Page 4 of Dead Calm (Cold Case Psychic #38)

An hour later, Ronan and Ten headed down to the beach.

The ocean was dead calm. Jude and Fitz were sleeping in their lounge chairs.

Copies of Murder on the Orient Express lay open on their chests.

It didn’t look like either of them had gotten very far into the story.

Everly and Aurora were lying on their own lounges soaking up the sun, while Cope and Jace sat on the sand at the water’s edge watching Wolf, Lizbet, and Ezra play in the gentle waves of low tide.

Further down the beach were two younger couples.

The husbands slept while the wives chatted and drank wine.

“Hey, little miss,” Ronan said, nudging Everly’s right foot with his big toe.

One of his daughter’s eyes cracked open. “You’re in my sun, Daddy.”

Ronan snorted and took a step back. “Do you need anything?”

“How about some juice?” Everly suggested.

“Me too,” Aurora chimed in. “And a snack. Something salty.”

“Coming right up, princesses.” Ronan walked to the cooler, which was sitting in the shade made by Jude and Fitzgibbon’s chairs.

“Is the coast clear?” Jude whispered, his lips barely moving.

“Clear from what?” Ronan asked.

“The mobbed up beach master,” Fitz said.

“The what?” Ronan looked around. No one he could see matched Fitz’s bizarre description.

“Big guy, tall and wide, built like a bulldog with a deep tan, cigar chomped in his teeth, and a fedora,” Fitz said. “He tried to round us up for a midnight poker tournament.”

“All I see are two young couples down the beach.” He turned back toward the hotel. “There are a couple of people sitting on the verandah in the rocking chairs, but no one who looks like what you described.” He grabbed snacks for the girls. “Let me hand these out, then we’ll talk.”

Jude and Fitz sat up and looked behind them, as if they were making sure Ronan was telling the truth.

“Here we are, ladies.” Ronan set juice pouches and little bags of pretzels beside each of them.

“Thanks, Daddy!” Everly reached for the straw and stabbed it into the pouch. “How does my tan look so far?”

Ronan bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. His daughter was so pale, she was nearly transparent. Ditto for Aurora. He’d noticed a tube of sun block on the table beside Jude and knew he made sure all the kids were slathered in it. “Looks good, honey. You too, Aurora!”

“Thanks, Uncle Ronan.”

Ronan wanted to ask Aurora about her new boyfriend in the worst way, but didn’t want her to know that Everly had spilled the beans.

It would be much more fun to ask Fitz what he’d been shouting about.

He took the lounge chair beside Jude and leaned over his friend.

“Hey, Fitz, I heard you shouting at Aurora earlier. Is everything okay?”

“Fuck you and the horse you rode in on,” Fitz said in a sour tone

Jude snorted and began to laugh. Ronan wanted to join in, but Fitz hadn’t answered his question. “It’s obvious you’re upset about something and as your friend, I’d like to help.”

“Help?” Fitz bellowed. “This is all your fault.” He pointed an angry finger in Ronan’s direction, nearly poking Jude in the process.

“Wait! What? ” Ronan was confused. “How is Aurora having a boyfriend suddenly my fault?” Ronan understood Fitz was probably looking for a fall guy.

Aurora was growing up and yelling at Ronan wasn’t going to change anything, but, if Ronan were being honest with himself, he had to admit there was a possibility that he’d said something stupid to Aurora that was now coming back around to bite him in the ass.

“So you did know!” Fitz slapped his book on the table beside his seat. He spun around so he was facing Ronan, with his feet in the sand, rather than on the lounge chair. “I ought to punch your stupid lights out.”

Ronan held up his hands to keep Fitz in his seat.

“Everly heard you yelling when we were going into our room and when I asked what you could possibly be mad about, she spilled the beans. Said the kid’s name is Jack.

” Ronan shrugged. “I have no clue who that kid is. Couldn’t pick him out of a lineup.

” He turned to Jude for support, but his friend’s head kept turning left and right like it was on a swivel.

He looked like he was a spectator at a tennis match.

If he wasn’t careful, Jude was going to end up in the middle of things whether he wanted to be there or not.

“Just now, I was going to ask Aurora to tell me what was going on, but I didn’t want her to get mad at Everly for telling me her secret. ”

“So you didn’t set this up or have any part in it?” Fitz asked, his voice quieter than before.

