Undeniably Yours

by Heather Webber

  I wished I’d been more surprised. I wasn’t. My heart broke for Ava.

  My steps were heavy as I walked over to him. A destroyed laptop sat on the table, and I figured that was Kira’s, too. It looked as though someone had taken a jackhammer to it. There was a set of car keys that had a smiley face key fob—Cat’s keys. Underneath a printed packet on how to make a homemade explosive, there was a photo of Corey McDaniel, a phone number written on it.

  The lady.

  Aiden shoved his hands into his hair and turned to face the wall of children. After a long minute, he crossed to the window and stared out.

  I let him be and picked up Kira’s purse. I sniffed it, but all I could smell was leather. It had been worth a try. I stepped back and scanned the table. Something was nagging at me, but I couldn’t quite place what it was. Something out of place.

  “I’m glad,” Aiden finally said, his voice hard.

  “Of what?”

  “I’m glad Lillian Moore isn’t here.” He turned and faced me. Rage blazed in his eyes. “Because I might have killed her.”

  Fireflies flashed outside as I lay on the sofa, my head resting on Sean’s thigh. He threaded his fingers through my hair. Across the room Ebbie and Grendel were curled together in the bassinet, and I had the feeling I’d have to fight off Dovie to keep the baby bed for them. They were getting attached.

  Outside, the dogs barked and Ava squealed as Em blew bubbles on the porch.

  “Mo dubbles!” Ava said, laughing.

  More bubbles. I was getting better at deciphering her language.

  She sounded so happy, so carefree. I didn’t want her to lose that joy. Didn’t want her to know about the cloud of evil that had been shadowing her.

  It was still light out, and the night air was still, eerily so. The ocean was calm, the gulls were quiet. The windows were open wide, letting in the rain-cooled air.

  The TV was on but muted, and I watched as news cameras captured Ross Bennett sprinting into South Shore Hospital. I felt for the couple and this test of “in sickness and in health.” Word had come that Cat had been diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis from a lack of insulin, and was currently in a coma suffering from a multitude of problems related to the ailment, including brain swelling that, if she survived, could take months or years to fully recover.

  If. The doctors were doing everything they could to save her, but it wasn’t looking good.

  In a twist of fate, Lillian was in the same ICU ward, in a medically-induced coma due to brain swelling from her car accident. Her prognosis had taken a turn for the better, however. Doctors now felt that in time she would recover fully.

  It didn’t seem right that Lillian would be fine while Cat was fighting for her life. Where was the karma?

  Both were being watched over by police.

  Neither would be interviewed any time soon.

  Aiden had said he’d try to make it back in time for my reading on Morgan, but it was almost eight now, and there was no sign of his return. I wasn’t surprised. He had a ton of work to do processing Lillian’s house. Interviewing Corey. Pulling together evidence. Holding onto hope.

  I worried for his health.

  I worried for him.

  Maybe it was better if he didn’t make it back in time.

  Flipping over, I looked up at Sean.

  “Hey now,” he said, swiping a tear from the corner of my eye.

  “I hate this case.”

  “I know.” He caressed my cheek. “I know.”

  Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply, soaking in the scent of him. It did more to calm my nerves than anything else in the world.

  Em’s voice came through the window. “Car coming.”

  Morgan. I hadn’t needed to alert the security ninjas about his arrival. They’d said their good-byes earlier this evening. With Lillian’s hospitalization, all threats against Ava had been neutralized.

  Now we just needed closure.

  I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Grendel leapt onto the couch, climbed into my lap, and plopped down. Curling him upward, I kissed his head and relocated him.

  He rreowed at me.

  “I completely understand,” I said to him. “But Morgan’s here.”

  Hopping off the couch, he stalked off, his tail in the air.

  A car door slammed and Em shouted out a hello to the visitor. Scout’s happy barks were punctuated by Ava’s laughter.

  I stood up, took a step, and was pulled to a stop as Sean grabbed onto the hem of my shirt. I glanced back at him.

  “You okay, Ms. Valentine?”

