Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set (41 page)

O’Malley lowered his head and looked away. “Let me give you some free advice, Sarah. Don’t get yourself involved more than you already have. I would hate to see something bad happen to such a nice person.”

“
Don’t you dare threaten me, you son-of-a-bitch.”

“
It’s not a threat, Sarah. It’s a sincere attempt to convince you it just isn’t worth it.”

“
Then tell me this. Why did you share that story about your father? Is it true or was that just another attempt to throw me off kilter?”

“
It’s all true.”

“
Then I really don’t understand you at all. How can you work for people like the Sanborns? Can’t you see? You’re part of the reason why justice will never prevail.”

O’Malley checked his watch. “I’m sorry. I can’t continue this conversation right now. I’m going to miss my flight.”

“
I see,” I said, waving him away. “You’re pleading the fifth. Why am I not surprised?”

***

A few minutes after O’Malley left to catch his flight, Max walked into the terminal and found me. “Sorry that took so long. Are you ready to go through security?”

I nodded and decided not to tell him about my encounter with O’Malley. I was too emotionally exhausted, and needed time to process all I had just been told.

Chapter 41

Logan International Airport was bustling with travelers when we landed at 9:05am the next morning. There was a text from Brian, letting me know he was already in Boston to pick me up.

Max escorted me to baggage claim. We both retrieved our respective suitcases and decided to part ways to avoid any potential conflicts with my family.

Max set his luggage down, reached one hand around the back of my neck, and gently pulled me in for a kiss. “I’ll wait to hear from you, okay?”

I nodded, giving him a sad smile. “You might be hearing from me tonight.”

“
What?” Max’s eyebrows rose up.

“
That’s if all of my belongings are on the front lawn when I get home. I have no idea what Daniel’s been up to.”

“
You know you can call me any time, right?”

“
Thank you, Max.”

He turned and walked away. I watched him until he was out of sight.

It was a chilly fifty degrees outside when I wheeled my suitcase out to the curb to wait for Brian. Despite the absence of all things tropical, I was relieved to be home.

After a short wait I spotted my son drive up in my Toyota. He pulled up to the curb, jumped out, and grabbed my bags. “Hi, Mom. Welcome home. I missed you.”

“
I missed you too, honey,” I said, leaning over to give him a peck on the cheek.

“
Dad didn’t want to come. He’s still pissed at you. In fact, he’s staying in a hotel room tonight. What happened in Hawaii? He won’t tell me anything.”

“
Nothing happened,” I said, trying to slow my breathing. “Just a misunderstanding.”

“
Could you please be a little more vague?”

I laughed. “It’s complicated.”

“
Adults always say that.”

I slapped his arm playfully. “Brat.”

“
So, what happens now?” he said. “Do you think you and Dad will work things out?”

I couldn’t give him an answer I didn’t have. “Only time will tell.”

Chapter 42

I opened my eyes after twelve full hours of sleep. A quick look around reminded me I was back to my old life in New Hampshire. I had to come to terms with the fact that my reality now included being a massage therapist, not an amateur sleuth. I didn’t have any clients scheduled, but decided to go into the office anyway. Daniel still hadn’t called or made an appearance since my return. I guess it was just as well. I needed more time to think.

I took a seat at my desk, flipped open the laptop, and checked my neglected e-mail account. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a message from Max. 

Sarah,

I hope you’re rested up from the long flight. I wanted to let you know I really cherish our time together in Hawaii. I realize you have a lot to deal with but I hope you know I’m here.

I told the people in Chicago I needed a few weeks to make a decision about their offer. I hope to discuss it with you when you have time.

Remember, I’m only a phone call away if you need me.

Xoxo

Max

I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and thought about the time we’d spent together. How long would he remain patient? The question prompted me to pick up the phone to call Daniel. We needed to come to terms about a mutual separation. There was no point in putting it off.

There was a knock at the front door just as I was about to place the call. I was annoyed that the individual outside didn’t know the meaning of the word closed.

I opened the door to find Alex O’Malley standing there. As if that wasn’t shocking enough, I saw the man I knew as Sal Hutchins standing next to him.   “Hello, Sarah,” O’Malley said, looking around. “Is this a bad time?”

“
Wow. I’m speechless.”

“
Sarah Woods, I’d like to introduce you to my uncle, Charlie Quinn.”

Quinn offered his hand. “Nice to see you again, Sarah.”

“
I guess you should come on in.”

O’Malley unbuttoned the front of his coat and looked around my office. “Cozy place. Are you here alone?”

“
Just me and two big fat liars.”

“
Okay, I guess I deserved that,” O’Malley said. His cheeks turned pink as he cleared his throat. He glanced toward the waiting room off to my right. “Mind if we have a seat? This could take a while.”

I motioned toward the couch. O’Malley sat down then fidgeted for a moment, adjusting his tie and smoothing out his pant legs.

