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IT HAD BEEN A WHIRLWIND ten days. September had insisted Combs finish his vacation, while she flew back to South Bend with Shadow to make the arrangements for Angela’s burial. No funeral, but her memorial service would come later. She’d begun winding up the estate, and discovered Angela’s will never got changed after Peter died, making September the beneficiary of the estate. It felt so wrong. She hadn’t figured out what to do about that.
She’d also met with Detective Steele to answer his questions—and apologize for doubting him—and collected her car. The uneventful drive to Texas allowed September to move back into her house two days before Combs was due to return. She hadn’t felt festive, but in her absence, Lia had enthusiastically decorated her renovated Victorian for Christmas as a surprise.
Now September held the champagne glass in one hand, while the other intertwined fingers with Combs. Shadow pressed his head against her foot, an anchor that made the moment real. The Christmas tree, a week past its use-by date, competed with tacky New Year’s Eve decorations that Melinda and Willie plastered throughout the house. In thirty minutes, they’d ring in the new year.
She looked around the room, saddened at the tornado’s lasting damage. She treasured the surviving pieces that much more: Harmony on the cello stand; her brother’s stained glass lamp on a table; the Peaceable Kingdom engraving on the nearby wall; the stained glass table moved from the kitchen to serve as dining table; and her beat-up but still playable piano in the next room. What the tornado hadn’t destroyed, rain and the elements had scarred. She’d replaced most of the furniture, and chosen to rebuild the old structure.
The renovated house still had a few screws to tighten and scrapes to patch, maybe like September herself. But she believed the chipped bricks and plaster scars added character—the face of a survivor. Many of the garden roses uprooted by the storm had sent up optimistic October sprouts—despite all the tradesmen tramping around—that, she dared hope, would survive the winter and bloom again come spring. She could do no less.
This night of nights, the old house rang with happy conversation, kid laughter, barks and meows, the sounds of absolute bedlam. September basked in the cacophony. Friends accomplished what deadbolts and fancy security systems failed to do. Her battle-scarred house on Rabbit Run Road no longer hid from the world. It shined with promise, and felt like home.
The feeling of déjà vu hearkened back to another New Year’s Eve party when so much of her life took a detour for the better. Life continued to change, but she liked the view of the new road ahead. She squeezed Combs’s hand, and he smiled, and moved to put an arm around her shoulders. Despite the latest revelations that once again disrupted September’s entire family, Combs never wavered. He had her back. And her heart. Life would never be the same.
The front door opened, and Teddy bustled back into the house. “Combs, might want to check on your kids. Their dog’s going nuts in the back garden. They say he found a squirrel.”
Shadow raised his head with interest, and looked up at September, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. She smiled but shook her head, and he resettled his head with a sigh. “That explains why your new friend acted so hissy.”
He nodded. “I’m new to cats. But Meriwether’s all situated and seems happy in his new digs.” He walked carefully into the room, hardly favoring his healing leg.
“When you asked about adopting, I asked Detective Steele if he could make it happen.” September grinned, delighted the furry match-making worked, and would help relieve Teddy’s loneliness. “I thought you two explorers were a good fit.” The big orange and white Maine Coon would be a good traveler in Teddy’s RV. And according to Tee, also guard the premises with tooth and claw.
More barks erupted from the back of the house, followed by kid squeals. Combs groaned and started to stand up. Lia stopped him. “You stay, I’ll check on them.” She handed a refilled champagne glass to Teddy, and hurried to join Melinda and Willie. Lia had promised them a sleep-over at Corazon Kennels, and a chance to play with Magic and Gizmo. They’d camp out in what used to be September’s room, while September and Combs had the night alone in her refurbished house.
Teddy perched on the sofa, sipping his drink. “Combs, I thought your partner would be here.”
“Gonzales and Mercedes had sick kids. It happens.” He hugged September. “I’m just grateful he got to you in time, when I couldn’t.”
In time to save one life. But to lose another.
September blinked back tears. The note Rose left behind explained nothing, and only spoke of her regret. Had she really decided to kill herself, or been helped by the mysterious Mr. Bleak? Did that even matter now?
Rose had taken several of April’s pills, but not a lethal dose. The temperature of the hot tub, though, had been ramped up to dangerous levels that caused heatstroke. She would have drowned had September not pulled her from the water, but she’d been beyond help. When the hospital pronounced her brain dead, they did the only thing they could. In life, Rose feared questions about her children’s parentage. But in death, Rose’s kidneys—both of them, because of possible damage from the heatstroke—proved her to be a perfect match for her daughter, April.
