The Penitent One (Boston Crime Thriller Book 3)

by Brian Shea

  The crunch next to his ear was loud. Kelly turned to see a bit of broken bacon disappear inside Embry's mouth, the remnants of the salty evidence still crusting the corner of her lips. "If you eat all the bacon before we mix it in with the sprouts, you're going to ruin the flavor."

  "The secret is…” He leaned in close and whispered in his daughter’s ear, “Nobody likes Brussels sprouts. That's why we bury them in bacon."

  She giggled and finished the second half of the piece still in her hand.

  Kelly rolled his eyes in defeat. He'd been battling with the bacon thief since he'd fried up the pound of center-cut, maple-flavored goodness.

  The cooked pieces drained on a paper towel next to the stove. Kelly used the leftover bacon grease to sauté the Brussels sprouts, softening them and adding in bits of crushed bacon as he went. He salted and peppered the rugged vegetable, drizzling in a touch of Worcestershire sauce and a dab of soy, not following a specific recipe. He’d gotten hooked on cooking shows. It was his secret obsession. Watching the television chefs, Kelly had picked up some tricks of the trade. His favorite thing to do was pour in a little red wine, deglazing the pan and adding a little caramelization as the sugars cooked down. Never letting a good glass of red go to waste, Kelly sampled as he cooked. The downside to his cooking was he could never repeat the process. Each meal, even though he used the same ingredients, always resulted in a different taste. He just hoped this version of sprouts proved to be as good as his last, and enough to win over his daughter’s discerning palate.

  Embry’s resistance to the hearty vegetable was long-standing and stalwart. The deal brokered in the Stop & Shop aisle was worth the trade-off. Brussels sprouts for his seat next to Barnes.

  Embry reached across and grabbed another piece of bacon before Kelly could stop her. To his surprise, she bypassed her mouth and crumbled it into the sizzling pan. The smell of the sprouts cooking in the bacon fat carried the note of maple and caused his empty stomach to rumble.

  "I'm starving. When are we eating?" Embry asked, as if reading his mind.

  "In a few minutes. The sprouts are last, and they’re almost done. Everything else is ready and warming in the oven."

  She bounced off the stool and skipped into the living room to make the announcement to Kelly's mother and brother, who were watching the football game on TV.

  Kelly peeked out, happy to see his brother sipping on an O'Doul's. Ever since coming out of rehab, Brayden had stayed the course set by his in-patient therapy. But on a day like today, he was worried his brother would be tempted by tradition. One in which his younger brother would drink to excess and end up face down before dessert.

  Kelly thought it would be okay for him to have a near beer, at least give him the flavor of normal without the negative fallout. He just hoped the taste of it wouldn't send him into a frenzy. When Brayden had bottomed out before, it had taken a heavy toll on the Kelly family. With him living at home again, everybody was making an adjustment.

  Brayden had steered clear of the dope, remaining drug free since leaving rehab. He was the healthiest Kelly had seen him in recent years. He finally saw the shadow of his brother's former self in the man sitting in the living room, giving him hope the worst was behind him. Brayden was even picking up a couple hours at the package store.

  "Dinner's ready," Embry sang out as Kelly turned off the burner.

  The gas feeding the flame flickered and popped before going out. He slid the sprouts into a blue ceramic bowl and then, wearing floral oven mitts, removed the turkey from the oven.

  Brayden entered the kitchen. "Smells great! Maybe you should quit being a cop and open a restaurant." He gave Kelly a punch in the ribs, soft but still hard enough to remind Kelly of the playful nature in which they used to box as children. “Let me give you a hand.” He grabbed a hot plate and set it on the center of the table before helping remove the potatoes from the oven.

  His mother hobbled into the dining room area, forgoing the use of her cane. She was doing this more often as her hip improved. The doctor told her to move without it as often as the pain would permit so that she would begin to strengthen the muscles.

  She took her seat at the head of the table, Kelly and Embry sat side by side, and Brayden across from them. For the first time in a long time, as Kelly surveyed the group, he felt like their family was whole again.

