CHAPTER SIX
As she entered through the front door, the savory smell of grilling chicken greeted her, along with the sound of Michael's cheerful babbling from the living room.
Allen appeared in the hallway, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel and wearing the casual jeans and polo shirt he'd changed into after work.
"Perfect timing," he said, kissing her cheek. "I just put the chicken on the grill. How was your day?"
"Interesting," Kate replied, setting down her purse and taking a moment to appreciate the domestic normalcy around her. "How was yours? And how's our little guy been?"
"Good day at the office, no major crises. Michael's been an angel, though he insisted on helping me make his lunch earlier. Half the peanut butter ended up on the counter instead of the sandwich."
Kate smiled, feeling some of the day's tension begin to ease.
She walked into the living room where Michael sat cross-legged on the carpet, completely absorbed in a coloring book.
His tongue stuck out slightly in concentration as he carefully applied a blue crayon to what appeared to be a drawing of a dog in a field of flowers.
"Hi, sweetheart," Kate said, kneeling down beside him. "What are you coloring?"
"Doggy!" Michael announced proudly, holding up the book to show her his work. The blue scribbles went well outside the lines, but his enthusiasm was infectious.
"That's a beautiful blue doggy," Kate said, ruffling his hair. "Are you being good for Daddy?"
Michael nodded vigorously and returned to his coloring with renewed focus.
Kate watched him for a moment, marveling at his ability to find complete contentment in such simple activities.
She wondered how much longer before the obsession with screen would begin—something she’d read a ton about the moment he was born.
"Come help me with the salad," Allen called from the kitchen. "I've got everything chopped, but I could use an extra pair of hands while I deal with the chicken."
Kate joined Allen in the kitchen, where he'd laid out an impressive array of salad ingredients on the counter. Cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onion, mixed greens, and chunks of fresh mozzarella were arranged in separate bowls, ready to be assembled.
"This looks wonderful," Kate said, reaching for the salad bowl. "You've been busy."
"I figured after a day of investigating, you might appreciate something fresh and light." Allen moved to the sliding door that led to their small backyard patio, where their grill was sending up aromatic smoke. "Chicken should be ready in about ten minutes."
Kate began assembling the salad, enjoying the meditative process of combining the colorful ingredients. The normalcy of the task was a welcome contrast to the day's more serious concerns about Carol Bennett's death and Jake's situation… though they still lurked at the back of her mind.
"So tell me about this case," Allen said, returning from checking the grill. "You said it was local, which seemed promising for keeping you close to home."
"It is local, which is nice," Kate replied, tossing the salad ingredients together. "But it's turning out to be a bit of a dud."
"Then why call you at all?"
Kate considered how much detail to share, knowing Allen was genuinely interested but also aware that discussing active cases required some discretion.
"There's a woman who died under suspicious circumstances, and her adult son is the primary suspect.
But after interviewing him today, I have serious doubts about his guilt.
But it seems to be the only real solution. "
"What kind of doubts?"
"His grief seems genuine, his story is consistent, and he was cooperative to the point of offering evidence that might clear him. Either he's an exceptional actor, or someone else wanted his mother dead."
Allen opened the refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of salad dressing. "What does your partner think?"
"DeMarco agrees that something doesn't feel right about the obvious answer. We spent the afternoon interviewing the victim's therapist, which raised some interesting questions but didn't provide clear answers."
"Therapist?"
"The victim had been seeing someone who specializes in empty nest syndrome. Apparently, it's more common than I realized, parents struggling with identity and purpose after their children leave home."
Allen nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. I can imagine it would be a difficult transition, especially for people whose identities were closely tied to active parenting."
Kate appreciated Allen's perspective on family dynamics, particularly given their own recent experience with unexpected parenthood. "The therapist had some strong opinions about adult children returning home, which adds another layer to the family situation."
Kate finished assembling the salad and moved to the cabinet to retrieve plates for dinner. The routine of preparing their evening meal felt comforting after a day spent examining the darker aspects of family relationships.
