If only she’d been home more, maybe she would have noticed her mother’s deteriorating condition. Maybe they would have detected the new tumors sooner.
Once again, she’d put her job over her family. Remorse rose up in her chest, and the fact that she’d almost gotten herself killed made it all seem even worse.
She winced at the thought of leaving her mother to die on her own.
Leave it up to me to be selfish even in death.
Pushing away a sudden craving for a drink, Peyton wondered where Frankie had gotten to. He’d said he was going to the cafeteria to get them some coffee, and she needed it badly.
Peyton crossed to the door and looked out into the corridor, too scared to leave in case the doctor came out with news about her mother.
Finally, she saw Frankie’s lanky frame appear at the end of the corridor. Tucker Vanzinger’s red crew cut could be seen bobbing along behind him.
The look on Vanzinger’s face was grim, and Peyton hoped he wasn’t about to deliver bad news. She had enough to deal with.
“Has the doc come out, yet?” Frankie asked, handing her a steaming cup of coffee. “Any word on how she’s doing?”
“No, nothing, yet,” Peyton said, looking past Frankie to where Vanzinger stood. “What’s going on?”
Vanzinger looked around the waiting room and pointed to an empty row of chairs.
“Let’s sit down for a minute,” he said. “I know this is terrible timing, but I wanted to tell you before you heard it on the news.”
Raising her amber eyes to Frankie, she searched his face, trying to see if he knew what was going on, but he only shook his head and shrugged.
“Nessa just called and told me that Marc Ingram has been taken into federal custody,” Vanzinger said. “Agent Day told her they found his prints on Amber Sloan’s phone.”
He paused, as if unsure how much to say, then took a deep breath.
“Based on what they’ve found so far, the feds believe Ingram arranged for Curtis Webb to carry out a hit.”
“A hit?” she asked, confused. “A hit on who?”
Vanzinger lowered his voice and took a deep breath.
“On you,” he said. “Ingram ordered a hit on you.”
Shock settled over Peyton at his words. She’d thought the attack at Amber Sloan’s apartment had been a terrible accident. She’d assumed she had stumbled in on the killer as he was trying to dispose of Amber’s body.
The knowledge that Ingram had wanted her dead, and that he had come very close to getting his wish, crashed over her like a wave.
Feeling Frankie come up beside her, Peyton allowed herself to sink into him for support. Vanzinger remained standing there, staring at her with worried eyes, but she didn’t know what to say.
“Ms. Bell?”
A doctor stood behind Frankie. The woman still wore surgical scrubs and a haircap, but she’d pulled down her mask to speak.
“Yes, that’s me. How’d my mother do? Is she okay?”
“Your mother pulled through the surgery without any complications,” the doctor confirmed. “She’s in recovery now.”
Sagging with relief, Peyton managed a weak smile.
“And were you able to get everything out?”
The doctor nodded.
“It looks like we got everything,” she assured Peyton. “Now, try to relax, and someone will come to take you back to her shortly.”
Frankie waited until the doctor had left, then turned to Peyton and gave her a tight hug. She looked up into his face, seeing his relief, and realized he’d been almost as worried as she had been.
Looking around for Vanzinger, Peyton saw him standing awkwardly by the door. She crossed to him, grateful she finally had a partner she could count on.
“I think I traded up when I swapped Ingram for you,” she said, trying to laugh. “At least you haven’t tried to kill me.”
Relief flooded Vanzinger’s face, and he broke into a grin.
“Not that I haven’t been tempted on occasion,” he teased. “But I think I’ll keep you around for a while.”
A nurse opened the door and gestured to Peyton, and she started after her, then stopped and turned back to Frankie.
“Come on,” she said. “Come with me.”
“I think only family is allowed in the back.”
Frankie motioned for her to go without him.
“But I’ll wait right here for you.”
Walking back to take him by the hand, Peyton put a hand on Frankie’s stubbly cheek and lifted her face to his.
Holding his gaze, she shook her head and sighed.
“Don’t you know, Frankie?” she said softly. “You are family now.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Frankie was feeling restless when he left the hospital. Peyton’s mother had seemed in good spirits, and she’d been happy to have Frankie in the room with her. But he’d wanted to give the mother and daughter some time alone, so he’d made his excuses and headed back to Barker and Dawson’s Investigations
“You missed a great ceremony,” Barker said, as Frankie pushed through the front door. “The look on old Eldredge’s face was priceless when he was giving Ling Lee the oath.”
The image of the grumpy old judge having to swear in Ling Lee as mayor brought a wide smile to Frankie’s face.
“I guess he’ll miss his old crony,” Frankie said. “He and Mayor Hadley had been running things in this town for too long.”
“Yeah, it’s about time we all move on,” Barker agreed.
As Frankie sat down at his desk, Barker cleared his throat.
“And speaking of moving on, my contact at Willow Bay General called and said they’re sending over our final payment.”
He raised his eyebrows and held out his hands, as if expecting a big reaction from Frankie. When Frankie just nodded, Barker shrugged and continued.
“Well, they were very pleased with the way we handled the case,” he said. “They think they’ll be able to deal with the employees who were involved without creating a scandal.”
