17

17Jude

The rest of the night had gone well despite the drama with Trevor. They’d talked about how Cope and Ten had assisted in solving cold cases over the years. Both John and Liam seemed fascinated, but Nathan hadn’t been so sure Cope’s gifts were the real deal. Cope hadn’t been in the mood to prove himself, not that Jude blamed him. After they’d eaten, John had pulled Jude aside and offered an apology for everything that happened when they were kids. Jude had forgiven him easily. Nathan also took a moment to offer his own explanation for his behavior and to let Jude know how happy he was to get to know him as an adult.

When the kids came home, they’d been fueled up on sugar. Eagle had taken them out to look at the stars. He’d told the kids all the old myths of how Mother Earth and Father Sky came to be and how they created everything. Everly had let it slip that Kaye and Eagle held hands in the van on the way home. Jude hadn’t been the least bit surprised. Wolf’s eyes had glowed with wonder when the little boy retold his favorite story.

Jude figured, what with the long day he’d had, that he’d fall asleep the second his head hit the pillow. While that had been the case with Cope, Jude couldn’t seem to drop off. After two hours of tossing and turning, he got out of bed and headed downstairs, where Ronan and Fitz sat at the kitchen table eating slices of Jace’s amazing hummingbird cake with cream cheese frosting. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Ronan got up from the table and grabbed another plate and a fork. He cut Jude a piece and slid it across to him. “We couldn’t sleep. Too ramped up about Trevor.”

“Same. All Cope was getting from him was anger, which we all saw with our own eyes, but he couldn’t see anything else beyond that.” Jude was used to the way his husband’s gifts worked, but he wished that in this particular case that he could have seen something more definitive that would lead them to the missing women.

“Tennyson too.” Ronan sighed before he offered a mirthless chuckle.

“What’s funny?” Jude asked, grabbing his fork and digging in.

“We’re married to psychics. Both of whom blow our socks off on a regular basis with what they can do and see. Sometimes I just feel like this should be easier.”

“What, solving crimes because we have aces in the hole?” Fitzgibbon asked.

Ronan nodded. “Don’t you ever think the same thing?”

“No, never,” Fitzgibbon said. “Jace taught me that lesson the hard way.”

“Okay, now I’m really confused.” Jude shoveled another forkful of cake into his mouth and hoped Fitzgibbon would explain what the hell he was talking about.

“You guys know Jace is loaded.” Fitz reached for the cake and cut himself another slice.

Ronan snorted. “Understatement of the century.”

Fitzgibbon grinned. “When we were having trouble with our relationship in the beginning, I mentioned something about how easy this should be, thanks to Jace’s bank account. He told me that money doesn’t solve problems.” Fitz shook his head. “I used to think rich people could say that because they weren’t living paycheck to paycheck and didn’t have to decide between paying rent or buying insulin. He asked me how we could use his money to solve the problems we were facing with both of us working too much.”

“That’s easy—take a break and let the people who work for you, work for you.” The solution didn’t sound all that difficult to Jude. He’d been around when Jace and Fitz broke up the first time, and he’d had a ringside seat when they’d gotten back together. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but Jace’s money hadn’t broken them up, and it hadn’t gotten them back together.

“Neither of us were working because we had to but because we wanted to. There was no amount of money that could have made me leave the cold case unit of the Boston Police Department. The same went for Jace—no amount of money would have convinced him to abandon the shelter and the people who made it their home.”

Jude saw Jace’s point of view. Every relationship had its unique problems, and while money could cure some ills, it didn’t cure them all, namely how to handle two workaholics in a relationship. “I absolutely get where you’re coming from with Jace and money, but what does that have to do with psychics assisting our police work?”

“It’s the same thing, if you think about it. Money doesn’t solve all problems, and psychics don’t always have the answers we’re looking for.”

“What it comes down to in both examples,” Ronan began, “is hard work. We need to work the leads in this case to solve it. If Ten or Cope sees something that can lead us to Prairie Moon, great. If not, we rely on our training and gut instinct.”

“Yeah, I see where you’re coming from.” Jude’s heart sank with the admission. They only had a few days left in Arizona, and he wanted to bring the missing women home before he left. “I guess the best news is that the tribal police are working as hard as they can. I also got the sense that Liam is full speed ahead as well.”

