Reed (A Redemption Romance Book 5)

by Anna Scott

  "Only Mrs. Pierce, I've spoken with her a few times about Kelly."

  "Did you try to take custody of the little girl?"

  "I did, I was worried about her because it seemed like Missy wasn't in a good place."

  "But you stopped the proceedings?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Why?"

  "Missy seemed to straighten things out. She loves - um, loved Kelly and the best place for Kelly is with her mother, as long as that is a safe place to be."

  "Who all knew about Ms. Dougherty's plans to move?"

  "She must have told my mother, so my parents, my brother, Reed," she pauses, squeezing me closer when she says my name and seems to consider for a moment before she continues. "Clarke, the guy who works in the cafe, two of my friends, Amber and Aurora."

  "Is that all?"

  "I believe so, that's all I know of, I have no idea if she'd told anyone here."

  "And the cafe, that is where you work?"

  "Yes, it's my family's cafe."

  The sergeant nodded to one of the officers, they each shared a look and thankfully let it go. "Thank you, Ms. Young, we appreciate your cooperation. I'm sure we will have more questions for you later, when do you plan to return to McKinney?"

  "I'm not sure, I need to find out about taking Kelly home with me, get her stuff, you know?"

  "Yes, Mrs. Talbot is inside, she is from the Department of Child Protective Services. She is here to see to the temporary custody of the child."

  "Thank you, if we're finished, I'd like to ask if there is anything you can tell me about my cousin. What happened?"

  "This is an on going investigation, so there are things I won't be able to tell you, but I will do my best." Sergeant Riley spoke up for the first time in quite a while. Gillian nodded her understanding, so he continued.

  "Mrs. Pierce was awakened by Kelly Daugherty's crying or screaming at about two am. Mrs. Pierce realized after several minutes that something was wrong, so she went next door to knock and check on your cousin. There was no answer, so Mrs. Pierce called 9-1-1 for help. Emergency responders arrived on scene at about two-twenty. After receiving no answer at the door, Mrs. Pierce was sent inside her own apartment for safety's sake and the fire department forced entry, as they could hear the minor child's distress increasing and no other sounds in the space. Ms. Dougherty was found in the living room. Paramedics arrived, CPR was attempted but was unsuccessful. The coroner's office was called, which is protocol. The child was very upset, and became more so when male officers tried to approach. A female officer arrived on scene and was able to pick up the girl, confirmed that she was not harmed in any way and she and Mrs. Pierce were able to console her. The social worker was called in to oversee. I believe that is all the information I can give out at this time."

  "Was Missy, was she hurt or was it..."

  "Your cousin was murdered, Ms. Young, I'm very sorry to tell you, but until the investigation has been completed and the autopsy completed we won't be able to give you more details."

  Gillian sucked in a deep breath and visibly tried to calm herself. I had watched a few tears fall down her cheeks several times throughout the questioning, but she never waivered, never stopped. Gillian was heart broken, but she was so strong. I was immensely proud of my girl.

  "Thank you, if that's all, I'm going to go inside and check on Kelly and speak with Ms. Talbot now."

  The officers each shook Gillian's hand and then mine, and thanked her for her help. I knew that Gillian hadn't said anything that would help them, except maybe that Missy had some night time activities, possibly another job that was disreputable.

  I sat close as Gillian spoke with the social worker, and after a brief conversation with Mr. Moore, Amber's father and Gillian's attorney, Mrs. Talbot received permission for Gillian to take Kelly back to Texas. She had been awarded temporary custody.

  Ms. Talbot was actually helpful and kind, two traits we didn't see often enough in the seasoned social workers. Some were amazing, but the stuff they saw was just as bad as what law enforcement saw, sometimes even worse. Those images, those stories would harden a heart over time and make even the most understanding soul rigid. Mrs. Talbot promised that she would be in contact with someone near Gillian's home, a visit to assess the house would be arranged and they would continue to monitor the child's health and safety until a decision could be made about the child's permanent guardianship.

