by Diane Bator
“You’re a bitch.” Roger walked out and slammed the door behind him. Two days later, he moved out after telling everyone Lucy had cheated on him then forced him to leave. His word against hers.
She’d called her mom for comfort, but couldn’t bear to mention the baby. When she’d miscarried two weeks later, no one mourned with her. No one was there to hold her and tell her those things happened and it wasn’t her fault. Instead, Lucy and the kids nestled on the couch all afternoon, watched cartoon movies and ate buttery popcorn.
Now Roger wanted to take the kids for an entire week. The kids she’d raised mostly alone and would sacrifice anything for. Part of her feared he’d take the kids away and she’d never see them again. Logically, she knew he’d never keep them. Kids would cramp his new lifestyle. If his parents wanted the kids, he’d do whatever he could to make them happy.
Roger had already ruined her reputation in his parents’ eyes by telling them she was an unfit parent. Fearing the kids were being abused, they’d called the Department of Children and Family Services, which was a waste of time. Despite repeated interviews and visits, DCFS found the house clean, the kids well fed and happy, and their report cards above average. Roger’s parents remained unconvinced.
Parker ran across the playground away from his sister. When he tripped and fell into the sand face first, Gina tumbled over his feet and sprawled across his back. They both sat up laughing and brushing sand off their clothes.
“You guys scare me some days.” She chuckled and shook her head.
Gina ran over, her curly ponytails flying behind her, and threw open her arms. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you, too.” Gina’s hug and a kiss made Lucy’s heart swell and swept the negative feelings back under the mental rug. All doubts about her talent, her abilities as a parent, and her humanity would creep out again later that night along with her anger at Roger and a zillion questions about finding the jewelry in the suitcase.
“I’m hungry. Can we have lunch soon?” Parker ran over. He wasn’t even a teenager yet and she was amazed by how much he’d both eaten and grown since school let out.
“Another growth spurt?” She groaned and closed her scribbler. “You’re always hungry. Get your brother and we’ll go home.”
“I want hamburgers. Can’t we go to a restaurant?” Gina whipped her head back and forth so her hair slapped her face. “We used to go to restaurants before Daddy moved.”
“Mom has no money. Just Dad does because he’s the man.” Shawn didn’t look impressed to be unearthed from his hole. “Besides, I want tacos.”
“Hm.” Lucy let Shawn’s scorn wash over her. “Maybe we could have hot dogs for lunch and tacos for dinner.”
Shawn stuck out his lip in an exaggerated pout. “Of course. We never do what I want.”
Lucy brushed her hair back. “I didn’t say no, I just said—”
Parker changed the subject. “Can we set up the waterslide after lunch? I mean, we’d rather go swimming, but the pool broke and—”
“Fine, we’ll set up the waterslide after lunch.” There was no way she could sit and write with water flying around. She’d be better off gardening.
“Cool.” Shawn picked up his bike and rode around the playground.
As Lucy packed up her things, she noticed the blue car parked up the street from the playground. She swallowed hard and rode past the car, holding her breath in case anyone jumped out to accost them. Not that the police would listen anyway. When they neared the blue car, Lucy realized there was no one inside and sighed in relief.
While the kids washed up for lunch, Lucy moved aside the mounds of kids clothes then used latex gloves to pick up the small bags. She wrote the names from the business cards into a fresh notebook and tucked everything back into the shaving kit she wrapped with a larger plastic bag. She’d never be able to sleep with the jewelry still in the bedroom, but shoved the bag beneath the bed for now. Once the kids were asleep, she could find a better hiding place.
Four months ago, she wouldn’t have been so suspicious. Now she didn’t know what Roger had done or was capable of doing and itched to check out the names on the business cards. There was no point calling in the police until she had a real concern. Roger could easily explain the jewelry away as an inheritance or investment, but there was no way he’d forget them.
When he needed them, he’d be back. It was just a matter of time.
Chapter 7 ~ Danny
Danny was glad he’d brought his laptop to do surveillance that morning. He read the latest emails from Bobby while waiting for Lucy and her kids hung out at the playground. After about an hour of studying crime scene photos and reading interviews, he took a walk around the block to work the cramps out of his legs. Lucy and the kids were gone by the time he returned to the car.
He groaned and called Clancy. When he got no answer, he left several messages for the fun of it then drove around the block. He strode up the sidewalk to pound on the front door.
Clancy opened the door several minutes later and waved him in. “Knock it off. You’ll wake the whole neighborhood.”
“It’s nine o’clock in the morning.” Danny frowned. “Where’ve you been?”
“Asleep.” He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and led Danny through the dusty livingroom into the dingy yellow kitchen. “I sat at the hospital half the night with my mom so my dad could take a break. I fell asleep in the chair beside her and got home at five.”
“I thought she was getting out this week?” Danny asked.
Clancy grabbed the coffee carafe and filled it with water. “She was supposed to. Her blood counts were down again and she’s not eating, which means no more chemo until she eats and her blood counts stabilize.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Danny grabbed a questionable banana off the counter. “You didn’t miss much here. Your parents live on the most boring street in the country. I left right after you did last night.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t let yourself in and make a pot of coffee before I got up.” He filled the reservoir and started the coffee maker. “You know where the key is.”