  Managing a smile, I bent and kissed him. “I will be.”

  He nodded. “Time.”

  “Lots of it,” I said, heading for the door.

  I opened it in time to see Ava running toward Morgan, a big smile on her face. He dropped a bag he was carrying and scooped her up, swinging her around.

  Holding her close, he asked, “How’s my girl?”

  Scout jumped around, clearly happy to see someone he recognized. “Scout? What’re you doing here?”

  I said, “Slight change of plans. Don’t ask.”

  He patted the dog’s head. “I’m sure he’s glad to be with Ava.”

  “Inseparable.”

  Ava placed her small hands on Morgan’s cheeks. “Boo-boo?”

  His face didn’t look too bad—the lacerations were healing fast.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Boo-boo.”

  She made kissing noises until he bent down and let her smooch his forehead.

  When he looked up again, there was moisture glistening in his eyes.

  “Dubbles.” She pointed and wiggled.

  “Bubbles? You don’t say.” Clearing his throat, he set her down. “Show me.”

  Scout followed her as she trundled off toward Em, who leaned against a porch column with a sappy look in her eye.

  Picking up the bag from the ground, Morgan trailed Ava, making sure she made it up the steps okay. There was nothing but sadness etched in his features.

  “Morgan,” I said, “this is Em Baumbach.”

  She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Aiden’s fiancée. I think you met him the other day.”

  “Hard to forget that day. I’m Morgan Creighton. Ava’s sometimes babysitter.”

  I thought he was much more than that.

  “She’s really happy to see you,” Em said as she blew bubbles for Ava to chase.

  “Not as much as I am to see her.” He watched her for a moment before turning his attention to me. Holding out the bag he carried, he said, “I forgot to take this with me to the vet office the other day and thought you could get it to Scout… Looks like mission accomplished.”

  “Half a bag of dog food?”

  “Special dog food.” He shrugged. “Kira left it with me for a reason, so I wanted to make sure Scout had it.”

  Ah. This hadn’t been about Scout at all. It had been about Kira. I took the bag. “Thanks. Come on in.”

  Em wrinkled her nose. “Ava and I will stay out here.”

  “Thanks, Em.”

  “You got it,” she said, blowing more bubbles.

  I introduced Morgan to Sean, who’d set out coffee and cookies. He was sitting in my favorite rocking glider and offering moral support. Thoreau hopped onto his lap and licked his chin, then settled next to him for a pre-bedtime nap.

  Morgan eyed Sean’s head but didn’t mention anything about the injuries. Me? I would have made some sort of joke about explosions or dodging shrapnel or starting a club for the walking wounded. But I was inappropriate that way.

  “Have a seat,” I said. “Cookies?”

  “They look great, but I couldn’t eat. My stomach is…in knots,” he said, sitting on the sofa. “I’ve been glued to the TV this afternoon. What’s with the house in Hanover? Everyone’s talking in circles. I saw you and the lieutenant there in the crowd.”

  “It’s complicated,” I said, hoping Cutter was still keeping Dovie and Preston away from the ne
ws. I was pushing my luck where they were concerned.

  “Does it involve Kira’s case?” he asked softly.

  “Yes.” I sat next to him on the couch. “But I can’t say much more because of the ongoing investigation.”

  Scout barked outside, and it was followed by Ava saying his name over and over as though she were having a conversation with the dog.

  Morgan examined his hands, slowly curling them into fists. “Part of me doesn’t want to do this. The reading. Because if we don’t know where Kira is, there’s still hope that she’s alive.”

  I could understand that.

  “But,” he went on, “if I don’t do it, there’s always going to be this empty aching questioning hole, not only in my life but also Ava’s, too.”

  It was a hard choice, I knew, but most of the people I worked with wanted closure. The day-in and day-out of living a life of uncertainty took a toll, mentally and physically.

  Scout playfully barked again and Thoreau’s head came up but apparently he decided he preferred naptime as he curled against Sean’s leg.

  Em said, “Ava, slow down. Slow!”

  Ava laughed, and next to me, Morgan look visibly pained at the sound.

