The Borrowed and Blue Murders (The Zoe Hayes Mysteries) (24 page)

Okay, I told myself. Stop right now. It’s too late to think about your decision. Your wedding is planned. Floral arrangements have been purchased. You love Nick, and Luke and Molly are both counting on him being their dad. And besides, this wedding is completely unrelated to your prior one. You’re older now, wiser. More mature. Your choice is based on more solid factors. Now breathe deeply and get hold of yourself.

I took a few deep breaths from my belly, trying to slow my heart rate. But solid factors? What the hell were those? I didn’t even know what my own words meant. Oh God. My pulse was doing double time. And Anna was jabbering, handing me something. Oh. A mug—good. Maybe it was full of Scotch. But no, it wasn’t Scotch. It was steaming and smelled like decaf.

“…but it’s normal; it happens to all my brides.” Anna was in the middle of a thought. I hadn’t been paying attention. “You’re going to think you’re nervous. Even terrified. But trust me, dear, you’re not nervous or terrified. Those bells in your head are not sounding the alarm; they’re announcing your wedding.”

Bells? What? Could she tell by looking at me? Did my edginess show? I took a sip of hot coffee. My hand was unsteady. Did she see that I was shaking? But the coffee tasted a watery kind of familiar. Grounding.

“Remember: It’s just adrenaline.”

Adrenaline? In the coffee?

“Humans are animals, dear. When we face the unusual or the unknown, we secrete hormones that alert us so we can prepare ourselves.”

The fight-or-flight response. It was a basic principle in which hormones prepare animals for aggression or escape. But wait, what had I missed? Why was Anna giving me a psychology lesson? I was a therapist; my event planner was lecturing me on psychology?

“Look. Athletes get rushes of adrenaline before a game, soldiers before battle, actors before a performance. Adrenaline makes you jittery. Gives you butterflies, maybe a little nausea. It feels like fear, but it’s not. It’s excitement. Arousal. It’s the body gearing itself up. Getting itself ready, saying to itself: ‘Listen up. Something big is happening.’”

Okay. I got it. Something big was happening.

“So, here’s what I want you to do.” Anna had a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve got the kids covered, and I’ll handle the men. If the phone rings, I’ll answer. You go upstairs and take a bath or a nap. Pamper yourself. In a while, I’ll bring you some breakfast on a tray.”

I had no excuses. I was tired, and although I didn’t want to let my children out of my sight, I knew they were safe with everyone in the house.

Anna kept talking, her voice less cloying than usual, more rhythmic, almost soothing. “The rehearsal dinner isn’t until seven. The rehearsal’s at five. You have nothing to do until then. Go.”

And so I thanked Anna, told Molly I was taking a nap and went upstairs, back to bed. Nick was still sleeping. Without opening his eyes, he reached out, covering me with his arm. And I lay there, feeling its strength and thinking about the word
husband
until I drifted off.

“I
’LL BE BACK AS
soon as I can.”

I opened my eyes. Nick’s mouth brushed mine, saying goodbye. I blinked, trying to orient myself.

“What?”

Nick was dressed. Putting his wallet in his back pocket, going somewhere.

“Where are you going?”

He half-smiled. “You didn’t hear anything I just said, did you?”

“Did you say something?”

He smiled again, sat beside me on the bed, smoothing my hair with his hand. “Schultz wants to see me. And Tony got another phone call, so I’ve got to go in for a bit.”

We looked at each other as I woke up, becoming coherent. “But you’re not working. You took time off. Today’s our rehearsal—”

“I know. I’m sorry. This won’t take long.”

“And you said we’d all stay together—”

“I know. But I have no choice, Zoe. Besides, Sam and Tony are here. And Anna. Nobody’s going to mess with you while she’s around. And I’ll be back in a couple of hours at the most.”

A couple of hours? I had no idea when that was. “What time is it?” I lifted my head to see the clock.

“A little after noon.”

What? I’d slept for almost five hours. I rubbed my eyes, sat up, felt groggy. Almost drugged.

“You okay?” Nick stood, putting on a blazer, ready to go.

I nodded, not quite sure. “Just can’t wake up.”

“Take your time. Rest. I’ll see you later.” Nick kissed me again and was out the door.

The next thing I knew, Molly was on the bed, shaking me. “Mom. Luke’s crying.”

My eyes refused to open.

“Mom. Wake up. He’s hungry.”

Luke was hungry? At the thought, my nipples began to leak. I forced my eyes open. Molly sat beside me, frantic.

