M.J. Rodgers - Father By Choice

“Sounds good to me,” Brad said as he put on his coat and started with Ed toward the crowd. “When she told you about ending up in the E.R. yesterday, she didn’t mention meeting me, did she?”

“Not a word.”

“Good. Introduce me to her as though you have no idea that we’ve met.”

“What do you have planned?” Ed asked.

“Nothing, yet. I simply want to keep my options open. And don’t let on that I know about…you know.”

Brad had refrained from being specific because they had gotten within the hearing range of others.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Ed assured. “If she learns I said anything, she’ll kill me.”

When Emily saw Ed and Brad approaching, she broke away from the people she was with and met them halfway. True to his promise, Ed introduced Brad to her as though he had no idea his sister and friend had met before.

“Dr. Winslow and I know each other,” Emily said.

Brad nodded as though he had just figured out why she looked familiar. “Yes, of course. You were in the E.R. yesterday. How are you feeling today, Mrs. Barrett?”

“Fine, thank you,” she said, but she was studying him intently.

He was studying her, as well. Yesterday, she’d been his patient, and as such he’d carefully restricted his observations to an impersonal list of vital signs.

Today, she was a tall, uncommonly lovely woman with long chestnut hair, large amber eyes and a natural warmth that had effortlessly captivated the mayor as well as the rest of the crowd.

And she was irritating him more by the minute. Why would an intelligent, attractive woman like this—who could no doubt charm most men into doing whatever she wanted—choose to have a child by artificial insemination?

It didn’t make sense. Brad needed things to make sense—and this most of all.

“I have some good news, Em,” Ed said. “Brad has saved the day. Even though your skeleton appears to have been the victim of foul play, the guy met his maker a hundred years ago. The Founders Day Celebration can go ahead as planned.”

“That is good news,” Emily agreed, looking relieved. “But you do realize that learning who this skeleton is and how he came to be buried with the time capsule could be as significant as anything else we uncover today?”

Ed shrugged. “That’s something for you historians to figure out.”

“Aren’t you going to investigate?”

“Em, it’s not a police matter.”

“But if he was murdered—”

“Look, I’d like to help you on this, but I can’t. And neither can the department. We have far too many unsolved homicides with living perps running around out there that need to be found. No one has the time to dig into old crimes where the murderers are long dead.”

Watching the disappointment marring Emily’s smooth forehead, Brad knew opportunity was knocking and quickly stepped forward to open the door. “I may be able to help you with the skeleton’s identity,” he said.

She turned toward him, her expression full of that cool, professional calm he thought he had a patent on. “How could you help?”

Before he had an opportunity to answer, a middle-aged woman approached them. Brad recognized her as the one who had sat next to Emily and led the crowd in its applause of her efforts.

Emily introduced her friend as Dr. Dorothy Mission, a member of the managing board of the Courage Bay Historical Society.

“Do you prefer doctor or Dorothy?” Brad asked as he shook the hand offered to him.

“Always depends on who’s asking,” Dorothy said. “In your case, definitely Dot.”

She was flirting with him in that totally non offensive and non serious way that a plump woman over fifty with guts and good humor could pull off. He liked her immediately. “I’m Brad.”

“Did I overhear you say something about helping out, Brad?” Dorothy asked.

“Yes, I have some knowledge of forensic anthropology,” he said. “There’s a lot that can be learned from bones. I’ll study the skeleton for you and see what I can turn up.”

“That’s a generous offer,” Emily said, in a tone that was something less than bursting with enthusiasm. “But I wouldn’t presume to—”

“I like mysteries,” he interrupted. “And you have to admit, this hundred-year-old skeleton presents an interesting one.”

“So our skeleton isn’t of recent origin,” Dorothy said. “No wonder Max Zirinsky was looking so relieved.”

“It appears to have been buried with the time capsule, Dot,” Emily explained. “And to have been murdered.”

“Murdered?” Dorothy repeated.

“Let’s keep that fact among ourselves,” Ed said quickly. “At least until Brad can examine it and give us the details.”

“We’ll be delighted to avail ourselves of your expertise,” Dorothy said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Brad could see that Emily was not quite so delighted.

He turned to Ed before she could think of any more excuses to brush him off. “Can you arrange to have the skeleton carefully removed and taken to the hospital morgue after the ceremony?”

Ed frowned as he looked over at the chief of police. Brad understood he was going to have to sell his superior on this use of the department’s resources for this non-case and clearly wasn’t looking forward to the task.

“What the hell,” Ed said. “If anybody tries to give me grief, I’ll just remind them of all the important noses that would be out of joint if you hadn’t been here today. What do you want me to do with this stuff?”

He was holding up the evidence bag with the dagger, coin and spent slug.

“Keep them with the skeleton for now. Could be important to the examination later. That is, if that’s all right with you,” Brad said as he turned to Emily.

She nodded. That told Brad what he wanted to know. She’d accepted his offer of help, despite her suspicions.

While he was doing this favor for her, he should be able to get close enough to discover what made her tick. Once he did, he could decide how best to convince her that she was wrong to try to bring up a child by herself.

That he would convince her, he had no doubt. Had she really been a superstitious person, no amount of logic could have reached her. But she was clearly intelligent and, even better, a woman of science.

She would respond to reason. He just had to find the right approach.

The mayor advanced toward the podium at that moment and took the microphone in hand.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m happy to report that thanks to Dr. Brad Winslow’s expert analysis, we know that the skeleton in our time capsule’s closet is a fascinating artifact that, no doubt, will become an interesting research project for our Historical Society. Now please take your seats, for we are about to lift the time capsule out of its resting place and take a look inside. Who knows what other surprises lie in wait?”

“YOU LIED TO ME, EMILY BARRETT,” Dorothy whispered in her ear when they had retaken their seats.

“About what?” Emily whispered back.

“Dr. Brad Winslow is anything but just another guy.”

“And you’re saying that because…?”

“Come on, Em. You know perfectly well that man’s the reason we women were given breasts that heave and spines that melt.”

Emily contained her smile. Dorothy had insisted Brad join them on the platform in thanks for his help with the skeleton. He sat with the city council, on the receiving end of a lot of appreciative looks from the women in the audience. There was something about the guy, all right. Not that Emily had any intention of admitting that to her friend.

“Does Ted know you lust after other men like this?” she teased.