They were done for now, Abe thought and with regret he straightened and began buttoning his shirt. „There was pie?“
„Cherry. Better than Owen’s, but never tell him I told you.“
He smiled down at her. „Your secret’s safe with me.“
Her brows furrowed slightly. „Which one?“
He toyed with one of the pins in her hair. „Any. All.“
She was quiet for a moment, then finally said, „Debra was a lucky woman.“
He didn’t know what to say to that. So he said, „Thank you.“
„You’re welcome.“ She tilted her head, regarding him soberly. „What did you find?“
The call had come just as they were sitting down to dinner. Truman had grabbed another kid leaving a box on her front porch. Once again the kid was a multiple offender, another teen with a yellow sheet as long as his arm. As if on cue, the dryer stopped and the room was quiet. „Arthur Monroe.“ Her eyes flickered.
„Little Katie Abrams,“ she said.
„Katie Abrams was the name on the stone,“ he confirmed.
„One of the worst of my career. I pulled the most liberal judge on the face of the earth who somehow believed a man molested a five-year-old because society had failed him.“
She closed her eyes and he could see her bracing herself. „What was the P.S.?“
He clenched his jaw, anger building anew. Sonofabitch. Acting like he cares about her when he’s put her in this danger. „He was worried about your safety. With me.“
Her eyes flew open, wide and startled. „What?“
„He said, ‘Be cautious about who you trust to stand guard over you at night’“
Her eyes flashed, twin emeralds against her creamy skin. „I hate him.“
„I know. I don’t want you to sleep at your house tonight. Come to my apartment.“
Her lips trembled. „I don’t want him to throw me out of my house,“ she whispered. „I know you think it’s crazy, but it’s important for me to be in my own house. Please.“
There was more, he knew. A reason she was so determined to stay in her home, that she’d chosen the words ‘throw me out’. She’d tell him in her own time, just like she’d tell him everything else. „All right,“ he said. „But I’ll stay with you.“
Her eyes filled with tears and she dashed them angrily away. „I hate this.“
He pulled her against his chest and she came willingly. „I know.“ His cell phone trilled in his pocket and he fished it out as she cuddled against him. „Reagan.“
Mia’s voice came through, shaky. But it wasn’t the connection. It was Mia that was shaky. „Abe, they found Tyrone Yates. He’s dead.“
„Damn. How?“
„It was Blades. They left their mark carved into his face.“
„What about the other one? Aaron Jenkins.“
„Still looking,“ Mia said. „His parents are frantic. At least this’ll get the parents of tonight’s kid off our backs for putting their precious junior in protective custody.“
„Maybe this will be enough to get Jenkins’s juvie record unsealed. Judge Rheinhold was so damn pious about it today. Let’s see if he changes his tune now.“
Mia sighed on the other end. „I think we might have better luck with Mrs. Jenkins. Until then, the Blades are serious trouble. Tell Kristen to take a vacation, go to Jamaica.“
„I’ll tell her,“ Abe said dryly. He dropped the phone in his pocket. „Mia says hello.“
Kristen lifted a brow. „And what else does Mia say?“
He told her about Tyrone Yates and her shoulders sagged. „I’m ready for algebra now.“
He pressed another kiss to her forehead. „How are you, really?“
„You mean after what happened today or last night?“
„Either. Both.“
She drew a breath and straightened her spine. „I’m pissed as hell, quite honestly. But, there may be an upside. Now I’ll have more time to go through all those old case records so I can help you figure out what’s common here besides me.“
Abe frowned. „But – “ She gave him a self-satisfied smile.
„I burned a CD with all the information. I can work from home.“
„That was probably against the rules.“
Her smile went just a shade naughty and his heart skipped a beat. „You gonna arrest me, Reagan?“
He chuckled ruefully. „I’m tempted. Let’s go before I get out the cuffs.“ With his arm around her shoulders he led her out of the laundry room back into the kitchen, where the volume was louder than the dryer had been. Sean and Ruth’s kids were running around the kitchen like it was the Indy 500. Abe dropped a kiss on his mother’s cheek, then another on the cheek of the baby she held. His newest niece. „I’m back.“
Becca looked amused and Abe knew Aidan had blabbed about the laundry room. „I can see that. Hi, Kristen.“
Abe looked over to find Kristen staring at Ruth, a horrified expression on her face. „They’re all yours?“
Ruth grinned, then cringed at the sound of broken glass. „Plus one other who will be losing his allowance for the rest of his life to pay for what he just broke.“
Becca handed the baby to Ruth. „I’ll go see. Abe, I fixed you a plate. Microwave it.“
Abe snorted. „Hell, I’m eating the leftover pie before Aidan knows it’s here.“
Ruth shooed him. „Then eat it in the dining room. I want to talk to Kristen. Coffee?“
Kristen shook her head. „No thank you.“
„Then sit, please.“ Ruth gestured to the table and Kristen sat. „Becca told me you were here tonight. We were afraid you might not come back.“
Kristen frowned. „Why?“
„Well, you seemed so hurt when you left last night. You were trying not to be, but we could tell you were.“
Last night. Last night she’d been with Reagan. Kissing Reagan. Before that she’d been attacked in her own bedroom by an assailant with a gun. But before that – „Oh. The thing about Debra. I’m sorry. I was hurt, a little. But after Abe took me home…“ She hesitated. „Someone broke into my house and threatened me. Abe chased them away.“
Ruth went still. „The same men that pulled you out of your car Friday night?“
„Probably not.“ They all suspected Jacob Conti, but there was no proof. Nothing but the skin Jack had scraped from her fingernails, but without a suspect to compare, the evidence meant very little. Kristen shrugged. „I’m okay, really. Just shaken up.“
„Abe stayed with you last night, right? He didn’t leave you alone.“
Kristen fought hard to keep her cheeks from flushing, but by the light in Ruth’s eyes knew she’d failed. „No,“ she said, striving for some dignity. „He didn’t leave me alone.“
Ruth reached across the table and covered her hand. „Good. I mean it, Kristen. Abe’s been alone for so long. He’s a good man. He deserves someone who will make him happy.“
Kristen couldn’t stand the warm look in Ruth’s eyes. She made Abe happy now, she knew. But it wouldn’t last „I don’t want you all to get your hopes up, Ruth. Abe is watching out for me because of this whole… thing.“ She gestured aimlessly with one hand. „Media, killers, men with guns. I don’t expect him to stick around when it’s all over.“
Ruth sighed. „This is your business, Kristen. Yours and Abe’s. Whatever happens between you is between the two of you. I just wanted you to know I was sorry for reacting like I did last night. It was so rude of me, but when I heard you laugh, it was like having Debra right here in the room.“ She rocked the baby, and the sight tugged at Kristen’s heart. „It’s going to be hard for Abe, seeing Debra’s parents on Saturday.“
The baby’s christening. Kristen dreaded the thought of christenings and had always managed to slide out of attending such ceremonies in the past, but she’d go with Abe if he asked her. It would dredge up still more old wounds, but she’d be there to support him even if it killed her inside. „Abe told me that they hadn’t agreed on Debra’s care.“