by Debbie Mason
Daphne glanced at Theia. “I think she wants us to hug.” She sighed when Penelope smiled and opened her arms. They pulled a reluctant Theia in for a group hug.
“You know, Simon,” Colleen said, looking at the black cat at her feet, “seeing these three together like this, acting like sisters…It goes to show that something good can come out of something bad. The Elliots thought to use the girls against us and bring the family down from within, but it turns out they underestimated them.”
Simon looked at her like she’d missed a particularly salient point.
“I don’t know why you’re giving me that…” She briefly closed her eyes. “You’re right, I suppose. I’ve been doing my best to put the image of Jasper being led away in handcuffs from my mind. I’m trapped here, unable to defend the lad. But as much as I’d like to lay the blame at the Elliots’ feet, I can’t. Their firing Ryan might have made him more volatile and vindictive, but he’s just like his grandfather. The Wilsons were determined to bring down the Gallaghers, and it seems their wish is about to come true. Already the family is being torn apart. Although I believe Ava and Griffin’s marriage, and Sophie and Liam’s too, will be able to weather the storm. It’s Theia and Marco I’m not sure about. Their relationship is too new.”
Theia was the first to break free of her sisters’ embrace. “I feel the same about you guys, but we don’t have time for this now. We—”
“You’re right. Grams needs us,” Daphne said.
“Wait,” Theia said when Penelope and Daphne continued toward the library. “Unless Kitty is spilling the beans about this—which I’m betting she isn’t—you two stay with her and try to get her to talk. I have something—”
Daphne looked disheartened. “You’ve been gone so long that I just assumed you had some news to share with us, preferably good news.”
“I don’t know anything more than you. I spent the last hour at the police station basically being ignored by six of our cousins, seven if you count the doctor on FaceTime.” Theia blew out a frustrated breath. “You’d think between a detective, a Secret Service agent, two lawyers, a member of the Coast Guard, and a firefighter, plus the doctor on the line, they’d have figured out what to do by now. But no, for all the combined brain power of the serve-and-protect Gallaghers, not one of them has come up with a plan as to how we’re—excuse me, how they’re—going to get Jasper out. Because even though they don’t have a clue what to do, we—or I should probably say I—haven’t been Gallaghers long enough to be allowed into the inner sanctum.”
“What’s wrong with my great-grandsons? They know better than to treat a woman as less than equal. Look who they had as a role model,” Colleen grumbled, unhappy to learn they’d apparently forgotten all the lessons she’d drummed into them.
“Typical boys club. I’ve been dealing with that at the firm since I started.”
“Then you should go out on your own or find a new firm,” Penelope said to Daphne before giving Theia’s arm a comforting pat. “Don’t let it bother you. You’re as much a Gallagher as we are. I’m sure they have no idea that they hurt your feelings.”
“Come on, I’m thirty-four. They didn’t hurt my feelings,” Theia scoffed.
“Childhood wounds don’t heal easily, Theia. Given your history, I know how much their rejection hurt. It hurt us too, and we haven’t had to deal with half of what you have. But they weren’t rejecting you or us. They’ve basically grown up together. They’ve spent years operating as a unit. I’m sure they weren’t purposely keeping you—”
Theia raised her hand to stop Penelope midstream. “I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but you weren’t there. I tried to get in to see Jasper, and our cousin the detective said he wasn’t allowed visitors even though I saw Liam and Griffin coming out of lockup when I arrived.” She lifted a shoulder. “They don’t trust me, and I can’t say I blame them.”
“We do, and that’s all that matters.”
“Penelope’s right. Who cares what they think. Better yet, let’s prove them wrong. You have a plan, don’t you?”
Colleen cast Theia a desperate look, praying Daphne was right.
“I have an idea, and, Pen, I’m going to need the twins.”
“Why…? Oh. This is about our great-grandmother’s ghost, isn’t it?”
