Clean Lines (Cedar Tree #4) (18 page)

"Okay," I whisper back, and try not to think too much as we make our way home.

"Dead?"

"I'm so sorry, baby," I whisper as I run my hand over my son's back.

We're on the couch in the guesthouse with Joe across from us in the big club chair, where we sat down the moment we walked in announcing to Fox we had to talk. It's only eight thirty in the morning and already I've managed to yank my son off cloud nine into the brutal reality this day will bring. No matter what James was, or had done, my boy just found out he lost his father. Furthermore, my kid is smart. He suspects the timing is too coincidental to spell anything other than big trouble. His face is pale, but his eyes are sharp when they shoot up at Joe.

"Did he do this? That guy on the phone? The one Dad was representing? Did he kill him?"

Joe briefly looks at me before turning back to Fox.

"Can't say for sure, bud. No way of knowing at this point, but it looks like it was foul play. Your dad was shot."

I can feel Fox's body jerk under my hand and I want nothing more than to fold him in my arms and shield him, but the clench of his jaw and the rigid tension in his shoulders tell me that he is struggling to hold on. Trying to be a man, perhaps even for my sake, and it breaks my heart. Sudden anger surges through me, at James mostly, for a lifetime of skimming the boundaries of the law to safeguard his precious clients, yet creating a situation that endangered his family, his son. One that cost him his life.

"Where is he?" The question is asked in a small voice and is one I hadn't even thought of to ask Joe.

"He will be at the coroner's office for a while, most likely. It may be some time yet before they release his body."

Joe's answer has many different implications, none of which I want to think about or more importantly, want my son to have on his mind, so I ask one of my own.

"James has a sister in Boston. Do you think she's been contacted?" I'd met Ruth only twice throughout the entire duration of our marriage; once on the day of our wedding and then again when James' mother passed away about a year or so after Fox was born. Needless to say James and Ruth had never been close.

"They mentioned having been in touch with a family member but needing to speak to you."

Fox abruptly gets up off the couch. "I'm gonna go lie down. Didn't get much sleep." With that, he walks off into the bedroom before I have a chance to say anything. I get up to follow after him, to make sure he's ok, but Joe grabs my wrist when I pass.

"Let him be, babe. I watched him sit there, trying to be strong; holding it together like a man. Let him do his grieving in his own way."

"But he's my baby," I whisper, my voice cracking with the pain I feel for him.

With a tug Joe has me on his lap and tucked under his chin.

"I lost my parents young, Doc. It was a tough blow, but it was something I had to work out myself. My dad and I had never seen eye to eye growing up and once he was gone, there was no way to fix that. Ever. I'm thinking what's going through that boy's mind right now, may run along similar lines. Losing his dad, a dad who was too busy criticizing him to see the awesome kid he had? I'm thinking Fox is all kinds of conflicted right now with what he's feeling and it wouldn't be something that'd be that easy to express. Least of all to you."

I bristle at the last and open my mouth ready to launch into a defense when Joe simply puts his hand on my mouth, effectively silencing me.

"Beautiful, you think maybe he carries guilt? You and I both know he's got no reason to. But he knows you. He knows you won't hesitate in telling him that and he's not in a place where he can hear it yet. He'll get there. Give him some time."

While he's talking, Joe is stroking me as if to calm me and I'm irritated that it works.

"You annoy me," I tell him which only makes him chuckle.

"Why's that?"

"’Cause I don't like it when you make better sense of my son than I do. I'm his mom," I admit grudgingly.

"I'm a guy. He's a guy. It's that easy, babe," he says, the smile evident in his voice as his arms tighten around me.

The little pocket of peace in the comfy club chair lasts only minutes, when it's interrupted by Joe's phone. I slide off his lap so he can fish it out of his pocket and go to busy myself in the kitchen to give him some privacy.

"Morris." I watch Joe get up and start pacing, tension in his posture. "Right, have them wait in my office. I'll be there in twenty."

"Everything okay?" I can't stop myself from asking when he slides the phone back in his pocket and pushes a hand through his hair. Almost distractedly, he looks over to me.

"Yeah. No worries. Just have to go into the office for a bit. Think you'll be okay for a couple of hours? I'll be back as soon as I can, just don't take off on your own. Call Gus or Neil if you have to go out."

I curb the urge to call him on his bossiness, because I don't like the bleak look I see in his eyes. That phone call was something. Instead I walk over and wrap my arms around his waist and lay my cheek on his chest. After a few seconds his arms come around me and I feel him breathe me in.

"I'll be here," I tell him, tilting my head back and he slides a hand up my neck to rest on my cheek.

"That'd be good."

An all too brief touch of his mouth to mine and he's gone, the house quiet but my mind loud with questions.

I'm tempted to go and check on Fox, but decide to give him a little more time to see if he'll come out of the room on his own. In the meantime I want to check in with Katie.

"Hey girl. How's the new momma this morning?"

"A little sore. The stitches are bugging me a little, but other than that we're doing fine. I've had food, I've managed to go pee normally, even though it burns like a son of a bitch and little peanut is as fascinated with my ever expanding boobage as his father. If I'd known I could go to a D-cup almost overnight, I might've done this baby thing sooner," she chuckles, making me laugh.

