In Dark Waters (14 page)

"Kelsey!" Tammy cooed. "Good to see you again."

Tammy wore a pink maternity top with a ruffled collar. Bill, who'd been on the football team, had traded his muscled abs for a paunch. His once electric-blue eyes had dulled.

"Hey," Kelsey said, hoping that would be the end of their conversation.

Bill straightened his shoulders and sucked in his stomach a fraction. "Kelsey Warren, is that you?"

She stopped, not sure why she even bothered. "One and the same."

Tammy handed Kelsey a flyer. "I guess you won't be around in November when we have the election, but what the heck."

Kelsey glanced down at the pamphlet in her hand. Reelect Garrett hovered over a headshot of Mitch that stared back up at her. "Thanks."

"Good picture of him, don't you think?" Bill said. "I took it."

"Really?" It was a "grip and grin" shot and Mitch looked as if he'd been backed up against a wall and was about to be shot.

"I'm not a professional like you, but I like to dabble. Folks say my stuff is good."

"Oh, great."

Bill's gaze traveled up and down her body. "I gotta say, you look great, Kelsey."

Tammy glanced at her husband. Her eyes narrowed, and she wrapped her arm possessively around her husband. "Hey, Kelsey, take a picture of us."

"Oh sorry, my battery just died," she lied.

"Too bad," Billy said. "So what kind of camera is that?"

Before she could answer, Tammy said, "So, Kelsey, how long are you staying in town?"

"I don't know. A few weeks, maybe."

"That's all?" Tammy said. "I'd think you'd at least stick around for your mother's funeral."

Kelsey didn't reply, pretending she hadn't heard and hoping Tammy would get the hint and back off.

Tammy didn't get the hint. "So what brings you to the fair? Kind of a family type of affair."

Ah, there was the old Tammy Kelsey knew and loved. "Just killing time."

Kelsey half expected Tammy to toss a mutilated Kewpie doll at her. The sneaky stuff had been her style back in high school.

"We bad pennies show up were you least expect it. Like Kewpie dolls."

Tammy's sharp gaze clouded with confusion. She recovered her fangs. "Yeah, but why bother with a
family
event like this?"

Kelsey shrugged, her easy grin warring with the knot in her stomach. Before she could speak, Mitch strode up.

Mitch stood next to Kelsey, his shoulder brushing hers. "Kelsey is joining my family tonight, Tammy."

Tammy's satisfied grin melted. "Oh."

Kelsey glanced at Mitch. Where the devil had he come from? Seeing Tammy taken down a peg was worth having Mitch come to her rescue. "It's been ages since I've seen the Garretts. I'm looking forward to catching up," Kelsey said.

Tammy's eyes hardened. "It sounds lovely."

Bill winked at Kelsey. "Any time you want to stop by the booth and help hand out flyers, feel free."

This night was getting better and better. "Sure."

Irritated she'd gotten herself into this small-town drama, Kelsey started to walk away. Mitch fell in step behind her.

"You look like you could eat nails," he said. Laughter laced his words.

"I could."

"You're heading in the wrong direction."

She didn't even glance up at him. "This is the way back to Ruth's."

"My family is over there."

"Well, then you best run along and join them."

"I thought you were joining us."

She stopped in front of a Soft Serve Ice Cream truck and looked up at him. "I appreciate you bailing me out there with the Queen of the Damned and her husband, but I don't do the family thing."

He leaned toward her a fraction. "Then why come at all?"

"I don't know. Stu needed cheering up." She spotted Stu by the Dixieland band. He was clapping and singing along with a friend. "But he looks like he's having a good time and doesn't need me anymore."

"Good, then you can spend time with my bunch." He cupped his hand over her elbow and leaned closer so that his lips were close to her ear. "Besides, it'll drive Tammy nuts."

A firm no was on the tip of Kelsey's tongue when she glanced up and saw Tammy with a handful of leaflets headed their way.

"Sold," Kelsey said.

Norman Rockwell couldn't have painted a better family picture.

The Garrett clan was gathered under an old oak tree on a collection of blankets and patchwork quilts. There had to be a dozen children, from ages one to sixteen, running around. The littlest one, a towheaded boy, had his mother shadowing him as he toddled about. When he stumbled she scooped him up and kissed him on the cheek. Giggling, the child arched his back, anxious to be set down again.

Kelsey's heart tightened.

Mitch's hand touched her lightly on the elbow, drawing her gaze up to his. "That's my sister Caitlin and the Tasmanian Devil she's chasing is Robbie. He just turned a year old."

Caitlin shared Mitch's dark hair and her blue eyes sparked with curiosity as she glanced between the two of them. "Hey, guys."

Mitch winked at Robbie. "Caitlin, this is Kelsey."

"Good to meet you," Caitlin said, as if she genuinely meant it. "Mitch says you'll be joining us for dinner."

When had he said that? "Oh, right. Thanks for having me."

"The more, the merrier," Caitlin said. Robbie arched again. "I better let this fellow burn some steam. Hopefully, he'll run out of gas soon. Then I can rejoin the adult population and have a civilized conversation."

Kelsey laughed.

