My body was weary, but I couldn’t make myself relax. Something was about to happen – and not just in Belinda’s room.
“There she is.”
I jerked my head up when I heard the voice. I saw Jonathan Denham and his mother round the corner a few seconds later. They had another man with them, and Tom Denham was trailing behind the small group with a morose look on his face.
Marcus snapped awake, and he was cradling Annie protectively against his chest as he looked to me for answers. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was readying himself for a fight.
“They can’t get in that room, and they can’t have Annie,” I said, my voice low.
Marcus nodded.
“Whatever I say, just go along with it.”
He nodded again.
“Oh, and if I try to kill them, just let me,” I added.
“Yeah, we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one,” Marcus said. “I’m not sure monthly conjugal visits will be enough to keep me honest.”
He has an odd sense of humor sometimes.
I got to my feet and cut Denham and Arlene off before they could get too close to Belinda’s room. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re here to claim our grandchild,” Arlene said.
“Well, Chief Terry said you couldn’t,” I replied. “He’s in charge. You’ll have to take it up with him.”
“This is our attorney, Donald Hollingsworth,” Arlene said. “He says your Chief Terry has no jurisdiction over this child.” She moved toward Marcus and held out her arms. “You can give her to me.”
Marcus shook his head. “You can’t have her.”
Arlene narrowed her eyes. “What? Are you some kind of pervert?”
“No, that would be your son,” I said.
“Stop saying that,” Denham snapped. “I am not a pervert.”
“You knocked up your student.”
“That was … she seduced me.”
“Yeah, right,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Hollingsworth stepped closer. I didn’t recognize him, which meant the Denhams had gone outside of Hemlock Cove to retain legal counsel. That was probably a good idea on their part. “Ma’am, you have to hand that child over.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” I said. “And I’m not doing that. I don’t care what you say.”
“You listen here,” Arlene seethed, wagging her finger in my face. “You’re not in control here. I am.”
“And that’s what matters to you, right? Control?”
Arlene was taken aback by my challenge.
“I get you,” I continued. “I get what you are. You’re a woman who henpecked her husband and raised a monster. You’re a woman who wants a chance to mold another young mind. You’re a woman who wants to control everything.
“I’ve known women like you,” I said. “Well, that’s not exactly true. I’ve known women who need control – one in particular – but the difference is, she still manages to know what’s right and wrong.
“Sure, she straddles the line,” I said. “She often crosses it.” Goddess, does she cross it. “She still manages to do the right thing. I don’t even think you know what the right thing is. That’s how far gone you are.”
“Oh, you’re so full of yourself,” Arlene said. “You think you know how to read people. Now, let me tell you about you. You were raised in a family of all women, and you never learned your place. You want to stand out, so you dye your hair odd colors. You want to be special, but everyone else around you has something more – something better – to offer.
“You’re insecure, and you’ve latched onto my granddaughter to make yourself feel important,” she continued. “You think, if you somehow beat me, then you’ll have everyone in your family applauding you. You still won’t be special.”
I snorted. She was trying to throw me off my game. I’d grown up with the master, though. She couldn’t shake me. Still, I needed to play the game to buy time, and I was more than willing to do it.
“Oh, you couldn’t be more wrong,” I said. “I’ve always stood out in my family, and it’s not because of my hair. It’s because I’m generally unpleasant and bitchy. That’s just how I roll. I dye my hair because it drives my mother nuts – which is funny, because her hair is so red she gives random circus clowns nightmares.
“In my family, no one has a place,” I said. “In fact, everyone is so scattered that we can’t remember what our place is from the previous day. I don’t need accolades and applause from my family because we work for a living, and we believe in earning something instead of taking it.
“Your problem is that the son you raised to be entitled turned out to also be a sociopath,” I continued. “You expected him to elevate you by virtue of his name. Instead, all he’s done is drag you down. I have no idea what transpired when you found out Belinda was pregnant with your grandchild, but I’m guessing it wasn’t pretty. You didn’t want anything to do with Annie until you realized that Jonathan here wasn’t going to amount to anything.”
“You take that back,” Denham spat.
I ignored him. “I don’t care what you want, lady,” I said. “I care what’s best for Annie, and that’s clearly not the woman who raised this piece of trash.”
“Well, you don’t have a say in that,” Hollingsworth said. “You’re not the law.”
“No, but I am,” Chief Terry said, striding into the room with Landon on his heels. He shot me a questioning look before focusing on the Denhams. “Is there a problem here?”
“Yes, this … woman … won’t let me have my granddaughter,” Arlene said.
“Well, she was instructed not to,” Chief Terry said. “I think that means she’s doing her job.”
I froze when I saw Annie start to move on Marcus’ lap. He smoothed her hair down, trying to lull her back to sleep, but it was too late. She sat up straight and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, her gaze landing on me first. “What’s going on? Is my mommy awake?”
“Not yet,” I said.
