Family Under Fire

by Jane Godman

Her protective instincts toward Kennedy were developing fast. The little girl had already lost so much, and Alyssa wanted to give her a happy life. It would be wonderful if her future included grandparents who would love and support her. That vision was starting to fade.

  “She’ll be fine,” Everett said. “Seriously. By the time Mom gets home, she’ll be planning for Kennedy to have her own room in their house.” Alyssa gave him a skeptical look. “Trust me. Her love of kids will outweigh any other consideration.”

  “I hope so.” She gripped the bar of the stroller and consulted the store guide. “Which way to the toy department?”

  An hour later, Everett was in danger of disappearing under the pile of the things they’d bought and Kennedy was getting cranky.

  “She probably needs something to eat before she has a nap,” Alyssa said.

  “You mean we can finally head to Hoyles’ coffee shop?” Everett asked hopefully.

  “You get a table while we go to the ladies’ room.” Alyssa turned the stroller toward the elevators. “A diaper change is called for before nap time.”

  Although there were restrooms on each level, the baby-changing facilities were located on the third floor. As Alyssa waited for an elevator, Kennedy began to cry in earnest.

  “Oh, hey, sweetie.” She squatted beside the stroller. “We’ll soon have you feeling clean and fresh. Then you can have lunch and a nap.”

  A bell dinged, signaling the arrival of the elevator. Relieved, Alyssa pushed the stroller in and pressed the button for the third floor. The doors had started to close when a man suddenly stepped in.

  With his hood pulled up, hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched, he drew her attention for all the wrong reasons. Was he a shoplifter hiding his face from the security cameras? Acting on impulse, she placed herself between him and Kennedy.

  “I’m going to the third floor. You?” She was proud of the way her voice sounded so calm.

  He didn’t answer, keeping his back to her as he faced the elevator doors. With her heart pounding, she kept her eyes fixed on the display showing them moving up the floors. When the red light showed the number three, the doors opened. The sight of shoppers moving around nearby made her feel safe again.

  “This is my floor.”

  He stayed where he was, blocking her exit.

  “I need to get out.”

  Nothing. When he reached out a hand toward the buttons, Alyssa knew she had to act fast. If those doors closed, she and Kennedy would be trapped inside again with this creepy stranger. Gathering all her courage, she pushed the stroller forward. At least Kennedy was facing her and couldn’t see what was going on.

  Offering up silent thanks to the Dodds for their expensive tastes, she hit him hard in the shins with the heavy wheel guard. As he grunted in pain, she kept on going, barging past him and out through the doors. Once she had gained the freedom of the store, she drew a breath and looked around for a security guard. It was too late. The elevator doors were already closing.

  She stooped to kiss Kennedy’s cheek, then drew her cell phone from her bag with shaking hands. As she leaned against a wall, she called the only person who could make this situation right.

  “Everett?”

  * * *

  “Have you ever considered that there could be such a thing as too many holiday decorations?” Everett looked down at Alyssa with a twinkle in his eye as he stood on a chair and finished hanging a garland above a door in his apartment. He was trying to keep the mood up after the frightening incident at the department store a few hours earlier.

  “No.” Although her expression was prim, her eyes danced. “Just like there’s no such thing as tacky tinsel or an ugly Christmas sweater. Bows, bells, baubles, stockings... I want Kennedy’s first Christmas to have it all.”

  He stepped down and waved a hand to indicate the brightly lit tree that now occupied one corner of the room. “So this is all for Kennedy?”

  “I can’t pretend I won’t enjoy it along with her.” The look of anticipation dissolved into a frown. “I just wish there wasn’t this shadow hanging over us.”

  He knew Alyssa was still upset to think that one of Kennedy’s own relatives might act in such a malicious way. Since she’d never met Georgia, it was hard to explain that Sean’s sister was unlikely to be a warm and loving aunt toward her niece.

  She was even more distressed at the realization that, if Georgia was responsible, she must have an accomplice. The idea of an unsavory character recruited to watch over and threaten them had taken hold of her imagination. It had become even more real since the incident in the elevator at Hoyles’.

  When Alyssa had called him in the store and told him what had happened, his initial reaction had been one of fear. As he had rushed past the other shoppers, images of her and Kennedy in danger had crowded his mind.

  Once he had seen they were physically unharmed, the sight of Alyssa’s pale face and trembling lip had pushed his anxiety aside.

  His anger had been like lava bubbling up inside a volcano, erupting from him in waves. He’d kept it hidden for Alyssa’s sake, but its silence made it even more powerful.

  And the memories it evoked... He’d shaken the thought aside. This was about Alyssa, not what happened all those years ago.

  Now they were home, his fury had cooled a little. But it was still there. Waiting to resurface when he found the guy who had threatened his family.

  Casey had acquired the security-camera footage from the store and inside the elevator, but it wasn’t helpful. The same guy who had gotten into the elevator had shown up a few other times, lurking close to Everett and Alyssa as they made their way around the store. Although it looked like he could have been following them, he had kept his face hidden the whole time. Everett had sent a copy of the film to the FBI laboratory for enhancement, but he wasn’t hopeful that it would reveal any clues to the guy’s identity.

