Frannie was back at the medical center, this time with it full of people. It seemed like everyone had turned out to see if Maria was okay. Her family was there, with the notable exception of Antonia. Tom looked chastised, mostly concentrating on corralling the twins who were playing tag in the waiting area. Father Wilson was trying to talk to him, but Tom wasn’t really paying him any attention. Nadia Marie and Andra stood with Beth, talking low and keeping one eye on the boys every time they passed.
Frannie and her posse of old men bodyguards crossed the room so she could speak to Olympia.
Matthias’s mom held her arms out. “Precious.”
Frannie sank into the embrace, feeling the hot rush of tears hit her eyes as a lump filled her throat. Olympia made shushing sounds as she stroked Frannie’s back. Why couldn’t this woman be her mom? Instead Frannie had been birthed by a woman with no moral code and no sense of decency, who barely tolerated her existence. Had Mimi simply given Frannie’s father what he wanted—a legacy?
Frannie leaned back before she dissolved completely. “How is Maria?”
Olympia didn’t let her go all the way, for once giving Frannie the impression she needed the comforting physical contact as much as Frannie did. “Shaken, but not too badly hurt.”
She looked over Frannie’s shoulder, so Frannie turned and saw Matthias making his way to them. He kissed his mom’s cheek and glanced at her with no small amount of longing. “The sheriff has Nigel in custody. Bolton is bringing in Mimi so they can find out the extent of what went down.”
Frannie blinked. “You knew?”
“Bolton was listening in.” Matthias’s earpiece was still in one ear, the chord hanging down the front of his shirt to the radio on his hip. “He said you did a good job talking to Nigel. You got us the information we needed to get to Maria before it was too late.”
He’d been involved, too? Frannie wasn’t sure if she liked the fact Matthias had done that even after she’d told the sheriff she didn’t want him there. The warmth of knowing he cared was overshadowed by fear of the killer hurting him because of their relationship.
If she was obviously attached to him, would the killer leave her alone because she had reason to want to live? Maybe his insidious attacks on her were about revenge, because she’d stopped him from “helping” Stella leave this earth peacefully. But despite Stella’s condition, she was still alive.
If the killer wasn’t Nigel, then it begged the question: what was the real killer planning? Frannie felt a shiver move through her just thinking about what he would do next.
Matthias touched her cheek. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not fine, but I am okay.” Olympia put her arm around Frannie. “I can’t believe Maria was terrorized. I knew my mom would retaliate after I told Stan I wanted to sell the house. But this is too much.”
She didn’t want to believe her mom thought Maria was the “weak link,” but it looked like that was the truth.
He squeezed her shoulder. “You don’t have to face her.”
“Lover!” Izzy’s shrill cry ceased all the conversations. Everyone turned to watch her totter across the tile floor in her stiletto heels. Her eyes were bright—too bright—and consumed with Matthias.
Frannie took an involuntary step back as Izzy launched herself at Matthias. He had the decency to catch her and managed to narrowly miss her lipstick being planted all over his mouth. Matthias set her away from her. “Give it up, Izzy.”
She shook her head like she was oblivious. “What are you talking about? Why are you continuing to hurt me?”
“I’m not your lover. No matter how many times you say it, regardless of how many witnesses are there to hear you. It doesn’t make it true, Izzy.” Matthias’s voice was softer than normal, but his tone still held an edge to it. He was trying to be nice, but he was completely serious. “I am not the father of your baby. Diego is. Your mom has already convinced Nigel to terrorize Maria because she wants to get back at your sister, and this is how you’ve chosen to fight your battle against Frannie.”
He took a breath. “The reality is, I’m in love with your sister.”
Frannie gaped. Izzy glanced at Frannie and back to Matthias, completely ignoring the fact his mom was standing right beside them. She sputtered. “Tias, darling. Don’t do this.”
Tias? How did Izzy know the nickname Matthias had given to Frannie—and only Frannie?
He glanced at Frannie, suddenly looking worried. “Seriously, Izzy. You need to have a long talk with Diego about what you’re going to do. This is not a solution.”
“You gave me a ring. You asked me to marry you. That was the solution.” Izzy’s voice was getting softer, her eyes now rimmed with tears. Evidently she was going for the opposite of hysterical in the hope her story was more convincing.
