Chapter Two

On her ride home, Minka grappled with her visit to her brother’s apartment, unable to shake the weight of her discoveries. True, she hadn’t found anything more dubious than Hamilton’s photo and the proof of Robin’s fake documents, but it disturbed her, just the same. It told her he had a genuine hatred for his assaulted boss, and he was legitimately on the run.

It didn’t help matters that she couldn’t divulge any of this to Cael or Gus if she didn’t want to be arrested. Even if she could, they couldn’t use it against him in a court of law, since she found it during an unwarranted search. She’d understood both facts going into it, but deep inside, she’d hoped her quest would yield some reason to believe Robin was innocent. Instead, it convinced her of his guilt more than ever.

The knowledge of her brother’s alias burdened her most of all. Having worked in law enforcement, Minka couldn’t, in good conscience, withhold that critical information, given that it could be the key to apprehending him. She couldn’t introduce the subject without a preamble of sorts, though, and she ran the risk of revealing her not-so-legal scheme. Considering it while she drove, she stumbled upon a somewhat believable line of reasoning to impart to Cael, which she texted him the minute she arrived home.

—I doubt Robin’s going by his real name anymore. He liked to go by Jack Conway a lot in our games when we were kids. You may want to check into that. —

Once she sent off the message, Minka had to grin, proud of her cunning, and exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Moments later, she received a gracious and unsuspecting reply from him, giving her some peace. Her venture to Robin’s apartment continued to haunt her, but she forced herself to set it aside for the rest of her night.

Her reprieve ended when her dad’s number lit up on her phone. Sitting beside Wes, she groaned, but her husband advised her to take it.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hi, baby. How are you?”

“Fine. And you?” She tried not to let her hard swallow be audible.

“We’re all right.” His voice faraway, it left her to wonder to whom “we” was referring. “How are Wes and Caela?”

“They’re doing pretty well. Caela’s getting into everything now, so we have to watch her at all times. I’ll have my hands full keeping her contained when we have the roof redone this weekend.”

“It’s about time you replaced that chess board.” Their roof had needed new shingles for a couple of years, but they couldn’t afford it. “Are you hiring someone to do it?”

“Yes, Gus’s father-in-law. The guys are helping, so he’s giving us a reduced rate.”

“That’s nice. Give everyone our best.”

“Will do.”

For a moment, she suspected he might end it like that, but he drew a breath and confronted the real issue. “Your mom told me about your disagreement, and I wanted to apologize on her behalf.”

“No need. I appreciate how this upsets her. It bothers me, too.”

“I’m sure. I should also tell you Robin drove up here on Saturday. He stayed the night, but he hasn’t returned since.”

She didn’t want to let on that she and the police had suspected that scenario. “Did he say where he was headed?”

“No, he didn’t want us to know. He’s very upset, honey.”

“With good reason.” She showed no sympathy.

“I understand how bad this looks, and I don’t blame you guys for having your doubts about him. I had a good talk with him, though, and I honestly believe he’s innocent.”

“Then, he should have had that same talk with the police instead of leaving town.”

“He’s just scared.”

“Innocent people shouldn’t be scared.”

“They are when nobody has their back.”

His statement, cutting right through her, made her voice break. “What do you want from me, Dad?”

“I want you to give your family the chance and understanding we’ve always given you.”

****

Minka and Robin had spent the whole summer afternoon in the backyard, laughing and playing in the sandbox their father just made for them. Eight-year-old Minka was sculpting her sandcastle, while her four-year-old brother poured one bucketful after another onto his head. Their exhausted mom sat crouched down beside them, lending her assistance as needed.

“Be careful, or you’ll get sand in your eyes.” She warned her little boy every time, but he just continued to laugh at the notion.

Soon enough, Robin learned the validity of her advice. Minka couldn’t hear his cry of agony, but she observed her mom rush to comfort him. Reading their lips, she decoded her offer to get a wet washcloth to dab at his eye. He refused it at first but relented after a moment.

