Mariah (MARIAH and SHANE Series Book 1)

by Carol Devine

  "What are you thinking?"

  "It may be nothing. But I'll make some inquiries."

  "What's this going to cost me, Doc?"

  She couldn't help her smile. "I'll send you a bill."

  "I bet you will. I think I've already gotten my money's worth, though."

  Back to business, she headed for the door. "I'd better go."

  "You sure you don't want to stay for a drink?"

  "No, thanks. I'll get back to you as soon as I have anything."

  She exited the house, aware of Shane watching from the door again, insuring she made it safely to her vehicle as though Grizzly Springs was a hotbed of criminal activity, filled with shadowy figures about to make a grab for her purse or something. Even her father was comatose this time of night.

  Maybe if she walked away from him enough times, she'd learn how to do it without feeling the need to turn around.

  * * * * *

  "Hey, bitch, I wanna talk to you!"

  Jessie squealed her sedan to an abrupt stop in front of McBride Investigations, her head tilted out the car window, glowering.

  Mariah continued her daily ritual of unlocking her office door, switching on the lights and sweeping a quick look inside before facing Jessie, who was angrily exiting her car.

  Mariah held the door open for her. "Good morning, Jessie. How are you today?"

  Jessie stabbed her finger in Mariah's chest. "I just found out you're Shane's girlfriend. What's going on between him and me is none of your business, do you hear me?"

  Shane squealed his pickup truck to a stop next to Jessie's car and jumped out, coming between Jessie and Mariah. "What's going on here?"

  Jessie got in his face. "You should have told me she was your girlfriend."

  "Who told you that?"

  "Kelly. And he doesn't lie."

  "I think that's debatable," Mariah said evenly. "Why don't the two of you come in and take a load off. Can I get either one of you a cup of coffee?"

  Jessie glared at Mariah, then Shane. "You two are ganging up on me. I won't have it. If you want to see Kelly again, Shane, you should come with me."

  "I'm not sure if Shane will want to see Kelly again. Not after I give him the results of my investigation."

  Jessie focused her ire on Mariah. "If you think you can intimidate me, you're very much mistaken." She turned on Shane. "If this is the way you want to play it, I'll see you in court. And you," she said, pointing at Mariah. "You stay away from me and my son!" She stomped to her car.

  "Should I stop her?" Shane asked.

  "No, but you can come in and sit down. I have a few pertinent details to share."

  Shane entered and took one of the chairs in front of her desk, sitting heavily. "Do I want to hear this?"

  She perched on the edge of her desk. "It's good news. Kelly isn't your son."

  He stared at her for a few beats. "How can you be sure?"

  "His hand x-rays show he's at least fourteen years old, probably more."

  "The x-rays prove that?"

  "There's an atlas forensic departments and physicians use to determine the age of children who have, for whatever reason, incomplete medical histories. It measures bone growth and density and passes legal standard requirements. If your affair happened twelve years ago, Kelly was born before you and Jessie ever got together."

  "Is it enough to have a judge order a paternity test?"

  "You don't need one. I'm sure once Jessie realizes you are aware of what those x-rays show, she'll pack her bags, go back to Texas and leave you alone."

  "Are you absolutely certain he's not mine?"

  "If you're sure about the timing of the affair, then yes."

  Shane cratered in his chair, showing a surprising amount of disappointment. "I didn't realize it until now, but I convinced myself otherwise."

  "I can show you the comparisons."

  "No, I believe you." Straightening, he resettled his hat firmly on his head. "Looks like one last visit with the Travers is in order. What about Lucy? Do you think I should tell Pablo and Diane?"

  "His age isn't material to them. They asked me last night if they should press charges but I discouraged it."

  "Why?"

  "A number of reasons, the biggest being Kelly's physical injuries were considerably more serious. Given what I've learned about Jessie, she might try to make the case that Lucy attacked Kelly rather than the other way around. Without witnesses, Jessie may get some traction. In my opinion, it's not worth the risk. Kelly already got what he deserved."

  "Looks like I owe you."

  "Let me know what happens."

