Chapter 21
Offices of Forensic Instincts
Library, First Floor
Tribeca, Manhattan, New York
Everyone looked up when Ryan reentered the room.
“Where’s Casey?” his mother asked.
“She’s out for the count,” Ryan responded with total candor. “She pushed herself pretty hard today. I talked her into taking a nap. Claire and I will take over as host and hostess.”
“That’s nonsense.” Maureen stood, wrapping an arm around Kennedy’s shoulders as the little girl rose, as well. “Poor Casey went through a near-death experience, one she’s still recovering from. I feel terrible that we’re imposing.”
“You’re not,” Claire jumped in quickly. “I’ll show you to the guest room upstairs, and bring in that cot for Kennedy. It’s been a draining night, to say the least. Everyone needs sleep.”
With that, Nolan downed the rest of his Diet Coke, set down the empty can, and shrugged back into his parka. “I’ve got to get going myself. I want to check in with the NYFD and law enforcement, and then head home for some shut-eye. But I’ll call you guys tomorrow,” he told his parents.
“See that you do.” Maureen assessed him with a mother’s eye. “I want to hear that you’re safe, and anything you find out from the fire department, the police, or the FBI.”
Nolan shot off a salute. “You got it, Mom.” He gave Claire a grateful look and ruffled Kennedy’s hair. “Good night, all.”
As Nolan headed for the door, Ryan and Claire exchanged a quick glance.
“Maureen, is it okay if Kennedy stays up for just a little while longer?” Claire asked. “Ryan needs to spend a bit more time with her. I promise to bring her upstairs to bed the minute they’re done.”
Maureen pursed her lips, glancing from Claire to Ryan, to Kennedy’s curious face.
“No questions and no answers, Mom,” Ryan said quietly. “Not yet.”
Hope filled Maureen’s eyes, and she gave him a quick nod. “That’s fine. Dad and I will go upstairs with Claire and settle in.” She gave Kennedy a hug. “Are you okay with that, lovey?”
Kennedy nodded. “I’m not sure I understand, but as long as Ryan is with me, I’ll be fine.”
“Great.” Ryan walked over and slung his arm around Kennedy’s shoulders. “Let’s go downstairs and talk in my lair.”
Her nose wrinkled up. “Aren’t lairs for lions?”
Ryan grinned. “Yeah, and for guys who need a private man cave to work in.”
“So you hibernate. That makes you more like a bear than a lion,” she pointed out.
Laughter rumbled in Ryan’s chest. “Nice analysis. Pretty accurate, too.” He eased Kennedy toward the stairwell leading downstairs. “Okay, sunshine, let’s make this happen.”
They climbed down the flight of stairs, and Ryan led Kennedy into his private work arena.
“This is where your genius uncle makes things happen,” he informed her, opening his arms wide to let her into his world.
Kennedy’s eyes were huge as her gaze swept the room. “Wow. So much—stuff. Computer stuff. Gym stuff. A cool wobbly chair. A comfy couch. And a pile of weird thingies in the middle.”
Ryan chuckled. “Those ‘thingies’ are my experiments. Different-sized and different-programmed robots that could end up being awesome or end up being trashed.”
Kennedy wrinkled her nose. “You might be a genius, but you’re also a hoarder.” She turned her insightful gaze up to his. “Why are we down here? I mean the real reason?”
Ryan grew serious, and he squatted down in front of Kennedy, placing both hands on her shoulders.
“I have a surprise for you. A wonderful surprise. But you must, must promise to keep it between us. No one—not even the rest of our family—can know about it. It’s crucial that you follow that rule, otherwise the surprise can be taken away, and the situation can blow up in our faces. Okay?”
Kennedy had paled, but she didn’t question him, only nodded.
“Good.” With that, Ryan rose, taking Kennedy’s hand and leading her over to his desk, where his own laptop had been shoved to a side, and a different, brand-new-looking laptop sat in its place.
“Sit,” he said gently, waiting until Kennedy had complied before he pulled over a second chair, took a seat beside her.
Kennedy seemed to sense that something meaningful was about to happen, because her shoulders straightened and her breathing got faster.