I’ll be right back, Minka, she signed.

Can I have some more lemonade? Minka asked.

She nodded and commanded her to keep an eye on Robin. Minka gave her a thumbs-up but returned to her project. She added another tower to her palace and glanced back at her brother, to find that he wasn’t there. She spun around and panicked when she realized he was gone.

Minka couldn’t figure if her dad was referring to the abduction and all the assurances they’d given her that it wasn’t her fault, but his comment about giving her chances stirred up the memories of that agonizing experience. More than two decades had passed since that awful day, but she still bore the same raw emotions it left in its wake. Though Robin was found at their creepy neighbor’s house two days later and didn’t have anything more than some bruises, she always realized it had a mental impact on him. He’d never told her what had happened during those horrible hours, but her imaginings haunted her just the same.

Overwhelmed by the past and present alike, she began to sob just like she used to as a child. Wes sat by her, not saying a word. He continued to stroke her back until she was ready to talk. After she regained her composure, she related her father’s side of the conversation.

“Your folks seem too level-headed to take you on guilt trips like this. Sure, he’s their son, but you’re their daughter. They can’t blame you for doing your job.”

“But that’s the thing—it’s not my job anymore. In their eyes, I’m no longer responsible for giving the police any leads.”

“It’s the right thing to do, though. They’re the ones who instilled that value in you.”

“Good point.” His wife resolved to use that reasoning with her parents. Nonetheless, guilt continued to plague her. “I just can’t shake the notion that maybe none of this would’ve happened if I’d tried harder to have a relationship with him.”

“You can’t blame yourself for someone else’s choices, babe.”

She acknowledged the truth in his statement but wanted his advice on one other matter. “How should I feel? I mean, should I just go on with my life, or should I spend it grieving for Robin and trying to clear his name?”

Wes took a moment to consider his response. “I want you to enjoy the life you and I’ve created, but I know you aren’t going to get much rest until this is somehow resolved. If you can offer any help at all, I think you owe it to yourself and your family to do so.”

It was the input she wanted to hear. Even so, she couldn’t ignore the irony of it, given how much trouble it caused when he interfered with her case. “Yeah, because what could go wrong in meddling in an active police investigation?”

He shook his head with a grin. “Must we go there again?”

****

Caela woke up several times through the night, giving her weary mother ample time to reflect on the week’s events and her father’s words of counsel. Feeding and rocking her baby to sleep, she was again reminded that her parents esteemed Robin with the same devotion she had for Caela at that very moment. From their perspective, they’d cradled him as an infant not so long ago.

The thought conjured up the memory of holding her baby brother for the first time. She was four when her dad escorted her into the hospital room where her mom had given birth earlier that morning. He lifted her onto the bed beside her mom, who gently handed the newborn to his big sister. Minka beamed with pride as she marveled at him, the kind of pride she fostered few times afterward.

In an effort to follow her husband’s guidance, Minka tried to go about her routine as usual on Tuesday. She balanced housework with taking care of Caela, not wanting to neglect either responsibility. In the year she’d been a mother, she’d learned the link between the two—the baby created instant messes, and if left unattended, she proceeded to clean them up by trying to eat everything.

Meanwhile, Minka spent her spare moments digging into the case as best she could without the police database at her disposal. She did so unbeknownst to Cael, but she would, of course, inform him if she discovered any legal leads. Nonetheless, she didn’t want to be premature to report something, for fear of him putting a stop to her investigation before she had the chance to get started.

Rather than continue to consider the facts as a disgruntled sister, Minka reminded herself to go into it like an unbiased detective. She commenced her research by attempting to find out more about Perry Hamilton’s character. The Internet lent much on the esteemed entrepreneur, primarily about his business ventures and charity work. His personal life, on the other hand, didn’t net much attention.

