“Prison? Wow!” Katie said, and Ellie imagined her stepdaughter’s expression of astonishment.
“She can stay there forever, for all I care.”
“I’m mad at my mom, too.” Katie lowered her voice and said something she couldn’t hear.
To respect their privacy, Ellie moved away from the door. She returned to the kitchen and finished straightening up. When she came back upstairs at nine thirty, all four of her girls were sound asleep.
She slipped between the cool sheets beside her husband. He set the mystery novel he was reading on the night table and turned toward her. He tossed his leg over her midsection and melded his body to hers. “I feel like the old man who lives in the shoe.”
Ellie giggled. “Who had so many children he didn’t know what to do?”
“Mm-hmm. Something like that.” He dragged his finger across her forehead and down her nose to her lips. “How are you feeling? About the miscarriage, I mean. I’m not avoiding the subject on purpose. But so much has happened these past few days with Katie . . .”
“Shh!” Ellie pressed the tip of her finger against his lips. “I understand. We don’t need to talk about it.”
“Yes, we do. At least I do. I need to say this.” He propped himself on one elbow. “I don’t know what got into me. The emotional side of me blamed you for losing the baby, even though the rational side of me knows it wasn’t your fault.”
“You had every right to blame me. God gave me a gift, a little life to protect and nurture, and I failed him. Which is why it’s so important for me not to fail Ruby. Or the twins or Katie. He’s counting on me. I can’t let him down a second time.”
“You won’t, babe. I’ll make certain you don’t.”
Ellie snuggled into him. “Tell me about Katie. What kind of deal did you work out with her mother?”
“Like I told you earlier, Laura has agreed to let Katie live with me for the summer. Laura doesn’t know this, but I’m petitioning for full custody. Based on what Katie told me and what I witnessed with my own eyes today, I’m not sure she’ll fight it. My ex-wife is going through some kind of premature midlife crisis. She was still in bed with a hangover when we arrived at eleven o’clock this morning. It’s like she’s reliving her college years all over again. If she’s not careful, she’ll get fired from her job.”
“Do you have any idea what this is about?”
“I’m not sure. I’m starting to think she’s having some emotional problems. She up and left me without any warning, and now this. She’s no longer my problem except where my daughter is concerned.” He lay his head against Ellie’s breast. “I’m submitting an application for Katie to Ashley Hall, which is where she went for kindergarten. I’m sure they’re already full for the fall term, but I know some of the board members.”
“Sure you do,” Ellie said, nudging him with her elbow. “I’ve been thinking about Ruby’s education as well. She’s so bright, and we have the means to provide her a good education. But if we have custody of her for only one year, would it be cruel to let her attend private school and then yank the opportunity away from her?”
“From what you’ve told me, I think her mother will be in jail for longer than a year. But one year of private school is better than no years, in my opinion. The teachers and students she will meet and the experiences she encounters could have a profound impact on the rest of her life. Why don’t I put in an application for both girls?”
Ellie turned to him. “Would you do that for Ruby?”
“Of course, sweetheart. We will treat all our children equally as long as they live under our roof. I pray that’s until they are ready to go to college and be out on their own.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Lia
Lia spent nine days in Daytona Beach—swimming and soaking up the rays by day, dancing and having uninhibited sex with strange men by night. Until now, she’d made love with only two men in her life—her husband and Justin. She’d been missing out on life’s best-kept secret. Sex was better than any drug she’d ever tried, prescription or recreational, for satisfying her addictive personality.
The effects of the lithium had long since worn off, and she was feeling like her old self again. She was riding a high more exhilarating than she’d ever experienced before. The depths of darkness lurked beneath the surface of that high. But she wouldn’t think about that now. She planned to enjoy herself while the good time lasted.
She was now a regular at Hank’s Honky Tonk, where the music was twangy, the rednecks rugged, and the draft beer cheap. Not that she ever ordered more than one. The beer was a prop. How sexy would she look drinking lemonade while perched on a stool at the polished wooden bar?
