“She wanted to get a hot bath, have a glass of wine and binge on Netflix.” Billie lifted her glass and sipped on her wine.
“You don’t think she’s allowing that bastard to come over when you’re not there, do you?” Dana growled.
“Hell no, besides he’s still under the restraining order. I think she’s done it this time. I mean it’s been two months since she moved in with me and I can see the change in her. She’s happy and relaxed.” Billie had even seen Peggy smile more than she had in a long while.
“Is she still looking for a job?” Abbie asked.
“Yes, the woman from the shelter is helping her.” Billie sighed.
“Are you okay?” Abbie tapped her finger on top of Billie’s hand.
“I’m fine.” Billie shrugged.
“It’s still bothering you that Stephanie’s husband was the guy from the club, isn’t it?” Dana wrapped her arm around Billie’s shoulder.
“Yeah.” Billie pushed her hair behind her ear. “I like Stephanie, and she was good to Pop. I can’t believe what a jerk her husband is and I feel like someone should tell her.”
“Do you really want to be the one to break up a marriage or cause trouble?” Abbie raised an eyebrow.
“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?” Dana was right.
“Yes.”
“If it were me, I’d want to know, but that’s just because if a man cheated on me, I’d beat them senseless, cut off his danglers and toss it in a blender.” Abbie flicked her brown hair over her shoulder, and blue eyes sparkled with mischief.
“That’s because you’re a crazy bitch.” Dana joked. “But Billie, I’d really think about it before you open that can of worms.”
They were probably right, but her grandfather’s party was coming up, and Stephanie would be coming with her husband. What was she supposed to do smile and pretend he didn’t kiss the hell out of her that night?
The taxi dropped Billie at the end of her driveway, and she waved to Abbie and Dana as the car pulled away. She glanced at her phone as she walked up the path. There was a missed call from her mother, and Billie shook her head. Like clockwork, her mother called at eleven every night just to say goodnight. It was after midnight, so Billie sent her a text to let her know she was home safe.
Billie unlocked the front door, pushed it open and kicked off her sneakers. The house was dark, but the television blared from the living room. It was obvious Peggy couldn’t hear because she had no idea how loud it was. Billie walked into the room and turned off the television. Peggy must have forgotten to turn it off when she went to bed. On her way into the kitchen, she stepped in something wet and cursed.
“Cougar if you choked up another hairball in the middle of the hallway again I’m going to make you clean it up,” Billie grumbled as she flicked on the kitchen light.
She grabbed the doorjamb but pulled her hand away quickly when she felt the moisture. The room started to spin, and it was as if all the air whooshed out of her lungs. Dark red covered the walls and counter. In the middle of the kitchen floor was a large pool of the same deep red but Billie couldn’t comprehend exactly what it was or she didn’t want to believe what she saw. She tried to back out of the room, but she couldn’t make her legs move, and there was a high-pitched scream that hurt her ears. It took her a few minutes to realize the sound came from her and the reason she couldn’t move was that her best friend lay face down in the middle of her kitchen surrounded by blood.
Thank God for nosey neighbors because Billie didn’t know how long she would have stood in her kitchen and stared at Peggy’s bloody body before her brain started to work again. The police pulled her out of her house and sat her in the back of an ambulance. That’s where she was with an oxygen mask over her face and wrapped in a blanket when her father and brothers appeared.
“Belinda, are you okay?” Her father pulled her into his arms.
“What the fuck happened? Where’s Peggy?” Matt glanced back and forth between Billie and her house.
“Sh… sh… so much…. bl… blood.” Billie sobbed.
“Did they bring her to the hospital?” Philip asked.
“No…” Billie turned her face into her father’s shoulder and cried hysterically.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, are you Ms. Carter’s family?” The police officer that had introduced himself as Sergeant Avery stepped next to Matt.
