Homecoming (Downeast #1)

Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

Renata drove Kara home to Bertha’s and then took her time getting back to work. Myles would be annoyed at her for stretching her lunch hour, but he needed her more than she needed him, so she stuck to the twenty-five-mile-per-hour speed limit as she made her way to Southwest Harbor. The boats would be pulling up to the wharves with the day’s catch soon, which would keep Myles out of her hair for a few hours anyway.

She used that time without him hanging over her shoulder to get the bulk of her work done.

When she pulled into the parking lot, the first thing she saw was his bright red Ram truck with the Williams Lobsters & More logo on the side of it. He loved that stupid truck, which meant she couldn’t stand it because she couldn’t stand him.

And no, unlike what Kara mistakenly thought, she was not attracted to him in any way, shape or form.

Williams Lobsters had been founded in the 1940s by Mr. Williams’s grandfather and great uncle, who’d been lobstermen first and foremost before they got into the retail and wholesale side of things. Today, their online business was booming, with lobsters and other seafood products shipped daily around the world.

Everything had been fine when Myles’s father, Mr. Williams, had run the business. She’d loved working for the kindly man who’d so appreciated everything she did to keep things running smoothly. Then he’d ruined everything by retiring and turning over the business to his son with the MBA from Dartmouth who’d come in and tried to upend everything that was working just fine in an attempt to make it “better.”

Renata wanted to shove that Ivy League degree up where the sun didn’t shine, except that would require her to be near him when he was naked, and the thought of that made her want to vomit.

She grabbed the bag with the sandwich she’d gotten for him—on his credit card—and brought it with her into the office that visitors told her reeked of lobster. The scent was so familiar to her that it barely registered anymore. It was the scent of home to her, and unlike most people, she didn’t find it repulsive.

Rather, it was comforting to work in and around the industry that’d made her home state famous.

Myles wasn’t in his office. Thank God for small favors , she thought as she left his lunch and the receipt on his desk and went to her own desk to catch up on the calls and emails that’d come in while she was gone.

During ninety minutes away from her desk, they’d received thirty-two new orders that needed to be processed before the end of the day.

Renata got busy printing shipping labels and updating inventory. She was deep in her own groove when Myles came through the main door and made a beeline straight for her desk. While she saw him coming, she’d perfected the art of ignoring him and his wavy dark brown hair, striking blue eyes and muscular build. None of that appealed to her in the slightest.

“How was lunch?”

“Good.” She’d also learned that ignoring him only made him more dogged in his attempts to get her attention. “We had a midday rush.”

“I know. I saw.” He was obsessed with checking their storefront to keep track of the daily revenue.

“Your lunch is on your desk.”

“Thank you. How’s your cousin?”

Renata never took her eyes off her screen. “She’s good.”

“Is her husband dealing with the brothers?”

“Yes.” The less she said, the faster the conversation might end.

“The cops must’ve shit a brick when that guy walked in their door.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I can’t believe your cousin is married to him. He’s a rock star. He’ll have them out of lockup in no time.”

Go away. Please, please, go away and leave me alone. She had those thoughts repeatedly during the workday but would never say them out loud. Being mean to him would be like kicking a golden retriever puppy. Not that she’d ever kick a puppy, but she’d like to be mean to Myles so he might get the message that she didn’t want to be friends or whatever else he wanted with her. While she couldn’t bring herself to cross the line from annoyed to rude, it was a daily struggle to be nice.

“I’d love to meet him if I get the chance while he’s in town.”

Was he asking her to arrange that? She glanced up at him. “He’s going to be pretty busy. They’re eager to get home to Gansett as soon as they can.”

“Still… If the opportunity arises, keep me in mind.”

“Um, sure. I, ah, need to get these orders out.”

“I’ll leave you to it.”

Renata wished she could bang her head against something hard, but she’d also learned that didn’t help anything. She’d done that once after a particularly trying day with him and had ended up with three stitches in her forehead that she’d had to explain to him after he’d come to the ER to see if she needed anything.

She’d told him she’d hit her head getting into her car.

He’d offered to drive her anywhere she needed to go.

“Oh my God.” The words were out of her mouth before she could take a single second to decide whether it was wise to say them out loud.

“You say something?” he called from his office.

“Nope.”

Oh. My. God.

Kara was right. He did like her as more than a coworker.

No. Just no, no, nopety nope, nope, nope. Absolutely not. No.

