MemoriesErasedTreachery

by Charlie Richards

  Devin slid his prick up and down the crease of the dimpled cheeks, teased the puckered opening, then pushed forward and penetrated the tight heat. His hands roamed over the firm globes and up along the sexy body shuddering within his grasp. His fingertips skimmed along well-defined arms, his hands coming to rest on the backs of Ewyn's hands. Fingers linked Ewyn turned his head and mouths fused together.

  Fully entrenched, with the aggression of unrestrained passion, Devin gave Ewyn what he wanted--hard and fast --satisfying both their needs.

  "That was delicious, Dev."

  "Oh?" Devin leaned back in his chair. "The shower or the dinner?"

  "Both."

  "Thank you. I aim to please." Devin removed the dirty dishes from the table. "So, you're on the same page with Patterson as far as Calabria is concerned."

  "Oh yeah. The son of a bitch knows something."

  "Good enough. I'll let Patterson know we agree with his suppositions."

  Ewyn took the bottle of wine and glasses from the table, set them on the counter, and joined Devin at the sink. He snatched the dishcloth from Devin's hand. "Sit. You cooked, I clean, house rules."

  Devin bent, kissed the slim column of Ewyn's neck, and went to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water. "Do you want one?"

  "No, thanks. I'll finish off the wine."

  "You said Tag ran a check on Calabria's family."

  "Only to find out if they had any known syndicate ties."

  "Hmm." Devin pulled out a counter stool and sat down. "I'll suggest Patterson do a background check on Calabria."

  "I can do that."

  "Uh-uh. We want it to be official, in case it turns out he's involved and we have to prosecute."

  "Understood."

  Nibbling his bottom lip, Devin nodded while aimlessly rolling the water bottle between his hands. "So the roommate didn't mention Cecilia. Not that it eliminates her from the equation, but it's something."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Ewyn. The girls were close. As Jennifer said, they were family. Niki and Caro told their roommates about their dislike for Cecilia, about Cecilia's loathing for her daughters, and they told their friends everything about the turmoil in the family. Even going so far as to brag about Uncle Ewyn, their hero." Devin laughed and ducked the wet dishcloth. "Hey! Their words, not mine." He tossed the cloth back. "My question is why wouldn't they tell their best friends if their deceased mother suddenly showed up?"

  "You've got a point." Ewyn put the utensils in the dishwasher and started the machine, then came around the counter and climbed on the stool beside Devin. "Maybe CeCe didn't show herself until it was too late for the girls to say anything about it."

  "What would be too late?" Devin asked. "Jennifer said they checked in on occasion, and they saw them on the day they died…"

  "Okay. Maybe she, or someone she hired, followed the girls and waited for a chance to ambush them. Their going away and isolating themselves probably played right into the perp's hands."

  "Yeah. I considered that. Not the Cecilia's involvement thing, but the perp waiting until the girls isolated themselves. Maybe the perp is watching Calabria and he knows it. Could be the reason for his reticence."

  Wine glass halfway to his mouth, Ewyn paused, brow puckering. "Never considered that, although it would serve the asshole right." Ewyn explained about Calabria asking if Gregorio attended the funeral. "If Cecilia is our perp, she and Calabria deserve each other."

  "Ewyn, I'm only speculating. I don't believe Cecilia is alive. So any involvement on her part would have been by proxy, set up in advance."

  "But why would the perp wait until now?"

  "Gregorio," Devin stated. "The arrangements for Greg's disappearance were designed to create conjecture. Outsiders believe the syndicate disposed of your brother, but insiders believe he stepped down because of illness, the story your family put in the street. How many people who know your family would dare go after the girls if they thought Greg were alive?"

  "None." Ewyn stood, took his glass to the sink, returned to the counter, and scooted between Devin's legs. "So Patterson's theories could be right." He wrapped his arms around Devin's waist, snuggling close.

  "Not necessarily," Devin stated. "Keep in mind, all of this is supposition. Because, in the scheme of things, if Cecilia could have prearranged the deaths, who would be so dedicated. Cecilia's dead, why bother."

  "Okay, I'll give you that one. No professional would take on a contract without money up front."

  "Exactly. So, until we find Kieki's father, he's our prime suspect."

