Poor Abe. Poor Kyle and Becca, having to watch their son endure such torment. „He didn’t want to meet them tonight.“
Becca huffed again. „Of course he didn’t.“
„Then why did he?“ Rachel asked from the floor and Kristen blinked. She’d almost forgotten the teenager was down there, listening to every word.
Kyle sighed. „I imagine he went to let them have their say and get it over with.“
„So they wouldn’t say it on Saturday and ruin the christening for Sean and Ruth,“ Kristen said. It added yet another layer of respect to the character of Abe Reagan. Becca’s eyes misted. „You really do understand him.“ Kristen felt what was becoming a familiar wave of longing. For Abe, for his family. For the warmth of this house. „He’s a good man,“ she said simply.
Kyle cleared his throat roughly and reached for the wallet he’d set on the lamp table.
„Kyle,“ Becca murmured. „Don’t.“ Kristen’s mouth tipped. „Is he going to pay me?“
„No, he’s going to show you Debra’s picture,“ Rachel said and Kristen stiffened, but it was too late. Kyle held the worn snapshot and if she didn’t look, she’d be rude.
So she made herself look down at the picture, at the woman who’d been Abe’s everything. What she saw was a tall woman of average beauty and the protruding stomach of advanced pregnancy holding on to, to a man who smiled as if he could never be happier. „She was lovely.“ It was true. Because beyond her average beauty was a glow, an expression that said Debra could never be happier either.
„This was taken two weeks before she was shot,“ Kyle said, a catch in his voice that made Kristen swallow hard. „I didn’t think I’d ever see that look on my son’s face again.“ His thumb swept over the plastic cover in a practiced caress. „But I have. Since he met you.“ His thumb grew blurry and Kristen bit the inside of her cheek, not daring to look up.
Rachel pushed a tissue in her hand, much as Aidan had done the day before. „Blow your nose before we all start bawling,“ she said and Kristen laughed unsteadily.
„Are you sure you’re only thirteen?“
„Almost fourteen,“ Rachel returned archly.
Kyle groaned, the tender moment broken. „Going on twenty,“ he said.
„So can I go steady with Trent?“
Kyle scowled down at her. „No. Not till you’re sixteen.“
Rachel shrugged. „It was worth a try.“
Grateful for the temporary respite from her worry, Kristen checked her watch and Kyle groaned again. „If you’re so worried about Abe, call him on his cell phone.“
„I don’t want him to think I’m checking up on him.“
Kyle huffed in disgust. „Women.“
„We’re all alike,“ Rachel sang and once again Kristen smiled.
„And you, having been a woman for so long, are an expert,“ Kristen said wryly.
„Hey, lady, I see what I see and I know what I know.“ Rachel grabbed the phone and handed it to her. „Call him. You know you want to.“
Embarrassed, Kristen took the phone and dialed. And frowned. „He’s turned it off.“
Kyle’s brows shot together. „He what?“
„He’s turned off his cell phone. Or he’s underground, because it’s not picking up.“
Kyle put out his hand, worry in his eyes. „Give me the phone.“
Chapter Twenty
Thursday, February 26,
10:20 p.m.
Debra’s parents had begged forgiveness. It was the one thing he hadn’t expected. Abe rested his arms across the top of his steering wheel and stared at the bright lights of the Navy Pier’s Ferris wheel. It was the one place where he could still see Debra smiling. They’d come here on that first blind date, set up by Sean and Ruth. He’d brought her here the night he proposed, bribing the Ferris wheel attendant to stop the wheel when their car was on the very top so that he could ask her to marry him with all Chicago at their feet. She’d brought him here the night she told him he’d be a father, bribing the attendant in the exact same way. So he came here tonight to think, to remember his wife as the happy woman she’d been. To try and find in his heart the forgiveness her parents had asked for.
He’d lost all track of time when a knock on his window nearly scared him to death.
Sean stood there scowling. „What the hell are you doing here? You had us worried sick.“
Abe glanced at his watch in amazement. „I didn’t realize I’d been here so long.“
„Where’s your damn phone? We’ve been calling you for an hour and a half.“
Abe fished it out of his pocket and frowned. „No battery bars.“ It was the first time he’d been so careless. He plugged it into his cigarette lighter.
„Kristen’s in the car.“
His gaze snapped to Sean’s car where Kristen sat staring at her hands. „Why?“
„She’s been climbing the walls, afraid you’d been hurt by Conti’s men.“
Suddenly so weary, Abe dropped his head back against the seat „I didn’t think.“
„Well, tell it to her yourself. I got to get back to my own woman.“
A minute later Sean roared away and Kristen climbed up into the cab. She immediately dropped her eyes and he felt the pang of guilt. He’d been thoughtless.
„I’m sorry, Kristen. I didn’t think you’d be worried.“
„Well, I was, but it’s all right.“ Her chin was practically digging into her chest.
„Can you look at me?“
She complied, twisting her neck at an odd angle and looking up from the corner of her eye, but still not meeting his gaze. She looked… strange.
„What’s wrong?“
She closed her eyes, drew a strangled breath. „Can you please take me home?“
„Not until you tell me what this is all about. Open your eyes.“
She shrank back in the seat, her eyes clenched shut „Abe, please.“
Suddenly alarmed, he pulled the SUV out of the parking place. „What’s happened? Dammit, Kristen, if you’re trying to get back at me for scaring you, it’s working.“
„I’m not. Just drive.“
He started driving. „Is it Vincent?“
„No, he’s unchanged. Owen called to tell me when I was in the car with Sean.“
„Has that Timothy come back to see Vincent?“
„I didn’t ask. I was too worried about you.“ He saw her open one eye, look in the passenger-side mirror, then shut her eyes again.
He looked in the rearview mirror and saw nothing but the blazing lights of the Navy Pier’s Ferris wheel. „When we get to your house, you’ll tell me?“
She nodded once. „Yes.“
Thursday, February 26,
10:45 P.M.
He was relieved when Reagan’s SUV pulled into her driveway. He could see between the houses from his position on the next block and watched as Reagan got out and crossed around to her side of the vehicle. Reagan was a gentleman. He approved.
He was glad they were home safely. He couldn’t have forgiven himself if anything had happened to anyone else she cared about. He hadn’t meant it to spiral out of control this way. He’d meant her to be comforted, knowing he was eliminating evil from the world, but instead her life had been turned upside down. She’d been threatened in her own home. He would have to find a way to make sure everyone knew she was uninvolved, that she knew nothing. He would write her no more letters.
He frowned. She should have been out of the car a long time ago. It was cold tonight. She’d get sick. Reagan needed to get her into the house, but he just stood there. Something was wrong. Finally, she climbed down and Reagan put his arm around her and walked her into the house through the kitchen door. She appeared unhurt. But he needed to be certain.
Thursday, February 26,
10:45 p.m.
Kristen stopped short at the sight of her kitchen, visions of Ferris wheels temporarily dismissed. „It’s clean. All the plaster dust is gone.“ So was the far wall. She and Abe hadn’t finished ripping it down the night before, but now it was totally gone. As was the refrigerator, the sink, and the linoleum. The only thing remaining was her table, which was covered with magazines opened to layouts of beautiful kitchens. „Annie’s magazines,“ she said, then understood. „Aidan and Annie were here. Did you know they were going to do this?“