And it was a story, Frannie was convinced of that.
“Izzy.” Olympia put herself in front of Frannie and Matthias, facing off against Izzy herself. “You need help, dear. This charade won’t stand, not when all of us know the truth of Matthias’s feelings for Frannie. I’m very sorry Diego has done this to you, it must be a very troubling thing, especially in your condition. But do not put this on Diego’s brother now. You will not ensnare both of them with your lies.”
Matthias’s mom paused for a second. “This is not the eighteen-hundreds, where I force my son to do the honorable thing and marry you. Neither of them would consent when you are a strong woman, capable of raising this baby on your own. Diego should provide help, as needed, but as much as it pains me to say about my own son, it’s likely to not be a help to you.
“If I was you I would avoid the hassle and wait until Diego offers you support. Until then my family is fully prepared to help you and the child you carry, if it truly does belong to this family. But what you cannot do is slander my other son and destroy your sister’s happiness with your insidious lies.”
Izzy lost it then, screaming like a banshee. “It’s not a lie! Your son is the father of my baby!”
“Which son you are referring to remains to be seen.” Olympia put her arm around Izzy and steered her away. “And now is not the time for this discussion. Maria is hurt and that’s why we’re all here. Not to cater to your emotional state. Have a care, darling.”
They walked away, even though Izzy didn’t seem much like she wanted to go.
Matthias looked at Frannie then, his eyes sad. “I’m sorry she keeps doing that. It’s not true.”
“I know.”
If it was, Frannie would have every reason to want to exit Sanctuary...permanently. But it was exactly what Olympia had said, an insidious lie.
He moved closer but didn’t touch her, as though he wasn’t sure it was still something he was allowed to do. “Are we okay?”
“I don’t know,” Frannie said honestly. “I need all this to blow over so things can go back to normal. Until then, I have no idea what’s going on even in my own head.”
“Tell me.”
“The coma was…” She took a breath. “I dreamed. More like nightmares, really.”
“I’m sorry.” He put his arms around her then, and Frannie wanted desperately to sink into his embrace.
“Don’t.” She pushed back. “It’s like your mom said to Izzy. I need to be strong and capable.”
“Only because Izzy’s never been that way. You already are. It’s okay to lean on people, Frannie.”
“I can’t.” She shook her head. “Not when the killer might show up at any moment, or send me more of that drug and it kills me this time. We can’t get attached to each other when I might not make it. Don’t put that on me. I don’t want you to be in love with me if I could die.”
“All of us could die, Frannie. It’s a fact of life. We could get hit by lightning or killed in an accident. This threat isn’t unique. I know things are scary right now and your mom isn’t helping. But I want to. I want to be there for you.”
Frannie stepped back, aware there were people listening. She kept her voice low. “I can’t let you do that, Tias.”
It wasn’t like she wanted to set herself up as a target for the killer, but she couldn’t let her feelings for him cloud her actions. She might have to fight for her life, and she might have to let go if the situation warranted it. Her eternal future was secure now. What she couldn’t die with was the knowledge Matthias would be left longing after her—wishing he could have done something to prevent her death.
“Frannie, don’t do this.”
“I want to thank you for caring about me.” She tried to smile. Maybe it worked, but he didn’t look comforted. “I’ve never felt so much care in my life than when I’m with you. It’s a gift I appreciate, but can’t keep. Not when I have so much hanging over my head.”
Matthias blinked, and she saw a sheen of tears in her eyes. “If what Izzy said—”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with Izzy. This is about us.” Frannie wanted to cry at that word. Us. It tore her heart apart to even consider she could be part of something with Matthias. “There can’t be a you and me. Not right now, and maybe not ever. I’m sorry, Tias.” Her voice broke then. “I’m really sorry.”
He touched the sides of her face then, his lips covering hers in a last desperate goodbye. “Frannie…”
She choked back a sob, pushed him away and ran for the door.
**
Matthias let himself in to the sheriff’s office, his heart still reverberating with the aftershocks of what felt like an earthquake in his chest. John’s face was an inch from Nigel’s. “Understand?”
Nigel nodded.
