Remote Consequences (10 page)

I hadn't missed her stress of the word
family
. She'd once been like family to me, but then after all the mess with me and Ty—things had changed between us. I'd retaliated by revealing her biggest family secret and, well…I wasn't proud of it. I'd hoped she moved on, but I guess there was no chance of that happening anytime soon. "Tell me, Penny, buying the newspaper—is that your way of trying to control what news is released and what news is kept a secret?"

Penny seemed to study me for a moment, and then said, "What was your medical specialty going to be up there at big-shot UAB?"

The question took me off guard. I cleared my throat before responding, "Well, you don't actually have to choose your specialty until you're well into your residency."

She did a slow nod. "Was it going to be psychiatry?"

I gave a nose scrunch at the thought of me sitting in a dark room with a mood fountain trickling nearby and listening to my patients' mother issues all day. "Uh, no. Most definitely not psychiatry. I was leaning toward pediatric neurosurgery."

She took a sip of the water that had been placed before her. "That because of Paget's condition?"

"Yeah." I looked down at my hands. Hands meant for a career in surgery, not for a career in cable splicing. I wasn't sure where this conversation was going.

"Well, until you get your degree in psychology, how about you don't go around trying to analyze everyone and their reasons for doing things. Oh, and while you're at it—how about you do your current job. I think I might like to add a cable box to my guest bedroom, think you can handle that?"

The jibe should have hurt me, but I knew that I'd hit close to home with my analysis of her decision to own the
Main Street Mile
. My public revelation, though accidental, of her adoption in retaliation for Ty's leaving me in the lurch had embarrassed her family and broken our relationship off completely.

"Look, you're pissed at me. I get that. I guess you'll never be able to forgive me no matter how many times I've apologized. But you're the one who took everything from our conversation yesterday and turned it into front-page news. You let me sit here under the impression that you didn't work for the paper anymore when, in fact, you
own
it? How's that for dishonesty?" My voice carried a certain mocking singsong quality, but I couldn't help it. I'd had enough of all this old high school news in my dealings with both Allyson and Ty. I thought I had escaped all that and moved away and moved on. But it seemed everyone was bent on rehashing their grievances—Penny most of all, it seemed.

"Just don't think you can leave town and go off for ten years and then expect everyone to welcome you with open arms. We did just fine without you. "

I turned to face Penny. I thought I caught a brief flicker of something behind her eyes. Pain? Sorrow? It was gone in a flash. I softened my tone. "Look. I'm just home because I have to be. I'm here for Paget. That's it. Until we can figure something else out, I'm here for the time being. I'm not here to make enemies."

Penny laughed, but there was no mirth behind it. "Oh, Mandy. You don't need to make enemies. You already have them all over town."

I stared at her with incredulity. I'd said I was sorry over and over again. I'd attempted to reach out to her several times over the first few years of college. But when she'd rebuked my efforts, I'd finally given up. I'd moved on, and I'd hoped she had as well.

Without another word, Penny pushed off the stool and headed toward the door. I watched her leave and caught the eyes of several folks in the diner watching the two of us and our heated exchange.

How could I have forgotten? Everyone knows everything in Millbrook. There were no such things as secrets here. Of course, it had been a secret that the Mills had a body in their attic. A body that Colin Brooks believed belonged to his father—the missing Caden Brooks.

But there was no such thing as discretion unless you could buy it with money or power. I had neither. And not for the first time since driving past that Millbrook city limits sign, I longed to get in my car and drive north. Away from here. I eyed my shiny car outside the café's window, and for the briefest of moments I seriously considered turning, walking out the door, and driving away without ever looking back.

Then Maimie set my food down and gave me a wink.

Well…maybe after I ate.

A good beginning is half the work. –Irish Proverb

"Eeew! I can't believe you like green Jell-O. Who likes green Jell-O?"

Paget's voice squeaked down the hallway as I approached her room. The voice, filled with laughter, made me quicken my step. If Paget was in a good mood, I wanted to catch it. But as I turned the corner into the room, I stopped short.