The same couldn’t be said of September, or her other siblings. The truth had finally come out, none were the biological children of either Rose or Lysle; Lysle admitted to having adopted them all twenty-five years ago, but even he did not know that Rose was not their biological mother. September’s oldest sisters had only fuzzy recollections of early life and no wish to dig deeper. Most of the family history had been re-imagined by Rose herself. They might never learn the truth, or know anything about the murder allegation. September kept that little tidbit to herself, since Aunt Cornelia had her own reasons for keeping such things quiet. Some secrets deserved to say buried. Chosen family didn’t need blood to forge unbreakable bonds.
“What’s the latest, Combs?” Teddy sipped his champagne. “Any progress?”
“Slow going.” Combs shrugged. “It’ll take time to unravel. Tee’s team in Chicago, Detective Steele in South Bend, and Gonzales and I are part of a task force, with the FBI consulting.” He shook his head with disgust. “Before Tee went into the hospital, she helped arrest Alderman Jacobs. We think he funded Mr. Bleak’s killing spree, and probably pulled strings to eliminate Victor Grant in jail.”
Teddy raised his glass in a silent toast. “Glad to know Redford’s recovering.”
Combs raised his glass, too, and the rest followed suit. “To Detective Redford. And to Oreo, a very brave dog.” He drained his glass. He turned to September. “Tee said he’d just adopted the dog, when the Alderman stopped by his house intending to kill Redford. He’d asked too many questions. Then Mr. Bleak showed up, intent on eliminating the Alderman. There was some kind of a three-way struggle, and Oreo got in between the men...”
“Splitting behavior.” September nodded. “To dogs, a hug or something like wrestling looks like a fight. A peacekeeper pooch splits the adversaries apart. You’ll see dogs do that to people who dance, or hug, or sit too close, or...” She glanced at Combs from under her eyelashes, and then at Shadow.
“Splitting behavior, huh? That explains a lot.” He grinned. “Tee said Oreo’s a sweet, friendly dog, especially laidback for a Border Collie. So his splitting behavior skewed the gun’s aim.”
September nodded. “Border Collies are super smart and intuitive.” Oreo would get a canine hero commendation. She stroked Shadow’s neck. He didn’t need a commendation for her to consider him a hero, every single day. “So Detective Redford got shot, and Mr. Bleak tried to stage it as another suicide, but got interrupted by Redford’s son. Thank God the ambulance arrived in time.”
Combs glanced over at Shadow. “Dogs know, right boy?” Shadow yawned and looked away. “September heard Mr. Bleak mention a job in Chicago. Somebody wanted Jacobs silenced.”
Teddy shivered elaborately. “Somebody, indeed. Who is this Bleak character? He killed whole families.”
Combs shrugged. “Somebody else pulled his strings.”
“Tee says Redford needs rehab but will recover well enough to enjoy his retirement.” September remembered Tee’s complaints of migraines, body aches, and numb feelings. “I’m glad Tee’s getting medical attention, too. I made arrangements for Karma to board at a kennel while she was hospitalized.” Dakota had come from that kennel. Tee had only agreed to a week-long treatment, and swore she’d recovered from the tick-borne disease. The stubborn woman wouldn’t admit she needed help. September guessed they had that in common.
Combs continued his recap. “Jacobs isn’t talking. We don’t believe he’s the head of the snake. We’ve got him in protective custody, as well as his wife and son.”
“Adopted son, right?” Teddy adjusted his glasses. “Jacobs comes from old money. I guess his old man’s a piece of old-school work, too. Grandpa insisted on a male heir to carry on the family name. So Kelly Radcliff Jacobs III and his wife arranged to have a baby boy. Just ordered poor little Kelly Radcliff Jacobs IV up from the internet, and had to keep it a secret from Grandpa or get written out of the will. After that, the baby broker pulled the alderman’s strings for the rest of his life.”
September shook her head. “I can’t believe this was all about selling babies. There are plenty of children needing homes, ready to be adopted. Why buy a child?” Combs squeezed her shoulders.
Teddy hazarded a guess. “These folks wanted a particular flavor of baby, made to order. Age, looks, sex, ethnicity. Makes your blood boil.”
She leaned her head against Combs. “What about Judge Southgate? I feel for his daughter. Sharon Southgate lost her whole family. It’s always the innocents who suffer the most.”
Combs kissed her cheek. “Judge Southgate knew Peter and Angela Day for years. I think he and Peter went to school together. We found Southgate’s fingerprints in Angela’s house, and on the ladder in the garage. Circumstantial, but I like him for Angela’s murder. You said Mr. Bleak claimed to be hired to clean up the scene, and frame you. He had no reason to deny Angela’s death, when he took credit for others.”