"Daddy, hungry!" Michael called from the living room, apparently having finished his coloring session.
"Perfect timing, buddy," Allen replied. "Dinner's almost ready."
Kate went to collect Michael, lifting him easily and carrying him to the kitchen, where his highchair waited. Allen had already prepared his portion of the meal, with cut-up tomatoes, small pieces of chicken, and cubes of cheese arranged on his special divided plate.
"Look what we have for you," Kate said, settling Michael into his highchair and fastening the safety straps. "Tomatoes and cheese and chicken."
"Cheese!" Michael said excitedly, immediately reaching for one of the yellow cubes. Cheese had recently become his favorite food. Last week, it was vanilla yogurt. And Kate was certain it would be something new next week.
Allen brought the grilled chicken inside, the meat perfectly cooked with appealing grill marks. He began slicing it into strips for the salad while Kate poured drinks for all of them, including a small cup of milk for Michael.
"These smells amazing," Kate said, appreciating both the food and the comfortable family atmosphere. "Thank you for handling dinner tonight."
"My pleasure.” Allen plated the chicken and brought everything to their small dining table. "I'm just glad you’re home… and that this wasn't another one of those cases that kept you away from us for days."
Kate smiled and nodded in agreement, settling into her chair beside Michael's highchair. "Me too. There's definitely something to be said for investigating cases close to home."
As they began eating, Kate found herself genuinely enjoying the simple pleasure of sharing a meal with Allen and Michael.
The grilled chicken was tender and flavorful, the salad fresh and satisfying.
Michael attacked his food with typical toddler enthusiasm, managing to get as much on his face and hands as in his mouth.
"Good chicken, Daddy," Michael announced between bites, holding up a piece for Allen to see.
"Thank you, buddy. I'm glad you like it."
Kate watched the interaction between Allen and Michael, feeling grateful for the stability and warmth of their family life.
After years of balancing demanding FBI cases with family obligations, she'd found a rhythm that allowed her to contribute professionally while being present for the daily moments that mattered most.
But even as she participated in the dinner conversation and helped Michael with his food, part of her attention remained focused on the Bennett case.
Jake's genuine distress during their interview, the questions raised by Dr. Chen's strong opinions, and the revelation about Carol's participation in an empty nest support group all continued to puzzle her.
Michael dropped a piece of cheese on the floor and looked concerned about the accident. "Uh oh," he said, pointing at the fallen food.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Kate said, picking up the cheese and disposing of it. "Accidents happen."
As they continued their meal, Kate made an effort to focus on her family rather than the case.
Allen told her about a new project at work, and they discussed weekend plans that might include a trip to the zoo if the weather was nice.
Michael contributed his own commentary, much of which was incomprehensible but delivered with great enthusiasm.
Despite her best efforts to be present, however, Kate found her thoughts returning to the questions raised by the day's interviews.
Dr. Chen's clinical detachment and strong theoretical opinions, Jake's obvious grief and cooperation, and the missing pieces of the puzzle that didn't fit the obvious narrative of family murder for inheritance.
The medications found in Carol's bedroom particularly bothered her. The coroner’s input had suggested that someone had administered a sedative that wasn't among her prescribed medications, which suggested premeditation and knowledge of drug interactions.
Jake would have had access to his mother's daily routine, but would he have known what combination of drugs would cause a fatal cardiac episode?
And then there was the empty nest support group that Carol had been attending weekly. Kate wondered about the other members of that group and whether any of them shared Dr. Chen's strong opinions about Carol's decision to welcome Jake back home.
"More cheese, please," Michael requested, having finished his original portion.
Kate gave him a few more cubes, which he started eating right away. She smiled at him, and he smiled right back, cheese and all.
As dinner concluded and they began cleaning up, Kate realized that despite her physical presence at home, the case was still calling to her.
The questions and inconsistencies demanded answers, and she knew she wouldn't be able to fully relax until she understood what had really happened to Carol Bennett and whether Jake was truly innocent of his mother's murder.