Second to Cry (11 page)

*

Aiden knew that Deena was in the park with her sons even before he saw her. The body language of the other few dads there with their children gave her away.

They were no longer watching their little bundles of joy as they tottered between the monkey bars and the swing set; instead their gaze was fixed intently on the sandpit, where Deena Fern was perched on the edge, her two sons happily playing inside, filling pitchers full of sand only to immediately empty them again.

It was late on a Saturday morning and the air was still crisp from the previous night’s storm. The sun had appeared, drying out the ground but had yet to bestow its full heat upon the town.

Isla had gone to have her nails done at the next town over which apparently had an ‘adequate’ beauty salon, so Aiden was in charge of Meegan and when asked what she wanted to do, the toddler had promptly replied, ‘Park.’

And so here they were. And, as luck would have it, so was Deena Fern.

‘Sand!’ Meegan declared as soon as they stepped within the gates of the park. She began to walk awkwardly over to the sandpit, focusing intently on making sure she didn’t fall over. But she did, several times. Usually she’d scream and wail but not at the park, at the park she was too concerned with having fun.

Meegan was pulling herself into the sandpit as Aiden caught up with her. She reached out to grab at the pitcher Davis was filling and Aiden stopped her, ‘Play nice, Meegs,’ he said in his stern father voice.

Deena looked up from her perch on the edge and regarded him from behind her sunglasses.

‘Mrs Fern.’ Aiden smiled politely.

‘Mr Connelly,’ she sighed. He could see from her body language that she was not happy. She tensed up and began to pick at the wooden outer structure of the sand box. If her boys weren’t having so much fun she would probably have immediately left.

Meegan was now immersed in a game with Jude and Davis, where they all tried to fill one pitcher between them as quickly as possible. Aiden noticed how his daughter, in her frantic attempt to move sand, was cupping it with her small hands and managing to get more of it over herself than in the pitcher. He’d have to bath her before Isla got home.

‘Could we talk?’ Aiden asked Deena after five minutes of awkward silence. He didn’t like to discuss sensitive matters around children but he had no choice. The only thing that was keeping her from running off was the children and he certainly couldn’t go to her home to speak with her.

‘Why ruin a perfectly good morning?’ Deena responded, her tone hostile.

‘Because you risk ruining your son’s life,’ Aiden snapped back.

Deena turned to look at him, her mouth drawn in a straight line. With her eyes hidden behind the dark lenses of her sunglasses, it was hard to read how she was feeling.

‘I’ve said all I need to say to you.’

‘Have you?’ Aiden challenged.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘I think you’re not telling me the truth.’

‘Excuse me?’ Deena asked, her chin jutting out in rage.

‘Your husband doesn’t have dementia.’

‘What? I mean, who are you to tell me—’ Deena began to play the wounded wife, but Aiden stopped her short.

‘Cut the act.’

‘What act?’ Deena sounded bewildered.

‘You know as well as I do that Samuel doesn’t have dementia.’

‘Says who?’

‘Says his brother.’

‘Buck! Good Lord, well if our good sheriff said it, it must be true. I’m surprised at you Mr Connelly, believing the cheap lies of Buck Fern.’

‘I don’t think he’s lying,’ Aiden said, his voice less harsh now. ‘I think you are.’

‘I don’t have to sit here and listen to this!’ Deena declared angrily. ‘Come on, boys, we’re going!’

‘Nooo!’ Davis immediately began to sob hysterically while Jude just looked up at his mother with sad eyes.

Ignoring his tears, Deena scooped Davis up and tried to carry him as he struggled against her. With her free hand she grabbed Jude and began heading out of the park. Aiden quickly picked up Meegan, who didn’t have time to protest and followed her out.

‘Leave me alone!’ Deena yelled over her shoulder but her voice was breaking, the anger giving way to another emotion.

Aiden boldly followed her to her black SUV and waited patiently as she placed Jude on his bumper seat and fought with Davis to secure him in his car seat. He continued to cry plaintively the entire time.

‘I should sue you for harassment!’ Deena said spitefully, the venom returning to her voice.

‘I just want the truth, Mrs Fern. It will come out either way but, for the sake of your family, I’d rather hear it from you first.’

With both sons safely within her car, Deena turned to face Aiden and he could see the glisten of freshly fallen tears upon her cheeks.

