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Epilogue
Hay Adams Hotel
Washington, D.C.
TUESDAY EVENING
Molly smiled up at Ramsey as he handed her a cup of tea with a dash of milk, as she liked it. “Stop looking like you expect me to keel over. I’m fine. I didn’t even need surgery, only sutures to sew me up. They released me, Ramsey. Really, I’m okay. I’ve got my antibiotics and I’ll rest for a couple of weeks. Now come and sit down between Emma and me. I don’t even see how you’re moving around, I’m so stuffed. The prime rib was awesome.”
She’s all right.Ramsey kept repeating it to himself over and over. He knew Emma was hovering around Molly because she was thinking the same thing. Of course, the twins didn’t have a clue about what had happened or that their mother had been hurt. Their father told them she had a bad cold and they had to keep their distance. So far it was working. Emma leaned close, touched her fingers to her mother’s cheek. “Mama, would you like me to hold your cup to your mouth so you don’t have to lift it?”
Molly didn’t laugh. She said simply, “Thank you, Emma. That would be lovely.” She hoped Emma didn’t dribble some of her tea down her very pretty cashmere sweater, a gift her father gave her along with her black leggings to wear when she left the hospital, no doubt picked out by Elizabeth Beatrice. But her daughter looked so pleased to offer to do it for her, so who cared? She hugged Emma to her as best she could, careful of her side, and looked over at the boys, who were in a corner of the suite playing a new game with Sean, their instructor. Her father looked nearly as worried as Ramsey, bless him. She knew he’d have preferred for all of them to fly back to his compound in Chicago, but the doctor had quashed that idea, told her she should stay on the ground for a couple more days. And she didn’t mind. The Hay Adams was a nice place to recuperate and besides, the twins loved the waffles. And Mason had stood down.
Molly said, “Thanks, Dad, for flying Emma and the boys here so quickly.”
“It’s my pleasure, Molly.” He was sitting close to Elizabeth Beatrice, but he was looking at Molly. Was that pleasure she saw in his eyes?
Sherlock was tucked close against Savich’s side. He’d pulled her there, as if he was afraid to let her move an inch away. She said, “Molly, I think you’ll appreciate this. Our field office agents caught up with Caruso after he dumped Ilic at the hospital in Mount Jewel and ran. And Domino asked to cut a deal with the federal prosecutor. Doulos’s mother will probably disown him, but he’ll be going to federal prison for life whether she hires expensive lawyers for him or not. And he’s broke now—we’ve frozen all his assets.”
Molly knew Emma was listening to every word, but she wasn’t going to send her off to oversee the children. Emma deserved to know exactly what had happened. Molly said, “What sort of deal will Domino get?”
Savich said, “Agent Davis Sullivan is in charge of that. It depends on what she’ll have to offer.”
Emma looked toward her grandfather and Elizabeth Beatrice. She said, “I know Mr. Doulos tried to get you and Mr. Shaker to start fighting each other, Grandfather, but you worked together with them to find Mama and Aunt Sherlock.” She locked eyes with Mason, beamed at him. “Do you think we could invite Mr. Shaker and Eve to visit us in Chicago?”
You could hear a pin drop. The adults looked at one another, and then at Molly.
Molly said, her voice gentle, “My sweet girl, I’m afraid that won’t be possible. I don’t think Mr. Shaker or Eve would come, and what they did to you, to us, six years ago is hard to forgive. But I have been thinking about something else.” She turned to her father. “If you agree, Daddy, I’d like to try to put the Shakers behind us. I’d like to give the tape and the evidence I’ve held back to them. Keeping it seems more of a risk to us than a benefit now. We could finally be free of each other.”
Mason slowly nodded. “You’re right. It’s time.”
Molly walked over to her father, careful of her side, and hugged him. “I love you. Elizabeth Beatrice, you’re a very lucky woman.”
