MemoriesErasedTreachery (29 page)

"Kris said she talked to Mick about taking the girls out tomorrow," Marissa said.

"Yeah." Ewyn sighed. "But I'm not sure it's such a good idea, so soon after today's attack."

"Baby-boy, as you said, we have to carry on as usual. Mick and Tag will have it covered," she assured him. "Tag is taking Kristen's dogs with them. Trust me. Your nutcase won't get within a yard of the girls."

"Oh…okay." Ewyn relaxed against Devin's side. "They're so well trained."

"It's what Kris trained them to do, to protect Niqui." Marissa put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on.

"Let's get comfortable," Devin said. He headed for the bar in the living room. "Do either of you want something to drink?"

Marissa made herself comfortable on the sofa. "I'll have a Perrier, VO and seven for Tris," she said as her husband settled next to her. "I'm the designated driver."

Ewyn grabbed a bottle of water, crossed the room, and sat on the floor next to the chair facing the sofa. Once Devin handed the drinks to the Corbetts and settled down in the chair, Ewyn scooted between his legs, resting his arms on the muscular thighs. "Marissa. I know we've just met," he said. "But I feel, uh…I don't know. It's like we're connected."

"Strange as it may seem, I know what you mean. Feels like family and it doesn't have anything to do with Kiera being my grandchild."

Ewyn nodded. "My mom would have liked you."

"I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to know her."

"Kris mentioned your childhood. What did she mean?" Ewyn shivered when Devin's fingertips brushed the nape of his neck.

They talked for a couple of hours. Around midnight, Tristan stood and said, "I hate to break this up, but one of us has to work tomorrow." He held out his hand to his wife.

"I'll just peek in on the girls before I leave," Marissa said.

Ewyn and Devin walked them to the elevator. While Devin locked up, Ewyn headed straight for the shower. Devin soon joined him, stepping into the enclosure and dropping down on the seat. Ewyn turned and straddled his lap. "Dev…"

"Hmm." Devin leaned in for a kiss.

Ewyn threaded his fingers through the soft blonde waves and wrapped his arms around Devin's neck. "We're not going too fast are we?"

"No, Ewyn, we're letting Kieki move forward at her own pace. She has bonded with the Corbetts without really understanding they're her family." His arms snaked around Ewyn's body, hands settling on the curves of his ass. "By mimicking Niqui, she's already calling Tristan and Marissa,
ganpa
and
ganmom
. When she's ready, or more likely, she'll ask questions, then we'll explain. We tell her what she wants to know until she's old enough to understand all of the details."

"Yeah, makes sense." Ewyn rested his head on Devin's forehead. "Korey wants to come over and talk about Niki, see pictures. Should I include Kieki?"

"I'd like to see you stop her." Devin chuckled. "When is he coming?"

"This weekend."

"Good." He stood, kissed Ewyn long and hard then released his hold. Letting Ewyn's body slide down his, he turned baby-boy toward the cascade of hot water. "Let's shower, get some sleep. You know the munchkins will be up at the crack of dawn."

"Can we rule out CeCe, now?"

"To ease your mind, she'll remain a suspect until we capture Calabria and verify his guilt."

Ewyn leaned back and smiled up at Devin. "Thanks," he whispered before Devin reclaimed his mouth in another breathtaking kiss.

Chapter 19

"
Kieki's
daad-dy
…
Ewww!
"

Devin heard the screams before he was fully awake and hit the floor running. He reached the door just as Niqui barged into the room, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Baby, what is it? Where's Kieki?" He scooped her into his arms and rushed down the hall toward Kiera's room.

"Kieki cryin'…scared." She took several hiccupping breaths. "She broked it."

Ewyn came up beside them, eyes wide with fright, he clutched Devin's arm. "Dev. What happened, where's Kieki?"

Devin handed Niqui to Ewyn and stepped into the room not knowing what to expect, dreading the discovery. He looked around --toys strewn everywhere--no Kiera. Then he heard sounds emanating from the toy chest and opened the lid. Kiera sat crouched inside, head resting on her knees, crying as if her heart would break. He lifted her out and hugged her tight. "Baby-girl, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Playin' hide 'n seek." She pointed to the chest. "Momma left to me, Dev…I broked it." She laid her head on his shoulder, her sobs heart wrenching.

"Kieki. Baby, it's okay." Devin massaged her back.