The neon Budweiser sign hanging above the shelves of liquor bottles behind the bar brought to mind the image of her husband’s dead body. The brilliant red of the bowtie in the logo was exactly the shade of the blood soaking the sheets of his hotel bed. Her eyes traveled the restaurant as she searched for signs of uniformed policemen. She didn’t see any, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. They’d been following her since she left Key West, hiding behind the sand dunes on the beach and peeking through the window of her motel room. It was entirely possible these figures were a figment of her imagination, that darkness lurking in the shadows.
The partiers flowed into Hank’s beginning around ten o’clock. Most were strangers, but Lia recognized a few familiar faces, even one particularly hot guy she’d banged two nights ago in the back seat of his pickup truck in Hank’s parking lot.
What was his name? James? No. That wasn’t it. Noah. Noah from Nebraska.
Someone dropped coins in the jukebox and selected David Lee Murphy’s “Party Crowd.” The room erupted into cheers, and couples flowed out onto the dance floor. A good-looking cowboy in boots and blue jeans, with a body that rocked his Kyle Busch T-shirt, slipped onto the empty barstool beside her.
“Evening, gorgeous. What say I buy you a tequila shot and we get naked together?”
She awarded him her brightest smile. “Why waste time with tequila?”
“Ooh, baby.” He slid off his barstool, pulled her to her feet, and two-stepped her out onto the dance floor. Pulling her to him, he buried his face in the silk scarf around her neck. They danced together, tangled in each other’s arms. By the fifth song, they were making out hot and heavy, oblivious to onlookers.
A tiny blonde-haired woman whose head was too big for her body tapped Lia’s dance partner on the shoulder. “Are you kidding me right now, Brad? I turn my back on you for an hour, and you jump into the arms of the first slut who looks your way.”
Lia turned away from Brad and faced the woman. “Who are you?”
“I’m his wife.” The petite woman shoved Lia away, and with fists clenched at her side, she stared her husband down. “You ditched me at our hotel, and I find you here dancing with this little tramp. What’s up with that, Brad?”
Brad cocked his head to the side. “Aw, come on, Mel. I’m just having a little fun, like that time last year I caught you making out with Jake the Snake at our block party. Go on back to the room now. I won’t be out too late.”
Mel crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to budge.
“You heard the man,” Lia said. “Beat it.”
“Why, you little slut.” Mel took a swing at Lia, but Lia ducked before her fist crashed into her face.
She grabbed Mel’s arm, twisting it behind her back, and brought her lips close to Mel’s ear. “You can have him. He sucks in bed anyway.”
Of course it was a lie. She’d never met Brad before that night. But feeling Mel squirm in anger was worth it.
Turning the woman loose, Lia spun on her heels and sauntered out of Hank’s Honky Tonk. She’d grown bored of Daytona. It was time to move on. First thing tomorrow morning, she would board a bus for South Carolina.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Ellie
Ellie gave Katie her choice of restaurants when they decided to g
o for a late lunch the following day. Leon’s is famous for their Southern-style soul food, but instead of ordering the fried chicken platter, Katie surprised Ellie by asking for a dozen raw oysters.
“You’re a girl after her father’s heart,” Ellie said when the waitress had finished taking their order. “He does love his seafood raw.”
Katie smiled. “Believe it or not, I was still in diapers when Daddy fed me my first oyster.” Her blue eyes were bright with hope when she leaned across the table toward Ellie. “Do you think I’ll get to live here permanently with y’all?”
“If your father has his way about it, you will. And I would certainly love to have you. And the twins and Ruby. You make our odd little family feel complete.”
“I’m used to being an only child, but I kinda like having other kids around.” She dropped her smile and scrunched her face up. “I’ll run away again if my mom tries to make me go back to Spartanburg. She doesn’t care about me anymore. All she cares about are her friends.”
“Now, Katie, you know that’s not true. Your mom loves you.” The waitress arrived with their sweet teas. Ellie waited for her to leave again before she asked, “These friends you mentioned—are they the soccer moms you told me about the other day?”
