“Why not?” Ronan asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“Maria is riddled with cancer. From what I could see, it looks like it metastasized from the lungs. She doesn’t have long left. One, maybe two weeks at the most.”
“Jesus, Ten.” Jude’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “Maria never mentioned anything about cancer. What about Sofia, Ronan? Did she say anything to you?”
“Not a peep.” Ronan felt gobsmacked. He’d been put off by Maria preferring to flirt rather than answering questions about the head, but to find out she was dying was not something he expected Tennyson to reveal. It explained what had been upsetting his husband when they’d left the rehab facility.
“No wonder you were so out of sorts on the way over here.” Jude set a hand on Ten’s shoulder.
“I hate to say this, Jude, but that’s not the only reason I wasn’t myself.” Ten sighed.
“Christ on the cross,” Ronan muttered. “What the hell could be worse than an imminent death sentence?”
“Six dead men with duct tape over their mouths.” Ten shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.
“What?” Fitz asked, looking alarmed. “Who are they? How did they die? Do they know Maria?”
“Take a breath, Fitz” Ronan said softly. “I haven’t seen Ten this upset on a case in a long time.”
“It’s okay, Ronan. The more Fitzgibbon knows, the quicker we can solve this case.” Ten looked to Fitz, who nodded. “I wasn’t getting anything from Maria. She kept pressing the button on the IV for more morphine. I’m guessing that’s the reason why I couldn’t read her. I didn’t get anything else until Ronan stepped into the hallway with Sofia.”
“Sofia is Maria’s great-niece,” Ronan supplied.
“Right,” Ten agreed. “When Ronan left the room, Jude turned on the charm and started flirting with Maria. I’d seen that song and dance before and I tuned out, trying to see if I could read anything else from the room. The doctors or nurses, you know, anything that could help us solve this case.”
“After telling us that Maria is dying, I really hope you’re not going to tell me that sweet lady is a serial killer.” Jude set a hand over his heart.
Ten shook his head. “I don’t know that’s the case.”
“What happened while Dr. Feelgood was examining the patient?” Ronan rolled his eyes.
“That’s when the men started appearing at Maria’s bedside. Some were dressed in suits. Others, more casually. Each of themhad the duct tape over their mouths. I tried asking who they were and how I could help them. None of them would answer me, but the fifth one set his finger over his lips, telling me to be quiet. I knew I wasn’t going to get anything else out of them, so I started writing descriptions.” Ten paused, he pulled his notebook out and handed it to Ronan. “When I looked up from my notes, a sixth man had arrived. I tried again to ask what happened to them and they all started bleeding from the chest.” Ten tapped a finger over his heart. “I couldn’t see bullet holes or knife wounds, just the blood. They all disappeared when Ronan walked back into the room with Sofia.”
“Holy shit,” Fitz snapped a picture of Ten’s notes and handed the book back to him.
“There’s one more bit of information we got,” Ronan said. “Maria’s maiden name is Marino.”
Fitz’s eyes widened. “Talk about burying the lead. Is she Fat Sal’s daughter?”
“I don’t know. Sofia gave me that bit of information. She was pissed enough as it was with us showing up at the rehab and I didn’t want to press my luck any further.” Ronan had buried the lead. The second Sofia mentioned Marino, his first thought had been of Sal. He’d been retired from the family business for quite some time and had to be in his nineties. He might have given up the boss’s chair, but he was still a very dangerous man.
“At least this gives us a couple of things to work with,” Greeley said. “Ten knowing about Maria’s condition might get her to drop the act and open up.”
“I’m thinking the same thing,” Fitz agreed. “Let’s show up there tomorrow afternoon. Greeley and I will bring Sofia and the nephews in for questioning while the three of you try to talk toMaria again. Jude, if she really did connect with you today, use that to get her to do the right thing, before it’s too late. Head Doe’s family deserves to lay his remains to rest. Find out who he was, how his head ended up in the freezer, where the rest of his remains lie, and who the hell Maria’s guardians are.”
“You got it, Cap.” The last thing Ronan wanted to do was try to coerce a dying woman into confessing her deepest darkest secrets, but if Ten was right and her time was running short, it was more important than ever to find out what Maria knew before it was too late.
Not wanting to think about Head Doe anymore, Ronan concentrated on Everly and Aurora, who were learning the words to the team cheer. “Double, double, toil and trouble! Salem Witches on the double!” Ronan laughed as the girls learned the follow up cheer. “Bubble, bubble, brew and hiss! You can't match a team like this! Goooooo Witches!"
“Witches here and bitches there, we can beat you anywhere!” Jude cheered along with them.
Fitz snorted. “Crying bitches lose the game. Salem Witches bring the pain!”
Ronan knew the concession stand at games sold pom-poms, he was going to get a couple for their grown-up cheering squad. Ten laughed while Jude came up with more ridiculous cheers. With as upset as he’d been when they came into the gym, Ronan would call that a win.
8
Tennyson
