Young & Old, page 24
“I’m always cranky when interrupted when I’m trying to make a move.”
Amya’s cheeks flushed as she stood up. Grace watched every move until she was out of sight and behind the kitchen island so she couldn’t see her anymore. Peter remained in his chair until Grace raised an eyebrow at him. “You can help.”
“Right.” He jumped up and dashed into the kitchen.
Settling into the couch once again, Grace flipped on the television to the news and ignored the chattering behind her. It was not her normal way to start the morning, but it had been worth it.
###
Monday night, Amya made Grace change out of her worn jeans and into a nicer pair of pants and white blouse. She ran her fingers down the front of it and grinned as she stared into Grace’s dark brown eyes as they stood in their bedroom while Kit ran from her room to the bathroom so many times she had lost count.
“This is stupid,” Grace muttered.
“It’s not. She wants us there.”
“How long is it going to be?”
“I’m not answering that.” Amya grinned and took Grace by the hand, leading her toward the closed door.
Grace spun Amya just before she reached the door and pressed Amya’s back into it. Amya let out a breath, her heart skittering as she glanced up into Grace’s eyes. Grace’s hands were on Amya’s hips, holding her to the door even if she wanted to move, but when Grace got like this, she never wanted to move.
“Why not?”
Amya’s chest rose and fell, and she had to focus hard to answer Grace’s question. She could barely remember what it was in reference to. “Because I don’t want you to complain if I’m wrong.”
Grace had that feral look in her eyes that always spurned Amya on. If they weren’t careful, they would all be late to the Christmas concert but not because of Kit. Grace went to move away, but Amya tugged her back until she was smooshed pleasantly between the door and her girlfriend’s warm and hard body.
Moving her hand from Grace’s hip to her ass, Amya smirked. She should have made Grace wear a skirt, which would have no doubt led to them still arguing, but it would have made things faster.
“Are we going yet?” Kit’s voice rang through the door, and Amya winced at how loud it was. “I don’t want to be late.”
“Fuck that,” Grace whispered into Amya’s ear.
“We can’t.”
“We could.”
“No. We have to go.”
Grace groaned and closed her eyes. “You owe me. We’ll be right out, Kit.”
“We’re going to be late!” Kit screeched.
“No, we’re not.” Amya made her voice clear and she kissed Grace quickly. Speaking softer, she whispered, “Tonight after the concert.”
“Don’t hold out on me.”
“When do I ever?”
“True.”
Amya turned in Grace’s arms so she faced the door and stepped back to open it. Kit stood on the other side in a dress they had just purchased for her that weekend. Her hair was in curls around her face, and she had borrowed Amya’s makeup to put a light coat on. She looked stunning. Grinning, Amya reached behind her for Grace’s hand.
“You look amazing, Kit.”
“Thanks. We’re going to be late.”
“We are not. Chill out, kid,” Grace ordered. Peter came down the hall in a nice pair of jeans and a polo shirt. Grace grunted. “Why does he get to wear jeans?”
“He has nice jeans. Yours are decades old,” Amya answered.
It wasn’t much longer until they were all piled into Amya’s ancient car and headed for the school. They dropped Kit off at the doors before going to park and heading for the theater. The concert lasted exactly as long as Amya had predicted it would: an hour and a half. Grace had only grumbled twice through it.
When the kids were released from their seats at the end of the concert, Amya, Grace, and Peter all stood up and made their way toward the stage. Kit had said something about meeting them up front as she’d slammed the door on her way inside the school. Grace had her hand at Amya’s back, guiding her as they went.
It took nearly ten minutes for Kit to stop talking to some friends and make her way over to them. The friends followed. Kit grinned, and Amya stepped forward. “It was a wonderful concert.”
“Thanks! We’ve been working all year on it.”
“I bet.” Amya gripped Grace’s hand to keep her in place and not lose her.
“Great job, kid,” Grace said over the din of the room. “Didn’t know you could sing.”
Kit flushed, and her lips quivered. Amya was sure Grace most likely missed it, but she could never quite tell. Sometimes Grace was so obtuse to others and other times she was the most observant person she knew.
“Thanks. I’ve got to put my robe back upstairs, but I’ll be right back down.”
“Okay, we’ll be waiting.” Amya forced a smile to her lips, knowing Grace would likely groan about the extended wait.
Kit turned on her heel but stopped when someone called her name. Amya’s gaze moved over to the gentleman with balding blond hair and the suit neatly pressed. Kit’s choir teacher came closer and put a hand on her upper arm.
“Kit, I wanted to tell you that you did a great job tonight, really. I’m so proud of you this last semester.”
“Uh…thanks,” Kit answered.
Amya knew Kit wasn’t quite sure how to respond, but she wasn’t about to step in and save Kit either. The compliment was probably worth a thousand more where Kit’s improvement was concerned that semester. She knew how hard Kit had worked to get her grades up and stay focused on school.
“Are these your parents?” he turned to them and extended his hand, his eyes crinkling in the corners.
Amya’s lips parted, and she was about to correct him when Kit stepped in.
“Yeah. These are my moms, Amya and Grace, and this is my brother, Peter.”
