Hugh strolled over to her and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her against him. “Thank you for coming. I needed this. I needed you,” he whispered next to her ear. “Stay in Colton, Adira. Stay with me.”
Thinking she must have imagined his words, she took a step away from him, grasping her brain around what he said. “Stay?”
The sincerity in his expression made it difficult to breathe. “Yes.”
She blinked. “Hugh…”
“Adira.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“The hell I don’t. I’ve known from the moment we touched that I wouldn’t want you to leave. You can’t tell me you don’t feel the same intense feelings and emotions.”
Wrapping her arms over her chest, she hoped her heart would slow down. “I-I don’t know what I want. This is great,” she looked at the desk. “But just because we’ve shared a few amazing times together doesn’t mean all the fear, the baggage, is gone. Trust takes time to build.”
“Have I given you any reason to think I’d hurt you?”
She couldn’t look at him so she sat on the chair and stared at her hands in her lap. “It’s not you who I can’t trust, Hugh. It’s me. I have no confidence in how I feel. I lost myself with Preston and I can’t do that again.”
“I’m not asking you to lose yourself with me. I get that you’ve been hurt, toyed with emotionally, but I’m not that type of man.”
“You’re missing the point.” She stood, her knees shaking. “What if I can’t do normal?”
His brows scrunched. “What do you mean?”
“I have never known normal. A normal family. A normal partner. I’ve only known unhealthy relationships, those that drain me of my energy, make me unhappy. You are different. You’re opposite of everything I’ve ever had in my life and it scares me. I’m afraid I’ll only disappoint you.”
He strolled over to her, taking her shoulders in his hands. “Couples disappoint each other, but with love they move forward, work things out. You’ve been handed a raw deal, sweetheart, but that doesn’t mean you can’t offer love, or be given the love you deserve. When does the running stop?”
She met his gaze, holding it steady. “Do you know what Preston said to me when I left him? He told me no one else would want me, that I’m a stain on his bed sheets.”
“Adira—”
“No. Please don’t.” She took a step back. “Although I know he is a cold, heartless man, I also can’t overlook the fact that I don’t know how to be who you need me to be.”
He blew out a long breath. His arms dropped to his sides. “And I can’t be near you and not want more. Believe it or not, I have no clue about the future either, but one thing I’m sure about, I have deep feelings for you.” He spun on his heels and walked to his desk, bending, and leaning his fists on the edge. “I’ll speak to Judge Marley and have your sentence lifted. You’ll be free to go if that’s what you wish. Whatever you choose, I can’t see you again until you look at yourself with a glimpse of the greatness I see in you.”
“What I fear most. Let’s say you and I fall in love, and then what? Do we have kids? Have you thought about the fact that they would have my gene pool too? The daughter of an addict and alcoholic. What if I’m more of my parents’ child than I want to be? What if I chose to be with Preston because that’s how I see myself?”
He didn’t look at her—he couldn’t see her. He needed to stay strong. Even she said a person had to make choices for themselves. “You have to learn to close the doors on the past, sweetheart. Look in the mirror. What do you see?” No response. “When I look at you I see a woman who lives in fear, one who keeps her love and passion protected. You have an honest heart. I see it. I see you. Love is not about losing yourself. It’s about finding yourself.”
Chapter 12
The door opened and softly closed.
Hugh closed his eyes and filled his lungs with air, then exhaled. Adira’s words of her gene pool sabotaged his thoughts. Not every child turned into an adult version of their parents. Why couldn’t she see the truth?
Opening his lids, he looked down and the pictures of Reed’s body were scattered across the desk. The images of a man’s fate who had controlled everyone around him.
Who wanted him dead?
Not Maggie. Or was it?
Another picture stuck out to him. Deandra. Her blonde hair. Pale eyes. Had she turned out like her real parents?
And then the puzzle started to fit together.