Ewyn came across the room, set Niqui down, and looked into the chest. The bottom, broken in several places, wasn't anything they couldn't repair. "Baby-girl, it's all right. I'll get it fixed."

Kiera looked up, her big grey eyes shimmering, awash in tears. "Really, Ew?"

"Sure, baby, come here." He took her from Devin's arms just as the doorbell pealed. "I bet that's Myce coming to get you ready to go out with Tag. You're going to look at puppies today, aren't you?"

She leaned away, hiccupped and nodded, then gave him a weak smile. Her little hands petted his face, she kissed his mouth, and he set her down. He watched her walk out of the room with Niqui beside her patting her arm, trying to comfort her, and he heard Kiera whisper, "Ew gonna fix, Niqui."

"'Kay." Niqui whispered back. "Don't want your momma to be sad."

"Hey, you two." Mycelia met them in the hallway. "What's this…tears? Why so sad? What happened?"

"Ew gonna fix it, Myce."

"Well then, everything will be all right, huh. Have you had breakfast yet?"

Ewyn heard a unanimous
no
, before the voices faded. Turning back, he saw Devin squatting and bent over the chest, removing the broken slats. He moved closer when Devin brought his hand out of the chest holding a manila envelope and a folded document.

"Fuck!" Devin growled.

Ewyn knelt down beside him, took the document from Devin's hand, and read the print across the top. What he held was a marriage license. The name of the bride and groom typed on the document--Nicole Alana Calderone and Anthony Francesco Calabria. "Son of a bitch!" He came to his feet. "We've had the proof all the time."

* * * *

"Tell me."

"Man down. It's a done deal."

"Never doubted your abilities, but I'm talking about the two girls. What did you find out?"

"According to my source, it turns out the babies are cousins. The mother of the one and the father of the other are siblings--twins. And get this. Not only are two members of the family attorneys, they're also spooks."

"Same group as Nilsson and Ryan?

"Yep."

"Good. Aianna and I are heading back to the States. Flying out in the morning. I think it's time to come home. Nothing to find over here."

"Want me to pick you up?"

"No. Scheduled a limo. Have Aianna's belongings been packed and taken to storage?"

"Yes. Sale signs posted on both homes."

"Good deal. See you back at the house."

* * * *

"Patterson." Steppling greeted the detective as he strolled toward him across the sand.

"Steppling." Patterson extended his hand.

"This is Officer Roberts, first on scene, responding to the 9-1-1 call, and this is Detective Owens, Huntington Beach Police Department, and he'll be in charge of the case. He saw the APB and called me."

Patterson nodded at the officer and detective. "That was quick, Steppling. Are you sure it's our guy?" He pulled out his notebook.

"Oh, yeah. Positive ID. Whoever did this didn't try to conceal identity."

Patterson scribbled on his pad. "Do you have a TOD?"

"No, but my guess would be sometime yesterday, since he's still wearing the clothes he had on when he attacked Niqui. The coroner gave me the body being in the water, body temperature won't be accurate spiel," Steppling explained. "Said he should be able to give a better estimate, once he gets the corpse back to the morgue."

"COD?"

"Gutted like a fish. Literally."

"Hmm. Killed here?"

"Doubtful," Detective Owens interjected. "If, as Steppling suspects, he was killed yesterday, somebody would have noticed the body and called it in before now." Owens shook his head. "This beach and the pier are busy from sunrise until sunset, and then some."

"No one reported seeing anything out of the ordinary until the body appeared?"

"Probably carried here on the current from up north. Long Beach, Santa Monica…who knows." Owens shrugged. "We received the call about…" He looked at Roberts. "A little over an hour?" The officer nodded.

"An hour." Patterson glanced at Steppling. "Helicopter?"

Steppling took Patterson's arm and tugged him away from the Huntington Beach police officers. "Yep. Thought I'd better fast track it down here before the Corbetts heard about it. They have a habit of taking over--Fed style--and things, people disappear." Steppling watched the coroner and his assistants struggle to retrieve the body bobbing on the incoming tide. "You?"

"Oh, yeah. Because this involved the possible abduction of the Calderone baby, short of a ride on a speeding bullet, the brass wanted me here, and the issue resolved before the Feebs try to take over," Patterson explained.

"I hear you. Hell. I'm just glad my former partner and his wife are away on a cruise."

Patterson frowned. "Why?"

"Corbett didn't tell you." Steppling chuckled. "Typical."

