Miracles, Mysteries, and Memories

Book 36: Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery

by Kathi Daley

Genres: Family Life; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Cozy Mystery

Synopsis

It's funny, it's family, it's a Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery.

Zoe tries to juggle sleuthing with family obligations as Alex and Scooter prepare to graduate high school and Zoe fears that things will never be the same.

 

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Release date: May 9, 2023

Publisher: Kathi Daley Books

Print pages: 194

Reader says this book is...: entertaining story (1)

Sample

   Chapter 1

 

 

 

There comes a point in many lives where you feel as though you’ve come full circle. It is at these junctures where past and present collide, that you are likely to pause and consider the decisions you’ve made along the way. Decisions, you realize, that have shaped your journey and determined your destiny.

“How about Hayden and Hunter,” my husband Zak Zimmerman suggested as I squeezed his hand while another contraction ripped through my body.

“I like both names, but they just don’t feel right for our babies. How about Jason and Justin or Carson and Carter.”

Zak wrinkled his nose. “All good names, but none feel like Zimmerman names.”

I let out a little screech as my body contorted in pain. “We promised ourselves we’d decide on names before the boys were born so we could greet them as they arrived,” I reminded Zak. “I think we’re running out of time.”

“All the names we’ve come up with are perfectly acceptable and should work just fine. I’m not sure why we’re struggling with this.”

I groaned as I adjusted my position slightly now that the contraction had passed. “I’m sorry I suggested the name Jack to Ellie. It’s a great name I wish I would have kept for us.”

“Jack Denton is a pretty great name,” Zak agreed. “You have to admit that it feels just right for the newest member of the Denton family, but I’m not sure Jack Zimmerman has the right kick to it.”

“Kick? We’re looking for a name, not a football.” I pictured brown-haired, blue-eyed Jack Denton in my mind and knew in my heart that his name was perfect for him. “How about Matthew and Michael?”

“Matthew and Michael are the names of Prentice Conway’s twins. How about Kurt and Kyle?”

“I dated a guy in high school named Kyle,” I reminded Zak.

He frowned. “That’s right. I’d forgotten about that. Let’s move past the letter ‘K.’ We’ve already decided that we weren’t going to have any more names beginning with the letter ‘Z.’ Maybe we should try names that start with different letters.”

“Like what?”

“What about Bert and Ernie?”

I could tell by the grin on his face that he was kidding, but I still rolled my eyes. “When we named Catherine, it was all so easy. Why can’t it be as easy this time around?”

“Last time, we had help from an ancestral ghost, but we’re on our own this time. Maybe we should name the boys after Irish ancestors in the same manner we chose Catherine after learning of Lady Catherine, the resident ghost of Dunphy Castle.”

I frowned. “I’m not against using a familial name, but my Irish relatives had names that would seem odd here in the States. There were ghosts in the castle named Fergus and Finnian.”

Zak frowned. “Let’s keep brainstorming.”

“We could name them after members of my mother’s family. Maybe Ashton and Preston.”

I could see that Zak was about to respond when a young nurse walked into our private labor/delivery room, pausing the conversation. “Zoe Donovan-Zimmerman.”

“Yes, I’m Zoe,” I said.

“My name is Haley. I’m taking over for Gina, who went off shift.” She looked down at the chart in her hands. “I see that we’re going to have twin boys.”

I nodded. “Hopefully sooner than later. Has Doctor Westlake arrived?” My OBGYN was out today so it looked as if my good friend Doctor Westlake would be delivering these babies in her place.

“He’s in surgery, but he should be in to speak to you shortly. I’m going to check your progress and take your vitals so he’s up to speed when he does arrive.” She glanced at my dog, Charlie, who was lying at the foot of my bed. “I know you received permission for your therapy dog to be with you during labor, but he’ll need to be handed off once we transition into delivery. Do you have someone here to take him?”

“My daughter, Alex, and son, Scooter, are in the waiting room with my best friends, Ellie and Levi Denton. Any of the four can take him when the time comes.”