Colleen could see Theia was reluctant to admit she believed in ghosts and hoped the girl’s pride stopped her from following through with her idea, because Colleen was fairly certain she knew what Theia was up to and she wasn’t about to help her find The Secret Keeper of Harmony Harbor. The truth was there in black-and-white for all to see. Jasper’s fate would be sealed. She also didn’t relish the idea that the family’s secrets—and hers—would be laid bare for her great-granddaughter to see. Between that and how her father and cousins were treating her, she might turn tail and run.
Theia gave a reluctant nod. “I know it sounds crazy, but if you slept in that room and saw and heard the things that I have, you’d believe in ghosts too.”
“I believe you and my sons. Now I’ll just have to convince them to get out of the water, which probably won’t be difficult when I tell them they’re going on a ghost-hunting expedition. Their father will be a different story. He’s not really a fan of the whole ‘woo-woo thing,’ as he calls it.”
“If he gives you a hard time, just tell him he can have you to himself for an hour.”
“Her smile was about as wide as I imagine her husband’s will be when he hears they get an hour to themselves,” Daphne said as Penelope hurried off. “All they needed to work things out was some one-on-one time.” She snorted. “If my ex and I had more time together, we probably would have wound up in divorce court a lot sooner.”
“You and Sully spend a lot of time together. It doesn’t seem to be hurting your relationship.”
“No, it doesn’t, does it?” Daphne grinned. “You know, I thought coming here was a really bad idea, but I’m beginning to think it was the best decision I ever made. In fact,” she said, eyeing Theia in the clothes from the night before, “I’d go so far as to say it was the best decision the Gallagher girls have made in a long time.”
Colleen smiled smugly. “It looks like my codicil worked exactly as I’d planned, Simon.”
Her sidekick gave her a cheeky meow that seemed to say, “Don’t get a swelled head.” Apparently, Simon was of the same mind as the Gallagher family attorney and wasn’t a fan of Colleen’s habit of manipulating people and situations to her will. She was about to respond that she couldn’t help if she was right ninety-five…perhaps ninety percent of the time was more accurate, but she was more interested in the conversation at hand.
“A few hours before, I would have agreed with you. Now I’m not sure Marco can get past this,” Theia said, looking dejected.
Despite the girl’s obvious worry, Colleen was pleased. This was the first time Theia hadn’t tried to deny her feelings for Marco.
Daphne put an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. Penelope seems to have gotten back her relationship mojo. We’ll put our heads together and come up with a strategy to help you win him back.”
“We already did that, remember?”
At Theia’s reminder, Daphne looked concerned. Theia had already used up her grand gesture. To Colleen’s mind, it was Marco’s turn. She understood that at this very moment the DiRossis were reeling from the shock of learning Antonio had been murdered. But if Marco was the man she thought him to be, he’d eventually come to his senses. He wouldn’t let loyalty to his family override his loyalty to the woman he loved.
The twins saved Daphne from having to respond to Theia’s worries about her love life. With a towel around each of their necks, floaties on their arms, bathing suits wet and feet bare and sandy, the boys hurried across the almost-empty lobby.
“W1, W2, walk,” Theia called to them while looking in the direction of the dining room. “Where are your parents?”
“Mommy said you were baby
sitting us.”
“Yeah, for two hours,” his brother added, holding up two fingers. He peeked around Theia and smiled. “Hi, GG.”
The other child waved.
“Is she standing right there?” Theia pointed to where Colleen stood.
William bit his lip and glanced at his brother.
“It’s all right, laddie. You can tell her.” Colleen nodded and smiled so they’d know she wasn’t upset they’d broken their promise. She should have known better than to try to swear them to secrecy anyway. Not that it had done her much good. By the sounds of it, they’d told their mother they could see her.
They both looked relieved and nodded.
Daphne swore in French. “She’s been here all along, listening to us. I thought she only haunted the tower room.”
“So did I.” Theia crouched in front of the boys. “Can you tell GG that we need to find her book to help Jasper? I need to find The Secret Keeper of Harmony Harbor.”
“I’m not good at keeping secrets,” Weston said.
His brother nodded. “Mommy says we shouldn’t keep secrets.”
There had to be another way. Colleen shook her head.