Amya’s heart stopped. Grace’s hand against the small of her back pressed hard into her and her nails scraped. Amya’s jaw clenched.
“It’s good to meet you. I’m Mr. Killian.”
“Good to meet you, too.” Amya held out her hand, surprised her voice had held.
“I’m going to go ditch my robe.”
“Right. We’ll be here.”
Kit nodded and dashed off. Mr. Killian disappeared to the next parents he must have found. Amya turned around and stared at Grace with wide eyes. “Well, that was unexpected.”
“Not really,” Peter commented.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s been calling you guys that for months now.”
“Months?” Amya’s eyes were wide with surprise.
Peter nodded.
“She hasn’t,” Grace added in.
“She has. She hasn’t been so bold as to tell a teacher that, but she’s said it here or there.”
“She hasn’t even been with us more than a few months,” Amya commented.
Peter lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “She likes you guys, and she feels safe with you.”
“Well, that’s a first,” Grace muttered.
Amya sent Grace a sharp look. “It’s good.”
“It is. I just…it seems fast.”
Rolling her eyes, Amya shook her head. “It happens different for everyone.”
“We’re not her parents.”
“In some ways, Grace, we are more her parents than her parents are.”
“In a lot of ways,” Peter chimed in.
Grace narrowed her eyes at him, and Amya cocked her head, curious as to what Kit and Peter had talked about that she was not privy to. She imagined it was likely a lot deeper than she had originally thought it might be.
Kit showed back up, and Amya threaded her arm through the crook of Grace’s. “We ready?”
“Yeah,” Kit answered.
The theater was emptying fast, and they easily made their way out to the vehicle and all piled in. As soon as Amya got behind the wheel, she sighed. They were going to have to buy another car no doubt. Her little sedan was definitely not big enough for the four of them, and since Peter had totaled the SUV she had purchased last Christmas for that very reason, they were stuck with what they had.
As she drove out of the parking lot, Amya reached over and pressed her hand into Grace’s, giving her a soft smile. It had been a long day and night, but it had been worth it to find a little more insight into Kit and what she was thinking and feeling.
When they got home and the kids piled into the house, Grace slipped into their bedroom, no doubt to change. Amya followed her, and soon found herself pressed up against the door once again. Grace had a hand on her breast and her mouth on her Amya’s neck. Amya’s lips parted in surprise.
“Grace…”
“You promised.”
“Yes, but I’m pretty sure now is not the time and Kit is going to need to unwind.”
Grace popped her head up and narrowed her gaze. “I’m too young to be the mom of a junior in high school.”
Laughing, Amya patted Grace’s cheek. “And you think I’m old enough?”
“You are older.”
“Not by much.”
“Still older.”
“Grace, get changed.”
Grace moved to her side of the room and pulled her jeans she had tried to wear earlier from the hamper. “Mom?”
Amya sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s a compliment.”
“Sounds more like an insult.”
Chuckling, Amya shook her head. “Compliment for sure. You should take it as such. She trusts us, and she wants to be here. In some ways, that should make the next year a whole lot easier.”
“Right. I did call Doreen.”
Amya tensed. “Did you?”
Grace nodded. “She’s going to check on the Umptree’s and do a follow-up visit and see if they’re okay with this whole situation.”
“Well, they are.”
“Yes.”
“So what does that mean?” Amya’s gaze remained glued to Grace. “Is she going to take her?”
“Not if they say they placed her with us.”
“Will they?”
Grace nodded. “I think they will.”
Amya let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She hoped they did say that, and she hoped Doreen wouldn’t move Kit to another foster home. If anything, Kit needed the stability and to feel like she finally had a say in where she went. Getting up from the bed, she dragged Grace out to the kitchen to get everyone bowls of ice cream to celebrate.
I’ll Forgive You Anyway
It had taken her most of Monday to track them down. By Tuesday morning, she’d found everything she needed and got in her cruiser to drive to Johnson County. She drove in silence the entire way to the Sheriff’s Department. As soon as she pulled up outside, she saw Blake’s shining face.
“Two times in one month, Halling? Must be some kind of record.”
Grace blushed. “Yeah, maybe. Maybe I just like Johnson County better than I like home.”
“Bullshit.” Blake nudged her arm lightly as they headed inside. Grace checked in with Blake’s supervisor before she got into her cruiser with Blake by her side and they headed back out. Blake gave directions as they went so she knew where she was going.
“Give me the run down again.” Blake said in between direction changes.
Grace shot her a glance before focusing on the road. “My kid’s parents’ house.”
“And how did you find them?”
Grace let out a breath, ready to dive into the story. “Angel is a CNA at the hospital who I caught sneaking around the ICU room with my kid, and Angel is my kid’s brother.”
“No shit.”
“Yup.”
“How’d you manage to figure that one?”
Grace bit her lip. “There was a class ring left on the kid when he was found but it disappeared. When I brought Angel in, he had it on him. It was purchased by the parents. Once I had their names, it was easy to find out the kid’s real name, which is Matteo, by the way, and that Angel is his brother. I’m betting Angel kept the job at the hospital when he found out his brother was there. He started his employment only a couple months before Matteo was found and put into ICU.”
