Page 63 of Code Name: Reaper
“Yes. He was their only son—only child—which I suppose was the reason they didn’t like to talk about him much. Too painful.”
“And your mom? What about her family?”
“I’m not sure what happened, whether there was a falling out. I don’t know anything at all about them. That generation—my grandparents’, I mean—didn’t like to talk about the past. My granddad used to say the future didn’t live there, so what was the point?”
As hard as it was not to fire off a hundred questions, I didn’t want it to sound like I was interrogating her, so I stayed quiet to see if Amaryllis would add more. She didn’t.
“You met my mom,” I began.
“What was the word you used to describe her? Formidable? She certainly is. She’s also very kind.”
“And meddlesome.”
She laughed. “She said it would make you angry if you knew she was speaking to me.”
“And your response?”
Her laugh grew heartier. “I said most things make you angry.”
“That’s about right.” I winked.
“I’m the same way.”
Our eyes met with her admission, but then she quickly looked away.
“My dad worked a lot, something I think he regrets now, but Mom left her job—or so we thought—to be at home with us,” I told her.
“What does that mean?”
“She still did a lot of consulting.”
“If you’d rather spend time with them, I’d?—”
“No.” My response came out harsher than I’d intended. “I want to see the house you grew up in. Plus, when I get together with them again, it’ll be to find out if my dad heard of Briggs or other defense contracting scandals around the time of the investigation.”
“We could go by the house tomorrow.”
“Are you trying to say you don’t want to go? I’m not going to force you. On the other hand, if it’s been eleven years since you’ve set foot in it, I think it’s time you did.”
When she shot me one of her signature glares, I shot her one too. Then, when she stuck her tongue out at me, we both laughed.
The smile, though, left her face almost immediately. “The truth is, I’m not sure I can do it.”
I reached over and took her hand. “Let’s give it a try.”
“If I decide I can’t…”
“I already told you I wouldn’t force you.”
“Not that you could anyway,” she muttered.
“That’s for damn sure,” I muttered in response.
15
AMARYLLIS
When Reaper pulled into the driveway of 27 Mitford Place, I would’ve thought we were at the wrong address if it weren’t for the racing sloop weather vane on top of the house. It looked so different. The trees were twice as big as I remembered, and the house, which used to be yellow, was painted white with black shutters.
