“Maybe she’s depressed. Have you tried wet cat food?” The vet took the cat out of its carrier and stroked it gently.
“They can get depressed, huh? I suppose they could, why not? I’m pretty down that my wife is gone, too. I really miss her. See, we were supposed to take this trip together, but I’ve got work to do.”
“I know how that can be. So what do you do?”
Nosy ass, wasn’t he? Good. Gunter would lay it on thick now. “I work up at Children’s Hospital. In the emergency reception area.”
“That’s wonderful. I have two girls. You have any kids?”
“No. My wife hasn’t been able to get pregnant. We only have the cat, and that’s her baby. So you think she misses Laura like I do?”
“Possible. I’ll take her temperature and see if she doesn’t have something else going on.” The vet stuck the thermometer up the poor cat’s butt. Gunter winced. Funny how that could make him squirm. He still wasn’t getting the info he needed from the doc. “I can’t wait until my wife gets back from her trip next week.”
“No fever. Yep, I’d say she’s bummed out. You both are, sounds like it. I can relate. My girlfriend and her daughter and one of my daughters left this morning to take a bit of a break. Heading up to a cabin I own in Mammoth for the rest of the week. I’m sure by tonight, I’ll be singing the blues, too, friend.” The vet winked at him. “Nothing a tip of the whisky bottle won’t cure for you ‘til your lady gets home. And as for your Holly here, try a bowl of cream. It’s an old remedy, but it might snap her out of it. Otherwise, I’d let it go. Looks like she’s not one to miss a meal, so expect that when she gets hungry enough she’ll come charging for the food bowl. As long as she’s drinking some water and going to the bathroom, she seems okay to me. I believe she’ll have a change in her attitude when your wife makes it home.”
“Good. Me too.”
“Watch her for any diarrhea, and hopefully she’ll take a bite by this weekend. If not, give us another call, and we’ll have another look. My associate will be here over the weekend. I’ll be out of town.”
“Yeah? You going to see Holly?”
Gunter noticed the vet shift his weight from one foot to the other and cross his arms in front of him, almost defensive like. Uh-oh, he shouldn’t have used her name like that. Had he fucked up? “I mean going to see your Holly?” He laughed and placed the kitty back into its container. “My Holly and I are going to head home and see what we can do about getting her to eat some cream.” He smiled and hoped it worked.
“Yes, okay. Well, my receptionist will take care of you up at the front.”
Gunter paid the bill and quickly headed home. He’d get on the internet and locate the address of the cabin the vet owned. It should be easy enough. There was access to anyone’s personal info these days if you knew how to look or simply had a credit card. By this afternoon, Gunter would have a plane rented and fueled and ready for the flight to Mammoth. Good thing for him that he’d gotten his pilot’s license a few years ago. He knew that when he and his family took vacations together, having his license would be a benefit. He’d always loved planes. So had his daddy.
It would be only a matter of a day, and he’d have Holly out of that damn cabin and into his arms before the vet made his way up there on the weekend. He had to assume that was where he was going. Gunter thought twice about leaving this morning. Maybe he should take care of the vet first. Nah, if anything, the man appeared to be a decent father to his daughters, and that wasn’t really what Gunter was after. He really did not enjoy killing people, but sometimes it went with the territory. He’d let the bastard live. For now anyway. Besides there was a lot to do yet, before he could even leave.
He wasn’t too worried about the outcome of all this. He knew exactly what it would be. Holly would be his. She would see the error of her ways and forget the vet. It was destiny. She would complete his family and make life whole again.
They would be the perfect family together.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“Well, I’ll be Mario and Luigi’s uncle,” Martin Landon muttered under his breath, referring to his favorite video game. He pushed his Coke bottle glasses back up from the tip of his nose. “Lady Godiva is sending out mail.” The computer techie was going on his tenth hour of watching Lady Godiva a.k.a. Darla Monroe’s computer address to see what she might be sending out, if anything. Landon thought it was fruitless, figured she would be more careful. But he was doing it for Holly.
