“Yuppers!” Bertha cackled. “I’ll go check on our little miss and will see you later if I have any news. Toodles!” With another laugh, Bertha vanished.
“Just howbadwas Corny?” Ronan asked.
“Bad enough to hurt our sweet Bertha. She gave him so many chances to straighten up and fly right. Not just in their marriage but with Carson and Cole as well. He wasn’t much of a father, and I think the last time he saw his sons was for Bertha’s funeral.” Ten was still angry at his own father, but even on David’s worst day, he was still a better father than Cornelius Craig.
“Well, it was nice of him to pay his last respects to the mother of his sons.” Ronan wore a look that said going to the funeral was the least he could have done.
Ten shook his head. “He was there to see what Bertha left him in her will.”
“Fuck me, what an asshole. What did she leave him?”
“A big fat pile of nothing!” Ten laughed. “Let that be a lesson. Skullduggery doesn’t pay. I’m gonna grab the Greek Life menu. Call Fitz and Jude and see if they all want to come over for dinner.”
“You got it.” Ronan reached for his phone as Ten headed into the kitchen. He hoped Bertha would be able to soothe Everly. His daughter had counted on her gift being able to solve Marie Fairbanks’s murder. As a father, Ten knew there would be times his daughter would be inconsolable, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it would have to do with a fifty-year-old murder case.
15
Ronan
Early the next morning, two dark SUVs headed for the Salem Elementary School in New Hampshire. Ronan had explained to Jude and Fitz what happened to Marie Fairbanks’s classroom, and each of the detectives was anxious to see it. So were the kids. After Everly explained how she thought Marie had been trapped in that space, Aurora and Wolf insisted on coming along. Neither wanted Everly to face the sealed-off room alone.
Fitz and Jude had been reluctant to let the other kids go, but Ronan had been quick to point out that the classroom was harmless. Aurora and Wolf wouldn’t be able to see or hear Marie’s spirit. The most dangerous thing about the room itself was the fifty-plus years of dust that would have accumulated over time. Plus, Ronan loved the idea that Everly’s friends wanted to support her.
As he drove Ten’s SUV, the kids sat in the back, talking and laughing together. Jude, Cope, and Fitz were behind them in Kevin’s vehicle.
“If you’d ever told me we’d investigate a cold case murder with three kindergarteners, I would have thought you were nuts, but here we are.” Ten shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
“Here we are,” Ronan agreed. He’d had a feeling they’d end up in this situation at some point. He knew Everly would want to work with him on cases, but he figured she would have been much older when the time came, with her multiplication tables memorized or her own driver’s license in hand, not as a six-year-old singing sensation.
Getting off the highway, Ronan turned left and headed for the school. When he’d arrived at Salem Elementary on the bus last week, he hadn’t imagined being back so soon. Turning into the parking lot, he spotted a blue Toyota sedan sitting in the spot set aside for the principal. Max got out of the car when Ronan parked beside it.
“Morning, everyone,” Max greeted.
“I can’t believe I’m back at school during my vacation,” Wolf said good-naturedly. “At least I don’t have to do math!”
“I hope the old classroom isn’t too dirty.” Aurora wrinkled her nose. She wore a look as if to say she was regretting her decision to support Everly on this journey.
“I brought gloves for you.” Fitzgibbon patted his pocket.
“Thanks, Daddy. Now I can join in all the fun.” Aurora took Fitz’s hand and walked with him toward the entrance to the school.
Aurora thought this was fun? Ronan supposed anything out of the ordinary was exciting for the kids. Making the outing even more memorable was the promised trip to Olive Garden for lunch,ifthe kids were good. Ronan would make sure of it. He was dying for the chicken tortelloni alfredo and the yummy salad.
Max unlocked the front doors and led everyone inside. “I know how you feel about being back at school, Wolf. I can’t believe I’m here on my vacation too.”
“Wait, you don’tlivehere?” Wolf asked, sounding gobsmacked.
Max shot the little boy a curious look. “No, I have a little house across town.”
Wolf returned the principal’s gaze with disbelief. “I thought teachers and principals lived at the school.”
“Why?” Jude asked.
Wolf shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess ’cause they’re always at school.”
“If that were the case, that would mean that me, Ronan, and Fitz would live at the police station.” Jude ruffled a hand through Wolf’s dark hair.
“You do,” Cope said under his breath, gently elbowing Jude.