  The look of relief was obvious on Gillian's face when she clasped the woman's outstretched hand in both of hers and gushed her thanks. The pair had discussed Gillian's brother, and the way Gillian carefully worded her statements about the man set me on edge once again. She was extremely cautious, not willing to say he was a douche, but clearly thinking it. I had to wonder what the man had done for Gillian to so obviously dislike him. It was during that part of the conversation, when she told the social worker that he was married with children, that I worried Gillian wouldn't get custody of Kelly, but that her brother would be called upon to offer assistance. When Gillian was asked to describe his children, however, I watched as the older woman changed her mind right on the spot. Gillian told her that her niece and nephews were perfect, they dressed perfectly with never a wrinkle or stitch out of place, that they were excessively polite, rarely speaking or making noise and had perfect grades. She described her niece as being shy and her nephews as being timid. None of those things described healthy, happy children to me, nor it seemed to Mrs. Talbot.

  After the social worker took her leave, Gillian moved closer to me and fell into my arms. I held on, hugging her and speaking softly into her ear.

  "I prayed the whole way here that it wouldn't be true," she sobbed into my chest.

  "Shhh, cling to me, precious. I'm going to be with you every step of the way."

  "She was; she was like my sister." Her breaths heaved and her voice hitched with her sobs. I wanted to do something, to fix it, but my hands were tied. I couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything, except hold her. I would have done anything, given anything to change what had happened.

  "I need you, Reed, I need you." Gilli was crying so hard, I could barely understand her stuttered words. Her entire body shook with the pain racking her and shattering her heart.

  "I'm right here, I'm not leaving you."

  "I need you," she sobbed once again.

  "I need you," she repeated over and over again until I felt the tension start to leave her. I thought that the admission was so out of character for her, especially with as new as we were in our relationship, but I held those words and would cherish them forever.

  "We had so many dreams, as little girls you know? So many ideas. Missy wanted to grow up and be a teacher, she wanted to find a wonderful man and get married. She wanted to have," Her chest began to move rapidly, and I knew she was about to start again. Looking around the small room, I was relieved to see that somehow Mrs. Pierce had kept both girls in bed and was giving us privacy. Gilli needed to get this out, she needed to break and I would be right with her to pick up the pieces.

  "I know, baby, I know."

  She shook her head, her forehead pressed tight into me. "She wanted to have a little girl, she wanted to find a man who would love her and wouldn't mind her having only girls. She wanted to do so much, why, God, why did she have to die?"

  "I don't know, precious."

  "What am I supposed to tell Kelly? How am I going to tell her how spirited, how beautiful her mother was? How am I going to make her understand just how much Missy loved her?"

  I couldn't answer. A lump had formed in my throat, thinking back to my father's death. Watching the man, I had idolized my entire life, knowing well his quiet strength, his pride, as he picked up the pistol from the table and shot himself in front of me, it was unthinkable. I stroked down Gilli's hair that had gotten tangled when we were sleeping and the activities before that. Had that really only been a few hours before? I couldn't believe how much the world could change in just hours.

 
"You'll do it, baby, you'll find a way and I'll be there, I'll help you."

  Gilli and I settled in on the couch and waited. After a while, Kelly woke up as did Mrs. Pierce's little girl Amy. The two girls played and laughed together and I hoped that indicated that Kelly hadn't been too scared by the events of the night before. We probably would never know what all she heard or God forbid, saw, but at least she was unharmed physically.

  One of the uniformed officers knocked at the front door to the small apartment and was led inside by Mrs. Pierce. She was a kind woman who opened her home to Kelly often and who had allowed her home to be invaded by us and the multitude of law enforcement dealing with whatever carnage lay just beyond her walls. The officer explained that I could go inside the apartment and take Kelly's things from her bedroom, but that nothing was to be touched in the rest of the space.

  "Can't I go? I have a better idea of what she'll need." Gillian protested, moving to stand next to me.

  I glanced down at Kelly, at Gillian and then finally made eye contact with the young officer. He was telling me through his pointed stare and the almost imperceptible shake of his head that it wasn't a good idea for Gilli to see inside that apartment. My lips flattened and I nodded, looking down to Gillian.

