It seemed to Annie that the week after Parker Riley’s body was discovered flew by, and it was a week full of horrible discoveries. The DNA had come back in Kiely’s and Parker’s cases, and both had matched that found at the scenes of the other eight killings.
Although that should have meant Chase was in the clear, Kiely’s family was still trying to maneuver things so that he was blamed. Neal Bledsoe had been calling in favors left and right, but now that the DNA was back, no one was paying attention to his complaints. It was still a hassle for Chase, but the imminent threat of arrest had at least been taken out of the equation.
Despite being suspended, Gordon had managed to get his supervisor to contact the detective from the original investigation, who had confirmed the identity of Kiely’s boyfriend. Like a lot of retired law enforcement officers, he had one case that haunted him, and Kiely’s was it. Subsequently, he had kept a copy of the original case file. Finding the man’s name had been a matter of opening a box.
Once confirmed, Mullins had been easy to track down. He’d been a guest of the Kentucky prison system for the past five years, convicted of manufacturing and selling methamphetamine. He admitted to writing the note and placing it in Kiely’s casket at the time of her funeral, so at least that mystery was solved.
Adding to Annie’s, and everyone’s, stress was the disappearance and murder of a prominent doctor in Madison. When his office staff had gone in Tuesday morning, they’d found the clinic in complete disarray—furniture was overturned, one of the examining rooms was littered with bloody supplies that indicated someone had been treated, and some medications were missing. They had immediately called the police, and an investigation had been mounted.
The next day, the doctor’s body had been found in an abandoned rock quarry a few miles outside Madison. He had been shot once in the head, and even though the modus operandi was very different, the circumstances convinced law enforcement in Olman County that the person responsible was more than likely the killer they were looking for. By the end of the week, the DNA had come back with another positive match.
By looking at the medications he had stolen, they were able to ascertain that he had likely been treated for an infected wound. During Parker’s autopsy, the ME had confirmed that she had blood and tissue in her mouth that wasn’t her own. Given the inevitability of infection with a human bite, that was likely the injury responsible for driving the killer to the clinic.
Now, at noon on Saturday, Lauren’s baby shower was scheduled to begin in less than an hour. For a brief while, it had looked as if Charlie wouldn’t be able to get her out of the house they shared next door to her parents long enough for the shower preparations to take place. As far along as she was, Lauren was miserable, and going anywhere wasn’t really something she was interested in doing.
Somehow though, he’d managed it, and Molly, Lauren’s mother, had called in the troops. They’d been lurking in the neighborhood, parked a few streets over, and as soon as she sounded the all-clear, they moved in. Working fast, they had the house set up in record time, and now all they were waiting on was the guest of honor.
As Annie wandered through the family room to double-check things once more, she saw Charlie’s mother come in through the front door. She’d dreaded this meeting the most, given their personal history. She had grappled with whether or not to attend the shower at all, not wanting to cause Hazel any discomfort. Beth and Hannah had managed to talk her into being there.
“You’re one of Lauren’s best friends. You’re Charlie’s sister. Lauren and Charlie would both want you there, and it isn’t like you didn’t see her at their wedding. Since Charity’s in Europe and can’t be here,” Beth said, referring to Lauren’s cousin, who was away on business, “Lauren’s already feeling down. She needs you there. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll call Hazel and ask her beforehand.”
That was exactly what she’d done. Hazel had told Beth she didn’t have a problem in the world with Annie being there, but Annie wasn’t sure she believed that. She was answering Hannah’s question about a food dish when Hazel tapped her shoulder with a nervous smile.
“Hi. I’m sorry to interrupt. Do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you about something.” Hazel gestured toward the door. “Do you think we could walk outside?”
Annie swallowed and tried to hide her nervousness. “Sure.”
Hannah excused herself, and Annie led Hazel into the backyard, studying the older woman surreptitiously as they walked. She was attractive, and there was a strong likeness between her and Charlie. Her dark hair showed a few strands of gray, but all in all, she looked ten years younger than Annie knew her to be.
“I’ve always admired Molly’s green thumb,” Hazel said. “I guess you have a pretty green thumb too. I can kill a plant by looking at it.” Annie figured she wasn’t hiding her nervousness as well as she’d thought when Hazel gave her a reassuring smile and patted her arm. “Honey, I’m not going to yell at you or make a scene. I just wanted to let you know that I don’t have a problem with you being in Charlie’s life. I’ll be honest—I worried that I might when I found out you were my daughter-in-law’s best friend. I did a lot of soul-searching about that, and I figured out a few things. Primarily, I discovered that I can’t blame you for what my ex-husband did nearly thirty years ago. It wasn’t your fault any more than it was Charlie’s.”
Annie felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders, and she stopped walking to turn toward Hazel. “Are you sure? Because I would completely understand if you did have a problem with my presence.”
Hazel smiled, the expression a little sad. “I’m happier now than I’ve been in a long time, and I’ve been happy for several years now. Once upon a time, Ransom Clark was the love of my life. Then he started drinking. We lost a child—Charlie’s brother. When Robin died, so did our marriage. It was already strained, but that loss was the last straw. By the time you came along, we were separated. Actually, finding out about you was the impetus I needed to file for divorce and get on with my life.”
“I didn’t know you’d lost a child. I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. He was younger than Charlie and worshipped the ground his brother walked on. I think one of the biggest regrets I have from that period in time is that Charlie lost so much. He wasn’t supposed to be an only child. Now he has you, and I can’t tell you how much that comforts me. I hope that the two of you will become closer as you get to know each other.”
“Thank you for telling me this. It means a lot to me.”
To Annie’s surprise, Hazel pulled her in for a hug. “Sweetie, I’m glad I did. I almost didn’t approach you because I didn’t want to upset you. But I had to try, especially after Beth called.”
A sharp whistle sounded from the patio, and they looked up. Beth was on the deck, waving.
“Looks like it’s showtime,” Annie said.
They hurried back inside, and as the shower started, Annie felt one more insecurity slip away. That relief had been a long time coming, and she had never thought it would happen, not in a million years. But by some miracle, it had, and she had to wonder what other miracles might come along too.