Wild Blue Mysteries Boxed Set

by Diane Bator

  Lucy never should have let him get so close, not with the kids around. Not only had he unnerved her, he’d overstepped her personal boundaries and she’d let him. She blew out a sigh and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Whatever happened, she refused to let him get so close to her again. Not so much for her sake, but for her kids. When the patio door opened behind her, she pulled her gaze away from the inky sky.

  Parker shuffled across the deck and sat on the step beside her. He placed a sweaty hand on her shoulder and released a sigh much larger than any ten year old should carry. “I wish I had a million dollars.”

  She took his hand in hers. “Oh yeah? What would you do with a million dollars?”

  “Pay for our house and buy a car.” He leaned against the wooden post and stared at the stars. “And I’d buy all the stuff we need too. You know, clothes and food and video games.”

  “You would?” Lucy drew in a steadying breath. He must have overheard her talk to her mom about her struggle to keep their bills paid and a roof over their heads since Roger wasn’t paying the mortgage. She’d wallowed in grief far too long already and needed to make some serious plans. “And where would we get a million dollars?”

  Parker gave a soft hum. “You could sell your book.”

  “I’m trying, hon, but it’s not easy.” She managed a weak smile. “First I have to find an agent or a publisher who loves it as much as I do. Even then, you don’t get a million dollars for a book unless you’re famous or it’s a really amazing book.”

  “Oh. Did you already send it to some agents or publishers?”

  “Yes, lots of people.” Lucy tried to keep the frustration out of her voice and blinked back hot tears. “Different people like different things. Sometimes they’re not looking for books like mine.”

  “Oh.” Parker’s voice faded off into the night. “Dad says it’s because you’re not a very good writer, but I know that’s a lie.”

  Lucy didn’t want to ruin the moment since Parker rarely told her what was on his mind anymore. She hoped that had more to do with him nearing his teens than him writing her off like Shawn had. All three kids had every right to be angry.

  “Why doesn’t Dad love us anymore?” Parker’s question broadsided her.

  Emotion clenched like a tight fist around her chest until she could hardly breathe. She didn’t have a witty comeback to break the tension. Actually, she wasn’t so sure she had any response at all. Instead of being a mere mess, she’d become a train wreck.

  “Dad used to love us.” He picked at a scab on his arm. “He used to come home and do stuff with us. Now he never comes to see us unless he wants something.”

  “I know.” Her voice crackled with emotion.

  “I don’t want to go to the cottage without you. Dad gets so angry when we’re with him.” Parker scooted closer and laid his head on her shoulder. “I’m gonna miss you, Mom.”

  “I’ll miss you too, bud.” She gave him a hug, convinced he was simply being dramatic. “You’ll be with Nana and Papa at the cottage and get to play in the waves. You'll have fun.”

  “But you won’t be there.” His tired whine reminded her he was only ten.

  “No, I won’t.” She wrapped both arms around him. “That means you’ll have to help Dad look after your brother and sister for me.”

  “We’ll call you every night.” Parker snuggled in close.

  “I’d like that.” She whispered.

  They sat with their arms around each other and watched the stars for a few minutes longer before Lucy followed him to his room, selfishly hoping Shawn was sound asleep. He’d broken her heart so many times today alone pieces must be missing. Once Parker was on the upper bunk well on his way to sleep, she soaked in the bathtub and cried until she had nothing left inside then collapsed into bed.

  Hours later, Lucy rolled over with her nightgown soaked with sweat. The night air was humid and sleep eluded her. Rather than wasting the hours, she got up to check on the kids. She wandered down the hallway in the dark, something she’d become obsessive about since Roger left. She had to be sure they were still there. If she didn’t check at least twice a night, she awoke with nightmares.

  Parker’s blankets lay in a heap on the floor. He sprawled out beneath his ceiling fan, his hair damp. On the lower bunk, Shawn slept surrounded by a moat of stuffed animals. Sweat trickled down his cherubic cheeks in steady streams she mistook for tears. She brushed back his dark curls with one hand. How could someone so small and handsome break her heart without a second thought?