  “The overriding factor comes down to this,” he said. “If someone hurt Kira…I want that person to pay. Dearly.”

  I could easily hear Aiden’s words ringing in my ears.

  I’m glad Lillian Moore isn’t here. Because I might have killed her.

  “Let’s do this.” He held out his hands.

  They were trembling.

  “Think about the watch.” Inhaling deeply, I picked up the scent of the salty sea air, a hint of chocolate from the cookies, and a touch of strawberries—Ava had been snacking on them earlier. I glanced at Sean, and the compassion in his eyes nearly did me in. With another fortifying breath, I met Morgan’s terrified gaze, reached for his hands, and closed my eyes.

  The vision took me across Hingham, up Route 3, northward where it joined with 93 and brought me back to the Blue Hills. On the other side of the park, far from where Kira’s SUV had been found, I followed a dirt road and caught glimpses of water through the trees. Deep in the woods, down a trail, to a remote shore of a large pond. The vision took me to the edge of the water, and I squeezed my eyes tighter at the image of woman floating lifelessly, her body snagged in a tangle of brush and branches.

  I drew my hands back, pressing them to my chest, and opened my eyes to find everything blurry because they were filled with tears. Dizzy, the room spun.

  Focusing, I looked at Sean and a stricken Morgan and shook my head. Forcing the words out, I whispered, “She’s…dead. Water. Pond.” My breath hitched, and I started shaking.

  Outside, Scout was still barking, and Ava was laughing until she suddenly let out a cry. There was a pause, then she started sobbing full force.

  Footsteps pounded on the porch as Em loudly said, “It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s only a little scrape.”

  Ava quieted. Hiccupped.

  “There, there,” Em soothed. “It’s okay.”

  “Boo-boo?” Ava asked, sniffling loudly.

  “Yes, boo-boo,” Em answered.

  I heard the sound of noisy kisses, much like the kind Ava had given Morgan minutes ago. “There,” Em said. “You’re going to be just fine.”

  A tear slid down my cheek, and I hoped with every bit of my soul that what Em said was true.

  23

  “Do you want the good news or the better news or the best news; or the bad news or the worst news?” Sean asked me, his eyebrows raised. Ebbie sat on the counter, her tail curled around her paws.

  It was Thursday morning, just two days since I’d read Morgan’s energy.

  Two days since a dive team pulled Kira Fitzpatrick’s body from Houghton’s Pond.

  Two days since a little girl’s life was forever changed.

  “Is that a trick question?” I asked, crutching to the coffee pot. I stopped to tighten the sash of my robe, gave Ebbie some loving, and grabbed the mug Sean had set out. “I was only in the shower for ten minutes.”

  My damp hair tickled my neck as I filled my mug.

  “Ten minutes was plenty,” he said.

  I wasn’t sure I could deal with more bad news. It had been a hellish week.

  Ava sat on the floor, zooming a toy car along the rug. She and Scout and Em and Aiden were moving out tomorrow. Em was at Aiden’s house right now, painting one of Aiden’s guest rooms a pretty purple and getting it ready for Ava. Aiden was at the funeral home, finishing up arrangements for Kira’s services. After that, he was off to see his attorney, to make sure he had all legal rights to keep Ava because Trey Fisher had been making statements to the press about possibly filing to adopt her.

  It made me hate him more than I already did, and that was saying something.

  I figured it was nothing more than a ploy for public support on his part, but man-oh-man, what I wouldn’t do to take him down a notch. Or twelve.

  I pulled open the fridge door, looking to forage for breakfast. “Is the bad news that we’re out of just about everything?” I needed to make a run to the grocery store. Not only were we almost out of food, but the pets were running low, too. I was even out of Grendel’s favorite cheese slices. No one wanted to experience a hungry Grendel. It was like the term “hangry” had been invented with him in mind.

  Currently, he was giving me the silent treatment from atop the fridge because I’d had no canned food for him this morning, only kibble. Which he’d gobbled up without complaint, I might add.