Landon went to work tracing the origin of her outgoing message and then getting inside the message. It took him almost an hour to read the post. Very interesting. It was addressed to Daddyman. Okey dokey. Boy these folks were freaks. However, they were calling this case the family man. Landon picked up his phone to call Chad, then set it back down again. He stood, went to the door to his office, and closed it. Holly had been shafted. Landon cared about her. She was a good cop who worked hard, and for some reason Greenfield had a hard on for her and was always giving her a difficult time, looking for any excuse to knock her around a bit. No one really understood why, but Landon figured it had to do with the fact that she was a woman—a very beautiful woman who ran circles around all the other cops.
Landon sat back down and dialed out on his cell phone. He called Holly at home and got her answering machine. He then looked up her cell phone number in his book and gave it a try. A recorded message came on saying that the phone he was trying to reach was out of range. Where could she be? Landon wanted to hang on to this information on the screen for a while longer. He really wanted to pass it on to Holly before the traders upstairs got a hold of it.
He typed in Holly’s e-mail address. Maybe she’d take a look.
Lady Godiva is trying to make contact with someone called Daddyman. He hasn’t opened his mail, but I’ll try and trace a location on him. I don’t have an originating city yet for Lady Godiva, but I should by tonight. Give me a call. I’m holding out on the team. I thought you should have first crack at this. But once I get all the info pulled, I’ll have to pass it on to Chad and the others. I won’t have a choice. Best, Landon.
Landon attached the forwarding message from Lady Godiva. Not understanding it, but figuring the detective would. He read it again. Interesting, indeed. But more than interesting, Landon also felt there was something very seedy and sick behind the letter. Goosebumps trailed across his arms. It took a lot to send goosebumps up and down any part of Landon, but this bizarre e-mail had done just that.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“You’ve got mail. You’ve got mail,” screamed out from Gunter’s computer in the other room just as he arrived back home to make his preparations.
“I don’t have time for this,” he muttered. He walked back into his den anyway. He was curious and didn’t like to leave anything behind, even if it might only be junk mail. He sat down behind his desk and typed in his address and password. Ah. There she was—his broad, his slut, his sister. And where had she been? Gunter opened the e-mail to read the pitiful words inside. How bad she needed him, wanted him. They should be together. When would she ever learn that they could not be together? It really wasn’t a right kind of relationship. She served her purpose, and now she really should get lost.
Besides, he was so perturbed by her messy slaying of William James.
He sent her a reply.
Leave me alone. Go on with your life. We are better off without one another. Besides, I’ve found the perfect one, and by tomorrow I will be married. She’s truly a Christmas delight, with the name to go with it.
Arrivederci mi amor, The Daddyman.
There, that should take care of her. Maybe she’d be so heartbroken she’d off herself. It would make his life so much simpler without such loose ends hanging around. There was still the other one out there. But something told him that his baby sister was very far away and would never make a peep about him or the family she’d grown up in. Gunter was sure of that. She’d always been the fraidy cat in the f
amily. If by chance she’d heard or read anything about the Collins or McKays, wherever she might be, he was sure she’d be so scared that she’d find a rock to crawl under. Nah, he didn’t worry much about her.
He threw some belongings in an overnight bag, and then went to his garage. He retrieved some of the goodies that he would need to take care of the kids and convince Holly that being with him was the perfect and right thing to do.
It was already two o’clock in the afternoon. Where had the time gone? He called in to work.
“Children’s Hospital.”
“Emergency room, please.”
A moment later, the phone was answered by his boss, Virginia Applebee.
“Hey, Genny, I can’t come in today. I’m not feeling so well.”
“I’m so sorry, Gunter. Get well.”
“I will. I think it’s nasty one, so you may want to get someone to fill in for me over the next few days. I’ll call and let you know.”