  They would also run a comparison with the picture he’d taken of the car that had tried to run him down. Again, he didn’t have high hopes of a positive outcome. On both occasions, just as with the person who had purchased the gift card, the individual had taken great care to disguise his or her features.

  He turned his attention to Alyssa. He could tell she was trying hard not to let the intimidation get to her, but now and then she would look out of the window at the parking lot, or check on Kennedy in her crib for no reason.

  In addition, she was dealing with new-mom issues. Sleep deprivation, the baby’s teething, trying to work out Kennedy’s likes and dislikes, while also keeping up with the sheer amount of tiny clothes that had invaded the laundry. They were both discovering that becoming parents was an even bigger change than they’d anticipated. Bringing a baby into their lives had turned their emotions upside down, as well as their living arrangements.

  “Kennedy is such a sweetheart. I can’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to her.”

  Instinctively, he moved toward her. As he reached out his hands to grasp her shoulders, he paused. Was touching her a good idea? His intention was to reassure her but was that how Alyssa would see it? He gazed at her lovely face, and briefly questioned his own motives. Maybe comfort wasn’t the only thing on his mind.

  “I won’t let anything hurt her.” He let his hands drop back to his sides. “Or you.”

  “Oh.” Darkness bloomed in her eyes. “This is turning out all wrong.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I always saw your job as something to be feared.” She made a helpless gesture, and he knew she was thinking of their breakup. “In the end, it was a worry I couldn’t live with.”

  “I understood that.” After all this time, it still hurt so much to talk about it. “I didn’t like it, but I respected your decision to end things between us.”

  “But don’t you see what’s happening here?” A corner of her mouth lift
ed, but there was no humor in the smile, only sadness. “I’m depending on your job—the cause of so many of my nightmares—to keep us safe from this threat. Everything has gone into reverse.”

  This time, he didn’t stop to think. Closing the distance between them, he drew her into his arms. When she rested her head against his chest, warmth glowed deep inside him.

  “Isn’t life supposed to be all about timing?” He ran a hand down the length of her hair. His mind hadn’t played tricks. It really was as silky as he remembered.

  “If that’s the case, this sucks.” Her voice was muffled by his sweater.

  “And I’m not sure I want a dangerous situation to be the reason you see my job as a positive.”

  “Positive? Let’s not get carried away. I’m forced to rely on your role as an FBI agent to get us through this. I didn’t say I see what you do as a good thing.” She took a step back. “Now how about you get back on that chair and put the star on top of the tree so Kennedy can see it when she wakes up?”

  He threw her a jokey salute. “Whatever you say, o festive commander.”

  She gave him a little shove in the direction of the tree. Before he could step onto the chair, her fingers lightly brushed his wrist. “Thank you.”

  He raised questioning eyebrows. “For putting a star on the tree?”

  She smiled again, this time with no trace of sadness. “Among other things.”

  * * *

  “Sean and Delilah got married four years ago. They’d been together for three years before that.” Everett started talking almost as soon as Casey entered the apartment the following morning. He might have taken a leave of absence, but there was nothing he could do to stop his brain from working on the investigation. “During that time, had your department ever been called out to deal with any domestic-disturbance incidents involving them?”

  “Not that I’m aware of, but I’ll check it out.” Casey went straight through to the kitchen and helped himself to coffee. “What are you thinking?”

  “The night they died, it appeared that they had been eating at the kitchen table when a disturbance took place. Chairs had been overturned and plates of food were smashed on the floor. There was a small amount of Delilah’s blood on the floor and the front door had been left wide open. Have I got this right so far?”

  Casey nodded. “It looks like you’ve memorized every detail of the investigation report.”

  “There were marks on the gravel drive that could have been consistent with someone having been dragged from the house to the garage.”

  “That was speculation on the part of the first officer at the scene,” Casey said. “I’m not saying he was wrong, but there could be any number of explanations for those marks. Sean and Delilah could have moved an object earlier in the day, something that needed to be pulled over the gravel.”

  “Or they could have had a fight and he hauled her from the house to the car,” Everett said. “That’s why I want to know about any previous history of domestic disturbances. They’d been together for seven years. Wouldn’t it strike you as odd if this was the first time things got physical between them?”

  “They both were under intense pressure,” Casey pointed out. “On a countdown to prison sentences.”

  “That wasn’t how Sean saw it. You know what his ego was like. The guy straight-up said he was looking forward to making me look stupid in court. And even if he did think prison was a possibility, why would he turn nasty with Delilah? He worshipped her.”

  “The suicide note said he couldn’t face spending time in prison.”

  “Ah, yes. The suicide note.” Everett nodded. “It seems odd that it didn’t mention his reason for wanting to kill Delilah, as well.”

  Casey shrugged. “You just said yourself that he worshipped her. Maybe he couldn’t stand that she’d get time, too?”