  "Precious, stay here and watch Kelly, help Mrs. Pierce get her some breakfast. I will take a look at what she has and get what we need, okay?" To save her the nightmare that surely awaited me, I would beg if I had to, but thankfully she smiled slightly, her eyes softened and she agreed. As I walked out the door, she started to call items for me to look for.

  "I've got it, baby, don't worry." I tried to reassure her, teasingly. I heard her giggle, which in light of everything else, was a miraculous sound.

  The door to one apartment closed behind me as the next one began to open. "Brace man, okay?" The young officer advised and I knew that shit was bad.

  He wasn't wrong. As soon as I stepped inside, ducking under the yellow police tape, I smelled it - the copper scent of blood. I felt the tension, the strange stillness in the room, for whatever reason, my body was highly attuned to the feel of evil in the room. My eyes did a quick scan of the space and I took it in. Thankfully, Missy's body was gone, but a large spot of dried blood stained the gold shag carpet, spatters of blood covered the tan couch and green arm chair near where I knew her body had lain. A lamp had fallen from a side table and lay smashed on the floor, next to a collage style picture frame. More droplets of dried blood coated the surface of the glass protecting an assortment of family photos.

  The officer directed me to a small bedroom off the living room, which was Kelly's room. The first thing I noticed was that though the furniture was shabby and cheaply made, it was cute, decorated with love for a little girl and meticulously clean. It was obvious that Kelly's mother had spent a great deal of time giving the best she had to her daughter.

  In the small closet, I found a couple of pairs of worn shoes, a few outfits, that were pink and frilly but showed wear. In the dresser, I found much of the same. There were only three diapers, a couple of wipes, a sippy cup. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to see us through until I could hit the store. I didn't find a car seat of any kind, a stroller or a portable crib, so added those things to the list I was compiling in my head. I packed a small canvas bag that had been decorated with Kelly's hand prints in bright colored paint. Checking the crib, I found a well loved dog and a blanket that also seemed to be a favorite. Not wanting to have any meltdown situations, I picked up everything I thought was important. I could come back in to get more, if needed, but would be headed out to shop as soon as the stores opened.

  I heard Kelly shriek as I walked back into the apartment next door. Kelly wasn't even three and struggled with her cousin's name a little, but it was so damn cute to hear. As I rounded the corner, the bag and blanket in one hand, the floppy dog in the other, I watched with avid fascination as the little girl ran excitedly toward Gillian holding up a small tower of six Duplo blocks in her hand, so proud of what she had built.

  "Oh my stars, Kel, that's awesome," Gillian praised, placing a gentle kiss on Kelly's forehead.

  I cleared my throat and the two beautiful ladies looked my way. The soft, if sad smile graced Gillian's beautiful face, but Kelly's stare was fixed on her floppy stuffed dog. Knowing that I must have seemed like a giant to a toddler, I crouched down on the floor, sitting the bag down, and I held the dog out in front of my knees. I held it up, so it didn't fall over but had it sitting and used one finger to make the animal wave at her and then tilt the head from one side to the other.

  "Kelly, you know what?" I asked, unsure if she would answer me. She had only watched me with curiosity thus far, she was definitely wary of me, and if what the other officers had said was right, it wasn't only me, but men in general.

  With a hand still on Gillian's knee, Kelly took a single step toward me, watching me with a serious expression, apparently trying to decide if she was going to talk to me. "What?" She finally asked, but didn't move closer.

  "I have a dog at home, he kind of looks like your dog here."

  Her eyes brightened with excitement, the wariness almost completely leaving her. "What's his name?" Her sweet little girl voice melting my heart even more.

  "Blazer."

  "Can I pet him?"

  "Of course, he's very nice."

  "No biting, biting is bad," she informed me with great authority. Kelly had taken another step toward me, and was inching closer.

  "That's true, but Blazer doesn't bite."

  Kelly giggled and stepped toward me once more, and when she was within arms reach, I held out her toy Reaching out, she snatched it quickly and held it tight against her chest, lowering her face to nuzzle the soft brown fur on top of the dog's head.

