The Reckoning (11 page)

“I take it Abby filled you in? Pick him up and wait until I get there to question him.”

“I’m not sure we can wait. When I sent in my report about the blue stuff Abby found, my boss flew down. I’ll stall him as long as I can, but the impatient bastard isn’t going to wait to question him.” Thompson disconnected the call.

Mike drove toward Emma and Jake’s house, a route
Elizabeth
was becoming all too familiar with. “Why are we going to Emma’s?”

“Jake’s house is better equipped than
Fort
Knox
. You’ll be safe there.”

Elizabeth
turned in her seat. “Wait. You actually caught him on video this time?”

Mike took
Elizabeth
’s hand in his, threading his fingers through hers. “Yes, baby. We caught him. This is all going to be over soon.” Mike lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I promise.”

Elizabeth
couldn’t believe the words she’d longed to hear. Her eyes teared at the thought this might finally be over. She might actually get to live a normal life. No more running, maybe even a family. The professor had screwed up royally this time. She was pressing charges. He might not do any time, but at least now, she could prove he’d been the one all along.
Elizabeth
sank back into the leather seat and let out a breath. “Thank god.”

Mike glanced in her direction; the tenderness in his gaze amazed her. How could she have thought he was anything less than perfect?

****

Mike pulled into Emma’s house and got out of the SUV, grabbing
Elizabeth
’s bag. Jake stood on the porch waiting and took the black bag out of Mike’s hands. “I’ve got her Mike. Go see what you can find out.”

Mike nodded and turned toward
Elizabeth
, pulling her into his embrace. He pressed his lips to hers and gave her a soul-searing kiss before he removed his lips and rested his forehand on hers. “I’ll be back soon, baby. Just make yourself at home.”

Mike let her go, it was the last thing he wanted to do, but he did it just the same. He had a job to do and was going to enjoy taking the egotistical professor down. Mike hopped in his SUV, and drove away. He glanced up at the rearview mirror and noticed
Elizabeth
standing on the porch watching as he left. If he had someone like her to come home to every day, it would be worth it to be extra careful. Mike shook his head.
Where the hell did that thought come from?

Mike had broken just about every speeding law there was to get to the precinct in time for the questioning. He’d hoped he wasn’t too late. He jumped out of his vehicle and took the steps two at a time. Mike burst through the door and hurried down the hall. He’d just placed his hand on the knob and was ready to turn it when a hand stopped him.

“You’re too late.”

Mike spun around to find Abby standing behind him. “What do you mean I’m too late? This guy is mine.”

Abby shook her head. “Not today he’s not. The FBI is claiming dibs; seems this guy is important to getting information on the blue stuff. I don’t know what else they’ve found out, but we’ve been banned.”

Mike stomped to his office with Abby on his heels and turned when he entered his office. “At least tell me they’re charging him for what he did to
Elizabeth
. If this guy walks, I swear I’ll kill him myself.”

Abby plopped down in one of the leather chairs on the opposite side of his desk. She reached over, grabbed his stress ball, and threw it at him. “It’s like we’re in a holding pattern. We take one step forward with finding out some answers and we’re yanked two steps back.”

“This sucks.” Mike threw the ball across the room, hitting his wall. A cloud of white dust puffed out from the object.

“I’m glad that wasn’t my head,” Thompson said from the doorway.

Mike spun around. “I thought you were going to stall them.”

Thompson held up his hands. “I did as long as I could. I couldn’t help it that my boss walked in to see me putting the man in cuffs and leading him to the interrogation room.”

Mike crossed his arms over his chest. “What do we do now?”

Thompson glanced both ways down the hall. “It’s going to be awhile. I hear he has information on Winters. Just go to Jake’s and have dinner like we all planned, and I’ll be there when I can to give you an update.”

“This is bull.” Mike stormed out of his office and back out of the precinct, knowing there was nothing he could say or do that would change the fact he didn’t have access to the professor.

Despite his frustration, Mike arrived back at Emma’s with a renewed outlook. On the drive over, he’d calmed down and come to grips with the fact that he’d get his chance at the professor. He’d make sure he’d have a “special” talk with the guy before this guy ever even left the station. If fists were involved, he could live with that.

Mike stepped into Emma’s house, and the smell of lasagna drifted to his nose. He followed the smell and voices that carried through the air and headed toward the kitchen, where he knew he’d find the rest of his family.

Emma stood over the stove checking the lasagna she had just pulled from the oven. Jake, John, Butch, and Briggs were out in the back, tossing a football back and forth. Lily was in her bassinet by the table, sound asleep, and then there were Elizabeth and Claire, cutting vegetables for the salad they were preparing. Mike leaned against the door jamb and listened to the two interact. There was no tension, just two women having a good time talking as they cooked. He couldn’t have asked for anything more from the women he cared about.

Emma was still bent over the oven, cutting into the noodles. “Well, don’t just stand there. Come in here and tell us what happened,” she hollered over her shoulder.

Elizabeth
’s hands stilled from cutting the veggies, and she looked up and visibly swallowed. The apprehension in her eyes was going to kill him. When he broke the news, he didn’t know how she’d react. Just like he didn’t know how she was going to react to finding out the truth about him and his sisters.

Mike went around the table and kissed
Elizabeth
on her forehead. He guessed there was no time like the present. “Emma, you mind calling the guys in?”

Elizabeth
glanced back at Emma and nodded. If his little doctor hadn’t figured out they told each other everything, she was about to find out. Emma tapped on the glass above the sink and motioned for them to come in.

