Chapter 13

The crew was still working when lunchtime arrived, so Wiley coaxed Ava inside long enough to feed her, and then miracle of miracles, there was a knock at the back door, and when Wiley answered, the crew boss was there.

"It's up and ready for testing," he said. "Got a spare kid around here who might be willing to do that?"

"Me!" Ava shrieked. "I would be willing!"

Wiley laughed. "Then wipe your hands and face and let's do this," he said.

An hour later, Wiley and the crew were all still out in the yard, watching Ava try out all of the attachments on the swing set to make sure they were safe and secure. Once they were good to go, Wiley paid them, but Ava was launched into perpetual motion, sitting in the swing, going back and forth, and higher and higher. She had a death grip on the ropes and a gaze fixed on the sky above, and in her mind, she was flying, and Bubba was the wizard who'd given her wings.

She played until Wiley went out to bring her inside.

"Ava, you need to come in, get a drink, and cool off," he said.

She didn't argue. She didn't beg. She just slid down the slide into his arms.

"It was fun, Bubba," she said.

"Good. It's not going anywhere. The swing is here now and so are you. It'll be ready to play on after you've rested."

She nodded and let him carry her into the house. He carried her to her bedroom, sat her on the bathroom counter and washed her face and hands with a cool, wet washcloth, gave her a big drink of water, then carried her to bed. Her head was drooping as he took off her shoes and tucked her and Pinky in beneath a blanket.

"Sleep good, Ava," he whispered.

"Bubba?"

"What, honey?"

"You'll still be here when I wake up?"

"Yes," he said.

She sighed, pulled Pinky beneath her chin, and closed her eyes.

Wiley went back to clean up the kitchen, but then his phone rang. When he saw caller ID, he quickly answered.

"Hello, darlin', and the answer is yes."

Linette laughed. "You don't even know why I'm calling."

"Doesn't matter. For you, the answer is always yes," he said.

She sighed. "Wiley Pope, you make me crazy."

"I'm not discussing what you do to me. What's up?"

"I'm getting off work in about an hour. I have a little gift for Ava. If you're going to be home, I'd like to drop it off."

"What are you doing this evening?" Wiley asked.

"Just going home."

"Stay and eat an early supper with us. I'm not cooking this evening. We're having pizza, but she doesn't know it."

"I would love to," she said. "But I think I'll go home and get out of the nurse duds and into comfortable clothes before I come over, okay?"

"Yes."

She laughed. "Is your answer always going to be yes?"

"Only for you," he said.

"How are things going with Ava?"

"Better than expected, and still sifting through the shock of what comes out of her mouth."

"What do you mean?" Linette asked.

"The revelations of her daily reality. She doesn't even know how horrifying some of them are, or how neglected she was. What she knew was all she knew. I'm working on fixing what I can. Today, we got a swing set put up in the backyard. She wore herself out playing on it. I just peeled her off the slide and put her to bed. You know what she asked me before she closed her eyes? Will I be here when she wakes up?"

"Oh lord, Wiley…bless her heart. Bless her heart. Are you sure I won't be an intrusion? I don't want to mess up what you have going."

"You can't be an intrusion, darlin'. And you can't mess up what's going on in my life, because part of it is you."

"You had me at darlin', " she said, and disconnected.

Wiley groaned. He wanted her in his arms—lying beneath him in a bed. But right now there was a little-bit-of-nothin' child who needed him more. And the upshot of that, which surprised him most, was how much he needed to be there for her.

***

Ava slept two hours, and the moment she woke up, she went to find Wiley. He was watching TV in the living room and smiled when he saw her. She crawled up in his lap and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Did you and Pinky get a good rest?"

"Yes. Is it time for cartoons?"

"It's always time for cartoons somewhere," he said. "Let's see if we can find some."

She'd just settled in at the corner of the sofa when their doorbell rang.

"Do we have company?" she asked.

"Sounds like it," Wiley said, and went to the door, knowing it was likely Linette.

