Page 21 of Dead Sure
“Jesus, he was the client I was working with when the Danvers police burst into the shop.”
The doorbell rang. “Hold that thought. I want Jude and Fitz to hear what you were about to say.” Ronan rushed into the living room and opened the door. It wasn’t just Fitz and Jude loaded with pizza boxes on the doorstep, Cisco was with them. “Come on in, guys.” Ronan eyed Cisco. “Are you here officially, chief?”
“I’m here to help my friends.” Cisco hugged Ronan and walked into the kitchen.
Ronan took a deep breath, the first real one he’d taken in the last twenty-four hours. When he entered the kitchen, Jude was putting pizza on plates and passing them around the table. He took a seat at the table and wolfed down a slice. “I was telling Ten what’s happening with Briggs coming for psychics.”
“We’re not going to let this stand,” Cisco said. “Salem’s psychics are the lifeblood of this community. I spoke with Carson this morning and asked him to shutter West Side Magick for the next few days until we can get to the bottom of this situation. I’ve got a call into the lieutenant governor, our former mayor, to see what can be done to get this lunatic out of office. The Supreme Judicial Court has the power to remove a district attorney for sufficient cause or for public good. They need a simple majority to oust him. I’m gonna ask Kim to bring that up to the governor.”
“Youasked Carson to shut down the shop?” Ten asked. “I hadn’t heard that part of the story.”
Ronan wore a cat who ate the canary grin. He munched on a second piece of pizza, his eyes never leaving his husband. “I was telling Tennyson about the things Everly learned about Autumn Miller last night. How she’s going to come after Elijah Logan the way she came after Ten and it turns out, my darling husband has something to tell all of us on that matter.” Ronan winked at Ten.
“When I was arrested, I was with Elijah Logan.”
“What?” Fitz half-shouted. “Does he have something to do with what’s going on?”
“I don’t think so.” Ten took a bite of his lunch and ordered his thoughts. “When the reading started, Elijah was pissed at me. Autumn had told him I promised her that the two of themwould be together forever. I’m dead sure that I never said any such thing. He was pretty stunned when I told him what really happened in that reading. I managed to get him calmed enough where he felt free to talk about that woman. Apparently, she’s stalking him, not to mention the fact that a child almost died at her hands last week, which was what cost Autumn her job.”
“Everly said the child’s parents, Mason and Rebecca Hughes, would be willing to speak to us if we reach out.”
“I’ll reach out to the family,” Fitz said. “What about Dr. Logan? Do you think he’d be willing to speak with us?”
“I think so. He and his new girlfriend are afraid of what Autumn is going to do next. I gave him your card before all hell broke loose yesterday.”
“I think we need to get you seen by your doctor, Ten.” Fitz motioned with his hand around his face. “I want your injuries documented by a doctor. The photos Officer Mayfield sent were good, but I want an ironclad statement from a doctor.”
Ten opened his mouth looking as if he were about to go off on Fitzgibbon. “Okay. I’m in a lot of pain. It’s not just my face that’s hurt, but my arms and knees as well.”
“The surveillance cameras in the shop and facing the street captured the entire arrest and the rough treatment of you,” Cisco said, reaching for another piece of pizza. “I’ve got a team of detectives working on an arrest warrant for Vance for assault. I’m holding off on sending it to a judge until we get more information about this Autumn Miller.
“There’s one more thing you need to know,” Ronan began, “Everly said she and Vance are a couple now. They’re working together to bring us all down.”
Jude grinned. “Good, because we’re working together to bring them down. I wonder who’ll win?” With a chuckle, Jude switched out the empty pizza box with a full one from the counter.
“Okay, so we’re going to reach out to Dr. Logan, and the parents from the NICU who almost lost their child, anyone else?”
“According to what I read last night, Autumn Miller’s emergency contact is her mother,” Fitz said. “I’ll call her after lunch and see if she’s willing to meet with us. I want as much information on this woman as possible. She’s not going to hurt another person, not on my watch.”
Ronan felt better than he had since before this entire nightmare started. He and his team were going to dismantle Autumn Miller’s case brick by brick, and then make sure she was the one locked behind bars while Tennyson was free to live his life.
12
Tennyson
After lunch wrapped up, Cisco headed back to his office with a promise that he’d be in touch if there were any developments in the case. He also stressed how important it was that their investigation of Autumn Miller be completely above board. According to Ronan, all they were going to do was talk to a couple of witnesses. Ten knew there might be a little more involved, but couldn’t care less if Ronan’s work got him out of legal danger.
Ten sat in the back of Fitzgibbon’s SUV as they drove to Salem Mercy Hospital. The plan was to speak to Dr. Logan and through him, find out if the Hughes family would be willing to speak with them. Also on the agenda was getting Ten checked out in the emergency room. Ronan wanted all of his injuries documented, not only for the case, but for a possible civil suit. It wasn’t in Ten’s nature to sue people, but after what Dutch Vance had done to him, he was willing to make an exception.
“Logan just texted me back,” Ronan said. “He’s available to see us now in the NICU.”
“That’s good news.” Fitz parked the car and turned back to Tennyson. “Are you okay to do this? I know you spoke to the doc yesterday. You get seen in the ER and we’ll go speak to Logan.”
Ten shook his head. “Aside from a headache, I’m fine, Fitz. Reagan said I could spend up to a decade in prison if I’m convicted on these charges. I refuse to sit on the sidelines and watch when my freedom is on the line.”
“Okay,” Fitz said. “I’d feel the same way.”
“Me too,” Ronan said, climbing out of the SUV. He opened the door for Ten and helped him out of the car. “Put on your badge. I want the good doctor to know he’s meeting with Tennyson Grimm, cold case detective, not the psychic.”
