Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Miguel

Detective Cartwright arrives at the apartment at ten the next morning. Ruby’s been a nervous wreck since we woke up, and she’s hiding in her art studio when Cartwright knocks on our door.

I let the man in. He’s dressed in a rumpled navy blue suit.

“It looks like you had a rough night,” I say.

Cartwright nods. “After interviewing the two suspects last night, taking their statements, I started putting together a timeline of events.”

“Are they still in custody?”

The detective nods. “Yes, both of them. They’ll be arraigned soon, probably tomorrow. I expect Darren will be released on bail. He’s been rather cooperative. I’m not sure about Allen Foster. He’s not cooperating. I’d consider him a flight risk given the financial mismanagement charges he’s facing in addition to a charge of attempted murder.”

Cartwright glances around the living room. “Can I speak to Miss Foster?”

I nod. “She’s expecting you. I’ll go get her. Just take it easy with her, will you? She’s had a rough time of it.”

I filled him in on her agoraphobia last night, and he seems pretty sympathetic, especially after what Ruby’s been through.

I head down the hallway and knock on her studio door. “Ruby, honey? Can I come in?”

“Yes.” Her voice is muffled.

I open the door and find her sitting at her worktable. She has a paintbrush in hand, and she’s working on a painting of a gray tabby cat. “He’s here. Are you ready to talk to him?”

She sighs. “Yes.” She slips her paintbrush into a jar of water, pushes her chair back from the table, and stands. “I might as well get this over with.”

I offer her my hand, wanting to show my support. She takes it with a forced smile, and we walk together out to the living room.

Ruby studies the middle-aged man seated on the chair beside the sofa. He has a notebook in hand, as well as a pen. When he spots us, he sets them on the coffee table and stands.

“Good morning, Miss Foster,” he says. “Thanks for agreeing to see me. I promise not to keep you longer than necessary.”

Ruby smiles perfunctorily. It’s not like she has a choice in the matter.

She and I sit on the sofa, hands clasped. I intentionally placed myself between Ruby and Cartwright, hoping that would make her feel more secure with me as a buffer between them.

“Let me start off saying I’m sorry about what you’ve been through,” the man says to Ruby. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Thanks,” she says.

I squeeze her hand.

“I assume Miguel filled you in on what we discovered last night,” the detective says.

She nods. “He did.”

The detective summarizes what happened last night, what Darren revealed to me, what he’s confessed to. How Allen Foster was apprehended and questioned. “Both men are in police custody at the moment, pending arraignment.”

Ruby simply nods.

“Your father’s apartment was searched last night,” Cartwright continues. “We found a supply of the drug he directed Darren Ingles to put into your coffee. This morning, a financial forensic team raided your father’s office and confiscated his computers and documents that show the money he stole from his clients. The preliminary evidence seems pretty cut and dry, and based on previous similar cases, it looks like Mr. Foster is going to spend a long time in a federal prison.”

“What about Darren?” Ruby asks.

“Darren is cooperating with law enforcement and with prosecutors, so that will benefit him when it comes to sentencing. I think he genuinely regrets the role he played in your father’s scheme.”

Ruby tightens her grip on my hand. “Allen Foster isn’t my father.”

Cartwright winces. “That’s right. I’m sorry.”

After Cartwright takes Ruby’s statement about what happened the night she was drugged, he thanks her and stands to leave. While I walk him to the door, Ruby remains seated on the sofa, seemingly numb after hearing all over again that Allen Foster—the man she knew as her father—had attempted to kill her.

After Cartwright’s gone, I return to the sofa and sit beside her, putting my arm around her. She melts into me. “I’m so sorry, Ruby.”

She presses her face against my shoulder, but doesn’t say anything.

“What next? Do you want to talk to Edward? He should know what Allen’s done. He should also know that Allen’s not your biological father, and that we think he is.”

She nods. “Yes, we need to tell him.” She sounds so defeated.

“What’s wrong? What are you afraid of?”

“What if he doesn’t want a father-daughter relationship with me?”

“What if he does? What if he’s thrilled to learn he’s your biological father? What if he jumps at the chance to have a relationship with you?”

She nods. “Would you call him, please?”

I call Edward and ask him to come to the new apartment. “Ruby needs to talk to you.”

“Of course!” he says. “I’ll be over as soon as I can. Give me half an hour, tops, okay?”

When I end the call, I lean close and kiss her temple. “I have a feeling you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Edward’s reaction. I’ve seen how he is when he talks about you. It’s obvious he cares for you very deeply.”

“This might change everything.”

