Chapter Twenty
“The sheriff just brought these by,” Boone said when he found C.J. in the sunroom.
C.J. took the envelope from him and just held it for a long moment. She was still shaken by everything that had happened. Cecil was in jail. She’d heard that he’d completely broken down and confessed everything. Tilly was dead, having died on the way to the hospital.
A minute didn’t go by that C.J. wasn’t reminded how easily it could have been one of them in the morgue right now. That Boone could have been killed... It gave her waking nightmares.
“If you want to be alone when you open it...” Boone said.
“No.” She met his gaze and smiled before patting the cushion on the couch next to her. “I suspect this is about the kidnapping. Has your father opened his letter yet? Or Jesse Rose?”
“They’re reading theirs now,” he said as he joined her.
Carefully she opened the flap and took out the letter.
Dear C.J.,
If you’re reading this, I am no longer with you. I didn’t want you to worry about me, that’s why I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry. I figured you would have enough to deal with once I was gone without knowing that I was dying. I had an amazing life. I don’t regret any of it. But you, C.J., you were the light of my life. I can’t imagine what it would have been like without you in it from the time you came charging into my office, looked around and said, “What a mess!” You were five.
She laughed as tears welled. Boone, who’d been reading along with her, handed her a tissue. She wiped her eyes and continued reading.
I hope that by the time you read this, you’ll have met Jesse Rose. Isn’t she wonderful? And that you will see that she makes it home to her birth family, the McGraws.
I’ve confessed my part in all this to Travers McGraw in the letter I wrote him. But I wanted you to know, as well. Years ago, Pearl Cavanaugh contacted me. She had a child that desperately needed a home. It wasn’t the first time I’d helped with adoptions from the women of the Whitehorse Sewing Circle. I never asked where the babies came from. I just trusted that I was helping the infant—and the desperate family that wanted a child.
At the time my sister had been trying to have a baby and after numerous miscarriages had been told it would never happen. The moment I laid eyes on the little girl who was brought to me, I fell in love with Jesse Rose. I knew who she was. It was in all the news. But I also knew from Pearl that it was felt that the infant wasn’t safe in the McGraw house.
I should have done the right thing. But at the time, the right thing felt like not returning her. When I handed Jesse Rose to my sister... Well, I’ve never felt such emotion. No little girl could have been more loved.
Maybe it was knowing I was dying. Or maybe it was seeing Travers McGraw on television pleading for information about his daughter. I called the lawyer to make sure the baby I’d given my sister really was Jesse Rose McGraw. Then I couldn’t keep it from Jesse Rose and the McGraw family any longer. I flew to Seattle and told Jesse Rose and my sister what had to be done.
It was the hardest thing I’d ever done—short of keeping all this from you, C.J. Truthfully, I was a coward. I couldn’t bear to see your expression when you heard what I’d done all those years ago. I hope you can forgive me.
I also hope you and Jesse Rose will meet. She’s always wanted a sister and you two are the joys of my life.
I will miss you so much.
Hank
Tears were streaming down C.J.’s face as she finished the letter. Boone pulled her into his chest, rubbing her back as she cried.
“I know what he did was wrong, but I miss him,” she said between sobs.
“I know.”
When she finally pulled herself together, she straightened. “There was nothing in the letter about Cecil Marks. What if Hank knew nothing about his part in the kidnapping? What if—”
“If Cecil was free and clear and would never have been caught if he hadn’t panicked?” Boone shook his head. “Apparently Tilly had told him that Hank had called our lawyer and knew something about Jesse Rose and the kidnapping. Cecil had believed it was true.”
“So if he hadn’t confessed...”
“We would never have known the part he played in the kidnapping.”
She nodded, shocked at the irony.
“Maybe there is something in my father’s letter,” Boone said. “But it doesn’t sound like Hank knew who the kidnapper’s accomplice inside the house was.”
“I need to go find Jesse Rose,” C.J. said, getting to her feet. “If her letter is anything like mine...”
* * *
BOONE THOUGHT OF his father. Anxious to find out what had been in his letter, he found Travers in his office. The letter he’d received was lying open on the desk. His father looked up as he came in.
“Are you all right?” Boone asked.
“Yes.” The older man nodded. There were tears in his eyes. “It’s good to know what happened. Jesse Rose was raised by loving parents. That’s all that matters. And now she is home. She wants to stay out here on the ranch. She has a degree in business. I think she can be an asset to the ranch and take some of the load off my shoulders. What do you think?”
