Music City (28 page)

Shelly hugged her back.  “I’m happy you’re
my
sister, too.”

“Derek, did you tell Shelly and Dorothy that we have a lead on the brothers?” Alex asked his partner.

“You saw her when she got back from Pensacola. She’s starry-eyed, she’s so happy. So no, I haven’t told her. We aren’t sure they’re the right guys anyway, not till we go and take a look. The woman who answered the phone number we were given didn’t say yes or no when I asked her. She just said she’d take my number. Where did you get her number, anyway?”

Alex laughed, “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me anyway, but I have my ways.”  Derek smiled, “Your usual answer, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Alex wasn’t sure if Derek was teasing him, or serious so he decided to change the subject, “Hey, I’ve been meaning to tell you
, congrats on getting your license to practice law in Tennessee.  What made you do it?”

Derek shrugged, “Part of it was the conversation we had, it makes sense to utilize every asset we can.”

Alex wasn’t satisfied, “What other reason?”

“
We can save a ton of money, and I can also offer services to our clients, which could bring in more money. ”

“Okay, yeah, right… and?” Alex probed.

“And, I wanted to feel like I’m doing all I can with my life. You know, be all you can be.” Derek continued.

“That’s all fine Derek, if you’re planning on joining the Army next week, geez, c’mon, spill it.” 

“
You really don’t give up, do you, dude?” Derek replied. “Alright, I’ll level with you. You know I’m really getting kind of attached to Vani.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Alex
laughed.

“And she’s a successful agent. I guess I was just feeling a little inadequate,
I guess I want to bring something more to the table than just being a private eye, if things with Vani and I get serious. I know that probably sounds... oh, I don’t know, chauvinistic maybe, but I just feel like I need to have a little more going for me, with her. In a way, she’s a little intimidating.”

“We’re still talking about Vani Shepard, right? Vani, of the
Hello Kitty pajamas?  The same Vani that screamed like a little girl when she saw that lady bug on my sleeve?  The same Vani that laughs at your dumb jokes?  Intimidating? Are you kidding me? I’ve seen more intimidating bunny rabbits!” Alex teased.

“Maybe it’s just the thought of getting married again, that’s so intimidating.” Derek suddenly burst out.

“Married? Really? Are you
that
serious about all of this?”

“Not just yet, but the thought has crossed my mind a time or two, not anytime soon, but a couple of years down the road… maybe.”

Alex went back to his office, thinking not so much about the possible Taylor brothers, but about Shelly. She was on his mind a lot lately.

Alex hadn’t thought about women very much, not since his wife and
daughter were killed some years ago. Not seriously anyway. Jessica was a moment in time. He could have loved her, had he not had so many other issues in his life. Hiding from a killer, hiding from the FBI, hiding behind the books he wrote, hiding from himself. So, it came as a surprise to him that he thought so often of Shelly. She had crept up on him, irresistible, with her kindness and her big heart. He wondered if she ever thought of him.

The phone on his desk rang. Tracy was putting a call through to him. Unusual, he thought. Usually Tracy handled calls himself. He answered in his normal curt, businesslike manner. “Alex Howard.”

“Hi Alex,” said a soft voice he immediately recognized.

“Hello Shelly, how are you?”

“Fine, Alex, thanks. I can’t seem to get back down to earth since Pensacola. But, I’d like to ask if you’ve found anything on any of the other Taylor family members. Dorothy and I have been talking and we really are anxious to sort this entire issue out. We were thinking of…”

“Wait a minute, Shelly, let me ask you something. You have already established that this is not your family. Are you sure you want to become more involved in the lives of people who are not even related to you?”

“Alex, the same woman who raised me, raised them. And whether or not they want to see me makes no difference. It’s Dorothy who really needs to know, she needs closure. I want to do this for Dorothy, because she is truly my sister. Not of blood, I know, and she knows, but sometimes, blood doesn’t matter. Dorothy and I are sisters by choice. So yes, for Dorothy, I want to find Maye’s family.”