“He really is the sweetest dog. I remember you came in with Charlie to visit Sheriff Salinger. Your visit seemed to perk him right up. You also had another daughter with you. I think she was around four or five.”

I smiled and nodded. “Catherine is four. She’s with her grandparents today. I’m sure she’ll be by to see her brothers once they’re born. Before you go, how is Salinger doing today?” Sheriff Salinger had been the sheriff in our little town since before I’d married Zak. The two of us hadn’t gotten along at first, but over time, we’d developed a mutually beneficial working arrangement, and in many ways, I considered him a close friend. A friend, I reminded myself, who almost died after someone had shot him and left him for dead on the side of the road.

“He’s doing much better. In fact, I was told that he’ll be going home today.”

“Do you know if he’s arranged for someone to be with him? He lives alone, and I’m sure he’ll need help for the first few days after he leaves the hospital.”

Haley hung my chart on the wall. “When I was in to check on him earlier, he mentioned that a buddy of his was in town and would be staying at his house for a few weeks. I don’t have all the details, but I’ll let him know you were asking about him. He asked about you as well, and he wished you well.”

With that, Haley checked my progress and updated my chart as she’d informed me she would. She assured me it wouldn’t be long now, and then she left to check on another patient.

“Go and check on Salinger,” I said to Zak. “If he’s leaving the hospital today, I want to be sure he really does have help. It would be just like him to lie about that if it made a difference as to whether or not he’d be able to get out of here.”

“You want me to go now?” Zak asked, furrowing his brow.

“Yes,” I screeched as another contraction gripped my body. “But hurry. Haley was right; it won’t be long now.”

“I’ll go, but I’m sending Ellie in.”

“That’s fine. Just hurry.”

A few minutes later, Ellie came in through the partially open door. “I see you kicked your husband out before the grand finale.”

“I didn’t kick him out. I wanted him to check on Salinger. I heard that he was being released today, and he said a buddy was in town and staying with him, but I wanted to make sure that he really did have someone to help him when he got home.”

“It would be just like Salinger to tell the doctor he had help when he really didn’t so that he would release him today.” Ellie sat down in the chair next to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

I just growled at her.

“This last part is the worst part.” She rubbed a hand over her flat belly. “It was just two months ago that our positions were reversed, and you were sitting by my bed talking me through it.”

“I don’t remember my labor with Catherine being this long.”

“That’s because you spent the majority of your labor tied to a chair trying to convince Cory Wood not to kill you.”

Yeah, that might have provided the distraction I needed to take my mind off the labor.

“Trust me, this is better, and it will all be over soon,” Ellie promised. “Have you and Zak decided on names yet?”

“No. We’ve considered about a thousand names, but we’re still stuck. I don’t suppose you want to reconsider using Jack. He’s still a baby and won’t remember if you change it.”

“I’m not changing my son’s name,” Ellie said in a firm tone. “I know it was your idea to name him Jackson after my mother, and it really is perfect. Jack Denton. It just sounds so strong and masterful.”

I had to agree. The name certainly fit the huge baby who would most likely play football like his daddy.

“How about Gabriel? I’ve always liked that name,” Ellie suggested.

I laughed. “Trust me, no kid of mine will be angelic-like.” I flinched as another contraction gripped my belly.

“A bad one?” Ellie asked.

I nodded. “The contractions are getting worse. I hope Doctor Westlake gets here soon.”

“Do you want me to go and get Zak?” Ellie asked.

“No, not yet. I really want Zak to get the real story out of Salinger before he comes back to sit with me. How are Alex and Scooter doing?”

“Scooter seems fine. He’s been on his cell phone since he got here. Alex seems nervous. I suspect she’d like to come in if you feel comfortable with her being in here.”

I nodded. “Yeah, okay. Send Alex in.”

“Try not to scream. Alex is the strongest kid I’ve ever met, but she is still a kid. We don’t want to freak her out.”

“Alex understands labor,” I said. “I mean, she understands it from a medical and biological perspective. She probably knows as much as the doctor. I think she’ll be fine, but I’ll try not to scream while she’s in the room with me.”