William pointed at her. “She said no.”
Theia stood, turning to face where Colleen stood by the stairs. “Now listen to me, and listen to me good, GG.”
Daphne grabbed her arm. “Are you crazy? Have you not seen The Amityville Horror? Do not tick off the ghost.”
“What’s Amy…that thing you said?” William asked his aunt.
“It’s nothing. Auntie Daphne didn’t get her coffee this morning.” Theia glanced from where Colleen was standing back to the boys. “Can you tell GG it’s very important that I find—” She looked down at Simon, who pawed her leg.
“Simon! What do you think you’re—” He cut Colleen off with a testy meow and then took off, stopping only to ensure that Theia, the twins, and Penelope gave chase. He ignored Colleen’s threats as she followed them to Kitty’s tower room.
“Now what?” Theia said. “I don’t want Kitty to know—”
“I’ve got the key.” Daphne removed it from the pocket of her white skirt. She lowered her voice. “Jasper gave it to me. Kitty wasn’t up when they took him away. I had to break the news to her. It was awful.”
“Once I find the book, you and the boys go to her. I can take care of the rest from there.”
The boys got stubborn expressions on their faces that Colleen imagined matched her own. But the promise of sundaes wouldn’t appease her as it did them. In the end though, she was no match for Simon’s insistent meowing. There was a message in the way he looked from her to Theia. It just took her some time to understand what he was getting at. The girl was like her. They had a hard time trusting, to their own detriment at times. Now Colleen had to place her trust in her great-granddaughter.
After thirty minutes of the twins acting out the combination Colleen relayed to them, they were rewarded with the beep of the safe opening. Despite her sister’s protest, Theia ushered Daphne and the boys from the room before removing the book. “There’s a reason they’ve kept it locked away, Daph. I’m only looking for something that will save Jasper. If I find it, I’ll tell you.”
In that moment, Colleen knew she could trust Theia to protect the book’s secrets. She sagged in relief. But she didn’t have time to rest. Once she’d retrieved the leather-bound book, Theia shut the safe and spun the lock. Then she looked around the room. Hurrying to the unmade bed, she grabbed a pillow and shoved the book inside, carrying it, clutched to her chest, to Colleen’s tower room.
Once she got inside, Theia dumped the book on the bed and sat down to read.
Colleen sat beside her. Focusing all her energy into her finger, she began moving the pages. As much as she trusted Theia, she wouldn’t mind if there were some things she didn’t read.
Theia pinched herself. “Yep. I’m awake, and a ghost is sitting beside me, turning the pages of her book.” When Colleen found what she was looking for, Theia leaned forward. Moments later, she muttered, “Crap. Crap. Crap.” She stood up. “I need Daphne to teach me to swear in French.” She looked down at the page again. “Crap. Now what am I supposed to do with…?”
She hurried over to Colleen’s desk. Rummaging through the open drawers, she patted underneath, searching for the key to the locked top drawer.
“Smart girl,” Colleen said when she found it, opening it to pull out loose-leaf paper and a fountain pen. She checked the color to the one in the book. Colleen could have told her it was one and the same, but she’d used up too much energy turning the pages in her book to shout in her ear.
Theia pulled out the chair and sat. She rubbed the paper between her fingers. “Too new.” She grimaced and then murmured, “Sorry,” before ripping a blank page from the back of Colleen’s memoir.
“What are you up to, lass?” Colleen wondered, looking over Theia’s shoulder as she wrote on the other piece of paper. She appeared to be trying to perfect Colleen’s handwriting. It wasn’t until she started to write in earnest that Colleen was clued in to what she was about.
She was writing Colleen’s confession to the murder of Antonio DiRossi. Colleen shook her head. “You have no idea what you’ve done, Theia.”
As though she sensed her standing over her, Theia said, “I’m sorry, but it’s the only way I can think to save him.”
“I’m not mad. Far from it. I’m grateful. You’ve allowed me to do in death what I couldn’t do in life. You’ve found a way for me to make amends for all that Jasper lost. I don’t care that I’ll go down in history as a murderess if it means he goes free.”
