Chapter 28. Home. Again.

WHITNEY

Over the following weeks, there were a number of developments.

Shortly after being taken into custody, Alyssa appeared in juvenile court to defend herself on the charge of criminally negligent homicide, a Class E felony punishable by one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $3,000. Fortunately, the prosecutor realized the girl was filled with remorse—overflowing with it, in fact. She had never intended to end her grandmother's life, and had only been trying, in a very reckless and ill-advised manner, to solve her family's dire financial situation. She'd also been meticulous in cleaning her grandmother's townhouse, done her best to keep her mother and unborn sibling from being exposed to the mercury.

Alyssa's attorney and the prosecutor reached a plea deal. She was ordered to attend therapy with a licensed psychologist to address the emotional ramifications of what she'd done. She was also put under the supervision of a juvenile probation officer. Because she was remorseful and posed no threat others, she was not remanded to a juvenile detention facility, and continued to live with her parents in what had formerly been Joanna's house. While I might have thought living there would be difficult for her, Alyssa preferred it. She said she felt close to her grandmother there, and that she could sense her presence and forgiveness.

Buck, Presley, and I offered Gideon a good price for the townhouse, one that was significantly below market value but would still yield us a reasonable return for our time and efforts. Gideon, in turn, worked out a financing arrangement with Samira and D-Jay, who were overjoyed to learn they'd get to buy the townhouse, after all. I recoded the keypad with Kavish's birthday, and gave the couple unfettered access to what would become their home once we finished remodeling it. Samira completed designs for the place, and Buck and I agreed to implement them just as she wanted, even though I thought some of the paint colors were a bit loud, especially in the master bathroom. But to each their own. This home would be hers. It should reflect her style and taste.

Even though the doctors might have been able to save Joanna's life had they realized she'd suffered from mercury poisoning, Macy decided not to pursue a malpractice case. It made sense under the circumstances. Had a lawsuit been filed, Alyssa would have had to endure depositions, possibly even testify in court. The doctor's defense lawyers would undoubtedly attempt to place as much blame as they could on the girl. Macy didn't want to put her daughter through any more trauma.

Despite all the guff the Bottiglieris had given us, Buck, Presley, and I paid a goodwill visit to each of them, and issued checks to make sure they'd all been paid precisely the same amount for their interests in the townhouse. We informed them that we'd sacrificed a significant amount of profit in order to allow a young family to buy the place. All of them seemed satisfied now. I wasn't followed again.

Colette and Emmalee threw me a lovely bridal shower at the café. It was nice to have some fun with female friends and family members before my big day. I came home with some wonderful gifts, including a beautiful pair of book ends shaped like cats, a set of copper Moscow mule mugs, and a beach towel big enough for two that would come in handy for relaxing on the shore on our honeymoon.

Buck and I finished the fire station remodel with two weeks to spare before my wedding. A death had recently upended our world, but life, in its new places and forms, was moving on.