“
Oh for Pete’s sake,
Branson! How could I have—” She slapped her hand over her mouth
again and drew in a sharp breath. “Surely . . .”
“
What?” Branson asked
eagerly. “Do you remember something?”
“
No, I was just thinking.”
Katie wasn’t sure she should share her thoughts aloud. She was
surely wrong, but as her mind sorted over the details, it made
sense.
“
What? Tell me what you’re
thinking.”
“
What are the dates on all
of those reports?”
Branson scrolled back through each of
them, and noted the dates. “They were all dated in July—only a day
or two apart from each other, seven and half years ago.”
Goose bumps rose on Katie’s arms and
she rubbed them away with her hands. She spoke slowly, choosing her
words carefully. “I’m not positive, it’s just a guess really,” she
started. “I wonder if Gram’s friend Pete Savalli had a hand in any
of this.”
“
Pete? He’s the one that
helped me find you.” Branson leaned back in his chair and let his
mind trace back to his meeting with Pete. He was so desperate to
find Katie, he hadn’t paid much attention to the man. The only
thing he remembered was how much he seemed to care about her and
wanted her to be happy. “He seemed to care a great deal for you.
Despite Gram’s wishes to separate us, he wanted you to be
happy.”
“
That’s the thing. I
remember when I met him, thinking he was a killer. I thought he was
going to kill
me
!
You know, one of those serial killers that want to rid the world of
its filth.” Katie looked down, ashamed that she was once considered
filthy. Her memories were still hazy, but it wasn’t a life she
would wish on anyone. She wondered if there was something she could
do to help victims of human trafficking.
Branson took her hand and gave her
fingers a squeeze. “You’re an amazing woman, Katie. I’m in awe of
your strength and ability to overcome all the shit you’ve been
through.”
Katie thanked him with a warm smile.
“Anyway, he admitted to having connections. He said that my foster
parents would never be able to hurt children again—he said police
would find all sorts of drugs in their home that he, or someone he
knew, had planted.” She shook her head. “I could easily believe
that he killed those men, the timing is perfect. It was seven years
ago when Pete found me and brought me to Gram. He could have had it
done, or gone back and took care of it himself. But why would he do
that? He didn’t even know me.” Katie shook her head, deep in
thought. She vaguely remembered sitting on the plane with Pete. He
was kind to her, but didn’t put up with her bullshit, and she was
smart enough to respect his sinister bearing. “Does it make me a
horrible person to be a little grateful to him for it?”
“
No. Does it make me a bad
guy to feel cheated out of killing them myself?”
Katie kissed him for that statement.
She hoped he would never take anyone’s life, no matter how horrible
they were, but it made her feel good all over to hear him say it
anyway. “Can we look up one more person?”
Branson typed in the name Katie gave
him and waited. Several choices were offered, and they clicked on
each one. None led them to Ally.
“
Well, no news is better
than bad news, I guess.”
“
Who is she?”
“
We grew up together in
the foster home. She was three years older and treated me like her
baby sister. She protected me, and comforted me when she
couldn’t
protect me. She
was with me when we were taken to California. Actually, it was her
idea to run away. I hated her for what she got us into, but now I
realize she was just a desperate kid herself.” Katie’s eyes
moistened with tears. “I left her there with those monsters. When
Pete came for me, I should have insisted we go back for her, but I
didn’t.”
***
“
I’m home!” Katie sang as
she searched for Gram.
“
In the kitchen,
love.”
Katie floated on air as she glided
through the house and into the kitchen. The smell of Yorkshire tea
filled her nose and made her smile. It was she and Gram’s nightly
ritual to have a cup of tea with honey before bed each night, and
although the hour was later than usual, it comforted Katie to come
home to the tradition. When she rounded the corner humming, she saw
Pete sitting at the table and stopped.
Pete stood and flashed a warm smile.
Gram was pulling another tea cup out of the cabinet. “Hi, angel,
join us for tea and tell me all about the musical.”
“
No tea, thank you.” Katie
sat down and roamed over Pete’s face for answers to her questions.
She needed to talk to him, but not in front of Gram.
I wonder if Gram knows who he really is.
“So tell us all about the musical, dear.” Gram
took a sip of tea and waited.
“
It was wonderful. The
best I’ve ever seen. I cried, and then clapped until my hands were
numb.” Katie tried to stay focused on the conversation, not wanting
to reveal her distraction. “We have to get the soundtrack so you
can listen to the music, Gram. You’ll love it.” Katie stood and
stretched her arms. “I’m going to go on to bed. Goodnight, Gram.”
She nodded at the man sitting at the table next to Gram, much too
late, in her opinion, for a married man. “Pete.”
“
Goodnight,” Gram and Pete
answered in unison.
Katie kept still in the silence of her
room, waiting for Pete to leave. When she heard his footsteps
leading toward the front door, she slipped out the back and leaned
against the side of the house. She waited for Gram to shut the door
and jogged over to Pete’s car. He jumped when he saw her standing
there. “Holy—you startled me.”
“
I need to talk to you,”
she said, before slipping into the passenger side of his black
Lexus.
Pete got in, shut the door and turned
to face her. “What’s this about?”
“
Let’s drive and talk. I
don’t want Gram to wonder why you’re sitting in her
driveway.”
Pete drove down the long driveway and
took a right. He found an empty lot and parked the car, but left
the engine running. Katie looked around for any sign of life. A
street lamp flickered at the end of the parking lot, matching the
pace of her accelerated heart rate. What was she thinking getting
into the car with this man? She was sure he was responsible for
killing four men, and who knew how many others. He was a murderer,
and she allowed him to drive her down the road to an abandoned
lot.