Frankie thought about Becky Morgan, wondering what would happen to the young woman with the blonde ponytail.
He figured she’d been a victim of Amber Sloan as much as Misty Bradshaw or any other woman she’d preyed upon.
“Aren’t you happy?” Barker asked, then a frown creased his forehead. “You didn’t get bad news at the hospital, did you? I mean, Peyton’s mother is okay, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, actually that went really well,” Frankie said. “Her mom made it through the surgery without problems.”
Barker continued to frown.
“So, what’s the problem then?”
Scratching at his chin, Frankie had to admit he wasn’t sure.
As happy as he was to be part of Peyton’s family, he still felt as if something was missing in his own. Seeing Peyton and her mother together had stirred up feelings he tried to keep buried.
“It’s nothing,” Frankie said, suddenly standing up. “But I think I need to get going.”
“But, you just got here,” Barker protested.
“And you just said we’ve closed out our only open case,” Frankie replied. “So, I’m taking the rest of the day off.”
Pushing through the door, Frankie strode along the sidewalk, stopping beside the shiny black Mustang he’d recently purchased.
It was the kind of car he’d always wanted as a teenager. The type of car he and Franny would always stare at open mouthed anytime one drove past their house.
He climbed in the driver’s seat and looked in the rearview mirror, wondering if he’d ever be satisfied with the man he saw looking back.
Now that he had the girl, and the job, and the car he’d always wanted, it should be enough.
But somehow, it still doesn’t feel right.
Starting the car, Frankie revved the engine, trying to drown out the noise in his head.
Finally, he pulled away from the curb and drove home. He needed to see hi
s mother. It was time to clear the air.
He parked the Mustang in the driveway and stepped out, hearing the blare of the television before he’d made it to the front porch.
Opening the living room door, he saw his mother on the couch, her slippered feet propped on the coffee table as she watched two women arguing in front of a swimming pool.
She didn’t look at him until he sank down next to her on the couch and took the remote out of her hands.
He clicked off the television, throwing a blanket of silence over the room, then turned to his mother.
“I’m sorry I failed you, Ma.”
He forced himself to look her in the eyes, and was surprised to see how frail she looked, and how tired. When was the last time he’d really looked at her? When had she gotten so old?
“I tried to save Franny, but I couldn’t, and…and I’m sorry.”
The creases in her forehead deepened at his words.
“All this time, you’ve been thinking Franny’s death was your fault?” she asked, blinking back sudden tears.
Frankie nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
“It wasn’t your fault, Frankie.”
She sat up straight and turned to face him.
“I was Franny’s mother, and I should have done something,” she said, taking his hand. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”
They locked eyes for the first time in a long time, and Frankie recognized the guilt and the pain written across her face.
He’d seen that same guilt in the rearview mirror earlier, and it was that same pain that kept him reaching for the bottle.
Taking a deep breath, he produced a weary smile.
“I guess Franny wouldn’t want us to ruin the rest of our lives feeling like shit, would she?”
“Watch your mouth,” his mother scolded. “You may be a grown man, but I can still take a switch to you.”
This time when they looked at each other they laughed.
“Do you remember what Franny used to say whenever you gave her a hard time?’ Frankie asked, picturing Franny’s impish grin.
His mother nodded and rolled her eyes.
“She’d say, give me a break, Ma…God’s not finished with me yet.”
They both sat there in silence for a long beat, and Frankie felt something hard and bitter between them melting away.
“Well, I think Franny was right,” Frankie said, squeezing his mother’s hand. “I don’t think God hasn’t finished with her yet.”
He swallowed hard and tried to explain.
“I mean, I sometimes get the feeling that maybe she’s up there working to keep us safe,” he said. “You know, like a guardian angel watching over us.”
His mother nodded and blinked hard a few times.
“You’re a real good boy, Frankie. You always have been”
She squeezed his hand and wiped at her eyes.
“Now, give me back my remote.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Hunter Hadley left the crowd behind, walking quickly toward the parking garage while checking his phone messages. He didn’t see his father until he bumped into him; he skidded to a stop as his father glared up at him with an angry smile.
“I see you attended the swearing in with your girlfriend,” the ex-mayor said. “I guess you’ll be spending more time in City Hall now that there’s someone there you actually like.”
“I hope you’ll enjoy your retirement, Father,” Hunter said, knowing his father wouldn’t believe him. “It’ll give you a chance to relax and focus on new things. Maybe have some fun.”
His father scoffed and shook his head.
“Don’t pack me off to the retirement home just yet,” he said. “Once Ling Lee makes a mess of things, I’ll be back.”
Pursing his lips, the older man raised his chin defiantly, looking more like a petulant child than a retired politician.
“In the meantime, I have plenty of things to keep me busy.”
As his father stalked away, Hunter almost felt sorry for him. It couldn’t be easy letting go of your whole identity.
He heard footsteps coming up behind him and turned to see Charlie Day walking along the sidewalk next to Agent Marlowe.
