Sinner Reborn

by Morgan Kelley

He was good with that.

  “Can I eat my candy bar on the way there? All these Marines made me hungry.”

  She glanced over at him and the charming grin he was giving her took her breath away. “Lucas Mars, after this, you can eat anything you want.”

  The mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.

  When he opened his mouth to say something so very inappropriate and crass, she shut him down.

  “Except that.”

  “You used to be so much fun. Now you’re all gung-ho and serious.”

  Maura kissed him before dropping down to dig out the dead man’s keys. “You’re a sick man, Lucas Mars, and oddly, that’s hot.”

  “Now you’re talking my language,” he teased. “I can relate to hot. Have you seen my girl? Yowza!”

  She snorted, and when she crooked her finger, he followed her out of the woods.

  Then again, he’d follow her into hell and back.

  CHAPTER nineTEEN

  Friday Morning

  C allie and Quinn arose from a restless of sleep. The entire time, she tossed and turned, mulling over the case in her mind. There was something bugging her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Hopefully, today would be the day she figured it out.

  As for Quinn, he was up most of the night guarding the door. With Jagger out on ‘patrol’, the last thing he wanted to do was fall asleep with a bunch of ex-military crazies gunning for them.

  Quinn didn't buy that the hotel was impermeable.

  He knew better than that, so he cat napped as much as he could. There was no doubt in his mind that today was going to suck because of it.

  As they were dressing, there was a knock to the door. When Quinn peeked out, gun in hand, he saw their Marine standing there, and he was bearing gifts.

  Great!

  He had coffee and for that alone, he could forget that the man got off on irritating him.

  “Bless you.”

  Jagger grinned, lifting his sunglasses. “All’s calm downstairs. I flirted it up with the desk clerk, and he’s pretty sure that there are no men who match the description in this place.”

  That caught Quinn off guard. “Wait a minute, did you just say ‘he’s’ sure?”.

  “I did. Hey! A Marine has to do what a Marine has to do when the situation warrants it. Don’t judge.”

  Callie started laughing, and in fact, she was so amused by the look on her husband’s face, she gave Jagger a motherly kiss on the cheek.

  “Aw shucks, ma’am.”

  “Hey! No kissing him!” Quinn demanded.

  “He just flirted with another man for us. I think it’s safe.”

  Jagger offered up a fist bump. “Doc, now you gotta put in some good words with Director Hotness for me. I need a primo job when this is done.”

  She winked.

  “Can we focus on work?” Quinn practically growled.

  Jagger shared what he learned with them. “I found the men. They’re across town in a motel. It’s easy in, easy out. They don’t want to be in a building like this. It’s too hard to access the rooms at any time of the day. They’ll want to stay low key, and some seedy place is perfect for that.”

  “How many?” Quinn asked.

  “I counted four, but as I was heading out, they were in a tizzy. Something happened, and the entire hive of assholes is all stirred up.”

  That didn't reassure them.

  “Did they go anywhere?”

  He shook his head. “They were catching some zzz’s and laying low. If they’re running it like a military op, they’re regrouping. I’d bet we have some time before we have to worry. They didn't look like they were in a hurry.”

  “If they came at us…?” Quinn asked.

  “We’re screwed. I can take a few out, you might be able to keep up, but the issue isn't either of us.”

  Both men glanced over at Callie.

  “I can make your life hell, Quinton. Tread lightly.” She focused on the Marine. “I can tell Ethan and Callen you’re making comments about Elizabeth’s ass.”

  He stared. “Wow, you just kissed me and now you’ll play me like that? Ouch.”

  “That’s right, and who are they going to believe? A young horny Marine, or their staff shrink?”

  Quinn laughed. “Good to see you’re not above playing dirty.”

  “I’m going to be fine. From here on out, we stick together and avoid that part of town.”

  Jagger stood. “I’d love to run around playing babysitter, but I need to crash for a little while.”

  Quinn was going to babysit his wife, and if he had his way, she’d head home and back to FBI West where it was safe.

  “When you go out,” Jagger stated, “can you leave the crime scene info behind? I want to take a look at it. Something has been bugging me, and I want to confirm it.”

  “Sure,” Callie offered, dumping the file onto the table. She’d already read over them multiple times. If there was something there, she wasn’t seeing it.

  “Be careful out there,” he stated. “Oh, and when you come back, knock first.”

  Quinn got it. “So you don’t shoot us when we come in?”

  He shook his head. “No. I like to sleep naked.”

  Callie burst out laughing until she noticed her husband staring at her. “What?” she asked when Quinn was giving her a look.

  “You know what.”

  Yeah, someone had definitely gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.

  They didn't speak much on the drive to the doctor’s house. Callie was working on the profile in her head, and Quinn was being extra diligent with scanning their surroundings. If someone was going to make an attempt at them, it would be when they were one man down.

  He really wished Jagger wasn’t back at the hotel crashing. He could use that extra set of eyes on this one.

  “It’ll be fine,” she reassured. It was obvious he was riled up when they stopped in front of the older home, and her husband wouldn’t let her get out of the vehicle until he could race around to play shield.