“Are you kidding me? I don’t want Everly dating anyone until she’s in her thirties and even then it will be a fight.

Why on earth would I help my seven year old niece date a third grader behind your back?

” Fitz had said a lot of crazy things to Ronan over the years they’d known each other and worked together, but this was the craziest by far.

A bit of the anger in Fitz’s green eyes drained away. “What did Everly tell you about all of this?”

Ronan shook his head. “No way, Fitz. I want to hear what you have to say before I break my daughter’s trust in me.

” When Ronan was growing up, he could tell his mother anything and she’d keep it a secret.

Most of the time, Erin had known what he was about to say before he said it, but just knowing that Erin would be there to listen and not judge meant the world to him.

He planned to do the same for Everly and Ezra.

Fitz sighed. “The kid’s name is Jack. His father, Alan, lives in Salem and works for the Massachusetts Parole Board.

He’s come to me a few times asking about convicts about to come up for parole.

People either I or my department were responsible for arresting.

He’s a good guy, wants to protect the Commonwealth from predators and repeat criminals, but also wants to make sure that the men and women who come before the board get a fair shake.

I’ve met his son, Jack, a couple of times.

I’d taken Aurora to the ice cream stand out on Cabot Street in Beverly, you know, the one that gives enormous portions? ”

“Gallagher’s,” Ronan said. “Everly and Ezra love it there too.” So did he and Tennyson.

“I spoke with Alan for a bit and Aurora and Jack were talking about what grade they were going into and teachers they had. Kid stuff. I didn’t give it a second thought. Now, all of a sudden Aurora is telling me this kid is her boyfriend and wants to go on a date with him.”

Jude and Ronan snorted. Fitzgibbon’s eyes blazed, while his nostrils flared. If Jude and Ronan weren’t careful, there was going to be a brawl on the beach. “Is Jack going to pick her up on his two-wheeler?” Jude asked.

Ronan laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, thankfully, Fitzgibbon did too. “Aurora said they want to go to the butterfly place in Beverly. The kids went there on a field trip last year. She loved when the butterflies fluttered near her face and landed on her hand.”

Ronan remembered that field trip, he’d been worried Aurora would flip out if the butterflies came near her, but she’d loved every second of her visit.

He, Jude, and Fitz had chaperoned the trip, just in case Aurora needed help.

It turned out they spent the day consoling other kids who were upset that the insects landed on them or worse, that the butterflies hadn’t come near them.

Aurora had the time of her life. “How is this different from when the kids went with their class in the spring?”

“Ronan’s right,” Jude said. “Would it really be that bad to take Aurora and this kid to a place your daughter loves?”

Fitz grumbled, but stayed silent.

“What if we go too and bring Everly and Wolf? Most likely, the kids will just hang out together,” Ronan suggested.

“What would you do if the situation was reversed and Everly was going on a date?” Fitz asked, wearing a knowing grin.

“I’d lose my shit, just like you’re doing.

” Ronan had no doubt he would have reacted the same way Fitz did.

“But, here’s the thing. At this point, it’s all semantics, right?

The kids watch shows on television that show kids going on dates.

It’s natural they’d want to do the same thing.

Aurora has no idea what happens on teenager or adult dates.

This boy isn’t going to kiss her or run off to Vegas and elope.

Maybe he’ll hold her hand and buy her a snack at the little restaurant.

If it were Everly, I could live with that. ”

“Not to hop into the middle of this,” Jude said, smiling brightly, looking as if all he wanted to do was get into the conversation, “but you just said this kid comes from a good family. If this were Wolf, Cope and I would sit down with him before the date and find out what his intentions were and make sure he understood what was and was not appropriate. I imagine Jack’s father would do the same thing. ”

“Maybe,” Fitz agreed. “What I want to know is how this all happened? When we saw him at the ice cream place, Aurora didn’t exchange phone numbers with this older man.”

Ronan barked a quick laugh. “Fitz, the kid is eight, not eighteen. I have the answer to that question, but I need to confer with my client before I can discuss it with you.” Waggling his eyebrows, Ronan got up from his lounge chair and took a seat on Everly’s.

“Daddy,” Everly sighed, “you’re in my sun, again .”