When Kara walked into the house, she found Dan typing away on his laptop at Bertha’s kitchen table, wearing the black-framed blue-light glasses he wore whenever he used his computer. She called him Dr. Torrington when he wore them because they made him look like a college professor.

“There’s my gorgeous wife. I was just wondering how long I had to wait to see you.”

All these years later, he still said stuff like that to her, and it never felt like a line because she knew he meant every word. “Here I am.”

He got up, removed the glasses and came to greet her with a hug and kiss. “How was the visit with Renata?”

“Good. It was nice to see her in person.”

“I’m sure it was.” He studied her in that intense way of his, as if he could see right through her. Sometimes she suspected he could. “How’s the nausea?”

“Brutal.”

Wincing, he said, “Did you eat anything?”

“Just crackers. They helped.”

“Do you want me to make you some toast or eggs or anything?”

She shook her head as she tried not to gag at the thought of eating anything. “Thank you, but no. I’m okay for now.”

“My baby mama cannot live on crackers alone.”

“For right now, it’s the only option. Hopefully, it’ll pass.” It usually let up by late afternoon, but some days it was a twenty-four-hour event.

He gathered her in close to him. “Do you want to lie down for a while?”

“Yeah. I can’t seem to shake the exhaustion lately.”

“I read that it’s normal to be super tired in the third trimester. You’re growing a whole human in there.”

“And I hear it’s supposedly the most natural thing in the world. Doesn’t feel that way on days like today.”

“I wish there was something I could do to make it easier for you.”

“This helps,” she said, snuggling into his warm embrace. She was so comfortable that she could doze off standing up. That’d happened before when he was holding her just right.

“Let’s get you to bed before you fall asleep standing up again.”

Kara laughed. “I was just thinking about that. It’s your fault for making me so comfy.”

He kept an arm around her as he directed her toward the bedroom.

She sat on the bed while he removed her sneakers. “My hero.”

“Aw, shucks. It’s the least I can do when I’m the one who did this to you.”

“That’s true.”

Smiling, he raised her legs onto the bed and covered her with a soft blanket.

“How’s the motion coming?”

“It’s almost done. Hopefully, we can get a hearing in the next few days.”

“I hate to think about my precious Kirby in jail.”

“He told me to tell you not to worry. They’re treating him well, and he’s coping.”

“He knew I’d be worried about him.”

“Yes, he said that.”

“What’s happening with Keith?”

“I have no idea. Your mom said she’d talk to him and convince him that he needs me, but I don’t see that happening.”

“Someone has to defend him.”

“He’d probably prefer any lawyer off the street to me.”

“Who does he think he’s going to get that’ll be better than you?”

“Aren’t you afraid a comment like that will feed my already out-of-control ego?”

“I’ve given up on trying to control your ego. But honestly, who’s he going to get that’d do a better job than you?”

“I don’t know, but I hope he gets someone who’s dealt with capital offenses before.”

“What does that mean? A capital offense?”

“It’s a term used to describe the most serious of crimes, such as murder, which can result in the death penalty.” He quickly added, “The death penalty was abolished in Maine in 1887, so that’s not in play here. But life in prison with no chance of parole certainly is. Keith needs an attorney who knows how to navigate those charges.”

The thought of her brothers facing that sort of fate made her feel sicker than she already did.

“Try not to worry,” Dan said, tuning in to her concerns. “There’re miles of road between being charged and getting convicted, and if you ask me, their case is flimsy from what I’ve seen so far. They have one eyewitness who says he saw them with her, and Kirby was in his truck while Keith spoke to her on the sidewalk. They asked if she wanted a ride somewhere, and she said she’d walk. Keith got into Kirby’s car. She was alive when they left.”

“I keep thinking about her. She came for a celebration and ended up dead.”

“I know. It’s very sad. I’ll be interested to read the statements from her friends when they become available. That’ll give me some more information about what went on that night.” He leaned in to kiss her. “Enough about that for now. I’ve got it handled. You need to rest.”

“I hate being tired and nauseated all the time. It makes me feel weak.”

“You’ll be back to full steam as soon as the baby arrives.”

“I hope so.”

“You will. Of course you will.”

Kara was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. Prepregnancy, she hadn’t napped during the day in years. These days, she napped almost every day. She thought of what Renata had said about how it must be nice to not have to worry about money anymore. At times like this, it was nice, but that didn’t mean she’d forgotten what it was like to have to work for everything she wanted.

