Colton 911--Soldier's Return, page 8
Until the double murder, they’d been a loud, boisterous, close and joyful family. Over time, and slowly, Carly hoped they’d all manage to make their way back to where they’d once been.
Walking into the spacious backyard, Carly immediately headed over to her mother, who sat in a brightly painted Adirondack chair next to her aunt. Both women, identical twins who took great pains to wear their hair differently, looked up at her approach.
“Carly!” Aunt Farrah stood, somehow managing to look both warm and regal at the same time. She enveloped Carly in a perfumed hug, before releasing her and sitting back down.
Carly’s mother, Fallon, also pushed to her feet. She crushed Carly to her, holding on so tightly that Carly struggled to breathe. When Fallon finally released her, Carly stepped back and studied her mom. Fallon’s short, curly hair looked as stylish as ever, and she’d clearly taken pains with her makeup, outfit and jewelry. This had to be a good sign, Carly thought.
“What’s new, sweetheart?” her mother asked, her intent gaze sweeping over Carly. Ever since losing her husband, the older woman had become subdued, her former vibrant personality dimmed. While Aunt Farrah Colton had always been loud, in an outgoing, charming way, Fallon had always been more reserved, yet warm and caring. Carly actually missed her aunt’s occasional yelling. At least she had her twin, Fallon, living next door to grieve with. Since both women had lost their husbands at the same time, they leaned heavily on each other.
They all mourned differently, Carly reflected. Carly had thrown herself into her work, picking up extra shifts and keeping as busy as possible so she didn’t have time to think. Of course, ever since losing Micha, she’d been a bit of a workaholic. The loss of her father had just intensified those tendencies again.
“I got a dog,” Carly said, figuring she’d start with that and work up to the really big news. After all, at some point Heath had to make his announcement about the new double murder. No doubt he planned to wait until after they’d all eaten, so the news wouldn’t put a huge damper on everyone’s mood.
“You what?” Fallon’s perfectly arched brows rose. “I wouldn’t think you have time to deal with a puppy.”
“Bridget isn’t a puppy, Mom. I rescued a dog. The vet says she’s about two years old and has likely had at least one litter of puppies. She’s got an appointment tomorrow to get spayed.”
The twin sisters shared a glance. “What kind of dog, dear?” Aunt Farrah asked.
“The vet thinks she’s a lab mix.” Carly pulled out her phone, ready to show pictures. She certainly had a lot of them.
Her trio of cousins ambled over, clearly curious. Everyone dutifully oohed over Bridget’s pictures.
“She’s really thin,” January said, expression concerned. She’d always been tenderhearted, which was part of the reason she’d gone into social work and did so much volunteer work. “Are you feeding her several small meals a day?”
“I am,” Carly replied, which made her cousin beam.
“Where’s Harry?” Simone asked, glancing around as if she expected him to appear at any second.
“We’re taking a break,” Carly replied, bracing herself for the comments that were sure to follow. Her cousins exchanged quick glances. Simone frowned, while January appeared confused. Since she’d been the one to set Harry and Carly up, Carly knew she owed her an explanation. “He’s a great guy and I appreciate you introducing us. We just weren’t right for each other. He’s good with it, though, much more so than I thought he’d be. Maybe you can work your magic and fix him up with someone else.”
Still frowning slightly, January nodded.
Tatum hugged her. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Mostly,” Carly allowed. She figured she might as well get this over with now, though she wanted her brothers to hear, too. “Heath, Jones. Do you have a minute?”
Since they hadn’t actually started cooking anything, they came over.
Jones slung a casual arm across her shoulders. “Looking good, Carly.” She smiled up at him, while inside she couldn’t help but wonder how they all were going to take her news.
“What’s up?” Heath asked, his shaggy dark blond hair blowing in the slight breeze.
“Micha is alive,” she blurted, inwardly wincing at her bluntness. “He showed up at my house a couple of days ago.”
Everyone started talking at once, asking questions. Heath cleared his throat loudly and held up his hand. “Quiet,” he ordered. “Let Carly explain.”
Carly told them everything, all except the part where she’d fallen into bed with Micha. When she finished relaying Micha’s story, Simone shook her head. “That explains Harry’s absence.”
Which meant that Carly had to tell them Harry’s reaction. Part of her still couldn’t digest the fact that he’d let her go so easily.
“Proof he wasn’t the right guy for you,” Jones drawled supportively, hugging her again. “I hope you’re not losing any sleep over him.”
“I’m not,” she said, surprised to realize the only thing stung had been her pride. Looking up, she realized both her mother and aunt had tears in their eyes.
Carly eyed January. “Thank you for fixing me and Harry up. He’s a great guy. I promise you, I never wanted to hurt him in any way.”
“It sounds like you didn’t,” January admitted. “He’ll be okay. But poor Micha,” she said, sighing. “It sounds like he’s been through so much.”
Carly nodded, not sure how to react to that. While Micha had suffered a horrible ordeal, that didn’t excuse the fact he hadn’t reached out to her in two damn years. “All this time,” she said out loud, “I thought he was dead.”
