MESSAGE in the BLOOD, page 6
I squeeze Gabby's hand and search her face. Is there a possibility we are related too? We both have dark hair.
All thoughts of a nap have left my mind. The first thing I'm doing now is going to Gomez's lab and having her run a DNA on me. Our future depends on it.
Chapter 12
GABBY
Sisters?
I can hardly wrap my mind around the word. Not one but two. One of them has hated me until very recently and one of them is currently being held captive.
That's a lot to take in.
I focus on the strength in Lucas's hand as he leads me down the porch steps and to my car.
“Are you alright?” he asks as he opens the door to my Charger.
“I'm not sure.” I look at Dustin. “What do you think about all this?”
“I think there's nothing that man can do that would surprise me anymore.” He rubs at his shoulder where he was shot by our father a few months ago. “Can't wait until his trial is over and they lock him away in prison.”
“But sisters? I mean, how will all this work?”
“They are not our sisters. He's just a sperm donor,” Dustin snaps. “Lacey has been nothing but mean to both of us and Aubry we don't even know.”
I look away from my brother. He's right. Until last night, Lacey has been downright horrid. Not sister-like at all.
“Poor Mom. Another blow from the world's worst husband. I think she's at the apartment. I better go tell her before she hears it through the rumor mill.”
I expect Lucas to give me a kiss good-bye but he seems distracted. “Do you need me for anything before I go? I did see something while Lacey and I were upstairs. I don't know if it's helpful. Part of a sign maybe? Only letters. 'ries Ke' Does that mean anything to you guys?”
Dustin shakes his head. “We'll look into it, but nothing comes to mind.” By his tone, I doubt he's going to do anything with the info. They are pretty focused on the ransom drop tonight.
I hesitate and look at Lucas, wondering why he's being so quiet. He can't still be mad at me about the phone last night can he?
“Well, then,” I say. “Guess I'll go see Mom.”
The men turn away, so I climb into my car and pull out of the wide driveway. Lucas's shoulders are slumped with concern. I tell myself he's worried about Aubry, not mad at me.
I almost believe it.
Mom's small white car is parked in the alley behind my shop “Messages” where I do readings on objects for people. After I solved a murder here a few weeks ago, business has been booming. Mom lives in the apartment upstairs.
I let myself in the back door and holler up the stairs to her door. “Mom, you here?”
Her door rattles and I see her smiling face in the crack of the door. I hate that I'm about to erase that smile.
“Gabby, I figured you'd be busy with that kidnap case today,” she says as I go up the stairs.
“I was at the Aniston's already this morning. Not much more I can do at this point.” Mom pulls me close for a hug. I notice it lasts a little longer than usual. I wonder about her living here alone. I am around a lot, but after she spent fourteen years wrongfully imprisoned, I imagine the nights get lonely with only goldfish for company.
“You added a picture of Walker, I see,” I say looking at the walls of the living area of the apartment. She and Grandma Dot covered them in framed family photos. The effect is heart-warming.
“That baby boy has stolen my heart.”
I nod. “He is a sweety,” I hedge, not wanting to come to the point of my visit.
I look in on the goldfish, then pull the curtain back and look down on the town square. The courthouse sits across the street, people coming and going. On the far side of the square, I see a familiar form.
Alexis is walking into a door.
I've seen her in that part of town before. She doesn't have Walker with her, which is odd.
I don't have time to wonder what Alexis may be up to. She's a grown woman with her own life. I have bad news to deliver.
“Want to tell me why you are stalling?” Mom asks.
“I'm not stalling,” I lie.
“Yes, you are. Whatever you're trying not to tell me, just get on with it.”
“We got some news this morning,” I sit on the couch and motion for Mom to join me. “They ran DNA tests on Lacey and her sister and me last night to rule us out of the crime scene.”
Mom's lips purse in confusion. “Okay?”
“Well,” I rub my gloved finger along the edge of the cushion, “Turns out Lacey, Aubry and I are sisters. Half-sisters.”
Mom's mouth falls open then closes with a snap when she makes the connection. “The bastard!”
“Jenna Aniston admitted it,” I say sadly.
“How could he? I mean, I suppose with everything else he's done to me. That woman, Diedre, the fake murder, shooting Dustin, killing those people, embezzlement, who know what else? Daughters? He has daughters?” Mom paces furiously around the room. “Does his depravity have no end? How could I have been married to that man?”
“He fooled us all, Mom,” I say quietly, my heart breaking to see her so upset.
“But he was my husband. I should have known. I should have suspected or sensed something. How could I have been so stupid?”
“Stop that! You are not stupid. Not now and not then. He is evil. Plain and simple.”
Mom stops pacing and stares at a picture of Dustin and me from when we were little. “At least I got you two from him. He did something good with his life.”
I continue rubbing at the cushion, not sure what to say. She suddenly strides across the room and grabs her keys off the hook by the door.
“He won't get away with this without some sort of retribution,” she nearly shouts. “Are they still holding him at County?”
“As far as know, he's there until his trial next month,” I shoot off the couch and follow her down the stairs. “Where are you going?”
“That man has done so much to me. It's about time I confront him.”