  He was already half-way out the door. "Sure."

  Mariah watched through her office window as he swung into his pickup and drove away. The way he handled the news about Kelly was… interesting. If she were in his shoes, she'd be ecstatic. Kelly didn't have a claim. Jessie wouldn't get anywhere close to a payoff. If anyone deserved prosecution, she did. Her son was paying the price for her greed and belligerent behavior.

  Mariah didn't berate herself for hardening her heart. Her own father had long used her as an excuse to get drunk, as though raising his own child was the hardest thing a man could do in this world.

  Shane could teach Bird a lesson or two. Except it was too late for Bird. She really had no use for him. The longer she stayed in Grizzly Springs, the more convinced she became that the decision she made at the ripe old age of seventeen to leave town after graduation had been the right one.

  All she had to do now was get McBride Investigations on a roll, make enough money to establish herself in a big city like Denver. Hell, maybe even Washington DC. She would love to go back with a sizeable bankroll and make some of her former colleagues eat some crow.

  Not that it would happen anytime soon, but a girl had to have her dreams. Her hardest-won dream had crashed and burned through no fault of her own. But it had created a new dream, a better dream. McBride Investigations meant she had her own personal life raft, one she was totally responsible for, one no one could ever take away from her. She would make it a success in spite of Bird, in spite of any obstacle, FBI or no.

  Two clients in her first week was the way to start.

  * * * * *

  After Shane left Mariah's storefront, he immediately went to the Black Elk B&B. He wasn't surprised that Jessie didn't want to talk to him. She claimed she never lied. But given the record of cash withdrawals he had, compared to her same day outlays at the B&B and Pablo's store, Shane was able to make a deal.

  In exchange for dropping the pursuit of criminal charges relating to her extortion of several thousand dollars from him, Shane got her to agree to let him talk to Kelly, privately, in a public but quiet place, one last time.

  But when Jessie pulled up to the curbside of the town park that afternoon on her way out of town and escorted Kelly to the park bench where Shane was waiting, he could see Kelly was balking at the prospect of sitting down for a man-to-man talk. The bandage and splints on his hands, combined with his sullen attitude, made him appear more like the 15 year-old teenager he was.

  "I don't want to talk to you," Kelly said to Shane as soon as the three of them faced each other. "You were mean to Mom."

  Jessie placed her hands on Kelly's shoulders. "Just listen, Kelly. For five minutes."

  Shane stayed seated on the bench and took off his cowboy hat in order to better judge the rebellious look on Kelly's face. "You're right. I was mean to your mom," Shane admitted. "But you're the real reason I'm here. How are the hands?"

  "What d'ya think? They hurt like hell. Mom, can we go now? I don't know why you want me to talk to this asshole."

  "Because I said so, Kellen. If you want a cell phone of your own, sit and give him five minutes. That was the deal, remember? Shane, I'll be timing you from the car."

  She marched the fifty feet to the sedan parked on the street. Shane kept his eye on her while addressing Kelly. "You don't have to sit down. All I want to know is why you did it."

/>   "Did what?"

  Shane reined in his flaring temper. "Go after Lucy."

  "I felt like it."

  Shane examined Kelly's face. He didn't appear to have any remorse. "She's a very young lady. She's smaller than you."

  "She's the same age as me. So what if she's smaller. I did it because I could."

  Despite his revulsion, Shane kept his expression neutral. "It's wrong to hurt people. It's especially wrong to hurt people who are smaller and weaker than you. It's something that men don't do. Not if they're real men."

  "Fuck you."

  Shane snorted. "Okay, I get it. You don't want to hear anything from me. All I want to say is this. You have amazing gifts, Kelly. You have a cool spirit. You're athletically gifted. Those two things can take you far, especially at your age. High school is where you bring it all together, make friends who are into team sports like you are, meet coaches like your dad. They'll help you learn new things, go places, find college scholarships and the like. I'd hate to see you throw all that away by getting into trouble."

  "I'm not in trouble. Me and my mom are a team."

