sure. When she got back to Tall Trees, she planned to ring the Detective in Dublin and tell him to look into the death of Mary Delaney.
The CD ended. The children began to quarrel about whose turn it was to choose the music. “That’s enough, kids. Please ,” Jake said. “There’s not going to be any more music.” He glanced at her. “You’ve been very quiet, Caitlin.”
“Just a bit tired,” she said, studying his profile.
He released the wheel then gripped it tighter. Without taking his eyes from the road he said, “Hope that’s not my fault.”
“Not at all,” she said hastily. A nerve jumped in his left leg. He was growing tired. This road demanded a high level of concentration.
She turned around to check on the children who had suddenly grown quiet. The rhythmic bumping of the tires on the road had lulled them both to sleep.
In the quiet cocoon-like atmosphere, Caitlin’s eyes were drawn back to Jake. What was he thinking? Perhaps he was perplexed by his own behavior. She would have liked to talk about it, but wondered if that would be wise. It was easier to fantasize that he’d come to see her last night and not the children. Her fingers itched to soothe his twitching thigh and she suddenly grinned at how explosive that might prove to be.
“Something funny?” He sounded defensive.
She must have giggled. She was tired. Hang it all, she thought, this embarrassment needed to be smoothed over. They had to live together. “You snore a bit,” she said.
He laughed and his body relaxed back into the seat. “No one’s accused me of that before. Probably the alcohol.”
“Mmm.”
He glanced at her, still grinning. “You don’t believe me?”
“Snorers are always in denial.”
“Maybe you do too?” he said, laughter in his voice. “But I can’t accuse you of it, can I? You have me on the defensive.”
She laughed. “Yes, and I’m going to enjoy it while I can.”
The atmosphere lightened as he began to talk about a cook he once had whose snoring had rattled the rafters. How he’d had to come up with a far-fetched excuse to let him go after losing too much sleep. She leaned back, allowing his light, amusing conversation to wash over her, but she remembered his sweet words of gratitude before he fell asleep. Would he still feel that way if he knew her presence might bring a murderer to Tall Trees?
Elizabeth’s sleepy voice came from the rear seat. “Can I have a drink, Caitlin?”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
Doubts began to fill Caitlin’s mind. “Jake?” Caitlin began. Was she being melodramatic? After she spoke to Detective Cummins, she would tell him the whole story. In a quiet moment when the children weren’t around.
“Yes?”
“How long till we get there?”
“Are we there yet?” came Elizabeth’s echo from the back seat and they all laughed.
But not now.
* * * *
The next morning, Caitlin put in a call to Detective Michael Cummins of the Garda Siochána in Dublin. She was told he was on vacation. She was then switched from pillar to post as she tried to find the person handling the Blaine Tremlow case. She was told to either reveal any new information she had about the case, or wait until Detective Cummins returned.
She hung up.
[Back to Table of Contents]
----
Chapter Twelve
Jake and Caitlin had been more at ease with each other since they’d returned from the gymkhana, and their drinks together after dinner continued. They seemed to laugh more and rib each other. She’d felt herself slipping further into a beguiling situation, blinding herself to the inevitable. And Max seemed to be a phantom, receding into the past.
Vanessa’s appearance brought her back to earth with a thump. Whatever she thought about Vanessa’s potential as a mother to two children Caitlin had come to love, she would never attempt to steal another woman’s man.
But Vanessa came with a bee in her bonnet about something. She quarreled with Jake until he barely spoke to her. Once, her
The CD ended. The children began to quarrel about whose turn it was to choose the music. “That’s enough, kids. Please ,” Jake said. “There’s not going to be any more music.” He glanced at her. “You’ve been very quiet, Caitlin.”
“Just a bit tired,” she said, studying his profile.
He released the wheel then gripped it tighter. Without taking his eyes from the road he said, “Hope that’s not my fault.”
“Not at all,” she said hastily. A nerve jumped in his left leg. He was growing tired. This road demanded a high level of concentration.
She turned around to check on the children who had suddenly grown quiet. The rhythmic bumping of the tires on the road had lulled them both to sleep.
In the quiet cocoon-like atmosphere, Caitlin’s eyes were drawn back to Jake. What was he thinking? Perhaps he was perplexed by his own behavior. She would have liked to talk about it, but wondered if that would be wise. It was easier to fantasize that he’d come to see her last night and not the children. Her fingers itched to soothe his twitching thigh and she suddenly grinned at how explosive that might prove to be.
“Something funny?” He sounded defensive.
She must have giggled. She was tired. Hang it all, she thought, this embarrassment needed to be smoothed over. They had to live together. “You snore a bit,” she said.
He laughed and his body relaxed back into the seat. “No one’s accused me of that before. Probably the alcohol.”
“Mmm.”
He glanced at her, still grinning. “You don’t believe me?”
“Snorers are always in denial.”
“Maybe you do too?” he said, laughter in his voice. “But I can’t accuse you of it, can I? You have me on the defensive.”
She laughed. “Yes, and I’m going to enjoy it while I can.”
The atmosphere lightened as he began to talk about a cook he once had whose snoring had rattled the rafters. How he’d had to come up with a far-fetched excuse to let him go after losing too much sleep. She leaned back, allowing his light, amusing conversation to wash over her, but she remembered his sweet words of gratitude before he fell asleep. Would he still feel that way if he knew her presence might bring a murderer to Tall Trees?
Elizabeth’s sleepy voice came from the rear seat. “Can I have a drink, Caitlin?”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
Doubts began to fill Caitlin’s mind. “Jake?” Caitlin began. Was she being melodramatic? After she spoke to Detective Cummins, she would tell him the whole story. In a quiet moment when the children weren’t around.
“Yes?”
“How long till we get there?”
“Are we there yet?” came Elizabeth’s echo from the back seat and they all laughed.
But not now.
* * * *
The next morning, Caitlin put in a call to Detective Michael Cummins of the Garda Siochána in Dublin. She was told he was on vacation. She was then switched from pillar to post as she tried to find the person handling the Blaine Tremlow case. She was told to either reveal any new information she had about the case, or wait until Detective Cummins returned.
She hung up.
[Back to Table of Contents]
----
Chapter Twelve
Jake and Caitlin had been more at ease with each other since they’d returned from the gymkhana, and their drinks together after dinner continued. They seemed to laugh more and rib each other. She’d felt herself slipping further into a beguiling situation, blinding herself to the inevitable. And Max seemed to be a phantom, receding into the past.
Vanessa’s appearance brought her back to earth with a thump. Whatever she thought about Vanessa’s potential as a mother to two children Caitlin had come to love, she would never attempt to steal another woman’s man.
But Vanessa came with a bee in her bonnet about something. She quarreled with Jake until he barely spoke to her. Once, her
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