“You interested in some breaking news?” Charlie asked, lifting one perfectly arched brow. “It’s bound to come out soon, and I think you and Veronica Lee will be especially interested.”
“You’ve got my attention,” Hunter said, forgetting for the moment about the mission he was on. “What’s happened?”
Charlie looked over at Agent Marlowe, but he motioned for her to do the honors.
“Federal agents just picked up Marc Ingram,” she said in a crisp voice. “A federal warrant for his arrest had been issued based on his suspected role in Amber Sloan’s death and Detective Peyton Bell’s assault. The evidence is compelling.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Hunter said, his mind whirring with the news. “Where are you off to now?”
Charlie’s smile faded.
“My team’s still working on identifying all the women at Locke’s ranch,” she said. “And now we’ve also been assigned to the Silent Meadows scene. It’s a lot of work.”
The thought of having to dig up dead bodies and notify grieving families was sobering. Hunter didn’t know how Charlie managed to do it day in and day out and still keep her cool.
“You know I’d love to do a story on your work,” Hunter said impulsively. “Or maybe even a series of reports on the cases you’ve handled, and how you’ve managed to stay sane through it all.”
Marlowe chuckled at the look of alarm that appeared on Charlie’s face at Hunter’s suggestion.
“Doesn’t look like she’d be up for that, Mr. Hadley,” he said. “Although I bet she’d look great on camera.”
“Well, think about it,” Hunter said, taking out his phone. “You’ve got my number, Agent Day.”
As the two agents walked away, Hunter tapped in a text to Finn Jordan and Jack Carson, giving them the information about Marc Ingram and asking them to follow up.
He didn’t want to bother Veronica while she was still celebrating with her mother, besides, he had another surprise planned for her and Skylar.
Looking at his watch, Hunter hurried into the garage.
He needed to get to Reggie’s office to pick up the surprise before he went to Veronica’s house.
After all the terrible surprises the family had endured in the last few months, Hunter had a feeling they were going to love this one.
Chapter Fifty
Veronica was in the kitchen with Ling Lee and Skylar when she heard the doorbell. Setting down the cup she was holding, she dragged Skylar along behind her and threw open the front door, eager to see the surprise Hunter had been promising to deliver.
Looking at Hunter’s empty hands, Veronica’s face fell with disappointment. She looked past him to where his black Audi sat in the driveway but could see nothing unusual.
“Okay, where is it?” she asked. “You’ve been bragging about this great surprise all week, and now you show up empty handed?”
“You’ve got to guess what it is first,” Hunter said with a teasing smile. “I’ll give you a hint. It’s small and gold and it’ll be a constant reminder of my affection.”
A nervous ache started up in Veronica’s stomach. She couldn’t believe Hunter would actually propose to her in the hallway of her house while she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
But what if that is exactly what he’s doing? What will I say?
“Ronnie! There’s something you need to see in the backyard.”
Suddenly glad for the reprieve, Veronica raced back down the hall and out to the yard.
Gracie sat on the porch next to Winston. Both animals were watching a small golden retriever trotting around the yard, sniffing at the flowers and exploring the bushes.
“Who is that?” Veronica asked, turning to see that Hunter had followed her outside, and that he’d pulled Skylar along with him.
“Her name’s Goldie,” he said, obviously proud of himself. “Dr. Horn trained her as an ESA, and she wants Skylar to have her.”
Skylar watched the little dog prance around the yard, then turned pleading eyes to Veronica.
“Can I keep her, Ronnie?” she asked, then turned to Ling. “Please, can I keep her?”
Ling Lee smiled and nodded.
“Hunter let me in on the secret already,” she admitted. “And I think it’s a great idea.”
Stepping down into the yard, Skylar knelt beside her flower bed and called to Goldie in a sweet, high-pitched voice.
“Come here, Goldie!” she called. “Come here, girl.”
“You were right,” Veronica said, coming up to put a hand on Hunter’s arm. “This was a great surprise.”
Hunter pulled her close.
“Well, the credit goes to Dr. Horn,” he said.
Ling Lee spoke up behind them, sounding subdued.
“Dr. Horn may be thinking ahead,” she said. “She told me that Skylar’s been talking about Sky Lake a lot. Dr. Horn thinks it may be cathartic for her to go back for a visit. I’m guessing she wanted her to have Goldie with her for support.”
Veronica stared over at her sister. She wasn’t sure the girl was up to facing the little town again so soon, and she wasn’t so sure she was ready either. But as she watched Skylar smiling down at Goldie, she heard Dr. Horn’s voice in her head, and thought she may be right.
Sometimes facing your fears is the only way to conquer them.
✽ ✽ ✽
Sky Lake Farms and Stables was in bloom as they arrived. Flowering bushes lined the long drive, and several horses were grazing in the pasture beyond the long white barn.
Veronica saw Conrad Fairfax standing in the same spot they’d left him the last time they had visited. He strained to see Skylar as she jumped out of the car, and his face broke into a pleased smile when she rushed toward him, Goldie trotting at her heels.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of inviting some other guests to join us today,” Conrad said, leading them around the barn toward a patio. “I thought we could all get to know each other a little better.”
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