Teddy jumped in with more explanation. “We know more about Detweiller.” He looked to Combs for permission, and at his nod, explained. “According to the bookkeeper’s files, his Clear Choice Labs got all kinds of creative with payoffs. He took money and got favors to falsify paternity tests. He faked drug test results to terminate parental rights. That all played into the baby trade thirty years ago. But the baby sales dried up nearly twenty years ago.”
“So anything more recent connects to a much more sophisticated organization, one leveraging influence on a broader scale.” Combs took it one step farther. “Once somebody with influence—like a judge, or an alderman—steps over the line, the bad guys can use that to crack the whip and get all kinds of concessions.”
“Any word about Charlie?” Teddy adjusted his glasses. “I worry about that girl. I hope she finds a safe place to have her baby. She claimed Sissie Turpin already had someone lined up to take him or her.” He shuddered.
Combs shook his head. “We’ve got pictures circulating, but she could easily change her appearance and name. We’re not sure she used her real name anyway. Besides, we’re more focused on finding Bleak than a random runaway.”
“A lot of runaways find themselves in precarious situations, through no fault of their own.” September spoke softly, thinking of her mother. She knew Rose had done the best she could. And if Chris hadn’t saved her, she wouldn’t be here today, either. People made the best choice they could in the moment. Everyday heroes, some with two feet, and others with four, blessed the world like wingless angels in unexpected, miraculous ways.
As if he heard her, or at least felt her emotion, Shadow stirred, and pushed his muzzle against her knee. She leaned forward to smooth his brow and whispered in his ear. “You’ll always be my hero, baby-dog.” He thumped his tail, sighed, and settled his chin on her knee.
Combs smiled his agreement. “We tried. We pinged September’s phone with no luck. But we did find Lia’s truck at a rest stop on the Texas/Oklahoma border with no sign of Bleak.”
Teddy choked on his drink, and they stared at him for a moment. He waved his hand dismissively. “I’m fine, really, something just went down the wrong way.”
Combs stood up. “It’s nearly midnight. Everyone have a beverage?”
Lia returned from the kitchen, herding the two kids into the room before her, and carrying a bottle to refill glasses.
Willie carefully closed the dog gate behind them. “Kinsler’s paws are too muddy to come in, and we don’t want to mess up September’s new house. Texas snow gets dirty quick.” He and his sister each had glasses filled with sparkling cider. “Dad, will ya give her the present already? Lia says we’ve got to leave soon.”
September looked up at Combs, wrinkling her brow. They’d planned to exchange gifts later, privately. “You know I hate surprises.” She smiled, the words teasing, finally able to trust enough to enjoy what he’d planned. Maybe an extra crap gift to make her laugh?
But he looked nervous. Combs, a decorated cop, a detective, looked scared. Everyone else in the room grinned, clearly in on the surprise.
“Okay, somebody tell me what’s going on?” When she stood, Shadow bounded to his feet as well, woofing with excitement.
Lia stepped forward and nodded at Combs. “Go ahead. You got this.”
Combs took a big breath, and then turned away from September. He went to one knee, to face Shadow. “Counting on you, Shadow. Like we planned, okay?” Shadow whined, and looked up at September.
What in the world?
“Shadow, bring BEAR!” Combs voice boomed, the authoritative tone familiar to his kids. And to dogs.
“Oh, but his bear-toy got left in South Bend with Kismet...” Her words faded and mouth dropped open as Shadow galloped away. She heard him thunder up the long front staircase, paw-thump down the hall to her bedroom, pounce onto the squeaky bed, and then return with a flourish. He carried a glossy stuffed Mickie Mouse, easily twice as big as his former bear-toy. Shadow laid it at September’s feet.
She looked up at Combs, whose expression of relief made her laugh out loud. “Sweet! You got Shadow a new bear—I mean, a Mickie. Thank you.”
“Straight from the Magic Kingdom. Plus a bit extra, September. Look closer.” Teddy cackled, enjoying the show. The two kids giggled and punched each other.
“On the ribbon.” Lia pointed.
September smiled, and reached for the toy. But Shadow picked it up again, and backed away, whining. He looked from Combs to September, tail lowered, ears pressed flat, and concerned. “Baby-dog, what’s wrong? You don’t want me to take Bear?”
Combs glared at Lia. “I told you this was a bad idea.”
“Will somebody please explain what’s going on?” September sat back down. Shadow gripped the toy, clearly worried. Everyone’s smiles faded.
Clearing his throat, Combs took her hand. “I know that you and Shadow belong together. You’re a package deal. So I know for it to work, for me—for us—to have a future, he’s got to be on board. I wanted to try to make friends with Shadow, and sort of... Oh dammit, what was I thinking?”
It became clear. “You wanted Shadow’s permission.”