John locked Nigel in the cell and walked straight to Matthias like he knew he’d come in. “How’s Maria?”
Matthias blew out a breath. “Shaken up, but not seriously hurt. The bump on her head she says she got when she tried to run from Nigel. She slammed into a cabinet in her kitchen. That was what all the blood was from.”
John nodded. “And Mimi?”
“Bolton’s on his way now.”
John grabbed his radio off the table. “Bolton, this is John.”
It crackled. “Yeah, go ahead.”
“Bring Mimi to the bakery. I don’t want her presence here to affect Nigel. Not when I’m unconvinced I can make an arrest yet. Conspiracy to intimidate someone you don’t like by using someone who thinks he’s in love with a starlet to scare a third person you care about doesn’t really hold much weight. Not when no real harm was done to Maria, its Nigel’s word against Mimi’s and Maria doesn’t want to press charges.”
Matthias shook his head. “And I don’t want her anywhere near Frannie. Can’t he take her to the Meeting House?”
“I don’t want her harassing Frannie, either. But she’s stronger than you think, and she’s going to want to talk to her mom.” John’s brow flickered.
“At full capacity, maybe.” Matthias folded his arms. “But Frannie’s been through too much in the last week to want to deal with this.”
John shot him a look. “Maybe we’ll ask Frannie about that. And about you speaking for her. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Andra, it’s that women rarely like being dictated to.”
“A killer is targeting her, and her sister’s telling everyone I’m the father of her baby. Now we find out her mom coerced Nigel into pretending to be the killer. There’s not much more Frannie can take, and as much as I’d like to be the person there to help her pick up the pieces, I’d rather she didn’t break in the first place. She’s been through enough.”
John’s head tilted to the side. “What happened?”
“I’m going to go warn her Bolton is coming.”
“He’s probably already there.” John caught up to him at the door. “Tell me what happened.”
“She broke up with me.”
“And you’re still trying to protect her, even after she dumped you?”
“It isn’t like that.”
“Isn’t it?”
Matthias headed out the door and jogged down the sidewalk to the bakery. John didn’t follow, probably because he had to guard his detainee. Matthias’s chest still felt like Frannie had stuck a knife in and turned it, but he hadn’t lied. He was in love with her, and he had been for a long time. He’d been sure—as sure as he could be—that she felt the same way. Maybe she didn’t. She was going through so much right now, but love shouldn’t distract or get in the way of life. It was supposed to hold her up. The thought he might not be capable of giving her that kind of love crossed his mind.
He’d considered himself broken for a long time, perhaps it was the truth after all. Maybe, as much as he wanted it, Matthias couldn’t love Frannie the way he was supposed to.
Bolton was standing over a handcuffed Mimi, who was lounged on a chair like she was in a swanky restaurant surrounded by adoring fans all trying to speak to her. She spotted Matthias, no reaction except her leg began to swing back and forth where it was crossed over the other one. “Tias, darling. How nice of you to join us.”
Frannie, who stood at the opposite end of the room, flinched.
Matthias turned to leave.
“Don’t go.” Frannie’s voice was hard, making him turn back. “Don’t make her run you off when you haven’t done anything wrong. She’s the one who twisted Nigel and forced him to terrorize Maria. I saw the marks on her hands and arms. She had to defend herself against a knife.”
“I didn’t tell him to try and kill her.”
“But you told him to scare her, and me. And pretend he was the killer.”
Mimi rolled her eyes. “Says Nigel.” She straightened and batted her eyes at Bolton. “I want a lawyer.”
He didn’t move out of his arms-folded, feet-spread stance. “Duly noted.”
Frannie stepped toward her mom. “Who is it?”
Mimi’s look turned sardonic. “Who is who, Francesca? No one knows what you’re talking about.”
Her voice was quiet when she said, “Who is the angel of death?”
Bolton glanced at Matthias, one eyebrow up. Matthias shrugged, he had no idea Mimi might actually know who it was.
Frannie’s mom rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth, but Frannie cut her off. “You know just about everything that happens in this town. Considering the fact it was you who sold information about the letter and the killer to Nigel in the first place, I want to know who this angel of death really is.”
