“I’ll get it,” Chase said. She watched as he crossed to the front door and opened it. An older, grayer version of the young officer sitting at her kitchen table stood in the doorway, along with two more police officers.
Great. He’d called his dad. This should be interesting.
Chase let them all in, then resumed his spot at the table. He placed a comforting arm on Aubrey’s leg, very much the man of the house.
Surreal. Surreal, surreal, surreal.
The officers spoke among themselves for a moment, then the older one, the asshole she knew as Bob Parks, addressed her.
“Nice to see you again, Mrs. Hamilton.” There was a slight tone of amusement in his voice; apparently he didn’t hold a grudge. Five years ago when Parks tried to cuff her, she’d fought, hard, and blackened his eye. She sent him a look.
Please don’t mention I hit you, not in front of Chase. Please.
“And you. I hear you’ve made sergeant. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Ma’am, your mother-in-law has been transported to Midtown. Have you called her husband yet to let him know about the accident?”
“Oh, God, Tom. I should do that. Is she okay? What should I tell him?”
“I don’t have that information. I would like to hear what happened, though.”
Chase stood. “Come now. Aubrey has already repeated the story several times. We were sitting on the front step, playing with the dog, and this woman came flying up the street and rammed into the house. There’s nothing more for us to add at this point.”
Us.
Nothing more for us to add.
Aubrey felt her shoulders square. The last time, she hadn’t had anyone there to stop them from questioning her again and again and again. She took strength in the fact that Chase was so much in charge and relayed her own requests.
“I’d like to call Daisy’s husband now. And then I’d like to go to the hospital and see how she’s doing.”
Both Parkses weighed her words, then nodded in time, almost as if they were twins, not father and son.
The sergeant spoke first. “That’s fine, Mrs. Hamilton. Thank you for being so cooperative.” He started to hand her his card, thought better of it, handed it to Chase instead. “We’ll be in touch if there’s anything else we need from you, and you feel free to call if you remember anything else. You have homeowner’s insurance, I presume? A report will be left with you in a few hours for you to give them.”
“I do. With the Farm Bureau. Thank you very much.”
The officers left through the front door, and Aubrey sagged against the chair.
Chase knelt beside her, brushed her hair back off her forehead. “Are you okay?”
She gazed at him, struck by how loving he was, how sweet, how concerned. She almost didn’t know how to react to that. But this wasn’t about her right now. She needed it to be about Daisy. As much as she despised the woman, as often as she’d hoped that Daisy would get drunk and drive herself into a tree, leave this world behind, leave her constant disapproval behind, she didn’t truly wish her dead. Now that the impossible had happened, Aubrey felt a sudden kinship, a need to take charge. It’s what Josh would want.
“I am. I need to call Tom.”
Chase reached behind her and retrieved the phone. “Here you go.”
“Thank you, Chase. For everything.”
He just smiled and ran his palm against her cheek.
“Anything for you, Aubrey.”
CHAPTER 26
Aubrey
Nineteen Years Ago
Aubrey is ten. She has just been given a valentine by a boy named Josh Hamilton. She has known Josh for three years. A lifetime. He has beautiful blue eyes, and a smile that makes her happy.
Not much makes her happy now. She lives in the house with Sandy, and Tyler, and Julia and Becka and Latesha, and the men who parade through to give Sandy money in exchange for their pleasure with her foster mother. It is an existence, not a life.
She sleeps in the same bed as Latesha because they are the closest in age. Latesha and Tyler are doing it. Aubrey has to pretend she doesn’t know this, but they groan and grunt and fight in the bed every night like small animals. Tyler pushes Aubrey off the bed sometimes and makes her sleep on the floor. She doesn’t like the floor; Sandy isn’t the best housekeeper, and small things skitter around in the corners during the night, but it is better than being part of the fun. She can’t sleep with them playing in the bed.
Once, they allowed her to stay, and Latesha held her hand while Tyler ran his palms over Aubrey’s still invisible breasts, but she hadn’t liked that, so now when Tyler comes into the room, she grabs her pillow and decamps without making a fuss.
Aubrey is sworn to secrecy, but wonders if Tyler knows he is just one in a long line of boys who are sticking their things in Latesha. She was caught last week at school going down on one of the teacher’s aides, and Sandy was furious.