  "By the way, Dev. Caro's Beamer wasn't on campus."

  "Probably left it wherever they were staying. Find the car and we'll know where they were for those six months."

  "True, unless it's been stolen."

  "I'll give Patterson a heads up in the morning. Ask him to put out a Be On the Look Out."

  Ewyn yawned. "I'm wiped."

  "So am I." Devin's tongue teased Ewyn's lips before forging its way inside. "Mmm. A few more days, then vacation time. Two whole weeks, I won't know how to act." He kissed Ewyn's temple. "Ready for bed?"

  "I thought you'd never ask."

  * * * *

  Brrr.

  Too damn cold this early in the morning to keep up surveillance throughout the winter. Opening the car door and hopping inside, trembling hands snatched the blanket from the passenger seat. Glad I remembered to bring this to wrap around myself for the extra warmth.

  Looks as if they've beefed up security on the estate. They couldn't possibly know about me, could they? Slouching down on the seat and peering into the darkness through binoculars, a flurry of activity detected in the front drive had the powerful lenses homing in on the Escalade.

  "Perfect timing."

  Servants loading the truck with baby items, more stuff than Uncle Ewyn normally takes to his place. Hmm, I wonder. Could he be taking the little brat out of their comfort zone? This might be my chance to catch him unaware. Uh-oh, the partner. Uncle Ewyn isn't going alone, and who is the woman carrying the baby. Shit. Maybe they do know.

  Okay, here we go. The partner is driving, and I need to maintain a safe distance, which shouldn't be hard to do in this traffic. Hmm. They're heading for the--son of a bitch! Where did they go? Took my eyes off them for a few seconds to make the merge, damn it. Fucking rush-hour traffic.

  All right. Let me think. If I lost them at the CA-210 and CA-330 connection--they have property in Palm Springs, Big Bear, and Lake Havasu, Arizona--going in that direction could take them to any one of those places. I could pick one at random and end up spinning my wheels.

  Oooh, no. My head, it can't, not now. I took the damn pills. I need sleep.

  Guess I'll have to chalk this up to another missed opportunity. At least freezing my ass off on these little jaunts wasn't a total waste of time, since I've learned the baby is most vulnerable when Ewyn takes her to his place. Conversely, after checking out the condo, I realize I can't get to the little rugrat inside the building. Too restrictive and no easy access, so my best shot at her would be in the parking structure.

  Wonder how long they'll be away.

  * * * *

  Even with the Santa Ana winds buffeting the vehicle, the drive up the mountain had been uneventful. Ewyn and Mycelia dozed off and on, while Kiera slept the entire trip. Hell. Must be the cool fresh air, because despite the early hour, Devin was ready for a nap. No sooner had he stopped in front of the Calderone chalet, than the front door flew open, and several members of the staff rushed from the house toward the SUV. He leaned over and kissed Ewyn awake. Sleepy green eyes opened and homed in on Devin.

  "Mmm, nice." Ewyn sat up and stretched. "Are we there yet?"

  "Cute. And yes, we've arrived."

  Ewyn opened his door, climbed out of the Escalade and took several deep breaths before turning back and opening the rear door. Mycelia transferred Kiera into his arms and he headed for the house with Mycelia close on his heels. "Need to get
Kieki out of this wind, Dev," he called over his shoulder. "Meet you in the kitchen."

  Devin nodded and remained outside to supervise unloading the vehicle. Opening the hatch, he shook his head, still amazed at the amount of stuff they needed for a two-week vacation. Ewyn had duplicated all the baby necessities Kiera would need for this trip, and any future visits, and he'd had the necessary baby furniture--all new --delivered. He insisted the nursery furniture at the chalet would be too old and musty.

  Once Devin removed the skis from the top of the SUV, he left the staff to unload the things from the cargo space. He entered the house and the combined aromas of fresh brewed coffee, bacon, and newly baked bread broadsided his senses. Damn, he was hungry. He paused and inhaled deeply while looking around at the first floor layout.

