by Judy Kentrus
Jess sat in her car and took deep calming breaths, but her normally organized thoughts were in chaos from everything she’d learned. Dealing with the threats sent to her mother made the top of her list, but right now she needed to confront the lying snake who had duped her from the moment he’d driven into town. It had all been a ruse! Every time he kissed her, he was laughing behind her back. She’d made love with him and inside he congratulated himself on his success deceiving her. The lying bastard took advantage of her sweet daughter and made her love him. Burning pain, the likes of which she’d never suffered, singed her heart. No one hurt her baby! She was going to have it out with him and then throw his ass in jail. She grabbed her cell phone and recalled the number for Adams Plumbers. Her gut said it was his office.
“Adam’s Plumbing” the chippie voice answered. Cindi recognized the caller ID and turned on her air-head routine.
“Where is that lying son-of-a-bitch?”
“Excuse me, honey, you shouldn’t cuss. Who you wanna speak to?”
“Lincoln! Where is he?”
“Oh, honey, he’s been dead a long time and is buried in Springfield, Illinois. They have a beautiful monument and everything.”
“Look, I appreciate your ditzy blond routine, but if you are as smart as I think you are, you will call your boss and tell him Sergeant Taylor is looking for him. I’ll be parked in the lot next to the old bandstand in five minutes. Tell him his ass is mine.” Jessie didn’t bother to wait for a reply.
Cindi looked wide-eyed at the phone in her hand and played with the string of purple beads around her neck. “Oh, dear,” she said, and punched in Lincoln’s emergency, all hell is breaking loose, number.
“What?” he barked into the phone. “This better be a matter of life and death.”
“It is! Yours! Jessie, I mean Sergeant Taylor just called here looking for you. She knows this is your office and is madder than a hive of hornets. The message is, ‘she’ll meet you in the parking lot next to the old bandstand in five minutes and your ass is hers.’”
“Great, because she’s just the one I’m looking for and her ass is mine!”
Linc arrived before Jessie. A dozen parking spaces were already taken. He got out of the truck and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Citizens had lined up rows of lawn chairs and were laughing, eating, and drinking. All eyes were focused on the Kelly twins dressed in shirtless coveralls, tossing rotted wood planks and shingles into a long iron dumpster. Connor and Brandon’s muscles were bulging and white sweatbands were wrapped around their heads of curly black hair. The old biddies had to be salivating at the sexy construction workers. The song YMCA was currently blasting from a portable radio.
Jess pulled into the lot and noticed the activity around the gazebo. “What the hell?” she muttered, recalling her daughter’s wish and reached for her radio. “Dispatch, Sergeant Taylor. Was anyone notified about the re-construction of the bandstand?”
“Yes, Sergeant,” Barbara replied. “Northrup called in earlier to let us know all the appropriate permits were approved by the building department.”
“Thanks, Barb.” Jess got out of her car and slammed the door, looking for the Linc Mobile. She didn’t want to think about how this friction with Lincoln would affect Edie.
Linc saw her first and gripped his hands into fists. He needed to ignore her damn kiss-my-ass swagger.
Both stood their furious ground and shouted at the same time.
“You lied to me!”
Chapter 18
“I lied to you? Bullshit!” Jessie refused to let him get the upper hand. “You are the owner of Adams Security and Investigations! Not some carefree drunk who crashed his friend’s sports car. You’ve been covering your ass anyway you can so I wouldn’t find out who you really were. Now I know why that trial was such a farce. You and my mother have been in cahoots the entire time. Her life is in danger and you didn’t want me to know.” She stiffened her back and the afternoon sunlight bounced off her sergeant’s badge. “I’m a goddamn cop, but you’ve never respected me. You laughed the entire time we were making love, make her feel like a woman and distract her from finding out what you really are. It was all a big joke to you.” Jess screwed a finger into his chest, hard. “Listen up, Mr. Adams Security, I don’t need you or your bullshit company. I can protect my mother and my daughter!”
