Chapter 8 #3
Jaquie added, “And a drawer in the kitchen was ajar. I keep some cash in there in case we need it.”
“How much?”
“Fifty or sixty dollars, I thought. But truthfully, I couldn’t remember if it was still there because I needed some money for groceries earlier in the week. When we found the drawer empty, I figured I must have taken it out.”
“Why didn’t you call the police about the door?”
“Jim put a new lock and deadbolt on the door and we forgot about it.”
Both parents sighed. His father shook his head. “This whole thing is awful. Joey’ll go back to jail.”
“When we pick him up, he will. And about that. I’m going to assign a plain-clothes officer to watch the house for a few days. I’m sorry if that’ll be hard for you, too.”
Tears fell now, from mother and daughter.
Jim’s voice was hoarse when he asked, “Will you let us know when you arrest him?”
“I can do that, Mr. Lockwood.”
“Thank you, Jeff,” Juliet said. To her parents, she added, “I wish I could say something to cheer you guys up.”
“Let us take the boys overnight. We’ll pick them up from school.”
“What if Joey comes here, Mom?”
“We’ll take them to that indoor swim park in Binghamton and stay overnight.”
Jeff said, “I think that would be all right.”
“Then fine, Mom.”
Juliet stayed with them through the morning and tried to keep it together for her parents. A lot of feelings came out: guilt from her Mom, anger from her dad, and a sense of hopelessness from Juliet.
* * *
At noon, Juliet went back to the collective. She entered her office and dropped down into her desk chair, depressed. After a while, she thought, No use wallowing. So she called up her schedule. And stared at it blindly.
All you can do, she told herself, is make the best decisions you can and see what happens.
Throughout the afternoon, she conducted her classes but really just went through the motions.
When some of her regulars inquired is she was okay, she said she was hanging in there.
But all of it drained her and by the end of the day all she wanted was to be with Ryder. Let him hold her. Console her.
To cheer herself up, she took her ring out of the locked drawer in her desk where she’d stowed it and slipped it on her finger.
Then she picked up her phone to call Ryder.
Before she could punch in speed dial, someone knocked on the door.
She pulled it open—and there he stood, outside, dressed in a gray windowpane suit.
He’d taken off his tie leaving his collar open.
And he looked so good she wanted to cry.
Ellen, the guard behind him said, “Do you want to see this guy?”
“Absolutely.”
After Ellen left, he said from the doorway, “I had to come, Juliet. I have this feeling that something’s wrong. Has anything bad happened?”
“Yeah, it has. Come inside.” She took his hand and led him to her office.
When he entered the room, he scowled. “Did you destroy it?”
“What?
“Your copy of my painting?”
“No, it’s in Daisy’s closet.”
He turned around and gently grasped her arms. “A stiff wind could blow you over. Talk to me, sweetheart.”
“Hold me first.”
He brought her to him and she nestled against his chest. His hand smoothed down her hair. He waited until she leaned back and looked up at him. “I’d just picked up the phone to call you. I needed you.”
“And here I am.”
“We better sit for this.” When they did, he took her hands. “Oh, wow, you put my ring back on.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
In halting sentences Juliet told Ryder the horrible news they’d gotten today.
“How did your parents take all this?”
“Very, very hard.” She shrugged. “They wanted the boys for the night. They said it would make them feel better.”
“Won’t it be dangerous in case Joey shows up at their house? You can all come and stay at mine again.”
“They’re going out of town to a park they wanted to visit for a while. I’ll ask them about staying with you when they come back.”
“Only time will heal them. I guess.” He gave her a knowing look. “And you.”
She sighed.
He cocked his head. “Why were you going to call me?”
“I wanted to be with you. This whole thing has made me realize how life can turn on a dime and I want to be with you if that happens. You. Nobody else.”
Averting his gaze, he got up and walked over to the Renoir that had replaced his painting.
She waited for a few moments, then she scraped back the chair and crossed to him. Gently, she tugged on his arm to turn him around.
And saw that Ryder Pace was crying.
For a moment she was speechless. Finally, she said, “Ryder? I don’t understand. What’s wrong?”
He scrubbed his cheeks. “Nothing, love. I’m happy.”
She threw herself at him. “Oh, thank God.”
They held each other for a long time then drew back a bit.
“So,” he said cupping her face. “Pick a date for the wedding. I want you officially mine.”
“I want you officially mine, too.”
* * * * *