Death's Door

by Meryl Sawyer

  The whole situation made her think again of her own father. She’d always felt loved and appreciated. She never would have done anything to hurt him. His loss was still devastating.

  Her mother was wonderful, too. Madison had to admit that she’d been extremely lucky. When she had children, she intended to be the best parent possible.

  Within minutes of Trey’s arrival two police helicopters descended on the street in front of the house. Teams of cops leaped out of each helicopter and rushed into the house. It wasn’t long before a television news crew in a chopper was hovering overhead. No doubt they’d been monitoring the police radios.

  “We’d better brace ourselves,” Paul said, his father at his side. “There’s going to be a lot of crime scene stuff to do and interviews to give.”

  “Just make sure no one gets near that red acid,” Madison said with a shudder.

  IT WAS NEARLY SEVEN before Paul and Madison were allowed to leave the scene. Madison had to give a statement immediately so she wouldn’t forget anything. Paul and his father were interviewed, as well.

  “We’re getting a ride into Key West with the Key West police,” Paul told his father when Mike Tanner walked up to him while he was talking with Madison under the tree.

  “We are?” Madison asked. “Why?”

  “My mother’s there. I want you to meet her.” He’d picked up her call on voice mail while he’d been waiting around. “Is that okay?” This question was directed to his father.

  “Sure. Tell her I said hello.” His father turned toward Madison. “I’m going to see if your mother will join me for dinner. I think she needs to hear about this firsthand. Since the police haven’t made a statement yet, there’s no telling what the media is putting out there.”

  “Good idea,” Madison responded. “Tell her how much I love her. When you guys miraculously showed up, I was making my last call to her just so she would know how much I care.”

  “Will do.” His father walked over to Trey’s car to ride back to Miami. He already had his cell out. He was probably calling Jessica.

  “I thought you didn’t know where your mother was.”

  Paul explained what he’d learned today. “I want to see her and I want you to meet her.”

  “I look a fright. This dress, my hair.”

  “We can stop on Duval Street and buy you a dress before we go to the gallery, and your hair looks fine now. When I came through the door, you looked like the wild woman of Borneo, but trust me, you’d never looked better. You were alive.”

  They rode with the Key West cops, who chattered nonstop about the crime. Big Pine Key was in their jurisdiction so they’d come out to the scene. They weren’t much help. Key West was a tourist mecca and didn’t have many brutal crimes. Mostly burglary and drunk driving arrests.

  Madison fell asleep and was out for most of the twenty-minute drive. The cops let them off on Duval Street. They found a shop and bought Madison a sundress with pink and green flowers. Paul purchased a new polo shirt. The one he was wearing positively stank.

  It was almost closing time when they walked into Grand Designs. Paul barely noticed the collection of paintings on the walls or the glass pieces on pedestals. His eyes were riveted on the slim woman with the dark wavy hair. The same woman who’d gazed out at him from the picture on her Web site. She rose, a bit unsteadily, and came toward them.

  “Hello, Mother.” There was an uneven rhythm to his breathing.

  “Paul,” she whispered. “Oh, Paul. It is you. When I got the message, I called you. Then you didn’t—”

  “I was really busy. I came as soon as I was free.” His arm was around Madison and he looked at her. “This is Madison Connelly. We’re getting married. Madison, this is my mother, Molly Tanner.”

  His mother stepped forward and gave Madison a hug. “You must be a wonderful woman, and very lucky to have my son love you.”

  She turned to Paul, but he wasn’t ready to hug her. His mother must have sensed this. She backed away, then said, “You turned into a fine man. I knew you would. You look just like your father.”

  “Dad said to tell you hello.” Paul realized he never called his father “Dad,” but he felt differently about Mike after the way he’d leaped into action to save Madison.

  “Tell him hello for me.”

  The sound of his mother’s voice affected him deeply. It came back to him with memories of storytime and good-night kisses. He couldn’t remember her face, but when he listened to her, Paul recalled her voice.

  “Annette’s home making dinner. I’m sure there’s enough for two more.” His mother giggled nervously. “She always makes too much.”

  “Another time, definitely,” Paul said. He needed to be alone with Madison. “I just wanted you to know I was around. I’ll come back.”

  “I’m in Miami occasionally,” his mother said, and he heard the heartrending hope in her voice.

  “Call us,” Madison said. “We’d love to see you.”

  They said goodbye and left. Walking up Duval Street, his arm around Madison, Paul thought about his mother. She seemed happy, a lot happier than his father, and it bothered him more than he’d expected.

  “Why did you come here, if you didn’t want to spend more time with your mother?”

  “This has been a hell of a day. A real emotional roller coaster. I’m not usually emotional, but now I know what heartache really means.” He stopped and put his fist against the middle of his sternum. “My heart literally hurt when I realized that monster had kidnapped you.

  “I wanted to see Mother, to start the process, but I need to spend tonight alone with you. Since I met you, I’ve been thinking a lot. My childhood wasn’t happy. I don’t believe I can be a good father until I resolve a few things, starting with my mother.”

  “Father? Are you pregnant?” She tried for the same joke she’d used before.

  “No.” He chuckled. “But I see children in our future. Don’t you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  His lips instinctively found hers. They kissed and kept kissing even though people walking along the sidewalk had to dodge them. They finally broke apart.

  “Forever,” Paul said, and he meant it. He knew he would love this exceptional woman until the day he died.

  EPILOGUE

  Eleven months later

  PAUL WAITED at the altar, looking down the aisle at Madison. She was wearing a pale lavender strapless gown and her hair was swept up in a wispy arrangement of glistening blond curls. She’d never been more beautiful. Okay, the day he busted down Garrison’s door she had seemed more beautiful. Because she was alive. Today was different; this was the beginning of their new life together.