Ava's interest in cartoons suddenly shifted when the dark-haired lady walked in. It was the almost wife—the woman who'd helped her in the bathroom, and she was carrying a little gift bag with a bow on it. She watched Wiley kiss her on the cheek, but Ava's sudden silence reflected her concern as to whether the woman would like her, too.

Linette immediately caught on to Wiley's intention.

"Ava! Hi, sweetheart! It's so good to see you again. May I sit beside you?"

Ava nodded.

Linette sat and handed her the gift bag. "This is for you."

Wiley sat down in a chair to watch Ava's response to Linette entering their world.

Ava might not know what to think about an almost wife, but she knew what to do with presents. She pulled the tissue paper out of the top and then looked down into the bag and gasped.

"Bubba! It's hair stuff!"

Wiley was expecting maybe shampoo, but when she dumped the contents into her lap and began sorting through them, he realized it was stuff of a different kind. Colorful hair bows with little clips attached. Barrettes of different shapes and colors, and a pretty hairbrush.

Ava's baby blues were swimming in tears. "I never had hair stuff before."

"And now you do," Linette said. "I think you should pick one out now, and I'll put it in your hair for you."

"My hair is sleepy," Ava said.

"Then we'll fix that," Wiley said, picked up her new hairbrush and tamed the flyaway curls, while she and Linette went through the barrettes and bows.

"I choose this one!" Ava said.

Linette removed the bow from the packaging, got down on her knees in front of Ava, and after a few moments, clipped it just off-center at the top of her head, where it settled within the mop of blond curls.

"You look beautiful!" Wiley said.

"I need to see," Ava cried, and bailed off the sofa and ran.

Wiley reached down, pulled Linette up from the floor and into his arms, and kissed her hard and fast.

"Gotta take it when I can get it," he said, and grinned when that made her laugh. "You're the best, Linnie. Let's go admire the new bow with her."

Ava was staring at herself in the full-length mirror hanging on the door to the bathroom. But she wasn't smiling or twirling around, like a little girl might do. She was too still and too solemn.

"Uh-oh," Wiley muttered.

Linette didn't know what was happening, but obviously Wiley did.

"Ava?"

"Can you still see me?" Ava asked.

"Yes, I still see you. Why are you so quiet?"

"I'm looking for me," Ava said.

"That is you, little sister. This is how you look when you don't have to be quiet anymore to disappear. This is the real Ava. Go say hi to her. Tell her she doesn't have to hide or disappear ever again, and then tell her she's gonna have pizza tonight with Bubba and Linette. And when you're through talking to her, we'll be in the kitchen ordering pizza, okay?"

"Yes! I like pizza."

"Just about everybody in the whole world likes pizza."

Ava patted her bow and gave Linette a shy glance. "I like my bow, too. Thank you for my present."

Linette was struggling not to cry. "Oh, honey, you're so welcome. Come on, Wiley. We need to get that order called in, so the wait time isn't too long. Ava looks like she's getting hungry."

"Right," Wiley said. They stepped out of the room and, as soon as they were out of sight, stopped to listen.

Ava was giving herself the lowdown on her new life, her new look, and that pizza was on the menu.

"She's okay now," Wiley said, and reached for Linette's hand as they walked back to the kitchen.

"I'm ordering pepperoni for Ava, but I plan to order another kind, too. What's your favorite, pretty lady?"

"As long as it doesn't have anchovies or pineapple on it, I'm good to go," she said.

He laughed. "I knew we were a good fit," he said, and called in an order for a pepperoni and a supreme pizza with extra cheese, then kissed Linette again. "Just making sure you still taste as good as you did a while ago."

"Wiley Pope, you are outrageous," she said.

"So I've been told. We have sweet tea, Coca-Cola, and orange soda in a can. Name your poison."

"I'll have the tea, and don't float my ice," she said.

"Lots of ice. Got it!"

Moments later, they heard little footsteps in the hall, and then Ava appeared and crawled up into her seat at the table, eyed the two adults, and then glanced out the window. The sun was already on the other side of the mountain. Dusk was imminent.

"Bubba, can I show her my new swing?"

"Absolutely," Wiley said. "I'll turn on the porch light, and the streetlights will be coming on anytime now."

