The Deputy's Duty

by Terri Reed

  Christina Hennessy may not have only killed her husband, but Olivia, too.

  Meghan had to keep pushing for justice. Olivia deserved nothing less. And baby Georgina deserved to be protected, cared for.

  She squeezed her eyes tight. Tears leaked from the corners. “Please, dear Lord, keep Georgina safe. Please let us find her.”

  When she opened her eyes, she found Ryan staring at her with an arrested look on his face.

  Not one to usually pray aloud in public, the heat of a blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. But she wouldn’t apologize. She’d worked hard to reclaim her faith after having spent too many years feeling lost and abandoned by God.

  “Why is Georgina so important to you?” Ryan asked. “It’s more than just chasing a story about Burke’s death. So what gives?”

  The squall of sirens filled the air and an ambulance roared to a halt a few feet away, followed by a Revere police cruiser, saving her from answering.

  She was chasing a story, that much was true. Working freelance meant pitching ideas to various news sources and hoping something stuck. The editor at the Boston City News had been enthused by the hooks she’d dangled: murder, small-town police corruption, a baby without a home.

  But there was more, much more to this tale.

  Georgina Hennessy was Olivia’s biological child.

  And soon she’d have to tell Ryan that Olivia was his half sister. His father, Aiden Fitzgerald, had had an affair with Meghan’s aunt Tara.

  Not a conversation she was looking forward to, however necessary. She wasn’t sure how the deputy chief would take the news.

  Ryan struggled to stand. Meghan helped him, taking on some of his weight. The heat of his body engulfed her. He was still sweating from the fight. Being so close to him sent awareness skating over her. She forced herself to ignore the attractive draw of Deputy Chief Ryan Fitzgerald.

  He was not her friend nor was he someone she could trust with her life or her heart.

  * * *

  Ryan winced as one of the paramedics wound tape about his midsection. The other paramedic probed at his ankle, setting Ryan’s teeth on edge. He sat on the back bumper of an ambulance, having refused to be loaded on a gurney. He wasn’t that hurt. He had work to do.

  He still had to call in a report to the FB police station. Though he figured they’d probably already heard from the Revere Police Department about the injured Fitzgerald Bay officers. Ryan’s gut churned.

  Helen Yorke and Officer Jackson had already been transported to the hospital by the first ambulance to arrive. Both had probable concussions. By the time the paramedics had Jackson strapped to a gurney he’d regained consciousness. He needed stitches to his head and had a broken wrist. Apparently Christina had distracted Jackson while Jay snuck up behind him and clocked him good after a brief struggle.

  Guilt for the rookie’s injuries piled on top of the guilt Ryan already felt for allowing Christina and her henchman to escape with Georgina. His body hurt, but his injuries didn’t ache nearly as bad as his heart.

  It had to be the letdown of adrenaline from his brawl with the muscle-bound Jay and the helpless rage at having Christina take off with Georgina that had him all bound tight inside. Regardless, he couldn’t keep his gaze from straying to where Meghan stood a few feet away, giving her statement to a female Revere patrol officer.

  Meghan talked with her hands, expressing her mounting panic. So different than the soothing way she’d held little Georgina. The contrast fascinated Ryan. Now she seemed to be in constant motion. Under all that nervous energy hid a spine of steel. Thankfully she hadn’t gone into hysterics during the scuffle with Christina and muscle boy. Meghan had done her best to protect the child.

  Grudging respect for her crowded his chest.

  He forced his gaze away from Meghan.

  “Has Mrs. Hennessy been apprehended yet?” Ryan called to the Revere officer who’d completed taking his statement a few moments ago.

  Officer Garrett had been talking on his radio and now walked over. “The sedan was spotted going north on Highway 95.”

  Frustration knotted Ryan’s stomach muscles. He wanted to go after them.

  “Sir, you need to hold still,” the young paramedic advised. “You’ve got at least two cracked ribs. And your ankle is badly sprained. You’ll need X-rays. You could have a hairline fracture.”

