‘As soon as I get a break in this case or tomorrow morning, whichever comes first.’
‘Fine. Let me know when and where. I’ll meet you there.’
For the second time in ten minutes, Adam was all choked up. ‘Thanks, John.’
‘You’re welcome, kid. Just . . . focus on staying sober, okay? Even if that means handing this case off to someone else. This is difficult shit.’
‘Don’t I know it.’ Adam ended the call, drew a breath. And froze. Because on the air was a scent that hadn’t been there thirty seconds before. Pipe smoke. Slowly he turned and walked the length of the L-shaped balcony. Clarke Fallon sat on a lounge chair, bundled up in a coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, calmly puffing on his pipe. Sonofabitch. The man had been eavesdropping and wanted Adam to know it.
Adam rewound his conversations and groaned inwardly. Lots of personal shit had come out of his mouth. Wagons, gold coins, and meetings. Shit. ‘You should have told me you were out here. It wasn’t your business.’
Fallon returned his gaze levelly. ‘I considered revealing myself. Then I thought about the fact that Merry didn’t sleep in her bed last night. So I made you my business.’
Adam’s cheeks went hot, despite the blustery cold. ‘She’s a grown woman. Sir.’
Fallon shrugged. ‘I’m her grandfather. I’m allowed. So . . . Gold coins and meetings? Staying on wagons? You told her about AA?’
Adam’s teeth clenched. ‘Not your business. Sir.’
‘But you did.’
Adam closed his eyes. Goddammit. ‘Yes. I did.’
‘Good. You’re the one who colored all the pictures, I take it.’
Adam’s eyes flew open. ‘Yes. How do you know that?’
‘Because I saw them. She kept them all.’
‘You snooped?’
‘Not entirely. She had half a dozen stuck to her fridge door. She put them in a drawer with the others when people started coming into her house.’
‘Diesel saw them.’ That’s how he knew to rib me about it yesterday.
‘He did. We liked them, for what it’s worth. Especially the painting.’ He puffed on the pipe for a minute that felt like a day. ‘Look, Adam. She thinks you’re worth waiting for. I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, especially now that I know what your story is. Or part of it anyway.’
‘Big of you,’ Adam said sarcastically.
Fallon laughed. ‘I know.’ He stood up, emptying his pipe into a little wooden box which went into his coat pocket. ‘That was your sponsor? That last call?’
Adam gritted his teeth. ‘It was. He’s a good guy. Retired cop.’
‘Good. I imagine he can relate to everything you’ve seen.’ He crossed his arms over his burly chest. ‘I’ll be honest, a recovering alcoholic isn’t who I would have chosen for my Merry. But it’s not my choice. Just . . . don’t hurt her. Any more than you already have.’
Adam winced, because that dig was completely deserved. ‘I’ll do my best. I know she’s not impervious to hurt, not like everyone thinks she is. She’s got everyone fooled.’
‘But not you.’
‘Well, I knew there was something going on, but I didn’t expect what she’s revealed to me. And that’s all I’m going to say.’
Fallon nodded. ‘Fair enough. Let’s talk later. I want to know you.’ Adam must have looked horrified because Fallon laughed again. ‘You don’t have to look so worried, son. I’m not a bad man. I just love Meredith. If you do too, or come to over time, and you treat her right? We’ll be the best of friends.’
‘Okay.’ Adam turned to look into the condo and saw Meredith accepting a wrapped sandwich from Agent Troy. Which made Adam smile for no good reason.
‘This might actually be okay,’ Fallon murmured. ‘If what I see on your face is real.’
Adam just nodded. ‘Time to go.’
Cincinnati, Ohio,
Sunday 20 December, 3.40 P.M.
The back of the van was arranged like a military transport plane, with jump seats along each wall that faced one another. Meredith, her grandfather, Shane, and Kyle resembled paratroopers ready to jump because Agent Troy had brought them bulky bulletproof vests.
The windowless CPD van was probably five minutes from downtown, if Troy was taking a direct route. It was impossible to know as Adam had pulled the curtain separating the front seats from the back, cutting off their view – and cutting them off from view, which was more important.
But Meredith wished she had just one window, so she could stare out of it. Or glare out of it, which was more accurate. In the absence of a window, she focused her irritation fully on her grandfather. She didn’t need to be a shrink to see that he and Adam had had words on the balcony. Adam had been tense, her grandfather uncharacteristically broody.
‘You can look at me like that all you want to, young lady,’ her grandfather said, breaking into the heavy silence. ‘It won’t change one little thing.’
Her grandfather sat opposite her, Kyle next to him. Shane sat next to Meredith, silent except for an occasional sigh, but at the sound of Clarke’s voice, Shane’s chin came up, his gaze bouncing between Meredith and her grandfather. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked.
Clarke started to answer, but Meredith shot him a warning look. ‘Sometimes,’ she said to Shane, but kept her gaze on Clarke, ‘folks can love you a little too much. Sometimes they forget you are all grown up and not five years old any longer.’
Shane shrugged. ‘He is eighty-four. Which he claims allows him to give unsolicited advice. On video games and life.’
Clarke snorted. ‘He’s a smart kid, Merry.’
‘Yeah, he is. He said claims.’ She glanced at Shane. ‘What advice did he give you?’
Shane’s expression softened. ‘That I shouldn’t feel guilty that I laughed at his jokes when I’m supposed to be grieving. That laughter is basically my heart taking a break.’
Meredith’s heart clenched, because Clarke had said the same thing to her when her parents had died and her life as she knew it was imploding. ‘He’s right about that,’ she murmured. She sighed and met Clarke’s gaze. ‘Just . . . don’t push, okay, Papa?’
‘Okay.’ Clarke rolled his eyes. ‘I’ll try, anyway.’
‘Thanks,’ Meredith said dryly, then looked at Shane. ‘How are you doing, Shane?’
He shrugged. ‘Detective Kimble asked me if I’d listen to a recording of a 911 call.’
‘I know. I overheard him talking to you.’ It had been as they were putting on their coats and bulletproof vests. Meredith figured that Adam had intended for her to overhear, since he’d talked to Shane while she stood only a few feet away. ‘Are you okay with that?’
Shane bit at his lip. ‘He thinks it might be Linnie. But what if it is?’
‘Well, I guess first and foremost, if it is her, then we know she’s alive.’
‘Or was this morning,’ Shane said gruffly.
‘What are you afraid of, hon?’
‘That it is Linnie.’ He dropped his head, his shoulders sagging. ‘And that she had something to do with Andy getting killed. Because if she didn’t, why didn’t she go to the police? Why call anonymously? I mean, I thought I knew her. I thought she’d do anything for Andy, because he would’ve done anything for her.’ He looked at her, his eyes narrowed and red from tears, fear, and a mostly sleepless night. ‘He died to keep her safe.’
‘All good questions,’ Meredith admitted. ‘Ones I wish I could answer. I can ask Detective Kimble if I can sit in there with you, if you want. For support.’
His lips trembled, then firmed when he pursed them. ‘That would be good, I think.’
The curtain whipped open and Adam’s face appeared. But instead of agreeing to her sitting in with Shane, his jaw was taut and he held a rifle in his hands.