Remembrance

by T K Eldridge

  “And who’s bringing the water balloons?” Cullen teased, shaking his head. It had been a long time since he’d appeared this lighthearted, even with all the horrible stuff that had happened over the past few days.

  “I will.” Emlen called out, raising her bottle in salute and laughing. “Be prepared to LOSE!” she crowed before settling back in her seat. “Okay, I’m stuffed. I’ll clear the dishes if one of you makes some coffee and grabs the laptop? I want to see what’s on that drive before the three of us leave tonight. I get the feeling that it’s going to be worth our sobering up a bit.” Rising, she started collecting plates and bowls, and headed into the kitchen.

  The guys could hear her in there, wrapping up food and running water, so Connor leaned over to his brother and murmured, “I’m worried about what we’ll find on here. The photos of her grandparents with Joel mean there is some sort of deeper connection and she didn’t even dig into it. Just set it aside.”

  “I’ve noticed that with her. Anything that deals with her grandparents or aunt is kept at arm’s length or tucked away. I get that she is focused on her mother and what happened, but from what I’ve gathered about her life afterwards, this wasn’t some random home invasion or whatever you want to call it.” Cullen slowly got to his feet and leaned closer to Connor. “I think the only reason she’s still alive is because she didn’t remember. I also think that now that she’s digging, she’s a target once more, and that Joel’s murder was a part of this whole mess and not some other case as the investigators have told the news.”

  “I agree,” Connor replied, also getting to his feet. “I’ll bring in the last couple of things here. You go get your laptop? I’ll get coffee going while I’m in there.”

  Cullen nodded, reaching out to grip his brother’s shoulder as he followed him into the house.

  * * *

  Coffee, pie, and the laptop with the Wi-Fi shut off lay spread around on Cullen’s dining room table. They’d decided it would be smarter to be inside, away from potentially prying eyes, as they went over the new information. All three of them agreed they had a new level of paranoia where the cold case was concerned.

  Cullen sat in front of the laptop, waiting as the program checked the drive for viruses before opening the folders. Connor leaned over his shoulder and Emlen paced back and forth behind them both. A soft ‘huh’ from Connor had her leaning over Cullen’s other shoulder. “What? What’s on it?” Emlen asked.

  Folders and documents spilled across the screen as the drive opened and showed its contents. “Looks like a mix of things. Some copies of the files he gave us, some new stuff. Photos, newspaper articles…” Cullen paused and clicked on a folder. “Emlen…look.” The folder was filled with copies of every article ever written by or about Emlen - even the ones where she used her Baldwin byline to keep some anonymity with the more heated pieces.

  “Holy shit,” she whispered, reaching over to use the touchpad on the laptop to scroll down and see the full contents of the folder. “Even my high-school paper stuff is here. Did Joel do this, or did someone give it to him? Any way to tell?”

  “Maybe, but it’ll take some time,” Cullen replied.

  Connor nodded, adding, “It’s possible, but without the right programs, there’s no definitive way of telling.”

  Emlen pointed at a folder. “Can we look at the photos? See if they’re the same as the little album or if there are more there?”

  Cullen clicked back to the folders and opened the photo one, setting it to large thumbnails so they could be seen as a whole. “Looks like more fishing ones with your grandfather, some event photos - maybe the same as the ones in the album, and…” he paused and clicked on one, and it filled the screen. A photo of Emlen as a toddler with her mother…and Joel.

  “Wait…what?” Emlen gasped, sitting in the chair next to Cullen and leaning in to look at the image. “Does this look like what I think it looks like?” Her gaze went from the image to Cullen and Connor.

  “You mean, does it look like your mom and Joel were more than friends? Yeah, it does,” Connor replied.

  “He didn’t seem to react to me as if there was more going on, when we saw him a few days ago, right?” Em asked, gaze going to Cullen.

  “Maybe he did, and we just considered it the reaction to seeing you and going over the case files?” Cullen toyed with his mug, thinking about the last conversation he’d had with Joel, the night before he was killed. “There was something worrying him, though. I spoke to him the night before he was killed, and he seemed off.”

  “What did he say?” Connor and Emlen both asked at the same time, then chuckled a little before looking back at Cullen.

  “He said that the torch was being passed to me but didn’t specify what torch. I assumed he meant watching over Em and helping her with the case. Then he apologized for the burden he was putting on my shoulders. He asked me if I remembered all the niches and hidey holes in his house - which is why I went through them all before CSI and the cops got there, Cullen said.

  “I think we need to ask Dad if there was something going on with Joel and Camille,” Connor offered, voice soft. “I’ll ask him, so he doesn’t think you’re diving back into the case, Cull. We don’t need him getting pissed about it or anything.”

  * * *

  Emlen felt like she was missing something, but she held her tongue and just watched the brothers. There was obviously something they were avoiding discussing and she could feel the truth in the words they spoke to each other. Love, pain, regret, strength and determination echoed in the words, resonating within her.

  “Instead of making copies of that drive, how about we make a cloud account under a false name and load it there, then all three of us can access it as needed?” Emlen offered after a moment. “Maybe let Connor stash the drive itself somewhere safe, since my house has already been hit once and with Cullen around and next door, his place would be too easy a target.”