Like Cael mentioned, Hamilton’s divorce from his wife, Loraine, had been quite ugly and was the only private matter Minka found. According to reports, infidelity was the suspected reason of the split, but neither party confirmed it. In Loraine’s filing, she cited the ever-notorious “irreconcilable differences” as her cause for ending their seventeen-year marriage. Three months after the settlement finalized, she remarried an ex-boyfriend from college, giving rise to further speculation that she’d cheated on the CEO.

The soap opera sowed a variety of scenarios in Minka’s mind, but none could stand without proof. Hence, she sought more information about Loraine to obtain insight into her life. Not to her surprise, most of the same articles about her divorce appeared on the search engine and little more. It seemed Perry drew more public fanfare, while she stayed out of the spotlight until leaving him.

The one work Loraine had established of her own accord was Lily’s Dream, a foundation for research for a rare genetic disorder, Neimann-Pick Disease. The fatal illness, which causes fatty material to build up on organs, had claimed the lives of her younger sister, Lily, and later a niece, both before their second birthdays. Loraine founded the charity after her niece’s death and had remained active for the cause ever since.

The foundation rang a bell in Minka’s mind, and after a quick review of her findings, she discovered why. The day prior, she’d stumbled across a brief acknowledgement on the charity’s website, thanking Perry for a sizable donation. She revisited the site to refresh her memory and noted three other recognitions of his generosity, which were all posted well after his divorce from Loraine.

The revelation puzzled Minka, causing her to question Hamilton’s motives. She supposed exes could overcome their differences for charity, but she doubted the likelihood of that. If Loraine had cheated, why would Perry give money to her organization, when she’d reportedly received a large payout in their settlement? Did the foundation mean that much to him?

Since it wouldn’t answer those questions, Minka closed her laptop and was massaging her aching temples when Wes strolled through the door. Setting down his briefcase, he assessed her with a scrutinizing gaze. “How bad was my daughter?”

“She was fine.” She welcomed him with a kiss. “Hamilton and his ex-wife are the ones giving me trouble.”

“You just can’t stop, can you?”

“You told me to help out if I can.”

“When it concerns your brother’s involvement,” he clarified.

“That’s a dead end for now, so what can I say?”

He chuckled at his wife’s undying resilience. “What did you find today, Detective?”

“First, answer me this: If we were divorced, would you still support my work?”

“Support, how? Financially?”

“Yeah.”

“Since you’re a housewife, wouldn’t that just be alimony?”

Minka took the straightforward approach. “Hamilton’s made several substantial donations to his ex’s charity since their divorce.”

He sat beside her and scanned the screen. “So?”

“Doesn’t that seem odd to you?”

“Not necessarily. Some divorcees remain on good terms.”

“I know,” she said and put down the computer.

“Don’t give up your search on my account. It’s just my opinion, and we can all attest to the fact that I don’t excel at detective work. If your instincts tell you this means something, you should listen.”

She appreciated his counsel, but before she could express it, Caela’s cry resounded through the baby monitor. Wes took his turn to respond, leaving Minka alone again with her laptop. She reopened it with the intent to power it off, but when the Lily’s Dream homepage greeted her, she couldn’t stop herself. She explored more of its content, before a photo of Loraine at a recent luncheon in Orlando beckoned to her. The date listed below it revealed it took place on January twentieth—the same day her ex-husband was attacked.

****

Minka lunged for her phone to call Cael with her discoveries, but she didn’t want to seem obsessed with the case. Thus, she refrained from doing so before she had something more than circumstantial reasoning to go with it. She hated to appear desperate to dethrone Robin from the top of their list of suspects unless she could present solid evidence that would speak for itself.

She continued browsing, but no more glimmers of new evidence jumped out at her. Nonetheless, she couldn’t leave the website without exploring every page again. As she had before, she skimmed the contacts, which included Loraine’s personal phone number. It enticed her, but she slid her gaze away, realizing Cael should be the one to handle it.

