When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,4
we climbed into my truck since Joe had installed Ashley and Mikey’s car seats in the back the night before.
He insisted on driving, and ordinarily I would have protested, but my stomach was so huge it nearly touched the steering wheel. Besides, I was tired. I decided to save my energy for the kids.
When Joe pulled in next to Mike’s truck in the driveway, the state of Mike’s house caught me by surprise. He was usually the tidy type, but the yard needed to be cut and the landscaping looked overgrown. All of the blinds and curtains were shut.
An uneasy feeling twisted inside of me.
“Something’s off, Joe,” I said as I reached for the door handle.
He gave the house a long look, shifting into chief deputy mode. “Maybe you should wait in the truck, Rose.”
“I’m not waiting in the truck. I’m going to get my niece and nephew.” Mike had finally relented, and I wasn’t about to let him change his mind. And if I saw any evidence he wasn’t taking care of those kids, I would find a way to help them. Legal or not.
Before Joe could reply, I pushed the door open and slid off the seat. I was about to close the door, but Muffy jumped out and immediately peed in the yard.
Smart girl.
“Rose,” Joe protested as he met me at the hood.
“I realize Mike is irritated with me, but he’s not gonna hurt me. Especially with you here.”
Joe’s grim look suggested he wasn’t appeased, but he didn’t stop me either. Instead, he followed me to the front door. Muffy trotted along next to my feet. She didn’t seem overly concerned, just curious. As crazy as it seemed, I trusted her. She was a great judge of character and great at assessing dangerous situations.
I knocked on the front door while Joe stood at the bottom of the steps and glanced around the yard. When no one came to the door after a few seconds, I knocked again.
“They’re not home?” Joe asked, turning his attention to me.
“That doesn’t make sense. Mike’s truck is here.” Was he hiding inside, pretending not to hear me knocking? I didn’t see how—Ashley would have been running to the door.
“Maybe they took a walk,” Joe said, climbing the steps to stand next to me. “It is a nice day.”
“Maybe,” I said, but I wasn’t buying it. Something was off.
I knocked on the front door again, more insistent this time. “Mike. It’s Rose. I’m here to pick up the kids.”
“Maybe they’re in the backyard,” Joe said when no one answered the door after a few more seconds.
“Maybe…” I said as dread burrowed in my gut.
I walked down the porch steps, shooting a scowl at Joe as he reached up to take my hand and help me down.
“I’m perfectly capable of walkin’ down steps, Joe Simmons,” I snapped.
“Can you even see your feet?”
That was beside the point.
When I reached the bottom, we were about to walk around to the back when the front door finally opened, and Mike appeared in the barely-there crack.
“The kids are sick,” he said. “They can’t see you tonight.”
I almost called him a liar, but the fact that he didn’t look so well himself stopped me. Dark circles underscored his eyes, and his face was pale.
“What’s wrong with them?” Joe asked, wrapping an arm around my back and resting his hand on my hip.
“The flu,” Mike said, his gaze darting to the street then back to us.
“Are you sick?” I asked. “Do you want me to get you anything?”
“No,” he said so quickly it was obvious he was trying to get rid of us. That and his darting glances added to my suspicion that there was more to the situation than he was saying. “We’re fine.”
I took a step toward the porch. “Maybe I should come in and check on them.”
“No,” both men said at once.
Joe grabbed my wrist and held me in place. “You can’t go in there, Rose. You can’t risk gettin’ the flu.”
He was right, but Mike wasn’t being truthful with us. I glanced down at Muffy, but she sat at my feet, looking at Mike. Normally, she’d be trying to run in and see the kids.
What was holding her back?
“Are your parents helping?” I asked.
“No,” Mike said, “I don’t want them to get sick either.”
“You’re sure we can’t get you anything?” I asked.
“No,” Mike said in a broken voice, then shut the door, leaving me a lot more worried than when he’d opened it.