Dead Upon Arrival: A Maddie Swallows Mystery, #2

1

Y ou can’t hold out forever, I said, crouching and looking Ava in the eyes. She held my gaze, unflinching. I know you don’t care if I’m late for work, but surely you care if Flash and Lilly are late for school. You like them.

Ava didn’t budge. Typical.

Good thing I knew her weak spot. I stood and grabbed a can opener from the kitchen. As soon as I opened the tuna, Ava would run from where she’d been curled up on my car keys, and I’d finally be able to leave. Walking to my office downtown was no problem, but the kids’ school was a different story.

That cat loved the power she wielded and was on a constant quest to make certain we lowly humans knew our place in the world.

And it wasn’t even my cat. Ava belonged to my best friend and roommate, Trish, who had left for work as I’d been scrambling around, attempting to get my teenagers out of bed and myself put together.

And then there were my keys.

I opened the tuna, set it down by the back door, then ran. If given the chance, Ava would take a swipe at me. I’d thought we’d started getting along better the past few months, but then I’d made the mistake of picking her up from the couch so I could sit down to watch a movie—without her permission. I had placed her on my lap and even given her a good scratch behind the ears, but the damage had been done. That was when Ava had reestablished who was boss around there.

As I gathered my purse and phone, Ava did as I knew she would, running for the tuna. But she went out of her way to whip me with her tail as she went. That was fine by me as I grabbed my keys.

Look who had the last laugh now.

Mom, I can’t find my other shoe, Flash yelled from his room.

I was already late. Already rushing around like I couldn’t figure out which way was up and which was down. Before the divorce, I’d always felt like a single mom, my ex-husband, Cameron, being in his own little academic world. We’d both been professors at the same university, but somehow, I had been expected to be more. Cameron had treated the parenting thing as a part-time gig that he took up when it was convenient, second to his career aspirations, which had left the rest of the responsibilities to me.

I had been wrong. I hadn’t known what it was like to be a single mom.

Apparently, what little Cameron had done when we were married had actually been helpful.

Now, I was back in my small hometown of Amor, my two teenagers finally starting to adapt to the slower lifestyle (if you counted solving a murder earlier in the year as slow).

And yet life hadn’t slowed down for me at all. In fact, it felt as if it had sped up. While Cameron was off doing book signings for his New York Times bestselling book, How I was Seduced by a Serial Killer, I was the one running around, making sure people had been fed, that they made it to school, and that my shirt wasn’t on backwards. Yes, a client had had to point it out to me the previous week in our therapy session.

I glanced down, just to make sure. Nope, all good.

Have you tried under the pile of dirty clothes by your dresser? I called up the stairs. The pile that had somehow formed right next to my son’s hamper rather than in it.

A pause.

Nope, not there.

Look in your closet. On the shoe rack.

Another pause.

It’s there. How did you know? Flash sounded genuinely surprised.

Because when I was cleaning last night, I put them back where they belonged, and it’s the last place you’d ever look.

I heard a chuckle from the direction of the kitchen table. My mom had stopped by to drop off fresh pomegranates she’d picked from her tree that morning. When she’d discovered my predicament, rather than offering to help, she’d sat herself at the table and watched in amusement.

Trish already gone? she asked.

Trish had moved down to Amor with me when she’d quit her job at the same time I had. She’d offered to be my roommate to help out and save on rent, and I’d offered her the opportunity of opening Amor Therapeutic Services with me. She was a godsend, but she also couldn’t be in three places at once, which was what was expected of me this morning.

She ran over to open the office while I get the kids to school, I said. They have a late-start day, something about teacher appreciation, so it’s a bit more chaotic than usual. You could help, you know.

I grabbed an apple from a basket on the counter. It wasn’t much, but it was all I was going to get until my lunch break. If I got one, that was. Everyone talked about how freeing owning your own business was, but that was only because they’d never actually done it.

Sure, I didn’t need pre-approval to take off for a week and could go on vacation any time I wanted, but I also wouldn’t have any money coming in. Either Trish and I worked or we didn’t get paid. Sometimes I missed the guaranteed paycheck.

You’re right, my mom said, struggling to stand. I’d noticed her knee had been acting up again, and it seemed to be getting worse. Let me make sure Lilly is up and that she’s ready. You have a business to run, and those kids aren’t pulling their weight. Her voice wobbled with pain, and it caught me off guard. I’d never thought my mom would grow old—she was an unstoppable force that sucked in everyone around her. But seeing her now—sometime while I had been away, she’d gone gray. She’d slowed down. And because of our tumultuous relationship, I hadn’t visited. Had never noticed.

Things didn’t have to continue that way, though.

We’d begun to mend our fences and, even though she’d never admit it, she shouldn’t be the one climbing the stairs to make sure Lilly had actually gotten out of bed when I’d asked her to. I wasn’t going to be responsible for making her knee worse.

Mom, you take it easy. I’ll go check on her.

She scowled. I’ve seen that look. The one where you think I can’t hold my own anymore. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

I raised a pointed eyebrow. You really want to be the one climbing that staircase? Go ahead. I was saving you from having to deal with an ornery teenage girl who is on her period.

That did the trick. My mom’s lips clamped shut as she threw a wary glance up the stairs.

I suppose I should let you take care of this one. I’ve been there, done that, and you could use the practice, she told me. Besides, I should be getting home. Want me to drop off the kids on my way?

I worked to hold in a laugh. Same old mom, but as I’d aged, her antics had become more humorous than infuriating. Although they definitely still had their moments.

