Chapter Twenty-two

Two blissful weeks had passed if you ignored the Kur’iks who were walking on egg shells around her and Mia who was having bad dreams every night. She seemed to be the only one that was content.

She was sitting in the living room watching the news as they tried to unravel the Mayor Connolly case. No one wanted to believe what they could see with their very own eyes.

Cole was holding her. He never made her turn off the television, he simply held her to let her know he was there.

The knock at the door ruined their routine.

“Come in,” Jessie called out finally rousing herself out of the television-induced stupor she was in.

Deja walked in with Ven behind her neither of them was smiling.

“What’s wrong?” Deja took a seat in the armchair while Ven stood at her side.

“Do you remember Peter Thornton? He’s the lawyer that helped you out when the cops picked you up.”

“I remember he’s a cutie pie.”

Cole growled making her laugh.

“Yeah, that’s him. He called me not too long ago, said that Detective Baker got in touch with him. Since your mother was informed that you were dead, she wanted her granddaughter. She is the legal guardian since you didn’t leave a Will.”

Cole’s growl stopped her from digging her nails into the palms of her hands. She used them to calm him down.

“My mother just doesn’t know when to stop.” She stood up and went to look in on Mia who was taking a nap. The relief of seeing her safe and sound allowed her to think.

“What were her demands?”

“We have until Sunday to hand her over.”

It was Wednesday at least she had some time to think.

“What happens if we don’t hand her over?”

“She doesn’t know our exact location, but she’s willing to take it to the media. Do whatever she can to get the government in on it. By the time she finishes spinning her lies everyone will be looking for Mia and by extension all of us.”

“Welcome to life in the Murphy household.”

“The lawyer is trying to stall her, but I doubt she will pay attention to anything he says.”

“Your right so we need a plan.” She wrapped her arm around herself and started to pace. “I was waiting for this.”

Her mother never gave up it wasn’t in her DNA. If she were someone else, it would have been a good trait. In her mother, it was just evil looking for another way to make itself known.

“Did she say where she wanted to meet?” Cole’s voice was quiet. The sound of it made Jessie shiver.

“Cole?” She pressed her hand over his heart which was beating slowly.

“She won’t stop, trasire. She’ll keep coming until she finds a way to get her hands on Mia. I won’t let that happen.”

She nodded and snuggled closer to him.

“She wants to meet outside of town. Told the Detective that she wanted to make a new life for herself and Mia.”

“Why out of town?”

“She plans to have whoever brings Mia to her killed. If I were her, I’d make sure the place was as far from the public as possible.”

“Ding, ding, we have a winner.” Deja smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“She wants to meet at one of the remote parks several hours from here.”

“Tell me she wants to do it closer to night time.”

“She does.”

“Then there is only one thing to do.”

Cole turned to look at Jessie and raised a brow. She giggled, it still looked strange when he did it. It was an unnatural move for him. He spent hours practicing it. She wasn’t sure, but he seemed to do it when she needed a laugh.

“What should we do?”

“Visit Detective Baker.” He looked at her with blank eyes. “Well, I can’t live the rest of my being dead. I tried that once it didn’t work out so well for me.”

He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her as she wondered what her real parents had been like.

“Won’t he try to kill you?”

She looked up at Ven. His face was filled with horror. Once again she wondered what horrors he faced as a child. Deja had told her some of his story but the look on his face said there was so much more to it.

“No, there may be some problems because of what I did, but I’m going to tell the detective everything. Then we’ll know.”

“Know what?”

“If he really wants justice or if he’s just there for his own personal reasons.”

“When do you want to go?”

“Now. Deja do you mind watching Mia? She’s taking a nap right now.”

“You know I don’t mind. All the more experience for when I have a baby girl.”

“Can you give me a sister soon, please?”

Ven was on his way to Mia’s room but stopped to turn around to look at his mother.

“We’re working on it.” Her face turned red before he walked away laughing.

“You might want to think about it. I think Mia’s spoiled, I can’t imagine how spoiled your daughter will be between Enzo and Ven.”

“She’ll be a freaking princess, I love it.”

