The Black Sheep's Redemption (15 page)

* * *

Demi didn’t know whether to run or laugh or cry. Finally, she had what she’d been hoping—praying—for. Someone who knew her. Knew about her. And what did she do?

Run away.

But she needed time, space, to deal with this. To wrap her mind around everything.

She hadn’t even asked about her family.

“Are you all right?”

Demi spun at the sound of the voice. It was the officer who’d been keeping an eye on her. Clearing her throat, she said, “Yes, I just need some time.”

“Sure.” He backed up, but she noticed he didn’t leave her alone.

“Demi?”

She turned.

Charles. Tears welled as his warm hands settled on her shoulders. She felt his lips brush the edge of her hairline. “It’ll be okay,” he whispered.

Looking beyond him, she saw Alan standing in the doorway, watching, hands shoved in his pockets, mouth tight, brow furrowed. She moved away from Charles. “I’m going home. Give my best to Douglas and Merry for me. I’m sorry,” she stammered, “I just need to be alone for a while.”

She could see Charles wanted to argue—or at least go with her. But she turned on her heel, putting her back to him and Alan.

The officer followed at a discreet distance.

Demi’s mind whirled. She needed guidance, direction. But all her friends were related to Charles. Who could she talk to? Who would be objective about her situation?

“Demi, wait!”

Turning, eyes nearly blinded with her tears, she made out Alan’s form coming toward her. The officer followed behind.

“Demi.” He caught up with her. “Please. Don’t go yet. Come sit with me. Talk to me.”

She wanted to. Only because she had a zillion questions to ask him. She searched for Charles, but he’d already left. That made her feel sad—and grateful. He’d been willing to honor her request for time alone.

And then there was Alan. Who seemed so desperate to be with her. She couldn’t begrudge him that. How would she feel if the roles were reversed?

Brushing aside her tears and telling herself to grow a spine, she straightened her shoulders and nodded. “Fine. Let’s go to the café, okay?”

“Sure.”

Demi led the way, her heart beating double time once again. With everything in her, she wished Charles was beside her, but knew that wasn’t fair to him or the man who’d just shown up in her life.

They found a table and ordered coffee. Thank goodness Victoria was still at the wedding reception. Demi didn’t need her watchful eye.

As it was, nervous jitters made her hands shake. She took a sip of the steaming brew and said, “Can you please tell me a little about my family? My parents? Brothers and sisters?”

He hesitated, then said, “You’re an only child. Your parents are missionaries in…ah…Brazil, I think you said. You can go months without hearing from them.”

So that was why no one had reported her missing!

“But what about friends? A church family?”

He shrugged. “You lived with your parents in Brazil but came home to take care of their house. That’s how we met. I leased the house next door to your parents. I asked you to stay a little longer rather than return to the mission field so that we could continue to grow our relationship.” His eyes softened and his hand reached out to touch hers. “We fell in love and when I asked you to marry me, you said yes. That’s about it.”

Her head began to ache the way it did when she tried to think too hard, or when she tried to force the memories. This time she ignored it. “My parents’ house,” she said softly. “Where is it?”

“In Springfield.”

“Where I was found. Where I stayed in the hospital.”

“Yes.”

“And yet no one knew who I was?”

“No, I guess not,” he said slowly. “But it makes sense. You told me you fell in love with Brazil and hadn’t been back to the States for a few years although you said your parents came back pretty regularly.”

“I was a missionary?” The thought just registered. No wonder she’d been compelled to seek out God. Warmth infused her. She believed in God.

“Yes. You taught school.”

“I’m a teacher.”

“A missionary teacher.”

Visions of children swam through her mind. Dark faces, dark eyes, smiles. Then yelling, a hard fist and a scream. She gasped.

Alan’s grip tightened on her fingers. “You remember something.”

“Ah, no. Yes. I’m not sure.” She blinked the images away and the headache faded.

“Come with me.”

“What?”

“Let me take you home. Show you where you live, where we were going to live after we were married.”

The excitement in his voice made her hesitate. She didn’t want to go with him. She wanted to go with Charles.

Something in her expression must have registered with him. “It’s him, isn’t it?”

