The surge of mixed emotions made it difficult to continue. She stared at the stark reality, with a deep, dark stillness inside. But there was also an overwhelming sense of relief. They'd found her, finally. They could now bring Cia home.
She'd almost given up hope.
And to think she'd been the one to find her. So close to their camping spot, and yet just far enough, deep enough in the woods, that she'd been missed all these years.
Rain dripped on her cheeks. She swiped the moisture away and realized it wasn't rain at all. Tears had formed in the corner of her eyes and poured down her cheeks. Oh, dear God, poor Cia. What had happened to her friend? And had it happened right away or had the poor girl been held captive for a while? Please not that, much better to think she'd gotten into a fight that had gone bad.
But to think that after all this time, her friend had lain here all alone, waiting to be found.
Her shoulders shook and she started to sob. For years she'd kept that pain stuffed down deep inside. Now, alone, she could let it all out.
She collapsed onto a log outside of the taped area and let the emotions pour out. This wasn't why she'd come here one last time, but now here, it seemed like the only thing she could do.
She needed to honor her friend. And she needed to say hello after all this time. And most of all, she needed to say good-bye.
Now Cia could go to her family and be buried with them. And although this final send-off could happen now, closing the door forever would have to wait until they'd caught the bastard who'd done this to her.
It was time.
***
The drive home was slow, the rain pounding harder with every mile. Just driving through the slick ruts had Meg clenching her teeth and wondering if they should have stayed until the weather had changed again and the roads dried up. She couldn't imagine being stuck in the cabin with a week long bout of this weather. Yet it could be days before it cleared. Besides, she needed to be back in Seattle.
As for Cia's remains, she hoped that Chad had worked some magic, but either way, she'd be able to follow the progress of the case through him. She could get on with other aspects of her life. After her emotional outpouring at the site, the walk home had left her feeling cleaner and more renewed than she'd felt in a long time.
And that allowed her to see the next step in her life. She had to get Janelle back on track, but more than that, she needed to get her relationship back on track again too. Or, and she winced at the thought, she needed to change the track. As much as it might hurt to contemplate this, Janelle was now part of her life and the two of them were a package deal. If Pete, who had said for years that he had wanted a family, couldn't deal with it, then so be it.
Having been away from home so much, she'd always considered the condo as being his. He'd chosen the furniture while she'd been gone one time; he'd painted the walls another time.
And if they were splitting, again, that pang to her heart, then where would she go? What options did she have? Her brother had left her some money, and there was his house. She'd put it on the market recently, not knowing what else to do with it. The small brownstone was not someplace Pete would live.
But what if Pete was no longer part of the equation?
And all this hinged on whether Pete was prepared to take on Janelle. If he were, then maybe they should look at moving to a new location anyway.
The more she thought about it, the better she liked the idea.
She turned to mention the idea to Pete and realized how tired he looked. She said, "I'm looking forward to going home."
He swivelled his head to look at her. "You mean to get back to work, don't you?"
"I don't have a job right now, remember?"
"Aren't you going to be handling the remains that you found?" he scoffed. "Of course you are!"
Damn. He was pissed, again.
She stayed quiet. With any luck he'd calm down before too long and be back to normal by the time they were home. Thank God Janelle was asleep. It seemed like it was all she'd done this weekend.
Maybe it had been a good thing given Pete's disposition. The hot and cold were wearying.
They were heading for a major storm and she wasn't looking forward to it. In all her years with him he'd been reasonable and easy to talk to. Now he was cold and distant, alternating between angry and angrier.
Not quite true actually, he'd had moments like the one this morning when he reminded her of the man he used to be. It was Janelle's permanent presence that seemed to have finished him off.
Or maybe she'd been the one to hit the wall. Certainly, this weekend she had. Her emotions were all over the place and anger simmered just below the surface. She realized how much she hated these confrontations and the more regular they were, the more she hated them.
Change had to happen and it was looking more and more like today might be the day it would.
***
He wanted answers. Answers about what they had found and what tests results they were getting done and how was he going to get those.
He could ask Stephanie, but would she know anything? Not likely. And Mags? Well, she wouldn't likely give him the time of day.
So Chad was the best option unless old Mack was still alive and kicking. He'd always been good for a beer and some chatter. Not that he'd give anything away, but he'd be a place to start.
Not his choice of victims and such a pain to dispose of afterwards.
But he needed to stay on top of the news somehow. With Cia's remains now come to light, what was the chance that a few of those loose ends that he'd discounted as not mattering all those years ago, might just matter now?
After all these years?
Surely not.
Something needed to happen and finding Cia's remains definitely counted as something happening.
He gazed down at the long history of his life and wondered at the juncture in that history and the direction it had led him in ever after. Did he regret the impact of his decision so long ago? No, not really. Sure, his life had turned out differently than he'd planned.
But planning as a teen was like throwing popcorn in the wind and seeing where the pieces would land. He'd done something similar then chosen from among the pieces he'd liked.
Now, some of those pieces had hooks and might be coming back to snag him.
