Page 131 of Unexpected Entanglement

Chris added, “Gwen’s a gullible victim on this, too, Kieran. Don’t be too hard on her. If her story checked, I’d pay for her to get a good defense attorney. She doesn’t deserve to fall for Raven’s crime.”

“She still poisoned my sister,” Kieran said.

“Under duress. She lived with and worked for Raven. She was afraid she’d be out of a job and a place to live. But in the end, she left anyway because she knew what Raven asked her to do was wrong.”

Kieran didn’t respond.

“Can you please keep me updated?” Chris asked.

“Okay.”

“Thanks,” Chris said. “Keep Rowan safe, will you?”

“Always,” Kieran said before he hung up.

The ferry was on its way to Vinalhaven with Gwen and her police escort.

“That was wild,” Walt said as they walked back to the parking lot. “That’s a weekend I’ll never forget.”

“You don’t say,” Jane agreed. Then she tossed Walt the rental car key. “You’re driving.”

“Before you go, I want to tell you how much I appreciate you both. You’ve gone beyond what any employer could expect from their employees,” Chris said.

“Well, Boss, the extra cash and the free working vacation were generous,” Walt said. “The drama is a plus. I didn’t expect to be swept into a fake engagement, family saga, with a twist of a deranged bartender on the loose!”

Chris sighed at Walt’s summary. “Please keep it to yourself.”

“Wait, what?” Walt said. “I can’t write about this in my ‘guess what I did this weekend’ subgroup?”

“No!” Chris replied.

“He’s kidding,” Jane answered. “Or I hope he is. We’ll be discreet.”

“Thanks, Jane.”

A few minutes later, Chris waved at them as they drove away. Now it was his turn to continue his own postponed trip.

Well, Dad. Here I come.

forty-five

Osterville, Barnstable, Massachusetts

Chris rolled into the driveway of the Sullens summer home around four-thirty in the afternoon. He’d taken his time meandering the country roads, avoiding Boston traffic, and stopping by downtown Osterville for a stroll.

Arriving on a Monday was smart, actually. He’d avoided the usual weekend crowds and traffic, so at least he didn’t arrive tired and cranky. It’d been a while since he'd been home and seen his dad. He’d need all the mental acuity he possessed. After leaving Vinalhaven the way he had, he wasn't sure he was all there.

The front door opened as Chris took off his helmet. A woman in her late fifties, wearing light blue pants and a short-sleeved white linen blouse, stood at the threshold. Her dark blond bob haircut grazed her shoulder in an elegant curve. Her light brown eyes sparkled when she saw him, and her lips stretched into a full-blown smile.

“Christopher, you finally made it!” Rosemary skipped the steps to meet Chris halfway.

Chris engulfed the warm older woman in a big hug. “Rosemary, you haven’t aged a day since I last saw you.”

“It’s been a while. You’re sure you had your annual eye-check?” Rosemary patted him on the cheek.

Chris laughed. “I’m serious. You look wonderful.”

“Thank you.” Rosemary tilted her head gracefully as she inspected Chris. “You, my dear, can use a shower.”

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