Demi didn’t bother to ask what he meant. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve developed feelings for Charles.” His eyes shuttered and his lips tightened. “But,” she hurried on to reassure him, “I want to be fair to you, too. I… Oh, my, I think I just need some time.”

He smiled. A forced smile, but at least he was trying. “All right, Demi, just don’t make any hasty decisions without letting me know. Please?”

“I think that’s a reasonable request. I can do that,” she promised.

“Good. Good.”

Demi stood. “I’m going to lie down. I need to process all of this.”

SIXTEEN

C
harles slept little and when he woke Sunday morning, he was in a foul mood. Not only because he’d had almost no sleep, but because it was now 5:00 a.m. and he was wide awake. The twins still slept so he prowled the house on silent feet.

In the den, his eyes landed on his mother’s Bible. The book held a prominent position on the mantel. His mother had given the Bible to him several weeks before she’d died, making him promise to live by it.

Regret pierced him. He’d read that book every day after her death, seeking solace and comfort in the word. But after Kathleen had left him, he’d lost the will, the energy, to do anything but get through each day only to fall into bed every night exhausted beyond belief.

Now, he pulled the Bible from its resting place. With a puff of his breath, he blew the layer of dust from the top.

Carrying the book to the recliner, he settled himself in the chair and opened the Bible. His mother’s handwriting leaped off the pages. She’d taken copious notes over the years. His finger traced the words and wondered what she would have done, how she would have felt, had she known of her husband’s infidelity.

She would have been hurt, betrayed, angry. Of course she would have felt all those emotions.

Would she have eventually forgiven? Probably.

Charles tried to find it in his heart to pray for Kathleen. To completely forgive her for deserting him and their children. To his surprise, the raging bitterness was gone, replaced by a sadness for the woman. A regret that he wasn’t what she’d needed.

But a thankfulness that Demi had come along when she had.

His phone buzzed.

Owen had sent him a text:
Call when you get up. Have news re: Burke’s autopsy.

Charles lifted a brow. That was fast. His father must have pulled a few strings to get that done in such a short amount of time.

He punched in Owen’s speed dial number.

Owen picked up on the second ring. “It was murder.”

“How?”

“Apparently the man liked to drink at night. Someone slipped a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs in his drink.”

“How do you know it wasn’t suicide?”

“The ME found a feather in his throat.”

“A feather?”

“As in from a feather pillow. Looks like someone doped him up good, then held a pillow over his face to make sure the deed was done.”

“Wow.”

“At least that’s the speculation at this point. Tox screen was off the charts with all kinds of different drugs. I can’t even remember the ones the ME listed.”

Charles heard the weariness in his brother’s voice. “You know we—the family, I mean—will be suspects, don’t you?”

“Of course I know that,” Owen snorted. “I’ve already thought about that. I can just see the headlines now. ‘Fitzgerald family poisons rival for mayor.’”

“I don’t suppose there’s any way to keep this from the media.”

“Not a chance.”

“Right.” Charles glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m still planning on taking Demi to the hotel. She wants to get her things.”

“And it’s an opportunity to spend some time with her, eh?”

Charles felt the flush start at the base of his throat. Glad he was on the phone and not facing his brother, he simply said, “Yes.”

Silence.

Then Owen said, “You’re worried about this guy, Alan, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“I don’t envy your position,” Owen said. “Let me know if you need my help with anything.”

Charles didn’t hesitate. “I want a background check on this guy.”

“Absolutely. Consider it done.” His brother paused. “One more thing. We’ve decided to release a picture of the dolphin charm found near Olivia’s body to the media. Let them show it on the news and see if anyone can ID it. We’ve kind of sat on this piece of evidence because we were trying to track down where it came from without alerting the killer that we had it. We’re hoping the killer doesn’t even realize it’s missing. However, we’re running out of options and leads on this case and feel like it’s time to reveal it and see what happens.”

Charles drew in a deep breath. “Keep me updated.”

“Will do.”

Charles hung up and wondered if life would ever get back to normal.

* * *

After church Sunday, Demi and the Fitzgerald clan gathered at the ball field. Aiden had ordered extra security for the game just to be on the safe side. He’d thought about calling it off, but Charles said he would come up against such opposition that he’d relented.

