by Anne Patrick
His smile widened as he nodded.
"I haven't told anyone yet, but I'm considering a transfer to the Portland field office."
"That's great news, Jo."
"I'd rather you didn't mention it to anyone, though, not until I've had a chance to think about it some more."
"Does this mean I need to dig out my tux?"
"Too soon to tell. The truth is I've been thinking of relocating back here for quite some time, now seems just as good a time as any."
"I hope you do, Jo. I really mean that. What you said yesterday, about a second chance, I want that, too."
"We'll see what happens," she said and stood. "Right now I better get out of here and let you get some rest. I'll stop in before I leave tonight and I'll see you tomorrow." She leaned over and kissed his forehead.
"You know that boyfriend of yours may be a bit stubborn, but he's a good guy."
"You don't have to sell him on me, Billy. He pretty much had me the second day I was here."
"Have you told him that?"
"Not yet, but I will."
*****
When she left Billy's room, Jo found Slim lurking in the hallway. Just like with Austin, the night before, they hardly gave her a minute's peace, always hovering over her, watching her every move. She knew she should be thankful for the protection, but it was becoming monotonous, and with her nerves already on edge with the memories this place brought back, she wasn't sure how much more she could take.
Rejoining her family in the lounge, she came in on the tail end of a conversation that took Jo to the limit of her patience, like a simmering kettle ready to blow.
"If it wasn't bad enough that he was being investigated by the police, now this has to happen. What are we supposed to say to people?" her mother asked of Mariah.
"He had a nervous breakdown, Mom, it's not like he has leprosy or something," Jo snapped. "Besides, who cares what other people think. He's alive, that's all that matters."
"I'm not ashamed of Billy. I was only making a comment. More so on the fact that he's being investigated for murders I know he isn't capable of committing."
"I wasn't even aware he was being investigated until the day he was brought in for questioning, and up until when he tried to kill himself, I'd been working to clear his name because he'd refused to cooperate."
"Why would he refuse to cooperate?"
"I don't know, Mom, why don't you ask him?" She turned and walked off.
Jo was about to climb onto the elevator when she heard her mother call out to her. She sighed and turned to face her. "I don't want to fight with you, Mom."
"I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, Jo. I want to talk to you. In here, where it's private."
Jo followed her gaze to a chapel. "I haven't any sins to confess, at least none that God wants to hear about."
Slim gave a low chuckle.
"Quit being such a smart aleck and come with me…please."
If she hadn't added the 'please', Jo probably wouldn't have obliged. Judging from the tone of her voice, though, her mother was upset. And Jo had a feeling it had nothing to do with her brother. She turned to Slim. "Give us a few minutes."
Jo followed her mother into the chapel.
"What is wrong with you?" Liz asked before she even had a chance to sit down.
"What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with me."
"Don't give me that. You've been like a cat on a hot tin roof ever since you arrived yesterday, and only a moment ago you went ballistic on me in front of your sister-in-law."
Jo grinned. She'd never heard her mother use the word 'ballistic' before.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, Mom, I'm sorry."
"Are you going to answer my question or not?"
Jo had to think back to what the question was. "I'm just a little edgy."
"Would your being edgy have anything to do with the police protection?"
Jo hesitated with her answer, surprised no one had mentioned her escort before now. "He's only a precaution."
"Against what?"
Jo didn't want to worry her with all the details, so she decided to be as brief and honest as possible. "There's always the possibility after I give a profile that the killer will try and contact me. They see me as a worthy opponent, like in a chess game."
"You're used to working cases like this, so that doesn't explain your behavior. What's really going on, Jo?"
"Nothing. Hospitals just give me the creeps."
"Since when? You used to work in a morgue for heaven's sake."
"That's different."
She shot Jo a puzzled expression. "How so?"
Jo shrugged. "I don't know, it just is." She leaned back in the pew and stared ahead at the stained glass window of Jesus Christ holding a lamb in his arms. He was the Great Shepherd, always tending to the lost sheep of the world. She wondered if it was too late for her. If she'd strayed so far away, she couldn't come home.
"What did you mean yesterday when you said you knew what Billy was going through?"
Jo tried to think of something convincing to say, but failed to come up with anything believable so instead, she decided to tell her mother the truth once and for all. "Do you remember me asking you, before I left home if anyone in our family had psychic abilities?"
"Yes."
"Well, the reason I asked is some people think that I'm psychic. I have these visions sometimes that allow me to sense the pain and feelings of others." She held back the fact that it usually only worked with dead people.
"What are you talking about, Jo?"
Jo went on to explain when she first realized her gift while working for the medical examiner's office, and how she was able to use her ability with the victims to gain a better perspective of the killer's personality and the motive behind the crime.
"So the articles Billy and I have read about you are true?"
"Depends on which ones you're referring to, there've been several over the years. Some call it a natural talent and others call it telepathic or supernatural. I'm not sure what it is. All I know is that it helps me to catch these guys."