“Oh, finally. I thought you’d never wake up. I’ve been trying to get you up for like ever.”

“What?” Down the hall, I heard Luke wailing. I sat up. Oops, too fast. The walls began to sway, and I fell back onto the pillows.

“Mom? Are you sick?” Molly’s eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m okay.” I tried again, slower this time. And I tousled her curls and, kissing her forehead, wobbled to my feet. “Coming, Luke.”

I felt off-balance, and my voice sounded like sandpaper. What was wrong with me? Was I getting sick? Great, I thought. Just in time for the wedding, I’ll get some kind of flu or malaria. But Molly held my hand all the way down the hall, steadying me. At the sight of me, Luke became furious. Red-faced, angry that lunch was late, he bellowed.

“I’ll get him, Mom. You sit down.”

For once, I simply let Molly take care of him. My limbs felt weak, and I was afraid I might drop him if I tried to pick him up. So I obeyed, sitting in the rocking chair, watching Molly lower the side of the crib and lift her brother, holding him a little too tight, carrying him to me.

“It’s okay, Lukie,” she was saying. “Mommy’s here.” But his screaming pretty much drowned out her voice.

He pounced on my nipple, and finally the room was quiet.

“Thanks for getting me up, Molls. I can’t believe I slept so long.”

“You slept all day.”

“Why didn’t somebody wake me?”

“Anna wouldn’t let us. She said you needed to rest.”

Why would Anna say that? She shouldn’t decide what I needed. “Where is Anna?” In fact, where was everybody? I hadn’t seen or heard Tony and Sam all day. “And what time is it?”

Molly looked at the wall behind me, at a dinosaur with an analog clock in his belly. “Two …something. Wait. If the big hand is between the five and the six, then …Wait. Don’t tell me—”

Good Lord. I’d slept until two thirty? I never slept all day. And I felt so odd, so fuzzy.

“—Does that mean it’s two thirty?”

My genius. “Yes—very good, Molls.” But how had I slept so long? Since when? About eight?

“I thought you’d sleep forever.”

“You thought I was like Sleeping Beauty?”

“Well, no, because she had a poisoned apple.”

I remembered Anna holding out a steaming cup. Had Anna slipped something into it? No. She wouldn’t. Would she?

“And that’s just a story.”

But she’d been talking about her brides, about keeping them calm. Could she have given me a sleeping pill? No. How could I even think such a thing? She wouldn’t. Especially since I was nursing. A sleeping pill would affect the baby.

“But even if you got poisoned, Nick could kiss you awake. He’s your Prince Charming.”

Speaking of Prince Charming, where was he? “Is Nick home yet?”

“Uh-uh.”

No? “Has he called?”

“I don’t think so.”

But he’d said he’d be gone a couple of hours at the most. I wondered what had happened, what was taking so long.

“Mom, could Emily sleep over tonight?”

“What?” The question surprised me.

“Anna said she was watching me and Luke because you and Nick and everybody are going out to dinner.”

“That’s right.”

“So could Emily stay with us?”

“Not tonight, Molls.”

“Why? Pleeeeeze.”

I explained about the wedding rehearsal, told her that she would have to go and practice being flower girl and that then Anna would take her and Luke home. But since Emily wasn’t going to be part of the wedding, she wouldn’t be at the rehearsal and wouldn’t be there to take home.

“So she could come after.”

“Mollybear, no. It’s not convenient tonight.”

“Why? Susan could bring her over.”

“But Susan and Tim are going to be with us at the rehearsal and they are staying afterward for the dinner. Besides, I already said no. Another time. Tomorrow’s the wedding.”

Molly pouted, thinking. “So, you mean, she can sleep over after the wedding?”

“Of course.”

“You mean tomorrow night?”

Was she serious?

“Can she?”

Good Lord. On my wedding night, I was going to be arranging sleepovers. But what was the harm? Nick and I would be staying at the hotel, and Anna probably wouldn’t mind watching one more child. “Okay, I’ll talk to Anna and Susan.”

Molly clapped her hands. “Yes! Thank you, Mom. I’m going to go call her.”

“Molly, wait—” But she was already gone.

Oh Lord. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the rocking chair. Why couldn’t I seem to wake up? And what was keeping Nick so long?

N
ICK WALKED IN AT
four-fifteen. Our rehearsal was scheduled for five. We’d have to leave by four-thirty to be on time. Everyone was assembled in the living room: Anna, Luke, who was sleeping deeply, Molly, Oliver and Tony. Sam had gone ahead to change in his hotel room.

