Family Under Fire

by Jane Godman

  “I assumed the custody issue would be your first priority and that everything else could wait.” Ray tented his fingers beneath his chin and leaned back in his seat. A nasty grin crossed his face. “It may soon be unimportant, anyway.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Sean’s sister, Georgia Dodd, is contesting the will. She is hoping to inherit her brother and sister-in-law’s estate and gain custody of her niece.”

  * * *

  It was like going back in time. Ten-year-old Alyssa had experienced this same uncertainty over her future. It had been worse back then, of course. Her dad had been dead, and her mom had been unable to cope with her grief.

  The parallels with Kennedy’s situation hit her again. Thankfully, the little girl was too young to know what was going on.

  Even so, as she walked to the car at Everett’s side, fear wrapped around her like a prickly old rug. Just as she was learning to love Kennedy and her new family, it could all be snatched away.

  A strong hand gripped her elbow. “Let’s get into the car. The forecast is for snow and, although it’s rare in this area, and only likely to be a few flakes, the temperature is dropping.”

  Turning her head to look at him, she registered the look of concern on his face. “A white Christmas in southern Arizona? We don’t get many of those.” Her attempt at a smile wasn’t a complete failure.

  “You wanted it to be perfect for Kennedy.” Her smile faded and he shook his head. “Georgia is in prison, Alyssa. No court will let her near Kennedy. Not this Christmas. Not any time in the future.”

  Working together, they got the sleeping baby out of her stroller and into the car seat. In a short time, they’d perfected the routine. While Everett stowed the stroller in the trunk, Alyssa covered Kennedy with a blanket. Within minutes, they were ready to go.

  “Do you still want to go to the Dodds’ house?” Everett asked.

  What she really wanted to do was drive as fast as they could back to his apartment, run inside, lock the door and never come out again. Just the three of them. She would protect that with everything she had. It was a thought so fierce it rocked her back in her seat.

  They hadn’t planned this new life, but they were making it their own, and it was working. Better than that. It was good. Georgia wasn’t going to take it away from them.

  “Yes.” She gave a determined nod. “Why should we change our plans for her? Georgia has no control over our lives.”

  He gave her an approving glance. “There’s just one thing that bothers me. How much do you think Kennedy remembers about her time there?”

  “I hadn’t thought about it.” She frowned. “Do you think taking her back there might bring back memories of Sean and Delilah?”

  “I don’t know how much a six-month-old child can remember. Even if she recognizes the house, will she associate it with her parents? Does she have any sense of missing them?” Everett mused. “We’ve been focused on her physical care, but we may also need to think about the emotional trauma she has been through.”

  “At least she wasn’t in the house the night they died. It sounds like the events leading to their deaths were so harrowing they could have imprinted themselves into the mind of even such a young child,” Alyssa said. “If we take her into the house and she shows any sign of being troubled, we can always leave. I only want to drop off these clothes that are too small and pick up some larger ones.”

  They drove through Cactus Creek in silence. Once the town had been left behind, they were on a long stretch of straight, narrow highway with craggy hills rising on either side. Before long, a sign indicated the turn for the Old West Fairway.

  “The Fairway is an exclusive golf club, established in the canyon basin about eighty years ago,” Everett said. “My dad and most of his hospital colleagues are members. In recent years, a number of luxury houses have been built on the edge of the canyon with views over the course.”

  “Luxury houses?” Alyssa raised her eyebrows. “Casey described the Dodds’ home as ‘a neat property.’”

  “I think you’ll find my brother was understating the case.” There was a wry twist to his lips as he drove past the entrance to the golf club and along a private road.

  Intrigued, Alyssa watched the scenery roll past for a few minutes. When they reached a set of ornamental gates, Everett used the electronic fob Ray Torrington had given him. The gates slid open and they entered a different world.

  “Is this...?” Alyssa turned wide eyes in Everett’s direction.

  “Kennedy’s home? Yes. This is Paradise Palms.”

  “But it’s a mansion.” As Everett halted the car in front of the house, she leaned forward to get a closer look. The brick-built, two-story property was centered on a courtyard with a mosaic-tiled fountain in front.

  “Six bedrooms and seven bathrooms,” Everett said. “All of the entertaining rooms have access to the outdoors and views of the canyon. When Sean and Delilah bought the place there was an infinity pool, a golf simulator, a basketball court and a fitness center with a steam room. They added a games room, a home theater and an outdoor kitchen.”

  “If you lost touch with Sean, how do you know all this?” Alyssa asked as they got out of the car.

  “I told you how competitive we were with each other. There was no way Sean was going to let this slip by me. He sent me an email with details of the house and a one-sentence message.” Everett looked up at the beautiful property with a slight smile on his face. “It said ‘Enjoy your two-bedroom apartment, G-man.’”

  “G-man?” She lifted Kennedy, who stirred slightly in her sleep, from the vehicle.

  “It’s a slang term, meaning ‘government man.’ It refers to employees of the US government, specifically FBI agents. Sean always used it in a derogatory way.”