  Ma Kelly raised her glass. "Family first!"

  Kelly, Brayden, and Embry responded in unison with, "Family always."

  Dinner ended. The pumpkin pie rested on the warm stove. Kelly handled the dinner while his mother had always taken pride in the sweeter part of the meal. Unlike much larger families, the Kellys didn't overdo the dessert or the food, making just enough with a little left over.

  Kelly prepared a plate of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a handful of Brussels sprouts. He wrapped the plate in foil and set it on top of the stove, which was still warm from the pie.

  The odor of the kitchen transitioned from the savory to the sweet as the pumpkin spice filled the air.

  Kelly nervously downed a second glass of wine as he awaited Barnes’s arrival. A knock at the door suddenly doubled his anxiety. It would be the first time Embry spent time with Barnes knowing their new relationship status.

  "Coming," Embry yelled, sailing down the hallway toward the front door.

  Kelly was happy to see his daughter so excited at the prospect of meeting his colleague and, for lack of a better word, girlfriend. Although neither Kelly nor Barnes had ever formally labeled the relationship.

  Embry swung the door wide. Barnes entered, chased by a blast of icy cold wind. The temperature had dipped as the sun set, and it appeared the northeast was settling in for a long winter ahead, if November's current temperatures were any indication.

  Barnes stood in the doorway for a moment and shook off the cold. Embry, the gracious host, offered to take her coat and threw it on a hook in the mud room. Barnes squatted low as Kelly had seen her do numerous times in their partnership when dealing with a young victim or witness. She had a kind, natural way about her, and she was applying it now with Embry. Kelly couldn't hear what was said, but Embry seemed delighted by it. Barnes gave her a pat on the head, then straightened and followed Kelly's young daughter into the kitchen area.

  Kelly wasn't sure about the protocol of their greeting. He walked over and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, cordial but not an overt display of affection. It was lukewarm at best. He wasn't sure how anything more would be received by his daughter. Plus, Kelly was not a fan of PDA by nature.

  "Well, look what the cat dragged in," Brayden said, giving her a big hug. It lasted longer than Kelly would have liked, and knowing their past dating relationship—although long ago in their youth—still made for a bit of awkwardness, at least for Kelly. "Come on in and have a seat."

  Kelly pulled out a chair and Embry took the seat next to her. Kelly moved around to the other side of the table and took up a spot next to Brayden.

  "I'd sit next to you, but I lost a bet."

  "What was the bet?" Barnes asked playfully.

  “I bet Embry she wouldn't eat my Brussels sprouts; she said she would try them if I let her sit next to you.”

  "Well, it looks like I am the one who won the bet," Barnes said, smiling down at Kelly’s little girl, who looked up at her in delight.

  Kelly's mother was the last to sit and had brought the pie with her, wobbling unsteadily as she made her slow progression from the kitchen to the table. Kelly knew better than to try to assist. She was as stubborn as they came.

  "I've got a pot of coffee brewing if you'd like, or something stronger," she said with a smile.

  Barnes looked over at the glass of red wine in front of Kelly's plate. "I'll take a glass of wine. I can get it, though."

  "Let me." Kelly stood and slipped into the kitchen. Upon his return, he heard Embry say, while his mother cut the pie into eighths, "So, do you love my dad?"

  Kelly nearly dropped th
e glass of wine in his hand. He tried to interrupt and made a sound that was somewhere between a cough and a choke.

  Barnes took it in stride, laughing out loud.

  "How can they be in love?" Brayden said. "They've only been dating for a minute."

  "I knew I loved your father the moment I saw him," Ma Kelly said, her brogue adding its lyrical lilt to her voice.

  "Here we go again with the love-at-first-sight story." Brayden put his forehead to the table in playful exaggeration.

  "I'd personally love to hear it," Barnes said, taking the glass from Kelly, who remained momentarily frozen in shock at how quickly the conversation had deteriorated.

  "Well, their father's father ran a small market. Your basic variety of dairy products, milk, eggs, and the like. Back in the day, mind you, they used to deliver door to door."

