Chapter 11
“They found Maryanne’s body.”
Baldwin’s words echoed around the room like a cannon shot. The reverberations of it hit me over and over.
“What the fuck?” Trace snarled. “We hid the body.”
Ronan was on his feet instantly, pacing the room. “There’s no way it got pulled to the surface without help.”
Worry creased Dash’s brow. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Sea life could’ve gotten to it and knocked it free.”
My stomach pitched. My mother’s body. It was the first time I’d thought of her in those terms in so long. She definitely had never lived up to the moniker. But she was still my flesh and blood.
Baldwin cleared his throat. “They’re waiting at the gate. Should I let them up?”
The nausea swirling through me turned to heavy dread, and I turned to Colt in panic.
His jaw was tight, a muscle ticking wildly there. “We have to let them in. Give them no reason to believe we have anything to hide.” He glanced at Baldwin. “We’ll need you to sit in. You’re Leighton’s guardian on record.”
Baldwin straightened his shoulders, pulling on an authoritative mask. “Of course.”
He pulled out his phone and began typing.
“This is a bad idea,” Ronan warned.
“You mean it’s fucking moronic,” Trace growled.
Colt held up a hand. “We have to play dumb. The last thing we need is human cops paying too close attention.”
Ronan swore.
“He’s right,” Declan said. “We need them on our side, looking anywhere but around here.”
“They’ll probably just do the notification and leave,” Dash added.
Colt squeezed the back of my neck. “You can do this.”
I jerked my head in a nod. “I can.”
A second later, the doorbell rang. It was the first time I’d heard the sound. It was a musical tone that carried through the house. It would’ve been beautiful if it didn’t feel so ominous.
Baldwin let out a breath. “I’ll be back.”
I swallowed hard, trying to clear some of the dryness in my mouth and throat.
“We’re right here,” Dash said, with another squeeze to my thigh.
They were. I had all of them with me. A comfort settled over me then. The guys would never let anything happen to me. And as long as I could keep my unwieldy magic under control, I’d be fine.
Voices sounded from the hallway, and then Baldwin led two figures into the room.
The first was a woman who looked to be in her fifties.
She was short and stocky, wearing an ill-fitting suit and a scowl.
There wasn’t a glimmer of warmth on her face.
The lines there spoke of frowning more than smiling, and her entire demeanor had that dread racing back.
The second figure was another case altogether. The lines in his tanned skin told me he laughed and smiled often. Even now, he gave me a reassuring smile as he entered the room, his broad shoulders eating up the space.
“Ms. Carmichael?” the female officer asked.
I nodded. “Yes.”
My voice sounded rusty, as if I hadn’t spoken in weeks.
“I’m Detective Daniels.” She motioned to the man next to her. “This is Detective Ruiz. Could we speak to you in private for a moment?” Her gaze swept the room in distaste as she asked the question.
I could feel Colt and Dash tense beside me. I cleared my throat. “I’d really prefer if my friends stayed.”
Detective Daniels’s eyes narrowed on me. “This is a serious matter. Not an excuse for some high school party.”
I focused on my breathing, keeping it even and steady. “They are my support system. Since two cops showed up on our doorstep, I’m guessing you’re not here with good news. I’d like them to stay with me.”
“Let ‘em stay,” Detective Ruiz said. “She’s just going to tell them everything later anyway.”
Detective Daniels scowled at her partner and then turned her focus to me. “How long have you been living here?”
I swallowed again, my throat sticking on the action. “About a month, I think.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Why?” I parroted.
“Yes. Why? Why aren’t you living with your parents? Other family? As far as I can tell, you aren’t related to anyone in this household.”
My stomach churned, feeling like a ship on an especially stormy sea. “My father was best friends with Colt’s father. We grew up together.”
“Was?” Daniels pressed.
“My father died years ago. Cancer.”
Ruiz’s expression gentled. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
My nose stung at the authenticity in his tone. “Thank you.”
“What about your mother?” Daniels continued, not an ounce of empathy within her.
I lifted my gaze to hers, not looking away.
“My mother was an abusive addict who didn’t give one shit about me.
When Colt and Baldwin learned what my home life was like, they offered me a place to stay and a chance to finish out my education.
It was a lot better than sleeping on a cot in a freezing garage to try and avoid my mother’s creepy boyfriend. ”
Daniels’s mouth snapped closed, her jaw working back and forth.
Ruiz cleared his throat, glancing at Colt and Baldwin. “That was very kind of you to open your home to Ms. Carmichael.”
Daniels scanned the room. “But this is kind of the place for wayward children, isn’t it?”
Baldwin met her stare. “My friend and employer, Andrew Carrington, helped friends of Colt’s in the past. He was a big believer in the community stepping in when needed. It’s only appropriate that I continue the tradition.”
Daniels simply grunted as if to say bullshit.
Ruiz turned to me. “We need to share some hard news.”
My fingers dug into the couch cushion beneath me. “Okay.”
“Your mother’s body was discovered on a beach not far from here this morning.”
I focused only on my breathing. In. Out. In. Out.
“You don’t have anything to say to that?” Daniels asked.
“I’m not sure what there is to say. She was a deeply unhappy woman. Maybe she has some peace now.”
I was shocked at how even my voice sounded, how calm. As if I were completely detached from the situation.
Daniels’s mouth curved the barest amount. “Well, we got a tip that you might know how your mother ended up dead. Got anything to tell us about that?”