  “Well, at least your two-bedroom apartment was paid for with honest, hard-earned cash.” There was a touch of heat in her voice as she thought of the way in which Sean had earned his money. How dare he sneer at Everett? “If this was purchased with laundered money, shouldn’t have been forfeited to the government?”

  “If you look at Sean’s accounts, I’m sure you’d find this place was purchased honestly, too.”

  She snorted. “Delilah must have been mightily creative if she pulled that off.”

  He took Kennedy from her and placed the little girl in her stroller. “She was. Her role in the family business was to make sure the financial side of things was legal. She couldn’t have foreseen what was going to happen, but she made sure her daughter’s future was secure. What matters now is that we protect Kennedy’s inheritance.”

  His words gave her a sudden chill. “She is already in danger. I don’t know why, but Ray Torrington tried to trick us by not informing us of the true details of the will. Now Georgia is attempting to have the will overturned. Those are the two sources that we know of. What if neither of them is responsible for the threats we’ve been getting?”

  “I’ve already thought about that. In my job, you make enemies.” He took her hand and placed it next to his on the handle of the stroller. “But Kennedy has us to take care of her. Together, we’ll make sure nothing bad happens.” From his pocket, he withdrew the bunch of keys Ray had given him. “Are you ready?”

  She placed her fingers over his, feeling the strength and warmth of his hand. Were there any certainties in life? Sean and Delilah had stepped outside the law in an attempt to buy happiness and had died horribly. Alyssa’s own method was to turn her back on anything that might bring her hurt. The result had been four years of misery.

  Looking up at the beautiful house, the scene of so much drama, she wondered if the best way was to let fate take its course.

  “Let’s do this.”

  Chapter 7

  “Kennedy had her own suite?” Alyssa turned a full circle in the vast room. When she faced Everett again, she started to l
augh. “We could fit our whole apartment in here and still have space to let her have a puppy and a pony.”

  He paused for a moment to consider how much he liked hearing her say “our apartment.” Yeah. Maybe he liked it a little too much.

  “Do you have house envy, Alyssa?”

  She shook her head. Hard. “No. I would not want this lifestyle. Not knowing it was bought with stolen money.”

  Even though her childhood had been tough, Alyssa’s moral code was unshakable. Before his death, her dad had passed on his strong sense of right and wrong. Despite her own struggles, her mom had kept those values alive. Contrasting that with Sean and Delilah, who had taken the easy way and opted for a life of crime, Everett spared a thought for the tiny figure in the stroller.

  Kennedy’s life with him and Alyssa would be so much richer, because it would be about more than money.

  There was a small dressing room off the main nursery, and they found what they were looking for in there. Two whole walls were taken up with drawers and rails that were filled with baby clothing. Clearly, Delilah had believed in planning ahead, because there were items still in their packaging that wouldn’t fit Kennedy for several months. A glimpse at the price tags was enough to make Everett’s eyes water.

  Quickly, Alyssa transferred the smaller items they had brought with them to the drawers, exchanging them for clothing that would fit Kennedy now.

  “It seems such a waste to just leave them here.” She was kneeling on the expensive rug, looking up at Everett, as she placed onesies in a drawer. “I wonder if we could donate them to a nonprofit organization in Cactus Creek?”

  “As one of the trustees of Kennedy’s estate, I think it’s something we should look into,” he said. “My mom would definitely know of families in need who could use some.”

  As he spoke, Kennedy, who had napped for longer than usual, gave a whimper and opened her eyes.

  “Hey, there, sleepyhead.” Alyssa went to her and the baby blinked at her in confusion. “Are you hungry?”

  “Silly question.” Everett reached into the pink-elephant bag for the thermos that kept Kennedy’s formula at the right temperature. “This little lady is always hungry.”

  For once, Kennedy decided to prove him wrong. When he offered her the bottle, she fussily turned her head from side to side, all the while uttering soft cries.

  “Maybe she’s uncomfortable in the stroller and wants to be held?” Alyssa suggested. “There is a chair in the nursery. I’ll take her through there.”

  As soon as she released the baby from the stroller, Kennedy clung to her like a monkey, twisting her hands into Alyssa’s hair and burying her face in her neck. Bemused, Alyssa exchanged a glance with Everett.

  “Could she be confused because she fell asleep in one place and woke up in another? It might all feel strange to her, even as though she’s in the middle of a dream.”

  He accompanied her through to the nursery. “Or is it possible she’s remembering this place?”

  Alyssa sat in the rocking chair that had been placed near the wide windows. Cradling Kennedy close, she tried to get the little girl to take some of her formula. Although the baby seemed happy to be snuggled, she refused to take her formula.

  “She’s not happy. All she wants to do is hide her face. If she has memories of this as her home, surely they would be pleasant ones? We know how much her mom and dad loved her.”

  Everett leaned over and stroked Kennedy’s head. “We’ve got what we came for. If Kennedy’s unhappy, the reason doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”

  Alyssa carried the baby while Everett pushed the stroller. The bags of clothing were stashed in the shopping basket in the stroller’s base. Quickly, they made their way back toward the front entrance, heading along the wide central hall. When they drew level with the state-of-the-art kitchen, Kennedy gave a high-pitched cry that pierced Everett’s heart.