Mimi shook her head sardonically, her eyes on the floor. Her face looked like she was having a whole argument against Frannie in her head. She finally made a “pshaw” sound. “Who says I know anything? Maybe I just got everything from that letter of yours.”
“Maybe you saw him, maybe you didn’t.” Frannie folded her arms. “But I think, either way, you know who it is.”
Mimi lifted her chin, her attention square on Frannie. “You don’t have a prayer of finding out who it is from me.”
Frannie didn’t even flinch. “You want him to kill me?”
Mimi shrugged one shoulder. “Won’t be my fault.” She glanced around, taking in Matthias and Bolton. Apparently the old men bodyguards were upstairs, because he couldn’t see them. Mimi said, “Looks like you’ve got plenty of protection right here.”
“But you don’t care.” Frannie shook her head. “Story of my life, Mama.”
With that, Frannie walked out. Matthias looked at her mom, but he didn’t see any remorse—or even a shadow of guilt over what her actions were doing to Frannie.
He turned to Bolton. “What happens now?”
Matthias’s boss didn’t take his eyes off Mimi. “When I’m satisfied I have everything I need, and John has everything he wants from Nigel, Ms. Peters will be released. The judiciary system within Sanctuary is such that she will likely be given community service for the harm she caused. Unless she really does sign herself out.”
“And Nigel?”
“Something heavier. Justice Simmons and Sheriff Mason will decide whether it consists of being detained for a period, and community service following.”
The elderly former superior court justice wasn’t someone any of them were a huge fan of, not after Simmons tried to officiate a sentencing on John’s fiancé with little to no evidence she’d actually committed the murder of the mayor’s wife weeks ago. The man’s motives—beyond using his former position to assert some authority in his retirement years—were suspect at best. John wouldn’t like working with him.
“So Mimi will be released? A slap on the wrist after everything she’s done to Frannie?”
Bolton looked at him then. “And what do you suppose I do, arrest every single jerk in the world?”
Matthias rolled his shoulders. “Fine.”
“Go check with the guys, make sure Frannie is set for the night. Okay?”
Matthias nodded. He pushed his way into the kitchen where Frannie was at the counter, surrounded by ingredients and an open recipe book.
She looked up. Matthias’s steps faltered he was so arrested by the look of longing in her eyes. Why did she have to look at him like that? It was her decision to walk away from him. She had to know they would see each other before this was over. He wasn’t going to leave her safety to chance. There was no way he could do that, even if he was mad enough to spit nails right now.
Matthias kept walking. It hurt. Okay, it hurt more than he was mad. The anger came from the fact she’d essentially ripped out his heart.
He turned the corner and took the stairs two at a time. Michael and Hal were stretched out on the couch while Louis and Sonny sat in folding chairs. Someone had brought a TV in, because they were all watching a black and white show that was evidently funny.
Matthias put his hands on his hips. “And she’s safe downstairs while y’all are catching up on your entertainment?”
“Now that’s not fair.” Louis got up, but Sonny stopped him with a hand.
Sonny got off the couch and came over to Matthias, trying to look tough even though he was half a foot shorter. “We get you care for her, son. But the woman asked for space.”
“I don’t care what she asked for. She should have someone with her at all times.”
He couldn’t get out of his head the mental picture of Frannie on the floor in the kitchen, barely breathing. Or Frannie choking back a sob, walking away from him.
Matthias covered his face with his hands and rubbed. “Okay, look—”
A sharp scream pierced the air. Matthias hit the stairs before it even registered in him it was Frannie who’d screamed. His boot clipped a step and he tumbled, sliding down the last few steps until he hit the bottom, slamming his hand on the wall for balance.
The kitchen was empty. He raced around the counter in case she’d fallen. On the floor, a full bag of flour had hit the linoleum and spilled out. There was a scuff mark but no footprints in the dust.
Bolton flung open the door to the front, gun raised. His eyes were hard, as though the memory of a thousand bloody battles were there in his gaze.
“Frannie?”
Bolton shook his head. “Back door?”
Matthias moved to the back door. It was open wide, the dark night still when he emerged outside. He raced to the middle of the street, looked both ways, but saw nothing and turned back to the crowd at the door, heart in his boots.
“She’s gone.”