* * *

Ruby flinches when there’s a knock at our door. We’re still sitting on the sofa—we haven’t moved since Cartwright left. I think Ruby’s still processing everything the detective told her. And now we’re going to have to relive it all over again when we explain things to Edward.

I let Edward in. We shake hands, and then his gaze goes right to Ruby. “How are you feeling, kiddo?” he asks.

When she just stares at him without answering, he loses his smile. “What’s wrong?”

He crosses the room to sit beside her on the sofa. I sit on her other side.

“Ruby?” Edward asks as he puts his arm around her and draws her close. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

Ruby looks to me to fill him in, so I give him the breakdown of what has transpired since last night. I tell him about Allen’s plot to terrorize Ruby, Darren’s involvement, and that Allen and Darren have both been arrested for attempted murder. By the time I’m done, he looks like a man in shock.

Edward shakes his head. “I can’t believe it. How could Allen—it doesn’t make sense. Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. How could a father do that to his own daughter?”

“He’s not my father.” Ruby blurts out the words.

Looking shellshocked, Edward glances at me. “What?”

I nod. “It’s true. Allen had a paternity test done years ago. He’s not her biological father. She just found out last night.”

I tell Edward the rest—that Allen had doubts that Ruby was his biological child, and that after Helen died, Allen had a paternity test performed to confirm his suspicions.

It’s pretty clear from the look on Edward’s face that he knew nothing about any of this.

Ruby reaches for Edward’s hand. “Is it possible you’re my father?”

Edward’s eyes widen. “Yes, it’s possible,” he says, confirming our suspicions that he and Helen had a brief affair while she was separated from Allen.

“To be honest,” he says, “I did wonder about the timing of Helen’s pregnancy. I knew it was possible the baby could be mine. But when she never said anything to me about it, and she reconciled with Allen, I assumed I was mistaken. That it must have been wishful thinking on my part.”

Edward reaches out and cups Ruby’s cheek. “I’ve always loved you like you were my own child. You were Helen’s child, and that was enough for me. I couldn’t have loved you more if I’d known you were mine.” He sighs. “Do you—” He stops abruptly, clearly choked up. “Ruby, would you want a relationship with me? Will you let me be your father and make up for all that lost time?”

When she nods, Edward pulls her into his arms. The two of them cling to each other, both overwhelmed with emotion.

Ruby’s quiet sobs are tearing me up.

Edward pats her back and reassures her. “It’s all right, sweetheart.” He kisses the top of her head. “I’m just sorry we didn’t find out sooner.”

When they finally release each other, Edward sits back looking stunned. “I’m a father,” he muses. “I have a family.” Then he looks at me. “How about that, Miguel? I’m a father.” His shock quickly gives way to astonishment and then to joy.

“Ever since Mom died, I felt like Allen resented me—even hated me,” Ruby tells Edward. “Our relationship was never the same after we lost Mom. Now I know why. I thought he blamed me for her death, but it wasn’t that. He resented me because I was proof that she’d been with someone else.”

“I should have pressed Helen,” Edward says. “I just thought it was wishful thinking on my part, thinking you could have been mine. When she never said a word, I let it go. She seemed happy back with Allen again, and I didn’t want to mess that up for her. And when she asked me to be your godfather, I was thrilled. Of course I said yes. At least this way I could be part of your life.”

Ruby invites Edward to stay for lunch. I run out to my uncle’s restaurant and pick up food for the three of us and bring it back. We sit outside on the balcony to eat tacos and tamales, and we toast to Edward and Ruby’s new relationship with ice-cold bottles of Corona. I even allow myself to drink one beer since Ruby and I don’t have any plans to go anywhere anytime soon.

Ruby seems more at ease now than I’ve ever seen her. The threat of her stalker is gone, and Edward knows the truth. And even though she’s been through a lot of trauma recently, she’s coming out of this with a new relationship with a man who’s beyond overjoyed to find out he’s likely her father.

When we’re done eating, I take the dishes to the kitchen and clean up. I want to give the father and daughter some time alone. After all the recent heartache Ruby’s experienced, I think this new relationship with Edward is just what she needs. Now she has a father who adores her, not one who ridicules her and makes her feel unloved.

When Edward leaves to head back to his office, Ruby walks him to the door. Edward gives her a bear hug, and the two of them hold each other for a good long time. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of Edward now.

After he’s gone, she locks the door, then turns to me with a bright smile on her face.

“I told you he’d be thrilled,” I tell her. “He’s the one who hired McIntyre Security to protect you. It wasn’t Allen. It was Edward. Even without knowing the truth, Edward was more of a father to you than Allen was.”