by T. S. Ryder
"That's a roundabout way of saying all the evidence points to me being the killer." Oskar sighed as Melody winced. "Look, I'm ridiculously wealthy, I'm the Alpha of the wealthiest Shifter community in the country and I'm an agent. All have their perks when you're being investigated for murder. For what it's worth, though, Barton doesn't think I killed Fezioni. He is following the evidence like he should."
Melody finally looked back at him and nodded briefly. She was wearing a summer dress covered in roses, and the cut emphasized her hourglass figure. It fell to just above her knee, and she wasn't wearing any leggings. She had fantastic legs. Creamy, toned calves.
"Cindy should have told me you were in your room. But I haven’t seen her for a while. I guess she wasn't keeping a lookout like I thought." A smile flashed at him, but it seemed nervous. "Ghosts. Can't rely on any of them."
"So what sort of evidence—"
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
Oskar's brows rose. "Sure. Can I get you something to drink?"
"I'm fine, thanks. So, you're rich. Like really, really rich. Why do you work for the FBI? You don't need to work, and really from what I've gotten to know about you, you're more of an alpha-male kind of guy, not somebody who takes orders from others. Which makes sense. Since you are an Alpha."
Oskar poured himself a small brandy and shrugged. "It's simple, really. I was born rich, and when I was seven I was kidnapped."
Melody gasped.
"The kidnappers wanted a substantial amount of money for my return. If it wasn't for the FBI agents who were assigned to the case, I would probably be dead. When I grew up, I realized that I wanted to help people the way they helped me, so I joined. Not that I seem to be actually helping people lately."
"Cindy's death wasn't your fault."
"Even if there wasn't anything I could have done to save her, I still didn't save her. It's my responsibility to ensure the safety of my Shifters. I failed her the moment she was kidnapped."
Melody took his brandy away. "Speaking of Cindy, I found out what she was too scared to tell you."
"Hey." Oskar tried to take his glass back, but Melody held it out of reach. Her eyes narrowed until he nodded in defeat and backed up to the bed. "What is it?"
"Well…" Her determined expression faded a little and Melody sucked her lip between her teeth, looking nervous. "Okay, this is a little more difficult than I thought it would be... You know what, I'm just going to come right out and say it. Your son is here."
Oskar's eyes widened. Her words rattled around in his brain, but he couldn't make sense of them. "Here? As in, in this town?"
Melody nodded. "His adoptive parents were killed last year in a car crash, and he's in a foster home here in Blackcliff. I saw him today. I don't know what Cindy wants you to do now, she won't tell me that, but I do know she wanted you to know about your son. I think maybe he's the reason Fezioni came here, too. Maybe he was looking to try to get more money from you. I don't know. But—"
"He couldn't have known that my son was here."
Oskar raced to his brandy bottle but stopped himself before he drank. His hands trembled. Being a father had never been on his list of priorities. When Cindy got pregnant, there was never a doubt in his mind that adoption was the best course.
But knowing that the son he had never seen was in this town, parentless, in foster care, hit him hard. Shifters were hard to adopt once they hit puberty. His son would be five already. His chances for finding a family were getting lower every year.
He sucked in a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me."
Melody put a hand on his arm to comfort him. "What are you going to do?"
"It depends on this investigation. I… I'm not sure I'm father material. But maybe…" He had failed Cindy, but maybe he would have a chance with their son.
He turned to Melody, smiling at her. "Thank you. And when you see Cindy again, thank her. I want to help people. Maybe it's time that I… I helped my own son."
Melody hugged him. "Whatever you decide, it's going to be okay, you know. You'll make a great father. If that's what you want."
Oskar held her tightly, closing his eyes. She used strawberry shampoo. He turned his face into her hair, inhaling. His arms tightened while the rest of his muscles relaxed. It had been a long time since he had felt like this, uncertain about his future and yet comfortable in sharing his uncertainty with another person. He let out a shaky breath.