“Mom, you can't.”
She spins on the bottom step. “Why not? He cheated on me with at least two women that we know of. He framed me for his murder and left me to rot in prison. And he shot my son,” she adds dramatically. “He will hear what I have to say to him.”
The look in her eyes tells me there's no way to talk her out of it.
“Let me go with you.”
“You sure you want to do this?” I ask Mom as we pull into the parking lot of the County Jail where my father is awaiting his trial. “Won't it bring back bad memories?” Mom spent months waiting in this jail for her own trial when she was framed for murder.
She raises her chin and stares straight ahead. “I'll be fine.” I can only imagine what this must be like for her. She hasn't seen Nathan McAllister since the night he covered our kitchen in his blood and disappeared.
“Leave everything in the car,” I tell her as we are climbing out. I visited her every month while she was locked away. I'm familiar with the procedure. She silently hides her phone and purse under the front seat of my Charger. Although I doubt anyone would break into a car parked at the jail.
We walk to the entrance without speaking. She pauses outside the thick glass doors and gives me a wry look. “Ready?” she asks.
I nod.
Mom takes a deep breath, grabs the handle of the heavy door and pulls it open.
We go through the security checkpoint without issue and are soon waiting behind the Plexiglass partition. My nerves are jumping. I don’t want to see my father, especially after hearing he cheated on my mother with yet another woman. It seems the deeds he’s capable of are unbounded.
Mom’s hands are shaking and I pat them in her lap. “We can still leave. You don’t have to see him.”
“No. I need to do this.”
The other side of the glass fills with an orange jump suit and we are face to face with the man who has done everything he can to ruin our lives.
“Emily,” he says. “They told me it was you, but I didn’t believe them.”
“Nathan,” she says the one word bold and strong.
“Hey, Gabby Girl.” The joy in his voice is evident and makes my skin crawl. “So glad to see you again.”
“I’m not here to see you. I’m here to support Mom.”
“But you are here. That says something.” I don’t like his smug tone. The man before me barely resembles the man I knew and loved as my dad. His hair has grayed and Grandma Dot would be appalled at the state of his hair cut. The flint in his eyes is the same, though.
“Jenna Aniston?” Mom asks. “Really?”
Nathan looks confused for a moment then he makes the connection. “Oh yeah, Anthony’s wife. I remember her.”
“Remember her? You did more than meet her at a party,” Mom says. “You fathered two daughters with her.”
“I did?” His surprise is obviously false. “How about that? Poor, pathetic, Anthony couldn’t do the job. Someone had to help Jenna out.”
“That’s what you call it? Helping her out?” Mom’s voice is rising and a few people are looking our way. I place a hand on her shoulder.
“Seriously, Emily. All that was a long time ago.”
“Not for me. I just found out.”
“Is that why you came here? Because of some fling I had with a bored rich woman years ago?” He smiles and I want to reach through the glass and slap it off his face.
Mom is silent a beat. “I’m not sure why I came here, exactly. I just wanted you to see that you didn’t beat me. You framed me and stole years of my life. You shot my son and tried to take him away and failed. You cheated on me and fathered children with another woman. But here I am. I’m still standing. You always thought I was the weak one, the stupid one. The only stupid thing I’ve done in my life is trust you. But I won in the end. I’m on this side of that glass. I have Gabby and Dustin with me. You have nothing.”
He leans back in his chair in a practiced motion of nonchalance but his eyes have tightened at the corners. “Big words from a woman I duped.”
“You duped everyone.”
He looks proud of himself. “I did, didn’t I?”
I lean close to the glass. “That’s not something to be proud of.”
“And yet, I am, Gabby Girl.” If my momma and Grandma Dot hadn’t raised me better, I would have spit on the glass.
Mom puts her hand on my shoulder. “I’ve said all I need to say. Let’s go.”
We stand to go and he calls out as we walk away. “I’ll see you soon, Gabby.”
I spin around. “I won’t be back. I’ll never see you again.”
He shrugs and smiles an enigmatic smile. Something in me goes cold and my tattoo grows hot. I itch at it in confusion. The guard comes to take him back to his cell and he continues smiling at me. The burn grows hotter.
“Come on,” Mom says. “Let’s get out of here.”
It’s not until we are back outside in the bright sun that my blood warms again and my tattoo stops sizzling.
Chapter 13
GABBY
Mom keeps her eyes locked out the side window as we drive home from the jail, but I don't think she's seeing any of the lovely countryside sliding past. My mind is swirling with what we just did and how my tattoo burned. No words from God came, no directions. Just the burning.
We drive in silence until we cross the river back to town. I look down river towards the wooden covered bridge that is the center point of the town park and the place the kidnappers chose for ransom drop tonight. There're two figures under the bridge, fisherman maybe? Or members of the police force doing something to get ready for tonight?
“He looked old,” Mom breaks the silence as we cross back onto land. “In my mind, he still looked like he did the last time I saw him. I don't know why I didn't think that he'd be older now. That was years ago.” She doesn't draw her eyes from the window and seems to be musing to herself. “Life has not been kind to him.” She suddenly laughs. “Balding. Ha. He was always afraid of that. Hope all his gray hair falls out.”