  Great. A hobbled failure. “Just tape it up. I’ll be fine.”

  Meghan finished giving her account of the events and walked quickly toward Ryan. His insides twisted at the dark bruise developing on her right cheek. Her face must hurt. “She could use some ice,” he said to the second EMT.

  The paramedic finished with his ribs, helped him with his T-shirt, then turned his attention to Meghan. Ryan gingerly shrugged back into his uniform shirt. His ribs hurt worse than when he’d come between his brother’s baseball bat and his mom’s front picture window.

  Officer Garrett’s radio crackled. He moved away to answer. Ryan could see from his expression that something was happening. He tried to stand, but the paramedic taping his ankle pressed him back down.

  Officer Garrett approached. “They found the car and arrested the driver.”

  Ryan’s nerves jumped. His jaw tightened. “Where?”

  “Georgina?” Meghan asked, pushing past the paramedic who was tending to her bruised face to step closer, her wide eyes filled with hope and concern.

  Officer Garrett shook his head. “Unfortunately, Mrs. Hennessy and the little girl were not with the man when the Portsmouth police picked him up.”

  Ryan tensed even more, sending pain shooting through his ribs. “How close was he to the Portsmouth International Airport?”

  “A couple miles,” Officer Garrett stated.

  “At least they hadn’t made it that far.” Ryan hated the idea that Christina could have jetted off with Georgina before they could arrest her. “Still, have airport security keep a vigilant eye out.”

  The officer nodded and quickly relayed the message into his radio. Then he said, “The guy’s not talking. He’s being taken to the Portsmouth Police station.”

  The sound of heels clacking against pavement jerked Ryan’s gaze around. Meghan was hurrying toward her Subaru.

  He gripped his ribs and jumped up, keeping all his weight on his right leg. A spasm of pain washed over him. For a moment the world spun. He pushed through the hurt and the dizziness. “Meghan, wait!”

  “Sir, you shouldn’t walk yet,” admonished the EMT with concern in his voice.

  Meghan ignored Ryan’s cry and climbed inside her burgundy car.

  Disregarding the paramedic’s reprimand, Ryan hustled as fast as he could to the side of Meghan’s small SUV, each step agony in his left foot. He rapped his knuckles on the driver’s window. She turned the key in the ignition and powered down the window.

  “You’re not going to Portsmouth,” Ryan said before the window was completely down. “You’ve meddled enough.”

  “You’re not in charge of me,” she snapped, her hazel eyes sparking with defiance. “Either you’re coming with me or you’re stepping back.”

  Ryan reached in and grabbed her wrist. “Do you want me to arrest you?”

  When she tried to twist out of his grasp, he held firm.

  “Get your hand off me,” she said between clenched teeth.

  “You are not going to Portsmouth.”

  “I don’t believe you’d arrest me.” Her sharp gaze sliced into him, but he was prepared to suffer whatever additional damage he had to endure to stop her. “You’re going to sit here while my…while that little girl is in danger? While Christina gets away? What kind of cop are you? That man they have in custody may know something useful. Something that will lead us to Christina
and Georgina. Christina needs to be punished for her crimes. And that little girl needs to be protected.”

  Furious at her for questioning him and even madder that what she said was true, Ryan released his hold on her wrist and yanked on the door handle. Locked. “Unlock the door.”

  She shook her head, her blond hair sliding over her shoulder. “No. You get in.”

  Barely holding on to his temper, he forced himself to breathe. Arresting her would only be a temporary fix. The charges wouldn’t hold. She’d be back out causing him problems before he could get new tires put on his vehicle.

  Waiting for one of his brothers to come pick him up would take time. Time was not his friend here. Every second wasted meant Christina was getting farther away with Georgina. If the police didn’t find her at the airport… The only person with any idea of where Christina and the child were going was the thug, Jay. Ryan needed to find out what he knew. Sooner rather than later.

