Chapter 9
Ava
“I found the perfect feather earrings for you!” Mom gushed by way of greeting as she entered my store. Dad trailed calmly behind her, like an anchor holding the storm that was my mother at bay.
Gifts were her love language. Whenever I was under the weather or feeling sad, Mom would always bring home a little present to make me feel better.
Sometimes it was a letter in my lunch, with words of encouragement.
Sometimes it was a tin of my favourite chocolate cookies, waiting on my bed after school.
It was always thoughtful and always made me feel better.
Mom knew I was trying to move on with my life, rebuild it again, hence her shopping spree to find me new clothes and jewellery.
She was also helping me find the perfect colour paint for my room.
I had tried all the greens in our hardware store, but none felt right.
So, mom took it as a personal mission to find the right one.
They had just returned from a trip to Willsbury City to find said paint.
“They’re gorgeous, Mom. Thanks,” I said as she hugged me tightly.
“Hey, kiddo,” Dad greeted as he placed a kiss on my head.
“How was Willsbury City?” I asked, putting my mortar and pestle back behind the counter.
“Busy,” mom huffed, “But we found someone there who wanted to see you. So we brought him back with us.” Mom gestured through the window, and I smiled as I saw Owen, looking at me through the window, talking on the phone.
“Hi,” I said as I came out the door.
He pushed his phone into his jeans’ pocket. It was a rare occasion seeing him in something other than his black suits. “Hi,” he said back, grinning at me. “You look really well, Ava.”
“Wish I could say the same about you, Agent Becket.” He had dark circles under his eyes and seriously needed a haircut.
He shrugged. “You know. Work stuff.”
My heart skipped a beat at that. It had been a month since I last saw him.
After that night on the beach with Rachel, I had resigned as consultant from Owen’s team, to which the director thankfully complied with, releasing me from the plea deal I had made, without sending me to prison.
I’d been trying to move on with my life.
Trying, being the key word. Some days were better than others, but I forced myself to get up in the mornings and do something productive.
Building my life back up, brick by brick.
I hooked my arm in his and started walking towards the park.
I gave my parents a little apologetic wave to which my mother made little shooing motions.
“Want to talk about it?” A part of me wanted to know every new little detail he had to offer about them, while the other part wasn’t sure I could handle hearing it.
But Owen needed a friend. He’d been there for me when I was at my lowest. He pulled me through it.
The least I could do was listen. I already felt guilty for leaving him in the thick of it.
But I couldn't continue chasing after a man who never even felt anything for me.
“You really want to hear it?”
I chuckled and nodded.
“I got kicked off my own taskforce. For being too emotional.” He scoffed. “For three days.”
I took my shoes off as we reached the still green grass of the park.
It was always good to have nothing between yourself and mother earth.
And with autumn in full bloom, the grass would lose its lustre at any moment.
“Maybe that’s a good thing, Owen. You could clearly use some time away.
Go on a short vacation or get a haircut. We have a great barber on Main…”
Owen pushed at me, huffing a laugh. “I know I need a haircut, okay?” He was quiet until we reached our spot, then continued as he sat down on the bench. “I can’t just sit around for three days and do nothing. I’m so close, Ava. I can feel it.”
I sat down on the table, with my feet on the bench next to Owen and turned my face up to the sun, soaking in its rays for a second. “Do you have any new leads?”
He snorted. “We literally have one. Did I tell you that Grayson’s laptop exploded?
It literally went poof, right in Syntax’s face.
She’s fine, but what the hell was on that laptop that he needed to implant an explosive device as a fail safe?
It’s fucking ridiculous. Anyway, we uncovered an art informant of Grayson’s from the documents we found in Mexico.
The guy’s in Paris. Right now, we only have surveillance on him, hoping that the Apparitions show up, but so far nothing.
But I think he’s the key to finding them.
I’m gonna bring him in when I’m allowed back on my taskforce,” he scowled.
I nodded. “That’s good. And in the meantime? Why don’t you take your sailboat out?” He had told me once how he’d restored an old sailboat and how he planned to sail the world with it one day. “Or we have a cozy little bed and breakfast that would be great to relax—”
“That’s not why I’m here, Ava,” Owen interrupted, giving me a tentative look.