Ellie hugged me and then went to fetch Alex, who entered the room looking a lot less confident than I’d expected.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Yes. I’ve just been worried about you. I don’t know why since you’re in a hospital in a really nice room with excellent nurses this time rather than being tied to a chair. I bet this is a breeze after having been through what you went through with Catherine.”

“A breeze.” I tried not to flinch as another contraction worked its way toward its peak.

“I’m so excited about the babies,” Alex said. “And sort of sad as well.”

“Sad?” I asked.

“I’m going to have two adorable little brothers who I know I’m going to want to hold constantly, yet I’m leaving for college in just a few months. It’s going to be different than it is with Catherine since I’m so much a part of her life. We’re real sisters. I want to have that with Baby Boy Zimmerman One and Baby Boy Zimmerman Two. You haven’t settled on names, have you?”

“No, not yet. I admit we’ve left it until the eleventh hour, but we still have time.” I took Alex’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “You know how much I’m going to miss you, and you know that I’ll have a hard time adjusting to you not being in my everyday life, but leaving home and going to college is what teens your age do. They take that next step toward becoming who they are going to be. It’s a difficult step but an important one.”

“I know.”

“And you also know you can come home anytime you want. Summers and holidays for sure, but even if you want to just come for a weekend, we’ll gladly send Coop to fetch you.”

Coop was Zak’s pilot, who could usually respond to a request for a ride with a day’s notice.

“I know. And I will likely take you up on that. I realize that paying for a private jet when I’ll only be home for a couple of days is extravagant, but I know in my heart that things are going to be different and that there will be times when the only thing that is going to help me get through it will be coming home.”

I reached out and hugged her. “Any time, baby. Any time at all.”

Zak wandered in about then, so Alex kissed my stomach and promised her brothers that the next time she saw them, she would kiss them on the cheek, and then she shuffled back to the waiting room.

“Is Alex okay?” Zak asked.

“I think she’s just feeling nostalgic. Being part of our family is so important to her, and while she knows college is the next step, she’s struggling with the idea that she won’t continue to live in the same house as her baby brothers. She has been such a great sister to Catherine. I think we both know that Catherine minds her even better than she minds us. Alex has been there for her since day one, and the sisters have a special bond.” A tear slid down my cheek. “Alex wants to have that with Joseph and Justin, and she’s sad she won’t.”

“I’m sure Richard and Robert will adore their big sister.”

“Perhaps, but it’s going to be different. Patrick and Paul won’t know her the way Catherine does.”

Doctor Westlake came in, did a brief exam, and informed me that it was time for Charlie to go and wait with the family. Haley took him out to the waiting room while Zak helped me get into the best position for the delivery. Less than thirty minutes later, baby number one, who still didn’t have a name, arrived.

“Ryder is a strong name,” Doctor Ryder Westlake said as he handed Zak his son.

I smiled as I swiped at the tears that streamed down my face. “I like Ryder, but if we’re going to go the route of names with meaning, I feel like I should name my children after family members.”

“How about Luke after your grandfather,” Zak said as he gazed down into the newborn’s eyes.

I smiled. “I like Luke. I really can’t believe that of all the names we’ve tried out, Luke was never an option.”

“It was, but not in the context of it being your grandfather’s name,” Zak reminded me.

“Ah. That’s right. You suggested Luke Skywalker and Han Solo when we were going through a list of our favorite movie characters. Do you have a grandfather? Of course, you have a grandfather. What I mean is that since I’ve never met either of your grandfathers and you never talk about having had a relationship with them, I wasn’t sure if you were close enough to them to want to name a baby after them.”

“My grandfather on my mother’s side was never really part of her life, so I never met him. My grandfather on my father’s side was named Orville, and while I do have a few memories of the man, I’m not fond of the name. What about Landon.”

“Landon?”

“Alex’s middle name.”

“Alex’s middle name is Landon? How did I not know that?”