  “Scoot over. I’m driving,” he ground out.

  She scoffed. “Not on your life, buddy. You may need to be in control a hundred percent of the time, but this is my car, my rules. And I’m driving. Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, you’re hurt.”

  His fingers curled. A flash of fear crossed her face as quick as lightning, leaving Ryan momentarily disoriented. That was the second time he’d seen distress that had no basis. The woman was a paradox. Bold and brash, ready for a clash of wills at every moment, yet… He gave a dismissive shake of his head. Puzzling over her wasn’t going to get Georgina back or put Christina behind bars.

  “Fine.” He hobbled around the front of the car, keeping his hand on the hood, forcing her to stay put or run him over. He wouldn’t have been too surprised if she tried running him down.

  He’d barely settled himself in the passenger seat when she hit the gas and barreled down the street. He slanted her a glance. She couldn’t seem to keep still in her seat. Her shoulders were hiked up to her ears.

  He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called his brother Douglas.

  “Where are you?” Douglas asked the moment he picked up. As the closest siblings in age, only thirteen months apart, Douglas and Ryan shared a bond of brotherhood and friendship as close as twins shared.

  “Leaving Revere,” Ryan answered. “We’re headed to Portsmouth.”

  “Who’s we?”

  Ryan hesitated, then gave a mental shrug. Douglas would find out soon enough. “I’m with Meghan Henry.”

  “You took a civilian out in the field? What were you thinking?”

  “I didn’t take her anywhere,” Ryan answered, his tone infused with the irritation coursing through his veins.

  “We heard there were injuries.”

  “Jackson went to the hospital.”

  “And you?”

  His rib pinched him, his ankle throbbed in time with his heartbeat. “Minor.”

  His brother snorted. “Nice try. Cracked ribs and a nasty sprained ankle aren’t exactly minor.”

  Ryan tightened his grip on the phone. “I’m fine.”

  “Ryan?”

  The concern in his brother’s tone lanced through Ryan. “Hey, look, this is the deal. I’m following a lead on Christina Hennessy. I’ll call again when I have something worth sharing.”

  “Let me get this straight. You’re following a lead with Meghan Henry, a civilian, a reporter, while you’re injured.” Douglas paused. “Dude, the woman is Olivia Henry’s cousin. She’s totally biased and emotionally involved.”

  “You don’t think I know this?” Ryan shifted away from Meghan and dropped his voice. “Better to keep her close so I can control the situation.”

  “Does Dad know?”

  “He knows I’m following a lead on Christina Hennessy.” As chief of police, Aiden Fitzgerald kept a firm and fair grip on the department. Just as Ryan would do when he took over as chief after his father won the upcoming mayoral election.

  “Be careful, brother.”

  His gaze shot to Meghan. He’d allowed himself to be distracted by her once. There wouldn’t be a repeat. “I plan to.”

  He hung up. Then made the necessary calls to Portsmouth, alerting them he was coming. When he finished his calls, he turned to Meghan. “They’ll contact me if there are any new developments.”

  Leaning back into the seat, his aches clamored for dominance in his consciousness. He tried taking a decent breath. Sharp pain was his reward. A glance at the dashboard clock told him they were making good time. Meghan had a lead foot. If he wasn’t so anxious to get to Portsmouth, he’d point out she was pushing the speed limit.

  Her nails drummed on the steering wheel as she maneuvered the Subaru through traffic. Pink nail polish on neatly filed fingernails. Long, tapered fingers.

  He could imagine Meghan running her fingers through his hair, over his shoulders… .

  Needing to keep his mind from rabbiting down a hole that he had no business exploring, he redirected his thoughts to the situation. “What sent you to Helen Yorke’s house?”

  “I heard that the charm found near Olivia’s body belonged to Christina Hennessy. When I went to the Hennessys’ house, Christina and Georgina were gone. I figured her ex-housekeeper might have an idea where Christina would disappear to. They’d seemed close before Helen left town.”