“I can understand that, Shelly... yes, I do understand. But, I want you to know ahead of time, this might not be as pretty as what you found with Lori and your parents.”

“I realize that Alex, believe me, I, more than anyone, realize what kind of people they might be.”

Alex knew that if he didn’t ask now, he might never. “Shelly, what are you doing for dinner tonight?”

“Dinner? Do you and Derek want to come over tonight to discuss this?”

“No, Shelly, just me. I’d like to take you to dinner.”

“Oh.”

A minute passed in silence, and Alex finally spoke up past the lump in his throat. “Just ‘Oh’?”

“No, uh, I mean, yes, Alex, I’d love to go to dinner with you. Thanks for asking. It was just a surprise, that’s all.”

“Then I’ll pick you up
around seven, and Shelly, let’s not talk business tonight, okay? Let’s relax and enjoy dinner, just the two of us.”

“Thank you, Alex. That would be very nice. I’ll see you then.”

Alex was grinning when he hung up the phone.

Alex made reservations for two for eight and he requested that a bottle of 2005 Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Reserve Moelleux, be chilled and waiting.  They were seated at a beautifully appointed corner table by a beautiful young woman who returned often to see to their every need.

Shelly took her first sip of wine and sighed, “Oh, that is so good, Alex. I’ve never had it before, I assume it’s French by the name, what part?”

Alex smiled, “It’s from  the Loire region in France, I used to enjoy their wines a lot, a million years ago.  I wanted to try it again, to see if it was still as good.”

Shelly smiled as she took another sip, “It is definitely good.”

From there, as far as Alex was concerned, as he sat on a flight to Port Columbus International Airport, the date had gone straight downhill.  As he continued to replay the events of the evening before in his mind, he realized that he really had not had much in the way of expectations and maybe that was part of the problem.  Maybe he was sending out mixed signals to Shelly, or maybe he and Shelly would be better off, just being friends? He liked Shelly, but he was certain that he did not want to date her lifestyle. Could Alex deal with all of the glitz and glamor, as private as he had always liked to be? He wasn’t sure.

The dinner at the quiet little restaurant
was lovely, but every time he and Shelly got deep into a conversation, someone would come along, either someone she knew, or someone who wanted to know her and requested her autograph. If he was being completely honest, he hadn’t enjoyed being interrupted so many times. Even when it was obvious that Shelly was eating, people still came to their table and talked. So many times she had to gulp down her bite of food to speak to them.

He had received word that Seth Taylor
was transferred to the London Correctional Facility, near Columbus, Ohio, and since London correctional also housed the State Crime Lab, overseen by the FBI, Alex had no difficulty in getting an appointment to see Mr. Taylor. Alex wasn’t sure what the point was, since both Harry and Seth’s DNA was in CODIS— Combined DNA Index System databank. Matching their DNA against Dorothy and Maye Taylor had not been difficult. Surprisingly enough, they did match Maye Taylor and each other, but did not match Dorothy. That fact only created a bigger puzzle for Alex to solve. Harry and Seth were Maye’s biological children, and Dorothy was also Maye’s biological child, but did not have the same father as the two boys—that fit with what Francine had told them. All of Maye’s children had different fathers.

Alex only hoped that Seth had some bit of information he could use, that might eventually lead him to where the other siblings might be
, it also helped confirm  the other family secret Francine  had shared her feelings on—Maye  switched Shelly, not her other children.

Seth Taylor turned out to be a more hardened criminal than Alex had expected. It
was like pulling teeth to get him to look him in the eye, much less talk. Finally, after clearing a pack of cigarettes for Seth, he leaned back in his chair cockily and met Alex’s gaze head on.

He still refused to answer most of Alex’s questions, but he did find out that the couple who raised Seth and Harry now lived near Cincinnati, Ohio. Walking out of the facility, Alex made arrangements from his cell to pay them a visit.