Linette was on her feet within seconds. This was an invitation she did not take lightly. They went out the door hand in hand, and Wiley could hear Ava talking all the way across the yard.

A few moments later, Ava was coming down the slide with a smile on her face, with Linette standing at the bottom to catch her. Ava giggled, then moved to the swing to show Linette how high she could go, and then how she climbed the little ladder to get to her playhouse. As soon as she was up, she leaned out the window and waved down at Linette, and to Wiley's delight, Linette waved back and blew her a kiss. The look on Ava's face was pure joy.

By the time they went back inside, Ava had decided Bubba's almost wife was nice. After the pizza arrived, they were all at the table, trading bites of the different kinds of pizza, and laughing at the stringy cheese that just kept stretching and stretching, when Ava suddenly announced, "Miss Mattie couldn't eat this."

"Who is Miss Mattie?" Linette asked.

"She was Ava's babysitter back in Conway," Wiley said.

Ava picked up a piece of cheese and slurped it into her mouth like a noodle, then added to Wiley's explanation.

"Miss Mattie dropped dead. That's why Corina was losin' her mind tryin' to figure out what to do with me."

Wiley needed to shift the conversation. "So, why couldn't Miss Mattie eat pizza?"

"No teeth," Ava said. She picked a piece of pepperoni off her slice and popped it in her mouth.

Wiley took a quick drink to keep from laughing, and Linette was suddenly wiping imaginary sauce from her chin. They couldn't look at each other for fear they'd lose it anyway, and didn't want to laugh about the only woman in Ava's life who'd been kind to her.

"Well, that explains a lot," Wiley said. "Mac and cheese in the blue box. Soup in a can, and burglar meat. Easy food to chew."

"And sometimes a pudding cup," Ava added.

Wiley smiled. "Right. Sometimes a pudding cup."

Linette was so taken with the way Wiley dealt with this child—his little sister. And the longer she watched them, the more she realized how alike they were. Neither one of them had a filter when it came to saying what they were thinking. They were both matter-of-fact. Ava had learned how to deal with adversity all on her own, and Wiley was the dark horse of the Pope brothers. Quick to act and react, and both of them had saved their own lives, just in different ways. That's when she knew in her heart how much she needed them to love her, because they needed her to find the way to love themselves.

Ava was savvy about adult relationships in a way most children weren't. She'd seen Corina flirting, and men coming and going from their apartment her whole life. As far as she was concerned, that was how the world of adults worked, but this was Bubba, and his world was different, and she needed to know where her boundaries were now, so she asked.

"Bubba, is she staying over?"

Wiley blinked, then looked at Linette. She wasn't giving him any signs of helping, and that was the last thing he'd expected her to ask.

"Uh, well, we hadn't planned on it. Why?"

"Well, if she's your almost wife, I thought you would sleep together. Grown-ups do that," she said, and peeled a slice of pepperoni off her pizza and took a bite.

"Right. Well, sometimes she does," he said.

Ava nodded, and then looked straight at Linette. "I will be good when you come over. I don't bother anyone. You can ask Bubba. I know how to be quiet."

Linette was overwhelmed by Ava's constant need to please. "You'll never be a bother. I don't need you to be quiet, just happy."

Ava gave Wiley the side-eye. "If she was married to you, then would she be my sister, too, like Dani and Amalie?"

"Yes, she would," Wiley said. "Would that be okay with you?"

"Yes, but would I still go to Dani's house when you're at work?" Ava asked.

"Yes, because Linnie works, too. She's a nurse. And she goes to work every day like I do," Wiley said.

Ava thought about that a minute. "But then when you came to get me, Linnie would be home with us? And we would be a whole family, like a mommy and daddy, only not?"

"Yes, that's how it would work. Would you be okay with that?" Wiley asked.

"Yes. I would like that," Ava said. "Bubba, I'm full."

"Then hop down, go wash your face and hands. You can play until bedtime, okay?"

Ava gave the both of them a look. "Linnie could stay. Bubba has extra toothbrushes," she said, and then she slid out of her chair and left the room.

