Page 32 of The Psychic

“She and the baby are safe,” was all he would say, which was really stretching the bounds of truth. But he was pretty sure she was at the Heart of Sunshine Church and there was no reason to believe either Mary Jo or the baby were in danger.

The truth was he was still working through what he’d seen at the church. He was still a bit gobsmacked by one of the names written into the register that sat on the Heart of Sunshine lectern.

Is your surrogate named Rebekkah? Two k ’s, one h ?

Rebekkah Parrish had been written in a shaking hand. Mary Jo’s signature, maybe. As soon as he was home he’d checked her signature on the legal papers they’d all signed and yes, he thought it could be Mary Jo’s handwriting.

But what did that mean? He wondered, and glanced at the Christmas tree, lights now set in some kind of twinkle mode and reflecting on the window.

Now, while everyone in his household was upstairs except for Duchess, who lay on the carpet by his feet, curled nose to tail, Cooper put in a call to Veronica Quick.

Ronnie , she’d said. When she didn’t immediately answer, he left a brief message: “Hi, it’s Cooper Haynes.

Give me a call. I’d like to talk to you about Rebekkah .

…two k ’s, one h …” In the moment he’d dismissed her comment as completely off base, but now …

“Who’re you talking to?”

He startled. Clicked off and turned swiftly at the sudden question to find Jamie’s daughter, Harley, walking from the kitchen into the dining area, in line with Cooper’s chair.

“Where’d you come from?” He was surprised that he hadn’t heard his stepdaughter approach. Losing his touch? Or, just too deeply worried …

“Upstairs. I was tiptoeing downstairs because Mom’s sleeping now.”

He nodded.

“This is weird. What are you hiding? Is it Mary Jo?”

Harley was lean and alert in a way that reminded him of his partner, Elena Verbena.

Dark hair and hazel eyes that missed nothing.

Like everyone else in the household, she knew Mary Jo was missing, though Cooper had tried to downplay the worry and act like her behavior was normal.

Looking at Harley now, he knew he wasn’t fooling her.

“I’m leaving a message,” he told her and, disturbing Duchess, pushed himself up from the couch. Grudgingly the dog ambled to the fireplace, where she settled once again.

“Who’s Rebekkah?” Harley asked.

“Long story.”

“Who were you calling?”

A psychic. “No one you know.”

“Something else is wrong. What is it?”

Cooper had seesawed back and forth about confiding fully in Harley. She was smart and engaged, and flirting with a career in law enforcement. She was also fiercely loyal to both her mother and her Aunt Emma.

But if he was going to reveal all to Harley, he was going to have to tell everything to Jamie first.

“Bring me into the circle of trust,” Harley said sternly, folding her arms over her chest.

Cooper smiled. “Or what?”

“Or, I’ll find out anyway.”

He wasn’t sure exactly what she had in mind, but he figured he didn’t want to know. Harley was bullheaded and strategic. “I’m going to talk to your mom about a few things.”

“Then we can talk?” she clarified, her gaze locked with his.

“Yeah, maybe.”

He headed for the stairs and Jamie.

Ronnie was just finishing her last meeting and walking back to her office when her phone rang and she saw it was Brandy.

“Perfect timing,” Ronnie answered. “I’m wrapping up for the day.” She heard herself and realized how seamlessly she’d turned to trusting Brandy, remembering their long-ago friendship, and wanting it back.

“God, what I wouldn’t do for a drink,” Brandy said. “Unfortunately I can’t.”

“You’re still at work?”

“So far. I was trying to leave early but we’re busy tonight. As always. I had to take a break to meet with Sloan Hart. He scares me a little. Don’t hate me, but after I gave him some background on Mel, I turned him back your way.”

“What did you say?” she asked, heart clutching a little.

“I told him your visions were real and he should work with you to find Mel’s killer.

I told him it was probably Hugh. It’s gotta be, but I couldn’t get a read on Sloan.

I told him it wasn’t Clint, but of course he’s going to talk to him.

I mean they’re friends … so … How long does forensics take?

I mean, it’s fast on television, but I’m guessing that’s fake? ”

“I’m guessing you’re right. Did Sloan say when he was going to call?”