  Everett fell silent as he tried to make sense of the Dodds’ last night. Even if what Casey was saying was true, if Sean couldn’t bear the thought of Delilah going to jail, where did Kennedy fit into the picture? Everything he had learned told him that she had been the center of her parents’ world. Even if he removed every other doubt about Sean’s suicide, he couldn’t get past the biggest one of all.

  He would not have left his little girl without both parents.

  “Where was the suicide note found?”

  “In the car, taped to the dashboard.” Casey poured more coffee. “It was all in the report. By the way, why are you mashing green slime?”

  “It’s avocado and kiwi fruit. Kennedy loves it.” Everett returned to the conversation. “Doesn’t the location of the note strike you as strange? Sean writes a letter, explaining that he is going to kill himself rather than go to jail. At what point does he place it on the car dash? Is it before he goes down to the kitchen and gets into a fight with Delilah over his intentions? Or does he drag his wife to the car and then write it?”

  “Does it matter?” Casey regarded him with something like fascination.

  “I’m trying to piece together what happened that night. And don’t get me started on why they would leave Kennedy with Georgia on that night. If there was ever a contest for irresponsible aunt of the year, Sean Dodd’s younger sister only had to show up to be handed the crown.”

  “Speaking of Kennedy... Where is she now? And where is Alyssa?” Casey looked around the apartment with raised eyebrows. “It’s not like there are many places to hide around here.”

  “Both asleep.” Everett scrubbed a hand over his unshaven chin. “Kennedy is teething and was awake most of the night. When she does sleep, we take turns to join her.”

  His twin regarded him with interest. “And do you want to tell me the story of how you got that bruise on your head?”

  Everett laughed as he rubbed his forehead. “I forgot to open my bedroom door on the way to deal with a crying baby in the middle of the night. The smack it made when I struck the wooden panel with my skull was impressive.”

  Casey gave him a sympathetic look. “You’re finding this whole thing tough, huh?”

  “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t sign up for this, yet my life is suddenly all about sterilizing bottles, changing diapers, washing clothes, wiping up sick...” He sucked in a breath.

  “I’m guessing you’d advise against parenthood?” Casey said.

  Everett felt the smile warm his face. How could he explain his feelings to his brother? Being a new dad was scary. In a good way. It was like being on a roller coaster that he never wanted to get off.

  All those times recently when his mind had been preoccupied with adult worries, like how they would they fit everything into the apartment or what was going on with the investigation. Then he’d look down and see her tiny hand in his and wonder how it was possible to have come to care for another person so much in such a short time.

  “No. Just the opposite. Hearing Kennedy laugh when I tickle her makes it all worthwhile. Her big, cheeky grin warms my heart and, even though I’m so tired I don’t know what day it is most of the time, I’m loving all these new experiences.”

  “And Alyssa?”

  “Oh, she adored Kennedy from the moment she saw her. And she’s better at being a parent than I am.”

  Casey shook his head. “Yeah. If it makes you feel better, you can pretend that’s what I meant.”

  Chapter 6

  The linen closet was located next to the bathroom. When Everett opened the door on the following evening, it was like he was in the wrong apartment.

  “Alyssa?” When he called her name, she emerged from the kitchen. “Where did all these towels come from?”

  “I bought some new ones.”

  “Why? There were already plenty of towels.”

  “There were enough towels. For one person.” She gave him a pitying look. “Although some of them were past their best. Now you have en
ough towels for two adults and a baby, plus a few spares in case we have guests.”

  He snorted. “If we have guests, we are going to need to get rid of the towels so they can stay in the linen closet. And why do we have those little fancy towels on the shelf over the bath?”

  “They’re for decoration.”

  He started to laugh. “We can’t move in this place because of all the baby stuff and Christmas decorations, but you decided what we really needed to make our lives easier was some decorative towels?”

  “Just make sure you don’t use them.” She whisked past him with an armful of laundry. “Where do you keep your iron?”

  An hour later, he was watching her arrange his shirts on hangers, while listening to a lecture about the correct way to fold socks. It was like entering a scary parallel universe.

  “I get it. From now on, I will hang my work shirts in the same direction and color-code my T-shirts.” He gave her a smile. “Are you trying to domesticate me, Lyss?”

  He’d seen this happen with enough colleagues. They moved in with a partner or got married, and the complaints started. She moves my stuff. I can’t just drop things on the floor anymore. She changes the sheets before they even look dirty. Then came the acceptance. It’s kind of nice to know where everything is. A clean washcloth every day is the way to go. Never going back to the old sniff-’em-and-see sock test.

  If Everett was honest, he was enjoying this introduction to domesticity. He just couldn’t resist the temptation to tease her a little.

  She bit her lip. “Was I coming on too strong? I just like things organized.”

  He draped an arm around her shoulders. “You may just have met your biggest challenge.”

  From the glint in her eye, it was possible he had just said the wrong thing.

  A few minutes later, he heard an exclamation of annoyance from the kitchen. When he went in there, Alyssa pointed to the dishwasher. “It didn’t close properly. Again. So it hasn’t completed the cycle. We need to call the landlord or get someone to fix it.”