  "What's your dog's name?"

  "Her's a her," she announced, cuddling it even closer.

  "Does she have a name?"

  "Snefanie!" She shrieked with glee and hopped on one foot a couple of times before spying the blanket I had laid on the floor next to my knee. I picked it up and started to hold it out to her, but before I could, she launched herself at me. Thankfully, my reflexes were fast, so I caught her and settled her in my lap. I expected her to stiffen and push away, but instead, she smiled up at me sweetly and settled back against my chest. I heard Gillian's breath catch and looked up to meet her eyes. Hers were damp with unshed tears, but the softness and appreciation were clear in her expression. Another hour passed with Kelly tucked tight to me. After playing with blocks from the safe confines of my lap, Mrs. Pierce called the two little girls in for a morning snack.

  "Precious, I got a few things from Kelly's room but I need to hit the store and get some provisions."

  "Are you sure? I can go," Gillian protested, glancing at me and toward the kitchen.

  "No, baby, you stay here. I'll just run out. I think there's a Toys R Us down the street."

  "Be careful, Reed."

  "With?"

  "You're being so sweet; you might make me fall for you."

  "I told you last night, precious, that's my plan." I grinned into her smiling face and kissed her upturned lips, then walked into the kitchen and bent down to tell Kelly good-bye. Unsure of her reaction, I wasn't prepared for her wrapping her tiny arms around my neck and holding tight.

  "All right short stuff, I'm going to get you some fun stuff, okay? You stay with Gilli and I'll be right back."

  "Okay," she said, a little pout on her lips.

  I hadn't had the occasion to spend time at a kid's store before, and I was pretty sure that this one was some kind of super store or something. It was enormous with so much to choose from I wasn't sure where to start. I began my journey, which was more treacherous than some of the missions I went on while I was deployed. One cart turned into three overflowing with so many pink, frilly things that as I made my way back to the truck, I waited for the masculine police to jump out and take my man card or God forbid, cut off my balls.

 
It took me fifteen minutes and an annoying call to Jake to get the car seat installed correctly.

  "What the fuck are you doing?"

  "Look, I don't have time for this shit, just tell me what the fuck I'm doing wrong and I'll let you laugh at me later."

  "Fuck - fine, this shit is too good. I can't wait for Wednesday."

  "Jesus, man give me a break."

  Thankfully, he shut the fuck up and told me how to find the latch things and hook that shit up. I had to admit that his insight helped. With Jake's guidance I had that pink seat hooked in so tight that it wouldn't budge. I pilled the rest of the gear and bags into the bed of the truck under the hard bed cover and filled the back seat with some cute toys and books to keep Kelly entertained on the long car ride back to Texas.

  The apartment complex wasn't a horrible part of town, but it wasn't the best either and since I'd just spent crazy money on all kinds of kid paraphernalia, I didn't want to walk back out in an hour and find it all gone. I found the lock attachment for the bed cover, got it secured and prayed that no one walked by with bolt cutters. As I did this, my attention caught on a newer model Lexus parked across the lot from my truck.

  At first, I wasn't sure what about it was odd, aside from the make of the car being out of place, then I saw him. The car was backed into the spot, but the window tint was so dark, I couldn't see the lone occupant clearly. There was no license plate on the front of the vehicle, which wasn't unheard of, but someone was sitting inside and I knew that who ever it was, was watching me.

  Being the man I was, the size I was, it was rare for me to feel fear or even trepidation, and I wasn't feeling that, just an underlying sense of alertness. As I fumbled with the things in the back seat, trying to make it all fit and removing some of the packaging, I pulled the business card out that the sergeant handed me earlier that morning and sent a text with the details of the car. I had a suspicion that the person inside who I was certain was a man, was somehow involved. If he was the murderer, or an accomplice, I didn't know, but I had learned after my years in the Marines and my subsequent years with the ATF not to discount my hunches. There were still officers on scene, the crime lab people were upstairs processing at that moment, but I knew the only officers left were the rookies, tasked with making sure that the crime scene wasn't disturbed by well meaning, or overly curious neighbors.