“Daughter! You’ve been lying to me the entire time, Sergeant Taylor! Edith Amanda is not your daughter! Her real mother is Jenny, my sister! You kept that from me, my own flesh and blood. To repeat what you just said, bullshit! You seduced me. Oh, Lincoln, can I borrow your tub? You needed to keep me from seeing what was in front of my own eyes! My niece!”
If he had punched her in the face, she couldn’t have been more shocked. How had he found out? Jessie was grateful the music and duet of banging hammers overshadowed their heated voices raised in argument. Everyone thought she’d given birth to Edith. She would have told him, eventually. It had all been a matter of trust, but time had run out. All of the fears she’d been harboring the past few weeks were frighteningly real. A panic-stricken tear escaped the corner of her eye, then another, then another. Lincoln’s fury-filled face became a blur.
Cold anger still raged in his body, but her anguish was blatantly real. The sheen of tears on her paled cheeks seeped into his aching heart. He wanted to touch her, but clenched his fists tighter. “Why?” he asked in a softer tone. “Why would you keep this from me?”
She twisted her hands together and lowered her eyes. “I was terrified you would find some way to take her away from me.”
Lincoln was stunned and took a step back, never realizing that was what Jessie was frightened he would do. “My God! Do you think I’m a heartless bastard?”
“Right now, I don’t know who or what you are.” She tossed her head and stated with firm conviction, “there is something you better understand. I legally adopted Edith when she was six months old. I will fight you to the bitter end. You are not taking my child away from me.”
Neither of them realized their argument was no longer being camouflaged by the revelers and loud hammering. Someone had turned down the music, and the Kelly boys were quietly running their rulers along the octagonal shaped framework. Linc turned his head and sighed deeply. A dozen partygoers were walking at a clipped pace toward the parking lot, eager to get ringside seats for the Lincoln Adams and Jessie Taylor bout currently taking place. Half had cell phones to their ears.
“We’ve got an audience and there is so much more I want to say to you. Do you think the chief will let you off shift so we can go someplace private?”
A sick pain still gripped her insides, yet he sounded sincere. They couldn’t end things between them, not like this. She looked him dead in the eye. “Will you be honest and answer all my questions?”
“Yes, if you will do the same.” Linc could no longer fight the need to touch her. He stepped close and let the tip of his finger follow a wet trail on her soft cheek. Too late, he heard the clicking of pictures capturing his sentiment. “Meet me at the Spoonful. We’ll use Sallie Mae’s office.” Linc put a hand to her cheek and leaned in close before she could move. He kept his voice low. “I never considered taking Edie away from you.” Click! Click!
Jessie lowered her eyes in acknowledgement and stepped away. The tightness in her chest began to ease. He wasn’t going to take Edie away from her, but that was only part of the problem. Would he keep her secret? Would he expect her to acknowledge him as Edie’s uncle? Those were questions that needed answers.
As soon as she got back to her car, she called headquarters. “Dispatch, Sergeant Taylor. Cancel the BOLO on Lincoln Adams. I located him.”
“Dispatch received. We’ve had a symphony of ringing cell phones in here. You two are the talk of the town.”
“So, what else is new, Barb?” Jessie smirked. “Tell the chief I’m taking two hours personal time, and then I’m off shift. He’ll know why and whom I’m with.”
&
nbsp; “Will do. Jessie, good luck.” Barbara didn’t mention the photos she’d just received with Linc brushing his finger down Jessie’s cheek and him leaning so close their lips were almost touching. Jessie would have to have been blind not to see the obvious love on Lincoln Adams’ face. The dispatcher wouldn’t be the only one to notice. She pulled out her drawer to make sure she had enough candy bars or Lincoln’s love tokens, as she’d come to think of them.
Sam and Sallie Mae were just finishing the prep work for the lunch specials the following day, and turned to face Lincoln the moment he walked into the kitchen. Their somber expressions reflected the scatter of emotions he was suffering since he’d opened envelope number four.
Sallie Mae immediately wrapped him in her loving arms, trying to ease his pain. “You don’t have to say anything. I had to turn off my cell phone because everyone wanted me to know what was going on in the park. You and Jessie put on quite a show.”