Picking up the stack of pictures, he pushed them back into the folder, then dropped down into the chair. Grabbing his cell, he dialed a number. Nancy answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“It’s Hugh. I’m sorry for calling so late.”
“What’s wrong, Sheriff?” Nancy asked in a sleepy tone. “Did something happen?”
“No, all is okay. I need to ask you something.”
“Sure.”
“When you told me Deandra was adopted, you didn’t tell me who her biological mother is. I need to know.”
“I thought you already knew. You were speaking to her at the hospital.”
“Maggie?”
“Yes. Maggie. But why are you asking?”
“What about Deandra’s father? Do you know who he is too?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I’ll speak to you later when I have more information.” He clicked off the phone.
The sun was rising hours later when Hugh sat back in his chair and scrubbed his whiskered jaw after hanging up with the records department at the hospital. Getting up, he grabbed his hat and keys, then headed for his truck. By the time he pulled up in front of Rosie’s house, he had every piece of the puzzle connected—almost. There were a few questions he needed answered.
“Am I in trouble?” Maggie asked as she allowed him in the house, then crossed her arms over her chest.
“Can we have a seat and talk? Is Rosie here?”
“Yes. Mom is sleeping.” Maggie led him into the kitchen. She took a chair at the table. He’d never seen the pretty, confident brunette so uncomfortable.
He sat down and pressed his hands together. “I just need to ask you a few questions.”
“Okay, Hugh.” Her lips thinned.
“It wasn’t a coincidence that you were close to Deandra Newman’s room at the hospital, was it?”
Several expressions flittered across her pale face before settling on one of reprieve. “I didn’t mean for you to see me, but you did and I had no other choice but to pretend I was there to speak to you. Don’t get me wrong. Talking to you has always been a highlight, but I had a few other things on my mind at that time.”
“Nancy told me the truth. She told me about Deandra.”
She looked away as if it made the subject easier to talk about. “I was sixteen and I thought he and I were in love. I think he did love me, but we were so young.” She laughed, but it was cold. “My mother realized I was pregnant before I did. I guess I’m one of those women who shows fast. She was angry and demanded that I have an abortion, but I couldn’t bear the thought. I had dreams that I would have my girl and be the best mom. So, I ran away and thought if I told him he was going to be a father he would step up, be a man, but instead he gave me the cold shoulder. He wanted nothing more to do with me or the baby. Every time I would call or go to see him he’d act like he didn’t know me. Cold, hungry, and alone, I had no choice but to go home, knowing my mother wouldn’t change her mind. After a week of crying to her, pleading, she finally relented—some. She and Nancy Newman were good friends, and because she couldn’t have kids of her own, she offered to take my child and raise her as her own.” She plucked at the fringe on her shorts, and with a restless sigh, she stood and paced the floor as if memories bombarded her.
“Go on,” he urged.
She stopped at the sink and stared out the window. “Reluctantly, I went along with it what choice did I have? I was young and stupid, but giving up
my baby was the hardest thing I ever had to do.” She swiveled and looked at him, leaning against the counter. The pain was clear in her dull eyes and twisted mouth. “I can’t even begin to describe how hard it is to sit back and watch your child calling someone else “mommy”, and her not even having a clue that I once loved her. Never stopped. She looks just like me.”
She was right and he had no clue why he hadn’t seen it before now. “I’m sorry, Maggie.”
Lifting a shoulder, she let it drop as if she carried the weight of the world. “It wasn’t very easy watching the man I loved with another woman either. While I was pregnant, he had moved on, but my love for him did too, eventually, yet it never faded for our daughter. Hell, I should be happy that Sandra stole that worthless ass away. For God’s sake, he’s turned into a crazy mess.”
“Joe is Deandra’s father?”
“Surprise, surprise.” She laughed.
He leaned forward. Things were clearer than ever. “You said that Reed took his prescription before you cuffed him.”
“Yes, he did.”
Hugh shook his head. “No, he didn’t.”
