding concerned.
“Yes, don’t worry. I figured out something important.”
On her way, Jordan stopped by the flower store. When Ellie opened the door to her forty minutes later, her eyes widening at the bouquet of red roses, she wasted no time.
Their passionate kiss had witnesses, and a moment later, Ellie stepped back, a blush to her cheeks. “I didn’t forget Valentine’s Day? Or an anniversary?”
“No. Why are you always around?” Jordan directed at her partner who was helping Kate into her coat with a smirk.
“Don’t wo
rry, guys,” Kate said. “We won’t be around for much longer. Thank you, by the way, for going up to the cabin, so Derek doesn’t have to. We owe you.”
“You certainly do. Have fun.”
“Same to you,” Derek said. “I see you’re already forgiven. Smooth.”
“Yeah. Now get out of here.”
Jordan cringed at her own words, reminding it was the second time she had used them today in a scenario where they were uncalled for.
“Already gone. I’ll see you on Monday.”
Ellie regarded her curiously. “I better get a vase for these. They’re beautiful. You already apologized though.”
“Yeah.” Jordan followed her into the kitchen. “I thought you deserved a bit more than sorry, considering that I’ll leave you alone this weekend.”
“Hm. How sorry are you?”
“Since we have the place to ourselves, how about I show you and take you out for dinner afterwards?”
“I like the sound of that,” Ellie said, as she filled a vase with water and arranged the roses in it.
“I’m going to talk to Kathryn. If she really wants that, she’ll have to come to my house, and she’ll have to leave when I ask her to. That seems to be the best way to handle this.”
“What are you afraid of?” Ellie, smart and intuitive as always, asked.
“That I might see her point of view,” Jordan answered, grateful to have Ellie’s arms around her the next moment.
Chapter Six
After a phone call from Linwood Ashcroft early in the morning, Jordan agreed to a slight change of plans that benefited both her and Ellie. Linwood had offered to drive her if she could have someone pick her up later that day. Ellie was eager to do so, since it would give them more time together while Derek and Kate were away.
Surprisingly, the younger Ashcroft brother showed lots of interest in her work.
“You know, I’ve been thinking a lot. Is it possible that your medical examiner made a mistake? I know my father. He didn’t make any enemies, but he did have a lot of pride, wouldn’t have told anyone if he was feeling weak or sick. He could get careless. Maybe that’s what happened with those sleeping pills he took.”
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