Linc took a step back, still tormented by deceit and betrayal. “You knew. Why didn’t you tell me Edie was Jenny’s baby?”
She took his handsome face in her hands. Inside, she shared his misery. “I didn’t do it to hurt you. I swore to keep your secrets along with others in this town.” Sallie Mae wiped the wetness from the corner of her eye with her apron. “The first time I saw the baby, I knew she was Jenny’s. Margaret and Jessie swore me to secrecy, and Buford agreed, so no one would question Edie’s parenthood. He worshipped that little girl. Jessie took her to see him as much as possible, without drawing too much attention. Guess you didn’t read into the Will too deeply. Buford set aside a hundred and fifty thousand dollars for Edie’s college education.”
“Did you know about the letter he wrote to me?”
“Yes, and I assured him he was doing the right thing. Knowing that he didn’t hate you should ease some of the bitterness you’ve lived with all these years. In his own way, he loved you and Jenny.”
Samantha handed him a cup of coffee. “Here, boss. I think you need it.”
“Thanks,” he said, and drank half the cup. “I can’t get a handle on everything I’ve read. Buford didn’t hate me. Edie is Jenny’s daughter, and I have a niece.”
Sallie Mae patted his shoulder. “Things will start to get better, now that the truth has come out.” The words had barely left her mouth when the back door opened. Jessie’s somber expression matched Lincoln’s.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“I was just about to ask Sallie Mae if we could use her office.”
A gentle nudge on the shoulder sent him in Jessie’s direction.
They sat on opposite ends of the couch like polite strangers. The intimate closeness they’d come to enjoy had been replaced by suspicion and uncertainty. He was very glad Jessie had removed her weapon. She definitely wasn’t going to like what he was about to confess. “There is a lot we have to talk about, but I’d really like to know how you knew my sister, and subsequently became Edie’s mother.”
Jessie wanted to beat her fists against his chest to release some of the bow-string tension in her body. Sitting on his lap and burying her face in his neck, breathing in his masculine scent, would be the perfect medicine, but the cozy warmth and camaraderie they’d shared, was gone. What she’d said to him in the parking lot was true. She’d shared her body with him in the most intimate sense, but how much did she actually know about the real Lincoln Adams? She wedged her hands between her knees and stared straight ahead.
“After I graduated from John Jay with a degree in Criminal Justice, I joined the New York City police department. My partner and I responded to a burglary in Jenny’s building. I eventually got an apartment in the same walk-up, and we became very close friends. She asked if I would be her baby’s legal guardian if anything ever happened to her. Buford had told her you were missing in action and presumably killed. She preferred her grandfather have nothing to do with guardianship. I told her I would be honored, never expecting her to die in a car crash.” Jessie’s face filled with a tender smile of remembrance. “I was Jenny’s coach when Edith Amanda was born. Shortly after I became Edie’s mother, I was shot, and we moved back to Laurel Heights. Everyone knew I’d married, and assumed Edie was my daughter.” She turned her head and gave Lincoln a pointed stare. “Edie may not have come from my body, but she is my daughter legally, in my heart, and with every breath I take. I love her so much. Tell me how you found out?”
“I’ve wanted to tell you what was going on, but your mother was adamant that I keep it to myself. After the mayor’s murder, I insisted we talk to you and the chief. She agreed, but wanted to brief Chief Charles first. At the end of our meeting, the judge stipulated I had to search Buford’s safe. I found two different Wills, a letter from my grandfather, and pictures of Jenny and Edie. The letter and photos are in my truck. I’ll show them to you.”
“I’d like that.” Jessie was still terrified and had trouble getting the words out. “Are you going to tell Edie that I’m not her birth mother and you are her uncle?”
“If it were up to me, I’d shout it from the rooftops that I was her uncle.” Jessie’s bottom lip trembled, and he reached for her ice cold hand. “But I won’t. I would never do anything to hurt her or you. If I could make a wish upon a star, it would be that some day you told her about Jenny. Until that time, I’ll still be Mr. Lincoln in her eyes, and not her uncle. I’m content knowing she loves me and I love her. Telling her the truth will be up to you.”
