him, and one of the reasons Mom and I never went without anything while growing up.”
She took another deep breath and continued. “After Mom died, I gave my grandparents permission to sell the house, and I moved in with them. They put the money from the sale of the house and my mother’s insurance proceeds into a trust fund for me.”
“Were you ever able to finally forgive him, Toni?”
“For my peace of mind, I had to. Before leaving Miami to move here, I went to see him in Philadelphia. I needed that closure.”
One day, she would tell Drew about that visit with her father. She’d also admit that after her failed hostage negotiations, she’d had to comply with the department’s required procedure to undergo psychiatric evaluation and counseling with the department’s psychologist. Doing so had not only helped her deal with what had gone down during the hostage crisis, but it had helped her through the issues she’d had regarding her mother’s suicide. Through counseling, she’d discovered the gifts of closure.
When the cars ahead of them began to move, she knew the train had passed. “So, what are your plans this weekend?” he asked, and she appreciated him changing the subject. Over the past thirty minutes, they’d both bared their souls and shared their secrets. It was time for a little levity.
“I never did get around to unpacking those boxes, so I’m dedicating my entire weekend to doing just that. I’m tired of looking at them.”
“The offer of my help still stands. Do you need it?”
A part of Toni knew she didn’t need his help any more this weekend than she had last weekend, but today, just now, something had changed. He had shared his past with her, and she had shared hers with him. It might be something small to some, but she knew for both of them, it had been momentous. Now he knew why she never wanted to fall in love, and she knew why he never wanted to marry and have kids.
“Toni?”
She looked over at him and then said, “Yes, Drew, I could use your help.”
• • •
Hours later, Andrew had taken a shower and put on a pair of joggers and a t-shirt and was getting ready to grab something to eat when his phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway. “What can I do for you?” he asked in a curt tone.
“I’m the one who should be asking what I can do for you, Drew. This is Duan Jeffries. Locke said you wanted me to give you a call.”
Andrew smiled and leaned against the kitchen counter. Duan Jeffries was a partner in the Peachtree Private Investigations firm. “Thanks for calling, Duan. How’s the family?” He had attended both Duan’s and his brother Terrence’s weddings, and thought the women they married were special.
“Kim and I are okay. The kids are keeping us busy. Having a live-in nanny helps.”
Kim was a doctor, and Duan’s job as a private investigator meant some traveling, so Andrew could understand how valuable it would be to have someone they trusted to help out with their three kids. “I’m sure it does.”
“So, what do you need?”
Andrew spent the next few minutes outlining what Toni had told him. “There you have it. Something doesn’t sit right with me about the whole thing. It seems Gilmore deliberately pushed the narrative so the focus would be on Toni’s handling of the hostage situation, instead of whatever had pushed his son over the edge in the first place.”
“You might be right. I will find out what we can. It will probably be a few weeks, though, before you hear from me.”
“That’s fine.”
After ending the call with Duan, Andrew decided to heat up some leftovers for dinner, while trying to ignore the excitement he felt in the pit of his stomach at the thought of seeing Toni tomorrow. He hadn’t had ulterior motives for offering his help. Really.
He thought about their conversation after leaving that hostage situation. He had confided in her things about himself he had never shared with any woman, and she had shared things about herself. At least he now knew why she had never wanted anything serious. But she had said she’d found closure with her father. Did that mean she was open to a relationship now?
Tomorrow he would help her out with the boxes and then leave. And he wouldn’t mention anything to her about hiring Duan’s PI firm to dig into what had happened to her in