“She likely never mentioned it because I don’t think it’s a name she’s fond of. Her parents named her after an anthropologist, Alex Landon, who lived in the early eighteenth century.”

“Luke and Landon,” I said, letting the words roll off my lips. “I like it. Do you think Alex will mind? It sounds as if she isn’t fond of the name.”

“I don’t think she’ll mind, but we’ll ask her before we make it official.”

The nurse reached for Luke, explaining that she needed to take him to be weighed just about the same time Doctor Westlake told me to go ahead and push Landon out into the world. It had been a very long eight and a half months carrying Zak’s two giant babies with my petite frame, but now that the boys were here, our family felt complete.

“Do you want to hold him?” Doctor Westlake asked as he slipped Landon onto my chest.

“He’s perfect. I know all new mothers say that, but he really is.”

“He is pretty great,” Zak said, running a finger down his cheek as Landon began to cry.

“What’s wrong with him?” I asked. “Why is he crying?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Haley assured me. “Your boy is just testing out those lungs. I’m going to take him to be weighed and cleaned up while we get you cleaned up as well. We’ll all meet in your private room, and the four of you can spend some time getting to know each other before the family comes in.”

Part of me wanted to sleep for a week, while another part of me couldn’t wait for Alex to meet her namesake and Catherine to finally meet her baby brothers.

 

 

   Chapter 2

 

 

 

It had been a busy and eventful few weeks with two new babies in the house, which I supposed was a good thing since it had taken my mind off the fact that Alex and Scooter were graduating today. While, as I’d assured Alex, graduating high school and moving on to college was a normal part of teen life, my heart still broke into a million pieces each time I thought about that dreaded moment when my particular teens would actually drive away.

“Scooter asked me to wait for him before I headed over to the school, but he hasn’t come home from Tucker’s yet,” Alex complained. “His graduation might not be scheduled for another five hours, but I really need to go, so if he eventually shows up, please tell him to meet me at the academy.”

Zak had worked it out so that the handful of seniors who were graduating from Zimmerman Academy would graduate on the same day the public high school held their graduation. Alex was the only Zimmerman Academy student who even cared about synching up the two events, but Zak loved Alex, and since he owned the private school, which was essentially funded by his personal bank account, when Zak suggested to the principal, Phyllis King, that the academy hold their graduation on the same day in early June as the high school, she worked it out and made it happen.

“I’ll tell him,” I promised, handing Alex the bag with her cap and gown. “Zak is already there, Catherine is at Grandma and Grandpa’s, playing with Harper, and they will pick the boys and me up in an hour.”

“Okay, good. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. Sure, I’m valedictorian, and sure, I have to give a speech, but I’ve given a lot of speeches in the past, and this one will only be in front of about a hundred people.”

“How many seniors are graduating?” I asked.

“Twenty-two, including me.” She grabbed her car keys from the bowl located near the front door. We had a lot of vehicles, and it seemed that someone was always needing to move someone else’s car, so we kept the keys in a communal location. Once Alex and Scooter left, two fewer keys would be in the bowl. I had to admit that the thought of fewer keys had me on the verge of crying again.

“Is Nona going to make it?” Alex asked.

“She is. Pi is picking her up at the airport as we speak.” Nona was Zak’s honorary grandmother, similar to the way Alex and Scooter were our honorary children, and Pi was Zak’s business partner. Pi had lived with us for several years as Zak’s ward before he headed off to college, and Nona had lived with us for several years as well, so in a way, they were like a grandmother and big brother to Alex and Scooter.

Alex blew out a breath. “I’m glad she made it. It seemed somewhat iffy for a while.” She grabbed the small pack she used as a purse. “Hazel plans to film my speech and make copies for everyone who wants one.” Hazel Donovan was my grandfather, Luke Donovan’s second wife. “She said she’d be there early and would save seats for all of you, although, as I said, with only a hundred or so spectators, I doubt there will be a bad seat in the house.”

“We’ll be fine,” I assured Alex. “Go. Have fun. We’ll all meet up after your graduation and head over to the public school to watch Scooter walk the stage. Once that’s done, we’ll all come back here to celebrate with friends and family.”

