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Scott straightened. „Ramey never went to jail. He’s either reoffended or he’s dead.“

Zoe slid out of the van and tugged at her skirt. „Well, let’s go find out which.“

Thursday, February 19,

6:30 P.M.

„Kristen, so good to see you.“ Vincent pulled a brown bag from behind the counter. „You’re order’s ready.“ Vincent had worked for Owen for as long as she’d been coming to the diner. A sweet, unassuming man. Everybody loved Vincent.

A loud crash had them both wincing. „Another new cook?“ Kristen asked.

Vincent sighed. „I give this one two days. Tops.“

Owen had hired so many cooks in the last month, Kristen stopped trying to remember their names. „Any news from Timothy?“

„Nope. Wish his grandma would get better, though. Owen’s been fit to be tied lately, dealing with all those new fry cooks.“

„Maybe we could get Timothy some help for his grandma and he could come back.“

Vincent shrugged. „We asked, but Owen says Timothy doesn’t want the help. You know how Tim is about accepting help anyway.“

Kristen nodded. „I know.“ A highly functional adult with Down’s syndrome, Timothy had a great deal of pride and independence. She could see him refusing Owen’s help.

„You know what?“ Owen came out of the back, drying his hands on the towel he kept tied around his thickening middle. He was solid and dependable and he made a hell of a chicken potpie. A smile creased his face when he saw her. „I missed you at lunch today.“

She made a face. „Peanut butter crackers.“

He scowled. „You’ll get sick if you don’t eat right.“

She crossed her heart. „I promise. I called in a take-out order.“

Owen scanned the order slip. „Three fried chickens and three chicken potpies?“

Kristen licked her lips. „Plus potatoes and gravy.“

„It’s all here. What’s going on tonight?“ Owen gathered the bag in his arms and started for the front door.

„Meeting. I offered to bring dinner.“ She held open the door and shivered while Owen stood in his shirtsleeves with hardly a tremble for the cold, looking around with a frown.

„My car.“ She pointed to the rental and his face changed to a beaming smile.

„You finally listened to me and got rid of that old thing.“

„It was not old. It was just well used.“ She opened the rear passenger door and he put the bag on the seat.

„It was a bucket of bolts that Vincent prayed for daily. We worried about you driving around at night in that rust heap.“

„This is just a rental. Mine’s in the shop.“ Kristen bit her lip over the little white lie.

The scowl returned. „Bucket of bolts, Kristen. It’s going to leave you stranded on the side of the road some night and…“ He shook his head, disgusted. „Stubborn girl.“

„With no monthly car payment. Go in out of the cold, Owen. You’ll get sick.“

Chapter Seven

Thursday, February 19,

7:00 p.m.

„Where’s Spinnelli?“ Mia tossed her jacket onto a chair at the same table they’d used the night before. Abe saw that someone had set up a whiteboard for their use as they cataloged evidence. A young woman in a white lab coat already sat at the table, and Jack’s coat hung on the back of the chair next to her although Jack was nowhere to be seen. The woman rose and extended her hand.

„I’m Julia VanderBeck,“ she said as she shook his hand. „I’m the ME.“

She was thirty-five or so with wide brown eyes and hair the color of coffee with heavy cream. She was pretty, he thought. He should be interested, he thought But all he could think about was ivory skin and green eyes and wild, curling hair.

„I’m Abe Reagan,“ he said. „Do you have all five bodies in your office?“

„Yes, I do, but if you don’t mind, let’s wait until everyone gets here so I don’t have to say it twice.“ The request was made politely, but wearily.

Mia dropped into her chair. „Where’s Spinnelli?“ she repeated. „And Jack?“

„We’re here,“ Spinnelli said, coming through the door, holding a casserole dish. „We have a visitor.“ His eyes were amused.

„Who’s welcome anytime,“ Jack added, his arms laden with Tupperware bowls.

Abe recognized the dishes and bowls even before he heard his mother’s voice, before she bustled into the room.

„Abe!“ She pulled his head down for a loud smacking kiss on his cheek and ignoring the grins of his co-workers, he let her do it.

„Mom.“ She smiled up at him, so happily that he didn’t have the heart to tell her she shouldn’t have. He smiled back. He’d wondered when she was going to show up. Sean said their father had told her not to come, but Becca Reagan generally followed her own mind. „What have you done?“

„Now don’t you be telling me I shouldn’t have,“ she clucked. „I called your Lieutenant Spinnelli to get your telephone extension and he kindly informed me that you all would be working late tonight so that I wouldn’t worry.“

Spinnelli lifted the cover from the casserole dish and Abe could smell his mother’s cabbage casserole from across the room. It was one of his favorites.

Spinnelli took a deep breath of appreciation. „Your mother offered to bring supper.“ He grinned. „How could I refuse?“

Abe leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek. „Thanks, Mom.“ Her cheeks blushed, and he thought she looked as beautiful today as she had when he was a first-grader and she’d arrived at school with chocolate cupcakes on his birthday. „This is so sweet of you.“

„Sweet, my eye.“ She swept away to retrieve paper plates and plastic cutlery from the enormous handbag she was never without. „Couldn’t let you go hungry, now could I?“

Mia was leaning over the dish, sniffing. „Does it have meat?“

His mother looked affronted, then concerned. „Of course it does. You’re not a vegetarian are you, dear?“

Mia laughed. „No, ma’am. I’m Detective Mia Mitchell, Abe’s new partner.“

His mother looked even more worried. „You’re his partner?“

Mia chuckled, apparently taking no offense. „Don’t worry. He’s safe with me.“

Spinnelli nodded his reassurance. „Mia takes care of her own.“

Still doubtful, she moved to the door. „Well, then, I’ll leave you to your meeting, now.“

Abe watched Mia heaping casserole on a dangerously full paper plate and growling at Jack, who backed away, hands held up in surrender. „I’ll walk you downstairs, Mom.“

His mother waited until she got to the bottom of the stairs. „So who was the other one, the one with the white coat?“

„She’s the medical examiner.“ Abe had to chuckle at the look on his mother’s face. „I’m sure she washed her hands before she left the morgue.“

„Oh, my.“ She shrugged. „Well, I suppose someone has to do it. So what about your new partner?“ She looked up at him through her lashes. „She’s cute.“

Abe laughed. „Cut it out, Mom. You don’t want her thinking about me that way. She’ll get all befuddled and won’t be watching for the bad guys.“

His mom grinned. „You’ve got a point there. You’ll bring back all the dishes?“

„On Sunday when I come for ham, if not sooner.“

„Ah, you’ve talked to Sean.“ Her smile dimmed. „Then you know.“

He knew. He’d managed to push it to the back of his mind, but the thought had nagged him all day. Now the thought of seeing Jim and Sharon slid to the front of his mind and his stomach twisted. He and Debra’s parents had never been on friendly terms, but their relationship had deteriorated to litigiously hostile by the end of his wife’s life. He squeezed his mom’s arm. „Don’t worry. I promise I won’t ruin the christening for Sean and Ruth.“