Arlene pushed past Chief Terry so she could get closer to Annie. “Oh, there’s my precious girl.”
Annie pulled back when she saw her. “Who are you?”
Chief Terry and I exchanged a look.
“I’m your grandmother,” Arlene said. “And this is your father.”
Annie shifted her face so she could look Denham up and down. She didn’t immediately say anything.
“If you’re such a good grandmother, how come your granddaughter doesn’t know you?” I asked. Aunt Tillie had said that Annie didn’t know her grandparents. I didn’t realize that meant she’d never met them.
“That’s a pretty good question,” Landon said.
“Belinda wouldn’t allow us visitation,” Arlene said, straightening. “She’s a horrible person.”
“My mommy isn’t bad,” Annie snapped.
“Of course she isn’t,” Marcus murmured, tightening his arms around her.
“Don’t you say my mommy is bad,” Annie said.
“Young lady, you’re going to have to learn that you don’t talk back to your elders,” Arlene said. “I understand you haven’t been raised with a firm hand, but all of that is about to change.”
Annie was confused. “Aunt Tillie says that you only have to respect adults if they don’t say anything stupid,” she said. “You’re saying something stupid.”
I couldn’t help but wonder what other pearls of wisdom Aunt Tillie had been bestowing upon Annie. That was a question for another time, though.
“Stupid isn’t a nice word,” Arlene replied.
“It’s not,” I agreed. “In this case, though, it’s the right word.”
“Thistle,” Chief Terry warned. “Mrs. Denham, I think it would be a good idea if you and your son came down to the station for some questions.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Chief Terry said. “We have a few questions for you and your son. You probably don’t want to answer them here … in
front of your granddaughter.”
“I have nothing to hide,” Arlene sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest obstinately.
“Okay then,” Chief Terry said, not backing down. “First off, Jonathan, when did you first arrive in Hemlock Cove?”
Denham balked at the question. “What does that matter?”
“It’s just a question. I need you to answer it.”
Denham looked at his mother for support. She nodded in his direction. “The first time I stepped foot in this … town … was a few hours ago.”
“Hmm. I see. How did you find out about Annie’s situation?”
“What do you mean?”
“We couldn’t find you,” Chief Terry said. “We had to call your parents. You had no working phone number of record. I’m just wondering when you found out that Annie had been discovered?”
“I … it was the other day,” Denham said, flustered. “I don’t remember exactly what day it was.”
“Do you remember where you were when you got the call?”
Denham straightened. “I was at the mall by my mother’s house.”
“That’s pretty interesting,” Landon said. “Because we ran your phone records this evening. Actually, we had to track back the numbers that called your mother’s phone and go from there. After we found one from a burner phone that called on a regular basis, we tracked the sale to a store in Minnesota, and you were the man we saw on store security video. We tracked the GPS on that phone, and it was in Traverse City when the call was made about Annie’s discovery.”
Denham’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t track a burner phone.”
Landon drew a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. He handed it over to Denham. “That’s you, right?”
Arlene made a face. “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” Denham said. “They’re framing me.”
“There were two sets of tracks out at the accident scene,” Chief Terry said. “It appears that someone drove directly at Belinda’s vehicle and tried to force it off the road, even clipping the front bumper to force her off into the ravine.”
“Well, my rental car is out in the parking lot,” Denham said. “You can check it. There’s no damage.”
“We already checked it,” Landon said.
Denham smiled triumphantly.
“The problem is, you secured that rental car yesterday afternoon,” Landon said. “The car you rented six days ago in Traverse City is another story. We contacted the owner of that facility – and he wasn’t thrilled to be woken up in the middle of the night, let me tell you – and he said the car you turned in two days ago had some front-end damage.
“The owner said you claimed someone backed into the car when it was parked and you had no idea who did it,” Landon continued. “Can you explain that?”
“I … I have no idea what happened to that car,” Denham said. “Someone hit it and ran.”
“And, can you explain what you were doing in this area before then?” Landon asked, his face serious.
“I was here on vacation.”
“Why did you tell us you were at the mall by your mother’s house?” Chief Terry asked.
They were tag-teaming him, and it was a sight to behold.
“I … you’re trying to frame me,” Denham said.
“Did he hurt my mommy?” Annie asked, her lower lip trembling.
“Of course he didn’t,” Arlene said. “Your mommy is the bad one.”
“Stop telling her that,” I snapped.
“Even if you take my son into custody, that doesn’t mean I’m guilty,” Arlene said, straightening.
“Mom?” Denham was worried.
“I’m still this girl’s only relative who is capable of taking care of her.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Aunt Tillie said, appearing in Belinda’s doorway. She wasn’t alone. The woman standing behind her, who only an hour ago looked like she was minutes from death, now appeared like she was ready for action. Well, kind of. She was still pale, and she looked confused.
“I’m capable of taking care of her,” Belinda said, leaning against the doorway for support as she cradled her ribs.