  "It's true. There are only two of you now. You're a bright young man and your mom is rightly proud of you. I think you have good instincts, good instincts in general. What I'm pointing out is what you, Kelly Shane Travers, already know. We all know it. We know what it's like to have someone bigger and stronger telling us what to do. Right now, it's me and your mom telling you. But the truth is, it won't last forever. In fact, you're at an age where you get to choose how to handle yourself out in the world and in school, about who you want your friends to be. It's about the future, Kelly. That's where your real power is. You don't have to put other people down in order to get what you want. There are better ways, more satisfying ways, and in the end, they are much easier than you might think. If your dad was here, he'd be telling you the same thing. I'm sorry he didn't have the chance."

  Kelly jumped to his feet, no change to his rebellious stance whatsoever. "Can I go now?"

  "Yes, this is goodbye for us. You won't be seeing me again."

  Even though Kelly's hands were in splints, Shane rose and offered a handshake, hoping the kid would acknowledge his advice in some way.

  Kelly bolted. His mother opened her arms to him and waited by the sedan. Like a fleeing gazelle, he galloped at top speed, a young man in an boy's body.

  Shane remembered those days well. What he found hard to believe, for him, they were twenty some years ago.

  He saw how Jessie greeted Kelly, patting his head as though he were seven or eight rather than fourteen or fifteen. To her, he would always be her baby.

  Shane pulled down the brim of his hat, putting his eyes in deep shadow. Heart heavy, he plodded through the park back to the stables. Ahead of him, Jessie's sedan braked at the stop sign on Tabor Street before making a left hand turn. The sedan climbed the hill out of town, disappearing into the horizon.

  CHAPTER six

  "She's dead, ain't she?"

  Jed Wilton eased down onto the bench seat across the table from Mariah. It was late afternoon, too early for dinner, and the restaurant part of the Tavern was by and large empty, although the bar area was starting to fill with early arrivals for the five o'clock happy hour.

  Today, Jed's shirt was wrinkled, a sign he hadn't the time or energy to iron his clothes the way his dead wife must have done. He looked tired, too, with bags under his filmy gray eyes and a slight tremor in his work-worn hands. Maybe he was a little scared. Maybe he should be.

  "Your daughter is alive," Mariah said quietly. "From what I gather, Emily is doing remarkably well. Don't know if you're interested in learning more, but I prepared a report."

  She placed a 9 by 12 inch envelope on the table between their water glasses. The waitress arrived. "What can I get you, Jed?"

  "Double whiskey, neat."

  The waitress left. Mariah sipped her soft drink. "Well? Can I answer any questions for you?"

  "Are you sure she's alive?"

  "I printed some recent pictures and updates off her personal website for you. They're in the envelope."

  "I don't want to see her."

  "In person or in pictures?"

  "Neither."

  "I can separate the pictures out from the report. Or I can take the entire contents back to my office if all you wanted is proof of life." She lifted the envelope.

  He flattened his hand down on top of it, glowering at her until the waitress came back with his whiskey. The moment she set it down, he drank half of it immediately. The next time he looked at Mariah, he had tears in his eyes.

  "I wanted her to be dead. Bess stopped looking for her because of me."

  "Is Emily your only child?"

  "We have two sons and another daughter younger than her. That's why I kicked her out. Didn't want her to ruin them, too."

  "That's understandable. Will you tell them you found her?"

  He drank more whiskey, draining the glass, then placed it carefully on the table. "This is between you and me, right? I never thought to ask what happens once I pay you."

  "My work is strictly confidential. If you wish, I will destroy the report so no one else can get their hands on it."

  "I don't want to read it. But…"

  "Yes?"

  "Is she all right? I mean, does she have a life?"

  "She does. Different last name. Married. She's clean, too. No more drugs."

  "How can you be sure?"

  "Usually, I can't be sure. However, it's extremely difficult to fake sobriety in her line of work."

  "What is it?"

  "She's a registered nurse in a drug rehab center. Part of her employment contract requires regular drug screening for both legal and illegal substances. Her record of negative tests is of long-standing which, for an active addict, is difficult to achieve over such an extended period of time."