Alex hugged me one more time, a long, hard hug that contained a lot of emotion. Once she was done, she headed out the door, and I headed upstairs to check on Landon, who’d been fussier than usual today.

“Hello, baby. Are you up from your nap?”

Landon stopped crying as I bent over to pick him up. Luke and Landon weren’t identical twins and were, in fact, very different in both looks and personality. Luke was blond-haired, blue-eyed, and the calmest, most content baby on the planet, while Landon, with his brown hair and blue eyes, was a handful most of the time. Not only was he more active than Luke, but he slept less and seemed less content as well.

Of course, once Mama had Landon changed and fed, he seemed a lot happier, which was good since I was momentarily alone in the house with the babies, and his older brother, Luke, could be heard moving around in the crib on the opposite side of the nursery. Settling Landon in his crib with the mobile twirling overhead, I crossed the room and picked up Luke. It only took a few minutes to change him and then another fifteen minutes to feed him since he liked to enjoy the process and take his time.

Once everyone was fed, I picked up both babies and headed downstairs. I laid the boys on a blanket that I’d washed and draped atop the huge playpen-style sofa that I’d blocked off just to be safe despite the fact the boys were nowhere near being able to turn over yet. Once I settled Charlie next to them, I pulled my cell phone out and called Scooter.

“Yeah.”

“Scooter, it’s Zoe.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t notice the caller ID. I thought you were Justice.” Justice Baker was a new friend of Scooter’s, who I was less than thrilled about. Scooter was eighteen and thus an adult who could choose his own friends, but I didn’t like or trust this young man and would be happy when Scooter went off to college and was away from his questionable influence.

“Are you still at Tucker’s?”

“No. Tucker had to help his aunt with some stuff before graduation, so I came into town. I’m at the arcade. Justice is meeting me here.”

“Did you forget that you were supposed to meet up with Alex?”

I heard a groan, followed by a four-letter word I chose to pretend I hadn’t heard. “I totally forgot. Is Alex still there waiting for me?”

“No, she left. She asked me to tell you that she’d just see you at the academy.”

“And what time is her graduation?”

“Three o’clock. Alex is counting on all of us being there to hear the speech she’s been working on for a month, so don’t be late.”

“Okay. I’ll try to get there.” With that, he hung up.

I stared at my cell phone in disbelief. Scooter had some issues when he was younger, but he’d matured into a remarkable kid. He’d done well in school, had excelled in sports, and had even been accepted to UCLA, which, as anyone who knew anything knew, was one of the most prestigious schools in the country. At least, it was if the real reason you were going to college was to play sports. Not that the school didn’t provide a decent academic program, because it did, but the reason Scooter had been so determined to attend there was the sports program. He’d worked hard and made his dream come true, and then Justice moved to town, and my sweet little boy had changed.

Zak thought that Scooter’s personality change might be due to post-traumatic stress. He’d even persuaded him to go to a few counseling sessions. Scooter had gone because Zak had asked him to, but he hadn’t really cooperated, insisting that he was fine. And maybe he was fine, but he had gone through an intensely stressful situation this past October when my arch nemesis, Claudia Lotherman, kidnapped him as a way to get to me. She’d tortured him and would have killed him had we not been able to get to him in time. We’d saved Scooter, but Claudia had gotten away, a reality that had caused me more than a few sleepless nights and had likely prayed on Scooter’s mind as well. Knowing she was out there stripped me of my ability to feel safe, and given the fact that she was an expert in disguise, you never really knew whether or not you might have run into her during your everyday life.

Making a quick decision, I called the number given to me by a man I knew only as Shredder. Shredder was some sort of high-level black ops guy who seemed to know a lot about a lot of things. I’d first met him in Hawaii when he’d been living there and helping a friend with a murder mystery, and since that time, the two of us had become friends. He’d helped Zak and me out multiple times, especially when it came to playing cat and mouse with the seemingly uncatchable chameleon who’d spent the past six years haunting my dreams.