Linette was in tears. This child was breaking her heart. It was apparent how badly she wanted to belong to people, but she needed the reassurance that whatever changed in her life, she would still be loved.

"Oh, Wiley. She's discovered family, something she never had, and she is so afraid she'll lose it. I've purposefully not popped in and out like we've been doing, because I thought you two needed bonding time. But now it seems like knowing I exist in your life, she needs me to be in her space, too. You won't hurt my feelings, whatever you decide, but what do you want me to do?"

"You already know I want you here. All the time. But I don't want to force you into anything. It's totally your call."

Linette hugged him. "Your ‘almost wife' misses being with you, too, and I think the sooner we provide a united front, the easier it will be for Ava to feel like every other little kid who has a home and two parents."

"She's never had either. You're giving up all of the honeymoon phase and jumping into the life of a parent without so much as a ring on your finger, let alone a wedding."

"All that will come in its own time," Linette said. "I think I can tough out the burden of having to come home to a sexy man and an adorable child every night. Do I still have a toothbrush and a change of clothes here?"

He grinned. "Yeah."

"May I share your bed tonight?" she asked.

He cupped her face, brushed a kiss across her lips, and then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I don't know how I got this lucky, but you have no clue as to how much I love you. You were the entirety of my world, and then Ava showed up at the police station with that monster of a woman. Her eyes were wide with fright, and she was sitting so still I thought she was about to pass out. Instead, I find out that was Ava being quiet so we couldn't see her, and once again, another female had taken hold of my heart. Now I have the best of both worlds. A little sister and the woman who holds my heart in her hands. Thank you for not quitting on me."

Linette laid her head on his shoulder, feeling the power and strength within him as he held her close.

"Love you, too, Wiley Pope. Now, you clear off the table and I'll load the dishwasher. And if I'm moving in here, then I'll have to get out of my lease."

"I know the landlord," he said, thinking of PCG Inc., the company that owned Jubilee. "You'll be fine."

That night, they both put Ava to bed and kissed her good night, and the light in her eyes had gone all the way to the smile on her face.

And their journey began anew, becoming a family for Ava and making love in the dark.

***

Johnny Knight and Carey Eggers were happy to be back in their house in Bowling Green. When they didn't think about it too hard, it was almost like their life before. They ate together at their table, then watched TV in bed after it got dark.

They were holding hands and half-asleep with a show still playing, when a car roared past the house, then slammed on the brakes and skidded around a corner. The sound was startling enough that Carey jumped, thinking it was someone coming after her, when Johnny grabbed her arm.

"It's the Wilson kid, remember? You're okay, love. You're safe," Johnny said.

Carey's heart was still pounding. "Do you really believe that? That the man won't try to find me and finish the job?"

"I do believe it. Tom said Gardner crossed you off the case completely as far as being any help in solving it. There is no reason for anyone to care what you're doing now."

She sighed. "Yes, okay. You're right. It's just hard not to be afraid."

"I cannot imagine what you went through alone. And when I think about it, it makes me crazy, knowing how helpless I felt when we couldn't find you."

"But we're here now, and we're together again," Carey said. "I have a phone appointment with the lawyer tomorrow. Maybe we'll know more then."

"Right," Johnny said. "Now scoot back over here. I need to feel you beside me."

She eased back beside him, threaded her fingers through his, and fell asleep. It was almost like old times, except for the healing bullet hole in her back.

They didn't talk about their situation because until she spoke to Billy's lawyer, they didn't really know what their situation was. It would be another month before she'd heal enough to carry heavy trays of food to tables again, and Johnny had to be able to walk and drive before he could go back to work.

His disability payments had finally kicked in, back pay included, so they weren't going to starve. All they knew was that whatever happened next, they would face it together.

***

Carey was in the shower when Tom called the next morning. Johnny muted the TV and reached for his phone.

"Hello."

"It's me," Tom said. "How are you two doing? Are you okay?"

"We're good. Thanks for the DoorDash supper you sent to us. It helped not having to cook. And Carey is calling the lawyers this morning."

"Okay. I'm on my way to work. It'll be a full day, but I'm good for any errands you need run after six."