He really felt like he needed to shower, Seth had thoroughly given him the creeps. Even as an FBI agent, to find a criminal with such a level of coldness radiating off of them, or such empty eyes, was not as common as most people thought.

As Alex made his way down I-71 in his rented car, he took in the fall scenery. The trees were beautiful here. As he drove through the farmlands of southern central Ohio, he thought back to Baltimore, and the many drives he had made with his family in the fall, to look at leaves, and to pick up bushels of apples, apple cider and pumpkins at the farmer’s roadside markets. He came across a sign for such a stand near Wilmington, Ohio, and Alex took the exit and headed to Chester Farms. Alex walked around and silently enjoyed the fall scenery. He bought some apples and pumpkins to take back with him, though, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with them on the plane back to Nashville, he’d figure that out when the time came. He got back in the SUV, and as he drove through the field of corn ready to be harvested, he decided not to get back on the interstate just yet.

Wilmington was a quaint town, though, somewhat of a ghost town, with a lot of storefronts marked ‘closed’ or ‘out of business’. With a disconcerting wave of nostalgia, he drove by the college campus and admired the old buildings. Almost immediately, he noticed that Wilmington College was founded by Quakers, and reminisced that the closest ‘couple’ friends he and his wife had had in Baltimore had also been Quakers.

Just then, he realized why Wilmington seemed so familiar to him, at the funeral, Rob and Carol Becker told him they were moving so that Rob could take over his father’s practice back home in Wilmington. Alex remembered, because when Rob had said Wilmington, Alex had assumed Wilmington, North Carolina, but Rob had explained that it was actually a small town between Columbus and Cincinnati, right off of I-71. He glanced at his watch, it was just before three, he had time to find Rob’s office and pay a visit.

A stop at a gas station was all he needed. Of course, the attendant there knew where Dr. Becker’s office was and gave Alex directions right to the clinic. When he entered the office, it was quite full of coughing children and adults. Alex wasn’t sure Rob would have time to see him, and almost turned around and left, thinking this was a bad idea. However, just as he was about to turn from the receptionist’s window, Rob came to the front office, glanced up and saw him.

“Alex?” Rob broke into a huge grin. “Alex, what in the world are you doing here, buddy?” Rob came through the door and embraced Alex in a bear hug. “It is so good to see you!”

Alex smiled, “Rob, it is really good to see you, too. I had business in Columbus that led to business in Cincinnati, and when I saw the Wilmington exit, something told me to stop. As I was driving, it hit me that you and Carol were here.”

Rob couldn’t stop smiling, “Okay, man. I am taking you hostage! Hang around for about an hour, I’ll be finished. Carol is going to go through the roof when she sees you.”

Alex glanced around at all the patients. “Are you sure you have time to see me?”

Rob smiled, “That’s what my partner is for. I’ve got a few I need to see myself, but my partner can handle the rest. Just hang tight.”

Rob slapped Alex on the back, “It is so good to see you. Come on, you can wait in my office.” While Alex was waiting for Rob, a text came through. The short message was from Shelly and simply said, “I hope you’re having a good day. Hugs.” Alex leaned his head back against the chair and a huge grin split his face for the first time in a long, long while.

***

A little while later, as Alex followed Rob to his home, he thought back to all of the dinners he and Laura, his wife, had shared with Rob and Carol. They were close friends for more than ten years. He felt guilty that he had shut everyone out of his life after Laura and Annie’s murder, but he hadn’t known what else to do, he was consumed by the grief and the guilt.

Alex realized the grief was still there, though the guilt had subsided—he knew there was nothing he could have done to prevent their murders or to protect them. That
was a hard realization, but he knew it was true. The grief was easier to manage now, though it had come back with a vengeance, after he stopped drinking. He had since come to the realization that he wasn’t thinking about them every second of every day. He still thought about them a lot, especially Annie, when he saw a teenager about her age, or the age she would have been, but the grief was manageable now, something he never thought would happen.