"Not tonight. I knew she'd gone last night." Warning alarms began to sound in her mind. He wasn't just angry at Beth. He's angry at me.
"You knew my fourteen-year-old had gone out the window and you didn't tell me."
"She promised she'd tell you herself. I told her if she didn't tell you, then I would."
"Well, you didn't." He spat the words and Larry Fletcher frowned.
"Reed, she's okay. Beth's fine. And Mia tried to help."
Reed towered over her, fury in his eyes. "That wasn't help."
Mia stepped back, trembling herself now. "I'm sorry. I thought it was the right thing to do. That's why I don't have kids." She swallowed hard, then remembered Percy. The cat was as lucky as she was, but still her heart pounded. She found the chief in charge. "The girl you thought was inside was somewhere else. She's being returned."
The chief's eyes narrowed. "I risked my men's lives for an AWOL kid?"
"Hey, she's not my kid. But my cat's inside on the other side of the duplex."
"We've contained the fire to this side, but we'll go in for your cat when we can."
"Thanks. Oh, and there was a puppy. Fuzzy dog, this big." She gestured.
"Over there. We found him by the tree. Leg's broke. Otherwise he's fine."
"Thanks. Tell me, is the house destroyed?"
"Mostly the top floor. Everything in the bedrooms."
Mia remembered the book he'd held in his hand. My darling Reed. The book was gone. She closed her eyes on a wave of regret. She couldn't blame him for being angry. He'd had a giant scare. She should have told him about Beth. She'd had plenty of opportunities throughout the day. But she'd so hoped Beth would tell him herself.
She shook herself back into action. This was the work of Andrew Kates. He was close by. She called Jack and Spinelli, then noticed the four calls from Murphy, all within the last fifteen minutes. With all the noise, she hadn't heard her cell ring.
She called him back. "Murphy, it's Mia. What's happened?"
"I can barely hear you, Mia."
"That's because Kates burned Reed's house down. I'm surrounded by fire trucks."
"Was anybody hurt?"
"No, but Kates found us. Reed was the taiget this time. What did you find?"
"Three of the four Youngs. The father and mother are both dead, natural causes. Tyler Young died in a fire last night in Indianapolis. I faxed Kates's photo to the PD."
They'd been too late. "Thanks, Murphy. I'll let Reed know." Mia walked back to Reed, her posture apologetic. "I'm sorry, Reed. I was wrong not to tell you about Beth." He glowered and said nothing. "Murphy found three of the Youngs. One of them was killed in a fire last night."
His glower softened to a glare. "I know. Indy OFI posted it to the database I've been searching all week. I was going to call you when I got confirmation, but this happened."
"So we have one more target left to find."
He nodded. "Thanks for telling me. About the Youngs."
"Reed, I didn't want to come between you and Beth." She watched as the cruiser approached, its siren adding to the chaos of the scene. "The prodigal daughter returns."
"We won't be killing any fatted calves," Reed said darkly and marched over to the cruiser. Beth got out, face stark with shock and horror. Reed glared, bandaged fists on his hips, then caught his daughter in a fierce embrace that made Mia's eyes sting.
Behind her, Larry cleared his throat. "Mia, I've known Reed Solliday a lot of years. He's a good man. He didn't mean to hurt you. He was just scared mindless."
"I know that." She also knew he'd keep hurting her until this was over. Wearily she wished it was. "I'm going to get my cat and go to a hotel. Make sure he's okay, Larry."
Larry gave her a shrewd look, reminiscent of Murphy. "Which hotel?"
She laughed shakily. "Probably the first one I come to. Good night, Larry."
Beth sobbed. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm sorry." He held her tight, afraid to let her go.
"I thought you were dead," he said hoarsely. "Beth, don't ever do this to me again."
She nodded, then pulled away, her eyes fixed to the house. "Oh, Daddy. It's gone."
"Not all. Just the top floor." But it would take some time to put their house back together. He wondered how much time it take to put their trust back together. "Mia said you went to a slam poetry competition. Beth, why didn't you just tell me?"
"I didn't think you'd understand why it was important to me." She lifted a childish shoulder, but her words were adult. "Maybe I wanted something that was only mine."
"Beth, everything I have is yours. You know that."
She looked up, her eyes wet and very serious. "No, Daddy. It's all hers. Mother's."
He blinked. "I don't understand."
She sighed. "I know." She lifted his hands, her eyes filling again at the sight of the bandages. "Oh, God, your hands. How bad is it?"
"Light burns. I'll heal." He pushed a lock of hair from her face. "I love you, Beth."
His baby launched herself into his arms. "I love you, too." And as his arms closed around his child, he heard Mia's voice. Just tell her you love her, okay? And he knew the woman understood a great deal more than he'd ever given her credit for. He lifted his head, looking for her. But she was gone. He straightened abruptly. Mia was gone.
"What's wrong?" Beth asked anxiously.
"I need to find Detective Mitchell."
"She went to a hotel," Larry said from behind him.
"Which one?"
"She said the first one she came to." His old friend's face was carefully nonchalant.
Reed's eyes narrowed. "How did you two arrive together?"
Larry shrugged. "She was playing pool with Hunter and me and the boys tonight."
Jealousy pierced him, swift and sharp. Mia surrounded by men, one of them calendar boy David Hunter, with whom she'd had a past. Amusement filled Larry's eyes and one side of his mouth lifted. "You want me to find which hotel she went to?"
"Yeah. Please." Reed turned back to Beth who was watching knowingly. "What?"
"Detective Mitchell told me to tell you. She said you were a good dad and I owed you better. She was right. I'm sorry, Dad."
"I don't know what to do about her, Beth. She's not… like your mother."
"So? Dad, last I looked, my mother was dead." She drew a breath. "But you're not."
And somehow, it was that simple. "You're so much like your mother. She wrote poetry, too." Which was gone forever. But he'd deal with the loss of it later.
"Really? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Maybe I wanted to keep something of her that was just mine, too." He cupped her cheek, kept his voice gentle. "You are grounded for the rest of your life."
Her jaw dropped. She got ready to protest, then wisely closed her mouth. "Okay."
"Now, I think I heard something about Biggies needing attention. He's over there." Reed pointed to the puppy. "You see what needs to be done and I'll finish up here."
Sunday, December 3, 3:15 A.M.
The history of jet aviation was better the second time around. Mia lay in the hotel bed, Percy curled up on her stomach. The History Channel was replaying its schedule and she'd already seen histories of ancient Greece and Rome. She'd discuss them with Jeremy when he got to Dana's. The boy would be happy there and she could visit-
The knock on the door startled her. Grabbing her gun from the nightstand she peeked through the peephole. Her shoulders sagged and she opened the door. Reed.
He was freshly showered and shaved, a light bandage now only on the palm of one hand. The other held a plastic drugstore sack, the memory of which sent her senses pulsing. He looked handsome and… necessary. She could see the colors of the key card through the front pocket of his shirt. He was staying here. At this hotel. Proximity tempted, powerfully. But his shirt was open enough for her to see the glint of the metal chain around his neck and she squeezed her swollen heart back into its place. "Reed."