Danny grimaced, saddened by the inside of Clancy’s parents’ home, which seemed as neglected as his own house, except the farmhouse sat empty for three years. “Lucy would’ve called the cops again. She and the kids were already biking when I pulled up. She gave me dirty looks when they were on their way to the playground earlier so I gave them lots of space.”
Clancy peered out the window. “They’re coming around the corner. She looks peeved.”
“She probably spotted the car. At least I’m not there or she’d probably stop and lecture me.” Danny studied the dark circles under Clancy’s eyes and took pity. “How’s your dad?”
“In denial.” He started the coffee maker then guzzled two large glasses of water. “He was supposed to come home to shower and catch some sleep last night. Instead, he went to sit in some coffee shop then woke me up at five and sent me home. He said he tried to call my sister, but got no answer. I finally tracked her down when I got home. Dad wants her to come run the bakery until Mom gets better and she’s not happy.”
“Is she a baker?”
Clancy shrugged. “I don’t know what she does now. She hung up before I could ask. She used to be as good a baker as my mom.”
Danny sat at the kitchen table and rested his feet on the nearest chair. “I was thinking it might be time for you to make contact with Lucy.”
“What gives?” Clancy rubbed his eyes then leaned back on the counter. “Last week you wanted me to observe and keep all contact to a minimum. What should I do, let her knock me around the next time I tick her off?”
“Just get to know her a little.” The coffee smelled good, waiting was torture. He’d have to be patient a few minutes longer. “Sympathize with the woman. Talk to her like a normal neighbor. Flirt a little if you have to.”
Clancy snorted. “Dude, you have no idea how hard that is. She can be
a nasty little thing.”
Danny burst into laughter. “You’re twice her size and a tattoo artist. You’ve dealt with tough customers before. You don’t have to date her. Think of her as a client you need information from.”
“Fine, I’ll work on Mitch first. He’s known she and Roger since they moved here.” Clancy hesitated, his gaze on the chipped linoleum flooring. “Lucy probably won’t going to come anywhere near me.”
The instant the coffee maker stopped, Danny poured a cup of coffee and checked the milk in the fridge. Iffy. He added powdered creamer to be on the safe side. “Then I guess you’ll have to buy some charm and learn how to flirt a little so we can find out more about her.”
“Gee. Thanks for your support.” Clancy scowled. “What else do you need me to find out? Dress size? How she takes her coffee?”
He tightened his jaw. “We’ve been hired to do a job so we need some inside information. I need you to not only observe, but to do some leg work and find out more about Lucy. I’ve dug everywhere I can, but it seems like she’s never done anything wrong. Everyone I’ve talked to thinks she’s perfect—except Roger and his parents.”
Clancy sat back and scowled. “So you want to pimp me out.”
Danny gagged on his coffee. “I don’t want you to sleep with her, just get information about who she is and what she’s been doing since she moved here. According to Roger, she’s put him through hell and we need to uncover the truth and get solid evidence before they go to court to fight for custody.”
“About that.” Clancy hesitated, his gaze returning to the floor. “I haven’t seen any men hanging around her house since we started surveillance, have you?”
“No.” Danny struggled with the same thought. “That doesn’t mean I believe she hasn’t done anything. All I have is the word of her husband.”
“And his money. I seriously think we should check him out, especially after what I saw of Lucy and her kids at their house.” Clancy sipped his coffee. “Did you hear his secretary was murdered?”
“I heard.” Danny studied the peeling wallpaper, yellow and brown flowers that were fashionable only for a week in the seventies. Clancy’s parents had been too busy lately to bother with redecorating. “I don’t believe this case is a total dead end, but Roger Stephen’s a paying customer. Whatever digging we do concerning him, needs to be discreet that’s why Leo’s on it. Until I hear from him, I’ll keep an eye on things here. Not that I expect much to happen .”
Clancy blew out a long breath. “Why don’t you go work on the house for a while? I got someone to cover my appointments for today in case Dad needs help so I’ll be around anyway. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”
Danny took the mug and peered out the front door, glad Lucy and the kids were nowhere in sight. “Maybe that’s what I need to figure things out. I need to step back and do something with my hands.”
Clancy glanced around the neglected kitchen and grease splattered walls. “Same here. It’s sad, isn’t it? Mom’s the only one keeping things from falling apart. The house and my family.”
“Tell your folks I said hi.” He clapped a hand to Clancy’s shoulder. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Danny left town and drove down the winding roads to his house, hoping to see more than a sagging porch, dirty windows and an over-grown yard. Katie was right. The place was a money pit and he was going to go broke simply trying to make a single room livable. He scowled at the peeling paint on the cracks in the scroll trim and the wasp nest that grew daily despite his many attempts to eradicate it. Maybe he should line the basement with dynamite and blow it up.
Then he stepped out of the car and caught a whiff of the wildflowers in the overgrown field. As he walked toward the house, his vision came back into focus and he imagined what drew him to the property in the first place—potential. Not a plan to renovate and resell the place for a small fortune, but the promise of the home his house and land could become. He pictured a dogs running around barking. Katie on a white swing on the front porch sipping iced tea. Their kids playing in the grass, just as Lucy did with her kids.