  A cold finger of dread ran down his back. “Who told you about the charm?”

  A leaky police department drowned a lot of good people over time. That information was supposed to be quiet until they could bring Christina in. They’d only recently released the image of the silver dolphin charm that had been discovered at the crime scene of Olivia Henry’s murder. A reliable tip had pointed them in Christina’s direction. Topping that off with the evidence linking Christina to Burke’s death…

  “Sorry. A good reporter never reveals a source.”

  Irritation flared. His jaw tightened. “Well, you found her didn’t you?”

  Meghan remained silent, letting the sarcasm of his words fill the car. “The paper said Burke died of a heart attack, but I’d heard it was a prescription overdose. Some say on purpose.” She glanced at him.

  He didn’t think keeping the information from her would serve much purpose. It would become public knowledge soon enough. “No. No heart attack, no overdose, at least not on purpose. Asphyxiation was the official cause of death.”

  Ryan had never bought the theory that Burke offed himself. The socially ambitious lawyer had been too set on usurping any Fitzgerald claim to the mayor’s seat to be suicidal. He’d been one of two men who thought Fitzgerald Bay needed new blood in the town government. “There’s evidence of foul play. Fibers found in his nostrils and throat suggested he’d also been smothered with a pillow, finishing off what the drugs had started.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  Ryan ran a hand through his hair. “You never answered my question. Why is Georgina so important to you?”

  She pressed her lips tightly together, the corners pinching slightly. After a moment, she said, “I received a letter earlier today.”

  “And that has to do with Georgina how?”

  Looking suddenly uncertain, she hesitated. Seeming to debate with herself, she nodded once, straightened her shoulders and briefly met his gaze. “It was from Olivia, postmarked before her death.”

  He drew back in surprise. “You just now got it?”

  A flash of impatience sparked in her hazel eyes as she slanted him a sharp glance. “Yes. When I left Boston, I didn’t have a forwarding address, so the super of my building held my mail. He finally got around to sending it all to me.”

  “Do you have the letter with you?”

  “No. It’s in a safe place.” She inhaled and then released a breath before saying, “How did
you find out Olivia had a child?”

  “I should be asking you that question.” But he figured she wouldn’t tell him anyway. That leak needed to be plugged. “The autopsy revealed she’d given birth.” Confirming what they’d already suspected. He hesitated a moment, then decided to tell her what else they’d discovered, though she probably already knew. Why did he feel like he was being tested? “A box, postmarked from Fitzgerald Bay, arrived at the police station.”

  Perking up with curiosity, she prompted, “What was in it?”

  “A pink baby blanket, a baby bracelet from a hospital in Ireland with the words Henry Baby Girl and the name of a doctor and a date, and an uncashed check for ten thousand dollars made out to Olivia Henry. None of which has helped to find Olivia’s killer or identify the person who mailed the box.”

  She glanced at him. “But surely the doctor or the hospital had some useful information on what happened to the baby.”

  “The hospital had a break-in not long after Olivia gave birth. Her records are missing. The doctor didn’t have any useful information other than confirming she’d delivered Olivia’s baby girl.”

  Seeming to weigh his words, she adjusted her grip on the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

  “It was privileged information in an ongoing investigation,” he stated.

  She made a little frustrated noise low in her throat. “Apparently Olivia had given her child up for adoption. But then regretted her decision and wanted her baby back.”

  “Is that what she wrote in her letter?”

  “Yes.”

  Empathy twisted in his chest. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to confirm that supposition.”

  She adjusted her grip on the wheel. “Yes, there is. The adoption was illegal and Olivia had been tricked into signing away her rights. Olivia tracked down her baby girl and found her in Fitzgerald Bay. That was why she’d moved from Ireland to the U.S. She wanted her baby back. Olivia wanted her baby girl to be with me if anything happened to her. She apparently didn’t feel safe in Fitzgerald Bay.”