Ellie flushed with embarrassment. Jerome Kenton flashed through her mind. “Oh, you haven’t seen me bully.”
He chuckled. “What’s the question?”
“You speak with a hint of an accent I can’t place. The man in the picture speaks in the same dialect.”
He lowered his brows and glared at her. “So you think we’re related?”
Ellie’s eyes widened. “No! That’s not what I meant. I just thought if I knew where you were from, it might give me some insight into where he’s from.”
Deveraux nodded. “Cajun country.”
“New Orleans?”
“Home of the Mardi Gras itself.”
Ellie pondered the information for a moment. “His accent is thicker than yours.”
“Then he hasn’t been away as long as I have. Like most natives to any given area, Cajuns generally stick close to home. Until Katrina. A lot of them went back; a lot of them didn’t.”
“And you’re one that didn’t?”
He shrugged. “I was long gone before the hurricane.” There was a certain sadness in his eyes, and Ellie wondered what he’d left behind.
“Why’d you leave? If you don’t mind me asking.”
He grinned and the sparkle returned to his eyes. “I found God.”
Ellie didn’t say anything for a moment, deciding to let his statement rest on its own before asking anything else. Finally, she asked in a quiet voice, “You couldn’t worship God in New Orleans?”
He smiled, reflectively. “Have you ever read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah?”
She remembered it well from her days in Sunday school. The story of the town so filled with sin, God burnt it to the ground. She wondered what sin Jerome Kenton had in his life.
“Excuse me,” a dark-haired nurse said as she poked her head into the office.
“Yeah, come on in. We were just finishing up,” Deveraux said.
“I’m glad you’re still here,” she said to Ellie. “Johnny Doe asked me to give this to you. He said he drew it just for you.” She handed Ellie a piece of folded paper, torn from his drawing pad.
Ellie opened the paper and stared at the drawing. Slowly but surely, the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together. Although drawn and colored by a child’s hand, it didn’t take an art expert, or a child psychologist, to recognize the symbols in the picture. A crudely drawn road, a box-shaped car, and a bloodied deer.
****
Ellie punched in Jesse’s cell number so fast she didn’t notice she had no signal. “Crap,” she said out loud, startling the woman standing beside her in the elevator. She smiled at the woman apologetically then hurried out as soon as the doors opened. Once outside, standing in the hard-falling snow, she tried again.
He answered on the second ring, but before he could even say hello, Ellie started rambling. “What did you find out about Kenton? The kid recognized him and then even drew me a picture describing the same wreck Kenton told me about. I don’t know exactly what the connection is but—”
“Slow down, slow down! What do you mean you don’t know what the connection is?”
She wiped a smattering of snow from her lashes. “I don’t know if Kenton’s his father, or the guy that dumped him, or maybe both. But there is a connection.”
“He didn’t tell you how he knew him?”
Ellie let out a despairing sigh. “I didn’t exactly get that far with him.”
“What happened?”
“It’s a long story.” She didn’t feel inclined at the moment to get too deep into the argument with Deveraux.
“Hmm. OK, meet me at Caper’s. I’ll buy your lunch. You can tell me about it then.”
She glanced at her watch. “It’s ten thirty.”
“Then I’ll buy you brunch.”
“I’m not even hungry.”
“Work with me, Ellie.”
She supposed she could use another cup of coffee. “OK. But I’m going to run up and see my dad for a minute while I’m here then I’ll be on my way. Give me half an hour, and I’ll meet you there.”
“OK, so we’re back to lunch.”
She tried hard not to smile. “Whatever. Thirty minutes.” She clicked off her phone then hurried back into the hospital and up to the fifth floor.
She hoped Peggy hadn’t…like, died or anything. That would sure throw a damper on her enthusiasm. She turned down the hallway where Peggy’s room was but didn’t see her dad or Aunt Sissy. Great. They’re in the room. She stood outside the closed door for a moment, gathering her courage, then lightly knocked.
“Come in,” Aunt Sissy said, her voice muted through the door.