  "The good ole days of the milkman—here we go again," Brayden said under his breath.

  "Enough out of your mouth, Brayden Kelly.” Ma Kelly gave her youngest a squint of her eyes before continuing. “My mother had ordered a dozen eggs and a couple of bottles of milk. And their father delivered. Although, not so well, I might add." Ma Kelly laughed. “He tripped on our stoop and fell flat on his face, breaking eleven of the twelve eggs. Most of which ended up all over his white aproned uniform. I had come to the door just in time to see the fall. It was quite a sight. When I picked up the egg-covered boy and looked into his eyes, I knew at that moment that he was going to be my husband. Hell or high water, I was going to find a way to marry that klutzy man. And lo and behold, I did. And I have never regretted the time that I spent with him." She raised her glass and took a sip.

  As he looked into Kristen Barnes’s emerald green eyes, Kelly wondered what his story would be.

  12

  The dessert session with Barnes had gone better than expected. Kelly finished putting Embry to bed and headed downstairs, where Barnes was hanging out with his mother and Brayden. He went into the kitchen and grabbed the foil-wrapped plate, taking a slice of the pumpkin pie and wrapping it separately, before walking into the living room. Barnes was seated on the couch next to Brayden, and his mother was rocking back in her favorite doily-adorned recliner.

  “I hate to break up the party, but it’s getting late and I want to get this over to Pops before he leaves for the night,” Kelly said, holding the warm plate of covered food.

  Barnes said her goodbyes and followed Kelly to the door.

  The cold bit at his face as he stepped outside. Barnes was blocking his car in the narrow incline of the driveway. The two stood between the two department-issued unmarkeds, the bumper-to-bumper vehicles mirroring the two drivers as they moved in close.

  She moved closer until the plate of food was the only thing separating them. Kelly placed it on his hood and closed the distance.

  Barnes gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "I had a really great time tonight."

  "Me too. I think it went well. Embry seems really taken by you," he said. "Sorry to cut things short.”

  “Eight o'clock isn't too short, especially when we’ve got an early day tomorrow." Barnes smiled. "But—I wouldn't mind a longer evening, one of these days."

  "Agreed.” He retrieved the plate from the cold hood. “Tradition is tradition, and I've got to pay Pops a visit."

  Barnes held up a hand and then placed it on his chest, tapping lightly against his well-shaped pectorals. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I think it's wonderful, the connection you have with him and the way you two take care of each other."

  "Family is a strange thing, and it doesn't always come by way of blood," Kelly said.

  They kissed again and separated. Kelly watched as Barnes drove off, then made his way down the driveway, wedged between his mother's home and their neighbor’s. On the street, he saw the red Jetta that had caused his mother so much grief. Nobody was around. The street vacant. The car served as a reminder of one of the many things Kelly still had to take care of. He needed to set aside some time to have a little chat with the neighbor about their middle-of-the-night disruptions.

  After the short commute to Pops’s gym, Kelly parked in the back lot. He put his hand on the foil covering, happy to feel it was still warm to the touch.

  He entered through the back door, always left open by the old gym owner, day or night, as long as he was inside. It was a way of giving the neighborhood children and young adults a safe haven to escape to any time they needed one. The boxing coach and mentor had proven himself a father figure, protector, and life coach for many of the wayward youth of Dorchester's rough neighborhood, including Michael Kelly.

  Thanksgiving was the one Thursday a year, outside of unforeseen circumstances, when Kelly and his three childhood cronies would miss their Thursday night fights. Their boxing matches, rotating weekly between the group of them, held a nostalgic connection to their past, keeping strong the relationships of the present.

  Several years back, Kelly had started a tradition of his own on this night, and that was to bring his boxing coach and friend a Thanksgiving meal.

  Ever since Pops had lost his son to the criminal justice system, sitting behind bars in maximum security for a murder committed many years ago, he spent Thanksgiving alone. His only real family were those who came through the hallowed halls of this gymnasium.

