Green Tea (13 page)

Jovana arrived just as we were about to have something to eat.

She joined us, gave me a look that let me know she was concerned, she also told me we needed to talk about the mailing.

Mailing? That perked Adeline right up.

A project!

Jovana left and Adeline and I spent a couple of hours doing the mailing on a big worktable in the craft room.

Feeling better, Adeline and I went for a walk in the garden. She knew each of the plantings by name. She said that she often picks a variety of beautiful flowers and paints them. She used to have a full time staff of gardeners, when the gardens were truly grand, but she now has a service that tends to the grounds and she has pared back the grandeur to support that.

If this is pared back, I can’t imagine what it used to be like.

When it was time to leave, Adeline seemed to be well enough that I could walk away without too much worry. I’d made her some extra food. I’d made sure she had contact numbers for Jovana, her husband, 911, and me.

I was in my car, on the way to the post office, when Steph called. “Hi, Cara.”

“Hey.”

“I know you don’t want to do this, but it’s time for you to get a little more involved.”

“How much more involved could I be? Jerkface was in my apartment. Inside! Teagan and I are the ones that found the connection between those girl’s pages and Jerkface’s sister. We found the memory cards…”

“Well, to be fair, Carmine was already hot on the trail of connecting Jerkface to the girls, you just didn’t know that, because you aren’t involved enough.”

“Well, if Carmine could find a connection, and Teagan and I can find a connection, then chances are good that the police found it, and already cleared Jerkface, and his sister, and whoever else. We don’t even know if the girls are connected, and some of them I never found information on, not even online, not even a missing person report.”

“Not every crime is solved, but that isn’t exactly what I’m talking about. I can explain all that tomorrow. What we would like you to do is take a look at the information on these memory cards. It’s past time. Your sister tells me you’re one of the most curious people she has ever heard of, I can’t understand why you’re refusing to look at this evidence.”

“Fear? Intelligence? The knowledge that you can’t un-remember something as horrific as I think those images might be.”

“That’s all reasonable Cara, but we need your help, and you’re such a central figure in all of this that you aren’t going to be able to avoid it forever. If we’re able to make the proper connections, and get this in front of a judge, you’re going to be a part of that, testifying at trial and so on. I’m working closely with law enforcement.”

“Crap. That’s exactly what I was trying to avoid”

“Would you rather we never find out what happened to those girls? Would you rather that whoever did this get away with it.”

“I’m Irish Catholic Steph, the whole guilt thing doesn’t really work on me.”

“Sure it does. Carmine will be in the office at
nine tomorrow
morning. Can you make it then?”

“Sure.”

“Do you want to bring Teagan? She offered to be here for moral support.”

“No, I’d rather keep my family out of this, thanks.”

“See you at nine.”

“I’ll be there.”

I took such a deep breath I locked up my seatbelt and almost strangled myself when I bent forward to turn on the radio.

I hate this.

CHAPTER THREE

AJ got home moments after I did. “Cara, you have any plans tonight?”

“Not a one, why?”

“I’d like to take you out for dinner. We haven’t really had any time together for a while.”

“I’d love to.”

“I did something.”

“What did you do?”

“I invited your parents.”

“You did?” I can’t help it. It was all I could do not to cry.

“I know how important they are, and I know you haven’t spent any time with your family lately, and I know that’s killing you.”

“It shows?”

“To me it does.”

“I’ve been trying to stay away from everybody because I don’t want to put them in the line of fire, but that means that I’ve missed out on most of the planning for Morgan and Liam’s wedding, and I haven’t been able to spend any time with anybody, and I wanted to babysit for my brother so bad, and I was afraid to do that too.”

“Well, tonight we’ll be in public, Jerkface hasn’t done anything weird in public, so your dad and I aren’t worried, and your mom said she would love to come. I said we’d meet them at the SteakHouse at eight. Does that work for you?”

“It works.”

“Are you sure, you look kind of funny.”

“My whole life, no one has ever done anything like this for me.” I went all girly and cried.

He scooped me up and carried me down the hall. I admit, the thought that I was about to be ravished, right before seeing my dad, crossed my mind, which made my stomach do a weird flip-flop thing, but then AJ just set me down on the bed and said he’d be right back. A couple minutes later he appeared with a package of Chips Ahoy and a really cold Pepsi. He handed them to me, then left again and came back with my Kindle. He told me to eat and read and relax, and he’d set the timer and call me in 45 minutes.