  It was an open floor plan. Two steps down, most of the space consisted of a huge family/living room with a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, and a built-in entertainment center and a bar area along one wall. A pool table and a game table stood in front of a wall of windows and sliding glass doors. Beyond the living room, two steps up, there was a formal dining room setup, and beyond that, a doorway into the kitchen where he could see Ewyn moving about. Next to the kitchen entrance, a powder room door stood ajar.

  Off the foyer, an open stairway led to the second floor, and beneath it, he noticed an alcove, the size of a walk-in closet without doors. He peeked inside and discovered two racks, one for coats, one for skis, and a Parson's bench. He hooked the skis on the rack, shrugged out of his leather jacket and hung it up, then walked into the powder room.

  Devin entered the kitchen to find a buffet breakfast had been set up, and Ewyn had prepared two plates piled high with home-fried potatoes, eggs over-easy, sausages, bacon, and slices of chilled melon. A breadbasket with hot flaky biscuits sat in the middle of the table along with two glasses of orange juice setting on the placemats.

  "They only have regular coffee, so I'm having hot chocolate. Do you want some?"

  "No. I'll just have the juice."

  For someone who normally didn't do heavy breakfast food, Devin finished everything on his plate before his hunger was satisfied. Sighing, he leaned back and looked over at the two boxes stacked on the empty chair next to Ewyn. "What's in those?"

  "The girls' personal papers," Ewyn responded absently, his attention focused on the panoramic view outside the wall of windows. With his elbows propped on the table, he took a few sips of hot chocolate before continuing. "The small box is the one Patterson gave me, and the other is from their rooms at college. I decided I'd go through them after breakfast and get it out of the way."

  "I'll help. Where do you want to do this?" Devin wiped his hands, stood, and grabbed the boxes.

  "How about our bedroom? In case we get tired, want to take a break, uh…" Ewyn grinned. "Get busy."

  "You read my mind." Devin turned toward the door, but Mycelia rushed in and blocked his way.

  "Devin, Ewyn…" Breathless, she paused, inhaled deeply, and started again. "Niki and Caro, they were here!"

  "What!" Dishes and glasses rattled as Ewyn shoved away from the table. "When…how do you…"

  "Calm down, Ewyn. Let her talk." Devin looked at Mycelia. "Come on, Myce, sit down." He strode into the living room and set the boxes on the coffee table. After directing Mycelia to a chair, he and Ewyn dropped down on the sofa. "Okay, Myce, take it slow."

  "I was talking to Brigit…"

  Devin frowned and looked at Ewyn. "The housekeeper, one of Rosa's…Myce's relatives," Ewyn told him. "Go on, Myce."

  "We were talking about Kieki and the tragedy of her never getting to know her mother. Then we were reminiscing about what we remembered of the girls growing up, and Brigit mentioned how happy the girls were the last time she saw them, just before they died." She looked from Ewyn to Devin. "The months they weren't at school, they were here. I heard you and Mick discussing the girls. Does any of this help?" she asked.

  "Yes," Ewyn said. "Go on."

  Mycelia shook her head. "It never occurred to any of us on the estate…why would they come here?"

  "Don't stress about it, Myce. It's a done deal." Ewyn looked at Devin. "Why couldn't they have told me or Gem?"

  "Can't say." Devin shrugged. "Myce, would you get Brigit?"

  "Yes." Mycelia hopped up and rushed upstairs.

  "After we talk to Brigit, I want to see the rooms the girls used," Devin remarked.

  "Why? The staff will have cleaned…" Ewyn paused. "Oh. They wouldn't have thrown out personal things. You think we'll find something in their stuff?"

  "Why not? As far as we know, the day they died, they planned to return here after their trip to Pepperdine. Won't hurt to check."

  Mycelia reappeared tugging a middle-aged woman behind her. "Devin, this is Brigit." The woman entered the room looking apprehensive.

  "Hey, Brigit," Ewyn said. "Have a seat." He directed her to a chair opposite the sofa.

  "Mister Ewyn, I thought the family knew." She blushed. "Some families send their pregnant unmarried daughters away until term. At the funeral, nobody said anything," she said, anxiously. "It never occurred to me to mention it. Besides, they weren't here all the time.