“No, but he’s pretty gung-ho. I don’t like this at all.”

“Neither do I,” Ronnie admitted.

“I’ve gotta get back to work. Tell me what Sloan says.”

“I will.”

“I’m just so glad to talk to you,” Brandy suddenly burst out. “I mean it. It’s been too long and I can’t even remember why our threesome broke apart.”

It was because she was the weird one with her nutso visions, the girl who had been screaming at The Pond that day, the one with visions. Ironic, she thought, now that those very visions had brought them back together, but she just smiled and said, “I’m glad to talk to you, too.”

“Okay. Let’s keep it going. I just feel numb and achy and drained.”

“Me too,” admitted Ronnie.

“All right. I’ll call you later,” Brandy promised before clicking off.

Seeing she had a voice mail, Ronnie pressed the number and listened to Cooper Haynes asking to meet with her. The hair rose on her arms as she heard him spell out “two k ’s, one h …” So there was a connection in there somewhere. Maybe Detective Haynes would give her more credit than Detective Hart.

She texted him back Sometime tomorrow afternoon?

A little while later she received: Thanks. I’ll text you around noon.

“Rebekkah?” Jamie asked.

Cooper balanced on the edge of the bed where Jamie sat, propped up by pillows, her eyes gazing hard into his, a line forming between her brows.

She’d awakened after a long nap, stretching like a contented cat, and he’d been hard-pressed to follow through and explain about Mary Jo and Atticus Symons’s flock. But she needed to know.

“What kind of place is Heart of Sunshine?” she asked worriedly. “How long’s she been there?”

“It’s a retreat of some kind.”

She drew an unsteady breath. “Like … last summer? Like she was in before ?”

“I don’t know,” said Cooper. But didn’t he?

Wasn’t that just what Stephen had said? That Mary Jo defaulted to cultlike behavior when she was stressed or pregnant?

She’d spent her youth in a sect that had become its own microcosm of society, one dictated by an unyielding ruler, and Mary Jo, despite leaving it all behind, apparently held vestiges of it close to her heart.

“You were there? You didn’t see her?” There was an edge to her voice and Cooper knew she was trying to keep her emotions under rein, to not flip out as she had earlier. “Cooper!”

He held up his hands, as it looked like Jamie had given up on keeping cool and was about to jump out of bed. “I haven’t seen her, but I’m pretty sure she’s there. I’m not losing her, Jamie. I’m just working things out before I go in guns blazing, so to speak.”

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” muttered Jamie.

“She’s not taking our baby.”

“You’re right about that!” she proclaimed, then as if understanding the situation, said, “You think that’s what she’s trying to do?” Now she sounded downright terrified.

“It’s a vision quest, Stephen said, but only Mary Jo knows for sure. You were right about her. We shouldn’t have used her as a surrogate. She’s too flaky.”

“I don’t want to be right, I just want my baby back.” She sank into the pillows and looked miserable. “And after she has SuzyQ, I may just strangle Mary Jo.”

“We’re having a girl?” They hadn’t wanted to know the sex, the last he’d heard.

“Or two girls,” she said, patting her distended abdomen.

“Or maybe one of each. Or two boys.” She was trying again to keep the conversation light, but she failed and she knew it, so her voice turned serious again.

“All I know is they’re both ours, no matter who births them.

So, if she has any thought about keeping our baby, the one she’s carrying …

” She left the threat unfinished but her expression said it all.

“She knows she’s not keeping it,” assured Cooper.

“You sure?”

“If she’s fuzzy on it at all, I’ll make it clear for her.”

His tone warned any attempt to argue with him would be futile. Jamie half smiled, then she fought tears, and it was a losing battle.

“Hey.” He brushed back the tresses that fell in her face when she’d collapsed back on the pillows. “Don’t worry. River Glen’s finest is on the case.”

“I hate to remind you you’re on leave.”

“Still with the force … still the finest …”

“You are that,” she agreed, keeping her eyes closed but turning toward him.

He kissed her on the forehead. “Rest. Take care of SuzyQ One while I make sure SuzyQ Two is okay.”

“We’re not naming either of them SuzyQ, by the way. Just so you know.”