Or, maybe not...
He'd gotten very adept at being the predator and not the prey.
CHAPTER 9
Meg could feel the thunderclouds building within minutes of being home. She needed Pete to hold off until she could find something or somewhere for Janelle to hang out so she didn't witness the explosion. Hell, Meg didn't want to witness it either. But she knew it was the only way to clear the air – one way or the other. At the moment, the other was starting to sound damn good.
Luckily, Janelle came running to the kitchen while Meg was wiping out the cooler. "Can I go to Linette's place, please?"
Janelle was almost dancing in one place. Meg already knew the homework had been done and it was perfect timing as far as she was concerned. "Absolutely but home at 5pm, please. And make sure you have your cell phone turned on, and no leaving Linette's place."
With a big grin, Janelle took off. Linette lived in the same condo complex, making for easy access between the girls. Linette was a regular visitor and a nice girl. Also, she was a good student in school which, if Meg was lucky, might rub off on Janelle.
Meg heard Pete yell, "Don't sl—"
Slam.
Meg let her pent up breath out slowly. Not a good start.
"Damn that kid," Pete snarled. "She has to stop slamming the door." He walked in with his arms full from the truck. And she has to start cleaning up her own mess."
"She'll learn." Meg busied herself with drying the cooler. She didn't know how to open up the subject.
"Will she? When?" He snorted. "I could be dead first."
Meg winced. "She's not that bad."
"Says you. She's nothing but wo
rk."
Now that wasn't fair. "Not true. We're just not used to having kids around. We have to learn to get along too."
"No, I fucking don't." He slammed his load of cups and jackets, and a half-eaten apple, onto the table. "I didn't sign up for this."
Here it was, ready or not. She took a deep breath, grabbed the edges of her frayed control and said, "Then maybe we need to talk about that."
"Talk about what? That it's her or me?" He pointed a finger at the closed front door through which Janelle had just disappeared. "Oh, I get the message all right. It's her all the way, apparently." His voice clipped through the message with military precision and left her gasping from the cutting words. "We were fine until she arrived in our home."
She couldn't hold back. "So let's talk about whether you still want me if she comes as part of the package."
Now it was out in the open.
He stopped, stared at her, the muscle in his jaw pulsing. Fire burned in his gaze, but not a fire that warmed her, or made her feel welcome. There was something cold, empty and final in his eyes.
Forever; final.
She hated that this was it. He hadn't said it, but she knew.
His mouth opened and she caught her breath, waiting, half hoping for a rescue and a change in direction, but knowing it wasn't to be. And she wasn't sure she wanted one. Not at this point.
Then his jaw snapped closed, and he turned around very carefully and stalked into the master bedroom. She could hear him opening cupboards and doors. She swallowed and closed her eyes. Dare she follow him and push the issue? With her rock solid foundation having turned to quicksand, she didn't know where she stood. And she needed to.
Instinct told her to leave him alone. Her gut said run. Her heart was beyond speech; it had swelled to the point of bursting from the sense of achy loss inside.
Closing the cooler lid carefully, she placed it on the table and stared at the items Pete had dumped in a pile. Some of it hers, some of it Janelle's, and none of them mattered. Still, everything needed to be cleaned up. He'd always hated a mess.
She should leave. Go and pack an overnight bag for her and Janelle. Pick Janelle up at her friend's and go to a hotel for the night – or for the week. A half sob escaped. She didn't know what to do.
With a heavy sigh, she rubbed her face with both hands, hating the pressure in her chest and the indecision of what to do, yet knowing she had to do something.
And then he did it instead.
"I'm going away for a day or two." He stood cold and implacable in front of her with an old scuffed hockey bag in his hand. Fully packed, he didn't look like he'd be home any time soon. And from the edge to his voice, and the jut of his jaw, it was clear he didn't plan on explaining himself either.
She nodded slowly, holding back the tears that wanted to pour out but instead standing dry-eyed in front of him, as relief warred with the pain of his leaving. "That might be a good idea." She wanted to say more. She needed to say more. They both did.
Yet neither spoke.
He nodded and walked out without a backward glance. He closed the door so very quietly and the very gentleness of this gesture added to the finality of his actions.
At least this time she was no longer at the cabin without transportation. She could thank him for that much. She had a roof over her head, a bed for the night and a place to keep Janelle that wasn't a cold impersonal hotel. And her car was outside; her brother's car, actually. She hadn't bothered buying one as she'd been traveling for so much of the time.
Then none of it mattered now. Her life was splintering around her and the relief at finding Cia's remains had been replaced with a feeling of regret. And inevitability.
She put her head down on her arms and burst into tears again.
***
Chad's phone rang. He glanced at the time; it was 4pm. He picked it up off his office desk and answered.
"Detective Mack Monroe here, I hear you've found a breakthrough in our old case."
With a smile, Chad leaned back in his chair. "Hey Mack, how are you doing? Did you get my text?"