Fitzgibbon nodded. “He’s definitely one of the good ones. The only problem is that the tribal police want to handle these cases on their own. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t want the resources of the federal government helping them out.”

“Come on, Fitz. We all know how we’d feel if the FBI wanted in on one of our cases.” Jude knew the three of them would do everything in their power to keep the bureau out of their business. “We’d all turn into snarling dogs with the feds. It’s the same here in Arizona but with the added pressure of the chip on the Navajos’ shoulders, thanks to the fact that it was the government who took our land from us in the first place.”

Ronan nodded. “Ten seems to think we’ll be able to make contact with Rainbow and the others tomorrow morning. He also wondered if we should bring Everly with us.”

“Jesus,” Jude muttered under his breath. He thought back over the last few months and the work Everly had done to help the spirits she encountered. These women had been drawn to her, just like Rainbow had been a few days ago. “I hate to say this, Ronan, but the spirits need her.”

Looking surprised by Jude’s answer, Ronan straightened his spine. “You mean we need her help with the spirits.”

Jude shook his head. “No, the spirits need her light and kindness. Think back to Temperance Bradstreet, Marie Fairbanks, Grace Bailey, and Augusta Harbor. They were desperate and sometimes dangerous women who’d been mistreated in life. Somehow, Everly was able to get them to release their pain and cross over. I don’t mean to sound whimsical, but it’s like she’s the flower, and spirits are honey bees who can’t help but come closer.”

Ronan snorted. “You sound whimsical as hell, but you’re right. I just hate the thought of her being subjected to the pain and heartbreak these women experienced. She’s only a baby. A six-year-old shouldn’t know that women make money for having sex with men or dancing in skimpy clothes. She shouldn’t have to feel the sting of rejection and hatred and malice.” Ronan’s eyes dampened as he spoke. “She’s just so little.”

“Tiny but mighty,” Jude said. “I agree completely that we shouldn’t subject her to the very worst this world has to offer, but she’s picking up on it anyway.”

“What are you saying?” Ronan asked, dabbing at his damp eyes with a napkin.

“These spirits find Everly. We aren’t bringing them to her like burritos from Grubhub—they come to her. I would much rather have her involved with this case voluntarily than have these ghosts come to her on their own when she doesn’t have the resources or the knowledge to deal with them.”

“I have to agree with Jude,” Fitz said softly. “Everly already knows three of the four women are dead. She’s spoken with one of them. She might be our last best chance to find Prairie before it’s too late and to bring the remains of the others home for a proper burial.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Ronan sunk his head into his hands.

“Actually, if you think about it, Everly being involved is your fault.” Jude cracked a smile at his stunned friend.

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Ronan asked, looking amused and curious.

“You taught her to care about victims, to be empathetic to their needs, to offer her kindness to everyone no matter how big of an asshole they are. You raised her to be this amazingly giving young woman. No offense, but you can’t put the cork back in the bottle now.” Jude snickered.

“I’ll ask her if she wants to come with us, but I know what her answer will be.” Ronan reached for the cake and cut himself another slice.

“We all do,” Fitz agreed. “I’ll have another slice too.” He held his plate out to Ronan, who added another slice to his plate.

“Me too.” Jude slid his empty plate across the table. “You realize we’ve turned into the Golden Girls, right? Sitting around a table in the middle of the night, solving our problems with cake.”

“I want to be Blanche,” Ronan said. “Man, she was sassy.”

Jude shook his head. “I’m the reformed man-whore. I should be Blanche.”

“You’re not Blanche, Jude. You’re Dorothy.” Fitzgibbon burst out laughing at the shocked look on Jude’s face.

“I’m not Dorothy! Do you see a hump on my back?” Jude always loved Dorothy’s snappy comebacks.

“Fitz is definitely Sophia. Wise and bossy as fuck!” Ronan laughed.

“No lies detected.” Fitz held up his mug in a mock toast.

Jude sat back and listened to his friends argue over who was the funniest of the girls and even chimed in with some of his favorite lines. He laughed as hard as he could for as long as he could because he knew come morning, they’d be back to work, looking for the one clue that would lead them to the animal who was kidnapping and killing native women.

God help the monster when Jude got his hands on him.