  “Good idea,” Cullen replied and smiled at her while Connor started typing again.

  “John Smith has a new cloud account. The password is ‘Joel’ with a three where the ‘e’ belongs, and an exclamation point at the end,” Connor spoke after a few moments. “The files are uploading now.”

  Cullen started to clear up the last of the dishes and poured more coffee as the three settled back at the table. “I’m supposed to get a call today about when they’ll release Joel’s body. He wanted a stone at the cemetery with some of his ashes there and the rest scattered in the harbor.” The mood sobered a bit as they sipped coffee.

  “I wish I’d been able to get to know him better,” Em murmured. “He seemed like a really cool person. Interesting, and educated, and experienced…”

  Cullen laughed. “He was, easily, one of the most intelligent people I had the pleasure to know. He read all kinds of books. Everything from Louis L’Amour westerns to presidential biographies and books on the Templars and medieval history.”

  “He even had a whole library dedicated to the occult and supernatural. Horowitz’s Occult in America and a worn copy of Malleus Maleficarum,” Connor offered. “He always seemed like such a hard-facts, cold-logic type of cop that his having all of that made me ask him about it once.”

  Em quirked a brow at Connor in encouragement while Cullen snorted soft laughter into his own cup. “I bet that went well,” Cull muttered, still chuckling.

  “About as well as you’d expect,” Connor replied with a grin. “He told me that I should read more Shakespeare, because even the Bard knew that ‘There are more things in heaven and earth’, as Hamlet stated. That what we now call science and technology was once considered the realm of magic and mysticism. That we needed to educate ourselves so that we didn’t only know things but understood that we did not know things.”

  “Sounds like one of my college professors,” Em replied and leaned back, setting down her mug. “Okay, I don’t know about you two, but I’m starting to feel the food coma. Thanks for the great meal, but I’
m going to head home.” She rose and started to gather her things.

  “I’ve got an early morning tomorrow,” Connor said and closed the laptop. “Still training for the marathon and need to run off this meal.” He smiled and moved to give Emlen a hug. “It was so damned good to see you, Emlen. Don’t disappear on us again, okay?”

  Em hugged him back. “Don’t plan on it, big brother. See you on the range soon, yeah?”

  Connor nodded and reached out to fist-bump Cullen. “See you soon, brother. Stay safe.”

  “You too,” Cull replied, and watched his brother leave before turning to Em. “Let me walk you home?”

  “It’s only a few yards, Cullen.” Em shook her head. “But sure, I’d like the company.”

  Cullen paused and tucked the laptop under the cushion of a nearby chair and grabbed his keys, heading out with Em and locking the door behind them. “Never bothered with locking up much unless I was getting in my truck and going somewhere. Now? Now I lock the damned door if I’m walking down to the beach. It’s crazy.”

  “I’m sorry for bringing that to your door,” Emlen offered, her voice sad. “I feel responsible.”

  Cullen stopped and turned, tugging her gently to face him. “This is not on you, Em. Not even a little bit. This is on whomever murdered your Mom and Joel, and whoever is trying to terrorize us now. Which, by the way, I think is all the same person or group of people. This is not random, and it is not new.” His hand lifted to tuck a fluttering strand of her hair behind her ear and Cullen cupped her cheek. “Don’t let them make you feel anything you don’t want to feel, okay?”

  A faint smile curled Em’s lips. “I can’t wait to meet your mother again. She did a good job with you two, if you can say things like that and actually mean it.”

  “I’ve gotta admit, not telling my folks you’re back has been tough. They talk about you even now, and it would make them so happy to know you’re doing well and back home.”

  “Well, maybe when we get through this, we can take a trip to Florida and see them? I’d like to thank them for what they did back then.”

  “Yes, let’s do that!” Cullen pulled her in for a quick kiss, laughing low as he hugged her.

  Emlen caught her breath with the kiss, eyes closing as she leaned into him. “Damn, do that again?” Em gave a nervous laugh as she lifted her chin to meet his lips once more. She slid her hands up to rest behind his shoulders, feeling his muscles ripple under her palms. Her lips parted and the heat coiled low in her belly.

  A low groan from Cull as he kissed her, then lifted his lips. “We keep doing this and the seagulls are gonna get a show. How about we go inside?” Em could see the desire in his eyes, but he’d been doing a great job of not pushing beyond her comfort zone. For the most part.

  Cull’s question was like a splash of ice water and Emlen shivered, catching her breath and taking a step back. “As much as my body is screaming at me to do just that, I try to use my head first and I’m still not willing to make you a rebound. That’s not fair to you or me.”

  “Does it help if I say I don’t care?” Cullen grumbled. “I don’t feel like a rebound guy, and you have to admit there’s some pretty intense chemistry here.”

  “It helps - but it doesn’t change my mind,” Em replied. “I want to make sure I don’t fuck this up like I have every other relationship I’ve been in.” She turned and took his hand, starting to walk again towards her house.