  She moved through the dark house like a ghost. Gina’s fan was turned off and her room stuffy and hot, making her hair was a damp rat’s nest that cradled her angelic face. A small smile graced her lips. This was one of the few times Lucy wished she knew what went on in her children’s heads. Usually, she was happy to be blissfully unaware of what went on in their minds for her own sanity.

  Lucy stood in front of Gina’s bedroom window and rolled her head from side-to-side to work out the kinks in her neck before she opened the window. As she reached up to close the curtains, a dark figure crept across Mitch’s backyard. She stepped closer for a better look. The figure carried something in one hand. A shovel.

  Intrigued, Lucy ran for the stairs. Her feet slid down a few steps, but she regained her balance then ran out the patio door and into the night. She paused then crept across the dew-laden grass, her heart hammering. “Who’s out here?”

  When the figure in the next yard let out a startled grunt then ran toward the street, Lucy did the same. The gate rattled on the far side of Mitch and April’s house.

  Lucy ran to her gate and listened for other signs of life. She took a deep breath and threw the gate open wide, but there was no one in her front yard. No one on the street at all.

  She sighed and slouched her shoulders. There was no way she’d get back to sleep now, not with her imagination went in overdrive. At least she had the intense emotions she could capture on paper.

  Chapter 11 ~ Danny

  Stuck in the Honda on a Sunday morning with nothing better to do, Danny scratched freckles of white paint off his hands. He smelled like a bouquet of wildflowers courtesy of the liquid fabric softener he’d used to strip the faded wallpaper. His shoulders ached and he still had rooms lined with wall paper to strip from his house and ceilings to. Maybe he could talk someone into helping.

  Roger Stephen was due to pick up his kids at some point in the day. Danny wanted to witness the exchange. Part of him wondered if Roger had exaggerated Lucy’s temper. So far, he hadn’t seen any volatile behavior aside from her confrontation with Clancy. Another part of him wanted to see how Roger and Lucy interacted face to face. His camera sat on the seat beside him, ready for action.

  Clancy’s face appeared in various windows of his house all morning until he finally phoned around one o’clock. “Did you see anything yet?”

  “Nothing.” Danny frowned. “Maybe he’s running late.”

  “Um.” Clancy hesitated. “Did you see I had a visitor this morning? Lucy’s son, Parker went to check the mail. On his way back from the super box, he stopped to ask if he could help me work on the truck sometime. Not that he’ll actually ask Lucy though since she hates the beast, but he did tell me something interesting. Apparently when Roger left Lucy, he moved in with someone named Cynthia. When he broke up with her, he moved in with a Michelle. Now he lives with a new girlfriend Tanji.”

  “Interesting.” Danny scribbled the women’s names on a sheet of paper, the same first names as the murdered women listed on the reports Bobby had sent. “Busy boy. Either he’s enjoying his freedom or doesn’t want to be alone.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Clancy chuckled. “I have to head to the hospital to check in with my mom and dad. Let me know when he gets here.”

  “I’ll do that.” Danny left Leo a voice message then rifled through the papers to make sure the names matched up before he texted Bobby.

  By two o’clock, Danny strugg
led to keep his eyes open in the heat. Still no sign of Roger, Lucy or the kids, nor any calls from Bobby or Leo. When the passenger door opened, he jumped and hit his head on the doorframe then sucked in a sharp breath. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Catching you sleeping on the job by the looks of things.” Leo moved the pile of papers aside and crawled into the front seat. “Whoa. Chill dude. I’m not here to hurt you, I just got your message. What am I missing out on?”

  “Nothing.” Danny worked a kink out of his neck. “Roger was always prompt when I met with him. He was supposed to get the kids hours ago, but hasn’t shown up yet, which is odd.”

  “That you saw, anyway. You were asleep. He could have come and gone and you never would’ve known.” Leo grinned and sat back. “Just kidding. Clancy texted me. Lucy and the kids are in the backyard. He hasn’t seen Roger yet either.”

  “Great. Take over for a few minutes so I can stretch my legs.” Danny yawned. “I need to get out of this fish bowl before I snap.”

