all of them when they go home?”
“Sure I do. Especially now that Miranda’s home is all the way in New York. But . . . I’m happy they’ve made their own lives. It means I did a good job, I guess.”
She took Cate’s gritty-with-sand hand, began to cross the beach toward the rise of stone steps carved into the bluff.
“And I’m going to have you and your dad around.”
“We’re going to live in your guesthouse for a while.”
“That’s going to be fun. We can work on meeting our goal of finishing a million jigsaw puzzles.”
“Daddy said I could write down the things I want from the other house, and I don’t have to keep everything. When we get a new house, we can get new things. So it’s just ours.”
“What’s first on the list?”
“My stuffed animals. I can’t leave them. He said I can pick some of them to go to Ireland, too, because we’re going to go and help Nan be settled.”
“You’re going to be a big help to her.”
Lily saw the lights starting to glimmer, inside, along the paths, around the terraces. And tried not to think of the panic, the outright fear she’d felt at the same time the day before.
She gave the hand in hers a quick squeeze, just to feel it.
Then that hand tightened in hers. “Somebody’s coming. A car’s coming.”
Maybe she felt a flutter of fresh panic, too, but Lily only smiled. “Girl, you’ve got ears like a bat. There’s a gate,” she said in that same easy tone. “Your grandpa won’t let anybody in unless he knows them.”
Tugging her hand free, Cate ran up the stones until she could see. “It’s the sheriff’s car! It’s okay, G-Lil, it’s the sheriff.”
Was it okay? Lily wondered as she followed Cate up. Would it ever be okay again?
CHAPTER SEVEN
By the time Lily caught up with Cate—the kid could move!—Cate stood at the top sweep of the drive, waiting for the car. She put an arm around Cate’s shoulders, felt the trembling.
“Let’s go inside, sweets.”
“I want to know.” Trembling or not, the words came fierce. “I don’t want to get sent away again. I want to know.”
She pulled away, marched right up to the car as it parked, blurted out the question as Red got out. “Did you catch them?”
He gave her steady look for steady look. “They’re in police custody. We’ll talk about it.”
The sound escaping Lily’s iron will was half sob, half gasp. When Cate turned to her, eyes wide and worried, she could only shake her head. “It’s all right. I’m all right. I’m just relieved. Just relieved. Let’s all go inside. It’s turning cold.”
She called out when Aidan opened the front door. “Have somebody put some coffee on, will you? And for God’s sake, somebody mix me a martini. A big one.”
“Are they in jail? Are they going to get out? Are they—”
“Slow down, tiger. I wouldn’t say no to coffee,” Red said to Lily. “I’d appreciate if we could talk to everybody at once, as we need to get back.”
“Of course. I’ll round them up. Most of us had to get back home, so it’s just my husband and me, Aidan and Cate, Rosemary, Nina. You’ve had a long day, both of you,” she added as she escorted them in.
“I’d say everyone has.”
“Why don’t you sit down. The fire’s nice on a brisk evening. I think Rosemary’s upstairs, and—Oh, Nina, would you go up and tell Miss Rosemary the sheriff and deputy are here?”
“Right away. Oh, Caitlyn, you need to wash the sand off your hands.”
Hastily Cate wiped them on her jeans. “They’re fine. Please.”
Before she could insist, Lily tapped her own hand in the air behind Cate’s back.
“I’ll go tell Miss Rosemary, and get the coffee. Should I stay then?”
“I’d appreciate it if you would,” Red told her, and nodded as Aidan came in. “Sorry to intrude again.”
“Not at all. My father will be right in.” He searched Red’s face. “You have some news for us?”
“I do, and I hope it’ll give you some peace of mind.”
“They’re in custody. He said they were, but didn’t say how. I want to know—”
“Caitlyn Ryan.” The quiet warning from her father had her straining, but silent. “Can I take your coats?”
“We’re fine. We’re not going to take up too much of your time.” To get things rolling, Red sat, smiled at Cate. “Been down to the beach, have you?”
“I wanted to go outside. I like the beach.”
“It happens to be my favorite place in