were impatiently waiting. Both men were going to be surprised by what they’d managed to discover in so short a time. They would listen to what Headley had to say before revealing anything, just to see how truthful he would be. That would determine if a plea deal was plausible. Search warrants had been issued. The only thing missing was the necklace, and they were hoping Headley would be able to at least provide its location.
An hour and a half later, Andrew and Toni had walked out of the meeting feeling like they’d really accomplished something. A tentative plea deal had been reached. Once they’d told Headley what they had on him, his attorney had advised the guy that it would be in his best interest to cooperate. Andrew figured the thought of a double homicide charge would definitely open a pair of locked jaws.
It was after eight Friday night when Andrew and Toni finally left work. Their investigation was complete, and they were ready to file charges. The District Attorney in charge of their case, would make a special trip into the office on Saturday morning to sign off on everything.
They decided to spend the night at Andrew’s house again. It had been a very busy week, but they were experiencing that inner excitement a detective felt whenever they’d solved a case. This week, while working together, they’d done more than connect the dots.
Like the night before, they showered together, and when they got into bed, Drew held her in his arms. There was nothing more to talk about, as far as the case was concerned. Today had been draining, and they knew tomorrow would be even more tiring. But solving this case—and finding justice for Maria—was worth everything they were putting into it. This was why they’d joined the force in the first place.
So instead, they talked about Sheppard Granger’s upcoming party and how happy Drew was that Toni would go with him. He had been telling her more, bits and pieces about his parents and the reasons he’d fallen in with the wrong crowd when he was younger.
“Did you ever find closure with your parents, Drew?”
He did not say anything for a moment, but continued to lovingly stroke the side of her face. Finally, he said, “I didn’t need closure with my mom. I know how hard she worked putting food on the table. My only disappointment, which I’ve now gotten over, was that she’d loved that useless man so much that she’d put up with his crap.”
Toni saw Drew’s jaw tighten. “My father wasn’t worthy of Mom’s love, Toni. I know you might think the same thing about your father, but at least he put a roof over your head, kept food on the table, and made your mother satisfied with the way things were, even if she wasn’t totally happy with them. At least your father provided for his family.”
Toni didn’t say anything because what he’d said was true. She and her mother never went without. They had a roof over their head, lived in a nice community, and her mother always drove a nice car. Sure, those things were only material, but there had been other instances. When she’d wanted to be a dancer, she’d been signed up for classes. And when she needed extra help in certain classes, private tutors had been made available. And her father had spent a lot of time with her and her mother, even though he was married.
Toni could clearly remember her mother’s reaction every time Antonio Oliver would walk through the door. She’d been happy...at least her father was around. However, finding out he was willing to choose his other family over her and Toni had been more than her mother could handle.
Like she’d told Drew, she had gone to visit her father in Philadelphia before moving here. Seeing him after all those years made her realize the hell he’d been going through since her mother’s death. Guilt had beaten him down. He looked worn, tired. He was still handsome, but she could see the pain in his eyes. She’d also seen the tears.
After talking to him, she’d come to accept something else. Finally. He had loved her mother in his own way. In fact, he had told his wife that he wanted a divorce. He intended to marry her mother, and he was going to tell her mother on Christmas Day. But by then, it was too late. Toni’s grandfather had called to tell him what