“That’s her father, Bill. I’m Philip, and this is Matt. What’s going on?” Her oldest brother was usually calm and collected, but at that moment he looked about ready to jump out of his skin.
“I’m Sergeant Rick Avery.”
“Peggy’s dead, isn’t she?” Billie blurted out and started to sob again.
“I’m afraid so,” Rick said softly.
“Wh…. What?” Matt staggered back against the open ambulance door.
“What happened?” Her father’s voice cracked.
“Right now, we’re investigating, but it appears someone got in through the back door,” Rick explained.
“She had a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend,” Philip told Rick.
“Ms. Carter told us, and we’ve got an all points bulletin out for him,” Rick explained.
“That bastard killed her. I’ll beat him to death.” Matt shouted and started to stomp off, but before he got more than a couple of steps, Rick and Philip grabbed his arms.
“I know that’s just the shock talking, but you can’t say things like that nor can you go after him. We’ll take care of this.” Rick’s firm voice appeared to stop Matt from going off half-cocked.
Billie stared at the front door of her house as police walked in and out. Yellow tape stretched across her driveway, and it seemed as if the entire neighborhood were on the side of the road watching. She tried to distract herself and stared at the ground, but panic started to take over when she noticed her socks soaked in blood.
“Take them off, take them off.” Billie couldn’t control her legs as she kicked her feet. It was stupid because she knew it wouldn’t get them off.
“Honey, you’ve got to stop kicking. I’ll pull them off.” Her father cupped her face, and she pushed the oxygen mask over on her face again. The paramedic gave him a pair of gloves, a plastic bag, and towels. Her dad quickly pulled off the stained socks, dropped them in the bag and turned around.
“The police will probably want to keep these.” Her father passed them to the paramedic and used the towels to clean the blood off her feet.
Matt paced back and forth between the ambulance and the back of his father’s truck. Philip appeared about ready to pounce if Matt decided to take off and find Eugene himself. The only thing that kept her from freaking out completely was her father had her tightly wrapped in his arms.
“Ms. Carter, my supervisor would like to speak with you before we let you go. He’s on his way here now.” Rick handed her a bottle of water.
“Can I go to my parents after that?” She asked.
“I do think you should go to the hospital just to make sure you’re okay. You did have quite a shock.” He touched her shoulder.
“I’m fine. I just want to be around my family.” Billie gasped. “Oh my God, Chloe.”
“Who’s Chloe?” Rick asked.
“She’s Peggy’s daughter.” Her father answered.
“She’s only eight years old. What’s going to happen to her? Peggy has no family.” Billie pulled out of her father’s arms and yanked off the oxygen mask. “I need to go to her.”
Philip was the one to grab her, and for a moment she struggled until Matt’s firm voice stopped her.
“Chloe has a family. She has us, and that’s where she’ll stay.” Matt’s voice was more like a growl.
“Ms. Carter Staff Sergeant O’Connor is here.” Rick nodded toward a black truck as it pulled up next to the ambulance.
“Umm, O’Connor. Not John O’Connor?” Billie stammered.
“Yes, he’s my direct supervisor.” Rick watched the truck.
> Billie’s heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. As if things weren’t bad enough now she was about to come face to face with the one man she never wanted to see again.
“There’s nobody else.” Billie didn’t want to be difficult, but with the way, she felt she’d probably punch the man, and that wouldn’t be good.
“No, Ms. Carter. Trust me he’s one of the best.” Rick smiled and walked around the ambulance.
“Do you know this guy?” Philip asked.
“He’s Stephanie’s husband.” That was all her family needed to know.
“That’s good then.” Her father rubbed her shoulder as he tucked her under his arm. Billie turned her head into him and closed her eyes.
“Ms. Carter this is John O’Connor.” Billie heard Rick and took a deep breath before she turned and opened her eyes.
The man in front of her was not who she expected to see. It wasn’t the same man she’d met at the club or the same man she saw with Stephanie. Maybe there was more than one John O’Connor.