  Kelly made sure on this particular night that Pops was taken care of. He'd invited him numerous times to the house, and Pops had graciously turned down the offer each time, so Kelly took it upon himself to bring the man a plate of food and some dessert. First, Pops was resistant to the gift, but he had come to look forward to this delivery service of sorts.

  The lights were off in the gymnasium’s main space, Pops saving money where he could in a tough economy.

  The smell of sweat and leather clung to the air, even though the gym was closed for recreational use, but Kelly saw the office light on and knew he would find Pops inside. He stepped inside and Pops looked up, clearing away a space at his desk for the expected delivery. Kelly thought of the story his mother had told tonight, his father and the failed egg delivery.

  A smile bloomed across Pops’s face. He looked up at the clock on the wall, surrounded by clippings and photos of past champions. "I was wondering if you’d be stopping by."

  "I know. A little later than normal. I had a visitor tonight, a special guest."

  "And who, may I ask, was that?"

  "Kristen Barnes.” Kelly couldn’t help but smile upon saying her name. “I don't know if you remember her. A few months back, she was with me when I dropped off that young Murphy kid after the shooting."

  Pops nodded as he accepted the plates of food. "I do. Attractive girl."

  "Thanks."

  “So, is it serious? Is Michael Kelly ready to settle back down again?"

  "I don't know."

  Pops laughed. "Sounds like that's something you better figure out. A girl that pretty isn't going to stick around long, especially with a guy who doesn't know whether he's in a relationship or not, or how he feels about her." The life coaching was never on pause.

  Pops held the foil to his nose before unwrapping it, taking a deep sniff and closing his eyes. "Smells amazing. Do I detect something different this year?" He cocked an eyebrow.

  "Brussels sprouts."

  Pops didn’t look too excited at the news.

  "Don’t worry. I think you'll like how I cooked them. Plenty of bacon."

  Pops smiled.

  "I even got Embry to try them."

  "You don't say, and speaking of young Embry, when are you going to be bringing her through the doors? She's about that age where she can start working the bag. Never too young."

  Pops was right and Kelly knew it. He'd been meaning to, once he got on a more routine schedule, but Homicide had proven to be anything but routine. His goal was to start bringing Embry to the gym, start her off slow, a day, maybe two days a week, on the nights when he had visitation. Kelly wasn’t much older when he got his start.r />
  He figured his daughter would not only learn the art of boxing but also some of the finer pointers life had to offer from the wisdom of the man seated across from Kelly, a man who had proven a guidepost in Kelly's life.

  "And please tell me this is your ma's homemade pumpkin pie."

  Pops sounded as though he was salivating already and might be eating dessert before dinner.

  "It is," Kelly said. “I warmed everything up just before coming over so you wouldn't have to microwave it."

  "I like the sound of that.” Pops rubbed his hands together in exaggerated anticipation of the meal to come. “You going to stick around for a little bit?"

  "I should be getting home. Embry's in bed, but it's unlikely she'll stay there. And I’ve got an early day tomorrow."

  "I heard about the situation down at Saint Peter's. Everybody has. A terrible thing."

  Kelly looked down. Until now, he had managed to allow himself to mentally check out on the case. He'd taken his sergeant's orders to heart and disconnected, if only for a few hours, to enjoy some family time. But hearing it mentioned now brought everything crashing back to the forefront. "I'm doing the best I can."

  "Michael Kelly, I've known you the better part of your life, and I've never once seen you not give 110% of your energy in anything and everything that you do. There was never a question in my mind that the case was in good hands when I heard it was in yours."

  "Thanks, Pops. And I'll be in next Thursday. That's a promise.”

  “Hopefully we'll see Bobby here too. It's been a while."

  Kelly nodded as he walked out. It had been a while. Bobby McDonough, his closest friend turned mob enforcer, had been absent more than he'd been present in the past few months. Kelly knew why and didn't press his friend, knowing that recently things had gotten complicated. Not only in Bobby's life but in the relationship between Kelly and him. His position with his current employer had put their friendship in jeopardy.