expectantly for an introduction, then glanced back, her brows lifted in question.
„Kristen, this is my mother, Becca Reagan. Mom, this is Kristen Mayhew. She works in the prosecutor’s office.“
His mother eyed Kristen up and down. „You look taller on television,“ she said.
Kristen smiled politely. „You’re the first person to ever say that. Thank you.“
„Some days I’d like to smack that woman reporter, teach her some manners.“
Kristen’s smile wanned from polite to sincere. „What a kind thing to say, Mrs. Reagan. Most days I want to do the same.“
„My daughter wants to be a lawyer,“ she said thoughtfully.
„Annie?“ Abe asked in surprise.
„No, not Annie,“ his mother returned with a frown. „Annie’s got a career. Rachel. Keep up, Abe.“
„Rachel can’t want to be a lawyer. She’s just a little girl.“ His parents’ late-life surprise. Actually, more of a shock. There were twenty-two years between himself and his youngest sister, so she was more like a daughter to them all.
„Rachel’s thirteen,“ his mother pointed out sharply.
„And you’d do well to remember it on her birthday come May. No silly stuffed animals this year, she’s grown out of it.“
Abe huffed in frustration. Rachel couldn’t be thirteen. It just wasn’t possible. Thirteen meant makeup and boys and… boys. He shuddered at the very thought. He and his little sister needed to have a talk. „Then what does she want for her birthday?“
„Cash.“ She turned back to Kristen. „She’s talking about being a lawyer like you.“
Kristen’s eyes widened. „Like me?“
„Sure. She sees you on the TV. Would you be willing to have a chat with her?“
Kristen’s mouth curved in amusement and Abe’s breath caught in his throat at the sight. It was impish and fun and not like any expression that had crossed her face so far. „You want me to talk her out of it, Mrs. Reagan?“
„I don’t know. Should I?“
Kristen shrugged. „Some days yes, some days no. But I’d be glad to talk with her. Your son has my office number.“
Your son . It rang of the same formality she’d used in addressing him all day, since last night. It was starting to annoy him. He had a first name, dammit. She called Mia and Jack and Marc by their first names. It was a damn courtesy. „We need to be going, Mom. They’re waiting for us to start the meeting. Be careful driving home.“
His mother blinked at his brusque tone. „I will. Don’t forget to return my dishes.“ With a wave she was gone.
Kristen looked up at him warily. „What dishes?“
„Dinner plans have changed. Mom brought a little snack.“
Kristen started up the stairs, unbuttoning her coat. „How little of a snack?“
„How does fried chicken strike you as a breakfast meal?“
She shrugged. „Like normal.“
Thursday, February 19,
7:15 p.m.
Spinnelli was just scraping the last morsel from his plate when they came in. „I was about to send a search party.“
„Not me.“ Mia licked her fork. „If you never came back, there’d be more for me.“
„Did you leave any for us?“ Abe asked, peering into a casserole dish.
Mia grinned. „Only the vegetables.“
Abe set Kristen’s paper bag on the table and retrieved two of the Styrofoam containers. „Well then, let’s get started. Julia, what can you tell us about the bodies?“
Julia drew out a notepad. „I received all five bodies by two o’clock this afternoon.“
Handing Kristen one of the containers, Abe took the seat next to her and once again she felt the heat of his body, reminding her of how he’d stood behind her at the Dorsey house. Of how safe she’d felt. What she felt now was crowded. He took up all his space at the table and some of hers, but to scoot her chair a few inches out of his way seemed rude so she stayed where she was and focused on the subject at hand. There were five new dead bodies in Julia’s morgue. And the man who put them there
„Kristen, this is my mother, Becca Reagan. Mom, this is Kristen Mayhew. She works in the prosecutor’s office.“
His mother eyed Kristen up and down. „You look taller on television,“ she said.
Kristen smiled politely. „You’re the first person to ever say that. Thank you.“
„Some days I’d like to smack that woman reporter, teach her some manners.“
Kristen’s smile wanned from polite to sincere. „What a kind thing to say, Mrs. Reagan. Most days I want to do the same.“
„My daughter wants to be a lawyer,“ she said thoughtfully.
„Annie?“ Abe asked in surprise.
„No, not Annie,“ his mother returned with a frown. „Annie’s got a career. Rachel. Keep up, Abe.“
„Rachel can’t want to be a lawyer. She’s just a little girl.“ His parents’ late-life surprise. Actually, more of a shock. There were twenty-two years between himself and his youngest sister, so she was more like a daughter to them all.
„Rachel’s thirteen,“ his mother pointed out sharply.
„And you’d do well to remember it on her birthday come May. No silly stuffed animals this year, she’s grown out of it.“
Abe huffed in frustration. Rachel couldn’t be thirteen. It just wasn’t possible. Thirteen meant makeup and boys and… boys. He shuddered at the very thought. He and his little sister needed to have a talk. „Then what does she want for her birthday?“
„Cash.“ She turned back to Kristen. „She’s talking about being a lawyer like you.“
Kristen’s eyes widened. „Like me?“
„Sure. She sees you on the TV. Would you be willing to have a chat with her?“
Kristen’s mouth curved in amusement and Abe’s breath caught in his throat at the sight. It was impish and fun and not like any expression that had crossed her face so far. „You want me to talk her out of it, Mrs. Reagan?“
„I don’t know. Should I?“
Kristen shrugged. „Some days yes, some days no. But I’d be glad to talk with her. Your son has my office number.“
Your son . It rang of the same formality she’d used in addressing him all day, since last night. It was starting to annoy him. He had a first name, dammit. She called Mia and Jack and Marc by their first names. It was a damn courtesy. „We need to be going, Mom. They’re waiting for us to start the meeting. Be careful driving home.“
His mother blinked at his brusque tone. „I will. Don’t forget to return my dishes.“ With a wave she was gone.
Kristen looked up at him warily. „What dishes?“
„Dinner plans have changed. Mom brought a little snack.“
Kristen started up the stairs, unbuttoning her coat. „How little of a snack?“
„How does fried chicken strike you as a breakfast meal?“
She shrugged. „Like normal.“
Thursday, February 19,
7:15 p.m.
Spinnelli was just scraping the last morsel from his plate when they came in. „I was about to send a search party.“
„Not me.“ Mia licked her fork. „If you never came back, there’d be more for me.“
„Did you leave any for us?“ Abe asked, peering into a casserole dish.
Mia grinned. „Only the vegetables.“
Abe set Kristen’s paper bag on the table and retrieved two of the Styrofoam containers. „Well then, let’s get started. Julia, what can you tell us about the bodies?“
Julia drew out a notepad. „I received all five bodies by two o’clock this afternoon.“
Handing Kristen one of the containers, Abe took the seat next to her and once again she felt the heat of his body, reminding her of how he’d stood behind her at the Dorsey house. Of how safe she’d felt. What she felt now was crowded. He took up all his space at the table and some of hers, but to scoot her chair a few inches out of his way seemed rude so she stayed where she was and focused on the subject at hand. There were five new dead bodies in Julia’s morgue. And the man who put them there
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