Ellie gently pushed open the door. She threw a quick glance at Peggy and was relieved beyond measure when she saw her stepmother was sound asleep. Medically induced or otherwise, it really didn’t matter. Ellie didn’t have to talk to her, and that’s what mattered. Her father was in a recliner beside the bed and rose to greet her. He looked so tired, like he didn’t sleep well, although he’d told Ellie he had. Aunt Sissy was sitting in a chair near the window reading one of those romance novels she loved so much. She closed it and set it aside then stood to offer Ellie a hug.
“I have a bone to pick with you,” Ellie whispered in her aunt’s ear.
Aunt Sissy pretended to look surprised then grinned mischievously.
“How’s the little boy?” her father asked in a low voice.
Ellie bobbed her head up and down. “We’re making some headway.”
“Good. I’ve been praying for him.”
Ellie couldn’t help herself from glancing at Peggy. Her father’s wife so sick, so near death, and he still found time, and strength, to pray for others. Even for a little boy he didn’t even know.
She felt tears welling in her eyes and quickly looked away from the dying woman in the bed. “Are y’all going to stay again tonight? You’re welcome, to you know.”
“We appreciate it, but we don’t want to impose.”
“Dad, you’re not imposing. Besides, it’s snowing pretty hard, and you don’t need to be on the roads driving deeper into the mountains.”
He glanced out the window and twisted his lips into a tight grimace. “It is coming down pretty good now, isn’t it?”
Peggy gasped a noisy breath then settled back into oblivion. Ellie’s father moved to the bed and lovingly stroked her small gray tufts of hair. Ellie’s heart wrenched, and she batted back the tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks. She never saw him stroke her mother’s hair like that. She never saw him hovering at her bedside, spilling tears onto the sheets. But in all fairness, her mother never gave him the opportunity.
Ellie shook the images of blood and razor blades and wailing sirens from her head and sucked in a deep breath. “Well, it’s settled then. I’ll see y’all tonight at home.” She forced a smile, gave her dad a quick hug then started to hug her aunt but Sissy took her by the hand instead.
“I’ll walk you out.”
Outside the room, Aunt Sissy continued to hold Ellie’s hand as they walked slowly toward the elevators. “Now what was that bone you wanted to pick with me?”
“Whatever, in your right mind, made you call Jesse this morning and invite us to the cabin?” She stopped walking and turned to face her aunt. She pulled her hand away and folded her arms tight across her chest, jaw set, ready for the face-off.
“Us?” Sissy scrunched her brows, a look of confusion darkening her eyes.
Ellie huffed. “Yes. He said you called and invited us to come up for a weekend. Called him specifically. You didn’t bother to run it by me first, did you?”
Sissy’s lips slowly spread into a tight smile. “There was no need to run it by you first. You weren’t invited. Obviously, he missed that part.”
Ellie’s mouth fell open, allowing a slight gasp to escape. “Aunt Sissy! He’s young enough to be your grandson.” She turned away and paced back and forth up and down the hallway. She didn’t know what was going to be worse:
telling Jesse he had misunderstood the invitation or telling him her crazy aunt had the hots for him.
“What’s the big deal?” Sissy asked, innocently. “Am I stepping on your toes? You made it clear last night you had no interest.”
“No, I said we had a working relationship.” Ellie stared at her aunt, unbelieving. “Aunt Sissy—he’s thirty years old!” She fought to keep her voice down. “If I’m not mistaken, you celebrated your seventieth birthday over the summer. You don’t find anything weird about that?”
“I’m game if he’s game.”
Ellie shuddered at the mental image that flashed through her brain. Sissy lowered her brows and glared at Ellie for a long moment.
“I don’t think age is your problem—” Sissy said.
“Oh, it’s a part of it all right.”
“No, I think your problem is you got your toes stepped on. I told you last night you two had chemistry, but no, you were adamant it was a working relationship. You can’t have it both ways, sweetheart.”
Ellie spun around in a circle, not believing she was having this conversation. “I really don’t need you to play matchmaker, Aunt Sissy. I’m perfectly capable of ruining my own life.”
