April leaned in really close, so that our lips were barely two inches apart. “If we weren't standing at a crime scene, and you hadn't just said what you said, I would have kissed you by now.”
“That doesn't sound like a legitimate excuse to me. Go ahead, make my night,” I replied, reducing the gap to only one inch and closing my eyes. We were breathing the same air at that very moment, and it felt like one shared breath could carry us through the whole night.
“I think I'll save that notion for our first legitimate date after the wedding. Or after you get divorced. I don't usually date married men.” April stepped backward a few feet, and a charming and wicked smile formed on her lips when I opened my eyes again. “I have grand expectations of any man I date. You should know I'm hardly the type to be wooed easily.”
I let her walk away claiming the final word this time. I never minded losing a small battle when I was absolutely certain I would win the entire war. I reflected on my interaction with Raquel earlier that evening when I promised myself only one of us would make it out alive tonight. At the time, I'd been scared it wouldn't be me. While I valued life way too much to feel good about what had ended up happening, I permitted myself to feel blessed that the good guys had won for a change. I returned to the Admissions Hall to be with my daughter and mother, uncertain what the next few days would bring but strong enough to handle it. When I walked through the main room, I saw a man kneeling beside Raquel's body. The forensics team was still addressing the scene, but they'd allowed Manny to visit before she was enclosed in a body bag.
Manny heard me approach. “I don't know what to say. How could I have been so foolish?”
I told Manny that we'd both been taken advantage of, so I knew how he felt. “Raquel didn't deserve to die, but we can't change the past. We can only focus on your future. I understand what's on your mind and how you're feeling. Please know that I'm here to support you however you need.”
“The police told me everything she did. Is it true, Kellan? Did my wife really kill your brother's friend, Quint? And maybe your father-in-law?” The grief over everything he'd potentially done by giving his wife information about my family had finally impacted Manny.
“Yes, but there's something else you should know,” I said, hesitant to burden the weakened man on top of everything he'd just learned. “Raquel told me earlier that your wedding wasn't real. She never filed the papers with the state, and the guy who married you didn't have a license.”
Manny let the news settle for a minute, then hugged me. “I have mixed feelings about what you've just told me, but you are right. I am sorry for the loss and the pain impacting Raquel's family, but it means I have my life back, and I don't need to leave your sister alone with the diner.”
Manny and I chatted for a few more minutes, and when he left campus, I had an inkling that the reason he'd been acting so weird around my sister wasn't just because he was afraid of deserting the diner once he thought Raquel would force him to leave Braxton. He'd unexpectedly developed romantic feelings for my sister and wasn't sure how to tell her the truth.
The office door opened, and my mother waved me over. “Emma is awake.”
I rushed into the room to check on my daughter. “Hey, baby girl. We can go home now. You need to get some sleep. Baxter will be so excited to see you, and I'll be home all day tomorrow with you. No camp until next week. How does that sound?”
Emma jumped into my arms and hugged me with more power than a seven-year-old girl should have. “That's awesome, but I have a question, Daddy.”
I knew what it was, and I had no way of avoiding it. “What's that, sweet girl?” I said, looking toward my mother, who shuffled closer and kissed Emma's forehead.
“Was that Mommy I saw earlier, or was it just a dream?”
“Tell her the truth, Kellan. She's a strong little girl because of you. I have faith you will find the proper words,” my mother whispered in my ear, shedding her own tears over the night's traumatic events. In an instant, my mother and I had grown closer once again. “You're both brilliant ones.”
I replied to Emma, “Let's go home and have that discussion. I'll make you a cup of cocoa, we can climb into bed with Baxter, and Daddy will explain everything that happened to us tonight. Okay?”
Chapter 21
Thursday was the kind of bittersweet day that highlighted why I should be proud of my daughter and thrilled with the positive swing my life had taken upon returning home to Braxton. After a lengthy and difficult conversation the previous night, Emma understood that her mother had been taken by bad guys who'd wanted to hurt our family. We talked about the dangers of lies and secrets, remembered tons of precious moments she'd shared with her mother years earlier, and discussed how to move forward as a family once we sorted out the proper steps.