“Shredder, it’s Zoe. I hope you get this message. Everything is fine here, but I’m hoping for an update on Claudia Lotherman. You indicated that you were hot on her heels the last time we spoke, and I was curious whether or not you’ve managed to catch up with her. I assume you know that having her out there and knowing she likes to play with me like I’m her favorite toy is a bit disconcerting. I guess that’s it. Alex and Scooter graduate today, so I’m heading there. If you call me back and I don’t answer, I’m likely tied up, but I will get back to you if you want to leave a message.” With that, I hung up. Shredder wasn’t really much for hellos or goodbyes.

I could hear a car in the drive and assumed my parents had arrived to pick up the boys and me. I still needed to change them and grab their things, so I opened the door and motioned for one of my parents to come inside and help me. My mom stayed in the car with Harper and Catherine while my dad loaded the double stroller into the cargo area of his van. I grabbed both babies and jogged up the stairs as fast as someone carrying two babies could jog. My dad asked how he could help, so I sent him into the kitchen for the bottles I’d already prepared. I changed the boys, stuffed diapers and blankets into their diaper bags, and then headed downstairs.

“Okay, I’m ready,” I said, handing Landon along with his diaper bag to my dad.

“Uh, don’t you want to change?”

I looked down at my old jeans and puke-stained t-shirt. “I guess I should. Let’s load the boys, and then I’ll run back in and toss something clean on.”

Something clean was still a far cry from something appropriate for such a special day when everyone would be taking photos, but my blouse didn’t have baby stains on it, and my slacks were clean, if not ironed. My hair, which was up in a messy braid, looked like a mop, so when my mom handed me a brush from her purse as my dad set off toward the academy, I happily accepted it. I wasn’t glamorous, but I did look presentable, so perhaps that would be enough.

By the time we arrived, Pi was there with Nona. They were sitting near Levi, Ellie, and their three children, so I pushed the stroller in their direction.

“Zoe,” Nona reached out and hugged me.

“I’m so glad you made it,” I hugged her back.

“No way I was missing Alex and Scooter’s graduation or getting to know my new newest grandbabies.”

Catherine wandered over to say hi, so Nona gave her a big hug and a wrapped gift before asking her if she would be so kind as to introduce her to her baby brothers.

“This one is Landon. He cries a lot, but Mommy said he’s just getting used to being born.”

“I think that’s probably right,” Nona said.

“And this one is Luke. He sleeps almost as much as Landon cries.”

Nona reached in and lightly brushed his hand. “Well, aren’t you a cute little thing? You look just like your daddy.”

“He has yellow hair like Daddy, and Landon has brown hair like Mommy and me,” Catherine explained. She looked at me. “Can I go and sit with Eli?”

“You can. I’ll be over in a minute.”

Harper followed Catherine to where the Denton family was sitting, so I suggested to Nona that she and I find a spot on an aisle near the family where we could park the stroller yet not have it be in the way. Alex waved to me from the stage where she was helping Phyllis and Ethan, one of Zimmerman Academy’s professors, arrange chairs, and adjust the microphones. I didn’t see Zak anywhere, but I knew he was likely taking care of last-minute details in his office. Pi had gone to sit with my mom and dad, but I still didn’t see Scooter. I was going to kill that kid if he missed Alex’s graduation. Not literally, of course, but I knew how much it meant to Alex that he be there and how hurt and disappointed she would be if he never showed.

I tried his cell phone again, but it just went to voicemail. The spectator area was filling up, so I put one of the diaper bags on a chair so Scooter could sit with the family if he finally decided to show.

When Zak took the stage to do the introductions, Scooter still hadn’t shown up. I didn’t want my frustration with Scooter to take away from my enjoyment of Alex’s special day, so I focused all my energy and attention on the stage. I’d been concerned that one, if not both, babies would become fussy, but both were still sleeping peacefully. I had a lot of extra hands to help if one or both should awake, but it would be nice for everyone who’d come out for Alex to be able to give her the full attention she deserved.

