Page 23 of Code Name: Reaper (K19 Allied Intelligence Team Two #5)

Amaryllis shook her head. “I have someone who looks after it. Takes care of the lawn, makes sure the roof isn’t leaking, that kind of stuff.”

I thought through what that might mean. Were her grandparents’ belongings still in it? “Did you want to stop by?”

“I probably should since I haven’t.”

“When was the last time you were there?”

While she hadn’t looked at me once since I asked what was on her mind, I wasn’t surprised when she turned and stared out the passenger window.

“Charity?”

“The funeral,” she muttered.

“Would you like to do that after we visit the hospital?”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t know.”

“Let’s get through the meeting with Edmonds, then decide.

” I might’ve been out of line by insinuating myself into the decision-making process, but I was becoming increasingly aware that, apart from Mercury, it didn’t appear she had anyone who took the reins, so to speak, when she was overwhelmed.

What I didn’t doubt was that, if I overstepped, she’d let me know about it.

I let the subject drop, and we were both quiet for the rest of the drive. When I pulled up to the hospital’s entrance, Amaryllis hesitated.

“What can I do to help?”

My question seemed to catch her off guard. “I’m not sure,” she finally said.

When the valet approached, I got out and went around to the passenger side.

After opening her door, I held out my hand, and she took it.

I didn’t let go as we walked to the bank of elevators after stopping by the information desk to find out which floor the ICU was on, nor did I when we exited on the twelfth and approached the nurses’ station.

“I’m here to see Mr. Edmonds,” Amaryllis told her.

“Edmonds.” She looked through the papers in front of her. “He was taken into surgery about twenty minutes ago.”

I squeezed her hand, but before I could say anything else, a woman approached us.

“Are you Ms. Beaudoin?”

“I am.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve called. My father was taken into emergency surgery.” She motioned us away from the desk and toward the waiting area. “I’m Eleanor, by the way.”

“The surgery?” I prompted, doing my best not to react to her coincidental first name.

“They suspect a brain bleed.”

“I understand,” said Amaryllis. “We won’t keep you from your family.”

Eleanor turned to leave but stopped. “Wait. There were two things he wanted me to tell you. Two words.” She dug a piece of paper from her pocket.

“He wasn’t able to explain either, so I hope they mean something to you.

” She handed it to Amaryllis, who unfolded it.

I glanced over her shoulder and saw “Minerva” and “H. Hyde.”

“H. Hyde?” she asked.

“I wasn’t sure if my dad was saying it like an initial or if he was just trying to get the word out. He was…struggling quite a bit by then.” She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I hope it helps somehow.”

Amaryllis put her hand on the woman’s arm. “We hope the best for your dad.”

Eleanor motioned to her right. “I should check on him.”

“Of course, and thank you, and please keep us posted on his progress.”

I pressed the call button for the elevator when she walked away.

“Minerva and Hyde,” Amaryllis muttered once we’d gotten on and the doors closed behind us. “Nothing we don’t already know.”

“Maybe, maybe not. The ‘H’ could be significant.”

She didn’t speak again until we were on the main floor. “I should use the restroom first.”

I told her I’d do the same, then meet her in the valet area. While I waited, I sent a text to my father, wondering if either name meant anything to him. He hadn’t answered yet when Amaryllis approached.

“I would like to go by the house, if you don’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t mind at all.” I kept the fact that I was intrigued to myself. That she wanted me to go with her was all that mattered.

Like she had with the hospital, she put the address into the navigation system.

According to the map, the house was located in Newport News’ Hilton neighborhood, about ten miles from the town house where we were staying and another two hours from where we were now. As long as we didn’t hit much traffic, we’d arrive around sunset.

We’d been on the road for several minutes when I reached for her hand. “What was it like, living in that area?”

“Most of the houses, including ours, were modest, but I could walk to Riverside Park, which was nice.”

“And your grandparents?” From the corner of my eye, I saw her smile.

“Salt of the earth. Loving, attentive.”

“You said they were your father’s parents?”

“Yes. He was their only son—only child—which I suppose was the reason they didn’t like to talk about him much. Too painful.”

“And your mom? What about her family?”

“I’m not sure what happened, whether there was a falling out. I don’t know anything at all about them. That generation—my grandparents’, I mean—didn’t like to talk about the past. My granddad used to say the future didn’t live there, so what was the point?”

As hard as it was not to fire off a hundred questions, I didn’t want it to sound like I was interrogating her, so I stayed quiet to see if Amaryllis would add more. She didn’t.

“You met my mom,” I began.

“What was the word you used to describe her? Formidable? She certainly is. She’s also very kind.”

“And meddlesome.”

She laughed. “She said it would make you angry if you knew she was speaking to me.”

“And your response?”

Her laugh grew heartier. “I said most things make you angry.”

“That’s about right.” I winked.

“I’m the same way.”

Our eyes met with her admission, but then she quickly looked away.

“My dad worked a lot, something I think he regrets now, but Mom left her job—or so we thought—to be at home with us,” I told her.

“What does that mean?”

“She still did a lot of consulting.”

“If you’d rather spend time with them, I’d?—”

“No.” My response came out harsher than I’d intended. “I want to see the house you grew up in. Plus, when I get together with them again, it’ll be to find out if my dad heard of Briggs or other defense contracting scandals around the time of the investigation.”

“We could go by the house tomorrow.”

“Are you trying to say you don’t want to go? I’m not going to force you. On the other hand, if it’s been eleven years since you’ve set foot in it, I think it’s time you did.”

When she shot me one of her signature glares, I shot her one too. Then, when she stuck her tongue out at me, we both laughed.

The smile, though, left her face almost immediately. “The truth is, I’m not sure I can do it.”

I reached over and took her hand. “Let’s give it a try.”

“If I decide I can’t…”

“I already told you I wouldn’t force you.”

“Not that you could anyway,” she muttered.

“That’s for damn sure,” I muttered in response.