“He definitely is thinner on top, even than he was last fall,” I agree.
“He deserves everything bad that can come his way,” she says. “He thinks he has it bad now in County. Wait until he's convicted and sent to prison. That's when things really turn bad.” Her voice trails off, no doubt thinking of the time she spent there. She suddenly shakes herself and smiles at me. “But those days are over.”
“Over and gone,” I agree. “Nothing but freedom for you now.”
She squeezes my hand. “Thank you for coming with me.”
I squeeze back. “I'm glad I went. Was a bit of closure for me, too.”
“At least his philandering brought us some good. You have two sisters.”
I take a deep breath. “I'm not sure how I feel about that, yet. It hasn't quite sunk in. Lacey was definitely not receptive to the idea that we were related. Said she didn't need another sister. Of course, it was a shock and she's under major stress today with Aubry missing.”
“Who would take that girl for ransom? I mean everyone knows the Aniston's have money, but to kidnap their daughter? There must be a grudge involved, too.”
“People do strange things for money,” I point out. “I just hope tonight's exchange goes smoothly and no one gets hurt.”
“You won't be there?”
“I'm not allowed anywhere near the case now.” I fiddle with a worn spot on the steering wheel, not wanting to tell Mom about how I screwed up last night and made everyone mad at me.
She sees me fiddling. “What did you do?” she asks with a knowing tone.
“Let's just say, my presence would not be appreciated right now.” I pull into the alley behind my shop and Mom's apartment. “Besides, I have clients this evening.”
Mom, thankfully, lets it go without me having to confess my sins.
“You'll do what you need to,” she says and climbs out of the car.
I follow her to the door and she lets us in. I'm suddenly hungry and realize the toast Grandma Dot gave me was hours ago. “You got anything to eat?” I ask.
Mom laughs. “I wondered how long it would take for you to ask. We should have gotten something while we were out.”
“I did a reading at the Aniston's this morning,” I defend myself as I follow her up the steps to the apartment.
“I have some of Grandma's rice Krispy treats, will that do? And I could make you a sandwich.”
“You're the best.” I head right to the small kitchen and take one of the delicious treats. “This should do.”
The sun is shining through the living room window and is warm on my back. The moment is as sweet as the Krispy treat. I can't help comparing this moment with Mom with all the visits I made to her in prison.
Despite the danger Aubry may be in, and the fact that my boyfriend and brother are barely talking to me, today has been a good day. I said good-bye forever to the man I despise and I found out I have two sisters.
Now we just have to pay to get the one sister back.
I fill the rest of the day with my clients. I keep checking the clock on my phone and mentally calculating the time until the ransom drop. I also hope the phone will show me that Lucas has called or texted and I somehow just missed it. I turn my phone off during client visits, so it's possible he'd call and I'd miss it.
He doesn't call.
I hope he's home getting some much needed rest before tonight. He's been up since yesterday morning. I worry about him when he works such long hours. He tells me it’s all part of the job. I think he'd work better if he was rested once in a while.
That's one of the many reason's I'd make a bad cop. I need my sleep.
Especially after doing readings. Between the many readings I did at the crime scene and the short night on Grandma's couch, I woke up depleted. After doing client readings all day, I'm wiped.
The sun is dipping low when I see my last client to the door. I just manage to stifle a yawn as I show them out and lock the door behind them. I turn my phone on again and check for messages.
One text from Grandma Dot, “Emily told me you have sisters! Call me!” Grandma loves exclamation points in texts.
I'm too tired to talk about it now and truly I still don't know how I feel about it. On the one hand, it changes nothing. Lacey still will probably hate me, even after asking for my help. Aubry is a stranger to me. Dustin is a pain in my butt. I can't imagine having two half sisters will change any of that.
Still, it might be nice. When I was growing up, Lucas's sister Crystal was the closest thing I had to a sister. That didn't turn out well.
My friend, Haley, is more of an acquaintance now that we don't work together. She drops into the shop once and a while, but we aren't really close.
I realize that blood won't make Lacey and Aubry my dear friends or anything, but maybe a relationship could grow there.
I sit at my desk and stare out at the town hall in the square, all lit up and lovely. I suddenly feel lonely. Yes, Mom is upstairs. Yes, Grandma Dot is waiting for me to call. I have Lucas and he is wonderful. But he's not talking to me right now.
Maybe a sister or two would be great. Of maybe they will just be someone else to argue with like Dustin. Of course, I know Dustin loves me and I argue as much as he does. I wouldn't give him up for the world.
I suddenly know exactly how I feel about having sisters. I'm excited.
I pick up the phone and text Grandma Dot. “I'm excited about it and what it might mean for our family. You always said, family is family, no matter what shape it comes in. I'll call you in the morning.”
She texts right back. “Get some sleep. Proud of you.”
I tingle at the praise.
An hour later, I've wrapped up the paperwork for today's clients, cleaned my desk and even dusted behind my computer. I can't think of anything else to do to fill the time before the ransom drop. I can't bring myself to go home. I feel left out. I know they have good reason for me not to be involved and truly I don't know what I could do to help. I just feel like I should be there.
