Chapter 12: Murder In Harmony
Chapter 12:
Sheridan and Luis sat snuggled on the couch in the early evening watching an episode of Law and Order. “No way Luis, you’re wrong. I think the brother did it.”
“I am the detective here, I think I have the skills to figure out who the murderer is and I think it was the girlfriend,” Luis said cockily.
“Wanna bet?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Whoever loses has to cook dinner.”
Luis slipped his fingers under the edge of Sheridan’s shirt. “I was thinking of something a little more playful.”
“Don’t worry baby, if you do a good job on dinner I’m sure I’ll be in a very playful mood,” Sheridan teased.
They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Sheridan pulled herself up off the couch and answered the door.
“Hi Sam, come on in.”
“Hey Chief have a seat,” Luis said as he muted the TV. Sam dropped into a chair and Sheridan settled back on to the couch next to Luis. “So what brings you by Sam?”
“I wanted to talk to you about Hank.”
“What about Hank?” Luis wrapped his arm protectively around Sheridan.
“He’s gone. I went by his room at the B&B and it was empty. He left a note saying that he was taking off and he didn’t know when he’d be back,” Sam told them. “The last time Hank disappeared like this he was gone for almost two years. I doubt you’ll have to worry about seeing Hank again for a while.”
“Where do you think he went?” Sheridan asked.
“Who knows. He rarely calls when he’s off like this and he never says where he is and then one day he’ll just show up out of the blue without a word about where he’s been or what he’s been doing.”
“I’m really sorry for causing problems for your family Sam.”
“None of this is your fault Sheridan, this is just how Hank is. He would have disappeared again sooner or later. Besides, Hank is the least of my family problems right now.
“How are things going at home?” Luis asked concerned, “usually you can’t wait to get home after your shift, but lately you’ve been working late and the desk sergeant said you’ve had him telling Grace you’re out on a case when she calls. What’s going on?”
Sam sighed and sank back in his chair. “Things aren’t the way I thought they were. I don’t know how I could have been so blind. Grace doesn’t even care that Kay is gone. It’s no wonder Kay ran away. All Grace seems to care about is Charity.
Whenever I mention Kay she starts talking about Charity like it doesn’t even matter that one of our own children doesn’t want to live at home with us as long as Charity is happy. It’s like that girl has Grace under a spell or something. I just wish that Kay had come to me and told me about the problems she was having with her mother instead of running away.”
“But it isn’t just Grace who has acted this way,” Sheridan commented.
“Have you talked to Kay about why she ran away?”
“Ivy asked me to be Kay’s French tutor, so we work on it a couple days a week. She’s very good, a natural with languages. She seems comfortable talking to me. I guess we can relate to each other because she feels like her mother doesn’t love her, doesn’t think she’s good enough and my father always made me feel the same way.”
“Could you please tell me what she told you about what was going on at home. I want to do something about this, but it’s hard because I don’t know what happened.”
“She said that from the moment Charity came to live with you she felt like her mother preferred Charity over her. She gave Kay’s room to Charity and she felt like her mother and her sister and her friends were more interested in Charity than her. And losing Miguel to Charity was probably the worst for her.”
“What do you mean losing Miguel?”
“She’s in love with him. First love can be hard enough when you’re a young girl, but it must have been torture for her that he fell in love her cousin and she has to see them together everyday. And to make it worse, Miguel once told her that if he’d never met Charity that he thought they might have gotten together. She feels like Charity has taken over her life.”
“I had no idea she was in love with Miguel. She never said anything.”
“I didn’t realize it either,” Luis said, “I mean they have been friends for most of their lives. I’m sure that Miguel has no idea that Kay is in love with him.”
“Well, you Lopez-Fitzgerald boys aren’t exactly the quickest at noticing that a woman is nuts about him,” Ethan commented with a grin as he waltzed in the front door and Sheridan threw a couch pillow at him.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Luis grunted.
“I just mean that Miguel isn’t the only Lopez-Fitzgerald male around her that took a while to notice that there was a woman right in front of his face that was in love with him.”
“Shut up Ethan!” Sheridan’s cheeks were reddening.
“He wouldn’t be talking about you would he baby,” Luis teased.
“I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
“Oh come on Aunt Sheridan. Surely you remember that time I came over and you were still asleep. You were having some kind of dream, saying Luis’ name in your sleep. Oh, but that was a long time ago wasn’t it.”
The color of Sheridan’s cheeks deepened. “Ethan Crane if you don’t shut up I’m going to kill you.”
“Now, now, you wouldn’t kill your favorite nephew would you?”
“You’re my only nephew.”
“Exactly, you’d be lost without me.”
“Could we please just change the subject.”
“Well, I don’t think you need to worry about Kay being love with Miguel much longer. She met a guy at the country club last week and he’s taking her to the opening of the ballet next week.”
“What guy?” Sam jumped into protective father mode. “Who is this guy? Do you know him?”
“His name is Robert Downsfield. And I know his family very well. His older brother and I went to law school together.”
“Bobby is a really sweet kid and very cute,” Sheridan added.
“I don’t know if I like the idea of her going out with some boy that I’ve never met. And are they going to this ballet all by themselves? What kind of supervision will there be.”
Ethan swallowed a small chuckle. “Well I thought about suggesting that I go with them, but since Gwen is out of town it would be just me and I figured she would get mad at me for intruding.”
“Luis and I could go,” Sheridan suggested, “I love the ballet and the Crane box overlooks the whole theater, so we can keep an eye on her without her thinking that we are spying on her.”
“I’d appreciate that. I mean I know I’m being overprotective, but it’s hard not to. Especially since she isn’t at home where I know what’s going on with her.”
“It’s okay Sam, we’re happy to do it, aren’t we Luis.”
“Sure, but you owe me one since I have to go to the ballet.”
Sheridan caught a glimpse of the TV. “Ha, I told you the brother did it.” Sheridan pointed at the TV. “I win.”
Luis grinned. “Sam, Ethan, would you care to stay for dinner? We’re ordering pizza.”
“Pizza!” Sheridan smacked his arm. “You little cheat.”
“Well, if we’re eating here then I should call Kay and have her come down. I don’t want her having dinner up at the house all by herself.”
“Why is Kay all by herself?” Sam asked. “Where is Ivy?”
Ethan just looked down at his feet.
“Ethan maybe you should tell him about what happened with Ivy. The way gossip travels through the staff, he’s bound to hear about it anyway.”
“What do you mean? What happened to Ivy?”
To Be Continued…