“It’s okay,” Ryan assured her. “It’s all good—I promise.”
“Okay.” Kennedy nodded again.
Ryan reached past her and turned on the System76. He waited for it to whir to life and the screen to light up. Then, he logged in and began pressing a whole series of keys.
Finally, he relaxed his shoulders, ruffled Kennedy’s hair, and hit one final key.
“For you, sunshine,” he said, sitting back in his chair.
The screen went dark for an instant, and when it came on again, Caitlin was sitting on the opposite side of the screen. At the sight of her daughter, she pressed her hand to her heart, and her eyes filled with tears. “Hi, baby,” she managed.
Kennedy gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Mommy?” she whispered. Then a loud, deeply emotional sob. “Mommy!”
Both of them were crying now, and Kennedy reached out to touch the screen. “Is that really you?”
Caitlin placed her own hand on her screen, touching Kennedy’s as if they were truly together. “Only if it’s really you.”
Not only was Kennedy sobbing, she was shaking to the point where Ryan got up and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.
Kennedy glanced at her uncle, as if suddenly remembering he was in the room. “You did this.”
“Not without your mommy’s help, I didn’t.”
Kennedy nodded, visibly still in shock as she turned back to her mother.
She sucked in a harsh breath. “You’re alive.
You’re okay. Why aren’t you home? Did that monster hurt you?
Threaten you enough to scare you away?” She inhaled sharply again, not even pausing for an answer. “Mommy, he killed Daddy.”
For a brief instant, Caitlin’s eyes squeezed shut.
Just as quickly, they reopened, tears wetting her lashes.
“I know, baby. And I’m so, so sorry. Daddy loved you so much.
I love you so much. We’re going to miss Daddy forever.
But we’re also going to make it. You’ll see.
” Her gaze shifted to Ryan. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you. There aren’t words… ”
“No need to search for any.” Ryan’s eyes were also damp. “Besides, as I said to Kennedy, I didn’t do this on my own. You made it possible.” He forced a smile. “Your genius might even rival mine.”
Still standing, he shifted away from the screen, speaking softly to Kennedy.
“I’m going to head over to my bench to work out so I keep in shape.
While I’m doing that, you can talk to your mommy alone.
But, sunshine, afterward I’m going to need some talk time with her, too.
When that happens, Claire will bring you up to bed.
It’s late and you must get some sleep. Aunt Maureen and Uncle Colin will be right there in the room with you. ”
He saw Kennedy’s terrified expression, and, correctly interpreting it, he squeezed her hands.
“You’ll be able to talk to Mommy again, and not just once.
You have my word. All I ask is that you follow her lead.
Don’t ask her where she is, because she can’t tell you.
And let her set the boundaries—for all our sakes. Promise?”
“Promise.” Kennedy was still staring at Caitlin’s face. “How did you know we’d be in Uncle Ryan’s workroom now to talk to you?” she asked her.
“I didn’t.” Caitlin dashed the tears off her cheeks. “But I knew we’d talk tonight. So I sat here and waited. This way, you and I wouldn’t miss a minute together.”
“Oh, Mommy…” Kennedy couldn’t stop saying her name or stem her tears.
Gently, Ryan brushed his thumbs over her cheeks, stroking away the wetness. “Have a great reunion.”
He headed off to bench press and to give them time and space.
Still staring at Caitlin as if she might somehow vanish, Kennedy couldn’t help but ask the fundamental questions, even though she was desperate to savor every single minute of their time together.
“Why?” Her lips trembled. “Why is all this happening? Why did—”
“Listen to me, sweetie,” Caitlin interrupted. “Like Uncle Ryan said, I can’t answer most of your questions—not yet. But he and his team are amazing. They’ll figure this out. And once the animals responsible for this are caught, I’ll be home in the blink of an eye, and we’ll be together.”
Animals. Kennedy didn’t miss her mommy’s use of the plural.
“More than one person did this?”
“Yes,” Caitlin said honestly. “Only one of them shot Daddy. But there are others. That’s why I’m not home yet and why you need to be protected.” An anxious pause as Caitlin scrutinized her daughter’s face. “You’re okay, right? Ryan’s company has security watching you?”