Boone chuckled. “I think you’re an amazing man. You are so forgiving.”
His father shrugged. “If I have learned anything it’s that holding a grudge is harder on you than on the person who wronged you. I don’t have time for regrets. I just want to spend the rest of my life enjoying my family and it’s almost Christmas. The doctors say that your mother can start coming home for visits after the first of year. If those go well... So tell me about C.J.”
“What do you want to know?” Boone asked, startled by the change of topic.
“When you’re going to ask her to marry you,” his father said with a laugh as he leaned back in his chair.
“I barely know the woman.”
“I guess you’d better take care of that, then.”
* * *
C.J. FOUND JESSE ROSE in her room. The door was open so she tapped on it and stepped in to hand her a clean tissue. Jesse Rose laughed, seeing that C.J. was still sniffling, too. They hugged and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Hank hoped we’d be friends,” Jesse Rose said.
“How can we not be?” she said. “We’re the only two people who really knew Hank. It’s strange, though, the way he brought us together.”
“Even stranger the way he brought you and Boone together,” Jesse Rose said with a teasing smile.
“You can’t think he had a hand in that.”
The other woman shrugged and winked. “If Hank could have, he would have. You two are perfect for each other.”
“I wouldn’t say that exactly.” C.J. felt herself blushing. “He’s stubborn and bossy and impossible. On top of that, he’s a cowboy.”
Jesse Rose laughed. “It is so obvious that the two of you are crazy about each other. And every woman wants a cowboy.”
“Not every woman,” C.J. said with a laugh. “Anyway, I live in Butte and he...he lives here,” she said, taking in the ranch with a wave of her hand.
“You don’t want to stay on this amazing ranch? I’m going to. I’ve already talked to Travers...to my dad about it,” Jesse Rose said. “It’s going to take a little getting used to, calling him Dad and having four grown brothers—one a twin I still have to meet. But I love it here. I know this sounds crazy, but I feel as if this is really where I’ve always belonged.”
C.J. laughed. “It is.”
“I know, but after growing up in Seattle...” She shook her head. “I feel like I’ve come home.”
“How is your mom taking it?”
“She’s just glad she isn’t going to prison.”
“You sound angry with her.”
Jesse Rose nodded slowly. “I guess I am a little. But Hank knew, too, and I can’t be angry with him. I’m just so glad he told me the truth. Maybe my mom will come around. Travers—Dad has asked her to come out for a visit. Maybe she will.”
* * *
BOONE LOOKED UP to see Jesse Rose and C.J. come into the living room. He was so thankful that C.J. had agreed to at least stay through Christmas.
“We were just discussing everything that has happened,” Boone said as the two joined the rest of the family. “Nikki is finishing up her book now that we all know what happened the night of the kidnapping.”
C.J. sat down next to Boone. “I still can’t believe Cecil Marks thought Hank knew about the part he’d played.”
“Apparently Tilly had told him she’d overheard us talking and that Hank knew who the accomplice was,” Travers said. “Unfortunately, she got it wrong. Otherwise, we would have never known it was our housekeeper’s ex-husband who worked with Howard Cline to kidnap the twins. Finally Marianne will now be cleared of any wrongdoing.”
“Tilly was always listening to what was going on with all of us,” Cull said. “She really did get caught in the crossfire this time, though.”
Nikki elbowed him. “That’s awful.”
“Well, you know what I mean. It cost her her life.”
“At least Cecil confessed to everything,” Nikki said. “Now I can finally finish my book.”
“So Cecil was never considered a suspect?” C.J. asked.
“Surely he was questioned the night of the kidnapping,” Boone said.
“He was—once he regained consciousness,” Nikki said. “He was in a car wreck on the other side of the county and ended up in a coma in the hospital the night of the kidnapping.”
“Didn’t anyone think that was suspicious?” C.J. asked.
“That was the problem. No one knew exactly what time the twins had been taken,” Nikki said. “As it turns out, the twins had been missing for almost an hour before Patty was awakened and went in to check on them. By then, Cecil had stopped at a bar or two and gotten into a wreck. That was a pretty good alibi. Nor was there anything incriminating in his car. No one even knew he’d been out to the ranch that night since apparently Tilly was too doped up to mention it at the time and didn’t think it important later I guess.”
“Tilly never suspected him?” Cull asked in disbelief.