Jake came in and went straight to Emma, pulling her in for a hug and a long kiss. Next Butch walked over the threshold. He stopped to ruffle John’s hair, and he was followed by the ever-silent Briggs.

“Soon we’ll have enough people to play a real game of football,” Jake said.

He glanced around and noticed Mike. “Where’s Abby and Sam?”

“They’re at the station. Abby and Sam should be on their way, but Thompson might be awhile.”

Jake gave him a knowing look. The silent communication between him and his old military buddy was just as effective as the one between his sisters. One look, one glance, and they knew the news wasn’t going to be good. Jake grabbed the food from the counter and carried it over to the table. “Should we wait on them to get here?”

John grabbed the spoon and started dishing out a healthy portion of lasagna. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not waiting on my mom and dad to get here. They knew what time dinner was, and if there isn’t any left, it’s their own fault.”

Emma swatted John on the back of the head. “Don’t they feed you at college?”

John looked up at his Aunt Emma. “Aunt Emma, no one at that college cooks like you and Aunt Claire.”

Emma smiled at John and kissed the top of his head. “You’re forgiven; dig in.”

Mike glanced at
Elizabeth
as she pushed the food around her plate, never taking a bite. He needed to tell her; maybe it would lift her mood and give her back her appetite.

“Well, we caught the professor slashing
Elizabeth
’s tires at the hospital, and he’s in custody.”

Elizabeth
sat her fork down. “And? What did he say?”

Mike glanced down at his plate before looking up into her eyes. “The feds were questioning him. They wouldn’t let me in to talk to him.”

Elizabeth
’s brow creased. “Why would the feds be questioning some professor for slashing my tires? I don’t get it.”

Butch’s face contorted, reflecting the anger Mike felt. “Neither do I.” Butch pulled his phone from his clip. “Do I need to make some phone calls?”

Mike turned his gaze toward his friend. “Thompson is there. He said he’d fill us in when he got here.”

John took a sip of his water, put his glass down, and cleared his throat. “Um... Dr. Lister, can I ask you a question?”

She turned her gaze to the youngest of their clan, Abby’s son. “Sure, John, but you can call me Elizabeth.”

Mike took a sip of his beer.

John’s face flushed. “I know this is going to sound weird, but have you ever had red hair?”

Mike covered his mouth with his hand and tried to swallow the liquid that had almost escaped with a cough. Out of all the questions in the world, why had John asked that? There was only one redhead that Mike knew, well, knew of anyway, but none of the rest of his family would have.

Elizabeth
patted Mike on the back. “Are you all right?”

He nodded and used the napkin to swipe at his mouth.

Elizabeth
glanced back at John. “No, why do you ask?”
Elizabeth
placed her hands in her lap and smiled at John.

“I’ve been having my dreams again. I told Mom and Sam about them, and this time the woman in trouble is a redhead.”

Everyone at the table stilled and turned their eyes to John. “I only have them when someone is in trouble, kind of like Aunt Emma’s gift, but while I’m sleeping.”

Emma lowered her head and shook it before she lifted her gaze to
Elizabeth
. “I’m sure Mike was going to tell you tonight, but we might as well go ahead and do it now.”

John’s eyes widened. “Oh crap, I’m sorry, Aunt Emma. I thought she knew.”

Emma smiled at John and patted his hand. “It’s okay, John. Mike was going to tell her anyway; this just kind of speeds things up.”

CHAPTER 10

Mike grabbed
Elizabeth
’s hand and squeezed. Concern filled everyone’s eyes. She felt like they were about to drop a big bomb on her, one that had the ability to alter things in her little world. Did she really want to know what they were talking about or was the thought of ignorant bliss enough for her to let it go?

Elizabeth
turned to Mike. “What exactly were you going to tell me?” She looked up at Emma. “And exactly what type of gift is John talking about?”

Yep, she couldn’t stand it. She had to know. Maybe it was the doctor slash scientist in her, but there was a question she would never have the answer to if she didn’t ask, so she had.

“I’m sorry,
Elizabeth
; I was going to tell you everything tonight.”

Elizabeth
pulled her hand from his and put it in her lap. “Tell me now, Mike. I feel like an outsider that’s missing the inside joke.”

Mike’s eyes strayed from hers to her lips and back up. “It’s kind of hard to explain, so just hear me out before you say anything.”

Elizabeth
nodded.

“My sisters and I have special gifts.” Mike gestured to Emma. “Emma gets feelings when one of us is in trouble. She’s described it as PMS on steroids.”

Elizabeth
looked over at Emma who nodded. “There’s also the ability to see Momma Mae.”

“Momma who?”

“Momma Mae, she’s a ghost that likes to talk in riddles and only shows up when it suits her. And she’s been absent for the last few days.” Emma turned to Jake. “You haven’t seen her, have you?”

Elizabeth
swung her gaze to Jake. “You can see her too?”

Jake nodded. “She showed herself to me when Emma was in trouble over a year ago. She’s been around every since, except recently.”

Elizabeth
knew her mouth hung open. Dead people, PMS, and dreams. The scientist in her wanted them to prove it.

Elizabeth
glanced to Claire. “What’s yours?”

Claire wiped her mouth with her napkin and folded it. She placed her elbows on the table. “I can read minds but don’t worry, dear. I’ve never read yours.”

Elizabeth
knew her eyes were about to bug out of her head. There was no way these people were telling her the truth. Emma and John couldn’t prove their gift, but she’d make Claire prove hers. “Prove it. Tell me what I’m thinking.”