She shook her head. No. Not now, and not five years ago, either. It just doesnt make any sense.
Then again, not a lot about this situation did make sense. Shed once loved Colin with her heart and soul. Shed believed he loved her. Five years later, there was no hint of the tender affection theyd once shared. All that remained were bitterness, remorse and accusationsand a little girl who didnt deserve to be at the center of their battle.
How am I going to explain any of this to Carly? she wondered aloud.
Shes four years old, Arden said gently. She wont require as much explanation as you think.
Shes going to have to be told something.
Shell deal with it, Arden said. Kids are amazingly resilient.
She shouldnt have to be resilient, Nikki said. She shouldnt have her world turned upside down because of the mistakes Ive made.
The pitter-patter of footsteps forestalled any further conversation, and Nikki managed a smile as Carly skipped into the room.
Mommy, Im hungry.
The familiar refrain transformed the forced smile into a more natural one. Youre always hungry.
But its been a really, really long time since breakfast, Carly said solemnly. And my tummy is hungry
for chocate chip cookies.
Chocate chip cookies?
Uh-huh, Carly affirmed, nodding her head for emphasis.
You know the ruleno choc-o-late Nikki enunciated the word chip cookies before lunch.
Carlys lower lip jutted out and her deep green eyeseyes so much like her fatherspleaded. But Im hungry.
Nikki wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her onto her lap. She breathed in baby shampoo and bubble gum. The unique scent of her little girl.
Are you okay, Mommy?
Im okay. Nikki pressed a kiss to Carlys soft cheek. I was just missing holding you.
Carly wriggled to get down. Maybe you need a chocate chip cookie, too.
Nikki laughed as she released her. Maybe I do. And we can both have one after our picnic.
Colin had vowed that nothing would interfere with his plan to spend Sunday afternoon with his daughter. A single phone call had proved otherwise.
Four days later, including a day and a half of arduous and circuitous journey, he was finally back at the Courtland Hotel in Fairweather again. He sank down on the bed, wanting nothing more than a few hours of mindless slumber.
Hed barely closed his eyes when his cell phone started to ring. He should have left it in the car. He didnt want to talk to anyone, and he definitely didnt need any more bad news.
But what if it was Nikki?
What if something had happened to Carly?
He grabbed the phone before the third ring.
It wasnt Nikki. It was Detective Brock calling from Texas.
Colin had forgotten that the detective had promised regular updates on the investigation. He assumed that was what this call was about.
Do you have any new information for me? he asked.
Brock ignored the question to ask one of his own. Are you in Maryland?
A chill snaked through his body. No.
Then why are you registered at the Baltimore Courtland Hotel?
He knew now that this definitely was not going to be good news. You warned me that I might be followed, Colin reminded him. I checked into the hotel there as a diversionary tactic.
Smart move, the detective told him. An IED was discovered in the bed of your hotel room.
IED. It took Colin a minute to remember the acronym: improvised explosive devicea homemade bomb.
He swallowed. How was it found?
Brock was silent for a long moment.
What happened? Colin demanded.
Apparently one of the night managers knew the room wasnt really in use and decided it would be the perfect place for a rendezvous with his girlfriend.
Brock hesitated before admitting, They were both killed.
He closed his eyes as a fresh wave of grief, of guilt, washed over him. Hed just come back from Marias funeral, and now two more innocent people were dead. A man and a woman with friends and family who would gather to mourn their senseless deaths.
He closed his eyes, picturing all too clearly the grief-stricken faces of Marias children. Despite their tragedy, theyd been nothing but gracious, thanking him for his generosity as an employer and his consideration in taking the time to attend their mothers funeral.
They didnt blame him for Marias death. Then again, they didnt know about Parnells threats. They didnt know that he could have prevented what happened. If only hed taken the threats seriously, if only hed gone to the police sooner.
Now it was too late.
Was there any hope of stopping these attacks? Or would it only end with his own funeral?
The police had believed Duncan Parnell was responsible for the explosion in his apartment. Colin was less certain. Despite the threats Parnell had made, Colin didnt believe the kid had either the guts or the know-how to build a bomb.
I guess this blows your theory about Parnell, Colin said. After all, Parnell could hardly have planted a bomb in Baltimore when he was in prison in Texas.
Not necessarily, Brock said. The evidence suggests that both of these jobs were done by a professional.
Are you suggesting he put out a hit on me? Colin almost laughed.