“We already said yes!” Willie shouted, and his sister punched and shushed him.
Her eyes filled, and she turned to the big black shepherd. And she knew, as surely as if he’d spoken.
Saw his notched ear, the mark of a bullet meant for her. Traced the white slash of fur he earned protecting her life. His steadfast presence, anchoring her to the here-and-now when horrors of the past dragged her into hell. “Oh, baby-dog, don’t you know that nobody could ever take your place? More family—Combs, and the kids—it just means more to love.”
He stared deep into her eyes, and a tentative wag grew wider, faster. She could read the ribbon message— “Please Adopt Me?” — And the emerald engagement ring it held that matched her eyes.
Shadow pranced forward, pressed the Mickie into her arms, and licked the happy tears from her eyes...that tasted like love.
The clock struck the hour on a new year.
SEPTEMBER STOOD FROM her cluttered desk to answer her phone with a smile. “Teddy, what’s up?” She needed a break from wedding plans, wrangling dogs and cats—and kids. At least she understood the animals. She glanced fondly at Shadow, and he sprang to his feet with anticipation. “Shadow, settle. I’m fine.” He always knew when her stress levels skyrocketed. The big black shepherd dropped, tail sweeping back and forth on the carpet, but still whined and watched her with attentive concern.
A pause grew so long she frowned, thinking they’d lost the connection. “I don’t know what’s going on.” Teddy’s voice shook with emotion. “I got a text from my granddaughters.”
Her breath quickened. “Oh my God, are they okay? How can I help?” Teenagers were accidents waiting to happen.
“They sent a selfie. Well, somebody sent the picture, anyway.” She heard him swallow hard.
“A selfie? From vacation?” What a surprise. He planned to join the girls on the Gulf, a favorite destination for spring break, and drive them home to South Bend.
“You don’t understand. I’m on my way to join them, but Leslie and Sylvia called earlier, with a change of plans. They wanted to take a church tour.” He grew more and more agitated.
A church tour? And selfies. She smiled. “Calm down, Teddy. It could be a whole lot worse.”
“What the hell, September, they aren’t religious. I figured some handsome boy convinced them. Anyway, they promised to send me the new meet up address. Instead, I get this threat.”
September blinked. “How’s a selfie a threat?”
“Will you shut up and listen to me?” He yelled so loud, she nearly dropped the phone. Shadow growled and bounded to his feet.
“Okay, fine.” She waited a moment, but only heard ragged breathing. “Teddy? Are you there? Go on, I’m listening.”
He sobbed.
September slowly sank back into the chair, pulse thrumming. “They texted you a picture? Are they hurt?”
“Not yet.” He sniffed, then honked his nose before continuing. “The picture’s fine. All three girls look happy. Maybe they don’t know what’s going on.” He sniffled again. “They used the girls’ phone to text. And threatened to hurt them if I tell the cops. I’m supposed to wait for instructions for a-a-a-” He gulped. “They want a trade.”
“Wait. Three girls?”
“They’re with that girl who works for the veterinarian. Nikki, the one you saw kidnapped.”
Her mind whirled. “But we have to call the police! They’re already looking for Nikki.” She couldn’t lie to Combs. She’d promised.
“No! Please, no September, don’t tell him. Don’t call the police. You have to help me get them back. Combs can’t know.”
She shook her head. “I can’t, Teddy. There’s nothing I can do. That’s a job for professionals with training—”
“They want to trade.” He interrupted her, his voice raw. “The text said a three-for-one swap, but they all die if the police get involved.” He hiccupped, and spoke fiercely. “I helped you before. More than once. Yes, it’s asking a lot. But I don’t know what else to do.” The words ended on a strangled wail.
Three-for-one swap. Not a ransom. A sudden chill shook her to the core. “They want me, don’t they?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, oh God, September, I’m so sorry, I would never ever ask but it’s my girls, dear God they’re so young, I don’t know what to do...”
“Stop crying, Teddy. Deep breaths.”
He struggled to stem hiccupping sobs. “I couldn’t lie or try to trick you. But I still feel like a Judas. I won’t blame you for saying no, just don’t tell the police. I’ll figure something out. I’ve got skills, you know.” He cleared his throat. “Please don’t hate me, September. I think of you as family.”
“Hate you? Never. Teddy Williams, you’re my chosen family, never doubt that.”
Combs would try to stop her. But she was the only one who could meet the kidnapper’s demands.
Why the hell did they want her? What had she ever done to deserve the secrets haunting her happiness? She had to win a future for herself and those she loved.
Some promises had to be broken. September took a big breath, squared her shoulders, and placed one hand on Shadow’s shoulders. “Teddy, of course I’ll help...”