She wasn’t a detective anymore, she kept telling herself, and snooping around would lead to nothing but to trouble. She even spoke the words aloud to sound them into her heart and tore her hands from the computer to deepen her conviction. Before she could stop herself, however, she grasped her phone and started dialing.

Following their salutations, Minka began the story she’d formulated seconds earlier. “I was sorry to see that I missed your luncheon in Orlando last week. I attend it every year, but now I have a toddler, and I guess it just slipped my mind. Anyway, I was hoping you could tell me how to get my donation to you.”

“That’s very kind of you to support us year after year,” Loraine commended the lie. “The best way would be to send it to our main office. You can find the address on our website.”

“I’ll do that. Should I write the check to the foundation?”

“Yes, but make sure to make it out to, ‘Loraine Hamilton’s Lily’s Dream’. We want to avoid any confusion.”

Pleased with the answer, Minka grinned. “Not a problem. That reminds me, are you related to that Perry Hamilton, who was assaulted a few days ago? The story has taken over the news around here.”

Loraine hesitated. “No, I’m not.”

Minka apologized and wished her a good day before she ended the call. The socialite’s untruth perplexed her, and she released a sigh as she gazed into the air, reflecting on it. Her thoughts consumed her so much that her husband’s voice startled her.

“Please, tell me you’re not going to send money to that gold digger.”

“You could hear me from the nursery?”

He kissed the top of her head on his way to the kitchen. “My hearing’s sharp enough when my checkbook is discussed.”

“I’m sorry, but I needed a cover story. Can you believe she denied being related to Perry?”

“She’s not anymore, legally speaking.” He returned to the room with a bag of chips. “Who cleaned us out of chips, by the way? I just opened this yesterday and only ate a bowlful. It’s almost empty now.”

“I haven’t touched them.” She shrugged, not caring about their snack cupboard at the moment. “If Loraine’s set on cutting all ties with Perry, why keep his name on her foundation? She is remarried.”

“Rich people like her stick with the name that put them in the public eye. It’s just a marketing move.”

The assumption made sense, so Minka tried to accept it and put the subject to rest—but only in conversation. Loraine’s voice kept ringing through her mind, while she pondered how she would’ve handled such a question if ever placed in that position. She would’ve liked to believe she’d acknowledge her marriage to Wes, but she couldn’t say for certain. When love grows cold, people change and do things they once deemed unimaginable.

She continued to scrutinize the couple’s divorce and the press’s take on it. Loraine’s denial proved they didn’t share a very amicable relationship, but Hamilton had still cared enough about her to donate to the foundation. Could his generosity have stemmed from his remorse? Could he, in fact, have cheated on her, instead of the other way around?

True, her speedy return to the wedding chapel pointed to a lover on the side, but from another angle, what if her devastation drove her back to a man she’d always trusted? In that case, her reluctance to be associated with her ex-husband would be understandable…and so would her desire for revenge.

Itching to run it by Cael, she leapt off the couch, exhilarated, when his name flashed across her phone. She prepared to relate what she’d found, but his news trumped hers. Her short-lived glee shrank as he proceeded to report that Hamilton had awoken, and he was headed to the hospital to get his statement about his attack. While the businessman’s unexpected recovery freed Robin of murder charges, it could also provide the most incriminating evidence of all—the victim’s naming his attacker. Cael hadn’t yet learned if Hamilton remembered the incident, but for justice’s sake, he hoped he would.

To her pleasant surprise, Cael agreed to call her from Hamilton’s room, where he’d tell the victim he needed to record him for documentation purposes. It wasn’t legal to conduct the interview with her listening in, but he obliged her, no doubt to keep her from asking to tag along.

The moments after their conversation passed slower than most in Minka’s life. She watched the clock, the minute hand representing justice’s slow but steady march to Robin. The phone rang at last, and she answered it in earnest. She tapped the mute button to prevent it from picking up any background noise.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Hamilton?” Cael questioned.

“All right, Detective. Still trying to make sense of what happened.” His voice sounded weak, but she could make out his words.