Her parents had paid for college and helped out until those who went to college graduated, but after that, the Ballard kids had to fend for themselves. Despite what people thought about them being spoiled rich kids, their parents had a thing about kids being “handed” too much. At times, she’d resented them for their hard line, but she had to admit that philosophy had made her self-reliant at an early age.

She heard Dan tiptoe out of the room and tried to clear her mind so she could rest. But Renata’s comment had hit her in a spot where she hadn’t known she was vulnerable to criticism. If you could even call it that. Even though she and Renata had always been blunt with each other, Kara hadn’t expected to feel different among the people she’d been closest to at home.

But everything was different now, and it’d taken only one day back in town for someone who truly mattered to tell her that.

Dan was putting the finishing touches on his motion to dismiss the charges against Kirby when Bertha came in with grocery bags in both arms. He jumped up to take the bags from her.

“Thank you. How’d it go today?”

Buster followed her in with two more bags. He put them on the counter and disappeared down the hallway.

“Not too bad. Keith declined to be represented by me, and I’m filing a motion to dismiss the charges against Kirby.”

She stopped unpacking the grocery bags and turned to him, incredulous. “Keith declined to be represented by you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Dan emailed Walter, asked him print and deliver the motion to the court in Ellsworth, and closed his laptop. He rarely encountered a jurisdiction that didn’t permit electronic filing these days, but Hancock County happened to be one of them.

“Keith is a goddamned fool,” Bertha said.

“His mother said something to the same effect. She’s going to talk to him.”

“What in the world could he be thinking, turning down representation from a lawyer like you?”

“He seems to have taken an instant dislike to me from the minute we met at the rehearsal dinner.”

“He’s a jackass. I know a grandmother shouldn’t say such things about her own grandchildren, but in this case, it’s true. And you know what? He always has been. From the day he was born with a massive chip on his shoulder, he’s been a troublemaker.” She glanced around the corner and then returned her gaze to Dan, lowering her voice. “He tormented Buster when he was a kid. That earned him no love from me, I’ll tell you.”

“What did he do?” Dan asked, intrigued by the insight into Keith.

Bertha sighed and reached for a whiskey bottle in the cabinet over the stove. Then she tipped the bottle toward him, brow raised in question.

“Yes, please.”

She poured two drinks and brought them to the table to sit with him. “He was just a little bastard, always teasing Buster and poking at his limitations. The other kids loved Buster, especially Kara, and they’d defend him against Keith and his nonsense. I wanted to kick his ass into the middle of next week any time Buster came home crying because Keith was mean to him.”

“What’s the age difference between them?”

“Buster is ten years older than Keith, but he played with the kids when they were younger. He was a late-in-life surprise to my husband and me, but he’s been nothing but a joy to me, especially as I’ve gotten older. That anyone could be unkind to him made me feel capable of murder, even if it was my own grandson. Judith and I nearly came to blows over it a few times when she refused to get involved. ‘Boys will be boys,’ she’d say, which only made me angrier. Honestly, I don’t think she knew what to do with him any more than the rest of us did.” She lowered her voice even further when she said, “Needless to say, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that he’s finally in this kind of trouble. It’s been coming all his life.”

“Except I don’t think he had anything to do with killing her. If Kirby is to be believed, she was alive and well when they left her in town.”

“Kirby doesn’t lie, and he’d have no reason to protect Keith, who’s been an SOB to him on more than one occasion.”

“Why would Kirby take the call from Keith to pick him up in town if there’s no love lost between them?”

“Because that’s who he is. Keith has had DUIs in the past, and no one wants the bad publicity that goes along with that sort of thing. It’s hard to articulate how important the company is to the local economy. Everyone knows someone who works there, and it’s the kind of business where reputation matters. Having a Ballard in trouble isn’t good for business.”

Kara wandered into the kitchen, looking sleepy and adorable. “Kendra texted me that they’ve already had several big orders canceled since the news broke about the arrests.”

Dan had to think about who Kendra was. Ah, right, the eldest Ballard, who served as Chuck’s executive assistant. “Is there a group text for your family that I could hit up to ask everyone at once not to text you about the case or the fallout?”

“God no.” Kara made a disgusted face. “That’s the last thing I’d ever want to be part of, and besides, I like Kendra. It’s okay that she texted me.”

Dan reached for her hand and drew her in to sit on his lap. “I don’t want you worried about the implications or fallout or whatever.”