“
Let me guess,” I said. “Dr. Theo sent you two over here to make me an offer I can’t refuse. I get it, okay? He wants me to keep my mouth shut about his daughter’s involvement in Cunningham’s death.”

“
He doesn’t know I’m here. I don’t work for him anymore.”

“
You’re kidding me. He fired you?”

“
I quit and should have done so a long time ago. I had no idea how bad things would get.”

I crossed my legs and leaned back in my chair.

“
When Theo first hired me as his full-time attorney, I felt like the luckiest man in the world.  As it turned out, I ended up being a very expensive, overqualified babysitter for his only child.”

“
A babysitter?”

“
Theo didn’t really need me. It wasn’t like he was getting sued every other month. I spent most of my time bailing his daughter out of jail, or covering up some scandalous stunt she’d pulled. My job was to make sure none of it got into the papers, or on her record. Every time I diverted a disaster, Theo put me on a pedestal. For a while it was a piece of cake.”

“
What happened to change it?”

“
Jessica fell in love with Duane Cunningham.”

“
And she got pregnant. I know this part of the story.”

O’Malley smiled. “You may think you do, Sarah. But I’m going to tell you the less popular version: the truth.”

A chill ran through me as I waited for him to continue.

“
When Jessica found out she was pregnant with Cunningham’s child, she came to me instead of going to her father. There was talk of an abortion. I told her there was no way her father would go for it.”

“
She must have been pissed,” I said.

“
She found out very quickly where my loyalties lay. Of course, Theo insisted Jessica have the baby. He wanted her to try and make a go of it with Cunningham. A few months into her pregnancy Jessica started taking pre-med classes while Cunningham lounged around. Theo was paying the bills so Cunningham took full advantage. This went on for about seven months until the day Toby was born. The kid cried, non-stop. They were ill equipped to handle the responsibility necessary to raise a child, so Theo handled it the way he handles everything; he threw money at the situation. They ended up with a live-in nanny. It worked nicely for a while.”

“
Cassandra Perkins,” I said.

“
That’s right. So one afternoon I get a call from her. She’s nearly hysterical and asks to see me right away. When I met with her she told me something that blew my mind. The night before, she’d heard Jessica screaming at the baby in their nursery. When she entered the room she saw Jessica shaking Toby as if he were a rag doll. My first impression was that the nanny was exaggerating. A few days later she called me again and gave me an ultimatum: either call child services or she would. I went to Doctor Theo. He looked me straight in the eye, told me to fire the nanny, and start looking for a new one. I tried to reason with him. He refused to acknowledge the ugly reality that his daughter had some major problems.

“
Did Cunningham know the abuse was going on?

“
He did. I could tell he was getting ready to bolt. I think the only reason he stuck around as long as he did is because the bills were getting paid. Also, I think he really did care about his son. However, I figured it wouldn’t take much to convince him to disappear if the price was right.”

Another cold chill ran through me as I experienced an epiphany. “You staged the abduction?”

O’Malley took a deep breath. “That’s why I’m here, Sarah. I had a feeling you would figure it out, eventually.”

“
So Toby is alive?”

“
It was mostly Cassandra Perkins’s plan. She and her husband had been trying to have a child for years. I knew she loved Toby and couldn’t stand by while Jessica mistreated him. And she was smart enough to know she would never prevail against the Sanborn family.”

I shook my head. “How were you able to pull it off without the Sanborn’s knowledge?”

“
You do realize that my uncle and the Perkins’s are the only people who know the details of what really went down. How do I know that you’re not going to go to the authorities?”

“
Look, it’s pretty obvious you broke some serious laws, but I get it. Ultimately, this is for the greater good. In a roundabout way, justice has been served. A child who would otherwise have grown up in an abusive household now belongs to a loving family. Your secret is safe with me, but I still want to know how you pulled it off.”

“
It wasn’t that hard. I was able to provide Cassandra with fake adoption documents so they could take Toby to Argentina. As far as Cunningham is concerned, he wanted out. Being a father was definitely not something he wanted to do any longer. He agreed to leave the country in exchange for a hefty sum of money.”

“
Ah, so that explains the ransom.”

“
Exactly,” O’Malley said. “Only problem is, Cunningham didn’t stick to his promise. He was supposed to leave the country for good. If Richard hadn’t seen him at LAX, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“
So Doctor Theo still has no idea you or the Perkins’s are involved in his grandson’s disappearance?”

“
There have been many times I’ve wanted to tell him his grandson is safe. I’m not proud of the cover-up and the lies. However, I don’t know how he’d react to the truth. He already has enough problems with his own daughter.”

“
So you had your uncle fly to Hawaii to keep an eye on Cunningham?”

O’Malley nodded and smiled. “I have to give you credit, Sarah. You’re quite good at this detective work. You really kept me on my toes.”

I sat back and looked at the two men seated before me. “You wanted to make a difference in someone’s life. Well, I’d say you did that.”