It was great!

45 minutes later, AJ walked in all showered and clean-shaven and smelling all good; it was all I could do to remember that pouncing before seeing your parents is a bad thing.

I took a quick shower, blew my hair dry and then did a fishtail braid down each side of my head, which can be tricky with my baby-fine hair. I connected the braids under the rest of my hair in the back, very 1960s, and turned the ends under for a more finished look.

I put on a pair of skinny cargo pants and a tank with a boyfriend blazer that Teagan made me buy.

I really need to remember to do something special for Teagan when we go on the cruise. She’s handier than I ever took notice of.

AJ looked great in a pair of jeans, linen shirt, and a really perfect smile.

We got there a few minutes early. Mom and Dad hadn’t arrived, which is weird, since they are always early. As we were walked to our table, we passed a couple of booths, which I would have preferred, but the guy just kept walking to the back of the place.

Looks like we’ll be sitting by the kitchen.

When we got all the way to the back he opened some French doors and there were my parents and all my brothers and sisters.

I was shocked.

I know I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t.

AJ is a very good guy. Comments were made all around about how he’d called everyone and suggested that we get together for dinner before the wedding. Since Morgan and Liam didn’t want a shower, this would be a family shower.

I had a moment of panic, I didn’t know about this, so I didn’t buy a gift.

AJ leaned down and said, “I got it covered.”

We sat. We ate. We had such a great time. Everyone in the family knew that I didn’t know what was going on before we walked in the door.

Everyone in the family knew that I was worried about everyone’s safety and would have quashed the idea of me being there.

Obviously, they didn’t agree with my security plans.

After dinner, gifts were presented. AJ ran out to the car and got ours out of the trunk. Beautifully wrapped, the card said the gift was from us both.

It was a teapot.

At first I was confused. It was square and unlike the teapots my family normally uses. If you’re going to do a teapot, you would think that an Irish teapot would be in order. That’s kind of the point. This teapot looked a little too modern. Maybe it’s Asian or something.

Morgan pulled a card out of the box.

She read it aloud.

It explained that the teapot is from Ireland. That it is a Belleek design. That just like Morgan and Liam, it’s the very best in Irish tradition, in a new and exciting form. Something like that. I was working so hard not to go all the way to an ugly cry that I missed most of it, but AJ promised me that he had a copy on his computer.

Morgan ran her finger over the lid, smiled and winked at AJ. Not sure what that’s about, but I’ll find out from AJ when we get home.

I insisted the family leave before we did. Stupid, I know, but if Jerkface and his minions are close by, I want there to be space between my family and me. I should probably insist on the same thing with AJ, but I’m just not that self-sacrificing.

When we didn’t hear any commotion from the parking lot, we gathered our stuff and left.

In the car, with the doors locked, I felt much better. Seeing my family centers me. Always has. Always will.

I was thinking about just how I was going to show my gratitude for all that AJ had done, in a completely selfish way of course, when my phone rang. I figured it had to be Mom or Teagan.

Carmine.

Crap.

“Hello?”

“Cara, my name is Carmine, I’m working with Stephanie...”

“Good evening Carmine. Steph told me you might call. What can I do for you?”

“Nothing, really. This is more of just a head’s up. We have enough information for arrests in the case. We have been working with law enforcement. All the documents have been created. We will be serving arrest warrants in the morning.”

“Why wait?”

“It’s a tactical decision. When an arrest is made before sunrise, it’s usually a more peaceful arrest. The perp is still asleep.”

“But he’s a cop. He’ll know all the cop tricks.”

“He may know we’re coming anyway, he may have friends in law enforcement that will tip him off.”

“Then he’ll take off and you’ll never find him.”

“Cara, we’ve got this; believe me. I just wanted to let you know that we’re in play. Keep your eyes open, and if anything should cause you concern, call 911 first and me second.”

“That doesn’t sound very encouraging.”

“It will all be over soon.”

“Thanks. Can you let me know when the arrest is made?”

“Arrests - plural.”

“Can you let me know?”

“You’ll be the first I call.”

“Thanks.”

When I put the phone back in my purse, AJ started asking questions. I repeated the conversation as closely to verbatim as I could.

AJ put on his blinker and turned left when he should have been turning right.

“Where are we going?”