After the car was in park, Katie
hesitantly began the flow of questions, trying to steady her shaky
voice. “Please, don’t insult me by denying any of this, just answer
my questions. I’m fairly certain that you’re responsible for
ridding the world of the four men that ruined most of my
childhood.” She waited for Pete to hold up his hand in defense and
deny her accusations, but he remained still and kept his eyes on
Katie, patiently waiting for her to finish. “If I’m right, thank
you,” she whispered.
“
My question is, did you
ever come across a girl named Ally? She had long brown hair and was
a little shorter than me. We were raised in the same foster home.
Although I hated her for getting me into that mess, I realize she
was young, naïve, and just wanted out of that house of hell. I’m
sure she didn’t know that she was leading us into another level of
it.”
Pete paused, making sure Katie was
finished. He knew he couldn’t admit to the crimes, but he also knew
it wouldn’t hurt to tell her anything he could about Ally.
“Anything said in this car remains here, is that
understood?”
Katie saw the seriousness behind his
eyes. He had saved her life, and he could just as easily take it
back. She nodded her head, “Yes.”
“
Yes, I did make Ally’s
acquaintance.” He wondered how much he should share with Katie. He
only wanted to give her as much information as needed to satisfy
her. “Ally’s not like you, Katie. You were determined to get out
and be something, and she didn’t care. I did get her out of there,
away from that lifestyle. I put her up in an apartment within
walking distance to a local high school and helped her get
registered for classes.
“
She didn’t finish high
school. I was sending money every month for rent, utilities, and
food. I had someone delivering cash, so nothing could be traced
back to me. One month, he reported that she was pregnant and strung
out. I went down there myself to see what I could do for her. After
relocating her, we started all over again. She put the baby up for
adoption, got a job at the local convenience store and was
straightening herself out.”
Katie exhaled and relaxed back into
the leather seat. “Do you still send money?”
Pete gripped the steering wheel and
drew a long, slow breath before answering. “No. She disappeared,
and I haven’t seen her since.”
“
Oh.” Katie looked
straight ahead, not sure how to process all that she had heard.
“You’re a good man. You’ve done more for her than anyone in her
life ever has. You didn’t owe either of us anything, yet . . .”
Katie drifted off thinking about Ally, wondering where she was and
if she was all right.
Pete cleared his throat and regretted
his words as soon as they slipped out. “There’s one more thing . .
.”
Katie turned to look at him. Hearing
the hesitation in his voice caused alarm to rise along with the
tiny hairs on the back of her neck.
“
Her child . . . my wife
and I are raising her.”
Katie’s mind went numb trying to wrap
it around what she had just heard. “You have Ally’s daughter? How
old is she? Does she look like Ally? Does she . . .”
“
She’s four years old.”
Pete scrolled through his phone and retrieved a picture. “Here.”
Passing the phone, he waited for her reaction.
Katie’s eyes filled with tears as she
saw Ally’s long golden hair and mischievous smile in the picture.
“She’s beautiful. What’s her name?”
“
Her mother named her and
we decided to honor her request.” He delayed his answer for a
moment, staring at the little girl in the picture, his eyes smiling
gently. “Her name is Rose.”
Katie wiped the tears from her face
with the back of her hand and whispered, “Rose?”
Pete nodded.
“
It’s . . .
perfect.”
Forty-One
Katie studied herself in the
full-length mirror. She held her arms by her side as she followed
the strapless sweetheart bodice down to the opulent, sparkling,
wide belt that cinched in her waist. The tulle skirt wasn’t too
full, but made her feel like a fairytale princess. She adjusted her
chapel length veil and smiled. Everything was just as she
dreamed.
After a light tap on the door, Gram
entered.
“
Oh my,” Gram began,
“You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever laid eyes on.” She
walked slowly toward Katie. “I have one final touch.” She pulled
out a strand of perfectly round milky-white pearls. “I wore these
on my wedding day as did my mother on hers.” She fastened the
necklace around Katie’s neck and stepped back to admire the entire
ensemble.
Katie stood in front of the mirror and
let her fingers glide over the smooth round pearls. Gram had gone
overboard telling Katie how important she was to her after the
memories invaded her. She wanted her to know that no matter the
past, she was a Harrington—loved and wanted. Katie knew that Gram
loved her, but she hadn’t felt worthy of being part of her family,
until now. Gram wanted her to wear the pearls that two generations
had worn before her, and to Katie that was momentous. “They’re
perfect. Thank you, Gram.”
Ava Maria
drifted into the room, bringing an instant smile
to Katie as she heard the string trio play Bach’s version of the
song. Katie’s heart soared realizing it was almost time to meet her
groom at the end of the aisle.
“
That’s my cue,” Gram
said, kissing Katie’s cheek. “I love you so much,
Katie-girl.”
Katie looked herself over
once more as she listened to
Ave
Maria
end and
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
begin.
The bridesmaids would be walking down now and she would be
next.
Pete tapped on the door before walking
in and offering her his arm. “We’re up.” He thought about how much
things had changed since the first time he met Katie. She was the
epitome of sadness and pain. A frail girl with no hope. Her face
had displayed only one emotion—defeat. Now he smiled as he looked
at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. She was confident,
and had a youthful, happy smile that he felt sure would never leave
her. “You look exquisite.”
“
Thank you, Pete—for
everything.” Katie picked up her bouquet and took his arm. “I wish
things had worked out differently for you and Gram. You would have
made a wonderful addition to our family.”
“
They worked out as they
should have. Your Gram and I have an unbreakable bond of
friendship, and I thought you considered me part of the family
anyway?” He smirked.