Kennedy nodded. “Yes, tons of it. So does the FBI. And Aunt Maureen is always there with me. The rest of the family—especially Uncle Ryan—are over a lot. I’m never alone.” She hesitated, visibly torn, trying not to upset her mother.
Leaning forward slightly, Caitlin asked, “What is it, baby?”
The dam burst. “I’m staying at Uncle Ryan’s office tonight. So are Aunt Maureen and Uncle Colin. There was a fire at their house a few hours ago. Uncle Ryan brought us here.”
Caitlin paled, although she didn’t looked shocked. She’d seen and heard enough via Kennedy’s locket, even if what she’d heard had been muddied by activity. “What kind of fire? A kitchen fire?”
Kennedy shook her head. “No. A backyard fire. The porch. The back of the house. I heard the firefighters talking. I got the feeling they didn’t think it was an accident. But we’re all fine,” she hurried on to say.
“Oh, God.” Again, Caitlin squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. “Were you burned? Did you get smoke in your nose and throat?”
Again, Kennedy shook her head. “No one was hurt. But there are extra guards now posted here and at Aunt Maureen’s. More FBI agents, too. I’ll be okay.”
Caitlin forced a smile. “I always wonder which of us is really the mommy and which is the little girl. You’re so mature and brave. I’m very, very proud of you.”
“I love you, Mommy.”
Caitlin swallowed, hard. “And I love you. More than anything or anyone else in the world.” Her gaze darted over Kennedy’s shoulder for a fraction of a moment.
Again, Kennedy’s wisdom and insights took over. “You need to talk to Uncle Ryan now, don’t you?”
“Yes, baby, I do.”
“Do you promise we can talk tomorrow? I won’t ask where you are or any more questions. And I won’t breathe a word about this to anyone. I just need to see you, to talk to you.” Again, Kennedy broke down. “Please?”
“You never have to ask,” Caitlin replied. “Thanks to Uncle Ryan, we can talk every day until I’m home. I promise. Now I need you to listen to him, and to follow all his instructions. Okay?”
“I understand. You want me safe. Whatever you and Daddy found out puts me in danger, too, right?”
Caitlin blinked. “You’re incredibly smart. Yes, baby, it does.”
Kennedy nodded, as exhausted as she was scared. “I’ll do whatever Uncle Ryan says. I’ll be okay if you will.”
“It’s a deal.” Caitlin held up her pinkie. “Pinkie swear.”
Kennedy did the same. “Pinkie swear.”
Caitlin kissed her own finger then pressed it to the screen. “Sleep tight, my amazing little girl. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, and I love you.”
Kennedy repeated her mother’s motion, then pressed her own pinkie to the screen. “I love you, too.” She sniffed, and then forced a smile. “Maybe we can read together tomorrow.”
“It’s a date.”
At that moment, Claire walked down the stairs, extending her hand to Kennedy. “Come on, sweetie. Bedtime.” She leaned over the screen for a moment. “Hi, Caitlin, I’m Claire. I’m so grateful you’re safe. We’ll bring you home.”
Caitlin blinked back her tears. “Thank you, Claire.” A hint of a smile. “It will be great to get to know the woman who stole Ryan’s heart.”
Smiling back, Claire gripped Kennedy’s hand and led her out the door of the lair and to the stairs.
She shut the door behind them.
Caitlin was quiet as Ryan seated himself behind the computer. Still, the tears continued to slide down her cheeks.
“Shane’s gone, Ryan,” she whispered, her bravado gone, her shoulders shaking as she wept. “We’ll never have him back again.”
Ryan gave a hard swallow, knowing now was the time for him to be strong.
“I know, Caity,” he said with more than a touch of emotion. “There are no words—”
“They don’t exist. So let’s not even try to find them,” she interrupted him, dashing the tears off her cheeks.
Ryan’s jaw tightened. “We’re going to get the bastards who did this. I swear. But I’m going to need your help. Whatever Shane uncovered, whether it involved the Bureau or the NYPD, whoever—”
“It wasn’t the Bureau or the NYPD,” Caitlin interrupted. “It was Scott Security. And Shane wasn’t the target. I was.”