Part 8 (1/2)
The past twenty-four hours felt like half a lifetime. She understood what she was asking him to do would take some time. Her parents had died in a car crash more than thirty years ago. Jesus! Why had she even opened this Pandora's box? Whatever her Aunt Wanda's agenda, Jess should never have allowed the woman to burrow under her skin with her claims about the past. Wanda Newsom had probably killed most of her brain cells with drugs and alcohol. She'd never done one good or kind thing for Jess or her sister.
”I can give you one shocker, though.”
In spite of her tirade to the contrary, Jess held her breath in antic.i.p.ation.
”Your Aunt Wanda filed a report claiming her sister had warned her there was trouble with her husband. Did you know about that?”
The world s.h.i.+fted and Jess had to reach for the sink. Pregnancy test sticks clattered to the floor. ”Are you certain?”
”Got a copy of it this morning. As soon as your folks were buried, Wanda went to the BPD. She insisted your mother told her that if anything happened to her, Wanda should tell the police to look into it. I have a pal in records who's searching for any investigation into the accident.”
”Thanks, Corlew. Call me... when you have more.” Jess tried to wrap her head around this news. The fact that Wanda had filed that report just like she said meant nothing. Had to be the drugs. Wanda probably suffered bouts of paranoia back then. Who knew what had prompted her to file the report.
”See ya, kid.”
The call ended. Jess dropped to her knees on the floor, set her phone aside and gathered up the test sticks.
She had no idea how many minutes had pa.s.sed but pink lines had formed on each one. Positive. Positive. Positive.
A rap on the door made her jump.
”You all right in there, Chief?”
”Yes.” Jess reached up and turned on the sink faucet. ”I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute.”
She waited until she heard his footsteps retreating. Scrambling to her feet, she s.n.a.t.c.hed up the Walmart bag and shoved the test sticks into it. After herding the pile of feminine products she'd dumped on the floor into a little stack in the corner next to the pedestal sink, she stood. She still felt a little lightheaded. Probably just needed to eat. Lunch had been a long time ago.
She set the Walmart bag in the sink and, as quietly as possible, removed the toilet tank lid to retrieve the first test she'd hidden there. With Dan in the other room yesterday morning when she'd taken the first test, she'd had no choice but to hide it. All she had to do now was stuff it into the Walmart bag with the others and take the whole thing to the trashcan outside.
Inside the toilet tank, the bag she'd carefully tied and tucked away there was open and the test stick floated next to it. ”What in the world?” Had she not tied it tightly enough? She groaned and fished the test stick and bag from the toilet tank. The pink lines in the little window were no longer readable. She crammed the wet mess into the new bag, tied it up tightly, and shoved it into her purse.
She washed her hands again and smoothed her hair. Stay calm. There were a few things she needed to round up and then she was going to Dan's. Then, over dinner tonight, she would tell him the news. Her nerves jangled. Nervous or not, she couldn't keep finding excuses not to tell him.
Jess opened the door and exited the bathroom. Hayes waited at the front door. She mustered up a smile. He returned the smile but she didn't miss his quick inventory of her condition. Evidently the others had already warned him to keep a close eye on her.
”I have to round up a few things and then we're off.”
She grabbed the new suit her sister had bought for her. Jess smoothed a hand over the herringbone tweed blazer with its notched lapel and lightly puffed sleeves. The charcoal color was cla.s.sic. The pencil skirt was her favorite style. Lily might not like to wear suits, but she'd done a stellar job picking this one out. As foolish as it was, doing something as normal as selecting her clothes for work soothed Jess's nerves.
She decided to take the red suit and the ivory one as well. That was about it. She really did need to do some shopping. Everything she owned had been destroyed in the motel room she'd rented when she first came back to Birmingham. She'd been meaning to put together a new wardrobe, but there just hadn't been time for more than a quick fix to her immediate needs.
”Can I help you with those?” Hayes asked, as she headed for the door.
Jess thrust the hanging garments at him. ”Thank you. I'll lock up.”
After setting the security system to away, she closed and locked the door. Hayes started down ahead of her. Jess smiled when she noticed Mr. Louis waited at the bottom of the stairs. She'd expected to see him. He surely wondered what had become of her the past twenty-four hours.
”Jess, I'm so glad to see you,” George Louis said, looking past Hayes who had planted himself between the older man and Jess as she descended the final steps. ”I was getting worried.”
”I'm sorry, Mr. Louis, I-”
”George,” he reminded gently.
”George,” she repeated. ”I meant to call you, but I've hardly had a chance to catch my breath.”
Her landlord frowned at the garments Hayes carried. ”Are you moving?”
”Oh no. No.” Jess turned to Hayes. ”Lieutenant, this is my landlord, George Louis.”
Hayes dipped his head in acknowledgement. George looked the taller man over thoroughly before allowing an answering nod.
”Lieutenant, would you give me a moment, please?” Her landlord deserved an explanation for her abrupt departure yesterday morning.
With a final look at George, Hayes strode off to his stylish Audi. His was one of the newest models. Jess's twelve-year-old Audi waited sadly in the drive for her attention. She had no idea when she'd get her freedom back. For now, she was escorted everywhere she went.
Just like a celebrity. Ha!
”Are you all right, Jess?” George moved closer, concern shadowing his face. ”I saw you on the news at the scene of that terrible murder.”
”Murders,” Jess corrected. ”Two young women were murdered.”
He shook his head and pressed his palms together as if he intended to pray. ”How horrible. I keep thinking about that awful man who came here to hurt you.”
The Man in the Moon. George Louis had saved her. Sort of. ”I feel bad about that, George. I hope you're okay after all the excitement.” He'd seemed okay the last time Jess spoke to him.
He stared at the ground, shuffled his feet in that shy manner of his. ”I'm fine.” He looked up at Jess then, his eyes appearing huge behind the thick lenses of his gla.s.ses. ”You must be exhausted. Have you had dinner?”
”I'm going to dinner now,” she a.s.sured him. If Daniel Burnett knew what was good for him, he'd have dinner waiting. She was starving!
”Will you be coming home tonight?” her landlord asked hopefully.
If Louis hadn't looked so genuinely worried Jess might have been annoyed by his nosiness. But it was nice to know someone cared. Missed her. ”Unfortunately, I might not be home for a few days more. This case is keeping me busy night and day. You have my cell number so you can reach me if you need to.”
”Yes, I have your number.” He reached out and patted her shoulder, the move awkward. ”You should have a good dinner and just rest. You work too hard, Jess. One of these days you're going to have to take a vacation.”
She couldn't remember the last time she'd taken anything that even resembled a vacation. A memory from the past intruded on her thoughts. Unless she counted Christmas ten years ago when she'd come back to Birmingham to spend the holiday with her sister. She'd had a promotion to celebrate, not to mention she'd solved the biggest case of her career to that point.
She'd run into Dan at the Publix on Christmas Eve, and they'd ended up still in bed together the next morning.
Here they were a decade later... together again. And pregnant.
Her head did a little spinning and the ground s.h.i.+fted again.
”Here now!” Louis reached for her. ”You might need to sit down.”
Jess regained her balance and held up a hand to ward off his concern. ”I'm fine. Really.”
Hayes was suddenly there and Jess felt her cheeks burn with mortification. ”I'll call you in a day or two, George,” she promised.