"Tell me what?"

"My former partner married Niqui's other grandmother, Reardon's mom. If Sanderson were here, I would have had to arrest him to keep him from killing your perp."

"Are you serious?"

"Oh yeah. That little cutie is his heart," Steppling told him. "Hell. Considering the Corbetts are involved, I have to wonder if one of them did the stiff in."

"Yeah. I've been wondering about that whole group. Who do they work for?"

"Forget it. Don't wonder. Take them at face value and move on. Trust me. You'll want to keep them on your side." Steppling lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. "So what do you think? With the Calderone involvement, body left on display--somebody sending a message."

Patterson shrugged. "The FBI has us keeping a lid on because of possible syndicate connections. So only the immediate family and their inner circle knew I was pursuing a homicide."

"Does that include Vincenzo Calderone?"

"Uh-huh. Vincenzo suspected, but his cousin, Gregorio's brother has him convinced the girls' deaths were a tragic accident," Patterson explained. "Regarding the threat to the baby, no, he definitely didn't know. Until yesterday, none of us knew for sure if anyone would make a move, or when. It's been three years."

Steppling nodded and sighed. "I guess I should let the Corbetts know. Case closed."

"Yeah. I'll head back to San Bernardino and touch base with Nilsson and Ryan."

Patterson shook Steppling's hand, then walked back to Detective Owens. "Will you make sure I get copies of yours and the coroner's reports when they're ready? I'll notify the next of kin." Both nodded and Patterson started back toward the pier. Shuffling across the sand, he called back over his shoulder. "Let me know what you need from me, so we can close this damn case."

"Will do."

* * * *

"Listen." Devin followed Ewyn back into their bedroom. "Let's not get into this until Myce and Tag get the girls out of here."

"You're right." Ewyn tossed the envelope and document on the bed, snatched his cell off the nightstand, grabbed his robe, and slipped it on. He strolled over to the chairs in the alcove and dropped down on one. "I'll call Mick and explain."

"Good deal. I'll contact Tim and ask him to contact everybody else. We'll meet at the estate so Gem can be included." Devin slipped into his robe. Just as he picked up his phone, it rang.

"Patterson. I was about to call Tim and ask him to get in touch with you and--what! When, where?" He dropped down on the chair across from Ewyn. "Shit. I don't know whether I'm pissed or relieved." He shook his head. "Yeah, the estate, two hours? That will work. Thanks." He flipped his phone shut and turned to Ewyn just as Mycelia and the twins came into the room.

"I'll clean up the mess and lay out their clothes," Mycelia said as she passed through. "Tag will be here within the hour."

Ewyn ended his call when Kiera ran to him and climbed on his lap. Niqui came over, stood next to the chair, and leaned on his arm. "Hey, sweeties, feeling better?" Ewyn kissed Kiera's cheek and Niqui's forehead. "Did you have a good breakfast?"

Kiera nodded. "Myce fix waffles sausage fruit 'n milk. Hungry, Ew. Ate it all."

"Good. What about you?" Ewyn looked down at Niqui. She giggled and bobbed her head up and down. "Well, you'd better go get dressed so you'll be ready when Tag gets here, huh."

Kiera jumped off his lap, grabbed Niqui's arm, and tugged her over to Devin. "Kisses."

Devin leaned down and both girls kissed his cheeks.

"C'mon, Niqui, let's dress. Gonna see puppies." Holding hands, they scampered from the room.

"Mick said he'd catch up with us when he gets back." Ewyn stood and headed for the door. "What did Patterson have to say?"

Devin caught up with him in the doorway. His arms circled the trim waist as he nuzzled Ewyn's neck. "Let's get some breakfast," he whispered against Ewyn's ear. "I'll tell you while we eat."

"I guess our date for an afternoon and evening of loving has been shot to hell."

"You've got that right." Devin nipped Ewyn's ear lobe. "Rain check?"

"Absolute."

Devin explained about their discovery of the marriage license and more copies of the wills.

"Switzerland. No wonder we couldn't find a record of the marriage," Timothy said. "But why Berne, instead of Geneva, or Zurich."

"Because it would be the last place anyone would look. You have to remember, this was only a marriage of convenience for Niki. Her insurance against the father coming to claim custody," Devin reminded them. "Consider Niki's background and the type of contacts available to her. She would have had this planned from the moment she decided to marry the bastard."