  “Yeah, well, my gut says otherwise, so humor me,” he stated.

  Callie would throw him a bone on this one. After all, he was being relatively calm.

  Considering…

  At the front door, Quinn knocked. When the older man finally got there, they both held out their badges and showed him their guns.

  “Wow, to what do I owe this visit?” Doctor Chester Aldridge asked. “I can’t say I’ve ever had a Fed and a detective on my doorstep at this time of the day. Come to think of it…I’ve never had them here.”

  “We have some questions, sir, and we were hoping you could help us out,” Callie stated, giving him her best smile. “From one doctor to another, we really could use your assistance.”

  The old man was charmed and held out his arm for her. “Well, let me invite you in.”

  Quinn rolled his eyes. He knew you caught more flies with honey, but this was making him want to punch something. It was possessive and silly, but he was who he was.

  Why try and change now?

  He followed the elderly man in, and took a seat across from them in a chair. It was obvious that the gentleman liked the ladies. Again, Quinn tried to not look like an idiot as he got irrational.

  “Can I get you some tea or coffee, Doctor?” he asked, smiling at her.

  “No thank you, but I’m sure my husband wouldn’t mind fetching you a cup if you’d like some.”

  He smiled. “That would be so nice. I’m getting up there in age and sometimes, the simplest things are the hardest.”

  Quinn stared at her. “Sure. It would be my pleasure,” he muttered. When his wife winked at him, he made a note to put her over his knee later. She was getting too big for her britches.

  “Now, what’s this about?” he asked, smiling at her.

  “Do you remember a child named Avalon Miller?”

  He sat back and closed his eyes. “Yes, I actually do,” he stated. “She’s never left me. I find that I t
hink about her quite often.”

  “Why?” Quinn asked, coming back in with a mug of coffee.

  “She was the sweetest child. When she was around, you felt this peace, but you also felt such sorrow. Avalon was a curious little girl, and she longed to learn. For a while, I tried to get her grandmother to put her in school. Even though she was blind, with some modification, Avalon would have flourished. She was smart. The girl could memorize like nobody’s business.”

  “And her grandmother wouldn’t do it?”

  “From the minute they were given Avalon, they believed something horrible was wrong with her. Her mother told me she was born with the caul.”

  Quinn didn't get it.

  “A long time ago, any child born with the membrane still intact was thought to be ‘special’. They were seers. Once Avalon turned two and she began pointing things out. It scared the family.”

  Callie didn't buy into that mumbo jumbo, but she simply listened.

  “I didn't deliver Avalon since her mother had her away from this town. I did see her when she was first diagnosed as pregnant. Melissa came to me a scared, young girl carrying a child and not having any clue what to do about it.”

  Callie made notes.

  “She didn't know about her options. I’ve always been close to the Millers, and when she came crying, I felt compelled to help.”

  “What did you do?” Quinn asked.

  “We discussed her choices. There weren’t many out there since she was close to the cutoff date for an abortion. So, I gave her money and sent her off. She had to make the choice. All she asked from me was not to tell her mother. Mary Louise had a temper, and she didn't want to incur her wrath.”

  Quinn listened to every detail.

  “When she came back over two years later, she wasn’t alone. She had Avalon with her, and she became my patient. I don’t think I should be telling you about her. There is doctor patient confidentiality,” he stated.

  “Doctor Aldridge, she’s in danger. We’re here trying to find out what’s going on in the family. Just give us what you can,” Callie pleaded.

  He seemed to weigh his options.

  Finally, he gave in.

  “Melissa returned, and she passed Avalon off. That poor child was barely two, blind, scared, and her momma dumped her off. Mary Louise wasn’t real happy either. The last thing she wanted was a burden. Those are her words, not mine.”

  Quinn wanted to kick the shit our of Avalon’s mother for her. What kind of woman ditched her kid? Then he glanced over at his wife, and she was absently rubbing her hand over the growing baby bump.

  Thankfully, his children would never know that kind of coldness. They had a great mother.

  “Avalon was my patient, and when she’d come in, the poor thing was a mess. She’d have patches of her hair missing and bruises all over her. She’d never tell me who hurt her, but I suspected it was her grandmother and her cousin, Frank.”

  “How come you didn't report it to CPS?” Quinn asked. “Someone would have pulled her out of there.”

  “And then what would happen to her, Detective? Would they place her in a group home for the handicapped? She was blind. I was in a bind. It was the devil you know, or the one who would tear you to pieces. I tried to do what was best for her. Here in Fredricksville, no one really wanted her. She was a cast off from the start.”

  “That’s sad,” Callie stated.

  “It’s very sad,” he added.

  “So she had a hard time with the rest of the family?” Quinn asked, trying to learn as much as possible.

  “They were scared of the kid. I think that’s why Mary Louise hurt her. She was convinced that Avalon was the devil. What boggled my mind was that she was accepted into a college at such a young age and with no education. I know she was smart, but…”

  So, the doctor didn't buy the government’s cover story. Now who else didn't either? Could the man after Avalon be part of this somehow?

  He needed to mull that over.