There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. Sam shoved it open with her hip and carried in a tray with two mugs of coffee and a plate of her cookies. “Break time.” She set it on the small table in front of the couch. “I’m sure you both could use something to drink.” Samantha turned to leave, but changed her mind and held out a hand to Jessie. “Hi, Sam Kingsley. There wasn’t time for introductions earlier. I’m sure he’ll get around to telling you, but I’ll save him the trouble.” Samantha whipped off the scarf that bound her champagne blond hair and shook her head, making the silkiness brush the middle of her back. “I’m an undercover operative for Adams Security and Investigations. I’ve been his eyes and ears in this gossip factory. Go gentle on him. He really is a good guy.”
Jessie accepted the hand offered in friendship. “I had heard there was a Sam working as a short order cook at the Spoonful, but I assumed you were a man.”
Sam patted the front of the white apron that camouflaged her breasts. “Nope, all female. I had the pleasure of meeting your daughter the other day. She was delightful. Did you enjoy the cookies?”
“What cookies?”
Sam looked at Lincoln. “Don’t tell me you ate all those cookies?”
“Fine, I won’t tell you I ate all the cookies, but they were delicious,” he grinned.
“I’ve interrupted you long enough. Sergeant, I’d appreciate you not telling anyone who I am. Once the nose patrol finds out who Lincoln really is, they’ll clam up. They feel safe gossiping in front of me. See you later, boss.”
“I like her,” Jessie said, and helped herself to one of Sam’s special cookies. “I can’t blame you for eating them all. They’re delicious.” Jessie lifted a brow. “Nose patrol.”
“That’s what I’ve dubbed the nosy bodies in this town. The name just stuck. Before you ask, Sam and I very close, like sister and brother.” Linc drank some of his coffee. “Before I start, I want your assurance that you will keep an open mind.”
“You’re scaring me, but I’ll listen to everything you’ve got to say.”
“You already know about the emails warning your mother to vote against the company wanting to drill for natural gas.”
“Why didn’t she want me to know? Did she think I couldn’t protect her and Edie?”
“Since I’ve never been a parent, I can only go by what she told me. You are her daughter first and then a police officer. These threats had to do with the town, and she didn’t want the trouble brought into her home.”
“My first in
stinct is to say that is a stupid reason, but I do understand where she is coming from. I plan to have a long talk with my mother, and it won’t be pleasant. How did you get involved, other than your inheritance?”
“Your parents gave me a place to live and made sure I graduated high school. I told them that someday I’d return the favor. The judge cashed in her chip when she learned about my company. I came back to try and find out who sent the threatening emails.”
“I vaguely remember you living above the garage.” Liar, you watched for him every day. You were inconsolable the day he left and cried your heart out. “Were you able to find where the emails originated?”
“The head computer tech in my New York office traced them back to town hall.”
“Town hall!” Jessie gasped. “Who the hell would do such a thing?”
“As all the terminals in the building are connected into the same network, it will take a little more research. At my request, he ran financial background checks on all the members of the town council. All but three are living within their means. The mayor, Leon Price, and Harvey Thornton have substantial, unexplained incomes.
“You’ve been busy, and now two of them are dead. Have you determined the source of this money?”
“Not yet, but we’re tapping all our investigative resources.”
“All of this information has been turned over to the chief?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, the plot thickens. A get out-of-town note was shoved under the windshield wiper of my truck when I came out of the Spoonful last week. I sent it to a friend who is a crime scene investigator.” Linc paused, knowing she was not going to like what he was about to say. “There were two sets of prints. I haven’t told anyone, not even the chief or your mother. One was Leon Price.” Linc paused and took a deep breath. “The other belonged to Andrew Sayers.”
Jessie leaned in closer to Linc. “My ex-husband! What business would he have with Leon Price? I haven’t seen or spoken to him since I left New York. The only contact I had with Andy was about two years ago through an email. He was driving to Chicago and asked if I would like to go out to dinner for old time sake.”