“So are we. I understand this may be difficult, but can you tell me what you remember from the night you were assaulted?”

“I can’t recall much. I was just going to the back parking lot, and something struck my head.”

“Do you have any idea what kind of object it was or anything?”

“No.”

Cael’s new partner, Declan, piped up. “Did you face your attacker?”

“I don’t think so. He approached me from behind.”

“So, you’re convinced it was a man?” Declan asked for clarification.

“No, but the blow carried quite a bit of force.”

“Do you suspect anyone of wanting to harm you?” Cael’s inquiry hardened the pit in Minka’s stomach. The lack of a reply calmed her, but she wouldn’t admit it to anybody.

Declan persisted. “Can you tell us about your evening before it happened?”

“I’d been bowling with a friend, but it’s all a blur. I can’t even say who won.”

“Can you tell us your friend’s name?”

“Steadman Rissdale.”

“Any idea why he wouldn’t have called us with this information?” Declan questioned.

“He left before me and flew home to Quebec the next morning. He might not have heard about this.”

That concluded the interview, and Cael terminated the call. His inability to name Robin as his attacker relieved Minka, but her anxiety remained since he couldn’t point them toward anybody else. It didn’t remove her brother from the list of suspects, and as long as Robin continued to evade the authorities, he wasn’t going to redeem himself, either.

Almost an hour later, she’d just started dinner when Cael’s and Declan’s voices drifted in from the living room. She didn’t rush to join them and Wes, having no hope that they’d have anything positive to share. Sure enough, their somber eyes penetrated her when she entered the room.

“Hamilton seemed to be doing well, all things considered.” She endeavored to take the high road.

Cael nodded. “He gained strength during the short time we were there. After I hung up the phone, he told us something that occurred to him all of a sudden about the night of the assault. He said on his way out, he met up with your brother and that Robin asked to talk with him outside.”

She put her head down, despair washing over her. “What a breakthrough.”

Her husband wrapped his arm around her. “He doesn’t remember whether or not they did, though, right? It doesn’t prove anything.”

The detectives agreed with him, but she wrote it off as a kind gesture. If she’d been on the case, she would be convinced of his guilt.

She hated to sound desperate, but she had to reveal what she’d learned about Loraine. “By the way, what did you say was the ex-wife’s alibi?”

“She lives in New Mexico,” Declan replied.

“You did verify she was there that night, didn’t you?” She tried not to seem accusatory.

“Of course. Declan called, and her husband vouched for her,” Cael explained.

“That was it?”

Declan raised one brow. “Would you have gone much further?”

He and Minka shared a clear thread of jealousy. She figured she threatened him, given he’d been around to witness her bond with Cael from afar before his promotion to detective. For her part, she still struggled with the thought that she’d been replaced.

Cael played mediator, sitting down in the armchair beside him. “Cut to the chase, Minks, and tell us what you know.”

Startled by his abruptness, she had to collect her thoughts in order to report her findings. “Okay, so I did some digging into Hamilton’s ex and found a picture of her in Orlando the day of the assault.”

“Why was she here?” Declan asked.

“For a charity event. There was a luncheon held for her foundation.” She returned to the website on her phone and told them the location of the event.

Cael wrinkled his chin. “That’s only a few miles from where Hamilton was found.”

“I’d say you may want to give her another call.” She resisted the urge to glance to see Declan’s reaction.

Her brother-in-law stood. “We’ll do that. Email me that photo, if you could.”

She nodded. “Oh, and one other thing. Hamilton’s donated quite a chunk of change to the charity since the divorce. Wes thinks it’s no big deal. I, on the other hand, am intrigued.”

Wes threw up his hands. “I told you not to take any stock in my opinion.”

Cael ignored his brother. “It certainly isn’t typical behavior between exes. How much time have you spent on this, anyhow?”

Wes crossed his arms and gave her a smug grin, clearly satisfied to out her. “She didn’t even tell you about her call to Loraine.”