That would be great, Mom. Thank you. I turned to run up the stairs but was met with the welcome sight of both of my children descending. Flash’s nose was buried in his phone, and Lilly was readjusting her backpack. I couldn’t believe how old she looked. She’d be seventeen next week. Gosh, could I really have a daughter who was only a couple of years from graduating high school? I suddenly felt ancient.

I shoved down the feeling that I’d somehow missed out on my kids’ most important years and nodded toward my mom. Grandma will take you to school so I can hurry over to the office. You two good to go?

Flash nodded without taking his eyes off the phone in front of him. Yeah. Don’t forget I have my competition this afternoon. Might not come down for dinner.

Which meant that he definitely wouldn’t. Where’s this one based out of?

Flash finally slipped his phone into his pocket and glanced my way as he passed. London. Only five hundred pounds for the winner, but every competition gives me a challenge and a new way to improve.

That was my little hacker. Flash claimed he never did it without permission, except in emergencies. That he was training himself to be able to help people. Like when there had been a murder in town earlier in the year, and he’d felt like he’d needed to do his part to help find the culprit. I didn’t like it, but I had to admit that his skills had come in handy.

And it had allowed Flash to be the only fourteen-year-old I knew that had fifty-thousand dollars saved up in the bank. Whether he ended up going the college route like I had didn’t really matter—that kid was so gifted, it was scary.

Say hi to Trish for me, my mom said as she herded the kids out.

I was uncertain if she’d meant that sarcastically, considering her feelings toward my best friend, but I acted as if it was genuine. Will do. Thanks again, Mom.

I glanced at my phone as I walked outside. Looked like I would still need to drive after all if I was going to be on time for my first client of the day.

Ava ran past me and out the door in a streak of fur, giving my leg a whack as she went, as if letting me know she hadn’t forgotten how I’d tricked her into giving back my keys.

That’s fine, I called after her. But no one will be home to let you in until this afternoon, so I hope you don’t mind a little sunbathing.

Ava stuck her tail up at me and continued on her way, letting me know she really didn’t mind. There was plenty of adventure that lay ahead of her.

I leaned back in my office chair and closed my eyes. Rushed mornings always made me feel like I was forgetting something, and I hadn’t had a chance to catch my breath since arriving at the office several hours earlier.

The brief moment of silence between clients was abruptly interrupted when the door burst open, and I sat up straight, my heart hammering in my chest.

Ruby, Mayor Freedman’s younger sister, stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and panicked. She was normally quiet and withdrawn, especially since her husband had been killed in an airplane crash several years earlier. She hadn’t left Amor since that day, too scared to use any form of transportation other than the bike she took everywhere.

It had taken months of prodding to get her to come in and talk to me, and then she’d rescheduled every appointment since. I’d honestly doubted I’d ever see her again, in a therapeutic capacity, anyway.

Something must have happened, though—something bad, considering how frantic she seemed.

Hi, Ruby. I wasn’t expecting to see you until your appointment next Thursday. And in fact, I hadn’t expected to see her even then. For someone with a tragic background like Ruby’s, it wasn’t unusual to need to try therapy several times before finally being able to commit to it. It was difficult work, facing the demons of one’s past. If you’d like to get in sooner, I can have Clarisse squeeze you in tomorrow.

I tried not to glance at my phone, but I knew my next client would arrive any moment.

I did what you asked, Ruby said, breathless. She collapsed into the chair across from me. You asked me to do something different every day. Something small that broke my usual routine. But now there’s this man. And he’s invited me on a road trip to the hot air balloon festival. I said no, of course. I mean, me, in a car? Traveling across state to see people go up in a balloon of fire and air? It’s an accident waiting to happen. But then I hosted Katie’s baby shower this afternoon, and something snapped. I couldn’t do it anymore. Everyone is living their life except me. I love Katie, I do. I’m so grateful she came into my brother’s life. But if someone like her—someone who had lived a life that was filled with crime and deceit—if someone like that can change and have their happily ever after, shouldn’t I be allowed one too?

I stared, trying to gather my thoughts. When I asked you to do something different, I meant go a different route to work, or change your brand of shampoo. This is big, Ruby. Awesome, but big. This man… Where did you meet him?

I prayed I hadn’t unwittingly thrown Ruby into the arms of an online predator, out to take advantage of grieving widows. We’d only had one session—I couldn’t have done that much damage already, right?

It was when I was picking up the cake for Katie’s baby shower. I went to high school with the guy but hadn’t seen him for years. You actually know him…Parker Loveland.

Wasn’t he the one you stood up on a date your senior year?

Ruby’s cheeks reddened. It was an accident, she mumbled. Her gaze dropped, and I knew better than to push it.

Clarisse poked her head in, her expression registering surprise at seeing Ruby there. Ruby must have snuck past while the receptionist was helping someone else. Your next appointment is here, she said.

Give me five minutes.

She nodded and retreated through the doorway.

I turned back to Ruby and stood. I’m happy for you—I really am. Talk with Clarisse on your way out, and let’s get you scheduled so we can talk longer.

Ruby didn’t move. I need to go to the balloon festival, she said. But I’m afraid. What if I have a panic attack while I’m there? I need someone there to help talk me down. Someone that will help me through it. I can’t give Parker that job—he’s the source of most of my anxiety.

You can call me anytime, you know that.

Ruby gave her head a vigorous shake. No. I need you there. With me. In person. Please, as a friend?

This was why I’d made an arrangement with Trish that