The ceremony was memorable and well thought out, and Alex’s speech was absolute perfection. When she’d taken her place behind the podium, she’d glanced over at me, and I’d waved. She waved back before she began to speak. I could see her eyes scanning the crowd the entire time she was at the podium. Darn it, Scooter. Where in the heck are you?

After the graduates received their diplomas, Alex ran over to give me a huge hug. “I did it. I graduated and managed to get through my speech without messing up.”

“Your speech was brilliant,” I said to her. “I can’t remember ever being so proud.”

She hugged me one more time and then took a step back. “Scooter didn’t make it?”

I glanced around just to be sure that he didn’t arrive late. “I’m so sorry, but I haven’t seen him. I tried calling him five times, but it just went to voicemail. The last time I spoke to him, he was at the arcade waiting for Justice.”

Alex groaned. “Why does he like hanging out with that guy? He has such a bad attitude, and I’m afraid that attitude is rubbing off on Scooter.”

“I know. I’ve noticed that as well. Scooter is eighteen, so it isn’t like I can ground him. All we can do is to be there for him when he finally realizes that he’s upended his life by detouring from the awesome path he was previously heading down.”

Alex nodded, but it looked as if she was going to cry, so I suggested she take a few minutes to say goodbye to her friends and teachers before heading to the public school, where I hoped Scooter would show up for his own graduation. I needed to change and feed the babies and figured I would use Zak’s office. I doubted anyone else would be using it, and it would save time over driving home before heading to the high school, so I informed Nona of my intent and suggested that she hang out with my mom and dad until I got back. Levi was a teacher at Ashton Falls High School and likely needed to be there early, so he’d left right after the graduates had been released. Ellie and all the kids had joined Jeremy Fisher and his family, who’d taken seats a couple of rows behind my parents.

“Alex did such a good job,” Jeremy said, giving me a hug. Jeremy was my general manager and right-hand man at Zoe’s Zoo, the wild and domestic animal rescue and rehabilitation facility I owned and Jeremy operated.

“She really did,” Jeremy’s wife, Jessica, agreed. “She’s very articulate for someone her age.”

“She was ten, going on thirty, when I met her.” I smiled, remembering back to that life-changing Christmas when Scooter had shown up from the private school Zak had been paying for him to attend with his friend, Alex, who we just assumed was a friend of the male gender.

“I guess everyone is heading to the high school next for Scooter’s graduation,” Jeremy said.

“We are,” I agreed. “I’m going to head up and use Zak’s office to change and feed the boys. I rode over with my parents, but I’ll make the trip to the high school with Zak, so I’ll tell them to go ahead without me. After the high school commencement, we’ll all head to the house for a cookout and party.”

“Sounds fun. I brought my trunks,” Jeremy said. “I’m hoping the pool is heated and ready to go. Rosalie and Morgan Rose have both been asking me when we could go over to Aunt Zoe’s to go swimming.”

“It’s ready to go, and you know that you and the kids are welcome any time.”

I said goodbye to Jeremy and then walked over to where my parents were chatting with my grandpa and Hazel. I wanted to inform them of my plans and confirm that they knew that I was leaving Catherine with them. Everyone in the group planned to head to the high school and agreed to help watch Catherine and save a spot for Zak and me. The high school ceremony would be much more crowded than the Zimmerman Academy ceremony had been, so Zak and I planned to each carry a baby and leave the stroller in the truck.

When I arrived at his office, I found Zak speaking to Sheriff Salinger in the reception area.

“You’re back,” I said to the man in the uniform. “I wasn’t sure if you would be.”

“I have less than two months until I’m fully vested and can retire with a full pension. After being shot, I considered hanging it up right then and there, but then I figured I could hang on for a few more weeks. I’m hoping things are quiet, so I can get away with desk duty between now and August tenth.” He bent over and looked into the stroller, where both boys were still peacefully sleeping. “How are the boys?”

“They’re doing really well. Growing like weeds.”