“I’m so happy for you,” Fallon said, sniffing. “You get to have a second chance. I wish your father could have been here to see that. He always was fond of Micha.”
Carly’s stomach twisted. She didn’t have the heart to tell her mother that she wasn’t sure she wanted a second chance with Micha. Especially not now, when she knew her mother would have given anything to have her husband back. As would Aunt Farrah.
“When’s the wedding taking place?” Simone asked softly. “Or haven’t you had time to start planning it yet?”
“I want to cater it,” Tatum interjected. “Or maybe you could just have the reception at True.”
Overwhelmed, all Carly could do was slowly shake her head.
Standing across from her, Heath narrowed his eyes, something in the tightness of his expression letting her know he understood at least some of the tangled emotions inside her.
“Give Carly a break,” he ordered. “I imagine all of this came as quite the shock.”
“It did,” Carly managed. She checked her watch. “Shouldn’t you two start grilling? I’m hungry.”
Grinning, Jones touched his finger to his forehead in a mock salute. “We’ll get right on that. Come on, Heath.”
Carly exhaled as her two brothers sauntered away. For a moment there, she’d seen a flash of anger in Heath’s steely gaze. She’d been really glad he wouldn’t be confronting Micha yet. She had a lot of her own upset feelings to deal with first without her older brother bringing his own into the mix.
“Why didn’t you bring Micha today?” Tatum asked, one brow raised. “It would have been great to see him after all this time.”
“I agree,” Simone said. “I always liked him.”
Carly shrugged. “Can we change the subject, please?”
All three of her cousins laughed. January hugged her this time. “Sure we can.”
A quick glance at her mother revealed she and her sister were in a deep, whispered conversation. Which was fine. Carly knew the two women could use a distraction. Since she didn’t want to worry anyone, Carly decided not to mention her feeling of being watched for the last six weeks. At least not yet. The police knew, Micha knew, and that would have to be enough for now.
Once the meat—tender, delectable cuts of beef, chicken and pork that Tatum had marinated, seasoned and prepared—had been grilled, all the sides were carried out and placed on a long table. It would be a feast. Carly, unable to keep from wondering what Micha would make of it, hung back a little while the others lined up to fill their plates.
Heath joined her, his expression troubled. Since she’d promised she wouldn’t, she couldn’t reveal that she already knew about the recent double murders. No doubt her older brother was worrying about how to tell the family without causing a mass panic.
Meanwhile, Heath apparently took her preoccupation for worry about Micha. “It’s going to be all right, Carly.” He patted her shoulder. “Right now it must feel overwhelming, but things will sort themselves out.”
She managed to summon a smile. “I know they will,” she replied, even though she knew no such thing. “Life sure can be complicated.”
“It can,” he agreed. “If you need to talk through anything, or just feel like some company, you know you can contact me or Jones anytime.”
“That’s right,” Jones chimed in, balancing a very full plate as he passed them on his way toward a seat. “Or if you want to come by the brewery and drown your sorrows, I’m up for that, too.” He winked. “I brought some of our newest beer for everyone to sample today if they want.”
Once everyone had gotten their food and sat down to eat, Carly allowed herself to simply be in the moment, pushing her worries away for later. A delicious meal with her family, lots of laughter, bright sunshine and spring warmth would lighten anyone’s mood.
Heath and Jones went back for seconds. Carly almost followed their lead, but Tatum reminded everyone to leave room for dessert. Since whatever Tatum had chosen to concoct was bound to be spectacular, Carly stayed in her seat.
Grinning, Heath returned to his chair with a second heaping plate. Jones did the same. “I’ll always have room for any of your delicious desserts,” Heath said, before digging in.
Tatum waited until both men had cleaned their plates before getting up and disappearing inside the house to retrieve her concoction. Everyone took wild guesses on what she might have made since she’d refused to say, claiming she wanted it to be a surprise.
“I’m hoping cheesecake.” Carly sighed. “Or cobbler.”
“Or tiramisu,” January interjected. Simone nodded her agreement. “Tatum makes the best tiramisu.”
“I vote chocolate,” Jones chimed in.
A moment later, Tatum reappeared. She carried a large covered metal pan. “Something new,” she said with a mysterious smile. “Bourbon bread pudding.”
Everyone collectively sighed.
“My mouth is already watering,” Heath said.
Rapt, everyone watched while Tatum dished up portions into bowls. Next to them, she’d placed a carton of French vanilla ice cream with a metal scoop on top. “Come and get it,” she announced, stepping back. “Mom and Aunt Fallon first.”
Simone stood, fetching the two older women’s portions before grabbing her own. One by one, the rest of them got their dessert.
As usual with anything Tatum made, it tasted amazing, managing to be both light and filling, the flavors both simple and complex. Carly ate it slowly, so she could savor every bite.
By the time everyone had finished, a contented silence fell over the group. Carly glanced at her big brother, figuring now would be the time he broke his bit of news.
Heath looked around and then slowly stood. He took a deep breath before tapping his spoon on the side of his water glass to get their attention. “Everyone, I’m afraid I have a bit of bad news,” he said. “Chicago PD has notified me that there was another double murder, with a similar MO to Dad and Uncle Alfred. The FBI has been called in. They’re thinking we might have a serial killer on our hands.”
