Becca handed the baby to Ruth. „I’ll go see. Abe, I fixed you a plate. Microwave it.“
Abe snorted. „Hell, I’m eating the leftover pie before Aidan knows it’s here.“
Ruth shooed him. „Then eat it in the dining room. I want to talk to Kristen. Coffee?“
Kristen shook her head. „No thank you.“
„Then sit, please.“ Ruth gestured to the table and Kristen sat. „Becca told me you were here tonight. We were afraid you might not come back.“
Kristen frowned. „Why?“
„Well, you seemed so hurt when you left last night. You were trying not to be, but we could tell you were.“
Last night. Last night she’d been with Reagan. Kissing Reagan. Before that she’d been attacked in her own bedroom by an assailant with a gun. But before that – „Oh. The thing about Debra. I’m sorry. I was hurt, a little. But after Abe took me home…“ She hesitated. „Someone broke into my house and threatened me. Abe chased them away.“
Ruth went still. „The same men that pulled you out of your car Friday night?“
„Probably not.“ They all suspected Jacob Conti, but there was no proof. Nothing but the skin Jack had scraped from her fingernails, but without a suspect to compare, the evidence meant very little. Kristen shrugged. „I’m okay, really. Just shaken up.“
„Abe stayed with you last night, right? He didn’t leave you alone.“
Kristen fought hard to keep her cheeks from flushing, but by the light in Ruth’s eyes knew she’d failed. „No,“ she said, striving for some dignity. „He didn’t leave me alone.“
Ruth reached across the table and covered her hand. „Good. I mean it, Kristen. Abe’s been alone for so long. He’s a good man. He deserves someone who will make him happy.“
Kristen couldn’t stand the warm look in Ruth’s eyes. She made Abe happy now, she knew. But it wouldn’t last „I don’t want you all to get your hopes up, Ruth. Abe is watching out for me because of this whole… thing.“ She gestured aimlessly with one hand. „Media, killers, men with guns. I don’t expect him to stick around when it’s all over.“
Ruth sighed. „This is your business, Kristen. Yours and Abe’s. Whatever happens between you is between the two of you. I just wanted you to know I was sorry for reacting like I did last night. It was so rude of me, but when I heard you laugh, it was like having Debra right here in the room.“ She rocked the baby, and the sight tugged at Kristen’s heart. „It’s going to be hard for Abe, seeing Debra’s parents on Saturday.“
The baby’s christening. Kristen dreaded the thought of christenings and had always managed to slide out of attending such ceremonies in the past, but she’d go with Abe if he asked her. It would dredge up still more old wounds, but she’d be there to support him even if it killed her inside. „Abe told me that they hadn’t agreed on Debra’s care.“
Ruth stared pensively, then brushed a kiss on her baby’s downy head and again Kristen’s heart tugged at the sight. „Don’t hold it against them. My aunt and uncle believed they were acting in Debra’s best interest. I can’t imagine having to make such a choice.“
Kristen watched Ruth hold the baby close and considered her words. Acting in your child’s best interest. Doing what was right even when it was enough to cut your own heart from your chest. She understood, better than anyone would know.
Ruth cleared her throat. „Anyway, it might be easier if Abe had someone with him on Saturday. Would you come to the christening? I know it’s short notice, but…“
He’d been there for her, so many times. „Of course. Thank you for asking me.“
„Asking you to do what?“ Abe appeared in the doorway, holding Kristen’s purse. He bent to kiss the baby’s head. „Your purse is ringing.“
Kristen pushed to her feet. „My cell phone.“ She dug it from her purse. „Mayhew.“
Abe watched as she listened, his apprehension growing as her face paled. She sank into the chair, real fear in her eyes.
„She’s all right?“ Kristen said. She clutched the little cell phone so tightly that her knuckles were white. „You’re sure.“ She listened, drew a deep breath. „I am calm. Do I need to come?“ Her mouth twisted at the reply. „I suppose not. Did you call the police?“ She gritted her teeth. „No, it’s not a damn prank, Dad… Just don’t touch the note or the flower, okay? I’m going to call the police. They’ll want the note and descriptions of anyone who came to the nursing home tonight.“ Her lips pursed hard and she closed the flip phone with a hard snap. „Yeah,“ she said bitterly to no one. „Whatever.“
Abe sat on the edge of the table next to her. „Your mother?“
She nodded. „Somebody left a black rose and a note on her pillow at the nursing home.“ She flicked a glance at Ruth. „My mother’s in the final stages of Alzheimer’s.“
Abe cupped her face in his hand and felt her tremble. „What did the note say?“
„‘Who is he?’“ She lurched to her feet, her face stark. „Where’s my coat?“
„Are you going to Kansas?“ Abe asked.
Kristen shook her head, backing for the door. „No, I’m getting away from here. The guy last night said people close to me would die if I didn’t tell him who he was. There’s no way I’m putting your family in danger, Abe. Take me home.“
From the corner of his eye Abe watched Ruth instinctively hold her baby closer to her chest. „Just calm down, Kristen,“ he said, realizing too late that was the wrong thing to have said. Her father had apparently said the same thing.
„I am calm,“ she said coldly. „I’ll be calmer when you take me home.“
Resigned, Abe stood up. „I’ll get your coat.“
Monday, February 23,
11:00 P.M.
It was too soon. He wasn’t giving himself time to rest between, but he was running out of time. So many names in the fishbowl. Crooks, lawyers. Judges.
It was so cold. He shivered hard, his bones aching. He could feel his throat growing rawer by the minute. The rooftop was hard and icy under his stomach and his fingers were frozen. He’d been waiting for two hours. It didn’t appear William Carson was going to show up. He smiled grimly, his lips cracking. Perhaps the attorneys were wising up. Perhaps Skinner’s untimely demise had warned them against showing up at unseemly times of the night in seedy parts of town for damaging evidence against victims. Evidence that would help acquit the vermin they represented. But the media hadn’t picked up on how he lured his marks, so there was no real reason for Carson to be wary of anonymous tips.
He scowled, bracing himself against the cold wind. If the media knew, that viper Zoe Richardson would have told it. Day after day she made her reports, day after day she suggested Kristen and the police knew more than they did. That woman should be stopped. Unfortunately, she hadn’t done anything illegal or even immoral. Just trashy.
A movement caught his eye. He pushed himself to his aching elbows and peered into the darkness. So the rat had found the cheese too irresistible to pass up.
Excellent. He leaned down and pressed his eye to the sight, wincing when the frigid metal bit at his face. He centered on Carson’s forehead. One pump of the trigger… There was another movement on the fringe of his eyesight and he flinched just as his trigger finger moved. A piercing scream rent the air and Carson fell.
I missed. He’s still alive.
The thought had barely registered when another man appeared from the shadows, running to bend over Carson. He watched in horror as the man whipped out a cell phone. Carson hadn’t come alone. As if guided by an unseen hand, he once again bent, set his sight on the crouching man and fired. The man dropped without a sound, but Carson still writhed. He set the sight on Carson’s chest, pumped the trigger once. Carson’s body went still.