It was bittersweet because I had to tell Emma that her mother and I wouldn't be together in the future. I compared it to a divorce, which she understood, citing how her friend Shalini's parents had gotten divorced recently too. I realized that I'd need to think about filing formal separation papers in the future to officially announce my intent to divorce Francesca. Before we could do that, she'd have to be declared legally alive again, at least as far as I understood from my brief Internet search. I decided to focus on Emma for the long holiday weekend and deal with the repercussions of everything else the following Monday.
Fern postponed the cable car ribbon-cutting ceremony until the subsequent week, so I spent Thursday with my family. Nana D had mayoral responsibilities to assure the citizens of Wharton County that the drama unfolding that week was fully under control. Nana D had even partnered with April to show a united front against crime in our towns, discussing how it happened and what everyone could do to prevent it from occurring again in the future. Limited details were released to the public for now. The county's official position was that the Castigliano and Las Vargas families ignited a turf war that had begun in Los Angeles and worked its way to Braxton the last few years. Nana D explained that the erstwhile sheriff had done little to hold the jewel thief accountable for his actions eight years ago, and we continued to suffer because of his dubious and unethical actions.
She lobbied hard to tell the truth to the citizens, but the county's attorney and new town council members felt it would be better to collect all the facts before distributing inaccurate information. Ultimately, Nana D yielded, not because she wasn't holding up her campaign promises to be honest but to ensure she didn't misspeak. She also threatened her staff with vague notions of torture if they didn't assemble a press release with all the details by the middle of the next week at the cable car reopening.
Nana D stopped by to chat before checking on Bertha, who was nearing the end of her battle with cancer. “The news about her brother-in-law's secrets and Quint's death has taken its toll on the woman. I'm afraid she won't make it until the end of the month, Kellan.”
Nana D and I exchanged sorrowful glances over peppermint tea. I sliced the banana bread she'd brought and handed her a hearty piece. “Bertha didn't deserve a family like those two, but she had a good life. Everyone loves her in spite of all the trouble those two men caused.”
We agreed to visit her together that weekend before she was too sick to recognize us as well as to take responsibility for her funeral plans. “Is Emma doing okay today?” Nana D asked, looking down the hall as my daughter rolled a tennis ball away from Baxter, trying to teach him to fetch.
“She slept in fairly late, then Mom and Dad came by to eat lunch with her. Gabriel was here, even Eleanor and Aunt Deirdre brought a few toys and games. Emma's tough, she'll be okay.”
“When are you going to let her talk to Francesca?” Nana D had never really liked my wife, but she knew not to say anything disparaging, even if I'd agree with the words.
“Her father passed away at the hospital early this morning. Vincenzo's injuries were too invasive. She wants to see Emma as soon as possible, but we have an agreement that I'm hoping she'll stick t
o.” We'd spoken for a few minutes when Francesca called to tell me what had happened to her father and promised to fairly co-parent for the sake of our daughter.
I hadn't told Emma that her nonno had passed away, but once we had details of his funeral service, I'd have another difficult conversation with my daughter that weekend. Francesca was allowed to remain at the hospital overnight with her father. Two cops, hand-selected by Connor and April, had been assigned guard duty outside the room to ensure nothing shady occurred. Francesca was distraught over her father's death, but she had a meeting with her family lawyer, Cristiano and his lawyer, and Wharton County's district attorney that afternoon to discuss next steps. The state of California would ask for extradition for crimes related to faking her death, which meant anything illegal she'd done in Pennsylvania would follow suit. It was too early to tell what would happen, but until any decisions were made, we didn't want to connect her and Emma. For one thing, it was a holiday weekend and no judge would change his schedule to accommodate the situation. For another, Francesca and Cecilia had a funeral to prepare, which might occur while they spent the weekend in prison.
“When does Emma think she'll see her mother again?” Nana D asked while stirring her tea.
“I told her that Nonno was hurt and in the hospital for a few days and that her mommy was taking care of him. I felt bad lying, but I will tell her the truth. Is it wrong to want her to have one happy moment at tomorrow's wedding before crushing her again?”