Cael shook his head. “Minks…”

****

Cael didn’t relate any news about Loraine the next day, so Minka assumed it didn’t yield anything. Thus, she instructed herself to proceed with her life as she did before she learned of the case. Though the stint of reemploying her investigative skills had invigorated her, she strived to devote her time and attention to her little girl. She’d loved her time on the force, but it didn’t compare to the joys of motherhood.

Before having lunch Thursday, she put Caela in her jogging stroller and took a spin around the neighborhood to give them both some fresh air. The late morning sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky, so she raised the stroller’s umbrella. As usual, the quiet ride lulled the tot to sleep with ease, making her the picture of peace behind her tiny sunglasses. Upon hearing her soft snore, Minka drew back the canopy to admire her, which distracted her from her ongoing mission to steer clear of her nosey neighbor.

Camille Paleta was the neighborhood gossip, especially when it pertained to Wes and Minka. From the day they bought the house next door to her and her husband, Minka’s deafness and her unlikely career piqued the woman’s curiosity. After that wore off, she grew interested in the usual affairs common to young couples, such as having a baby and the like. They’d hoped she’d settle down once they welcomed a little one, but Wes’s return from WITSEC—and the “dead”—heightened her fascination with them. They explained the reason for his unusual absence, but she preferred to believe her own notion of them having marital trouble.

“Look who I found!” Camille’s voice boomed. She seemed intent on waking the sleeping baby.

Minka glanced down as her daughter’s drowsy eyes started to open. “Hello, Mrs. Paleta.”

“It’s ‘Auntie Camille,’ remember?” She insisted on the self-assumed title, kneeling down to Caela. “Oh, no! Did I disturb her?”

Along with every hibernating animal in the Northern Hemisphere. Minka cringed at the woman’s repulsively sweet baby-talk. “The ride always puts her to sleep.”

“Well, my walk does the same to me, too, after I stagger inside. I have to keep myself active, though, considering I’m going on seventy-five.”

“You’re doing well.” Minka hoped flattery would shoo her away.

“I was just about to say the same thing about you. Your baby weight’s just about gone.”

The young mother weighed five pounds less than she did before becoming pregnant, so the attempted praise didn’t thrill her. “Thank you.”

“Before you know it, you’ll be in prime shape to make Caela a big sister.”

Refusing to return to Camille’s relentless prying about her fertility, Minka forced a smile and shrugged. “Time will tell.”

“Scoop”—as Wes had nicknamed her because of her meddlesome nature—began to make a reply when Minka’s cell phone rang in the nick of time. In hopes she’d take the hint to leave, Minka rolled Caela’s stroller back with her a few paces. Like a vulture pursuing its prey, Camille stuck around, even bold enough to advance a step or two to close the gap between them. She didn’t disguise her desire to feed on whatever gossip the call had to offer.

“Hello?” Minka didn’t want to let on that it was Cael.

“Hey, Minks. I hate to bother you, but I need you over here as soon as you can.”

“Can I wait until Wes gets home?”

“Gus is leaving before then, and he wants to be here to talk to you. Can Mom babysit Caela?”

“This is her long day at the bank.” Her mother-in-law worked as a teller.

“Well, I guess you could bring her along if you need to.”

Imagining how fidgety her daughter would become, she gave a reluctant glare over to her neighbor. “I think I can find another sitter.”

****

It took Minka over half an hour to get Caela settled in with her lunch and a few toys at Camille’s house, trying all the while to convince herself she was doing the right thing. She never attained the ideal frame of mind, especially since her neighbor kept digging for insight into what was happening. She pictured Scoop trying to teach Caela to talk, if only to find out what she knew. No matter how much the arrangement rankled her, though, the circumstances cornered her into it.