  Madison was slowly gliding through the living room of Corona del Mar on the carpet of rose petals some florist provided. She was on Wyatt Holbrook’s arm with Aspen walking beside her. A garland of red roses hung around the retriever’s neck.

  In an odd way, Garrison’s death had brought Madison and Wyatt closer. He had taken his son’s death hard. Madison had tried as gently as she could to explain the things Garrison had told her in those final moments. Wyatt was truly shocked. He’d never realized his obsession with his work had turned his son against him.

  Madison had encouraged him to be more supportive of Savannah. Wyatt had taken her advice and the two now seemed much closer. Savannah had chosen a small private wedding at a chapel in the Bahamas. She, too, had taken her brother’s betrayal hard and had decided against a large, flashy wedding.

  Madison claimed Wyatt was like many men who were on a fast track to career success when their children were young. They didn’t make time for them. But as men became older, they had more time and the grandchildren benefited from the extra attention. Paul knew Madison wished her own father could have lived to see the children they’d someday have.

  As for Paul, he was glad his father was around. He could see Mike was going to be a wonderful grandfather. Paul still wished his father had talked to him sooner a
bout his mother. Hell, he should have asked for an explanation. But you couldn’t change the past; you had to go forward.

  There had been a firestorm of publicity and media coverage following Garrison’s death and the revelation he was behind several murders, including Erin’s. Madison refused all interviews and remained in the guesthouse. Paul had stayed with her. Wyatt had insisted she remain at Holbrook Pharmaceuticals, which was great. Madison absolutely loved the job. Paul figured her presence helped ease the pain Wyatt felt over his son’s crimes.

  The foundation was up and running now with Madison as director. She was one smart woman, he thought with pride as she came closer. She found a donor for Wyatt by contacting the woman who’d secretly paid for the sperm donation and used Jessica’s name. Twins had been conceived, and one of them was a match.

  Madison arrived at the altar. Her eyes were shining with emotion as she smiled up at him. The heart that had literally ached when he realized she’d been kidnapped now swelled inside his chest with love.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today…”

  MADISON GAZED out at the small gathering of friends and relatives from across the top of her champagne glass. “I’m Mrs. Paul Tanner,” she told her new husband. “You know what’s so great about it, besides being married to a hunk of a guy?”

  “You’ll finally be able to get credit.”

  Madison giggled. “Exactly.” It really wasn’t funny. Identity theft took longer to fix than she’d ever imagined.

  Madison had been right. Chloe hadn’t changed her ways. She’d gotten into trouble again—gambling. Aiden had filed for divorce. He still had Total Trivia but was just hanging on with it. Madison had told him to keep her share until he got the business running more smoothly.

  She refused to allow the credit mess to ruin her wedding day. It would be perfect if her father was still alive—and Erin. Madison had done her best to carry out Erin’s last wishes. The estate had been settled and the land sold. She’d given the money to Save the Chimps in Fort Pierce, Florida.

  Reviewing so many projects for the foundation had given Madison an appreciation for all the misery animals had undergone in the name of medicine. Chimps had suffered the most. Many of them at the large outdoor facility in Fort Pierce had lived most of their lives in cages, but now had a wonderful new home with lots of space outdoors. It was what Erin would have wanted for them.

  She reached under the table to pat Aspen’s head. He was always with her. Wyatt allowed her to bring him to the office each day. He couldn’t go into the lab area, but he hung out in the executive suite, where Rose Marie had a special jar of dog treats for him.

  “Do you want to dance, Mrs. Tanner?” Paul asked with a wink.

  “Yes, of course.” She rose and walked with him to the dance floor.

  Paul swung her into his arms for a waltz. He looked so heart-stoppingly handsome in his tuxedo. But Paul wasn’t defined by his looks; he had a depth and power to him that other men didn’t have. Now she knew what it meant to be truly loved.

  “Do you think your mother and Annette are having fun?”

  “I hope so. They don’t waltz together, but they’ve been out dancing the rest of the time.”

  They saw the couple once every few weeks. At first it was a little uncomfortable because Paul seemed awkward, but the more they were with the women, the better things became. Madison liked them, especially Molly.

  Madison noticed that Jade was dancing with Rob—and this wasn’t their first dance. A strange couple, she thought, but then, you never knew. Jade’s hair was now a fried platinum color. She no longer worked at Total Trivia. Madison had gotten her a job at Holbrook Pharmaceuticals.

  At first, Rob had taken the news of Madison’s engagement to Paul hard. He kept coming around to see her. Finally she convinced him that she loved Paul. He’d accepted her decision and allowed Jade to invite him to dinner. From there a romance that Madison could never have predicted took off—and was still hot by the looks of things.

  “Do you hear wedding bells?” Paul looked at his father, who was dancing with her mother.

  “Wouldn’t that be something?”

  Madison’s mother and Paul’s father had been an item since the night after Garrison’s death. She honestly didn’t know if her mother intended to marry again. Her divorce had been finalized a few weeks ago. She didn’t live with the boys any longer. She had her own apartment, but Madison noted that it was very close to Mike Tanner’s home.

  “Mom’s really happy. That’s all that counts.”

  “My father finally has a life and he’s happy, too.” Paul stopped midwaltz and gazed into her eyes. “How soon do you think we can get out of here?”

  “Not yet, silly. We haven’t cut the cake.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4603-0784-7

  DEATH’S DOOR

  Copyright © 2009 by M. Sawyer-Unickel

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