"But at what cost to you, Jo?" Her expression softened. "You've been where Billy's at right now haven't you, and this so-called gift is what put you there?"
Reluctantly she told her mother of the events that led up to her breakdown, and that the reason she didn't make it to her father's funeral was because she'd been placed in a psychiatric hospital.
Afterwards Liz McDaniels leaned back in the pew, staring at her hands folded in her lap. Jo sat quietly watching her, wondering what she was thinking, fearing she would be like the majority of the people who knew about her gift and thought she was a freak of some sort.
"Why didn't you tell us, Jo?" she finally asked. "More importantly, why do you continue to subject yourself to such pain and misery?"
"Everyone has a purpose in life, Mom. This is mine. It took me a long time to figure that out. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you wouldn't understand."
"That's why you joined the FBI, isn't it, so that you could use this ability of yours?"
"Yes. I wanted to put it to good use, and I do, Mom. I'm able to save lives with it."
Liz shook her head and took Jo's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "This explains so much, Jo. You've always been so different from Billy. Your strength, your independence, your knack for getting into trouble, it was as if you were always searching for something. Something none of us could give you."
Jo shrugged her shoulders.
"I wish you had confided in us. Your father and I would have understood."
"Come on, Mom, let's not be delusional. How many people do you know who can do what I just described to you?"
"It would have taken some getting use to, but—"
"Dad would've never understood. He was old school. He believed in fact not fiction."
"Your father loved you. He would have believed in you no matter what had you given him the chance."
<
br /> "You're probably right, and I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you about the reason I didn't make it to his funeral."
"You've always been too proud for your own good, you and Billy both have. Everyone needs help from time to time, Jo, someone to lean on, a shoulder to cry on."
She thought of Austin and the support he'd given her, and the source from which he drew his strength. "Yeah, I'm starting to learn that."
"I'll always be here for you, Jo. Please remember that."
Jo hugged her mother. She wished now, she'd told her the truth long before now. "I love you, Mom."
"I love you, too, Jo."
*****
Feeling better than she had in days, Jo and Slim took a walk outdoors. Ominous rain clouds moved in from the coast and by the time they'd turned around to head back, a light sprinkle had begun, prompting them to pick up the pace.
"Did you have a chance to run through that list from DMV?" she asked as they neared the hospital.
"We've got a deputy out sick and another one had to take off early for a dentist appointment so we were short-handed. I think Austin was going to work on it today."
"He's on that list, Slim, I just know he is."
"I hope you're right, Jo, we'll at least have a photograph of him then. We plaster his face across all the local news stations along with an offer of a reward and I bet we nail this guy within a week."
"That would be great. I'm ready for this case to be closed, and I know everyone else is. This may not be the worst case I've ever worked on, but it ranks right up there with them."
"You've been an awfully big help to us, Jo. I sure am glad you came."
"I am too," she said softly and thought of Austin. If Isaac hadn't been so persistent, she never would have met him. "What do you say we go see Billy for a few minutes then head home for the night?"
"Sounds good to me. Shall we try and talk your mom into going home with us?"
"We can give it a try, but I doubt it'll do any good."
*****
Just as she suspected, Liz refused their offer but promised she'd try and get some rest.
"Will you call me if you need me?" Jo asked, giving her a hug.
"Yes." Liz turned to Slim, "Keep her safe."
"I will."
Jo and Slim looked in on Billy and found him asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, she wrote him a quick note telling him she'd see him tomorrow, and put it on the table next to his bed.
"I bet your pop would be real happy seeing you getting on so well with your mom and Billy," Slim said as they made their way to the parking lot.
She smiled. "I hope so."
A half hour later, Slim dropped Jo off at Austin's house. The house seemed empty when she entered, only a small lamp from the living room illuminating the hallway. The familiar sound of Austin's snoring came from the adjourning room. Locking the door behind her, she entered quietly not wanting to wake him. She peered down at the sleeping form stretched out on the sofa. He was still in uniform, his gun resting on the coffee table beside him. She frowned at how tired he looked. The dark circles underneath his eyes were evidence of the toll this case was taking on him. After slipping off her shoes, she lay on the sofa next to him, and in a natural gesture, he wrapped his arms around her without even waking up. Jo knew then, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this was where she belonged.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Austin awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs. Since Bailey had left for her ski trip the day before, he knew only one other person would be fixing him breakfast. With a grin, he jumped to his feet and moved quietly into the kitchen. Jo sat at the table, her back to him, drinking a glass of orange juice and reading the morning paper. Not wanting her to spill the juice, he waited until she set the glass down then slipped up, wrapping his arms around her.
"Morning beautiful," he whispered against her ear. When she turned, he smothered her words with a lengthy kiss.
Jo ended the embrace by rising from her chair. "Sit down, and I'll fix you a plate."
He pulled out the chair next to hers and sat down. "Did you get any sleep last night?"