When Melody pulled herself away, he was reluctant to release her. But she didn't withdraw very far. She looked up into his eyes and pressed herself to her toes, brushing her lips against his mouth. Oskar moaned, flicking his tongue over her lips. Cherry chapstick.
"I should go," she whispered.
Oskar's arms tightened around her. "No. Please. Stay."
A lip went between her teeth. "I just don't… I mean, you have a lot to take in, and if I stay, who knows what my uncle will think."
She grimaced and Oskar laughed. There was nothing he wanted more than to kiss her again and lose himself in her comfort and warmth, but she was right. Now was not the time for engaging in such activities. Reluctantly he released her and took a step back. He had the sense that the two of them had a real chance at making a relationship work. He didn't want to ruin it by moving too quickly.
Besides, between the investigation and learning that his son was in Blackcliff, this situation was complicated enough. It was time to just take a step back and think.
"I'll get dressed and we can go to dinner," he said. "That sound good?"
Melody nodded. "Yeah. That should be fine. I don't think Uncle Todd will be happy with me doing even that. He'll just have to deal. He thinks I should just abandon the whole thing, but I can't do that. I couldn't do it at the start, and I certainly can't do it now that I am more invested. It's not like I'm in any danger, right?"
Oskar retrieved a suit from his closet and frowned as he stepped into the bathroom to change.
Did Barton want Melody to stay away from the case because he was afraid that Oskar was a killer and was just using her? Or was there something else, something that could be putting her in danger? He shuddered–the thought of anything happening to Melody was far worse than the thought of being found guilty of a crime he didn't commit.
"You've told me what Cindy wanted me to know," he said, buttoning his pants. "Is there anything else she can do to help with the case? I mean, she says she was with me when the murder happened, so she doesn't know who the killer is. So she can't help with that."
He pulled on his shirt and stepped back into the main room as he buttoned it. Melody frowned at him.
"No, I guess not."
"Then I think Barton's right. You should try to stay away from the case. He's good at what he does, he'll find out what really happened."
"Yeah, but he doesn't have a ghost that can eavesdrop on conversations."
"Just stay away from the case, Melody. Please." Oskar stared into her eyes, trying to convey how serious he was.
She sighed, made a face, and nodded. "Yeah. I can do that."
Relief washed over him. "Thank you. Now let's go to dinner. Old Gossip?"
"Ugh, no! I mean, let's go to the hotel restaurant. Less gossip there."
Oskar laughed and nodded. As they left the room he put his hand on the small of her back. Being near her felt so right. It was better than anything he had ever felt before.
Chapter Nine
Melody lay in bed, staring up at the vague shadows on her ceiling. Even though it was getting late, she was too wired to close her eyes. She felt like she should get up and do something since she couldn't sleep, but her brain was tied into too many knots to consider doing anything other than just lying as still as she could, thinking.
Dinner with Oskar had been nice. They'd talked about his son a little, and he told her he was going to look into getting custody or adopting Julius. He had quickly turned the conversation to her, though: her family, her schooling, her hobbies. His questions h
ad been genuine, and by the time they were done eating, Melody realized that they were on a date. A real date.
Now she didn't know what to do with that information. She liked Oskar. It was fun talking with him, and he knew exactly what to ask to open her up and keep the conversation going. But where could this go? She wasn't looking for a relationship, and he was going to be responsible for a child soon. It was going to be a confusing time for him. Her, too.
Although studies had been done, and Shifters were more likely to form lasting romantic relationships. That was a huge perk.
I am not a gold-digger.
A voice came out of the dark. "Hey."
Melody groaned. "Not now, Cindy."
"I need to talk to you."
With another groan, Melody sat up and turned on the light. Cindy wrinkled her nose. "There's a hole in that shirt. I can see your belly button."
"They're pajamas. I don't need to be sexy when I'm sleeping alone."