Katie nodded as she slurped tea through her straw. “When we moved to Spartanburg, instead of working in a neonatal unit at a hospital like when we lived here, Mom got a job in a pediatrician’s office so she could be home with me at night. I don’t know why she bothered. She goes out almost every night and leaves me at home alone.”
Why would Laura leave her eight-year-old daughter home alone at night?
Ellie reminded herself that children Katie’s age were prone to exaggeration. “When you say she goes out, what exactly do you mean?”
“I mean she goes out with her friends to bars and stays out until past midnight. She used to get up every morning and fix breakfast for me before school, but she doesn’t even do that anymore.”
The server delivered Katie’s platter of raw oysters and a grilled mahi sandwich for Ellie and quickly scurried off to assist another table.
Ellie lifted the bun on her sandwich and examined her fish. “What time does your mother have to be at work?”
“At nine.” Katie dipped an oyster in cocktail sauce and popped it in her mouth. “She’s usually still in bed when I leave for the bus stop at seven thirty. I don’t know how she makes it to work on time, but I guess she does. I mean, they haven’t fired her or anything yet.”
Katie had matured quite a lot since Christmas. Having to fend for oneself made a little girl grow up too soon. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know this has been a difficult time for you. But you can relax now, and let the grown-ups take care of you.”
While they ate, Katie offered more details about life with her mother in Spartanburg. By the time she’d finished paying the check, Ellie was angry with the child’s mother, but she tried not to let her irritation show. She made mental notes to share with Julian instead.
They left Leon’s and went straight to Peninsula Elementary to pick up Ruby. From there, they drove to the Tanger Outlets in North Charleston.
Katie and Ruby, their arms loaded with clothes on hangers, disappeared into the same dressing room at the Gap. Even though a year separated the girls in age, Katie, who had inherited her father’s height, wore the same size as Ruby. They shopped at Old Navy, the Children’s Place, and J.Crew. They purchased two new dresses and a bathing suit for Katie, and a whole new wardrobe for Ruby. Ellie’s heart swelled with happiness to see the girls giggling and whispering and carrying on like best friends. As they left the mall, she treated them to ice cream cones despite the close proximity to the dinner hour.
When they arrived home, Ellie carried a load of shopping bags upstairs and deposited them on Ruby’s bed. She heard shrieks of laughter coming from the twins’ playroom and crossed the hall to check on them. Becca was stretched out on the daybed, texting on her phone, while Bella and Mya danced plastic horses across the floor at her feet.
Ellie dropped to her knees beside them. “Whatcha got there?”
“GoPa bought us Buy-her horses.” Bella handed Ellie a horse with reddish coloring. “See, Aunt Ellie! This one looks like you.”
She took the horse from Bella. “I believe they’re called Breyer Horses.”
Mya pranced a buckskin horse with black tail and mane across the floor toward Ellie. “And this one looks like Mommy. We saw her today.”
Ellie’s heart skipped a beat, but her face remained impassive. “You saw who today?”
“Mommy.” Bella crawled into Ellie’s lap and wrapped her arms around her neck. “Do we have to go home with her, Aunt Ellie? We really like it here with you and Julian.”
“No, sweetheart, you’re staying right here with us.” Ellie cuddled the child. “Are you sure it was your mommy?”
Mya nodded. “She talked to us.”
Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat. “Where did you see her?”
“In the park,” Mya said.
“Where was Becca when this happened?” Ellie shot a glance at the sitter, whose color had drained from her face.
“Talking on her cell phone,” Mya mumbled, chewing on her lower lip.
Becca was saved from having to respond by the sound of the front door closing and footsteps in the downstairs hall.
When Julian called out, “Fam, I’m home,” Bella and Mya scrambled to their feet and raced each other out of the room.
Ellie and Becca stood to face each other. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Hagood. I was only on the phone with my mom for a minute. She had a breast biopsy today, and I was worried about her,” Becca said with a quaver in her voice.