They laughed. Jessie went to change her clothes before they left.

“When Mia wakes up we’ll take her back to our place. I’ll make dinner or have the guys grill out. See you later.”

“Later.” Jessie hugged her before leaving.

*~*~*~*

“Do you think I was a little too hasty in coming to the police station?”

They were sitting in the car in front of the station watching people come and go. Several cops had spotted them and looked the car over, but as of yet, none had approached them.

“No, I think you are doing the right thing. We’ve taken care of one threat to our family now we have to take care of the next threat.”

“Don’t you mean the last threat?”

“No, there are always going to be threats because we are so different, trasire.”

She nodded, why should this be any different than any other part of her life. Although, this time she had Cole, and he wouldn’t leave her alone.

“Let’s do this.”

He took her hand when they exited the car. Together they walked up the steps to the station with several officers watching them. She smiled at the cop at the counter remembering him from her first trip there.

“Hi, we would like to see Detective Baker.”

“He’s very busy, I can get someone else to help you.”

“Tell him Jessie Murphy is here. I’m sure he will see us.”

They turned around and sat where she waited for Cole to come out the first time they were here. The station hadn’t changed, and she was almost tempted to visit the coffee machine they kept to the side marked for guests.

A different officer approached them.

“Ms. Murphy, Detective Baker said he would be happy to see you if you would follow me.” She waved at the officer at the desk as they went past. They may have to come here again better to make a friend than an enemy.

The officer opened the door and closed it behind them.

Detective Baker looked up, seeing her he ran his gaze up and down her body.

“You look good for a ghost.”

“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

He extended his hand to indicate the chairs in front of his desk while he laughed and wiped a tear from his eye.

“I must tell you, I usually never have this much fun in this office. Ms. Murphy, you seem to be keeping me on my toes. Let me go out on a limb and say this is Mr. Loup, the man that did not abduct you or your daughter.”

“Correct.”

“Tell me, Ms. Murphy, why does a certain percent of the population believe that you’re dead? I took the time to look for your certificate of death and couldn’t find one.”

“Here are the hospital cliff notes. My mother ordered me shot, I woke up on the operating table something the doctor said should never have happened. I asked him to tell her I was dead and allow my real family to come save me. I wanted to die with them.”

“You’re alive, not dead.”

“They finished the operation and were able to save me, although my life hung in the balance for a while.”

“I take it you don’t plan to give your daughter to her grandmother.”

“No, she’s not her real grandmother. How familiar are you with the Mayor Connolly case?”

“The patrol officers called me in that night.”

She knew that but couldn’t tell him that she had been there.

“What if I tell you he’s not the mastermind behind the trafficking of children in this city.”

“What would make you think that, Ms. Murphy?”

“Because I know who is.”

“That’s interesting. Are you saying that you’re the one behind this?”

“I’m twenty-five unless I was doing this before I was born I’m pretty sure we can rule me out.”

“Maybe.”

“Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Jessie Clark.”

He pulled a file off his desk and started to flip through it.

“That’s me the black hair blue eyed baby girl that went missing. The one thought to be torn apart by wild animals. Once again the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

“How would Jessie Clark end up with Carol Murphy?”

“I wish I knew the answer to that. I also wish I knew how she could be pregnant so many times and miscarry them all.”

“That is possible.”

She tilted her head in acknowledgment.

“I know but to carry them almost to full term and lose them with the medical advancements we had back then. That’s almost unheard of.”

He gave a tilt to his head, and a small smile played around his lips as he acknowledged what she was saying.

“Mr. Loup, you’re quiet.”

“This isn’t my story, I’m simply here to make sure my female and my child are taken care of.”

“I see. So, Ms. Clark are you stating that your mother is behind all of this?”

“I am.”

“Why tell me?”

“On Sunday, we are going to meet my mother, but we will not be leaving Mia with her. The easiest thing may have been to meet her in secret. That way we could ensure that she never came after Mia again. I’d like to take the right path if given a choice.”

She stood up. “Think about it Detective you know how to get in touch with me.”

She smiled at him, then placed her hand in Coles before they left his office.