Page 19 of Dead Rattled
“It’s always all about food for you, isn’t it?” Jude asked, smacking Ronan with his notepad. “We just witnessed an incredible moment and all you’re thinking about is the seafood chowder at Lobster Charlie’s.”
Chowder was exactly what Ronan was thinking about. “With all the tears we’ve shed this morning, we need to fuel up for the afternoon. My treat.”
“Damn, skippy.” Jude got up from the table. “I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.”
“Me too,” Fitzgibbon agreed.
“They want to pull the kids out of school early, don’t they?” Ronan asked when Jude and Fitz left the conference room.
“Yup. It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard. After all, it is Friday.” Ten snickered as Ronan wrapped his arms around him.
“Is this reunion going to work out?” Ronan whispered in Ten’s ear.
“It is,” Ten agreed. “I can see that clear as day. What I can’t see is what Hope or her mother know about what happened all those years ago at St. Agnes House.”
Ronan was afraid of that. When he’d told Cisco this case could rock the foundation of medicine and the church he’d been only partly serious. Finding out that a child who’d been dead and buried was, in fact, alive and raising a family of her own hadn’t been remotely on Ronan’s radar.
If Amanda/Hope was alive, did that mean the other fifty-six babies who’d been laid to rest at Act of Mercy Cemetery were alive too? Where were they now? Would they welcome learning the circumstances of their birth and premature deaths?
More importantly, who or what had contrived to separate these children from the mothers who’d given birth to them?
8
Tennyson
Ten felt like he was going to throw up. He’d felt that way since the night before when Hope called agreeing to a meeting with Natalie. When he’d called Natalie to relay the message, she’d screamed so loud that Ten had lost the hearing in his left ear for several seconds afterward. They’d decided the best thing to do was meet at West Side Magick. According to the clock in the room, both parties were due to arrive within the next three minutes.
“Do you want to sit for a bit and calm your ass down?” Ronan asked, on a snicker.
Ten had spent the last fifteen minutes pacing the conference room. Ronan, Jude, Fitz, and Everly sat at the table watching Ten slowly lose his mind. “I’m okay, just nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“It’s gonna be okay, Dad,” Everly said.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Ten muttered.
“What, reuniting a long lost mother and daughter?” Ronan asked, looking as if he thought Ten had finally lost his marbles.
“No, that I allowed our seven-year-old to be here for the reunion.” Ten shook his head. Everly had caught Ten during a weak moment. Although, truth be told, he probably would have let her come anyway. It was Saturday and he wasn’t getting any bad vibes about the meeting. This wasn’t going to be some out of control episode of theJerry Springer Showcomplete with flying chairs. There were three police officers in the room. What could possibly go wrong?
Fitzgibbon’s phone chirped with an incoming message. He tapped the screen and frowned before shaking his head. “You’re not going to believe this. Remember a few weeks back when I mentioned Jace was looking for property in Salem for a food pantry and shelter?”
“Yeah,” Ronan said. He’d originally thought Jace was crazy to start another shelter. People sometimes needed a helping hand and Ronan was all for that, but Jace running the shelter in Boston had nearly cost him his marriage. At least this one would be closer to home. Ronan didn’t have a good feeling about Jace’s latest plan.
“He toured a couple this morning and fell in love with one of them. He’s starting demolition on Monday.” Fitz shook his head.
“Uncle Jace wants volunteers to help run it, Daddy. So you don’t have to worry about Uncle Fitz divorcing Jace.” Everly offered Ronan a proud smile.
“Divorcing Jace?” Fitz sputtered. “I would never. What do you mean?”
“Take a breath, Fitz.” Jude patted his boss’s shoulder. “We all know how much of a toll Jace’s long hours at the Tremont Street Mission took on your marriage. Everly’s just letting us all know the same thingisn’tgoing to happen again, right honey?”
“Right, Uncle Jude. He’s gonna give the money and volunteers and church people will do the rest.” Everly’s nose wrinkled as she spoke.
Ten hoped whatever his daughter was about to say wasn’t going to rile Fitzgibbon up further.
“The priests aren’t gonna like Uncle Jace’s conditions. He wants the shelter to take care of LGBTQIA+ kids.” Everly giggled. “Ican’t wait to volunteer there. I know Aurora and Woofie will want to help too.”
“You got that right,” Fitzgibbon agreed.