Ellie’s anger subsided a little. “I’m sorry to hear about your mom. I hope everything’s all right.”
“Yes, ma’am. They don’t think it’s cancer.”
“That’s good news. I know you’re relieved. But we still need to talk about what happened in the park today. You realize it only takes a minute to kidnap a child.”
Becca hung her blonde head. “Yes, ma’am. I saw a skinny woman with dark hair talking to them. She let them pet her little dog. I had no idea it was their mother.”
Dog? Ellie thought. Lia doesn’t seem like the pet-loving type.
“No harm done this time.” She squeezed Becca’s bicep. “I’m partially to blame anyway. I should have told you about their mother sooner.” She removed her cell phone from her jacket pocket and showed Bella the picture of her sister. “Was this the woman you saw talking to them?”
Becca studied the photograph. “I can’t say for sure. The woman in the park was wearing a baseball cap pulled low over her face.”
Ellie slipped the phone back in her pocket. “I’ve neither seen nor heard from Lia in the seven months since she left the twins in my care. I don’t even know that much about her. We were raised by different parents. But I’m concerned she may have mental problems. Let’s keep the twins close to home for the next few days until we find out what my sister is up to.”
Becca offered her a sympathetic smile. “Yes, ma’am. I understand.”
Ellie glanced at her watch. “I realize it’s time for you to leave, but can you stay a few minutes longer while I explain the situation to Julian?”
“I’m happy to stay as long as you need me,” Becca said, and they walked out of the room and down the stairs together.
#
Ellie summoned Julian to his study, and they called her father on the speakerphone. “We have a situation,” she said. “Lia has come back to Charleston to claim the twins. She approached them in the park today.”
“Where was Becca?” Abbott asked.
“Talking to her mother on her cell phone. Her mother had a breast biopsy today. Naturally, she was concerned about her. I’ve never explained the situation to Becca, so she didn’t know to be on the lookout for Lia.”
“That makes no sense, Ellie. Why have you never told your babysit
ter that her charges’ mother could be dangerous?”
Ellie winced at her father’s accusatory tone. “I don’t know, Dad. I was worried about scaring her off, I guess. I realize now it was a mistake not to tell her.”
“No sense beating yourself up about it now, as long as Becca understands the severity of the situation. Should we call the police?”
“Why would we call the police?” Ellie asked.
Julian’s eyes met hers. “Because your sister is wanted for questioning in a murder investigation.”
Ellie considered this for thirty seconds before responding. “That’s true, and we have the safety of others to consider now that Katie and Ruby are in the picture. Actually, we don’t even know for certain it was Lia in the park. I would think the twins would know their own mother. Then again, they’re so young, and it’s been seven months since they last saw her. On the other hand, if it was Lia, and if we make her angry, she could take the twins, and we may never see them again.”
“Agreed on all points,” Julian said. “Why don’t we let Lia make the next move? In the meantime, we’ll consult with our attorney. He understands the situation. He can advise us on how to proceed.”
“I guess that’s reasonable,” Abbot said with an audible sigh. “But it wouldn’t hurt to be extra cautious. I can make myself available to sit with the twins. I know you have your hands full with Katie and Ruby.”
“You’re welcome here anytime, Dad. You know that. I’m interviewing a young woman tomorrow, a friend of Maddie’s, to take over the heavy cleaning. With four children, two adults, and two dogs, Maddie—God bless her—is too old to maintain this household without help. If I like Cilla, I plan to hire her on the spot, which will free up some of Maddie’s time to help keep an eye on the twins.”
“Good,” Abbott said. “We’ll have plenty of people in place to be on the lookout for trouble.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lia
The last of Lia’s money bought her six nights in a cheap hotel room in a sketchy part of downtown Charleston. The desk clerk insisted she pay in advance. She hoped that would give her enough time to take care of business. She’d never had much of an appetite for food, but when the hunger got the best of her, she was forced to forage for leftovers. Charleston hosted some of the best restaurants in the Southeast. In the back alleys behind those restaurants were dumpsters that housed the spoils from their tables.
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