"I did. And I'll be doing much better when you tell me what I want to know." Gruff, brusque and a loner, Mack was a bulldog, following a lead until he found the answers he needed. Then he stood by the case until he had caught the asshole who had got on the wrong side of his file. He just didn't care about those who got in his way or those he might damage through this process.
"We might have found the remains of Cia Barnes."
"About damn time." Mack coughed several times. "Give. I want the details. All of them."
With a short eye roll, Chad told him what he knew. What he'd already told Daniel.
Silence fell when he was done. Chad could almost see him thinking things over. "Who'd have thought it would take that long for her to be found?"
"I know. It's been a long time. I'm just hoping that we can close this one now."
"I bet you are. You didn't like being on the opposite side of my interviewing skills, did you?"
"No," Chad answered emphatically, hating the reminder of how Mack had taken the guilt ridden young Chad and pounded him into the ground looking for a confession. He'd felt like a low-life and Mack's constant hounding had been brutal. It had changed Chad forever. Even now he had a hard time forgiving Mack for that. And Mack didn't give a damn. The real problem was that Chad had felt Mack's suspicious gaze turned his way more than once in the ensuing years as the case hung between them. Even though he'd almost gotten kicked off the force himself in the process, he'd never let Chad forget.
Still Chad was a man now and a damn good detective. He understood the lengths they were forced to go through sometimes in pursuit of a resolution to a case. But he'd never been the bastard Mack had been. He'd also come to understand it was Mack's fear for his nephews that had driven his behavior. Fear was a powerful motivator.
For that reason alone, Chad had to admit to being suspicious of Mack. He'd been at his cabin that weekend and close enough to have killed Cia himself. Only Chad hadn't found that out until after Mack had pushed the innocence out of him forever – good thing, too, or Chad might have pushed back...
"I'm still having trouble processing that Margaret Pearce found the body. She just 'happened' to trip over it, huh?"
"Yes." Chad hated to see the suspicion rest on Meg's shoulders, but he knew that it was normal at this stage. Everyone and everything was going to be re-examined. Like it or not, their lives were going to be put under a microscope again and that included his own life.
"So, where do we start?" He'd have deferred to Mack even if he hadn't been the original detective on the case back then. Some men just commanded that type of response.
"It's time to bring everything back up and take a fresh look. I'll talk to Daniel. Plus I want to talk to the labs. Wish I'd seen the site myself. "
"I did contact you but you never answered." Chad reminded him.
"Yeah, I know. It was my poker night." He coughed a harsh, raspy sound that made Chad wince.
"You still haven't quite given up on the smoking yet, have you?"
"Hell, no." Mack coughed again. "And you still haven't stopped nagging. Just like my wife."
"Yeah, I can't imagine why she hasn't stopped," Chad joked. "Maybe it's because she doesn't want to be alone in her old age."
"Sure she does. She'll hate having me underfoot all the time." He paused. "So what aren't you telling me?"
Chad sighed. "I was waiting for you to stop choking. Under the body we found a necklace. It's hard to make out the inscription after all this time, but it appears to say, For Mags. Love you always.
"Mags?"
"Yes. Margaret – Mags; it was Meg Pearce's nickname." Chad stared across his desk at the far wall. "Obviously, Meg isn't going to have strangled someone and then left her own necklace behind."
"Unless she didn't know it had gone missing. It could have come off without her noticing in a girl fight." His voice hardened. "Strangled?"
"That's what Meg's preliminary observation says."
"What a big coincidence for Margaret. Not only does she find the body, but she was one of the suspects at the time of Cia's disappearance. And, the icing on the cake, she finds her own necklace with the remains."
"I know. Strange, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I think so." That same laconic voice that had caused Chad so many nightmares when he'd been interviewed rang through the phone. Chad let his breath out slowly, as he formulated his thoughts. It wasn't just Meg Mack was asking about. It was also about whether Chad believed in Meg and if so, why. "I was there when she found the necklace. She was surprised and horrified."
"She could be playing to both scenarios." Mack said in a noncommittal voice.
"True enough, but she was also completely distraught over finding the bones."
"Again, she could be playing to both scenarios."
"Maybe, but she didn't do it." Chad said, tired of this. "I know that for sure."
"Right. So, now here's the next question." Mack paused and Chad braced himself. Mack was always good for shock value.
"Are you still in love with her?"
Ah, there it was. The one question he'd avoided since receiving that text message. How did he feel about her now? She'd been the love of his life until their lives had blown up. Lack of trust, horror at the unimaginable, not knowing how to cope, all of those factors, and more, had played a part in her breaking up with him. If they'd had more time together, or a stronger, longer-lasting foundation before life had blown up, they might have made it, but at the time, everyone had scattered. He'd gone morose and angry until he'd finally turned it around, after realizing Mack and the rest of the cops didn't have any answers for him and he'd have to find them for himself. He just hadn't expected it to take seventeen years.
He'd always figured when they found out the truth, he could go to her and tell her that she was free, he was free, and that it was time to move on – together. Only the years had gone by and he hadn't found any answers either.
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