Nana D wrapped her arms around me and refused to let go. “It's not, brilliant one. You are the only one who knows what's best for her. I'll sit with you two when we get home from the wedding tomorrow night, and we can tell her together.”
“Thanks, Nana D. She loves you so much, it'll be easier if she knows you're doing okay.”
“I'm never gonna die. You've heard me say that ever since you were a small boy. I'm not letting my family get away with an easy life, not while I can live to a hundred-and-twenty and torture them every day,” she replied with a waggish smile, then pulled out her phone to read an incoming text message.
“Urgent mayoral business?”
“Not exactly. It's your Uncle Zachary. He needs to speak with me as soon as possible,” Nana D said, sitting back in the chair.
“Isn't he on a safari in Africa saving the elephants?” My uncle was an amazing veterinarian, but he'd taken off the previous summer while I'd still lived in Los Angeles. He'd been granted a one-year contract to save a rare breed from extinction and had jumped on the opportunity.
“Yep, hold on, let me call him quick,” she replied, pulling up his number and dialing him. “Maybe he's getting married too!”
Uncle Zach had once been married. His wife died during childbirth many years ago. She'd been pregnant with twins, but unfortunately, only one of the babies had survived. My cousin, Ulan, was the boy who lived, and he'd been given that name because it meant first born of twins in Africa. Ulan was currently fifteen years old and had moved with his father to Africa for the school year.
“Zach, is that you? I can barely hear you,” Nana said, then reprimanded him for not returning home for his sister's wedding.
While Nana D released a bunch of monotonous uh huhs and ah hahs, I checked on Emma. She and Baxter had cuddled up on her bed as she read a story about a little dog who'd gotten lost but found a new home. She looked at me and smiled when I poked my head further into her room. My own phone chimed as I shuffled down the hallway. It was a Los Angeles number, but I couldn't be sure who was calling. I hoped it wasn't a news outlet who'd gotten wind of Vincenzo's death and wanted an interview.
“Hello, this is Kellan Ayrwick.”
“Hi, it's Gary Hill from the television network that owns the rights to your show, Dark Reality. I want to have a conversation with you about a few things.”
Dark Reality technically wasn't my show. I'd been an assistant director on the last two episodes of the first season, but once it had been put on hold and the main director was fired, I was out of a job earlier that year. “Good to meet you. I guess you're the new executive producer who assumed control.”
“Yes, that would be me. Do you have a minute to speak?”
“To be honest, it's not really a good time. I have a family emergency and a funeral to attend, but I could catch up in a few days.” If I was about to be let go formally, I'd rather deal with more shocking news at a future date.
“I understand. That's not a problem. Listen, maybe you could fly out to see me next week. I've been doing some research on the show and your background. I've got a proposal for you to consider.”
I guessed I wasn't being fired. “I thought that decision was on hold until early next year?”
“It was, but I move faster than my sluggish predecessors. I've read your files and the proposal you made to that former nimrod director who got canned. I want you back in Hollywood, and if you're up for it, we want to televise your idea to….”
I stopped listening to him at that point. I couldn't believe my ears. I'd just finished saying how being home in Braxton might've been the best decision I'd made all year long. Now, this happened. I agreed to a follow-up call next week and hung up with Gary to let the news settle.
I strolled into the kitchen in a daze, catching the very end of Nana D's phone call with my uncle.
“I'm not able to do that, Zach. If I could, I'd help you out, but I'm hardly at home anymore,” she said to him as she looked up at me. A huge smile overtook her face before she responded again. “Actually, I have another idea in mind. Go ahead, book the flight. We'll make this work.”
Nana D and my uncle talked for a few more minutes while I cleaned up the saucers and cups from our afternoon tea. What had she done to herself now? Nana D slammed her phone on the table and guffawed. “That boy of mine is absentminded and never plans ahead.”
“What did he do now?” I shouted over the running water.