There, sitting on the edge of her bed, was a hulking teenage boy wearing a football letter jacket. His head was covered with blond curls, and he was holding Paget's hand. She
never
let anyone hold her hand. It was one of her triggers.

"What—" my mouth spat out the word but then stopped for lack of anything better to say.

The giggling duo turned to look at me. The boy abruptly stood up, releasing Paget's hand. Paget blushed, and then she stared down at her hand as if wondering why it was suddenly alone.

"Hi, Ms. Murrin." His voice was deeper than I'd expected, and his smile was frat-boy charming. I was immediately on guard.

"And who are you, exactly?" I stepped closer, still eyeing Paget, who seemed to be both embarrassed and excited at the same time.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Umm…I'm Adam Owens. I'm a friend of Paget's." He reached out in an effort to shake hands with me.

I took his hand and again was surprised by how large it was and by the firmness of his grasp. This was a boy in a man's body. What was he doing with my sister?

"Is that right? I didn't know that the doctor had allowed Paget to have visitors. In fact, I believe I requested that visitors be limited to family only." The instinct to protect my sister never wavered. I might not have done the best job of it lately, but that didn't mean I was any less fierce when it came to someone else's potential to take advantage of her.

"I'm sorry. My mom works here, and she probably pulled some strings. I guess she thought you wouldn't mind since I found Paget yesterday—you know, after the accident, and I brought her here. She knew how worried I was about her, and I came by today right after football summer camp to check on her."

I felt a little bit like a jerk. The name had sounded familiar, and now I knew why. Ty or Officer Chubby had mentioned the name Adam Owens yesterday at the station. "How did you come about being the one to bring her here, Adam?"

"Oh, well…she sort of ran off after the incident, and I offered to go and find her. She knows me, and I thought I could convince her to come get checked out. She seemed a little overwhelmed by all the cops and the crowd of folks around her."

"Okay, Adam. I guess it's all right. Thank you for bringing her here. I do appreciate it."

He shrugged then looked down at Paget, who was now watching him with shy eyes.

"I've got to go now. Coach is making me run extra laps since I was late getting to practice yesterday on account of the accident situation." He looked back down at Paget. "I'll see you tomorrow, though, okay?"

Paget nodded and bit her lip, but she didn't verbally respond.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Murrin, and thanks for the job."

He sauntered out of the room before his words registered with me. Job? What job?

"Paget? Paget." Getting my sister's attention was sometimes difficult. I sat down on the edge of the bed right where Adam had been moments before. I took Paget's hand and felt the familiar recoil as Paget jerked it away and turned her eyes away from the doorway in response.

I sighed.

"Paget? How well do you know this Adam Owens?"

"He likes math."

"That's nice, Paget. But how do you know him? Did you just meet him yesterday?"

"Yesterday." Paget's attention seemed to drift off into fantasyland again.

"Paget?"

"What?" She came back around.

"How do you know Adam?"

"Oh, he helps out sometimes with Ms. Barnette's class at summer school. He loves math. Just like me. He's sooooo good at it. And he likes me. He really likes me." Paget's face, full of pure adoration, tugged at something inside me. Something that felt a little like…hope.

"What did he mean by 'thanks for the job'? Do you know?"

"What job?"

"I don't know, Paget. I'm asking you."

"Mandy, could you stop yelling at me, please? It hurts my head when you yell at me."

I shook my head. That was Paget's normal response whenever she didn't want to talk about a particular subject. Or when she didn't know the answer to a particular question. Sometimes it was hard to know which was which.

"Okay, Paget."

Paget returned to smiling.

"Hello, girls," Dr. C's voice boomed. "Are you ready to go home, Paget?"

Dr. C. approached the bed, focusing on Paget. The happiness had fallen from her face. She didn't have to respond. I knew what she was thinking. She didn't want to go home with me. She felt safer here at the hospital than with her own sister. I wasn't sure I blamed her.

"Mandy, I've signed off her release. Everything looks good and she had a quiet night."

"Thanks so much, Dr. C." I smiled at him. He gave me a pinch on the arm.