"Good to know Mattias is taking to the breast so well, but don't be discouraged if there are days when you have to struggle with him. It's still a learning process for both of you. As for Caleb's fascination? Not sure I needed to know that, thanks." I can't help but smile when I visualize Caleb's adoration for his wife, not something he does well at hiding. "And Katie? Peanut is hardly an appropriate nickname anymore for the little bruiser you popped out. I was tempted to fit him with shoes for crying out loud."

"Don't care how big he is, he'll always be our peanut. He'll just have to get used to it."

The temptation to bare my soul to my friend is great, but I'm not going to burden her with my issues right now so when she asks how I am doing, I dodge.

"I'm actually home for another day or two and am thinking of taking a second look at that old feed store. Maybe I'll call Clint and see what he thinks of the possibilities for what I have in mind."

"Ohhh, that would be so exciting! I would love for you to be closer by. I know for a fact you won't be lacking for patients and you fit in here perfectly. You'll love it—I promise." Katie's enthusiasm lifts my spirits a little.

"Is there anything you need from me right now? Because I'll come right away if you do, you know that. Otherwise, I'll check in again with you later. I’ll be by at some point to check on you guys in person."

"We're fine. I promise I'll call."

Just then I hear a knock at the door of the guesthouse and quickly say goodbye to Katie.

On the doorstep are two men; one younger one who looked like he'd had a career in boxing at some point, his nose broken at least a few times, and the second an older, much slicker—slimier even—and well-dressed man, both holding out badges.

"Ms. Waters?" the slimy one asks.

"That's me."

"Detectives Warner and Libretti of the Phoenix PD, ma'am. We'd like to speak to your son Fox Miller. Is he home?"

"I'm sorry. What exactly is this about?" I know I'm being suspicious, but I clearly recall Joe saying that he had not revealed our whereabouts, arranging instead to have the detectives meet with us at his office tomorrow morning. So what they're doing on my doorstep wanting to talk to Fox about right now, I'm not quite sure, but I know I don't like it. Don't want to talk to them without the security of Joe here.

"Ma'am, if you could just get him, we have some questions for him." It's the older one again, Libretti he said his name was. The other one is trying to look over my shoulder into the guesthouse and I find myself pulling the door closed a little, hoping Fox will stay in the bedroom until I get this figured out. Something feels off.

"I'd be happy to as soon as you inform me what this is regarding, otherwise I'm sorry, I'll be forced to contact my lawyer. You're Phoenix PD, as you indicate, and as far as I understand we are about four hundred miles from your jurisdiction, so forgive me if I am a little cautious."

"Ma'am. Ms. Waters—" the young one, Warner, says trying for a soothing tone, which only serves to raise my hackles further. "Your son's name has come up in two murder cases that we believe he holds crucial information on, or at the very least, had some knowledge of."

At a loss for words, I sag against the door. Are they crazy? They think Fox had anything to do with that? Taking advantage of my shift in position, Libretti squeezes past me into the house before I realize what's happening.

"Hey wait! I haven't given you permission. What are you doing?"

I'm about to tear after him when I see him going into the hallway to the bedroom and bathrooms, but my arms are suddenly pulled behind me and I'm being pushed face first into the door.

"I'm charging you with obstruction of justice and the possible harboring of a fugitive, ma'am." Detective Warner's voice is close to my ear. Too close and shivers run down my spine, but my temper flares anyway.

"Are you out of your fucking mind? Do you think I'm an idiot? You have no right to charge me or anyone else in this town. Hell, in this state! If you lay one finger on my son, I will come after you with every damn resource I have, and you may not think I have any, but you'd be terribly wrong!"

I'm screaming at the top of my lungs when I see the older guy coming back into view... without Fox.

"Ma'am you'd better calm down and tell us where your son is."

Suddenly a new voice from behind me.

"If you don't have those handcuffs off her in the next few seconds, your mother won't recognize you by the time I'm done with you. And if you are thinking of trying to throw any so-called 'official business' in my face, let me tell you that my wife is currently on the phone with my good friend, Assistant Chief Wayne Carr of the Phoenix Police Department. Your boss. He was very interested in hearing that I saw one of his Chevy Tahoes pull up and what looked to be two detectives walk up to my guest's quarters. In Colorado, it's considered bad manners to barge in on a neighbor without prior warning, especially to the local law enforcement. Your Chief wasn't too impressed when I had to hand over the phone to my wife because I heard my guest screaming."

Gus's voice has a lazy and deceptively calm timbre, but the threat in the delivery of his words is unmistakable and once again, I'm so very grateful for the friends I've been blessed with. The click behind me and the release of the tight pinch around my wrists immediately following shows the young detective takes his words seriously as well. The next thought on my mind is Fox as I move past the other detective, down the hallway to the bedroom, only to find it empty. What the hell? I check the closet, thinking maybe he slipped in there when he heard the detective coming down the hallway, but it is also empty. Next the bathroom, where I find no Fox, but the small bathroom window above the tub seems to be off the lock and my shampoo and conditioner that sit on the edge underneath have been moved to the other side. Little bugger went out the window. A quick peek outside only shows the edge of the cornfield and beyond, but no sign of my son.

"W
here is she?"

I know I'm being rude when I walk through Emma's kitchen, virtually ignoring her, after finding the guesthouse empty, but my day has gone from bad to awful.