Sissy busted out laughing. “That’s your problem, Ellie. You have no joy. Where’s the joy in your life?”
“OK, this conversation is over.” Ellie marched toward the elevator and slammed her hand against the down button. Why was it every time she needed to make a quick escape the darn elevator stopped at every floor?
“We’ll continue tonight over a cup of hot chocolate,” Sissy yelled from down the hall.
Ellie turned her head and glared at her crazy aunt. Sissy waved and smiled as Ellie escaped into the elevator. She leaned against the back wall, closed her eyes, and took a long deep breath.
14
The parking lot of Caper’s was beginning to fill with the early lunch crowd. Ellie wasn’t used to eating lunch this early, but she wasn’t one to pass up a free meal, even if it was with Jesse. She parked beside Jesse’s car and went inside. He was in a back booth and waved her over. She wondered what was wrong with the stools at the counter. Being in a back booth with Jesse Alvarez seemed a little too…personal.
It didn’t help that at that moment he looked like the stuff fantasies are made of. He was wearing a navy V-neck sweater with a white t-shirt peeking out from the V, a five o’clock shadow outlining his perfect jaw line. His coal-colored eyes shone like black onyx. She took a deep breath and slid into the booth.
“How’s Peggy?”
She looked at him a moment, her brows lowered. “Peggy who?”
“Peggy—your step mom.”
Ellie felt her breath catch. “She is not my step mom. She is nothing more than my father’s wife. And besides, how do you know about Peggy?”
“Aunt Sissy told me all about her, and you…and your dad.”
Although it was freezing outside and there was a cold blanket of snow on the ground, her rising anger made her insides boil. The only thing that saved Jesse from her leaping across the booth and choking him to death was the waitress walking up at that moment to take their drink order.
“Tea. With lemon,” Ellie snapped, still fuming.
Jesse ordered the same and smiled at the waitress then hesitantly turned the smile on Ellie.
Not a chance. Not this time. He’d crossed the line.
“We do not discuss my father’s wife. Is that understood?”
Jesse twisted a paper napkin between his fingers. “Aunt Sissy said you had issues.”
Ellie leaned across the booth and gritted her teeth. “I do not have issues.”
He raised his hands in defeat. “I’m just saying.”
The waitress returned with their drinks and stood by waiting for their order. Ellie sighed heavily and leaned back in the seat. “BLT with mayo and cheese.”
Jesse smiled at the waitress. “The same.” She scribbled on her pad then trotted off toward the kitchen. Jesse leaned into the booth, his arms folded in front of him. “Don’t be mad at Aunt Sissy.”
Ellie guffawed. The list of issues she had with Aunt Sissy at the moment was growing. “I just don’t appreciate my personal life being the topic of someone else’s conversation.”
Jesse slowly nodded. “Fair enough.”
Ellie eyed him suspiciously. “That’s it? Just ‘fair enough,’ and I’m supposed to believe you and Aunt Sissy will stop trying to figure out everything that’s wrong with me?”
He furrowed his brows and frowned then slowly nodded again. “When you’re ready to talk about it, you’ll talk about it. Tell me about Kenton.”
Ellie sank down into the vinyl seat and glared at Jesse. “Just like that—you’re going stop talking about me behind my back?”
He chuckled then took a drink of his tea. “We’re not in high school. No one is talking about you behind your back. Boy, are you paranoid.”
“You and Aunt Sissy sure seem to have a lot of conversations involving me that I’m not a part of.”
Jesse laid his forehead on the table and lightly thumped it against the wood. “We won’t talk about you anymore.” He groaned. It came out as a mumble. He lifted his head and stared at her, then smiled that glorious smile. “Tell me about Kenton.”
She’d lost her enthusiasm about the new lead about the same time her crazy aunt insinuated she wanted to do unspeakable things to Jesse. She leaned into the table and propped her chin in her hand. “Johnny Doe recognized him.”
“How do you know? How do you know it wasn’t someone he thought he knew?”