“Mommy!” Annie jumped off of Marcus’ lap and raced toward her mother.
Bay stilled her approach worriedly. “Your mommy is sore. Be gentle with her.”
Annie nodded solemnly as she carefully gave Belinda a desperate hug.
“I was so worried about you,” Belinda said, petting her daughter’s head. “I woke up in the car and you were gone. I couldn’t get out.”
“She found us,” I explained. “I’m sorry it took us so long to find you.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Belinda said, her eyes swimming with tears. “You saved my baby.” She glanced up, her gaze landing on Denham for the first time. “What is he doing here?”
“He’s being taken into custody,” Chief Terry said. “We’re going to need to talk to you, too. I need to know what you remember about the accident.”
“I don’t know what I can tell you,” Belinda said. “I just know that a black car was heading right at us and I tried to swerve to avoid it. I blacked out, and when I woke up, Annie was missing. I tried to get out of the car, but I kept passing out.”
“Yes, well, it just so happens that Mr. Denham rented a black car when he arrived in the area almost a week ago,” Chief Terry said. “He’s being taken into custody on attempted murder charges. Do you know why he would try to kill you?”
“I was going after child support,” Belinda said. “I left him off the birth certificate because I didn’t want anything to do with him, but he kept showing up. I figured, if he was going to keep hounding us, I should get the money he owed us.
“When I filed the paperwork, he started threatening me,” she continued. “I realized what I’d done, and I decided to run. He was being … scary.”
Chief Terry nodded. “Did he threaten you?”
“Yes. He kept saying he was going to kill me and take Annie.”
“Did you know he was in the area?” Landon asked.
“No,” Belinda said. “I thought we were safe. I had no idea he’d come here. I don’t even know how he found me.”
“That will be a question he has to answer down at the station,” Chief Terry said, pulling his handcuffs from his belt.
“Mom!” Denham was panicked.
“You’re such a stupid moron,” Arlene grumbled. “I have no idea how I raised such an idiot.”
“It must be karma,” Aunt Tillie said.
Arlene wasn’t done yet. “That woman is not fit enough to take care of a child,” she said. “It’s going to be weeks before she’s recovered. How is she going to take care of Annie?”
“She won’t be alone,” Winnie said, appearing from the other side of the nurse’s station. I hadn’t even realized she was over there and listening to everything. “She’ll be staying at The Overlook while she convalesces. That will allow her to rest, and have plenty of free childcare.”
Annie looked excited at the prospect. “Does that mean I can help Aunt Tillie in her garden?”
“No,” Landon said.
Annie frowned. “But I want to learn more about the oregano.”
Landon wagged his finger in Annie’s face. “No, you don’t. You can help Thistle in the store, though.”
“And you can come with me to the stables,” Marcus said.
“Can I ride a horse?” Annie asked, excited.
“You can ride ten of them,” Marcus said.
“But what about the oregano? It needs to be cut back so it won’t be all seeds.”
Landon scowled.
“Don’t worry,” Aunt Tillie said. “We still have our wine business.”
“No, you don’t,” Landon said.
“You’re starting to test the limits of my endurance,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Wait a second. You can’t just hand my granddaughter over to these people,” Arlene said. “I brought a lawyer.”
/> “Yeah, well we brought a judge,” Marnie said as she joined the crowd. I couldn’t help but notice that a tired looking Judge Crawford was with her. He still had pie crumbs on his face.
“I’ve been made aware of the situation,” he said. “Since the mother is on her way to recovery, and the Winchesters have graciously opened up their home to her, I see no reason to remove this child from her mother’s custody.”
“Except that Belinda can’t hold down a job,” Arlene said.
Belinda’s face colored under the accusation. “That’s because you called every one of my employers and told them lies about me.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that,” Winnie said. “We’ve been considering adding another person at the inn to help with the day-to-day operations. I think Belinda will fit right in.” She smiled at Annie. “And that will give us the opportunity to see Annie as often as we want.”
Annie clapped her hands together excitedly.
“You can’t do this,” Arlene said. “I … this isn’t what I want.”
“Oh, honey, we don’t give a flying fart what you want,” Aunt Tillie said, holding her hand out to Annie. “Come on, Basil. I think some breakfast is in order.”
Belinda furrowed her brow. “Basil?”
I sighed. “It’s a long story.”
“With a happy ending,” Annie said, laughing delightedly. She held out her other hand to me. “Are you coming? You’re going to need a big breakfast if you want to sell wine with me and Aunt Tillie this afternoon.”
“That’s right,” Aunt Tillie said. “We need to teach her to dance, don’t we?”
Annie giggled.
I took Annie’s hand. “I’m not dancing.”
“You have to,” Annie said. “That’s how you sell stuff. We need to get a new plow for Aunt Tillie, missy.”
I gave in. “Fine.”
“What new plow?” Landon asked.
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