Page 111 of The Secrets She Keeps

“IfEmilia is Grundenman’s, I don’t know how that will be relevant. Other than to just complicate things for me and my baby.No onemesses with one of my kids, McKellen. No one,” Miguel said, holding the baby in question close for a moment before lowering her to Hope’s lap carefully. “Grundenman was involved in abducting Powell and Heather. We can confirm that through Samia’s DNA. Let’s focus on finding him rather than figuring out who all the man may or may not have fathered.”

“Daddy dearest apparently got around a bit,” Eden said quietly. She reached out and touched Emilia’s forehead gently, readjusting the hat. Emilia grinned up at her. Eden smiled back—a very similar smile. “You are beautiful, baby girl. You take after yourdaddyright here,and now Mama Hope in that little hat and those overalls. Period.”

“I know one thing,” Summer said. “Even if Timothy didn’t father her or if he did, Mig, she’s a Coleson now, and we’re not going to let anyone do anything to ever hurt her. Or Jago and Raine. Or take Emilia away from where she belongs. She doesn’t just have Miguel now, people. She has us too. Whether she’s my baby sister or not, she is a Coleson now. No matter what.”

More glares sent Daniel’s way.

“Okay, so that’s out of the way. No one does or says anythingabout Emilia’s possible paternity until after this Grundenman is caught and dealt with. Then, it won’t even be relevant,” Jarrod said, standing. He went to the whiteboard Heather had had Crispin bring in from the study earlier and reached for the marker Hope still held. “Let’s look at this from another angle. The assholes who hurt Heather tie to the assholes who worked for and/or with Eastman. That ties this case and that one together. And…they tie to Sol Kimball and Steve Wilson and the rest of them.”

“You’re back at your ‘parts-of-a-whole’ theory, aren’t you?” Heather asked, shifting next to Powell. She had Ember again,holding her so close. But it was obvious she was hurting. “Talk about obsessive, Foster. But that’s more insane than I can believe. Why would anything connected to Eastman tie to Powell? Me, I can see, considering Denita, and Steve—you know, my one major lapse in judgment?—”

“Had to happen eventually,” Cashlyn said to Cara, who just nodded.

“The odds said it would someday. She was bound to have at leastonemajor lapse in judgment in her lifetime,” Crispin added.

“Be quiet, you monsters,” Heather said just as quickly. “Anyway…how did Eastman tie to Gunnar’s OPJ case in your convoluted Jarrod brain? Refresh my memory since my melon is still ringing right now.”

“Other than your family being Eastman’s targets and your brother-in-law being tied to the OPJ? Strange coincidence that. I’m not sure yet, Scary Heather. But…give me a while. In the meantime, we need to know everything you Colesons know…about Timothy Grundenman.”

“Wait a minute, are you thinking someColesonshave something to do with the OPJ case?” Hope demanded, glaring at Jarrod next. “It’s only been around for like three or four years, right?”

“Probably around five or six, actually. Considering time involved to develop it,” Gunnar said. “I spoke to Rafe about the process and about Banks Claireson.”

“Not as being involved with it, Gremlin, but what if you all have been maybe targets of the people involved? I don’t think Powell was a target for this latest abduction. I think they just walked right into a distribution point. Which…Hughes Heights? Seriously? Hiding drugs in an elite, exclusivegated,patrolled community? That’s kind of stupid—aren’t there logs of every entry into this place?” Jarrod asked.

“I have a warrant in for those videos and records,” Daniel said. “But it’s been…stalled. Judge Pohler lives in Hughes Heights too. I suspect he’s behind the stonewalling.”

“I’ll make a call,” Mac said. “You’ll get your warrant by the morning.”

Her brother had connections. She had no doubt he meant it. He was still very angry right now. Powell could see it in his eyes.

“I have a theory…” Jarrod started.

“Groan. Just groan. Foster has atheory,” Murdoch said.

“Jarrod has a theory.Jarrod goes on and on about his theory. I know everything about Jarrod’s theory now. Every possible detail about Jarrod’s theory,” Heather told her family. “Jarrod believes there is an organized crime ring in Finley Creek.”

“This part of the state, actually. Not just here in this city,” Jarrod said.

“There are a few things I remember from my illustrious tenure as sheriff of Garrity County that have me agreeing. This was while my beautiful Zo-Zo goddess was recovering. There is something going on around here, people. There just is,” Murdoch said.

“I’m starting to agree with Jarrod,” Zoey said. “From things I have…seen…”

“Me, too,” Heather said.

“I think…I may have seen those things too,” Hope said quietly. “And the earliest date was at least fifty years ago.”

“And stretches from all the way down from Garrity to Wichita Falls,” Haldyn added.

“Which, if it was in Garrity County, that means Coleson Hollow was right in the middle of it too. Right there with a nifty little hospital at the center. Almost exactly in the center of it, strangely enough. That beautiful little sleepy town might just hide a sinister soul.” Murdoch looked at Bonnie. “So who wouldbe left who would know anything about that hospital’s last days, second-most-beautiful-love-of-my-life?”

“It would just be me. Just me and Timothy. Everyone else is gone, Murdoch. Me, and possibly Marcia, Heather and Joy, Eden and Sam. But they were young girls, then. Everyone else…would have been too young. Or gone now.” Bonnie looked sick. Powell could understand why. That hospital had been their family’s legacy. And now it could be tainted once again. “Me and Timothy.”

Gunnar stood and went to kneel in front of Bonnie. He was so gentle with her. Powell loved how gentle that man was. She just loved him, period. She’d admitted that to herself. And the first chance she had, she was going to tell him too.Beforetheir Viking baby made his or her appearance.

“Tell us about Timothy, Bonnie. Help us understand. So we can finally find the answers,” Gunnar said.

Powell just stayed where she was and waited.

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