  Leo nodded. “I could do that. Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to bang on Clancy’s door and get him to make me a pot of coffee.” Danny left the sweltering heat of the Honda for the shade of Clancy’s front porch and rang the bell. No answer. He walked around the house and peered into windows. No sign of life, just an empty beer bottle on the counter near the coffeemaker. Finally, he returned to the car.

  “He’s not home? You sure he didn’t go to the hospital?” Leo raised his eyebrows.

  Danny frowned. “He did say he had to go out, but I didn’t see him leave. I must have missed him.”

  “Cynthia, Michelle, and Tanji. You checking out dating sites?” Leo picked up the sheet of paper Danny had scribbled on earlier.

  He climbed back into the driver’s seat. “Lucy’s son talked to Clancy earlier. They’re the names of all the women Roger’s dated since he moved out. I don’t think it’s a coincidence they share the same names as the murder victims.”

  “Lucy keeps looking out the upstairs window.” Leo ducked. “Any idea who the last name on the list is? I don’t remember a Tanji on Bobby’s victim list.”

  “His current girlfriend.” Things weren’t going the way he expected. Roger should have picked up his kids hours ago. Lucy should be doing more crazy things and ready to party without the kids. Danny shifted to get comfortable. “Is it a full moon or something?”

  Leo grabbed the laptop off the backseat. “How would I know that?”

  “Because you know everything and people act weird during a full moon.” He let out a sigh. “Nothing’s going right today. You know, I have a thousand better ways to waste my day. I could be at the house painting walls and putting in a new kitchen. I’m tired of sitting here waiting for nothing to happen.”

  “Me too. We should be looking for evidence for Bobby, not hanging out in your portable tin sauna.” Leo opened the window. “By the way, the people I hang out with act weird all the time. Present company included.”

  Danny scowled. “Gee, thanks.”

  “Dude, I’m just saying.” He held up both hands. “There aren’t a lot of sane people who go around chasing raccoons and writers.” He sat upright when a car pulled in front of them. “Who’s that?”

  Katie stepped out of the driver’s side and handed a bag and two paper cups through Danny’s open window. “I thought you guys might like a drink.”

  Leo grinned. “Green tea. You’re the best, babe.”

  She smiled. “Nothing’s too good for Packham’s bravest detectives.”

  “How did you know where we were?” Danny handed Leo his tea and set the bag between them.

  Katie shrugged. “I talked to Leo earlier.”

  Danny narrowed his eyes and snorted. “I thought you were a man of secrets?”

  “My secrets, Bro, not yours.” Leo took the bag out of his cup.

  “I won’t stay and blow your cover.” Katie waved to someone in the window the blue house across the sidewalk then shook her head and laughed. “The guy who lives there is in my writing group. He called to ask why you’re parked in front of his house and was afraid you’re up to no good. Actually, I think he’s more afraid of Leo than you.”

  “Oh yeah?” When Leo turned to wave, a curtain shut. He chuckled.

  Katie rolled her eyes. “Are you guys going to be here long? Hannah invited me for dinner and she said I could bring you both along if I found you.”

  Danny shrugged and opened his coffee. “We’re waiting for someone to show up, but he’s already a few hours late.”

  “What makes you think he’s going to show?”

  “He’s supposed to pick something up.” Danny remained cryptic.

  Leo dropped his head back against the seat. “Why don’t you just tell her the truth so she’ll leave?”

  “Thanks, Leo. I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Katie leaned against the car. “Yeah, Danny. Why don’t you just tell me the truth so I can leave?”

  He frowned and wished they’d both leave. “We’re watching a woman whose husband is supposed to come to pick up his kids. We’re hoping once the kids are gone we’ll see what she’s really up to and will be able to close the case.”

  “Who is she?” Katie asked.

  “I’ll tell you later.” Danny sipped his coffee, grateful for the dose of caffeine and sugar. “For now, will you please go home before the guy shows up?”

  Wistful hope replaced the hurt on her face. “You promise to call me later?”

  “He promises.” Leo waved. “Bye-bye, Katie.”