He hung up before his boss could get a word in. She was a nosy bitch. He wouldn’t be going back. He had no need to find any more women and children to be his family. No more need for the computers at Children’s with all of their info about who was married and who was not. It had been a spectacular way to track down potential family members. The only downfall was that two of the women belonged to dating services—Patricia and Shannon—and they happened to be the dating services Darla worked with! Darla (or Jennifer or whatever she was calling herself these days) had at least been helpful in providing information about Shannon. He’d appreciated that. But that whore figuring out his scheme had been the one glitch, and hopefully it wasn’t the one glitch that could put him behind bars, away from his true family—his Holly and Chloe.
He couldn’t allow that, and once he had Holly in his arms and convinced he was the one to be with, he would move them so far away that no one could find them. Love would transcend all boundaries.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The cabin was beautiful. It looked more like something out of Robert Redford’s Sundance catalog than what Holly would’ve considered a typical cabin. Either Brendan was one helluva vet or he had some lucrative investments.
They’d gotten in late the night before and all watched a DVD together before tumbling into bed. They’d spent all day snowboarding. Well, Holly skied and Meg snowboarded. Chloe took lessons. Holly and Meg met up for lunch and got to really talk.
Over fries and a burger, they shared quite a bit. “Meg, I’m sorry that I didn’t get a chance to take you over to the station. I know we planned on it, but things got a bit out of hand on the case I was working, and I couldn’t work it out.”
“I understand. Maybe some other time.” Meg squeezed a load of ketchup onto her pile of fries.
“You know it. I always try to keep my promises.”
“I believe you. I didn’t think too many people kept promises anymore after my mom left us, but I trust you.”
Holly didn’t know what to say. There was quite a bit to live up to in this girl’s eyes. The hurt was all across her face at the mere mention of her mother. Holly crossed her fingers that she would never let Megan down.
“You know, when she left, I thought for a long time that it was all my fault, and then I thought for an even longer time that it was all my dad’s fault. But you know what I’ve come to realize is that it’s nobody’s fault but my mom’s. She chose to leave us. My mom has always been kind of selfish, and to be honest, I don’t think she ever really wanted children. I think my dad did. I think she had me to make him happy and that my sister was an accident.” She kind of laughed at that. “Sometimes I think she’s was a big accident. Just kidding. I love her, but you know sisters. They can be a real pain sometimes.”
“Do I know sisters? I’ve got three, and I can tell you some stories. We’ll have to talk over marshmallows and cocoa tonight.”
“Very cool. I’m into that. You’re not anything like my mom. It was after Maddie was born, that’s when things went really down hill. You would think with a new baby that she would’ve wanted to be with us. But she was never home with us. I mean, my dad was always trying to do nice things for her, make her happy. But nothing worked. She didn’t love us.”
Holly took a sip from her soda. “That must make you upset.” Holly didn’t know what else to say to her. She was sad for this child, for Maddie, and for Brendan. Who would ever want to leave them? She was also extremely impressed with the maturity that Meg showed at fifteen. She was certainly a far older fifteen-year-old than Holly remembered herself ever being.
“Not really. Okay, I guess kind of. But when it comes down to it, I know my mom has some real psychological problems, and if being away from us keeps her somewhat sane, then that’s better for us.” Meg lifted up her cheeseburger and took a bite.
“You’re strong, Meg. I think you’d make an excellent cop.” Holly smiled at her.
“Really?” She chewed her burger then added, “You inspire me. I want to be like you. You have no idea how glad I am that my dad met you. I haven’t seen him this happy in ages.”
Holly couldn’t help but giggle. “It’s not me.”
“Yes, it is. He really, really likes you. You should hear him around the house carrying on with Holly this, and Holly that. He’s worse than me with a crush.”
“Truth be told, Meg, I like your dad a lot, too, and I’m really happy I met him and you. What do you say we finish up and meet Chloe after her lesson? It’s time for her to take her medicine. She’s only got a few days left on it, but the doctor insisted that she take all of it, otherwise the infection can come back twice as bad.”
