“Man, are you even listening to me?” Max’s voice startles me. I have completely tuned him out.
“Sorry, I had a break in last night and was just checking everything again. What did you say?”
“You had a break in last night? At your house? Are you okay?”
“It happened while I was out. They just took some of my case stuff. I’m fine. Why are you calling? Is Grandma okay?”
Max sighs heavily, clearly annoyed that I’m not giving him much about the break in. If I wasn’t still feeling so tired, I probably wouldn’t have mentioned it to him at all, but he finally gives in.
“I spoke to her doctor today. He said she is doing better, but he wants to keep her for a few more days to monitor her.”
“Okay, that’s good.”
“Yeah, except Grandma has already checked herself out. She lied to her friend Jim and got him to come pick her up and take her home.”
“What?” I yell, waking Thea up.
“I know. So, tonight, we go around as planned and not only give her a lecture to end all lectures, but convince her to go into a nursing home.”
“Fine. What should I bring?”
“Well, Abby has already been doing a heap of research on local nursing homes, finding ones that will best suit Grandma. She’s going to bring that, I’m going to bring dinner, and you can get your friend to cook dessert again.”
“Fine. I’ll see you at seven.” I hang up, angry at Grandma. Why couldn’t she simply have listened for once to someone else and do what was best for her? Can she be any more stubborn?
“What’s wrong?” Thea sounds tired, making me wonder how much sleep she got last night and why she left me.
“Grandma checked herself out of hospital this morning, against doctor’s orders. Why are you down here?”
“They let her leave?”
“She’s not under arrest there; they can’t force her to stay. Why are you down here, Thea?” I ask again, determined to get an answer out of her.
“What do you mean? Where else would I be?” She sounds genuinely confused by my question.
“Why didn’t you sleep with me?”
“I was, but I wanted to make you breakfast.” She stares just to the side of me, not looking me in the eyes.
“So, you left me so you could put out a bowl and a box of cereal then, what, decided to see how comfy the couch was?”
She sighs heavily, sitting up then leaning her head against the back of the couch. “If you want the truth, I couldn’t be next to you in that bed. You might be able to stop feeling more than you want, but I can’t. This has turned into more than just sex for me. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I didn’t plan for this to happen. So being in your arms, being surrounded by your scent and feeling so content there, was too much. I had to leave. Besides, you do realize your house was just broken into yesterday, right? That makes this house unsafe, and I thought, if I was down here, I’d know if something was wrong and be able to give you some warning.” She says all that quickly, and I find it a little hard to follow, but I get the gist.
I walk over to her and sit down next to her, watching as she leans a little away from me, as though she’s trying to maintain our distance. Then I think over what she has said.
“I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. I think I was trying to convince myself what I said was true. I figured, if I didn’t admit it out loud, it wouldn’t have to be true. But I do have strong feelings for you, Thea. I’ve never been in love before, but I can’t think of anything else to call what I feel for you. You make me want more, and that scares me because I know I can’t have it. I have no control over our situation, and as much as that pisses me the hell off, it also fucking terrifies me. But I can’t live with myself for upsetting you.”
“But what about what you said last night, about not wanting to catch my killer?”
“There is no way I can let someone go who hurt you. I was in that autopsy room with your body, listening to the coroner list off all the fucked up things the asshole did. It will kill me to lose you, but it would haunt me much worse to know he was still out there breathing free air.” I grow furious just thinking back to that day. That is a horror that will be with me for the rest of my life.
“You never really told me any of the details of what was done to me.”
“I know, and I hope you never have to find out.” I wrap my arm over her shoulder and pull her towards me, leaning her against my bare chest and kissing her hair. We stay like this for long, content minutes before Thea breaks it.
“What are our plans for today?”
“I don’t have any, other than requesting you teach me how to make a cake.”
“What?” she gasps.
I love that I have surprised her. “Max wants me to bring dessert tonight, and he requested yours. I figured, if I knew how to make one, I can surprise the hell out of all of them.”
“I’d love to teach you how to make a cake! We’ll need to go shopping first! I’ll need more eggs and butter, and you will absolutely need an apron,” she squeals, her voice growing louder and more enthusiastic with each word.
“An apron?” I raise my eyebrow at her as she turns in my arms to look at me, her happiness evident and causing my heart to skip a beat.
“Definitely. And, of course, I will get to choose one for you.” She smirks at me, a devious glint shining in her eyes.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re going to choose a ridiculous novelty one where I look like an idiot?”
“Because I am!” She grins at me, proud of her plan.
“Why can’t I just wear a normal, plain one? Or, better yet, let’s not make a mess, and I won’t need one at all.”
“Nope. If you want me to teach you how to cook, then you have to abide by my rules!”
I smile down at her, liking how much lighter she appears right now. If she wants to have some fun, who am I to stop her? Although I will have to wear some stupid apron, it will be worth it to see how happy it makes her.
“Fine, but I’ll need more energy for this shopping trip than just cereal.”