  "How long?"

  "Over twenty-five years."

  "So she stopped fairly soon after I ran her off."

  "If you count the years she spent getting her nursing degree, she stopped very soon after you last saw her, yes."

  "She could have called. She could have come home."

  "I haven't communicated with her personally, but she may have felt that was no longer an option."

  "I was sure she wouldn't get better. I made sure she wouldn't hurt her mother again. I kept her from Bess."

  "You did what you thought was best at the time."

  "No, I don't think I did." His shoulders hunched in regret and defeat.

  Beyond Jed, at the Tavern entrance, Mariah recognized Shane's crew of cowhands come in, followed by Shane himself. There were a number of women in the group, some dressed as the rest of the crew. But two wore halter tops and cut-off jeans, like Daisy Duke. One of them sprinted and jumped Shane, piggy-back style, knocking off his hat. Mariah could hear his robust laughter from her seat 25 feet away.

  The group headed for the Tavern's bar, clapping each other on the back, focused on some sort of celebratory get-together. Since the bar was separate from the restaurant, she lost sight of them. However, she didn't lose the memory of Shane messing around with a couple of very attractive bimbos. It took effort to switch her attention to Jed Wilton.

  "Is there anything else?" she asked.

  "What do you think I should do? Should I contact her?"

  "That I cannot say, Jed. It has to be your decision."

  "I'm thinking I should see her in person; apologize. I put my hands on her, told her she was worthless, not the daughter I raised. I told her I'd sic the law on her if she came back."

  "There's no predicting how she will respond. You need to be aware of that going in."

  "Do you think she knows Bess is gone?"

  "It's easy to check death notices online. But there's no way for me to know if she has."

  He swiped some wetness in his eyes. "I guess that's it then."

  "Okay." Mariah picked up the envelope.

  Jed eyed it
. "Does she have children?"

  "Yes."

  "How many?"

  "Two."

  "Boys, girls?"

  "One of each."

  "How old?"

  "It's in the report, Jed." She held it out to him.

  Reluctantly, he took it.

  Mariah laid a few dollars on the table. "It's time I headed back."

  "I don't know how to thank you."

  "Paying my bill is thank you enough. I appreciate the business."

  He touched his hat brim goodbye. Mariah escaped the booth, then the restaurant. From the outside, she saw Shane through the windows, sandwiched between the Daisy Dukes. Everybody was hoisting a shot glass, and Shane was toasting them and the rest of his crew.

  She had to remember that flirting and womanizing was part of his shtick. He'd admitted affairs with Jessie and countless women in between. Mariah knew she was merely another blue-eyed blonde he was trying to win over, get on her good side, get in her pants. If she gave him half a chance, he'd get inside her head, too. She wasn't a fan of casual, fuck-buddy sex. Trusting a man in bed didn't make him trustworthy. Even an occasional hook-up at this point in her life would be a mistake. She was done drawing the wrong kind of attention to herself.

  Mariah segued to the sidewalk but Shane stayed on her mind. Comparing him to Bird was unfair but she did it anyway. They were both neer' de wells and stubborn beyond belief. If imbuing Shane's character would stop her from day-dreaming about him, then so be it.

  So she enjoyed the guy's company. Everybody else did, too. He was likeable, personable, a jokester, a magnet. Didn't mean she was ready to jump into bed with him. Okay, the thought had crossed her mind. But what was a vibrator session without a real-life fantasy to go with it? Forgetting her troubles was permissible as long as she was careful about how she did it. Otherwise she'd go batshit crazy.

  She could be friends with him AND keep him at arm's length, without letting it turn into anything else. He was one of the few bright spots in her life, a life that needed a bright spot once in a while. Once her career was back on track, she'd find more bright spots, healthier ones, uncover more leads to better her situation and find satisfying work that would take advantage of her skills and education. Grizzly Springs would soon be a memory. Once she had established relationships with more lucrative clients, she'd accumulate a decent-sized cushion to boost her profile and pay for both an office and living space. She'd move on.