Driving downtown, numerous scenarios of what could await her at the precinct whirled through her mind. Cael’s reason for calling her in must relate to the Hamilton case somehow, but she shuddered to fathom the details. She wished it would be something as simple as them asking for her insight into her recent discoveries about Loraine, but she doubted they’d ask her to drive to the station for that. She prepared herself to find her brother there but couldn’t predict if he’d be dead or alive. Regardless, butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she exited her car.

Cael stood at the door waiting. He opened it and welcomed her with a gruff tone in his voice. “What took you so long?”

“I had to get Caela over to Camille’s and ready for lunch.”

“You left her with Scoop? You said you had a sitter, not a self-proclaimed private eye.”

“I was boxed into a corner, all right? Let’s just get on with whatever I’m here for so I can rescue my baby.”

Cael obliged, leading her, as usual, to Gus’s office. Along the way, Minka noted that no one occupied the interrogation room, which eliminated the possibility of Robin waiting for her in there. He could’ve already been in holding or worse, but she chose to remain optimistic.

Upon entering the lieutenant’s office, Gus greeted her first, followed by Declan. Gus didn’t speak in his regular, confident manner but appeared unsure of how to initiate the conversation. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do this over the phone, but we need to show you a new piece of evidence. If you don’t recognize it, that’s fine, but tell us if you do.”

He retrieved a pocket watch encased in a clear plastic bag and held it close for her to examine. He hesitated before flipping it over, but she didn’t need to see the initials “RLP”—standing for Robin Lee Parker—to verify who its owner was. After all, she was standing beside him when he received it at his high school graduation from their grandfather, who’d engraved his only grandson’s monogram onto his most prized possession.

“How’d you get this?”

The three men exchanged tentative glances before Cael broke it to her. “Someone recovered it from the spot where Hamilton was assaulted.”

“ ‘RIP’ would be a more fitting inscription, then.” She resorted to humor to mask her true emotions. She took a deep breath. “Yes, it’s Robin’s.”

“Sad to say, we figured that,” Gus admitted, his voice kind.

Her fears mounting up again, Minka grasped for hope. “Couldn’t it have been planted? I mean, it’s been a week since the attack.”

“We’ve considered that possibility and aren’t ruling it out,” Gus assured her. “On the other hand, it’s also possible that we missed it on our first sweep, since it was at four in the morning. Plus, we don’t know how long the person who found it held onto it before he gave it to us.”

“What’s the character’s name?”

“Jevon Hinckley,” Declan answered without missing a beat. “He doesn’t appear to have any relationship with Hamilton, his ex, or even your brother. He just seems to be an honest guy.”

“Not too many honest guys stroll in the dark shadows behind bowling alleys. I don’t mean to sound like I’m in denial, but speaking of the ex, did any of you follow up with her about her alibi?”

“Yes, I called her,” Cael related. “She confessed she was afraid to tell us she was staying in the area that day, but she still had a room full of people to corroborate her claim of being at a business meeting at the time of the assault. I contacted a couple of them for good measure.”

“I see.”

Gus offered her a soft expression. “This may not be as bad as it seems now. It’s just all we have to go on at the moment.”

Minka could appreciate the fact and gave no argument. She managed to keep her composure as she thanked them and took her leave, but once out of the parking lot, she allowed tears to fall for her brother and family. She despised that she’d let her wishful thinking overthrow her power of reason, and she regretted wasting her time on trying to clear his name. She should’ve maintained her initial cynicism, especially since Robin wasn’t doing anything to prove his own innocence.

When she arrived at her house, Minka reasoned that her investigative work accounted for something. The legal system required thorough analysis of all parties involved in criminal activity, and she could sleep well with the assurance that she’d done her part to assist. From a personal standpoint, too, her mind could be at peace. She’d given her brother a chance. From here on out, though, he had to fight this battle.

Inside her car, she retouched her makeup in an attempt to conceal her grief from Scoop’s inquisitive eyes. She couldn’t drum up a believable cover story, so her steps up the sidewalk were ones filled with frantic strategizing. All said and done, she resolved to put the busybody in her place if needed.