  “I tried to find out how she was, but Mary Louise cut off all contact with me because of it. She told me to mind my business, and Avalon was with people who could handle her evilness. I know this is horrible of me, but when I heard Mary Louise and Frank Miller were dead, I thought about Avalon. Maybe it was justice years later, if you know what I mean.”

  Callie didn't doubt it was some form of karma. After all, the people who hurt Avalon had it coming. Maybe they didn't deserve the death they were handed, but still…

  They hurt a child.

  That was pretty low.

  “What can you tell us about the rest of the family?” Quinn asked. “We heard there is also a Margaret Miller and a Wade Miller out there too.”

  He thought about it. “They were siblings and patients of mine from way back. If I remember correctly, their momma, Constance, remarried and took them with her out of Fredricksville.”

  “Were they here when Avalon was?” Callie asked.

  He shook his head. “No. She took off after Melissa left. I think I heard that their momma died not too long ago. Really, the Millers seem to be dying off left and right.”

  Yeah, especially since someone was helping them along.

  “What can you tell us about them?” Quinn asked.

  “Not much. If you met one Miller, you’ve met them all. They went to church, played a big role in the community, and tended to be vocal about things that happened here in Fredricksville. When Horace Miller passed away, they seemed to go downhill.”

  Callie was curious.

  “Did Melissa ever discuss who the father was?” she asked. “It was obviously someone here in town.”

  He shook his head. “She wouldn’t tell me. In fact, anytime I brought it up, she’d cry. I think he was the love of her life, and he broke her heart. She probably met some boy at school and fell for him.”

  That was interesting.

  “Do you know if anyone from the school is still around? This is going to be twenty five years ago, and I’m sure there have been teachers retiring and moving out of the area.”

  He thought about it. “I’m pretty sure Melissa’s teacher still lives here. There was an article in the paper way back with Melissa standing beside her. She won an award in a poetry contest, and her teacher presented the ribbon.”

  “Do you recall who it was?”

  He closed his eyes and tried to think back.

  Finally, it came to him. “I believe her name was Lilian Kile. She was pretty young at the time and fresh out of the university. Melissa wanted to be just like her. You should ask the sheriff. He’ll know where to find her.”

  Quinn wasn’t looking forward to that. The man wasn’t going to want to be helpful at all. Instead, he had a better idea. Elizabeth said to call them if they needed help.

  This was one of those situations.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” he offered, signaling to Callie that he was going to make a call. She motioned back that she could keep the doctor busy.

  Outside, and out of earshot, he made the call. Elizabeth answered on the second ring.

  “What now, Detective? Have you been arrested again?” she teased.

  He laughed. “No. I need some fact finding assistance. We found out that Wade and Margaret Miller’s mother remarried. I need to find them.”

  “Name?” she asked, scribbling details down.

  “Constance is her first name, but we don’t have anything on the last name.”

  Elizabeth made notes. “I can get my research monkey on it.”

  Callen protested from the background.

  “Sorry, my sexy research monkey,” she corrected. “Anything else?”

  “Yeah, there’s someone we need an address on, and hopefully you can dig it up for me.”

  “Sure, shoot.”

  “Her name is Lilian Kile. She’s a teacher here in Fredricksville. She’d be about fifty now, and as far as we know, she’s still working at the school.”

  Elizabeth relayed to Callen, and
there was typing in the background.

  Quinn knew when the director had the information.

  “That was an easy one,” she stated. Elizabeth rattled off the address. “The other search is going to take some time. We’ll work on that, and as soon as we have something, you’ll know it.”

  “I appreciate it,” Quinn said, disconnecting the call.

  Back inside, he found Callie digging for more details about Melissa Miller.

  “She hated being at home. All I know is when she could get out of the house, it was to be with friends or family. Mary Louise ran a tight ship. Horace tended to be the calmer one. Once he died, that was the end of it. She became a tyrant.”

  “She didn't come home for the funeral,” Callie stated. “Is that odd? If it was my mother, I would have been here.”

  “It’s not surprising. There was no love lost there. She might come back for her children’s funeral. It’s so sad that they died in that fire. They already lost two people. If I was suspicious, I’d think someone had it in for the Millers.”

  Neither Quinn, nor Callie said anything. If the man knew the truth, he’d be freaked out.

  Then again, who wouldn’t be?

  “I swear, that family is cursed. There had to be one hell of a sin going on behind those doors.”

  They tended to agree, and they wanted to get to the bottom of it for Avalon’s sake.

  “Thank you for your time, Doctor,” Callie said, wanting to get out of there. Quinn was pointing at his watch. They needed to move.

  “It was my pleasure, dear. If you’re ever in my neck of the woods again, stop in. Leave the muscle at home,” he said, winking at her.

  Callie laughed, completely charmed by the old man.

  Outside, Quinn opened his mouth to make a comment, but before he could say a word, Callie kissed him. She held his mouth to hers in one hell of a tangle of lips and tongue.

  Quinn nearly fell back into the side of the house as he tried to stay on his feet. When his wife pulled away, licking her lips, he stared in awe.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  “Because no matter how sweet of an old man he is, or how tattooed and hot Jagger is, there’s only one man for me, and it’s you, big guy.”