"Give me a call tomorrow, would you?" he said.

"Sure. Is everything okay?"

"Oh yes…I just did the research that you asked for and have some information for you."

Research?

Oh, right. About alternate care options for Paget.

"I'll talk to you then." He left the room and a wave of guilt toppled through my heart. Would handing her off to strangers be the best thing for her? I watched as she stared out the window, a dreamy look in her eyes.

My life was definitely taking an unexpected direction. I only wished they made a GPS for this type of journey.

*  *  *

When we left the hospital, I decided to take a quick detour on the way home. I was already on this side of town. Why not take a little drive by the old Sugar Pines neighborhood?

Paget sat in the passenger seat with her iPod earbuds in. She was zoned out on whatever they'd given her before she'd been discharged. She was calm, and I was curious.

Stella cruised into the subdivision and rounded the circle. I slammed on brakes and backed up when I spotted three cop cars around the bend. My heart leapt in my chest.

They were there. I wondered if they'd removed the body and if the identity had been confirmed. I tapped my bottom lip with my finger and turned to look at Paget, who appeared to be dozing. Did I dare leave her here for a minute while I went to check out the situation?

No. No, I couldn't risk it. If she woke up and I was gone, we might have another disappearing situation to contend with. And I probably shouldn't be here anyway. I'd come by and seen that the police were on the case, and that should be enough. I should head home and mind my own business. But just seeing them here wasn't enough…I wanted to know more.

A knock on my window sent me lurching over toward Paget, and a gasp escaped my lips.

I glanced over to see Ty staring at me. He was bent over at the waist staring in through the driver's-side window. This was one of the few times I had my car's top up.

He made a motion for me to roll down the window. I took a deep breath and then did as he instructed.

"What are you doing here?" He looked around me at the sleeping Paget, and his lips pressed together in a thin line of aggravation.

What
was
I doing here?

"Well, I just… I wanted to see what was happening. I have a right to know what happened here." It didn't sound exactly concrete, but it was the best I could do at the moment.

"Mandy, you have no rights here whatsoever. You made a report, and we're checking it out. You are not a part of this investigation, and you'd do yourself a big favor by staying as far away from it as you possibly can." His voice slapped me.

"Is that a threat, Ty? Are you threatening me to stay out of it, or else?" I didn't like to be told what to do. Particularly by a Dempsey.

He stood up and stretched his back. Placing his hands on his hips, he looked up and down the street before responding. "I'll let you know as much as I can, Mandy. I know how concerned you are about this, and I'll keep you posted. But this is a police matter now. You can't be turning up at the mayor's house any time you want to."

"Well, what if he still needs a cable technician to check into his problem?"

He looked down at me in such a way that I thought he might pat me on the head like a good dog.

"Barry sent Shane out here earlier, and that has been taken care of. You won't need to go back in the house for work-related purposes. But nice try."

I ran my tongue over my upper teeth. I was at a loss for words. How could I investigate this case if I couldn't even get near the scene of the crime?

"Go home, Mandy. Take care of Paget. Is she okay?" He motioned to her with his head.

"She's okay. She's resting." I stated the obvious.

"I see that. Why don't
you
get some rest?"

A nap did sound good. Food sounded even better. It had been at least three hours since I'd eaten last.

"All right, but you promise to let me know what happens?" I hated being on the outside, but it probably was for the best.

"Yeah. Yeah." He gave me a grin and stepped back. I rolled up the window, and he waited there on the curb. I guess it was to make sure I exited the premises. I wasn't so sure he was going to keep his promise. It wouldn't be the first time he'd told me one thing and meant another.

I put Stella back in drive and putted down the street, making a choice to pull forward toward the mayor's house and pull into his neighbor's driveway in order to turn around. I could have backed up instead, but that would have been too easy. I caught sight of Ty in my mirror as I did my big, clumsy driving maneuver. He was holding his hands out in a "what are you doing?" gesture. I gave him my most brilliant smile. I could still frustrate him—good to know the feeling was mutual.