“He accepted an extension on that elephant project, and now he's gonna be in Africa for another year. I love my children to death, but they might actually stop me from reaching my goal of living another fifty years.” Nana D grabbed her shawl from the back of the chair and tapped me on the shoulder.
I didn't like the wicked expression on her face. “I heard you tell him you couldn't do something, then you changed your mind. Spill it. You look like a cat who swallowed a canary.”
“Now that the idea has sunk in, it's actually quite spectacular, brilliant one.” She yanked my arm so I would bend down for her to kiss my cheek. “You won't be able to live here anymore, but we'll find you a new place.”
“Huh?” I'd come to love living in the cottage. Why was she kicking me out? As Nana D walked toward the front door, I turned off the faucet, dried my hands, and raced to the living room. “What did you do?”
“Zach is gonna be too busy to pay attention to his son. He wants Ulan to stay with me for the next year. The schools are fine where he's working, but it's ostensibly not the same.” Nana D pushed open the front door and sauntered onto the porch.
“What does that have to do with me moving out of the cottage?” If someone could lock my nana in a closet for the rest of her life, it would be the biggest blessing I'd ever receive.
“With my duties as the new mayor, I certainly won't have time to babysit Ulan. I'm done with raising kids, especially a hormonal teenager entering manhood. Your Uncle Campbell's still in the Amazon. Deirdre and Timothy will be newlyweds hopping back and forth across the Atlantic. That simply won't do.” She stepped onto the main pathway and walked toward the driveway.
“Yeah, so?” I knew what was coming, but I didn't want to say it.
“Your parents have the room, but honestly, with the way some of your siblings turned out….” She swung open the car door, then spun, her hand cupping her chin and one finger tapping the side of her cheek.
“You. Did. Not.”
“I did. Ulan will live with you for the next year while his father is trying to do somethi
ng positive for the precious elephants. Emma will love having her cousin around. It'll be like an older brother.” Nana D sat in her car, started the engine, and rolled down her window. “I guess you better start looking for a new place. With only two bedrooms, the three of you can't live here comfortably. Maybe Gabriel can take over the cottage now.” Nana D waved at me and sped down the driveway to her next meeting.
I grunted. Twice. And then a third time because I realized I'd stepped in dog poop. “Emma, Baxter is not supposed to be out front unsupervised….”
* * *
On Friday, also Independence Day, we attended the much-anticipated double wedding. Aunt Deirdre asked me to escort her down the aisle since her father had passed away years ago, and her two brothers were out of town. She'd considered asking my father but quickly abandoned the idea. Nana D would be on one side of my aunt, and there was no way she'd share the role with Wesley Ayrwick.
Aunt Deirdre looked stunning in her vintage wedding gown when I met her in the dressing room. In just a few minutes, we'd walk down the path to a covered gazebo at Crilly Lake where she'd marry Timothy Paddington. Meanwhile, Timothy's sister, Jennifer Paddington, wore a beautiful but modern wedding gown that practically disguised her growing belly. Her Uncle Millard would escort her down the same aisle to marry Arthur Terry, Fern's son.
Friends and family of both couples were in attendance. Even my siblings, Penelope and Hampton, had returned for the weekend. Gabriel and his boyfriend, Sam Taft—Jennifer and Timothy's nephew—sat in the front row cheering them on. I saw them holding hands as I accompanied my aunt to the gazebo. On the opposite side of the seating area, Fern waved to me with tears flowing from her eyes. She'd never been so proud of her son and couldn't hold back her excitement about becoming a grandmother soon.
Eleanor had left the diner behind for the day, promoting Manny as her new manager, at least once Maggie, her mostly silent partner in the business, agreed with the change. He'd hold double duty as her chef in the meantime, but I was certain new things would blossom for them in the future. My sister might fight it at first, just as she struggled to deny everything until ultimately yielding to the truth. Perhaps she'd finally give up on my best friend, Connor, who was seated with Maggie in the far back making googly eyes at his date. Honestly, those two were meant for each another all along.
Mistaken Identity Crisis: Death On The Cable Car (Braxton Campus Mysteries Book 4) Page 27