Maggie’s eyes widened. “He didn’t?” Her shoulders slumped.
“Science doesn’t lie. The toxicology results came back negative for the medicine in his blood. However, he did have the drug fentanyl in his system.”
“Fentanyl?” She narrowed her eyes. “What’s that?”
Scrubbing his jaw, he sighed. “It’s an opioid pain medication with a rapid onset. The drug is powerful, Maggie. I’m guessing you already know that since you once worked as an aide at the hospital. In fact, I looked back in your records and I didn’t know you worked in the pain management unit at the main branch before you relocated to the urgent care department.”
She pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear, her fingers noticeably shaking. “I have no clue how he got the drug in his system. He must have taken it.”
“You’d know if he did. The amount he had in his blood and the mix of wine would have killed him on the couch. The forensic examiner found a needle mark behind one of his knees. That wouldn’t be a place a person would shoot up. Someone would have injected him after he was, let’s say, handcuffed. That’s why he didn’t have time to take the Viagra. Someone surprised him, forced him to get into the bed, and then he was cuffed.”
Her arms dropped to her sides. “What are you saying?”
“I think someone murdered him. Why?”
“I didn’t inject him with anything,” she muttered.
“I don’t think you did, but I do think you lured him to your house, maybe used female persuasion to get him to your bedroom. You were an accomplice. Who gave him the drug, Maggie?”
A tear slid down her cheek. “You don’t understand.”
“Then help me understand. This is your chance.”
She came back to sit in the chair. “Since Deandra was a little girl I kept an eye on her. I would watch her play at the park. Watch her walk to school in the morning. I agreed I would keep my distance and I did, only watching her from afar. And then she turned eighteen and I found that I couldn’t keep the secret any longer. She had been robbed from me. So, I told her the truth. I didn’t mean to hurt her, but she was distraught. Nancy was angry with me, but when Deandra started acting differently, having moments of rage, she reached out for my help because she felt her hands were tied. I assured her I would find out why Deandra was acting strange. I followed her one evening. Guess where she ended up? Marshall Reed’s. She stayed there all night.”
“Did you or Nancy confront her?”
“I did the next day. Of course, she told me it was none of my business, but I knew what was happening. I knew that bastard was taking advantage of my daughter. I might have lost all rights to her, but I didn’t lose the right to care for her. It was his fault that she got mixed up in bad behavior.”
“I know it’s hard, but unless she admits that Reed was supplying——”
Maggie’s loud sniff cut his words off. “Hugh, he was controlling her like he did everyone. I found Deandra at that drug house, you know the one, and she was out of her head. She’d taken something and I brought her home with me, sobered her up, and then she admitted everything to me, but made me promise not to tell Nancy. She didn’t want her mom to know about the affair. The drug use. That Marshall was giving her money and drugs in exchange for sex. He didn’t care that he destroyed her future as long as he got his way. And in typical Reed form, he would have walked away unscathed.”
“So, you devised a plan for revenge?”
“Not then. Not until this last time when she almost died. Her addiction is because of him.”
“But you weren’t alone.”
“No, I wasn’t. I realized I couldn’t manage this myself. This was Joe’s responsibility too. Maybe if he’d been a better man…” She sighed. “He hated Marshall because he was fired as his “driver” and that left him high and dry. He had been calling Marshall, blackmailing him, and finally he paid up, but the money didn’t last. I bargained on the fact that Joe wanted Marshall to pay as much as I did. I’m not sure what I wanted exactly, except to have him suffer as Deandra had. A few bills and Joe saw my way of things. Purely selfish reasons, sure, but I didn’t care. I was desperate, not only for my daughter, but for every person in this town who had been a puppet on Marshall’s strings. He was led with his zipper, Hugh. So much that he didn’t even suspect why I’d invited him over.”
“This is where things take a turn. I was right, Reed didn’t get into handcuffs willingly, did he?”
“No. Joe was antsy and came in too soon, before I could get him into bed and the handcuffs into place.”