  “No.” Sean sipped his coffee, looking cool and calm as could be for someone delivering upsetting news.

  Bracing myself with a cookie from the dwindling supply, I said, “Well, hit me with the bad news first.”

  “Aiden called. Cat Bennett’s taken a turn for the worse.”

  Damn. She’d been fighting so hard. “That’s not the worst news?”

  He shook his head.

  “Don’t tell me Lillian broke out of the hospital.”

  “No,” he said. “She’s still in the ICU.”

  Aiden had verified through phone records that she’d been the one to hire Corey McDaniel and figured it had been part of a backup plan to frame him if framing Cat hadn’t worked out. We wouldn’t know for certain until she woke up fully, as she was still coming to after her accident. The doctors were slowly bringing her out of the coma, but it would be quite awhile before the police could formally question her. At some point down the line she’d be charged with murder.

  I winced. “What’s the worst then?”

  “Dovie called.”

  I choked on a chocolate chip, finally coughing it up. “Oh no.”

  Sean thumped me on the back. “Oh yes. Someone or another she knows down there asked how you were faring after the explosion… They’d seen it on the news.”

  I was glad I’d been in the shower and missed the call. “How mad is she?”

  “On a scale of one to ten?” he asked, talking louder to be heard over Ava’s vociferous vrooming.

  I nodded.

  “Ninety-four and a half. I heard swear words I’ve only heard in the firehouse.”

  This wasn’t good. “Does Preston know?”

  “She was the one doing the swearing. Speakerphone. They’re on their way back.”

  Dovie was going to make me pay for this for a long time, and I wasn’t going to hear the end of it from Preston…ever. “I might need to hire the security ninjas again.”

  “Maybe they’ll start giving you a discount. Ready for the good news?”

  I swiped crumbs from the counter and dropped them in the sink. “Lay it on me.”

  “You got a package from Orlinda. Arrived a few minutes ago, special delivery.”

  I perked up. “Really?”

  He grabbed the box off the sofa and handed it to me. I used a steak knife to slice through the packaging and laughed as I lifted the item out of the box.

  “What in th
e—?” Sean asked.

  With a flourish, I tied the satin cape around my shoulders. It was bright pink and embroidered with a giant cursive L. A note said: Because I suspect you might have a bit of superhero in you after all.

  Sean peeked in the box. “I want a cape.”

  Smiling, I said, “We’ll work on that. What’s the better news?”

  “Your orthopedic doctor returned your call. Said you could stop using the crutches and just use the boot.”

  I let out a whoop, and Ava mimicked me. I whooped again, drawing the noise out in a song as I hopped around the kitchen.

  Ebbie leaped off the counter and ran for the bedroom, and Thoreau dashed to the front door and scratched to get out.

  “Jeez,” I said, watching them scatter. “Is my singing that bad?”

  Sean wisely ignored the question and said, “The best news is that Aiden also mentioned that Nya Rodriguez was located. She’s headed back. You’ll have Dustin’s blanket by tonight.”

  I grabbed his shirt and looked into his eyes. “Really?”

  “Really.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

  I listened to his heart thump for a moment, before planting a big kiss on his lips.

  Ava copied the noise and Scout barked.

  “I’m going to get dressed and head to the store. I’ll take Ava with me to give you a little peace and quiet.”

  “What’s that?” he asked, grinning.

  “Don’t get used to it. My mother’s bringing the contractor here tomorrow to go over plans and timelines for the renovation.”

  “What did we get ourselves into?”

  I pulled back to look into his eyes. “Having a change of heart?”

  “No,” he said softly, tugging me close again. “My heart is quite happy right here with you.”

  I barely noticed as Ava started making kissy noises again.

  An hour and a half later, Ava and I were in the checkout lane at Shaw’s, and she was crying because she wanted the woman’s keychain in front of us. It had a dog on it, and Ava was fixated. She wanted it, wanted it now, and nothing else would do.

  I tried shushing. That didn’t work.

  I tried giving her my own keys that had a heart-shaped key fob, but she didn’t want anything to do with that.