“I need to have a little chat with you,” Ronan whispered.

“Uncle Fitz is losing his mind, huh?” Everly asked. Aurora giggled.

“Yeah, Fitz wants to know how Aurora and Jack got close. Apparently he doesn’t know what happened at the finish line of the fun run. I didn’t want to break your trust by telling him what you said, so I’m here asking if it’s okay to tell him.”

“I say no.” Aurora slid her sunglasses down her pert nose. “Daddy’s just gonna have another fit.”

“I’ve been trying to talk him down,” Ronan grinned.

“Really?” Everly and Aurora asked together.

“Yeah, you’re just going to the butterfly place, not running off to Paris to get married, right?”

Aurora laughed. “No! I want to go to college and have a ton of friends and a job, then I can think about getting married, right, Everly?”

“Right. I agree with Aurora.” Everly beamed at Ronan. “I’ve got a lot of living to do. I want to travel and see the world with my best friends. No boys allowed, well, maybe Woofie.”

Ronan felt like his heart was going to explode with joy. “Is it okay if I tell Fitz what we just talked about?”

Everly and Aurora exchanged a look. Both girls nodded.

“Aurora, Can I offer a piece of advice before I go spill the tea with Fitz?”

“Sure!” She slipped off her sunglasses and gave Ronan her full attention.

“Maybe next time share what’s going on with your Dad? Adults have a way of flying off the handle, especially when we have daughters.”

“Tell me about it.” Everly rolled her eyes.

“Just for that, you’re grounded until you’re sixteen!” Ronan shot back. He turned back to Aurora. “You can always come to me or Ten if you need to talk and we can let Fitz know what’s going on, but knowing your father the way I do, it’s best if things come from you.”

“What do I do when Daddy blows his top?” Aurora asked.

“Oh, that’s easy! You just-” Everly slapped both hands over her mouth, as if she’d just realized her father shouldn’t hear what she was going to say.

“You just, what?” Ronan asked, sounding curious. He knew exactly what Everly was going to say. He interrogated suspects for a living and knew when he was being played. The key right now was that Everly didn’t know he knew she was playing him.

“Give hugs. Lots of hugs.” Everly hugged Ronan, as if to demonstrate her point.

Ronan got up from the chair. “I’m gonna go talk to Fitz. If he kills me, make sure you say nice things at my funeral, okay?”

“Detective Ronan O’Mara was a dumbass, but we loved him anyway.” Everly screeched when Ronan turned back to tickle her. Both she and Aurora ran toward the ocean.

“Is everything okay?” Ten asked, holding his hands up to Ronan, who hauled his husband back to his feet.

“You mean aside from Everly calling me a dumbass in my future obit, Aurora dating an older man, and Fitz being scared of a mobbed up, poker playing, beach master in a fedora?” Ronan shook his head. They’d only been at the resort for two hours and things were already wildly out of control.

“I’m gonna want details about all of those things later, but for now, I’ve got some good news.” Ten grimaced.

“That doesn’t look like good news.” Christ, the last thing Ronan needed right now was backhanded good news.

“I don’t want to jinx anything, but do you notice there’s something missing on this trip?” Ten nibbled his bottom lip.

“Missing?” Ronan had no idea what Ten was talking about. If they’d forgotten to pack something, it was only a five minute ride to the closest convenience store.

“Me, Cope, and Everly haven’t been approached by any…” Ten left his sentence hanging.

Ronan instantly knew what Ten was talking about and why he didn’t want to jinx things. “Casper’s not in the house, huh?”

Ten shook his head and held up his crossed fingers.

“Let’s enjoy every second then.” Ronan took Ten’s hands and dragged him into the water.

“Oh, no, you don’t! You know I don’t go past my ankles!” Ten shouted, sounding slightly panicked. “I don’t want to be shark bait!”

Ronan stopped pulling Ten into the ocean. “Why do you think you’d be shark bait and not me?”

Ten snorted. “Uh, well, let’s see. I’m sweet and tender. You’re old and leathery. Eating you would be like chewing on an old shoe.”

Ronan dropped Ten’s hand. “Gee, Ten tell me how you really feel!” He stomped back toward Fitz and Jude, mumbling to himself.

So far, the trip was off to a roaring start. Ronan couldn’t wait to see what happened next.