“Finally. I’ve been calling you.” Tony was frantic. “I had to talk to you. Why didn’t you pick up? I was scared to death something happened to you.”

As was I, but I didn’t say so. I was too annoyed. Nick always turned his phone off when he didn’t want to be interrupted.

“I couldn’t take any calls.” Nick seemed distracted, not hurried enough. He looked from face to face. Oliver yipped at Nick’s shoes; Nick stooped to pet him.

We were supposed to leave in fifteen minutes, and Nick was playing with the puppy.

“Nick. Are you aware of the time?” Anna stood, looking at her wristwatch. “You have exactly fourteen minutes to change and be out the door. We are leaving at precisely four-thirty.” She looked as if she was ready to change his clothes herself.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be showered and ready.” He reached into his blazer pocket, removed something and dropped it on Tony’s lap. “Here.”

Molly jumped off the sofa to see what Tony had, no doubt assuming it was a present. “What is it, Tony?”

Tony picked up whatever it was and gasped. “Oh dear God. The jump drives.” He dropped them onto his lap as if they seared his fingers.

“Mom, look. It’s the microphones.” Molly looked at me and backed away, not wanting any part of them.

“Schultz wants you to hold on to them. He said he discussed the whole plan with you yesterday.”

“The man’s maniacal. I’m his bait.”

Bait?

Nick looked at Anna. “Anna, could you get Molly a cold drink?”

She hesitated for a moment, comprehending. “Let’s go have some juice, Molly. We’ll let the grown-ups talk.”

“But I’m not thirsty, Anna.”

“I am. Keep me company.” She took Molly’s hand and led her to the kitchen.

When they’d gone, Nick explained quietly, “The people who lost these do not know we’ve found them.”

Tony sulked, his brow furrowed.

“And when they called, they said they’d be coming back for them, right?”

Tony nodded. “They called again today. Twice. I was trying to reach you. They said they’re going to find me within the next twenty-four hours and I’d better be prepared.”

“Well, now you are. You’ve got the drives. You can hand them over.”

“What are those, fakes?” I didn’t understand.

“No. They’re the real thing. The original drives.”

“So, wait.” The plan still wasn’t clear to me. “What’s Tony supposed to do? Just hold on to the drives and wait until they mug him again and hand them over?”

“Pretty much—”

“But they might kill him—”

“Wait,” Sam interrupted. “Back up. I thought you two geniuses were going to give those drives to the FBI. So why do you still have them?”

I was glad he asked. I was completely confused.

“We did give them to the FBI. They copied them and have been working on decoding the data. These are the originals. They returned them after copying them.”

“But why in God’s name did you bring them back here?” I didn’t want the things in my house. I held on to the warm bundle that was Luke for comfort. He slept, undisturbed.

Nick spoke slowly, as if to a child. “Zoe. Whoever is looking for those drives doesn’t know that the information on them has been compromised. They still want them, and they’ll come looking for them. And Tony should keep them on his person until they do.”

I was angry. I didn’t care about pleasing the FBI; I cared about protecting my family. I didn’t want whoever killed the FBI agent and mugged Tony to come back after him.

“Nick, let me ask you something.” My voice was shaking. “Are you crazy? Or just phenomenally irresponsible?”

He winced. “Neither. Are there other choices?”

Tony was on his feet, wringing his hands.

“Come on, Tony. Relax.” Nick put a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “You won’t be alone. Agents are going to be watching us from now until you’re approached again.”

“Really? Are they watching him now?” I had no faith in that promise, had seen one of those agents turned inside out.

“They might very well be.” Nick seemed confident.

“Really?” I wanted to smack him. Why was he so smarmy and calm? “Where are they?”

“You won’t know they’re there unless you need them. They know how to be invisible.”

“Invisible like Agent Harris?”

He didn’t answer.

“And by the way, Nick.” My face was hot. “What gave you the right to endanger Molly and Luke and all of us by agreeing to this plan?”

“Zoe, I didn’t endanger anybody.” His eyes were steady and clear, and he emphasized the word I. He glanced over his shoulder, as if making sure that Anna and Molly wouldn’t hear. “Look. These people are here, whether we like it or not. They already said they’re coming back to see Tony. They’ll be back whether we have the drives or not. Whether the FBI is around or not. They promised they’d kill Tony if he didn’t give them what they wanted. Now, Tony can give them the drives, and maybe they won’t kill him or any of us. And maybe the FBI will be watching and catch them or tail them and arrest their bosses or whatever. That’s the plan. Our only chance, though, is to comply.”