She leaned her head against his. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“How was the nap?”

“Epic, as they all are lately.”

“You’re like me when I was expecting,” Bertha said, smiling. “I could’ve slept all day every day.”

“That about sums it up. And now I’m starving after being nauseated all day.”

Bertha jumped up with more vigor than an eightysomething woman should’ve had, but she wasn’t your average eightysomething woman. “I’ve got dinner coming right up.”

“Let me help,” Kara said.

“No need. I’ve got it.”

“But I want to. Cooking with you is one of my favorite things to do.”

“Then by all means, get your apron on.”

Kara got up and went to open the bottom of four drawers where she retrieved an apron that had her name printed on it in red, childlike handwriting with red handprints.

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Dan said.

“We made it when I was eight or nine,” Kara said as she put on the apron that was now far too small for her, especially with the pregnancy belly.

“You were seven and had just learned to write your name. You were very proud of that.”

“Adorable,” Dan said. “What can I do to help?”

“Can he peel potatoes?” Bertha asked Kara.

“I believe he can.”

“I can hear you two talking about me, and yes, I can peel potatoes. My mother didn’t raise a fool.”

“Didn’t she, though?” Kara asked, smiling at him over her shoulder.

“Haha.” Dan unbuttoned the cuffs of his dress shirt and rolled up the sleeves. “I’m not just a pretty face. Put me to work, ladies.”

Bertha chuckled. “You two are awfully cute together. Reminds me of my Tony. If we weren’t sparring, we weren’t communicating.”

“That about sums us up,” Kara said.

“It’s a fun way to be,” Bertha said.

“It works for us,” Dan said, smiling at his wife. “Kara’s goal in life is to keep me humble.”

“It’s a full-time job.”

“I can see how that would be,” Bertha said with a twinkle in her eye for Dan.

“Hey!”

“Truth hurts, love.” Kara handed him four huge potatoes to peel. “Don’t nick your manicure with the peeler.”

“I do not have a manicure, as you well know.” Even though she was teasing him, he was thrilled to see some color back in her cheeks, which were far too pale for his liking lately. He’d peeled two potatoes when his phone rang with a call from the Bar Harbor Police Department.

“Dan Torrington.”

“This is Detective Cosgrove. Your client’s arraignment has been scheduled for eleven o’clock tomorrow.”

“Thank you for letting me know. How are we coming on the report?”

“I’ll have it to you tonight.”

“Thank you. Has Keith gotten an attorney yet?”

“Not that I’ve heard.”

“Will he be arraigned as well?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for the heads-up.”

“No problem.”

The line went dead.

“What was that about?” Kara asked.

“Stuff you don’t need to know, love.”

“I think I’d like to know, if that’s okay. It’s more stressful to wonder.”

Dan wanted to shield her from this situation with every ounce of armor he could put between her and her family, but she was the boss. Whatever she wanted was what he’d do. “They’re being arraigned in the morning.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“They appear in court to hear the charges against them, enter a plea and request bail.”

“Will they get bail?” Bertha asked.

“Not likely. Because of the seriousness of the charges, they may be held without bail.”

“God,” Kara said. “Kirby must be so scared.”

“He was holding up well when I saw him. He knows he didn’t do anything, so that’s keeping him calm.”

“Still… It’s not like they can’t manufacture a case against him if they’re so inclined.”

“Why would they do that?” Dan asked. “What purpose would it serve?”

“Who knows what anyone’s agenda is?”

“I understand your concerns, sweetheart,” Bertha said, “but we have to let it play out with all our faith in Dan to get Kirby out of there as soon as possible.”

“The judge may take up my motion to dismiss tomorrow as well.”

“What I don’t understand is how they can be charged with this when they legitimately didn’t do it,” Kara said. “Kirby said she was fine when they left her, right?”

“He did.”

“So how can they charge them?”

“They have an eyewitness who put them with her. Someone saw them together.”

“But Kirby never left his truck, you said.”

“He didn’t, but the witness recognized the truck as his and identified Keith as the other person there. Apparently, the state police felt the witness ID was enough to charge them since they were seen with her close to where the body was later located.”

“Surely they have to have more than that to charge two people with murder,” Bertha said.

“I’m waiting for the reports, but I don’t want you guys to worry. The case is flimsy from what I’ve seen thus far. I’m hoping I can make it go away quickly.”

“What if you can’t?”

“Then we’ll play it out and hope for the best.”