Nikki shook her head. “She’d taken cold medicine and then he’d given her even more. She was completely out of it.”
“At least now we know who put the codeine cough syrup in the twins’ room to make our mother look guilty,” Ledger said.
“Seems like the perfect crime,” Travers said. “But someone knew Cecil was in the house that night.” Travers had been sitting quietly until then. Everyone turned to look at him. “When the letters came, there was also a package delivered. The sheriff found it in Tilly’s purse where she’d apparently put it as Cecil had asked her.”
“From Hank?” C.J. asked.
Travers shook his head. “From Patty. It’s your mother’s diary,” he said to his sons. “Marianne saw Cecil coming out of the twins’ room that night. That’s why she went in. Unfortunately, she failed to tell anyone because of the altered state she was in from being poisoned with arsenic. When the twins were kidnapped, she apparently didn’t recall seeing him. But she wrote it in her diary. Because of the poison in her system, it’s possible she didn’t remember.”
“Patty returned the diary?” Boone asked sounding shocked. “Why would she do that?”
“There was only a short note inside. It said, ‘Sorry, Patricia.’ It seems she’s had it this whole time, planning to use it against us.”
“Except for that page she put under my door to make Marianne look guilty,” Nikki said.
“Yes,” Travers agreed.
“But wait,” C.J. said. “Who was poisoning your mother?”
The family all looked at one another. It was finally Nikki who spoke. “We don’t know. Probably Patty, but there are two other suspects—the former ranch manager, Blake Ryan, and our former family attorney, Jim Waters. Both were in love with Patty and would have done anything for her.”
“Let’s hope once Patty goes to trial that it all comes out,” Cull said. “I suspect all three will be found guilty.”
Travers got to his feet. “All I care about is that Cecil’s confession clears your mother. Not that I ever believed she was in on the kidnapping. Even if Patty had been poisoning her and making her forgetful and confused, she wouldn’t have hurt her babies.”
“What will happen to Cecil?” Ledger asked.
“He’ll probably get life. Kidnapping and deliberate homicide.” Travers shook his head. “For twenty-five years he thought Harold Cline had double-crossed him, when all the time Harold was dead and buried. The man also must have lived being terrified that the truth would come out. So when Nikki began investigating the kidnapping for her book and we released more information...”
“Cecil killed Frieda to keep her from talking, although I doubt she knew anything about who had helped Harold,” Nikki said. “Once Tilly told her ex about the call from Hank...”
“Speaking of the upcoming trial, Jim Waters called,” Cull said. “He swears he’s being framed for the poisonings. He was practically begging for you to help him, Dad.”
Travers sighed. “Jim got himself into the mess he’s in—he’s going to have to get himself out. I would imagine the truth will come out one way or another. Blake Ryan hasn’t gotten off free, either. He’s being investigated for co-conspiracy with Patty and Jim Waters in the poisonings.”
“If all three of them were in on it, one of them will turn on the others,” Boone said.
“Jim and Blake both thought they would have Patty and the ranch once you were out of the way, Dad,” Cull said.
“So who is the father of Patty’s daughter Kitten?” Ledger asked.
“Patty told me it was just some one-night stand,” Boone said. “If you can believe Patty.” The former nanny, turned second McGraw wife, had always had trouble with the truth, he added.
“You do realize that Patty will probably get off with no more than a few years in prison for what she did to this family,” Cull said.
“Probably,” Travers agreed. “It’s impossible to prove that she was behind the poisoning of your mother all those years ago. But I think a jury will have a hard time believing that she wasn’t behind my arsenic poisoning in one way or another.”
“Well, it’s finally over,” Ledger said.
“Except for Patty’s tell-all book,” Cull said.
“Haven’t you heard? Because of the hype around Nikki’s book about what really happened, the other publisher decided they weren’t interested in Patty’s,” Travers said and smiled. “Explains why she returned the diary. But apparently she got to keep the advance to pay her lawyer.”
A log popped in the fireplace and as darkness descended on the ranch, Boone put his arm around C.J. and looked at the Christmas tree, bright with lights and ornaments.
Ledger’s fiancée, Abby, and Jesse Rose came in from the kitchen with plates of sandwiches. They were both laughing about something Jesse Rose had said.
“I don’t think I ever believed in happy endings until this moment,” Boone said and smiled at his father.
“All that matters is that the twins were found. They’ve both had good lives. That’s all I could have hoped for,” Travers said and smiled. “That’s all I did hope for.”