“Sorry, we had to meet under these circumstances.” John met her gaze.
“You’re Stephanie’s husband.” Matt blurted out before Billie could speak.
“Stephanie’s my wife. How do you know her?” He asked.
“Stephanie was my grandfather’s therapist.” Billie’s voice trembled.
“I see.” John glanced at Rick. “Has the scene been cleared yet?”
“Forensics is still in there,” Rick replied.
John nodded and turned back to Billie. Stephanie didn’t exaggerate about her husband’s looks. He was incredibly handsome but if this was her husband who was Mike and why was he with Stephanie. Was she having an affair?
“It’s getting a little cold out here. I think we’ll get you to the hospital and I can talk to you there.” John must have noticed her trembling, but it wasn’t because she was cold. She only felt numb and completely confused.
“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” Billie whispered.
“I think you need to, Belinda.” John wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. She hadn’t noticed it fall off.
“He’s right, Pumpkin.” Her father turned her and helped her into the back of the ambulance.
“Sir, we found a cat in the back room, but it won’t let us near it.” The voice came from her doorway.
Cougar.
“That’s my cat. His name is Cougar, and he doesn’t like strangers.” Billie tried to jump out of the ambulance, but her father stopped her.
“I’ll get him.” Matt stomped toward the house.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” John stepped in front of her brother.
“What are you gonna do? It’s my sister’s cat, and Chloe loves the fucking thing. So, I’m going to get the cat, and you can’t stop me.” Matt stepped around John but didn’t get very far before John stopped him.
“I understand you’re upset here, but we can’t let you in there until it's cleared.” John was taller than her brother, but they were about the same width. John whispered something to Matt that made him stop and back away. “I’ll make sure the cat get’s out safely and brought to Ms. Carter.”
Matt didn’t say anything, but for a moment he stared at Billie’s house and then stomped off to her dad’s truck. Philip spoke to John as well before he left. The last thing Billie saw before the doors of the ambulance closed was John holding his phone up to his ear.
Billie felt like she was in the middle of a nightmare as the ambulance bounced over a bump at the end of her road. Peggy was dead and poor Chloe had nobody. Billie didn’t even know who Chloe’s father was or how to get in touch with him. Peggy never wanted to talk about him, and there was no name on the birth certificate. Billie had seen it when Peggy had moved in with her. Peggy had asked her to put all the essential papers in the safe.
It was at that moment that Billie made a choice. She’d take care of Chloe and make sure the little girl got everything she needed. The only problem was how were they going to tell an eight-year-old that her mother was dead.
The tears streamed down her cheeks only mirrored the tears that she would have to see when Chloe found out she was never going to see her mother again. The thought made Billie sob uncontrollably as she clung to her father.
Chloe I’ll take care of you.
Chapter 7
It was the fourth of his brothers to tie the knot. This one had been quick, but Keith never looked happier, and Emily was glowing. Mike grabbed a beer from the bar and twisted off the top. From the way things were going, he’d be the last of the brothers to settle down.
It was almost comical how his family thought he was playing the field. He hadn’t had sex for six months and not because he couldn’t. He had a couple of women that called him on a regular basis for booty calls. Mike was sick of the meaningless sex. He wanted to spend time with someone in bed and out.
Maybe it was because he’d been watching his older brothers all settle down. They were all so sickeningly happy. Not that he wasn’t glad for them, but it was difficult for him to be around them. Especially, when they’d give unsolicited advice on how he needed to settle down.
“Bro, we’re a dying breed.” Aaron nudged him.
“Hey, with the way this is going Mikey here is the next to sail off into the sunset.” Nick laughed.
“Maybe I’ll just be the cool single bachelor that your women call and complain to.” Mike laughed. That was certainly not what he wanted.
“Bachelor maybe but definitely not cool.” Isabelle poked him in the chest.
“That’s right I’m the cool one.” John draped his arm around Isabelle’s shoulder.