Cindy shrugged. "Whatever you want. I just wanted to say thank you. I was scared that Oskar wouldn't care about our son being here. Thank you for telling him. Things are going to work out now. I might be dead, but Julius is going to be okay. I just wish I could… I wish I could say goodbye to my fiancé."
Melody nodded. "I understand. But he's going to be okay, you know. We all have to deal with death. People are tough."
"I suppose. It's different for Shifters, though. We have a hard time getting over death, especially the deaths of our significant others. But what now? I don't have anything left to stick around here for. Shouldn't I be seeing a light or something?"
"I don't know. My ghosts usually just go away and never come back."
"You're useless." Cindy rolled her eyes. "I'm tempted not to tell you what I found out about the case."
Melody straightened. Both Oskar and Uncle Todd's pleading for her to stay away from the case rang in her ears, but she pushed them aside. If Cindy had information, then she needed it. It wasn't like she was going after a killer, after all. She would get the information and relay it to Uncle Todd, and he could handle it from there.
"Please tell me."
Cindy cocked her head to one side and shrugged. "I'm not actually sure how relevant it is, but after Fezioni died, I was wandering around. Well. I was following that daycare woman. I wanted to know more about Julius' situation, and she was going to go look stuff up about him or something. I don't know what she was doing, I just know she was going to the city for something."
"I thought you said this had to do with the case."
"It does. She was driving to the city, and along the way she stopped and threw a baseball bat into the woods. That's odd, right?"
Melody swung out of bed. "Uncle Todd said Fezioni was hit by a baseball bat before he was thrown over the bridge. But Elisabeth? She's such a quiet, kind woman. Why would she want to kill Fezioni?"
"Maybe he threatened to kidnap Julius?" Cindy clapped her hands. "She's protective of those kids."
"Yes, she is," Melody muttered. "But why would Fezioni tell her that he was going to take Julius? I need to talk to her."
She knew she should tell Uncle Todd about this, but what would he do with it? Elisabeth wouldn't talk to him. Besides, Melody wasn't putting herself in danger by going to talk to her. Elisabeth wasn't going to hurt her.
Cindy vanished on the drive to Elisabeth's house, but Melody didn't spare too much time thinking about it. She was single-minded in her purpose. Her heart was beating harder than normal, but only because she was so close to solving this case. At least she thought she was.
Was Elisabeth the killer? What motive could she possibly have?
Elisabeth answered the door wearing a faded Care Bears bathrobe tied over flannel pajamas. She blinked at Melody, rubbing her eyes.
"I'm sorry for waking you so late. But I have something to talk to you about." Melody quickly slipped into the house, despite Elisabeth's protests. "Uncle Todd found a baseball bat in the woods on the way to the city, and it had Bobby's name on it. It was covered in blood."
Elisabeth's face paled. "What?"
Melody turned away from her, going to the living room. On the way over she had kept thinking about what could have possibly motivated Elisabeth to kill somebody. On the mantle was a picture of Bobby. Melody picked it up, studying it.
"What are you doing here?" Elisabeth's voice rose to a higher pitch. "Get out. Get out of my home."
Melody took out her phone and brought up the article of Fezioni's death from the newspaper. There was a picture of him and she zoomed in on it. Holding the two pictures together, she turned back to Elisabeth. The younger woman paled, shivering as she looked at the two images being held side by side.
"They have the same eyes," Melody said, her voice quiet. "The same nose. Bobby looks more like you than him, but he is Fezioni's son, isn't he?
Elisabeth sank down onto the couch, still staring at the two pictures. Melody turned off her phone and sat beside the other woman, putting a hand on her shoulder. She waited patiently, knowing that this couldn't be easy for the shy, quiet woman. Even though she longed to ask why Elisabeth was letting Oskar take the blame for a murder she had committed, Melody kept her mouth shut and waited.
The living were like ghosts in that way. If they didn't want to say something, they wouldn't.