Theia looked weary and troubled once she’d finished the letter. She got up and went to the dresser, pulling out a change of clothes. She wasn’t one to fuss and left the bathroom a few moments later wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, her hair tousled, her face makeup free.
She took a picture from her wallet and placed it on the desk. “I don’t know how all this heaven stuff works, but if you see this man, can you tell him I’m sorry? Sorrier than he’ll ever know. Tell him I’m keeping my promise. I’m looking after his wife and son. His boy’s going to college just like he wanted.”
The lock on the door beeped. Theia grabbed Colleen’s memoir, papers, and fountain pen and shoved everything in the top draw. She locked it just as the door to Colleen’s suite opened.
“Any luck?” Daphne asked, peeking her head into the room.
Theia nodded. “We have to get to the police station right away. Jasper didn’t do it. Colleen did.” She held up an envelope. “I found her confession. There was a false bottom in the locked drawer in her desk.” Her fingers lightly grazed the photo of her friend, and then she walked to the door. Just as she was about to close it, she whispered, “I’ll bring him home for you.”
“Thank you,” Colleen murmured as she touched the photo of the handsome young man in uniform. “I’ll try to find a way to ease your guilt as you have eased mine.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Marco glanced at his grandmother, who was curled in on herself on the passenger seat of his truck. She’d refused to change out of her threadbare blue housedress or take off the white sweater she wore despite it being eighty degrees in the shade.
He hoped to God he didn’t see Jasper at the station. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he did. Wasn’t sure what Rosa would do. Or what his sister and cousin would do for that matter, he thought as he glanced at them following behind in his rearview mirror.
At least he didn’t have to worry about his brother and father descending upon them to seek their revenge. When they’d finally gotten through to them a few hours before, they’d made it clear they wouldn’t be coming to Harmony Harbor for the trial. There’d been something in his father’s voice that had given Marco pause. He’d almost sounded…satisfied.
With his grandmother, sister, and cousin huddled close to him as he spoke on the phone, Marco hadn’t wanted to dig dee
per. He would though. Later. Once they’d gotten Rosa through the interview. He’d wanted to hire a lawyer for her, but the only ones he knew that were any good and in the area were Gallaghers, so he decided to see how it went. He could always put a stop to the interview if Rosa got upset or he didn’t like the questions.
He found a parking spot around the block from the station. It was busy for a Sunday. He didn’t realize how busy until he’d rounded the hood of his truck to help Rosa out and got a look at the front of the building. Press. Just what they didn’t need. Of course, with the Gallaghers involved, it made the news.
“Ma, don’t get out,” he said when she opened her door. “We’ll park around the other side.”
“No. We go in the front. They should be ashamed, not us.”
He didn’t need to ask who they were. She’d been railing against the Gallaghers for most of the morning. It made for an uncomfortable few hours for not only his sister and cousin but for him too. Especially when his grandmother basically threw Theia out of the house. She’d handled it better than he’d expected. She didn’t seem hurt or offended, though it had been obvious she was worried what it meant for their relationship. He didn’t tell her then that so was he. But as the morning progressed, he realized just how bad it could get.
Word had spread in town. They’d been fielding calls for the past several hours. The lines had been drawn—DiRossi supporters on one side, Gallagher supporters on the other. From what he could tell, the majority of folks in town sided with the DiRossis. Not really a surprise given Rosa was the victim.
And Jasper wasn’t exactly a man who’d gone out of his way to make friends in town. He was standoffish and mostly stuck close to the manor. He wasn’t known by a lot of people, and those who did know him didn’t seem surprised by the charges brought against him.
Some of the reactions of those who called to check on Rosa struck Marco as odd, just like his father’s had. They weren’t outraged or mourning the death of his grandfather. It’s possible the length of time he’d been dead played a part in their lack of remorse. Still, it felt like something else was going on. He just needed a moment to look into it, but his grandmother wouldn’t let him out of her sight or hearing, which was why he’d been letting Theia’s calls go to voice mail. Or was it? he wondered.
