Paranoia (Michael Bennett #17)

CHAPTER 51

IT WAS PRETTY late by the time I got back to my apartment on the Upper West Side. The early morning flight and investigation in Florida, followed by a two-hour flight delay out of Fort Lauderdale, had really taken it out of me. The only thing I could think about was sprawling on the bed next to Mary Catherine and being unconscious for as long as the kids would let me.

I’d been turning over the case in my mind for hours. Each of the retired cops’ deaths had some odd aspect to it. Even FDLE Special Agent Carol Frederick had agreed that Ralph Stein and Gary Halverson weren’t candidates for committing suicide. But the one thing they all had in common was a connection to the old Richard Deason case.

I entered the apartment like I was a second-story man. I was quiet and deliberate. I managed to open, close, and relock the front door without waking anyone. I stood in the darkness of the entryway and listened for a moment. It was one of the few times in the last decade I could remember the apartment being this silent.

I was hungry. But more tired. I padded back to our bedroom, still working hard not to disturb anyone’s sleep. I quietly eased open the door to the master bedroom, hoping to avoid any of the usual creaks. As I turned in the dark after closing the door softly, a voice startled me.

“I was starting to worry about you.”

Mary Catherine flicked on the light next to the bed. I was about to apologize when I noticed the three extra bodies strewn across the bed like it was a war zone. Shawna and Chrissy were lying sideways near the foot of the bed, and Trent was sprawled with his head resting on Chrissy’s leg and his feet on my pillow. They all snoozed peacefully. I gave Mary Catherine a look.

She shrugged and said, “I’m a soft touch. When they come in and want to spend a few minutes with me, I can’t say no.”

“What are you doing awake so late?”

“Are you kidding? I sleep all day. At some point my body rebels and makes me stay awake. It’s okay. I’ve done about two hundred sudokus and found a Wordle archive online. It keeps my mind active.”

I eased onto the bed next to her on the opposite side from Trent and ran my fingers through her hair. Then I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “How do you feel?”

She let out a long sigh. “I really don’t know. It’s only been a few days, but I feel like I’ve been stuck in this bed for months. I feel useless. Worse, the kids have gotten by just fine without me. No one’s been late to school, and either Jane, Brian, or Juliana has gotten everyone to all their activities. Ricky supervises the kitchen and meals. While I just sit here like a big lump.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re not all that big.” She punched me in the arm as I grinned. “Now be serious with me. How do you feel physically?”

Mary Catherine bit her lower lip. It was one of her easy “tells” for when she’s anxious. “I don’t know how to answer that. I don’t feel lightheaded or faint like I did the other day. I’m just so worried about the baby. We went through so much just for me to get pregnant.”

I stroked her hair as I tried to word my next comment as carefully as possible. “We might need to be prepared for the worst. We can try again and again. But your health is the most important thing to me.”

“Prepared for the worst? Failure’s not an option.”

I chuckled and Mary Catherine wrapped her arms around me. She scooted over a bit and had me lie down next to her without shooing away the children. I popped off my shoes but kept all my clothes on. I was so tired, I felt like I was falling into a cloud.

She said softly, “Tell me about your Florida trip.”

I was going to tell her about the FDLE agent. I was going to explain how helpful Special Agent Frederick had been and how much she reminded me of Terri Hernandez. Before I began, I decided to take a moment to rest my eyes.

The next thing I knew, the kids were scurrying around, getting ready for school. I was still in my clothes and lying on the wrong side of the bed next to Mary Catherine.