"We should be fine, but thanks, buddy," Johnny said.

"Any time, and I mean it," Tom said, and disconnected.

Carey came out of the bathroom wearing sweatpants, and no bra under her T-shirt to accommodate the healing wound.

"Want some cereal?" she asked.

"Yes, please. I'll get myself in there in a bit. I want to shave first," he said.

Carey leaned over the bed and brushed a kiss across his lips, then ran the palm of her hand against the black stubble on his face.

"Love you," she said.

"Love you more," Johnny said, and watched the way she was moving as she left the room. She was still favoring her sore ribs and the wounded shoulder, but the bruises on her face had nearly faded away, and the hair they'd shaved from her head was growing back. He was frustrated by his own inabilities right now, but after all they'd been through, he was grateful for small favors.

A couple of hours later, breakfast was over, and the dishes had been loaded into the dishwasher. They gathered themselves at the kitchen table. Johnny had pulled up the online site for the Williams and Williams law office on his laptop, and Carey's phone, which had been part of the contents from the wreck that Sheriff Woodley had given her, had been recharged. One small piece of her world had been returned, and she was grateful.

Johnny turned the laptop around so she could see the phone number to the law office and made the call. After a quick explanation to the receptionist, she was immediately put through to Billy's lawyer, Lee Williams, Sr.

"Miss Eggers. My condolences on the loss of your brother. We understand you've been in the hospital, and we're pleased to know you're on the road to recovery."

"Thank you," Carey said.

"I'm guessing you're calling about your brother's estate. He did leave a will, you know. Are you able to come to the office?" he asked.

"I am not allowed to drive at this time, but I could catch an Uber to get there and back."

"Can I be so forward as to assume time matters here?" he asked.

She sighed. "Yes, sir, it is. My fiancé was recovering from surgery when all this happened, so he's still unable to drive, and now I'm out of commission as well. He gets compensation because he was injured on the job. I found out this morning that I was fired weeks ago for not showing up at work."

"Then I will tell you now, you are the sole heir, and your brother has taken good care of you. Fret no longer. I wish we could just handle this through a Zoom call, but there are papers you need to sign, so we'll go over details in the office."

Carey started to cry. "I'm so grateful, but at the same time so sad he's gone."

"Yes, ma'am," Lee said. "I'm going to transfer you back to my secretary. You two can figure out a time that's convenient for you to come in, and we'll have the papers ready. We'll also need a copy of his death certificate to apply for his life insurance on your behalf, and a copy to go to his car insurance. We understand the insurance company declared the car totaled, so that payoff will go into his estate, which will go to you as well."

"He had life insurance?" Carey asked.

"Yes, a five-hundred-thousand-dollar policy."

Carey gasped. "Oh my God! I had no idea. I'll see to getting those certificates and bring them with me," she said.

"He also owned his home and forty surrounding acres. In the current market, being a seller is definitely on your side, unless you plan to live there, of course. But you can be deciding that on your own. He also has two healthy bank accounts. One personal. One business. You will inherit those as well. His earthly belongings will be yours. In the interim, take care, and I'll be seeing you soon. Now hang on while I transfer you back to Linda."

Carey gave Johnny a look, and then the secretary came online, and after some discussion, Carey settled on an afternoon appointment three days hence and disconnected.

"Billy had a five-hundred-thousand-dollar life insurance policy, and I'm the beneficiary. His house and forty acres are paid for. He has two healthy bank accounts. One personal. One business."

"Good lord," Johnny said. "I would never have imagined."

"Me neither," Carey said, and then leaned her head on Johnny's shoulder. "I have to go to the lawyer's office three days from now to sign papers, and I need to bring copies of Billy's death certificate." Her voice broke. "I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth."

"You don't have to go through this alone. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. It's more of a checkup. I'm hoping they'll finally put me in a walking cast so I can ditch these crutches. If they do, I'm going with you."

"Thank you, Johnny."

"No thanks needed, sweetheart. I will always have your back," he said.