Minka knocked on the door, after which Camille called for her to meet them inside. Upon entering, she followed the sound of her neighbor’s cooing into the kitchen. She found her daughter being force-fed broccoli, her most hated vegetable. When she caught sight of the woman who’d deserted her, Caela stared at her, beyond disgruntled, and despite being little, Minka had a hunch she’d get her payback.

“You two seem to have a good time,” Minka lied.

“Oh, we had a blast. She and I played with the cats, and then, we sat down for lunch. No problems at all.”

Except for the fact that she’s allergic to cats.

Minka noted Caela’s red nose and eyes. “Did she play with any of her toys?”

“No, she didn’t seem interested in them.”

Having packed Caela’s favorite stuffed animals, Minka deduced she was being challenged by a jealous old woman. “Did she already eat her pears?”

“No offense, dear, but pears are much higher in sugar and don’t have as much protein as this does. I just hated depriving such a beautiful baby of the nutrients she needs. Plus, she loves it.”

“In a way words can’t describe,” she murmured, observing her daughter’s scowl harden by the second. “Thanks so much for your help.”

“Anytime. I hope you resolved your problem. Don’t tell me that husband of yours is on the run again.” She let out a canned laugh.

“No, he’s behaving himself.”

They said their goodbyes, and Caela tolerated a kiss from her sitter. Since she didn’t want to return for a long while, Minka took everything home in one harrowing trip. Toys kept falling from the tote bag on her shoulder, and Caela fidgeted in her arms, her grimace revealing her unhappy state.

Minka kissed her baby. “Mommy’s sorry, sweetie.”

****

Once home, Caela couldn’t keep her eyes open. Thus, her exhausted mother put her in her own bed, with the intent of joining in her slumber. She lay down beside the little one for a few minutes but soon decided a bubble bath would better relax her.

Minka took the baby monitor with her into the downstairs bathroom, not wanting the running water to awaken Caela. The tub hadn’t filled an inch when her cell phone sounded the daunting ringtone she’d recently selected, indicating it was her mom. Though tempted to ignore it for now, she reckoned her relaxing bath wouldn’t relieve any of her tension if she could only sit and fear what she had to say.

“Hi, Mom. How are you?”

“I’m fine, honey. How about you?”

Minka hesitated. “I’m okay. I’m getting ready to take a hot bath.”

“Oh, how nice. Caela must be napping?”

“She had a long morning, so she’ll be down for a while.” She hoped her mother wouldn’t ask about their morning quite yet.

“I’ll try not to take much of your time so you can enjoy your peace. I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted the last time we talked. I was out of line, and I truly regret some of the things I said.”

Minka turned off the faucet in preparation for a lengthy discussion. “It’s okay. I understand why you were upset.”

“Well, I still shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” Her mom sounded sincere. “The truth is, as your father told you, Robin showed up here, begging for our protection and trust, and I was trying to sort everything out when you called. Of course, I jump to defend him on instinct, but with all of his past mistakes, I’m almost maxed out on blindly believing him. That said, another part of me wants to.”

“I can relate.” Minka reflected on her invigoration for the brief moment that she believed her brother was innocent. “Do you have any idea where he is now?”

“No, I don’t. I promise.”

She hesitated before saying anything further. She didn’t want to upset her mother or expose too much of the investigation, but she decided to share the latest. “They had a break in the case, Mom.”

“What’d they find?”

“Papa’s watch.” Her voice cracked. “At the crime scene.”

Her mom said nothing while she processed the revelation. “When did this happen?”

“A couple hours ago. Someone just turned it in.”

“After all this time? Couldn’t they be framing him?” A fan of mysteries, she echoed her daughter’s earlier reasoning.

“They haven’t ruled it out, but it doesn’t seem so at this point.”

She sighed. “Do you think he did it?”

“Yesterday, I didn’t,” she admitted but withheld her reason.

“And today?”

“Today, I don’t know.”