After a moment of stunned silence, everyone started talking at once. Carly stayed quiet and listened while everyone expressed worry, shock and concern.
Heath let them go on for a moment or two before raising his hand and clearing his throat. “The police have promised to keep us posted. They’ve asked everyone to be careful and let them know if you see or hear anything unusual. If it is a serial killer, they aren’t sure what attracts him to his victims.”
“How do you know it’s a male?” Fallon asked.
“Most serial killers are.”
“Were the victims also twins?” Jones asked, shooting his brother a dark look, no doubt upset that Heath hadn’t filled him in first.
“No.” Heath looked from one family member to the other. “Despite that, or maybe because of it, I’m still worried. I want you all to promise me you’ll report anything unusual.”
Everyone murmured their assent. Carly kept her mouth closed, though she figured she’d probably better tell her brothers about her stalker. But if she did, she knew Heath would sweep in and take over, like he always did. Being the head of the family and the family business had given him more than enough responsibilities and things to worry about. She decided to keep it quiet for now. After all, Chicago PD and the FBI were already involved. And she had Micha to help keep her safe.
Chapter 6
Since Micha had no way of knowing what time Carly would return from her family get-together out in Oak Park, he spent the afternoon looking at For Rent listings online. He found several that looked promising and bookmarked them to revisit later with Carly. Once he’d finished with that, he started studying sales prices of vehicles he liked. He figured out a strategy, decided how much he was willing to spend in cash and then he drove north to a Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge dealer and took a look at the new Jeep Wranglers. The dealership was closed on Sunday, so Micha parked outside the gate and walked around the lot looking at vehicles.
He found a fully loaded black one he liked, jotted down the information and resolved to come back Monday when the sales office was open.
On the way back to his hotel, he realized he needed fresh air, so he took a detour and drove to Burnham Park, where he could walk along the lakeshore and see the water. Everyone, it seemed, had come out on such a beautiful spring afternoon. The tennis courts were full, the path crowded with joggers, cyclists and people out for a walk.
Here, in the midst of nature, with Lake Michigan glittering in the sunlight, he missed Carly so much he ached. To him, she represented everything he loved about his city of choice. Walking in this beautiful green space might be nice, but he needed Carly with him to fully experience it.
He found an empty bench and sat. Once, he and Carly had huddled together in this very spot, bundled in their winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves. They’d been giddy with love, braving the icy chill of winter to marvel at the beauty of the frozen lake. He wondered if she’d ever come here by herself, after his supposed death. Maybe she’d sat on this same bench, mourning him.
It couldn’t have been easy for her. If the situation had been reversed, and he’d lost her, the devastation would have surely taken him under. Instead, he’d spent a good chunk of time unconscious, even more in physical therapy relearning basic skills, all the while yearning for someone his fuzzy brain couldn’t remember. Then when he’d clawed his way to some sort of normalcy and realized what he’d lost, so much time had passed that he’d understood he could never have her back.
Still, unable to let her go, he’d traveled to his favorite city to see her one last time. As if. He’d hashed the scenario out over and over, unable to rationalize simply letting her go.
And now he knew he never could. If she sent him away, he’d end up living the rest of his life as half a person.
His phone rang. When Carly’s name flashed up on the screen, his heart skipped a beat. Here’s to second chances, he thought, and answered.
“I’m on my way back to the house,” she said. “If you want to come over in about thirty minutes, that’d be great.”
“I’m at Burnham Park,” he told her. “So not far from your place at all. Maybe we could take Bridget for a walk here sometime.”
“She’d love that,” she promptly said. “But not until I’ve made sure she’s up to date on her vaccines first.”
“You’re already an awesome pet parent,” he said. “I’ll see you in a half hour.”
After ending the call, he remained on the park bench a few more minutes, soaking up the atmosphere and feeling like the luckiest man alive.
Then he got up and made his way to his rental car to make the short drive over to Carly’s house.
Despite taking his time, he still arrived before her. He parked at the curb in front of her house and went to sit on her front porch steps. When she pulled into her driveway a few minutes later, he got up and went to meet her. Bridget, apparently recognizing the sound of Carly’s car, began barking inside the house.
The sound made Carly grin. “I love having a dog,” she said.
“It sounds like she’s glad you’re home.” He slung a casual arm across her shoulders. Though she tensed at first, she actually allowed herself to lean into him a little. When she reached her front door, she stepped away from him and unlocked it. She barely had it open wide enough for her to step through when a blur of black fur came barreling at her, barking in what Micha could only describe as a happy sound. Happy, hell. The dog sounded ecstatic.
Carly crouched down, grinning broadly while her new pet welcomed her home. “Come on, girl,” she finally said, getting to her feet. “Let’s get you outside.”
Micha waited in her kitchen while she took her dog out back. Ever conscious of the camera, he avoided glancing at the window at all.
A moment later, Carly and Bridget returned. “It’s gone,” Carly announced, slightly breathless. “The video camera is no longer attached to my window. I even checked the ground below, just in case it fell. There’s no sign of it anywhere.”