  She scowled. “Bye-bye, Leo.”

  Danny rubbed his jaw and wished Roger would hurry. Hannah had a set menu she followed religiously each week. Tonight there’d be grilled salmon for dinner. His stomach rumbled as he opened the bag Katie brought. Two thick, roast beef sandwiches and warm cookies. They’d do for now.

  “Smells good.” Leo grabbed one of each then opened the door. “I dunno about you, but I’m gonna track down Clancy then I’ve got some surfing to do. You want me to work on those names and get a little background info on the vics?”

  “Sure.” Danny opened the wrapper on his sandwich and caught a whiff of horseradish His eyes watered. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to know how he knew them and when. Maybe it’s nothing, but it won’t hurt to check.”

  While Leo ran across the road, to Clancy’s house the numbers on the dashboard clock changed to two-thirty. Still no sign of Roger.

  Leo slid into the car and shoved part of the sandwich into his mouth. “Clancy just texted me. He’s at the hospital with his parents. What now?”

  Danny frowned. “I don’t know. I told Clancy not to get close to Lucy, but considering this case is going nowhere, him making contact might not be a bad idea. Any other suggestions?”

  Leo grinned. “I might have one or two.”

  Chapter 12 ~ Lucy

  Times of crisis call for coffee, at least that was Lucy’s motto. After drinking an entire pot of java that morning, she skittered around like a nervous ladybug with a stomach ache. Her emotions a thin, taut web keeping her one nasty look away from a nervous breakdown.

  The house couldn’t be cleaner if she scrubbed the finish off every piece of furniture. The kids were packed and bathed. The laundry washed, folded, and put away. The cupboards reorganized and cleaned. She’d checked the packet of jewelry in her desk drawer no less than four times and moved it twice simply knowing the items were in her possession her nervous.

  The thought of seeing Roger for even a few minutes agitated her. What if he remembered where he’d hidden the jewels and retrieving them was part of his motivation for taking the kids? The caffeine sent her over the edge and her imagination ran rampant. She’d convinced herself days ago Roger would say or do something to ruin the entire week. Instead, her anxiety was ruining her last day with the kids.

  Shawn planted himself on the front porch step right after breakfast. Beside him stood his trusty Spiderman suitcase crowned b
y his favorite pillow from Nana and Papa. His chunky arms wrapped around Mojo, the stuffed dog Roger gave him last Christmas. Lucy guessed one of his girlfriends had picked it out. If Roger had actually paid attention, he’d know Shawn preferred lions. Since Mojo came from his dad, Shawn was content to pretend the stuffed dog was a lion in disguise.

  Lucy let Shawn sit outside in silence for nearly an hour before she dared approach him. Roger had a bad habit of arriving late or not at all. She sat next to Shawn and cradled her cup of coffee for courage, stomach churning from nerves and caffeine. “Have you got everything you’ll need, honey?”

  “Yup.” Shawn stuck his lower lip out and squeezed Mojo tighter.

  She stared into her mug of coffee and cream. “You know he might not come until after lunch, right?”

  “He said he’d come early and take us out for lunch.” Shawn’s voice was low and flat. Each time Roger was late; he was convinced Lucy told him not to come. He blamed her for everything that went wrong. “Dad won’t let me down.”

  Lucy’s eyes welled with tears she blinked away before they could escape. Her coffee was hard to swallow past the lump in her throat. She couldn’t sit beside him any longer without bursting into tears. “I’m going to fold some laundry. Do you want anything?”

  “Nope.” His expression remained stoic while he stared straight ahead.

  “Why don’t I call Daddy and see what’s going on? Maybe he had a last minute meeting he couldn’t get out of.” Finally a glance and a nod from her son.

  Lucy retreated to the kitchen. She cradled the receiver against her ear with her shoulder and dialled Roger’s number, written in bold numbers so the kids could call him whenever they wanted. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make him return their calls.

  Parker poked his head in the patio door. “If you’re calling Dad, he already phoned while you were in the shower. He’ll be here after lunch.”

  “Okay.” Her heart sank as she hung up. “Did you tell Shawn yet?”