“I looked in on them through the nursery window when I was leaving the hospital, and it does seem they were smaller than they are now. They sure are cute little guys. How’s Catherine doing with the new additions to the family?”

I assured Salinger that she was doing fine. After we chatted for a few more minutes, I excused myself to head into Zak’s office to take care of the mothering chores I’d come to the office to take care of in the first place. Before Salinger left, I heard him ask Zak to let him know what he found out. I was in the office with the door closed, and they were in the reception area, so I hadn’t heard everything they’d been discussing, but I did hear that.

“Let him know about what?” I asked Zak when he joined me.

“I guess there’s been some trouble in town. Justice might be involved, and Salinger wanted to ask Scooter some questions. He showed up here to talk to him, but it doesn’t look like Scooter ever showed.”

“I haven’t seen him,” I confirmed.

“Salinger was going to head over to the high school, but he didn’t want to ruin Scooter’s special day, so he’s simply going to let Scooter know that he wants to speak to him and then make plans to meet up with him at the party tonight. He asked me to let him know if I saw Scooter between now and his graduation ceremony or if Scooter comes to me with details about the mess Justice seemed to have gotten himself into.”

“What sort of mess?” I asked as I finished burping Landon and then handed him to Zak while I got ready to feed Luke.

“According to Salinger, a group of teenagers in town have been making a nuisance of themselves. Nothing major so far, just slashed tires, broken windows, petty vandalism, that sort of thing. Initially, Salinger chalked it up to normal teenage behavior. I guess this sort of thing frequently occurs when spring arrives and the end of the school year is on the horizon. In the past, Salinger has simply slapped a fine and community service on those teens involved in addition to requiring them to make restitution to the business affected by either paying for any damage they caused or cleaning up whatever sort of mess they made. This year, however, the pranks seem to be escalating. Graffiti has become a real problem, and it appears that a group of teens have banned together and are threatening folks who are out and about minding their own business. During his time in the hospital, the man who took over Salinger’s duties wrote up reports for a handful of mugging complaints, and several of the businesses on Main Street that reported vandalism they claimed occurred during the overnight hours.”

“Does Salinger think Scooter is involved?”

“He thinks Justice is involved and knows that Scooter has been hanging out with Justice and his gang. Salinger hoped Scooter could give him something solid he could use to bring Justice in. So far, Justice and his band of thugs have managed to do what they intended without leaving any sort of physical evidence behind, so while Salinger has a strong reason to believe Justice is behind everything that has been going on, he doesn’t have the proof he needs to make an arrest.”

“What about the mugging victims? They must have seen the person who attacked them.”

“All the victims reported being mugged by three to four individuals, likely teens and likely males, wearing dark clothing and full-face ski masks. None of the victims were able to identify their attackers by name, but based on height, weight, and that sort of thing, Salinger is sure Justice was involved.”

“So, has Justice done this before?”

Zak nodded. “Salinger did some checking and found out that Justice was part of a gang that ran the neighborhood where he lived before he moved to Ashton Falls. Justice was arrested and sent to juvie after his gang burned a building to the ground. He was able to cut a deal by providing the DA with information about the gang leader and was given a reduced sentence. When he was released from juvie, the court decided that Justice would be better off living with his uncle than with his father, so he was sent to live with his uncle here in Ashton Falls. Justice was seventeen when he moved here but has since turned eighteen. Salinger shared that the uncle isn’t a bad guy, but he is an older man and unprepared to deal with the behavior problems his nephew has been demonstrating. Now that Justice has turned eighteen and custodial care is no longer required, there have been discussions between the uncle and Justice’s father about kicking him out and letting him figure things out on his own.”

I wasn’t sure if that was the best thing to do, but I did feel for the uncle, who seemed willing to help but didn’t have the skills to deal with such a troubled kid.

Zak and I were able to feed and change both boys in plenty of time to make it to the high school well before the ceremony began. I just hoped that Scooter would show. He’d been so excited to graduate and head off to LA, and I couldn’t imagine him missing his big day, but until today, I couldn’t have imagined him missing Alex’s big speech either.