Chapter 25
“Maybe we could go into another room and talk about this in private?” Poppy said to Nick as they reentered the house. His family were all seated now. Some held drinks, others babies, and the love and support focused on them was like a large blanket.
In his teens, Nick had thought it felt like a restrictive straitjacket. But he’d wised up and realized how lucky he was to have these people in his life.
“They’ll find out anyway, Poppy.”
“This is not their fight, Nick, and after all the stories they shared with me of loss and other things that have happened to you all, I won’t bring any more bad down on them.”
“You’re not going anywhere, and neither are they,” Nick said, nudging Poppy to sit beside his dad. He then wedged in on her other side. Next to Dad sat Mom. They weren’t small people, and it may be a four-seater, but it was still a squeeze, even considering his girl’s small size.
“We’ve covered this. I’m sticking, and so are they.” Nick then kissed her softly in front of his family, which was like a declaration of marriage, but he didn’t care. Poppy’s lips were his kryptonite. In fact, all of her was.
“This is police business,” Billy started talking.
“We’ll find out anyway, so just talk already,” Nick’s mom said. Billy sighed.
“Just don’t give out names, maybe, or stuff that’s personal, so if we’re tortured, we can’t say those,” Sam said, making everyone but Poppy laugh.
A scream came from down the hallway where the kids were playing some kind of game that had kept them quiet for about five minutes.
“Here.” Another cousin handed Nick the baby boy she held. “Hold him. I’ll go play peacemaker, but I want a full report.”
“You’ll get it,” several people answered.
“Hey, buddy. How you doing?” Nick asked Liam, who was now staring at him hard.
“He looks like he can see every thought inside your head,” Poppy said.
“I hope not everything,” he said, giving her a look that had her blushing.
“You want to hold him?”
“Oh no, I’m not good with babies.” She sat upright, trying to put distance between them, which was impossible.
“Sure you are. They’re awesome, especially this one. He’s the most relaxed baby we’ve ever had in the family.” She sat rigid as he placed Liam in her lap.
“Put your hands on his sides and hold him there so he can see your pretty face. If he gets fidgety, make funny faces. He loves those.”
Her hands held the boy gently, and he watched as Poppy leaned in and spoke to him.
“I’m not that good with little people, so you let me know if you need to go back to Uncle Nick, Liam.”
The little boy reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair. He then jammed it into his mouth.
“That can’t be healthy.” She tried to wrestle it away.
“He’s usually eating something off the floor, so your hair, which I’m sure you washed in the last few days, is probably cleaner,” Liam’s mum said.
Tugging her hair free, which took a few seconds, Poppy tickled him under the chin, which made Liam giggle. The look on her face was wonder, and it made Nick clear his throat.
He caught Gracie’s eye, and the knowing smirk had him raising his middle finger.
“You got the floor,” he said to Billy, who was now holding a large mug of coffee.
“We now think, after today, that there could be someone else involved.”
Nick put an arm around Poppy’s shoulders as her eyes shot to Billy.
“Our guy from the department in Malcolm Davy’s hometown has been doing some digging.
We’ve been making a lot of noise over how this case should have been handled better when Poppy kept putting in complaints about Davy’s behavior, so my colleagues there are being more accommodating.
But his family are big money in town, so they clearly have sway with some people in the department,” Billy said.
“Which makes me want to go there and give them a piece of my mind,” Aunt Jean said. Everyone agreed with a solemn nod.
“We found out that the reason Davy has backed off over the last year, Poppy, is because he spent some time in a facility. They don’t allow phones or contact with anyone outside the place.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Nick could see Poppy pulling faces at Liam, and he was giving her gummy smiles back, but he knew she was listening, and processing what Billy had said.
“Seems Davy made a friend while he was there. Brad Denton. The man is six years younger than Davy, and according to the staff at the place, they hit it off straightaway.”
“And they think he’s the one helping stalk Poppy?” Nick’s mom asked.
“They do,” Billy said.
“Why?” Thomas asked.
“Because Brad Denton was born here, and chances are when Davy realized that he made use of it.
“So there are two fuckers after her,” Nick snapped.
“Nick!”
“Sorry, Mom.”
Billy took something out of the folder he had put on the floor beside his chair. He then turned the picture to face them. The man was short and slim, with straight brown hair. He was smiling and looked happy. To Nick, he didn’t seem like someone who could kill an insect, let alone stalk Poppy.
“I’ve seen him,” she said, handing Liam to Nick’s dad. She then rose to take the picture. “He came to my book signing. I’m sure of it.”
Nick’s blood was literally boiling now. “So, it’s likely Denton is the one who stole her bag and pushed her down that day on the street?”
Poppy put her hand on the fist he had clenched on his thigh. He opened it and took her small fingers.
“I think so, yes,” Billy added.
“So, what happens now?” Thomas asked.
“Now you all let us do our job, and Nick keeps Poppy safe,” Billy said. “You know what Denton looks like. If you see him, call me.”
“I don’t want anyone taking any risks on my behalf,” Poppy said. “These are dangerous men, and I won’t have you hurt.”
His family all promised they wouldn’t take risks, which Nick was sure didn’t appease her.
Nick got to his feet. “We’re heading out. You know where we’ll be, Billy,” Nick said, pulling Poppy up beside him.
“Is there somewhere the police could put me that I will be safe?” Poppy asked Billy.
Nick didn’t speak but shot Billy a look. They’d known each other since they were kids, so he interpreted it easily.
“Your best bet is to just sit tight at Nick’s, Poppy, until we can catch Davy and Denton. We have Davy’s prints in your place, plus the history between you. You’ve also just identified Denton, so we will bring him in for questioning when we find him, which is only a matter of time.”
Her cell phone rang before she could argue her point further. Looking at the caller ID, Nick relaxed when he saw it was a FaceTime call from her Aunt Jenny.
“I’ll call her later,” Poppy said.
“Speak to your aunt. She’s worried about you. Plus, it’s time you told her what’s been going on. You owe her that much in case Davy or Denton decides to get at you through her now.” Nick took the phone out of her hands and answered it.
“Hi, Aunt Jenny, it’s Nick,” he said into the screen as an older lady with a short gray bob appeared. “How are you?”
“Give me my phone,” Poppy said, reaching for it.
“Handing you to Poppy now. She’s got something important to say.”
“All right, and lovely to see you again, Nick,” Aunt Jenny said, as if they were old friends and had actually met in person before.
“Tell her,” he said, handing the phone to Poppy. She glared at him and then walked outside.
“So, Nicky,” his cousin Howard said, “what’s the deal? Are you in love with that sweet girl? Because a famous author in the family would be cool.”