“Dream on. Your cool factor dropped after you took the plunge, bro.” Nick teased.
“Yeah but his sexiness skyrocketed.” Stephanie tucked herself under John’s other arm and kissed his cheek. She and John had found out they were about to have another baby and they were both over the moon.
“Please, don’t use sexy in the same sentence with my cousin.” Kristy gagged.
Mike started to feel smothered as everyone circled the bar. He stepped back and let out a breath.
“Hey, are you okay?” Stephanie touched his arm.
“Just been busy at work.” Mike forced a smile.
“That makes what I’m about to ask really bad.” Stephanie pointed to the door leading to the patio.
“What is it?” Mike didn’t care how busy he was. When it came to family, he’d be there. Just like they always were for each other.
“John, I need to talk to Mike about that situation.” Stephanie kissed John’s cheek and linked her arm into Mike’s elbow.
It was a beautiful night even though it was a little chilly for the end of August. Mike walked with Stephanie to one of the patio tables outside the country club. They sat down, and Stephanie smiled.
“I’ve got a friend who may need some advice on a situation.” Stephanie folded her hands in front of her.
“Do I know this friend?” Mike asked.
“I don’t think so. She’s the grand-daughter of one of my clients.” Stephanie explained. “She’s trying to get custody of her friend’s daughter.”
“It’s hard to get a judge to take a child away from their parents unless there’s something dangerous.” Mike had seen enough of it to know.
“Her friend was the girl murdered last month,” Stephanie explained.
“Did her friend have a will or anything to give her custody?” This was a different situation altogether, and chances were child welfare would be the ones to deal with any arrangements for the child.
“No, but she always told Belinda that if anything happened to her, the little girl needed to be kept safe.” Stephanie sighed.
“Then Belinda and her husband need to tell child welfare that,” Mike said.
“See that’s one of the problems. Belinda isn’t married.”
“That could make things harder.”
“But the little girl is
deaf, and Belinda knows sign language. She’s also a social worker herself.” Stephanie sighed. “She’s desperate.”
“If she’s a social worker than she should know how this works,” Mike said.
“She does, but John tells me you know sign language too.”
“What difference does that make?” Mike didn’t know how him knowing sign language could help her friend’s situation.
“Belinda don’t need a lawyer for herself. She needs one for the child.” Stephanie took his hands. “They want to place the little girl with the man Belinda thinks killed her friend and the little girl is terrified of him.”
“Well, that changes things.” Mike sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. Text me her information.”
“I’ll do that when I get home.” Stephanie smiled. “You know I think you’ll like Belinda.”
“Jesus, don’t tell me you’re turning into another Aunt Cora.” Mike chuckled.
“No, she’s just a great girl.” Stephanie kissed his cheek and headed inside.
Yeah, a great girl. Billie’s beautiful face flashed in his mind. He couldn’t believe that he’d let her slip through his fingers. If he hadn’t been so stupid, he would have stopped her before she took off that night. The worst thing was he couldn’t get her out of his mind and what was worse the past two weeks he’d been having dreams of her and not ones that were fun.
The dreams always started with her screaming and begging him to help her. When he’d reach for her, she’d disappear. It was fucking with his sleep. It was ironic that Stephanie’s friend knew the murdered woman because when the dreams had started Mike had asked John about it. Mike was sure that the woman was Billie but had breathed a sigh of relief when he’d saw the young woman on the news. Not that it wasn’t awful the woman was brutally killed, but it wasn’t Billie.
“Uncle Mike.” He turned around to see his niece Lily staring up at him. She looked like a little angel with her hair pulled up on top of her head and curls hanging around her face. To top it off she was wearing a white dress to match Emily’s. She was one of the flower girls and his other niece Evie was the other.
“Hi, Lily.” Mike crouched so she wouldn’t have to look up.
Dangerous Silence (O'Connor Brothers Book 5) Page 7