“Let’s go, then.”
They ate their lunches and met up with Chloe who obediently took her medicine.
The day had been smooth and easy, as was the call to Brendan when they’d returned to the cabin from their day of fun in the snow. He was missing them.
“Ah, Holly, I want to pack up and leave now. But Maddie has been working so hard on her little dance thing, I can’t do it to her.”
“Of course you can’t. Don’t worry about us. It’s good to be missed. Besides, there is a saying about the heart and loneliness.”
“Phooey. I’m racing up there as soon as Maddie gets finished with the recital. I think we’ll leave right after and drive all night.”
“Not a good idea. You’ll be too tired.”
“Nope. I’ll be thinking of you the whole way. Trust me, that’ll keep my motors running.”
“Whatever you say.”
He sure was sweet. Holly put another log on the fire and stoked it. She could get used to the seclusion of the cabin. The snow outside, the barely running stream only feet away from the front door that hadn’t quite frozen over yet. She put on a Norah Jones CD and thought about the night that she and Brendan spent together, until it was so abruptly ruined by the murders of Lynne and later Kristy. She hadn’t forgotten about the bastard who’d killed them or the promise that she had made to Kristy the day before she’d died.
She pushed those thoughts away and focused on the fire and Brendan. She warmed more quickly by her thoughts than the fire itself. She couldn’t wait to see him. Maybe once she did, all those dreams, thoughts, even the nightmares about Jack, would vanish. They had to. She wanted his memory to leave her alone. And she could not stop thinking about what Anne had said. Did he really perish in that fire? For a long time, Holly had been convinced that he was alive, walking around with amnesia or something. That could happen, couldn’t it? What if it had? What if he was alive and she found that out now? What would she do, knowing that she was falling in love with another man?
Jack couldn’t be alive.
No. He was gone. He was definitely gone.
She walked back into the kitchen. The girls were at the coffee table, playing a card game and watching a Charlie’s Angels DVD. Chloe loved it. Holly had loved it as a little girl too—the TV show with the original angels. Holly had always liked pretending that she was Kelly Garret
t, Jaclyn Smith’s character. But the gang of women was different now, and so was their technique of shoot ‘em up.
“Is that what you do, Mommy?” Chloe asked.
“What’s that?” She looked up as she poured herself a glass of wine.
“Kick you-know-what?”
Megan laughed. Holly watched the movie for a minute as Lucy Liu pulled some kung fu shit on the bad dudes. “Not exactly, baby. I’m not nearly as tough.”
“I doubt that,” Megan said.
“Flattery will get you everywhere, my dears. Anyway, figure out what you want for dinner. I’m going to hook up my computer and check my e-mail, then I’ll fix us something to eat. And, Chloe, have you taken your medicine again like I asked?”
“Oh, Mom,” she whined. “I left it in the car.”
“Chloe, you have to take it or the infection will come back, and it could get even worse, honey.”
“I’ll go get it out of the car when the movie is over,” Megan said. “It’s almost done.”
“Thanks.” Holly headed back to the bedroom and hooked up her laptop. She got online and saw that her dad had sent her another e-mail.
Sorry honey. We’ve been busy here. Your mom has me looking at all sorts of vacation homes or maybe even a permanent residence. She says she loves the weather and beauty. I’m along for the ride. Whatever she wants. She’s been quite an investor through the years, sneaky one she is. She’s nearly tripled my 401k and pension without ever letting on. She’s pretty pleased with herself. When I asked her what if we’d lost the money, she told me that wouldn’t have happened. That’s your mom for you. Holly nodded and laughed out loud. Anyway, Honey, I’m a little concerned for you. I’m sorry about work. I think you got railroaded, and it sounds like we need to get together and talk about what’s going on. This case you’re working has still been nagging at me for some time, and I haven’t been able to figure why. I want you to be very, very careful, okay? I’m worried about you. Keep in touch. I love you and Chloe very much. Love, Dad.
Daddy's Home Page 21