“Joe had been in the backyard, standing in the flower bed, watching through the window.”
She nodded. “I had left the backdoor unlocked. Joe came in with a gun, forcing Marshall into the cuffs. I tried explaining to him the error of his ways, but even at the wrong end of a gun he still was righteous. Joe pulled out a syringe, telling Marshall that he was going to get a taste of his own medicine, then he shot the drug into him.”
“You thought it’d look like he had taken his meds and had a heart attack. You didn’t think far enough ahead that I would suspect foul play. I might not have if I didn’t see the dirty boot print on the floor.”
She worked her bottom lip. “I did try to take your attention away from your duties.” She sighed. “It didn’t work. I didn’t plan for the filmmaker, or that you’d care enough about Marshall. I thought you might see this as a relief. Boy, was I wrong.”
Hugh stood, came around the table and stood next to her chair. “I haven’t been able to locate Joe. Do you know where he is?”
Throwing up her hands, she shook her head. “I-I don’t know for sure.”
“But do you have an idea?”
“I’ve always liked you Hugh. I wish things could have been different for us. I hope you realize I did this because I felt I owed my daughter her safety.”
“I hope Deandra appreciates the second chance.”
She slowly stood and placed her hands behind her back.
“You’re under arrest—”
“Hugh? Wait, I do remember Joe saying something. I think he is staying in one of the barns at his farm. I remember he had straw in his hair and he let it slip that it was like the old days when he’d sober up outside.”
“Thank you, Maggie.”
“And Hugh…be careful. I know Joe and he won’t be taken in handcuffs. Or without Sandra.”
He led Maggie to the front door and opened it. Carol was waiting. “Take her statement and book her.” He headed for his truck.
“Where are you going, Sheriff?” Carol asked.
He smashed his hat to his head. “I’m going to the Peterson farm.”
~~~~~
“What a surprise. I wasn’t expecting you.”
Adira smiled at Sandra, noticing how much different she looked. Her eyes were brighter and there was color to her skin
that wasn’t there before. “I should have called first, but I was thinking of you and wanted to come by and see how you’re doing. I haven’t had a chance to see you since you came back from your sister’s.”
“Come in. I’ll make us tea.”
Following Sandra down the hall, Adira stopped a moment to look at the framed pictures hanging on the wall. There were some older pictures and she could see what Hugh meant by the other woman being bubbly and bright-eyed when she was younger. The camera captured her joy and innocence. Sandra had lost herself along the way, something Adira understood all too well, which saddened her. She’d found the fear of veering off the path again had helped her build walls and fences for safety.
“Adira?”
She looked around to find Sandra standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “Sorry. I was just admiring your photos.”
“Sometimes I can’t believe how much time has passed. When we’re kids, we think we own the world.”
Adira sat down at the table and watched the other woman fill the electric kettle with water, then place it on the base to boil. “How are you?”
“As good as can be expected. I hope no one is angry with me.” Sandra busied herself with the tea bags.
“Angry? Why on earth would anyone be angry with you?”
She shrugged. “Coming home when I could have stayed away.”
“No one has the right to judge you, Sandra. You have to make the choices that are best for you.”
“I have to work. I don’t want to lose my jobs.”
“Understandable.”
The water whistled and once it was poured into the cups, Sandra sat down. “You’ve been kind to me, Adira. I appreciate your sincerity.” She brought the cup to her lips, but because she was shaking some of the tea dripped over the rim. She didn’t bother cleaning up the spill.
“I’m a friend.”
“I-I know. That’s why I need to tell you…”
“What, Sandra?” Adira’s intuition was on high alert. From the other woman’s restless energy to the spilled tea, something was off. Scanning the room, she saw the men’s dirty boots sitting by the back door. The fact that Sandy had a spotless house and the boots had fresh dirt on the soles told Adira that Joe was back home. “He’s here, isn’t he?”
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