Dead of Winter (Cold Case Psychic #15) - Pandora Pine Page 0,23
that same kind of treatment now.
“Ahh bear?” Everly asked, her head popping around the doorway.
“All better!” Ten agreed. “Come here, cutie pie.”
Everly ran into the kitchen on her tiptoes with Dixie at her heels.
“Hello, pretty girl.” Ten kissed his daughter’s forehead.
“Hi, Dada!” Everly wrapped her arms around Ten’s neck and held on tight, as if she knew Ten needed a little extra love today.
Ten held on as if his life depended on it. He’d felt the bone-deep grief of the Washingtons. He never wanted to feel that kind of pain again. “How much do you love me?”
Everly giggled and threw her arms wide. “This much.”
Parroting her gesture, Ten laughed. “I love you this much too.” When Ten looked up at Ronan, his husband’s arms were in the same position. He cuddled Everly against his chest and held on as long as he could.
11
Ronan
Tennyson hadn’t mentioned there were nine loads of laundry waiting for him. Between the clothes, towels, and sheets, Ronan was going to be at this all night. No wonder Ten always complained about how much he hated doing laundry.
Ronan didn’t mind so much, but for the fact that Everly was in bed and Tennyson was upstairs reading the diary. In a way, he was good with having this free time because it gave him an uninterrupted minute to think about the Skye Washington case.
He was halfway to the kitchen to make a cup of tea when the doorbell rang. They weren’t expecting anyone, but Ronan supposed he should have been. It wasn’t a surprise when he opened the front door to find Jude. “Come in.” He held the door open to his friend. “I was just about to make some tea. You want some?”
Jude shrugged out of his winter coat and toed out of his boots. “How about a cup of dark roast?”
“Can do,” Ronan agreed. He heard Jude’s soft footsteps behind him as he walked into the kitchen.
“Where’s Ten?” Jude asked as he took a seat at the kitchen table.
“He put Everly to bed and he’s upstairs reading Skye’s diary.” Ronan popped a coffee pod into the Keurig and turned the electric kettle on before grabbing two mugs from the cabinet. On the way back to the table, he grabbed a covered plate of brownies Kaye had made today when the kids were down for their naps.
“Thanks.” Jude grabbed a brownie and took a bite, his face turning thoughtful. “Do you think this investigation was badly bungled?”
“Yes and no.” Ronan grabbed Jude’s coffee and set the mug on the table before returning and pouring hot water for his tea.
“What do you mean?”
“The 1980s were the age of stranger danger. I’m guessing the Salem PD thought this murder was random. A case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“You know, I’d go along with that if Skye hadn’t already come home for the night. Both of us know nothing good happens after midnight, but so far as the evidence states, Skye was home long before then.” Jude blew on his coffee before taking a sip. He sighed, sounding content.
“Ten pointed out that no one questioned the boys at the school. All those young men with rampant hormones. What better reason to sneak out of the house than to meet a clandestine lover?”
Jude nodded. “That sure as hell would have gotten me out of the house in the middle of the night, but I’m an admitted man-whore.”
Ronan laughed. He wasn’t going near that comment with a ten-foot pole. No pun intended.
“I’ve slept with so many clowns that when I open my legs, balloons and cotton candy pop out.” Jude burst out laughing.
“You’re ridiculous.” Ronan had to admit he needed the release laughter brought. He was never a fan of speaking to the parents of dead children. There was nothing he could say that would bring them any measure of solace or their lost child back to them.
“That I am,” Jude agreed. He sat up straighter in his chair and focused on Ronan. “But seriously, the only reason to sneak out in the night is to meet someone, either for sex, to settle an argument, or…” Jude trailed off, obviously unable to name a third thing.
“Drugs, money, prostitution, to commit a crime.” Ronan took a sip of his tea. It did not bring him any sense of calm. “The possibilities are endless, and since the cops at the time didn’t ask the right questions of the right people, we’re sitting at square one.”