“On it!” Thea tries to move away, but I hold her tightly. “I’ll also need a kiss so my day can start right.”
She rolls her eyes yet is quick to comply. Unfortunately, no sooner do I find myself getting lost in her lips and attempting to deepen our connection than Thea is already pulling away and skipping to the kitchen.
I watch her moving about, cooking something delicious, before I force myself to my feet and decide I might as well get ready for a shopping trip.
The day goes as easily as I’ve hoped.
I buy all of the ingredients and new pans needed to make our dessert. I obey by closing my eyes when we walk into a novelty store and let her guide my hand to choose which apron she wants me to buy. I’m told I’m not allowed to look at what I’m holding until I reach the man at the cash register, which brings me extreme embarrassment when I see Thea has chosen one that has a naked man along the front. However, I get my revenge by asking as many annoying and stupid questions as I can while Thea teaches me how to make a chocolate hazelnut napoleon cake. Thea does make it appear simple, though I get the feeling that, the first time I try to make this alone, it will not go well.
While we are waiting for it to bake in the oven, I suggest we watch a movie, but Thea has other ideas. She grabs the tape recorder from the car, the one with her dad speaking about Gerald Rumple and Lara Stafford, and she lays it in front of me.
“You want to listen to this again?”
“Not again; I want to hear the end of it. You forgot to give this to your captain, and I want to know if anything happened to her. Maybe my dad was able to help her, and he’ll say so on the tape.”
“Thea, you know she is most likely one of…” I trail off, watching what little hope she has begin to be dashed by my words. “Fine, we can listen to the rest,” I give in.
“Thank you!” She quickly gives me a kiss before settling in against me
on the couch. I can think of a much better way to kill time, one which would be much more enjoyable for both of us. Instead, she presses play, and after a moment of silence, there is a click, and we hear her dad’s voice coming through clearly.
“Ms. Stafford, what brings you to my office again? I haven’t concluded my investigation into your fiancé and his—”
“I don’t need you anymore. I have a sure way to keep my man. A way where none of those bitches can keep him. He won’t ever leave me now.”
“What are you talking about? Forgive me for speaking so frankly; however, I don’t believe Gerald is a good man for you to be around. You need to leave him while you are still able to. Something is not right with him, and your life—”
“You don’t know Gerry, and you don’t know me. He is going to be a father, so he will never leave me now. He has to love me, and no whore will steal him away from me.”
“You’re pregnant? Then that is even more reason to—”
“I love my fiancé, and soon, he will be my husband. We love each other, and he will see that when I tell him about our baby. He won’t walk out on us, and he will change.”
“Yeah, right,” I snort, unable to stop myself from speaking.
I can almost guarantee Lara Stafford is one of the victims out in that field. Not only did Gerald Rumple never marry, but he did not have any children, and she hasn’t been heard from since Eric Bell began his investigation. I can already guess her telling Rumple she was pregnant didn’t go as well as she hoped. I only wish Thea could realize that without me having to spell it out to her, because having me say the words will make it harder for her to ignore the horror of it.
“You still have my number. If you need help, you can always call me.”
“Gerry will be angry that I’ve put you on his case. I promise to not tell him about you, but you need to leave us alone. I will pay my bill, but I want you out of our lives.”
“I can’t give you help if you don’t ask for it, but if you ever need anything, I will always be there for you.”
“Like I said before, I don’t need it. Now, do I need to sign anything to end this?”
“No, and since I didn’t finish the case, you don’t have to pay me for—”
“I want to pay you because I don’t want you coming around later asking for it and making Gerry angry. We’re going to be a happy family, and I never want to see your face again.”
“I wouldn’t do—”
“Do you take cash?”
There is a heavy sigh from Eric. I assume he must nod yes because, while there is no verbal confirmation, there is an obvious shuffling noise. I picture in my mind Lara giving him a handful of bills.
“Right. I hope to never see you again.”
There is a slamming of a door and a creak of what I guess is a chair. No doubt, Eric is leaning back on the obviously old thing, wondering what on earth he got himself into with her.
“Case forty-eight, Ms. Lara Stafford, concluded unfinished on the request of the client, June fifteenth, nineteen ninety-five.” The tape clicks off, and there is no more.
“That was two months before my parents’ accident. I remember Dad being a bit down before they died, but he wouldn’t open up to Mom about it. At least, not that I overheard. I always wondered why he was so upset. Do you think he was upset because he couldn’t help her?”
“Probably. Your dad sounds like he was a caring guy. It undoubtedly ate him up that he couldn’t save the woman.”
“But maybe she was able to save herself. We know what type of man Gerald Rumple was now, and she must have eventually seen it, too. She was a mother; she wouldn’t have wanted her child to grow up like that. She must have left him.”
“Thea, there is no trace of her, nothing,” I try to reason.
“Yes, because she got smart. Gerald was a serial killer, so she needed to stay hidden. I just know she survived, and so did her baby. They are out there somewhere, happy and safe.”