Oh, boy. “Then why are you here, Agent Becket?”
Owen gave a nervous chuckle. “Well, I was hoping to get the old team back together? You know, when it was just you and me. For a little side quest.”
I groaned. “Owen…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re done. I won’t ask again.” He peered up at me, assessing me. “You really do look well.”
I smiled back at him. Then mentally kicked myself for letting my curiosity get the better of me. “So what’s this side quest you’re on?”
Owen grinned like he’d won, and I rolled my eyes at him.
“I’m heading to the town where Grayson’s parents grew up. It’s not far from here, actually. I know it’s a long shot, but maybe, just maybe, I can find something. Anything.”
Gods, I could feel myself slipping back into the black hole that was Grayson. And I had barely clawed myself out.
But this wasn’t as bad, right? It was his parents, not him. It was Dianna we were talking about. A woman I’d felt connected to from the moment I discovered that brutal photo in the bedside table. It would be nice to get to know her. The real her. Not the victim, but the woman.
And maybe I could use the time to help Owen. He was losing himself in the Apparitions. A feeling I was all too familiar with.
I couldn’t believe I was going to say it, but, “Fine.”
Owen laughed victoriously, pulling me into a bearhug. “You’re the best partner I’ve ever had.”
We were driving down a quiet country road in Owen’s black SUV with the windows down and his eighties rock playlist blaring—his only playlist. It was a tad chilly, but it felt good having the wind in my hair and a friend I hadn’t seen in a while by my side.
I could tell that even Owen felt lighter and lighter as the road wound through the golden grassy fields.
“So how much paperwork will this take if we find something?” I asked turning the music down.
Owen cringed. “No! Ava! Why would you talk about such wicked things right now? Please!”
Laughter bubbled out of my throat. “If we find something, do me a favour and pass the paperwork off to Liam. He needs stuff like that to ground him. For the greater good of humanity.”
Owen grinned. “Of course. For the greater good of humanity,” he agreed.
“Speaking of, why didn’t you tell me that you had an actual, real-life best friend?
And Liam Taylor of all people? How did that happen?
” Owen knew a lot of people; there was always someone up his sleeve to help in a crisis or a case, but the more time I’d spent with him, I found that he was more of a loner, enjoying his privacy a little too much.
So it was a pleasant surprise to see him and Liam interact in such a familiar way.
He visibly tried to suppress rolling his eyes at me and shrugged. “I don’t know. Director Devereux assigned us to an undercover job together when Taylor just started at our station and he kind of wormed his way in.”
That sounded like Liam.
“Speaking of,” Owen tried to mimic my voice, “is your best friend still such a raging prima donna?”
Owen and Rachel didn’t quite get along. Rachel had been fiercely protective since I returned, and Owen was on her target list. She made things difficult for him whenever the opportunity presented itself.
She even went as far as slipping a large spider into his car, one time.
And Owen hated spiders. “You know she’s just looking out for me.
You’d actually really like her if the two of you would just kiss and make up,” I huffed frustratedly.
He looked at me as if I was crazy. “In no world would I ever be caught dead kissing that woman. We’re here,” he added, sitting up straighter.
The little town that appeared before us was much like my own. It was called the sister town of Bentley Cove, and to my surprise, the town in which Grayson’s parents grew up.
I remembered the day in the forest when Grayson had shattered the fantasy of us I had cooked up in my head by revealing how he had planned to use me, why he had to take me away.
He couldn’t just seduce me where I was, because it was, “…too close to home,” was what he’d said.
Now I understood what he meant. His parents grew up in Bentley Cove’s sister town, and he had lived on a sprawling estate, just outside Willsbury City until he was ten.
“Where do we start?” I asked nervously. I swore I could feel Dianna with me, urging me forward.
“The children’s home they grew up in.”
“Children’s home?” I questioned, feeling a lump forming in my throat.
“They were both orphans. Both grew up in Safe Harbor Children’s Home.”
Oh, Dianna.
“We’ll see where it leads us next.”
We sat in front of the little old lady with her puffy orange cat sleeping peacefully in her lap, belly up, baking in the sun. A crisp breeze flowed through the porch, accompanied by the sounds of children playing.