"David and I were high school sweethearts," Elisabeth mumbled eventually. "He was the bad boy, and I felt special that he paid attention to me. Then I got pregnant and he didn't want anything to do with me anymore. It could have broken me, but Bobby… he's the best thing that ever happened to me and so I did everything I could to give him a good life. I put David in the past and I thought he'd stay there."
Melody put her arm around Elisabeth as the younger woman began to cry softly. Tears splattered on the glass over Bobby's face.
"When David showed up again, I was sick. I didn't want him anywhere near me or my son. And I told him that, but he said that it wasn't my choice. I didn't plan to kill him." Elisabeth snorted. "Or maybe I did. We met out on that bridge, and I had all my savings. I told him to take it and leave us alone and he just laughed at me. Said that it was nothing compared to what he had."
"He must have been referring to the money he got from kidnapping Cindy."
Elisabeth shuddered. "He… he told me he was going to take Bobby. That if I wanted to be in my son's life, I'd have to take him back. He said that he knew how to make people disappear and if I didn't do as he said, I'd never see Bobby again. And I snapped. He laughed at me when I grabbed the baseball bat."
The young woman sat up straighter. Her eyes hardened and she turned to Melody. Though tears were still streaming down her face, she looked determined and angry, every bit a woman who could have slugged a man in the head.
"He wasn't laughing when he went over the bridge. I did it for my son. I did it for Bobby."
Melody squeezed her hands. "I have to tell my uncle."
Elisabeth's shoulders slumped again, and she nodded. "I know. Just promise me something first?"
"Of course."
"Look after my son. I have no family, and you're the closest thing I have to a friend. I just don't want him to end up in the system. Please."
Melody squeezed the other woman's hands. It was a huge responsibility, but she couldn't turn down a mother's plea for help. "Yes. I'll look after him. I promise."
Elisabeth nodded her thanks, and with a heavy heart, Melody pulled her cell phone out again and dialed Uncle Todd. Elisabeth put the picture back on the mantle before she returned to Melody's side, leaning against her side as she started to cry again.
Chapter Ten
Melody nervously smoothed down her satin skirt, checking her reflection in the mirror. It had been several months since Elisabeth's arrest, and tonight was the first time since then that she had arranged for Bobby to spend the night with a friend so she could have the night to herself.
It was a huge adjustment, suddenly having a ten-year-old boy living with her
, especially under these circumstances, but things were working out. Bobby was a good kid, and he was adjusting as well as could be expected.
Elisabeth's trial was still ongoing, but given the circumstances, it was hopeful that she would get a relatively light sentence. David's properties had all been resold by the government, through Melody, and she had put the money she earned from those sales into Bobby's college fund.
Tonight, though, was finally a night to have a break and just relax. She had kept in contact with Oskar as he took care of business in the city. His adoption of Julius was almost complete. He was coming back to Blackcliff for a few days.
And they were going to dinner.
It was a date. A real, honest-to-goodness date. Melody couldn't be happier, but she was still nervous. Now that they weren't solving a murder, would they still have things to talk about? Of course they would–she had a list of topics in case things lagged. Everything would be fine.
When Oskar arrived, he handed her a potted orchid. Melody's jaw dropped at the beautiful flower, gently taking it.
"Wow. It's beautiful."
"I remember you saying you liked orchids," Oskar said with an easy smile. "I couldn't remember if you liked them better than roses, though, so…"
He pulled a dozen red roses from behind his back. Melody laughed, although it quickly turned into a giggle as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. She gestured him in and looked around for a place to put the flowers. It was a lovely gesture. None of her previous boyfriends had ever bought her flowers, not even on Valentine's Day.
"How are things at the office going?" she asked over her shoulder, placing the orchid on the coffee table.
"With the FBI?"
"Yeah. I guess with all of your millions—"
"Billions."
"Millions, billions, whatever. More than I've ever seen. How many offices do you have, actually? Like, you have your FBI office. Where else?"
"I have an office in each of my company buildings. One in each of my homes—"
"Homes? Multiple?"