  “What is it, sweetie?” Although Alyssa spoke soothingly to the baby as she looked at Everett, her expression was one of concern. “She’s trembling all over.”

  Kennedy was screaming in earnest now, the sound like a siren signaling fear and distress. Over and over.

  “Her face, Everett. Look at her face.”

  The tiny features were bright red and balled up tight, but it was Kennedy’s eyes that drew his attention. She was staring into the kitchen. With a look of horror, her gaze was fixed on the table in the center of the room.

  “Don’t you see what this means? Kennedy was here.” Alyssa tucked the little girl’s face into her chest and started to walk quickly toward the door. “She was in this house the night her parents died.”

  * * *

  Once they got home, it took Alyssa about an hour to comfort Kennedy. Holding her close, rocking her, singing to her—all of those things gradually relaxed the baby’s tense muscles and she eventually fell asleep again.

  When she placed her in her crib, Alyssa watched over her for a few minutes before going to the kitchen. Everett observed her closely as she poured herself a glass of water.

  She may as well say it before he did. “You think I’m making it up.”

  “I didn’t say that. It’s just... Can a child as young as Kennedy really be trusted to remember a bad experience?”

  “You saw what she was like.” Alyssa tilted her chin determinedly. “You can’t tell me that was a normal reaction.”

  “I guess not.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But I don’t know what we can do about it.”

  “I need to make a call.”

  She went through to the living room and retrieved her purse from the table. Rummaging inside, she found the card Patty Griffiths had given her. Although it was late in the afternoon, she hoped the child-care worker would still be available.

  Sure enough, Patty answered her call almost immediately. “Patty? It’s Alyssa Bartholomew. We met in Raymond Torrington’s office when I took custody of Kennedy Dodd.”

  “I remember.” Patty sounded pleased to hear from her. “I think about little Kennedy a lot and wonder how she’s getting along these days.”

  “She’s doing really well. This may seem odd, but I’m calling with a general child-welfare question. It could be something you can’t answer, or you may be able to direct me to one of your colleagues who could assist me with it.”

  “I’ll do my best to help.” Alyssa could hear a trace of bewilderment in the other woman’s voice.

  “I’m wondering if a very young baby—say one aged about six months—would be able to remember a traumatic event?”

  “Ah, now that’s an interesting question,” Patty said. “Most people are under the impression that infants don’t recall distressing incidents. But this has recently been disproved by child mental-health specialists. New research shows that even very young babies can later remember episodes that scared them, and they will leave a lasting impression.”

  “It sounds like this is an area of expertise for you?” Alyssa said.

  “I’m doing a part-time degree in child psychology and I’ve studied infant trauma as a cause of extreme separation anxiety. If you need any more information, let me know.”

  After she ended the call, Alyssa relayed the details of the conversation to Everett.

  “This is too much.” He slumped onto one of the sofas, rubbing his temples with the tips of his fingers. “If Kennedy was in the house, that means Georgia was lying about looking after her for the whole night. The first cop on the scene at the house reported that there was no sign of the baby, and Casey, who knew the family circumstances, suggested contacting Georgia. She confirmed that Kennedy was with her. There’s only one reason I can think of for her to lie.”

  “You think Georgia needed Kennedy to be her alibi?” She sucked in a breath, trying to loosen the tightness in her chest. “Because Georgia was the one who killed Sean and Delilah?”

 
; “It looks that way, but how will I ever prove it?” Everett groaned. “It’s not like Kennedy’s testimony will stand up in court.”

  Alyssa sat next to him, curling into a corner of the sofa. Kennedy’s distress earlier in the day had been heart-wrenching. The little girl had been beyond upset and watching her suffer had been devastating. Trying to process this new development on top of that was using up all her emotional resources.

  “Being in the house upset her, but it was when she looked into the kitchen that she became really triggered,” she said.

  Everett sat up straighter. “Of course. If the baby was in her room, how would she know if anything bad was going on elsewhere in the house? Kennedy had to have been in the kitchen with her parents when the disturbance took place.”

  “Oh, my goodness.” Alyssa raised a shaking hand to her mouth. “You’re right. Our poor little darling must have witnessed the whole thing.”

  “Wait.” He slammed a fist down onto the cushion at his side. “What did Patty Griffiths say at our first meeting with her in Ray’s office? When she came into the care of the Department of Child Safety, Kennedy had recently started eating solid food.”

  Alyssa picked up his train of thought. “Which means, if she was in the kitchen, she’d have been in her high chair.”

  “I need to find out which officer was the first to check out the house after the bodies were found.” He reached for his cell phone. “And if any photographs were taken.”

  While he made a few calls, Alyssa went to check on Kennedy. The baby was sleeping soundly, her breathing regular and her temperature normal. Tears briefly blurred Alyssa’s vision as she gazed down at the sweet face with its fluffy halo of hair.

  She had already acknowledged that there would come a point in the future when they would need to handle the issue of what had happened to Kennedy’s birth parents. The photograph of Sean and Delilah was in its usual position beside the crib. It was another reminder, if they needed one, of how much Kennedy had been loved.