He quickly jotted the third man’s description and waited to see if anyone else would show up. None did. Ten tuned back into the conversation Jude was having about adopting Lizzie.
“Your husbandknewthis little girl would need a family? What an incredible gift.” Maria said, with tears in her eyes. “Who would ever want to give this beautiful girl away?”
“Since I was in the ICU recovering from my death, I never met Lizzie’s biological mother. She signed all of the paperwork to set aside her parental rights and let the Massachusetts Division of Children and Families know that Cope and I wanted to adopt the baby.” Jude chuckled. “Even though I died for about three minutes, it was still the best day of my life.”
Maria laughed with Jude. With that, her guard dropped and Ten saw exactly why he’d felt such horrible pain when he tried to read Maria. It wasn’t the broken hip causing her pain. It was something worse.Muchworse.
Over the next several minutes three more well-dressed men came into the room. All wore duct tape. None spoke when Tenasked for their names. Frustrated, Ten tried one last time to get some answers. “Are you here to escort Maria into the light or to keep her from entering it?”
All six men turned back to Tennyson. Blood blossomed through the left side of their shirts near their hearts. The duct tape was now missing, possibly indicating it had nothing to do with their deaths. “Who are you? I can help you find peace if you’ll let me.”
Just as the man in the grey suit looked about to speak, the door to Maria’s room opened and in walked Sofia, followed by Ronan, who’d started to tell a story about Everly. When Ten turned his attention back to the spirits, they’d all vanished.
“Thanks for your time, Sofia,” Ronan said. “Feel better soon, Maria.” He motioned Ten and Jude into the hall.
“I’m so glad we had the chance to get to know each other, Maria.” Jude called back with a little wave.
“Are you okay?” Ronan asked, when he’d shut the door behind them.
Ten shook his head. “We have so much to talk about, but not here. I have to get out of this place now.” Without waiting for Ronan, Ten headed for the elevator bank, not quite sure how he was going to tell the others what he’d seen.
If Maria knew anything about the identity of the remains in the freezer, she needed to spill what she knew sooner, rather than later.
Time was of the essence.
7
Ronan
Ronan needed to find out what happened with Tennyson in Maria’s hospital room. Jude seemed none the worse for wear, so whatever was making Ten look pale as a ghost had come courtesy of his gift.
Ten leaned against the side of the Mustang, resting his head on the roof, looking as if he were trying to catch his breath.
“What’s going on?” Ronan asked, tossing Jude the keys to the car, after he’d unlocked his own door.
“I have a lot to tell you about what I saw in Maria’s room,” Ten began, but was interrupted by Ronan’s vibrating phone.
“Damn, it’s Fitz. Hold on a sec.” Ronan sighed. “Hey, Cap.”
“Are you finished interviewing Maria Cullen yet?” Fitz asked, his voice echoing.
“We just walked out of the rehab center.”
“Great, get your asses to the elementary school gym!” Fitzgibbon sounded relieved. “Cheer practice starts in fifteen minutes. Everly’s worried you two aren’t going to make it. Let Jude know I’ve got Wolfie.”
“On our way.” Ronan opened the door and ushered Ten into the backseat. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
“Same here. Hurry, but drive safe.” Fitz disconnected the call.
“Hurry, but drive safe, what kind of bullshit order is that?” Ronan muttered as he buckled his seatbelt and started the engine. “I guess we’re gonna have to fill Fitzgibbon in at the gym. He said Everly is worried we’re gonna miss practice and that he’sgot Wolf with him.” Pulling out of the parking lot, Ronan turned left.
As Ronan drove, he kept an eye on Tennyson, who was slumped back with his eyes closed. What the hell had his husband seen in the hospital room? Was it something that exonerated Maria and explained where the head had come from? Or had seen how the man was murdered and by who? Ronan couldn’t hazard a guess and wasn’t looking forward to talking about this in the elementary school gym where Everly and Aurora were learning to cheer.
Jude flipped on the radio, Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” blasted out. He sat in the passenger seat playing air guitar along to the music.
Ronan sang along with the chorus he’d known by heart for nearly as long as he’d been alive. Erin has been a huge classic rock fan, although the music wasn’t considered “classic” back then. He relaxed and focused on his daughter’s new adventure.
Everly wanting to be a cheerleader was all Ronan’s fault. Over Christmas break when they each had little colds, Ronan spent the entire day tucked in bed with Everly watching theHigh School Musicalmovies. Ten brought them soup and later popsicles. By the time they’d watched the first movie, Everly had been on the phone with Aurora telling her she needed to watch the movies as well. Not only had she been hooked, so had Fitzgibbon. When the permission slip to join the cheer squad had gone out in the first week of January, both girls had been eager to join the squad.