"A couple of hours." She placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. "Your sofa isn't very comfortable."
He glanced up as she sat back down. "You slept on the sofa with me?"
With an arched eyebrow and a smile, she snatched a piece of his bacon. "Yup, there goes my reputation."
He smiled back. "How's Billy doing?"
"When I called Mariah earlier, she said he was still drowsy from the drugs, but doing much better. It's going to be a long and difficult road ahead for him."
Austin offered her another piece of bacon, but she waved it off, leaning back in her chair. She looked exhausted. "So what are we going to do about this?"
"About Billy?"
"No. About us," he ventured cautiously.
She met his gaze, but he couldn't tell anything from her expression. "Depends on what you have in mind."
He hesitated. Since he had no idea if she was even interest in settling down, and not knowing what lay around the corner for Billy, he figured this wasn't the time for a marriage proposal. "Once the case is closed, would you consider taking some time off?"
A smile crept to her lips. "What for?"
"I don't know, I've got a couple of weeks vacation coming to me, we could spend it getting to know one another better, maybe sort out our feelings. I'd really like for you to come to church with me, meet my church family."
Her smile faded. "Austin, if you don't know how you feel about me now, a couple of weeks aren't going to make a difference."
She seemed to have no idea how much he loved her. "I know exactly how I feel about you. It's your feelings for me that I'm a little unsure of."
She tilted her head to one side and grinned. "I'm in love with you. Is that what you want to hear?"
He reached over and wrapped his hand around hers. "Took you long enough."
She leaned forward and kissed him. "Now will you please say what's really on your mind?"
It often amazed him how well she could read him. "All right. I'm worried about you. I don't want to ever see you in the shape that Billy's in right now. I don't think I could take it. I love you, Jo, and I didn't think I'd ever say that to another woman."
She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm fine, Austin. So any fears you have, that I'm going to end up in another psycho ward, you can put to rest, 'cause that's one experience I don't ever intend to relive."
"Okay, but I still want to spend some time alone with you. You could stay at your mom's. I'm sure both she and Billy would enjoy that."
"I'll see what I can do," she said. "It's been well over a year since I've taken any time off, so it shouldn't be a problem. If nothing else, I could take a family emergency leave."
Austin watched her stand and gather her dishes. She still seemed withdrawn, and he wondered if this ordeal with her brother bothered her more than she let on.
"Did you finish that list from DMV?"
"No, I didn't have time yesterday. I'll have one of my deputies finish it up today."
"I'd rather you do it, Austin. I know he's on there, I can feel it."
"I'm not letting you go back to the hospital today without me, Jo. I want to be there for you. Whether you'll admit it or not, this thing with Billy must have stirred up some painful memories."
She blinked slowly as she looked at him. "It has, but I'm dealing with them. If you really want to help, I need you to do this for me. I don't want another body to turn up because his name was overlooked on that list."
He figured the list wouldn't take that long to finish, and then he would be free to join her, so he gave in to her stubbornness. "All right, have it your way. I'll phone Pendergrass and have him come by and get you."
"Thank you, Austin. I promise I'll call if I need you."
Because she was so stubborn he doubted that would ever happen. Rising from his chair, he took her in his arms and captured her lips. He couldn't imag
ine a day not being able to hold her in his arms, and hoped that day would never come.
"Do you still have those photos of the victims here at the house?" Jo asked as she stepped out of his arms.
"Yeah, why?"
"I thought I might take them with me to the hospital today. Since Billy spent a lot of time at the airport, I thought he might recognize one of them."
"It's worth a shot," he said. "They're in my desk."
"Will you get them while I jump in the shower?"
"Sure. And you never did answer me about going to church with me."
She grinned. "I'd love to go to church with you."
*****
When Jo arrived in the lounge area, she found her mother just waking from a nap. Jo handed her a cup of coffee she had bought on the way up and took a seat beside her. "You look terrible, Mom, you should go home and get some rest. I'll stay the rest of the day."
"I could use a shower and a change of clothes."
"Yes you could," Jo teased.
"You're in a much better mood than you were yesterday."
"What would you say to the idea of a temporary roommate?" she asked with a smile.
"Jo, I don't want you to feel you have to stay on account of Billy."
"It isn't just that. I'm thinking of transferring to our Portland field office, and I'm gonna need a place to stay until I can find something."
Liz grinned. "I hope you're serious."
"I made up my mind last night. It's time I start appreciating the important things in life…like my family."
Liz wrapped her hand around Jo's. "You know you can stay as long as you like. What made you decide to stay?"
"Actually, I've been considering the move for some time. Now with Austin in the picture…well, we'll have to wait and see how that turns out."
"Dragging his feet, is he?"
"Just a little. I think it bothers him that I'm not that close to God."
"I'm afraid that's probably my fault. We should have never stopped going to church."
"Why did we stop going?"
"I don't know. Once you kids started getting involved with sports, and I started teaching again, it seemed the weekends were the only time we saw one another."