***

Detective Gardner had the latest forensic reports on the Eggers murder back from the lab. Junior Henley's truck had been wiped clean. There wasn't a fingerprint on it anywhere. Not even Junior's. There was no DNA. No remnants of grass or dirt. No lingering scents of anything. As far as the police were concerned, that pointed to an attempt to hide a murder. But it did not point to a particular killer, and at this point, they had three possible suspects—Carl Henley, Junior Henley, and a thug for hire named Lonny Pryor.

They had Lonny Pryor's DNA under Eggers's fingernails. That was solid evidence. And Pryor's DNA was also found on the scene at the house where Eggers died, but as Eggers's cryptic phone call mentioned, in the grand scheme of things, it meant little. A good lawyer could easily explain that away, considering the fact that the men knew each other and Pryor was a periodic visitor to the property.

The police were looking at security footage all over the area where Pryor had lived to see if they could catch him driving the truck. They finally found footage at a car wash, dated just before Lonny Pryor went missing.

So, he had been in the truck at some point. And Pryor's DNA was under Eggers's fingernails. It might pin Pryor to the murder, but it still did not eliminate the Henleys from abetting, because the truck belonged to Junior and the murder weapon belonged to Carl. What they needed was to find Lonny Pryor and get him to implicate who hired him.

At that point, their entire focus shifted back to Pryor, and acting on the assumption that he'd left town, they began checking airport reservations and bus stations. They had security footage from the bus depot but no one matching Lonny's description was visible, until they applied facial recognition to the footage and he popped up with a bald head and a vandyke beard.

A couple of detectives paid a visit to the bus station and, after visiting with employees, discovered the man from their video had purchased a one-way ticket to Miami, Florida.

Finally, a trail to follow!

The next step was to check deeper into Lonny's background. Did he go there simply to disappear, or did he have connections there? It didn't take long for them to find a Roly Pryor listed as next of kin from one of Lonny's stints in prison, and his last known address was a rural route address in Miami, Florida. Now all they had to do was find the cousin. And to do that, they notified the Miami PD that there was an arrest warrant out for a man named Lonny Joe Pryor, whom they suspected might be hiding out with a relative in the Miami area named Roly Pryor, and asked if they would go to the residence, check out the premises, and interview the owner.

The order to search for Lonny at Roly Pryor's residence was given to Homicide Detective Wesley Davis. He took two units and four officers with him, and then drove out of Miami and into the rural area of the county to the address they'd been given, with an arrest warrant in hand.

***

Lonny Pryor had been at Roly's for only a short time. Long enough to feel like he was settling, but not long enough to stop looking over his shoulder. He knew the Bowling Green PD would keep looking for him. There was that thing about his DNA being all over a dead man. After hearing nothing about the woman he'd killed on Pope Mountain, he had assumed they'd never connected the incidents. And whatever guilt he still harbored, he blamed it all on Eggers.

Looking back, he was firmly convinced that Eggers's overreaction to his presence had to do with the sister being in the house—something Lonny had no way of knowing about. Seeing the gun had made Eggers fear for his sister's life, and for that reason, Billy had jumped him. He sighed. If he'd only known she was there, none of this would have had happened. But he hadn't known, and it had happened, and here he was.

It was nearing noon, and Roly had been readying his airboat for an afternoon tour when he came in the house.

Lonny had potatoes frying on the stove and a plate of fried fish already done and sitting on the counter.

"Smells good," Roly said, and went to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

"Just fish and taters," Lonny said.

"That I didn't have to cook," Roly added, and they both grinned at the comment.

"I'll fix the glasses," Roly said, and headed for the cabinet.

Lonny heard cars driving up and turned away from the stove to look out the kitchen window. When he saw the Miami PD logos and the men climbing out of the vehicles, his heart sank.

"Better skip my glass," Lonny muttered.

Roly turned. "Why? What's wrong?"

Lonny sighed. "They found me."

Roly frowned. "Who found you?"

"The cops. Got myself in a bit of trouble. I'm sorry, cousin."

Roly's eyes widened. "Holy shit, Lonny."

Lonny turned the fire off from under the potatoes and wiped his hands.

"I'll get the door. Don't worry. I'll make sure they know I duped you," he said, and went to answer the knock.