“But they never claimed him?” Blake’s eyes were wide with surprise.
“Nope, and that’s what we’ve got to figure out still. Why didn’t they ever claim him?” Grace took a left turn into a new neighborhood. “They have no idea we’re coming. Angel isn’t supposed to be working today. I already called to check that, but he doesn’t live at home, so hopefully we can talk to his parents and maybe go get him before they talk to him.”
“You think he was involved?” Blake cocked her head to the side as she waited for an answer.
Shaking her head, Grace shrugged. “I honestly have no idea. I still want look at how Diego is involved, especially if they are cousins. He would have known Joseph as soon as he saw him when he found him.”
“Matteo, you mean.”
“Yeah, Matteo. Sorry. That one might take me a hot minute.”
“A hot minute?” Blake raised an eyebrow. “What the hell kind of phrase is that?”
“Shut up.” Grace laughed and pulled up in front of the house.
“What, who’s Diego?
“The guy who found Joseph.”
“Matteo.”
“Yes, Matteo, sorry. The guy who found Matteo. Didn’t you read the information I sent you?”
Blake flushed. “Nope.”
“Figures. Come on.”
It was a small house but big enough for a family of five to live in. It was a long ranch style building with three sets of windows and a pale baby blue siding that obviously hadn’t been redone in decades as part of it was coming apart.
When Grace stepped out of the cruiser, she straightened her shoulders and prepared herself for whatever may come. If Angel knew about his brother, she could only hope the parents did. She couldn’t imagine living without knowing her son was in the hospital for four years.
She and Blake walked up to the front door, and she knocked on it with a firm rap. It didn’t take too long for a small balding man to open the door. Fear etched into his features the moment he saw her. Grace tried to put her own body at ease to relax him. Making them worry or fear would do nothing by way of helping her investigation.
“I’m Detective Halling, and this is Detective Miller. Would we be able to come in and talk to you about a case we have?”
His lips parted and closed. He nodded and opened the door wider. A short woman with wide hips and a flowery blouse came through a doorway and into the hall they entered. She wiped her hands on the apron around her waist and sent the man a worried glance.
“They’re detectives,” he said by way of explanation.
“I’m Kamila. Is there something we can help you with?”
“We wanted to talk to you about a case we have, see if maybe you knew something about it.”
Kamila shot her husband a look. “Joseph and I don’t know anything.”
Grace gave her a soft smile. “Ma’am, to be fair, you don’t even know what case we’re here to talk to you about.”
Joseph stepped in close to Kamila and led her into the other room. Grace and Blake followed after sharing a look. He sat Kamila in a chair in the living room and motioned for Grace and Blake to take a seat on the couch.
“We will answer your questions.”
“Good.” Grace sat and Blake joined her. “I’ve been working on this case for a while now, and your names came up in the course of my investigation.”
“Oh really?” Joseph said, curiosity piquing his tone. Kamila gave him a dirty look, one Grace recognized from the many times Amya had given it to her.
Nodding, Grace continued, “Yes, would you mind me asking where your son is?”
“He’s at work, I think.” Joseph pursed his lips.
“Angel works at the hospital,” Kamila supplied.
Licking her lips, Grace glanced at Blake before drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She knew the next question was going to be hard. “I mean your other son. Matteo. Where is Matteo?”
Kamila shook her head back and forth, shock registering in her eyes. Joseph stared at the floor, his cheeks paling and his breathing quickening.
Joseph spoke first. “Our son is dead.”
Kamila didn’t answer. Grace couldn’t tell if they were lying or not. They might have truly believed it even if they knew to the contrary. “When is the last time you saw him?”
“It’s been four years now. He went out one night to a party with his friends and his cousin and never came home. We filed a report, but nothing ever came of it. We never heard from anyone.”
Grace felt Blake tighten next to her because it would have been her department who had missed it. She had no doubt Blake was going to go back and look into the case as soon as she got a chance to see what they had all missed in the course of the investigation.
“So what happened then?”
“We waited, and finally had him declared dead. We had his funeral last year.”
That didn’t fit Grace’s timeline at all, which worried her. Maybe she did have the wrong family, although, she was pretty sure she had the right family. It would surprise her if she didn’t. “Angel works at the hospital, right?”
Joseph nodded. “Yes, in the next county over. They pay better.”
“Enough to warrant the commute?” Grace raised an eyebrow at him.
Shrugging, Joseph nodded. “I guess.”
“What does he do there?”
“He’s a CNA. Makes decent money for not that bad of a job.”
Grace filed the information in her head. “Do you know about a patient there who goes by the name of Joseph?”
Once again, both Joseph and Kamila tensed. Their jaws were tight with tension, and their eyes were wide with fear. Grace knew they had to be aware of something going on. She would be surprised if Angel had known about Matteo and not told them.
“No, we don’t.” Kamila shook her head as she spoke.
Grace sent Blake a look of disbelief. “There is a patient there who has been in intensive care for four years. They call him Joseph because they have no idea who he is or where he came from. I honestly don’t know where they came up with the name Joseph.”