I wince, grateful that, from this angle, Thea can’t see my face as I attempt to hide my doubt. When I think I am okay, I agree she might be right, smiling when she glances up at me.
She still has hope.
Maybe, when the body of Lara Stafford and most likely her unborn child are found, I will be able to hide that fact from Thea. She doesn’t need to know what horrors happened to them, just like she doesn’t need to know what was done to her.
I can protect her.
I have to.
***
I should have known getting Grandma to agree to move would be impossible. After trying to bring it up when we first arrived at her house became fruitless, we tried over dinner while she was sitting down. However, she continued to change the subject, and now that dessert has been served and consumed, our time is running out.
“I’ve done the research. There are some really great ones that are close—” Abby tries again, only to be cut off.
“I will not leave this house. The only way I will is over my dead body!” she snaps at Abby, saying words that make us all feel sick.
“Grandma, please—” I begin, but she cuts me off.
“No. I love this house, and I won’t leave it. Your grandfather visited me in this house after he passed. It holds all of our memories, and I won’t abandon them.”
“You’re not abandoning them; you’re just letting people help you. Daddy wouldn’t want you to be hurt and alone here. He would understand—” Mom attempts to say, but she is cut off just like the rest of us.
“No! This house belonged to my father-in-law, and if you think for a second that your father would approve of me selling and moving away, you are severely mistaken. This is a house I want to leave to my grandchildren, and if they know what is best for them, they won’t let their young sell this place, either.” She stares at Max and Abby, and I’m grateful I’m spared her demanding expression.
“Grandma, this place is old. It needs a lot of work, and Abby and I—”
“You are going to take this place when I die, you are going to fix it up to your liking, and then you are going to raise your children here. This is our connection to your grandfather’s side of the family, and you do not turn your back on family. This house will remain in our family, or I swear I will come back as a ghost and haunt you in whatever house you live in.”
“You don’t have to die here to leave here. You can go into a lovely nursing home, and then Max and I could move in here sooner,” Abby offers, her hand resting over Max’s leg as he anxiously bounces it under the table.
“No. I have lived here for going on sixty years, and I won’t ever call another place home. Now, this is the end of the discussion. I will not hear any further talk of moving. It is upsetting me.” That immediately puts an end to the debate.
Since everyone is still tired from last night’s activities, we all call it an early night. Outside, Max tells me we will try again another time when she is healthier. I nod that I agree, even though I know she won’t listen then, either.
Back home, I shower with Thea, which is definitely my favorite kind of showering. As we lie naked in bed together, Thea asleep in my arms, I wonder why I have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. It keeps me up most of the night, and it isn’t until morning that I realize why it kept me awake.
I missed something, and it might just solve Thea’s case.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Thea
As I open my eyes the next morning, I find Aiden muttering to himself, his eyes narrowed as he tries to work through whatever problem he has going on in his head.
“Aiden, are you okay?”
“What if you’re right? What if Grandma is right?” he asks me distractedly.
“Right about what?”
“Right bout Lara surviving.”
“I don’t think your grandma said anything about—”
“She talked about passing her house to her grandkids. What if Lara had her child? And what if he is still living in her house right now?”
“You think the man you spoke to the other day was her son?”
“I don’t know, maybe. If he is the son of Gerald Rumple and Lara Stafford, he might not want it getting out about his parents. Maybe he was just trying to protect his father’s secret.”
“By brutally murdering me?” I say doubtfully.
“He’s got a sick dad, so it might not be a stretch to think about it being in his genetics.”
“I don’t believe in that. I think you choose your own path. Just because you have a bad parent, it doesn’t mean you have to be like that, too.”
“I know that, but to know your dad is a serial killer has to mess with your mind.”
“But Gerald’s records didn’t say he had any children. Besides, he would be younger than Flynn!”
“You can be any age to be a murderer, Thea. Maybe Lara Stafford did get away, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t tell her son who his father really was and what he did. She would have had to explain to him why they escaped him eventually.”
“That seems like a bit of a long shot. What if you’re wrong, and she had a girl?”
“It is, at the very least, a possible lead that I should check out. That house is only an hour or so from here. I can be there and back within two hours if it is a wild goose chase.”
“You still remember the address?”
“I have it written down at my desk at the station, which is on the way, sort of.” Aiden looks exhausted, making me wonder if he got any sleep last night. How is he coping on such little sleep?
“I know you think that, because my dad’s files are gone now, you’ve lost any hope of solving my case, but you wrote that list down of their names. You still have leads.”
“I know, but I’m following this one today,” he tells me stubbornly.
“I just don’t want you to be upset if this doesn’t pan out. You’ve obviously given it a lot of thought, but I think it is a push for a person to kill me just on the odd chance I figure out who their father was. I mean, I wouldn’t have had any clue what to look for. Killing me meant Gerald Rumple’s makeshift graveyard and past were discovered.”
Haunted Love Page 27