‘Please, leave me and my family alone,’ she pleaded, her voice soft and sorrowful.

‘Your husband is a rich and powerful man,’ Aiden told her gently, ‘if I don’t investigate this, someone else will, someone who will probably be much more ruthless.’

‘Please, convince him to stop.’

‘I can’t,’ Aiden admitted regretfully. In his arms, Meegan watched the exchange, clueless about what she was bearing witness to.

‘Don’t destroy my family,’ she whispered and her lips quivered as more tears fell down from her shaded eyes.

‘I don’t want to.’

Deena turned away and placed her hands upon the top of the SUV and leant towards them, steadying herself. She let out a long, deep breath and Aiden noticed the jerking of her shoulders as she struggled to hold back more tears.

‘Why are you so upset?’ he asked, his voice tender. He hated to see anyone cry.

‘You’re a smart man, can’t you put the pieces together?’ she asked as she turned to face him, quickly wiping a hand across her face as she did so.

‘Who is Davis’ father?’ he asked the question which hung between them and watched as Deena’s strong, confident demeanour fell away and she physically crumbled before him, leaning against her vehicle for support.

‘It’s not Samuel, is it?’ he prompted when she failed to respond. ‘You lied about him having dementia so that I’d drop the case.’

Still Deena didn’t answer; she just continued to look distraught.

‘I can’t help you unless I know the truth.’ Aiden told her.

Removing her sunglasses, Deena looked straight at him, her eyes reddened from crying, with black streaks of mascara smeared around her eyes making them appear concealed in a gothic shadow.

‘Who is the father?’ Aiden repeated his question, his voice low to avoid being overheard from anyone close by though they were currently alone on the parking lot beside the park.

Deena opened her mouth to speak and her lips trembled.

‘I love my sons,’ she said, her voice shaking.

‘I know you do.’

‘So you can’t pursue this any more.’

‘Just tell me who it is.’

Meegan began to fidget in Aiden’s arms as she became bored and restless, longing to return to the park.

‘Sand!’ she demanded, her little voice contrite.

‘In a second.’

‘Sand!’

‘Meegan, in a second.’

Within the SUV Davis had stopped sobbing and was no dry-heaving to himself, having no tears left to cry. Jude was looking out anxiously at his mother, sensing that something was wrong.

‘I know that you’re just trying to protect your children,’ Aiden told Deena. ‘I’m a parent myself; I know that I’d do anything for Meegan.’

‘Sand!’

‘Meegan, Daddy is busy, you can go back in a minute.’

Deena Fern wiped at her eyes, which only spread the black ink of her mascara which had run. She looked at Aiden and shook her head woefully.

‘You don’t understand.’

‘What don’t I understand?’

Above them the sun hid behind a cloud, casting them in cool shadow. In the park beyond, a few parents were preparing to leave, placing their reluctant children back in their strollers which meant that soon the parking lot would not be empty. Soon there would be other people about. Aiden’s window of opportunity to get the truth from Deena was rapidly closing.

‘Deena, please,’ he used her first name, wanted her to see that she could trust him. ‘What don’t I understand?’

Like an animal backed into a corner, Deena seemed terrified, her body tense as she fought the urge to just push past Aiden, get into her car and drive away. There was terror in her eyes.

‘What don’t I understand?’ Aiden asked once more, his voice soft, reassuring.

‘Sand!’ Meegan ordered yet again but Aiden ignored her, focusing intently on Deena. She looked at him and took a deep breath.

‘Davis’ father is a dead man.’

Chapter Five

Baby Be Mine

If there was one thing Edmond Copes knew how to do, it was throw a party. Aiden pulled on to the large driveway of his colleague’s home which was already overflowing with cars and from her booster seat in the back Meegan immediately spotted the inflated plastic of a bouncy castle peeking from over the garden wall.

‘Bounce!’ she squealed with delight.

‘Edmond certainly goes all out,’ Isla noted as the family walked in to the garden where the birthday party for one of Edmond’s grandsons was being held.

The landscaped rear of the property had been transformed in to a children’s wonderland of amusement and excitement.

Hundreds of balloons were scattered around, tied to trees, lamps and anything else which could accommodate them. Streamers and banners had been swathed along the walls, all in bright blues and yellows which were the colours for the pirate-themed children’s party.

