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“I think that book we ordered about black holes might come in tomorrow. We’ll check with Dale at the post office.”
“Okay,” Sammy said, hardly getting the word out before he squealed with excitement. “You’re back again.”
“We are,” Cleo said, clapping her hands together. “And Nick is cooking that pasta you love.”
“With the cheese?”
“You bet,” Nick said, holding a big block of parmesan up. “Go wash up, and you can grate it for me.”
“I’ll take him up,” Ronnie said, leaning over and planting a kiss on Carter’s lips. “Thanks for handling the barn for me.”
“Anytime,” he said, a gentle expression on his face.
When Nick’s phone rang, he grabbed the towel and cleaned his hands. Answering, he put it between his shoulder and his ear as he got back to work prepping the food. “Hey Brian, you got something?”
Cleo rolled her eyes and snatched the phone from his ear. She put on the speaker phone and laid it on the counter.
“I do. But you aren’t going to like it.”
“I haven’t liked too many of your calls. Just lay it on me.”
“First, the DNA results are in, and it's as we suspected. Ronnie is only half-sister with Carmen and Nora. Also, I have info on the name you gave me. Clark Lockheed is the grandnephew of Olivia Brown, just like the priest told you. That checks out. I can’t say for sure he was in town with her at that time. If it was just a visit, there wouldn’t be any records to track down. That will have to be something you validate with folks up there.”
“You know where he is now?”
“That’s the part you aren’t going to like. His last known address is in Georgia. I can send you a file on him, but if you plan to see this through, you’ll need to go there.”
“Georgia?” The O’Malley family were Yankees. Northerners in every sense of the word. They’d never had money to travel, so seeing the southern states was hardly an option.
“I’ve got flights arranged. Accommodations are all set. It’s up to you if you want to go down there or not.”
“You plan on sending someone else?” Nick asked, eyeing Cleo to try to gauge her reaction.
“I’d prefer we are the only ones with this information for now. But I’d also understand if you’re over this shit and just want to get home.”
“Both can be true,” Cleo said through a smile. “We’re in. It’s got to be better than the cabin Nick booked for us with a rodent and ghost problem.”
“Ghost rodents,” Nick teased. “But I’m sure Brian understands just how much he’s derailing our schedules so he’s booked somewhere very nice.”
“Well, there won’t be ghost squirrels or whatever,” Brian said, sounding confused. “Just check your emails for the information I sent you. It’s encrypted, so Cleo, you’ll have to use your credentials to open it.”
“She has credentials with better clearance than I have?” Nick asked, twisting his face up in disgust. “I’m your brother.”
“You’ve drunkenly lost your phone at least three times that I know of in the last four years. You can’t hold on to a decent pair of sunglasses, and you refuse to lock your car.”
“In case I need a quick getaway.”
“We’re not robbing banks,” Cleo said. “But we are handling private information, so that’s why it's encrypted, and you don’t have the credentials.”
“When all of this is done, Brian, I certainly hope you realize you can count on me.”
“No one is doubting that,” his brother asserted. “Not for a second. I just don’t think you’re going to be the head of my data security team. There’s still no one I’d rather have at my side in a bar fight.”
Nick beamed as though this was the highest compliment one could be given. “Thanks. Once my boss here gets the information, we’ll head to Georgia. Are you sure he’s there?”
“He registered a car less than a month ago and has a job at a processing plant there. All signs point to yes.”
“There’s one more thing you should know,” Cleo said, keeping her eyes on the phone even though she was certain Nick was casting some important look her way.