“The kid totally shut down. He couldn’t get away from the picture fast enough.” Ellie took a drink of her tea and continued. “When I was interviewing Kenton, I noticed he was pretty banged up so I asked him what had happened to him. He said he and his wife were in a wreck Tuesday night, that a deer ran out in front of them and they ended up totaling the car. Before I left the hospital, a nurse brought me this picture Johnny Doe drew. He told her to give it to me.” She dug the folded picture from her jacket pocket, opened it, then slid it across the table toward Jesse.
He stared at it hard, his lips pursed with concentration. After a long moment, he looked up at Ellie. “That seems to be a definite connection.”
“Did you find anything on him?”
He shook his head. “Nothing that piqued my interest. He’s from New Orleans, been at Bekley’s about four years.”
“I figured he was from New Orleans. He speaks with the same accent as Dr. Deveraux.” She could tell by Jesse’s expression the name was foreign to him. “He’s the chief of pediatrics. I asked him about his accent, and he referred to it as Cajun country. I told him Kenton’s accent was a lot stronger than his, and he said Kenton probably hadn’t been away as long as he had.”
The waitress brought their sandwiches, and Ellie dove in before the lady had time to set Jesse’s plate down. The crispy bacon eased her anger with Jesse.
“And Kenton being from New Orleans is important how?” He was still munching on his chips and hadn’t even touched his sandwich.
Ellie shook her head, swallowed a mouthful. “I don’t know. Maybe he was uprooted by Katrina. And just never went back.” She shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t know if Kenton’s Cajun roots had anything at all to do with little Johnny Doe, but she knew there was a connection between Kenton and the kid.
“Sorry, sweetie, but I still don’t get what Kenton possibly being from New Orleans and the kid have in common. Is the kid from New Orleans?”
Ellie thought about it for a moment then shook her head. “I don’t think so. He’s got a little bit of an accent, but it’s not the same as Kenton’s and Dr. Deveraux’s. It’s more of a regular Southern accent.”
Jesse finally took a bite of his sandwich then made a face. “Who puts cheese on a BLT?” He opened the sandwich and pulled off the piece of cheese.
“You’re the one who ordered it.”
He turned his nose up and f
rowned. “I’ll dig further into Kenton’s background, and you press the kid.”
Ellie laughed out loud. “Yeah, wish me luck with that. Deveraux had me write a list of questions for the child psychologist to ask him. He doesn’t want me questioning him again.”
“What’d you do to him?” He looked at her with a blank expression.
“The picture of Kenton really upset the kid. Deveraux thinks I traumatized him.”
“Did you?”
“No. If I did, I certainly didn’t mean to.” She had accepted the fact Johnny Doe had an unpleasant reaction to Kenton’s picture, but how else was she supposed to make any headway on this case? She wasn’t being given a lot to work with.
Jesse took another bite of his sandwich and chewed slowly. Ellie could almost see the wheels in his head turning. Finally, he swallowed then lifted a finger pointed at Ellie. “But, the kid drew you a picture of the deer and the car. He was connecting with you, not the child psychologist.”
Ellie thought about what Jesse had said then leaned back in the booth. “Deveraux can’t argue with that.”
“If Deveraux’s being uncooperative, we can—”
Ellie was quick to shake her head. “No, it’s not that. He’s just protective of the kid. Which, honestly, I am, too. I cringe every time I see a reporter lurking in the hallway.”
“Yeah, but you’re not looking for a headline. You’re actually trying to help the kid.”
Ellie sighed. “Deveraux did tell me all of Johnny’s tests came back negative. There’s no physical reason for him to be developmentally delayed, so it’s more than likely environmental.”
“But is he really delayed, or is he just not telling what we need to know?”
Ellie rolled her shoulders to release the mounting tension. Johnny Doe, Jerome Kenton, Jesse. They were each causing her a great deal of stress. “I don’t know. You know he hasn’t once asked for his mom or dad? I don’t know that much about kids, but it seems like a kid his age would be asking for his mommy and daddy. The only time he’s even mentioned them was when I interviewed him in the morgue.”
Jesse lifted an eyebrow. “What’d he say?”
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