The centrepiece was the bouncy castle, upon which dozens of excited children were already jumping around, fuelled by sugary treats which were lined up on a long dining table on the far side of the garden. There was cake, ice cream and all sweets imaginable.

Isla shuddered when she spotted the clown who was wandering around and she instinctively drew closer to Aiden.

‘I forgot you don’t like clowns,’ he laughed.

‘They just creep me out,’ Isla admitted.

There was also a puppet show being held, a ball pit and a face-painting booth. Meegan beheld it all with wide, amazed eyes, her little mind trying to decide which of the wonderful activities she wanted to partake in first.

‘Hey, Meegs, why don’t you go play on the bouncy castle?’ Aiden decided for her and led his daughter over to the plastic structure.

‘Aiden, good to see you!’ Edmond was collecting one of his grandsons off the bouncy castle who’d eaten too much ice cream before getting on and now appeared a worrying shade of green.

‘Hey, Edmond, this is a great party,’ Aiden complimented him.

‘I admit I got a little carried away. I just couldn’t decide what to have for Jackson’s party so in the end I thought, why not have it all?’ Edmond chuckled to himself. Coming from someone else, the comment may have sounded boastful but from Edmond it was just an example of his unbridled generosity.

‘Well all the children are certainly enjoying it,’ Aiden noted as Meegan eagerly shed her sandals and unsteadily climbed up on to the castle. She’d only been on there a second when she promptly lost her footing and fell on to her bottom. Un-fazed, she got straight back up and tried to head towards the collection of children who were bouncing boisterously in the centre.

‘I’d better get on with her,’ Isla said, her manicured brow wrinkled in concern. She quickly removed her plimsolls and followed after her daughter, appearing equally unsteady as she did so.

‘Thanks for inviting us,’ Aiden smiled, reverting his attention back to Edmond.

‘But of course! You’ve got a little one; you can be part of Avalon’s kid’s club!’

‘Everyone has always been very welcoming towards me, but I don’t think my wife’s found that. She gets the impression a lot of the other moms are cutting her out.’ Aiden confided, shooting an anxious glance towards his wife.

‘It’s a tight-knit community,’ Edmond nodded thoughtfully. ‘It will take time but people will come round. Tell her to hang in there.’

‘That’s what I’ve said.’

‘All good things take time,’ Edmond smiled and followed his comment with a cheeky wink.

‘You’re right.’

‘Can I get you a beer?’

‘Sure, thanks.’

Aiden sat with his beer, watching the party unfold around him. The sun had returned following the previous storm and he basked in its warmth, enjoying how it felt on the back of his neck.

He tried to focus on the party, scouring the legion of children running round manically to locate his own daughter but his mind was distracted. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Deena Fern had said.

Part of him had expected her to be there with her sons. Surely they would have loved such an event and they only lived a few miles up the road? But she wasn’t there. Perhaps Edmond had thought it best to not invite her since they were dealing with the case; it could be too personal to involve her in family events even though it seemed that every other inhabitant of Avalon was there.

What did Deena mean by Davis’ father being a dead man? Was she scared that, if his identify were revealed, that his life would be in danger? Did Samuel Fern wield that sort of power, could he have someone killed?

‘Daddy, Daddy!’ Meegan appeared beside him, disturbing him from his thoughts. Her face was now painted like a pink glittery butterfly. She smiled up at him, the sparkles on her cheeks catching the sunlight.

‘Hey, pumpkin, are you having fun?’

‘I went bouncing, in the balls and my face is sparkly!’ she began to excitedly reel off to him the list of activities she’d been involved in.

‘You’ve been busy!’ Aiden smiled.

‘I want to watch puppets!’

‘Okay, where’s your mom?’ Aiden glanced beyond Meegan but couldn’t spot Isla.

‘She’s talking to other mommies over there,’ Meegan turned and pointed to where Isla was stood laughing with a group of other women.

The sight pleased Aiden, he knew that she deserved to be accepted within the community of Avalon and would be a lot happier once she felt she had friends there.

‘She said it’s your turn now,’ Meegan added.

‘That seems fair,’ Aiden agreed, getting up and taking his daughter’s small hand in his and she pulled him towards the puppet booth.