Karen Rose - I’m Watching You

Mia laughed. „No, ma’am. I’m Detective Mia Mitchell, Abe’s new partner.“

His mother looked even more worried. „You’re his partner?“

Mia chuckled, apparently taking no offense. „Don’t worry. He’s safe with me.“

Spinnelli nodded his reassurance. „Mia takes care of her own.“

Still doubtful, she moved to the door. „Well, then, I’ll leave you to your meeting, now.“

Abe watched Mia heaping casserole on a dangerously full paper plate and growling at Jack, who backed away, hands held up in surrender. „I’ll walk you downstairs, Mom.“

His mother waited until she got to the bottom of the stairs. „So who was the other one, the one with the white coat?“

„She’s the medical examiner.“ Abe had to chuckle at the look on his mother’s face. „I’m sure she washed her hands before she left the morgue.“

„Oh, my.“ She shrugged. „Well, I suppose someone has to do it. So what about your new partner?“ She looked up at him through her lashes. „She’s cute.“

Abe laughed. „Cut it out, Mom. You don’t want her thinking about me that way. She’ll get all befuddled and won’t be watching for the bad guys.“

His mom grinned. „You’ve got a point there. You’ll bring back all the dishes?“

„On Sunday when I come for ham, if not sooner.“

„Ah, you’ve talked to Sean.“ Her smile dimmed. „Then you know.“

He knew. He’d managed to push it to the back of his mind, but the thought had nagged him all day. Now the thought of seeing Jim and Sharon slid to the front of his mind and his stomach twisted. He and Debra’s parents had never been on friendly terms, but their relationship had deteriorated to litigiously hostile by the end of his wife’s life. He squeezed his mom’s arm. „Don’t worry. I promise I won’t ruin the christening for Sean and Ruth.“

„I didn’t think you would, Abe. I just didn’t want you blindsided.“

No, she wouldn’t. Faithful to her children to the bitter end was his mother. And he loved her for it. „Consider me warned.“ He dropped a kiss on her cheek. „Thanks for dinner, Mom. I’ll drop by as soon as I can.“

She pressed her palms against his face, keeping him in the slight bow that put him in her reach. „I’m so glad you’re in a new job,“ she whispered fiercely.

„I know.“

„I worried about you every day.“

She was the wife of a career cop, the mother of two cops. She knew the danger and lived with it, but the undercover work had taken a toll on his family, and he knew it. Early in his undercover career, he’d chanced visits home once a month, but the deeper under he went, the further apart his visits became. The last time he’d risked a trip home had been the night Debra died. A full year ago. In secret, under cover of darkness. But all that was over now. As of this week, he could go home whenever he chose. „I know, Mom. But I’m fine. Really.“

Her hands didn’t budge, and his neck started to develop a cramp from bending so awkwardly, but he made no move to straighten. „I hope I didn’t embarrass you too much by coming down tonight. I just couldn’t seem to help myself.“

„I love you, Mom. You did a wonderful thing.“ Her eyes glinted and he grinned to break the solemnity. „But you probably don’t want to make it a habit. It’ll be like feeding a stray – you’ll never get rid of them.“

She laughed shakily and released him, then pointed at the window to the street. „Abe, help that woman. She’s too small to be carrying such a load.“

Kristen was trying to open the door with one hand, the other grasping at a large paper bag, and he remembered her errand. Dinner from the diner. He hoped she wouldn’t mind refrigerating it. He doubted anyone would be hungry after finishing his mother’s food. That anyone would choose diner food over his mom’s home cooking never even entered his mind. Quickly opening the door, he plucked the bag from her hands. „I’ll take that.“

Kristen rolled her shoulders. „Thanks. It didn’t seem that heavy when Owen was carrying it out to my car.“ She glanced over to where his mother waited expectantly for an introduction, then glanced back, her brows lifted in question.

„Kristen, this is my mother, Becca Reagan. Mom, this is Kristen Mayhew. She works in the prosecutor’s office.“

His mother eyed Kristen up and down. „You look taller on television,“ she said.

Kristen smiled politely. „You’re the first person to ever say that. Thank you.“

„Some days I’d like to smack that woman reporter, teach her some manners.“

Kristen’s smile wanned from polite to sincere. „What a kind thing to say, Mrs. Reagan. Most days I want to do the same.“

„My daughter wants to be a lawyer,“ she said thoughtfully.

„Annie?“ Abe asked in surprise.

„No, not Annie,“ his mother returned with a frown. „Annie’s got a career. Rachel. Keep up, Abe.“

„Rachel can’t want to be a lawyer. She’s just a little girl.“ His parents’ late-life surprise. Actually, more of a shock. There were twenty-two years between himself and his youngest sister, so she was more like a daughter to them all.

„Rachel’s thirteen,“ his mother pointed out sharply.

„And you’d do well to remember it on her birthday come May. No silly stuffed animals this year, she’s grown out of it.“

Abe huffed in frustration. Rachel couldn’t be thirteen. It just wasn’t possible. Thirteen meant makeup and boys and… boys. He shuddered at the very thought. He and his little sister needed to have a talk. „Then what does she want for her birthday?“

„Cash.“ She turned back to Kristen. „She’s talking about being a lawyer like you.“

Kristen’s eyes widened. „Like me?“

„Sure. She sees you on the TV. Would you be willing to have a chat with her?“

Kristen’s mouth curved in amusement and Abe’s breath caught in his throat at the sight. It was impish and fun and not like any expression that had crossed her face so far. „You want me to talk her out of it, Mrs. Reagan?“

„I don’t know. Should I?“

Kristen shrugged. „Some days yes, some days no. But I’d be glad to talk with her. Your son has my office number.“

Your son . It rang of the same formality she’d used in addressing him all day, since last night. It was starting to annoy him. He had a first name, dammit. She called Mia and Jack and Marc by their first names. It was a damn courtesy. „We need to be going, Mom. They’re waiting for us to start the meeting. Be careful driving home.“

His mother blinked at his brusque tone. „I will. Don’t forget to return my dishes.“ With a wave she was gone.

Kristen looked up at him warily. „What dishes?“

„Dinner plans have changed. Mom brought a little snack.“

Kristen started up the stairs, unbuttoning her coat. „How little of a snack?“

„How does fried chicken strike you as a breakfast meal?“

She shrugged. „Like normal.“

Thursday, February 19,

7:15 p.m.

Spinnelli was just scraping the last morsel from his plate when they came in. „I was about to send a search party.“

„Not me.“ Mia licked her fork. „If you never came back, there’d be more for me.“

„Did you leave any for us?“ Abe asked, peering into a casserole dish.

Mia grinned. „Only the vegetables.“

Abe set Kristen’s paper bag on the table and retrieved two of the Styrofoam containers. „Well then, let’s get started. Julia, what can you tell us about the bodies?“

Julia drew out a notepad. „I received all five bodies by two o’clock this afternoon.“

Handing Kristen one of the containers, Abe took the seat next to her and once again she felt the heat of his body, reminding her of how he’d stood behind her at the Dorsey house. Of how safe she’d felt. What she felt now was crowded. He took up all his space at the table and some of hers, but to scoot her chair a few inches out of his way seemed rude so she stayed where she was and focused on the subject at hand. There were five new dead bodies in Julia’s morgue. And the man who put them there was still walking around, likely planning number six. „Cause of death, GSW to the head?“ she asked.