With conditions.

There would be guards around the perimeter, and fans would have to consent to bag searches.

It looked like the entire town turned out for this special fundraiser game to benefit the children’s hospital. Charles pushed the twins in the stroller and Demi walked beside them, her heart warm from being with them. She tried not to think about how much she liked being a part of this family. Because she had no assurance it would last.

At the bleachers, she joined Charles on the bottom one so the twins could be kept in their stroller as long as they would consent to it.

Paige and Victoria sat behind them.

“I’ll play with them if you want me to, Uncle Charles,” Paige offered.

Fiona’s son, Sean, darted past followed by a group of his buddies.

Charles looked at Paige and smiled. “Maybe in a little while. They’re pretty happy right now.”

“Okay.”

And then she saw something that disturbed her.

Alan Gregor sitting on the next set of bleachers, turned so he could see her.

When she caught his eye, he smiled and waved her over.

Her heart hit her toes. She didn’t want to see Alan today.

The thought sent guilt coursing through her and she forced a smile. “Charles, I’m going to say hello to Alan.”

The instant frown on his face sent a new surge of guilt. Guilt for…just being her and the uncertainty she’d brought into his life.

Biting her lip against the desire to ignore Alan and run back to her apartment—so she didn’t have to deal with the stress of Alan’s presence and Charles’s unhappiness at the whole situation—she made her way over to the man who’d rocked her world yesterday and said, “Hi, Alan.”

Delight lit his expression. “Demi. I knew you’d be here. Would you sit with me?”

Awkwardness hit her. “Well, I’ve come with Charles and the kids, so I guess I’ll stay with them. But thank you.”

Alan’s shoulders drooped and he turned his head for a minute. Then he looked back at her. “Sure, sure. I understand.” But she saw disappointment in his eyes and almost asked him if he wanted to join them. Then bit her tongue. She wouldn’t do that to Charles.

And yet, Alan looked so sad. She said, “But I’d love to meet you after and get a cup of coffee or something. Maybe we could pick up our conversation and you could tell me a little more about—my life.”

His shoulders straightened a bit and he smiled. “Sure, I’d love to do that.”

Demi nodded and turned to catch Charles, his eyes questioning and shadowed. She swallowed hard and felt tears threaten.

What was she doing?

Keeping a tight rein on her emotions, she felt them testing her control.

Instead of walking back to Charles and the children, she turned left and headed for the building that held the restrooms.

She darted around the side and let the dam break.

Tears trickled down her cheeks and she leaned her head against the rough brick.
God, help me, what am I going to do? What is Your will in this?

She had no ready answer for her desperate plea.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she turned to find Charles standing there, compassion written on his face. “Ah, Demi, I’m sorry.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her nose in his chest. “Oh, Charles, I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to have coffee with him. I don’t love him. I…I want to be with you, to keep building whatever it is we’re building with each other and selfishly, maybe, I’m not ready to give that up.”

Charles froze and she wished she could bite her tongue off. Why, oh why, had she blurted that out?

Heat scalded her cheeks and she didn’t dare lift her head from his chest.

But he didn’t give her a choice. His hand came up and he tucked a finger under her chin. Slowly, she gazed into his eyes.

He licked his lips then said, “I want that, too, Demi. I’m just not sure what to do about it.”

Demi gave an anguished, humorless laugh as her embarrassment faded in the wake of his confession. “We can’t do anything about it right now. Not until I figure out what to do about Alan, not until something gives with my memories.”

“And not until I’m cleared of Olivia’s murder.”

Demi settled her forehead back against his shoulder. “This is all so crazy. When will it end?”

“Soon, I hope. Soon.”

“Everything all right?”

Demi jerked at the woman’s voice. Turning, she saw a uniformed officer standing, watching them. “We’re fine,” Demi said. “Just getting ready to go watch a softball game.”

They walked back to the bleachers where Victoria had Brianne sitting in her lap. Paige sat in the dirt with Aaron as they ran his Matchbox cars through a maze Paige had drawn. Dino sat in the middle.

Demi’s heart clenched. What would she do without this little family?

She felt Alan’s gaze on her.

Glancing at him, she did her best to smile.

But shivered when he didn’t smile back.