  "When I heard about the accident, I assumed they were returning from the estate. They only left here that morning." Wringing her hands, she glanced at Mycelia. "You know we're not allowed to gossip about the family. I only went in to see Kiera because she brought back memories of Caro as a baby--the black hair--I never…" Her voice faded. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

  "It's okay, Brigit," Ewyn reassured her. "Just tell us about their time here. Anything unusual. Did anyone come to visit them?"

  "No. As I said, they weren't here the entire six months. They would stay a few weeks then take off. Niki always let me know if they would be gone for a while, and she'd call to let me know when they were returning," she explained. "They went to the Caribbean for two weeks in June, and they spent three weeks on Maui during August and September. They were gone over the Labor Day weekend. They never told me where they were staying, only where they were going."

  "Is Caro's car here?" he asked.

  Brigit shrugged. "They always left together in Niki's Lexus. I never saw them in any other vehicle. If Caro drove it here, it would be in the main garage," she replied. "Dave and I, along with the rest of the staff, park in the garage below the servants' quarters. The day workers park out back."

  Devin frowned. "Wouldn't the staff have noticed the car in the main garage?"

  "Sure, but it wouldn't have been anything out of the ordinary," Brigit said. "Both girls were here, two cars would have been normal. The day workers have no reason to go to the main garage, and my husband never mentioned it. Caro must have put it away herself. I can have someone go check."

  "Don't bother. I'll check it out later," Ewyn said. "By the way, do you know which obstetrician Niki saw while she was here?"

  "None in Big Bear. When they went away overnight, Niki said she was driving into town to see the doctor. I assumed she meant the family doctor in San Bernardino."

  Devin asked, "Who picks up the mail?"

  "Usually one of the day workers. They bring it to me and I distribute it," Brigit answered. "But I never saw anything from a physician."

  "Niki could have set up her own post office box, Dev."

  "Mister Ewyn, the girls were happy while they were here. Nothing about their behavior was out of the ordinary. Niki seemed ecstatic about having a baby. She and Caro were always giggling, making plans, and she had every type of how-to baby book, parenting guide, and the catalogues with baby clothes, toys…" Her voice died away as tears filled her eyes.

  "Thanks for telling me that." Chest tightening with the anguish of loss, Ewyn took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm glad they were with people they knew, people who took good care of them."

  Devin questioned Brigit and a few other staff members for an hour. Once satisfied they had told him everything they could remember, he thanked
them and sent them back to work.

  Ewyn turned to Devin. "Well, we know Niki wasn't using the family physician, because he was at the funeral. He would have mentioned it to Gemma."

  "Yeah. Makes me wonder about the doctor Niki did use."

  "Why?"

  "Because Brigit said there wasn't any mail from a doctor. If I were a doctor and my patient stopped coming to see me so close to term, I would have sent out a query letter asking if she had changed doctors so I could forward her records." Devin picked up the boxes containing the girls' personal possessions and headed upstairs with Ewyn trailing behind. "Of course, she could have used an alias."

  "I suppose. But at this late date, is it important…to know what doctor she used?"

  Devin paused at the top of the stairs. "Only if Niki provided info about Kieki's father."

  "Oh, yeah. I'll check with the post office."

  They went to Nicole's room, first.

  Chapter 11

  Nicole's bedroom was large and airy with heavy white oak, southwestern furniture. There was a king-size bed set back in an alcove on a raised platform. Although the curtains, carpet, and bed linens were in several shades of blue, it was a distinctly woman's room without being prissy--no frills. A huge fireplace dominated part of the room, with a sofa, tables, and an easy chair arranged in front of it. Next to the fireplace, there were floor-to-ceiling windows and a door leading to a balcony.

  Noticing a stack of logs outside, Devin set the boxes on the coffee table and headed for the balcony. A knock on the door, sidetracked his intention to retrieve a few logs and start a fire. "Come in," he called out.

  A man rushed in, introduced himself as Dave the groundskeeper and headed outside. He collected a few logs, stacked the wood in the fireplace, and had a fire started within moments.

  "Thanks, Dave," Devin told the man as he exited the room. "Hey, babe, why so quiet?"

  Ewyn shook his head and shrugged. "I guess I'm in shock. It never would have occurred to me to check here for the girls. If we hadn't decided to come here for vacation, we may never have known. As Brigit said, the staff doesn't gossip about the family."