The news of Kelsey's arrival washed over the group like a wave. She and Mitch had barely taken steps when they were surrounded by all the Garretts. She met Mitch's oldest sister, Brenda, mother to Jeff and Rick; his two younger brothers, Quinn and Redmond, both home on leave from the Navy; and his youngest sister, Anne.

When all the siblings, nieces and nephews had been introduced, Mitch's parents moved from their post at the grill.

Mr. Garrett was as tall as Mitch and his shoulders just as broad. His black hair had thinned but he remained trim. He wore an apron that said Reelect Garrett. Mrs. Garrett was almost as tall as her husband. She was dressed in crisp white shorts and a blue denim shirt. Her salt-and-pepper hair complimented her blue eyes and olive skin.

"So who do we have here?" Mrs. Garrett said.

"Dad and Mom, this is Kelsey Warren."

Mrs. Garrett smiled warmly. "I was sorry to hear about your aunt and your mother."

For the first time, Kelsey felt as if the condolences were heartfelt. "Thanks, Mrs. Garrett."

"Oh, dear Lord, call me Sue. My mother-in-law is
Mrs
. Garrett."

Kelsey laughed.

Mr. Garrett held out his large hand and when she accepted it, he wrapped warm strong fingers around her hand. "Good to have you aboard, Kelsey. I'm Ken. As you can see, things get a little zooey around here so just dive in and make yourself at home."

Sue glanced at Kelsey's camera. "I hear you are a photographer."

"Yes, underwater shots mostly. But I always carry my camera with me."

"How do you like your burger?" Ken said.

"Medium," Kelsey said.

"Medium it is," Ken said flipping a burger onto the grill.

"Help yourself to sodas," Sue said. "There's a cooler by the picnic table."

Kelsey felt as if she'd been pulled into a current. "Please don't trouble yourselves."

Sue and Ken waved away her protests and returned to the grill.

"This is very kind of your parents to include me," Kelsey said.

"They like you," Mitch replied easily.

Kelsey didn't have time to react to that bit of news. A girl of about ten years old ran up to them. She had short dark hair and wore black soccer shorts and a T-shirt that said Designed For Soccer. "Hey, would you take my picture?"

Mitch raised an eyebrow. "This is my niece Morgan. Say hello before you start asking for favors, kid."

Morgan scrunched up her face at Mitch but when she faced Kelsey, she was all smiles. "Hello," the child said. "Could you take my picture, please?"

Kelsey smiled. "Sure." The girl smiled a wide gap-toothed grin and Kelsey snapped a couple of pictures. "Want to see what you look like?"

"Sure!"

Kelsey knelt down and flipped the switch on the back from Photo to View. A picture of the girl appeared. The child's eyes were closed. Kelsey scrolled through the five she'd taken, settling on the fourth which was the best.

"Hey, that's cool," Morgan said excitedly.

"When I can get to a photo shop, I'll make you a copy." Kelsey turned the camera off and stood.

The girl looked at her as if she'd just promised her the moon. "Thanks!"

"Don't worry about the photo," Mitch said. "She'll have forgotten about it tomorrow."

Kelsey tucked her camera back in its case. "I said I'd get the photo and I will."

He stared at her as if he were trying to see inside her brain. She sensed a tenderness there that made her very uncomfortable.

"So are you here in an official capacity?" she asked. She hated silence and always did her best to fill it.

"It's every man or woman on deck during this event. It's crowded tonight, but tomorrow will be a crush when the day-trippers come in from D.C. for the art show."

He reached in the cooler and pulled out two sodas. "Diet or regular?"

"Regular."

He handed her the can and kept the diet for himself. "Our biggest problems are traffic, drunks and the occasional fight."

Kelsey popped the tab and took a sip. "Sounds pretty routine."

"After this last week, routine suits me just fine."

"Any word on the other body?"

"The medical examiner says female, mid-thirties at death and in the water about five years. But there's nothing else. The body had been stripped clean of all clothing and identification."

She circled the rim of the soda can with her fingertip. "Someone didn't want her identified."

"No. They sure didn't."

Two five-year-old boys ran past them, shooting water guns at each other. The children squealed with reckless excitement.

Mitch shook his head. "Today isn't about murders. And I promised myself I'd keep it light when I saw you."

She thought about mentioning the Kewpie doll with the blackened eyes sitting on her porch. A chill slithered through her veins. She decided to keep it to herself. Mitch had enough on his plate; he didn't need to worry about some sick prank that most likely meant nothing. "Sounds like a solid plan."

"So are you up for a burger? I've got to eat ahead of the crew so I can get back to work."

"Sounds good." Excitement she'd not felt in years thrummed through her veins. Her first urge was to tamp it down, but then she decided to savor it. Tomorrow, the fairy tale would end, but for tonight she would go with the flow.

They got their burgers from Ken and sat at the picnic table. Kelsey bit into the burger and discovered it was delicious.

"So where's your next assignment?" Mitch said.

"As a matter of fact, I had an offer to go to Bali yesterday."

"And?" She couldn't read his reaction.

"I turned it down. There are just too many unresolved questions here that I want to see through."