  “From what you’ve told me, it was Brad that screwed it up by cheating on you.”

  “Yeah, but why did he cheat? Was it because I wasn’t available enough? Too…” Em stopped and let out a breath. “Until I’m feeling better about it, it’s best to not rush things. That’s all.”

  “Too…what?” Cullen asked, stepping up to take her keys and unlock the door. “You stopped mid-sentence there.”

  “Eh, nothing really. He just never stayed the night with me because of my nightmares. Said he needed his sleep too much.”

  “Oh, for pete’s…what an ass.” Cullen huffed as he closed the door behind them and turned to her. “That’s on him, Emlen, not on you. What if holding you in his arms would have quieted the nightmares and kept them away? Did he ever even try?”

  A shake of her head no, and Emlen turned to set the container on the counter, hands pressing to the cool surface.

  Arms wrapped around her from behind, and Cullen whispered into her hair near her ear. “Maybe we can try that sometime? I’m willing to sacrifice sleep if it helps you get through this. That’s what people do when they truly care about someone else. They sacrifice. They support and encourage, too - which is why I’m going to encourage you to go grab your laptop like I know you’re wanting to do, and dig into the cloud files while I take a quick walk around your place for my own peace of mind.” He stepped back and winked at her before turning to walk out of the room.

  Emlen smiled as she watched him walk away and called out, “The upstairs is unlocked now. Feel free to check it, too.” She grabbed her keys and stepped out to her Rover, pulling her laptop bag out of the covered cargo hold and was back inside at the table before he finished his rounds.

  “House is clear - and if you want, I’ll come help drag some of those boxes out of the attic for you to go through when you’re ready. Looks like some cool stuff up there.”

  “I’d like that,” Em replied, eyes on the screen as she started opening files. “Maybe in a couple of days? I want to see if there are any more photos or journals or anything up there.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” he said as he moved over to press a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll leave you to work. Message me if you find anything good, otherwise I’ll see you.” Cullen headed for the door and paused. “I’ll lock it up, but come hit the deadbolts, okay?”

  “Yep…” Em called out, not even looking away from the files. He chuckled as he stepped out and tugged the door firmly behind him. Stretching, he gazed out at the water and then back at the house. Having her here was better than he could have hoped. He actually enjoyed life even more with her around.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It had been almost two weeks since the cookout at Cullen’s place, and all three had been messaging bits of what they were learning about the files. Tonight, they were gathering at Emlen’s to go through some of the boxes from the attic. Em and Cullen had brought down several, and there had been a few trips to the thrift shop to drop off items no longer needed or of no real sentimental value. Em had filled a small box and taken it over to Cullen’s, to see if his parents wanted some of the things.

  Emlen pulled into the drive and shut off the vehicle, taking a moment to enjoy the cooling breeze. The weather had warmed up as the days had crept into summer and she was never more grateful for the seaside location than right now.

  Her head felt full of the scattered puzzle pieces that, on their own, were intriguing enough but had not yet come together to make any real sense or any larger picture. They were missing something, and she hoped the boxes held some answers.

  Gathering up the grocery bags, Em headed inside and started unpacking. She’d bought fresh rolls and sandwich fixings, some prepared salads and a package of chicken wings that just needed heating. Finger food had been decided, so they could eat while they worked and not waste any time.

  Cullen had stacked the boxes around the living room yesterday so they could be more systematic. With the windows open, a breeze flowed through the house, chasing away the musty, dusty smells that had followed the boxes down from the attic.

  Wings in the oven, the rest of the food set out on the counter, Emlen pulled out her laptop and phone, and prepared to add to the cloud database they were compiling. A knock on the door had her glancing over to see Connor standing there, bags in his hands. “Come on in, it’s open.” she yelled, and moved to reach for one of the bags as he nudged the door open with his foot.

  “Hey Em, nice to see you again. I brought some beer and some of that flavored water stuff you like, and a c
ouple of bags of chips. Cull said you were doing sandwiches and stuff, so I thought it’d help.” Connor set the bags on the counter and pulled out items to put in the fridge.

  “Thanks, Connor. I figure we’ll be running late so extra snacks are always good.” Em grinned at him and moved to give him a hug just as Cullen walked in.

  “Hey, no making moves on my girl, Cullen growled, laughing as his brother jumped back about a foot.

  “Jeezus, Cull, you gave me a heart attack! Warn a guy when you’re going to go all alpha dog on him, will ya?” Connor teased, nodding to the fridge. “Might as well add yours to the ones I just brought. Beer for days, I guess.”

  “Or just enough beer to keep you two working until we’re done?” Emlen replied, laughing as she leaned over to kiss Cullen’s cheek and then gestured to the food. “Let’s get our plates fixed and get started. I pulled out my laptop and phone so I can scan anything we find right to the cloud. Not taking any chances after the last fiasco.”

  “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Connor replied around a mouthful of chips as he started to fill his plate.

  Laughter and light chatter filled the room as the three got food and drinks, and settled around the living room, taking a few minutes to eat before starting. “So, what did you guys find when you brought the boxes down?” Connor asked, swallowing a mouthful of sandwich.