He frowned and shut thoughts of the Stephen family out of his head. He couldn’t allow sympathy for her since she was the cheating spouse he was investigating, yet the whole case made no sense. Clancy was right. Maybe working on his house for a while would help give him some clarity.
His tool belt, a gift from his brother-in-law, hung low on his hips and jingled with nails while he walked through the house toward his latest project. Built-in bookshelves to make Katie swoon. While they’d only known each other for a month, he was convinced she’d been thrust into his life for a life changing reason.
Danny picked up his hammer. Despite the house draining his bank account and aging him exponentially, doing repairs also gave him something to take his mind off everything else. Before he even picked up the first piece of board, his phone rang.
Roger Stephen’s name appeared on the call display. “How’s the case going? Have you caught her in the act yet?”
“Nope. Actually, things are pretty quiet.” A shudder slithered down Danny’s spine.
“That’s not like her.” Roger groaned. “She must be onto you. I thought you guys were good at this stuff. What have you got on her so far?”
“Nothing much.” Danny let the insult go. “I’ll send you my report on the weekend.”
“That’s actually why I called.” A door closed at Roger’s end. The only sound left was his voice. “I plan to pick up the kids Sunday and take them away for a week, which should give you sufficient time to get enough evidence. I want photos, videos, whatever you can get to prove she’s an unfit parent.”
The back of Danny’s neck prickled as he set the hammer down. “Will I be able to reach you in case something comes up?”
“Cell reception’s sporadic at the cottage, but there is a landline.” Roger rattled off a phone number Danny scribbled on a piece of scrap wood. “We’ll be there for a week. Make sure you call the second you have proof so I can call my lawyer to file the paperwork. I won’t bring the kids back if you find something incriminating. Everything is ready to go. I just need the actual evidence.”
Roger seemed in an awful hurry to have the detectives discover something , Danny wondered if he was taking the kids on vacation because he wanted to or if he planned to set Lucy up for a fall. Danny was willing to bet on the latter. Either way, Roger Stephen had given Danny one more reason to investigate him rather than Lucy.
Chapter 8 ~ Lucy
Lucy lit the gas barbecue she’d originally hoped Roger would take with him to give her more room on the deck. Once she’d discovered how easy it was to use, however, she was glad he’d left it behind. With the sultry weather she enjoyed standing in the shade to cook dinner and had even adapted to cooking Shawn’s weekly tacos on the side burner.
Parker dragged the sheet of plastic they used for their water slide around the corner of the house. His siblings trailed close behind like kittens. All three kids had grown not only taller but wise beyond their years. Lucy frowned. It wasn’t fair for kids to worry about custody or alimony, yet Parker and Gina fretted as much as she did.
She shook her head when Shawn ran past into the house, presumably for towels. He’d gained couple inches around his waist since school let out, which generally meant a growth spurt loomed on the horizon. She’d have to ask Roger for extra money for new clothes.
“Dad’s on the phone.” Shawn handed her the receiver then ran off to play.
She stared at the phone, surprised she hadn’t heard ringing. Drawing in a deep breath, she braced herself for another battle.
“What do you want this time?” Roger spat, his voice laced with venom. “If you called to nag me for more money again, you can forget it.”
She paused and blinked several times. “What are you talking about? You called me.”
“Shawn said you wanted to talk.”
“I see.” Her heart san
k when Shawn slid down the plastic sheet on his pudgy belly.
Roger groaned and she pictured him running his hand through his once thinning hair, thicker now that he’d spent part of her alimony on hair plugs. He sounded almost triumphant. “You didn’t tell him to call, did you?”
“No, I didn’t.” She laid the hot dogs on the grill. “I’m cooking lunch since we just got back from the park.”
“I’ll talk to him.” He hesitated. “I’m still picking them up Sunday morning, right?”
“Yes, Sunday morning. You do know that’s tomorrow, right?” She choked on her words while the tears welled in her eyes, making it hard to speak.
“Yes, Lucy, I know that’s tomorrow. I’m not an idiot.” Her ex-husband spoke slowly as if to reinforce his position. She guessed he had an audience or he’d have yelled rather than talking to her like she was a three-year-old. “You know I can’t take any of them. My condo’s too small for one kid, let alone three. We’ll go to the cottage for the week.”
His parents’ three thousand-square-foot cottage near Lake Erie was much more child-friendly than his two thousand-square-foot condo. Every summer since they’d moved to Packham they’d spent time as a family at the cottage, swatting bugs, fishing and playing in the water. This year marked the first summer she wouldn’t join them. Tanji, would have to slather them all with bug spray and sun block. She smiled and hoped Tanji was afraid of both bugs and getting her hands dirty.
Other than playing with the kids and hanging out by the lake, Lucy wouldn’t really miss the trip. “I have the phone number. Make sure they call me, okay? By the way, I’m still waiting for child support. I have to get some groceries and bigger clothes for the boys.”
“Tomorrow.” He never even said goodbye.