“
I know you’ll be tempted to tell the others. I need your word that you’ll keep this between us?”

“
Well, it won’t be easy, but I completely understand.” I pushed myself up from the chair and stood to face him while extending my hand.

He took my hand with both of his and looked into my eyes. “Thank you.”

Chapter 43

O’Malley and his uncle left my office. I sat alone at my desk, my head in a spin. I began thinking about the big picture: the end of a sixteen-year marriage and a possible new beginning with Max.

His e-mail was still on my computer screen. I reread it several times before typing a reply.

Dear Max,

I’ve been thinking about us. Part of me wants to encourage you to take the job in Chicago. It sounds like a great opportunity. A bigger part of me doesn’t. In fact if you left I would be heartbroken. I’m terrified to bare my soul to you in this way, but I want to be perfectly honest. You once said to me, life is short. I don’t ever want to regret letting you go because I was too scared or insecure to take a chance.

The next few weeks will be difficult. Daniel and I need to figure out all the details of our separation. If you can be patient with me, I’ll do my best to keep you informed of all that comes to pass.

Let’s have dinner soon. I owe you a night out.

Love, Sarah

I hit send. There was no way I could take it back now.

The drive home was a blur. I stopped to get groceries in anticipation of making a healthy dinner for Brian. We had been living on take-out pizza and pop tarts since my return from Hawaii. There had been no complaints, but I was starting to feel guilty.

I pulled up to the house and noticed Daniel’s car parked in the driveway. Once inside, I set the grocery bags down on the counter and noticed Daniel sitting at the kitchen table drinking a beer. He looked like he had neglected to shave for many days. “How’s your back?” I asked, without making eye contact. Daniel took another slug from his beer bottle.

“
Are you here for dinner?” I took some vegetables out of the grocery bag and placed them on a cutting board.

“
Well, if you’re inviting me to stay. We need to talk anyway.”

“
How do you want to handle the separation?”

Daniel let out an abrupt chuckle. “You don’t waste any time.”

“
Well, it’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“
What I want is to know why you stayed in Hawaii. Something’s going on with you, Sarah.”

There was no point in keeping it a secret any longer. Lying to my family had taken a toll on my psyche. I called Brian into the room then started at the very beginning. I explained how I met Carter and began working for him. I concluded with the abduction case in Hawaii. I left out the part about Max. Both Daniel and Brian stared in silence.

After a moment, Daniel sat back, crossed his arms and shook his head like he wasn’t sure whether to be pissed or to start clapping. “How in the world did you do that? What do you know about spying on people and solving crimes?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just have a natural talent for getting myself into sticky situations. Good thing it’s part of the job description.”

Brian gave me a look I couldn’t quite decipher. I reached my hand out to him. “I’m sorry I lied to both of you. I was afraid you guys wouldn’t understand. I guess I needed to prove to myself that I could do this. Besides, you would’ve tried to talk me out of it.”

Brian got up and gave me a hug. “It’s okay, Mom. I think it’s cool, just as long as you don’t have to pack heat. I wouldn’t want you to accidentally shoot yourself in the foot.”

“
Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before he sat back down.

“
So, do you plan on doing more jobs for this Carter guy?” Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes. “How much is he paying you?”

Leave it to Daniel to ask about the money. “Enough. Don’t worry, I’m not quitting my day job just yet.”

“
Hey Mom,” Brian said. “Do you ever have people chasing after you with weapons and stuff?”

I chuckled and decided not to share that part of my experience.

Brian hopped to his feet and made a mock gesture of pointing a gun at me. “So if I were a bad guy, what would you do, Mom?”

I laughed. “Crap my pants.”

“
C’mon Mom, you need to be prepared for stuff like this. Maybe you should take a self-defense class or something.”

“
Or,” I stood up, grabbed a carrot from the cutting board, and pointed it at his chest, “I could simply use my mad sword fighting skills. En guard!”

Brian’s eyes grew wide with excitement as he reached over the counter, grabbed another carrot, and held it up to mine. “Prepare for defeat, Mom!”

We commenced to reenacting a sword-fighting scene from “The Princess Bride” while Daniel sat and laughed at our comical performance. The house seemed to vibrate as we ran all around the kitchen, jumped on top of chairs, and executed cunning stunts. My attempted leap over a stool resulted in me crashing to the floor. Brian doubled over laughing. I sat exhausted and defeated, yet the sound of my son’s laughter made me smile.

“
Aw, come on, Mom,” Brian said, looming over me. “It was just starting to get good.”

“
I’m pooped. I still need to reserve some energy to make dinner.”

Daniel polished off the last of his beer and stood up. He stretched his arms over his head, did a few squats then grabbed the carrot from my hand. “Guess I’ll have to take over for your mom.”

Brian turned and ran out of the kitchen, screaming like a little girl as Daniel chased after him.