She managed to summon a smile. “I know they will,” she replied, even though she knew no such thing. “Life sure can be complicated.”
“It can,” he agreed. “If you need to talk through anything, or just feel like some company, you know you can contact me or Jones anytime.”
“That’s right,” Jones chimed in, balancing a very full plate as he passed them on his way toward a seat. “Or if you want to come by the brewery and drown your sorrows, I’m up for that, too.” He winked. “I brought some of our newest beer for everyone to sample today if they want.”
Once everyone had gotten their food and sat down to eat, Carly allowed herself to simply be in the moment, pushing her worries away for later. A delicious meal with her family, lots of laughter, bright sunshine and spring warmth would lighten anyone’s mood.
Heath and Jones went back for seconds. Carly almost followed their lead, but Tatum reminded everyone to leave room for dessert. Since whatever Tatum had chosen to concoct was bound to be spectacular, Carly stayed in her seat.
Grinning, Heath returned to his chair with a second heaping plate. Jones did the same. “I’ll always have room for any of your delicious desserts,” Heath said, before digging in.
Tatum waited until both men had cleaned their plates before getting up and disappearing inside the house to retrieve her concoction. Everyone took wild guesses on what she might have made since she’d refused to say, claiming she wanted it to be a surprise.
“I’m hoping cheesecake.” Carly sighed. “Or cobbler.”
“Or tiramisu,” January interjected. Simone nodded her agreement. “Tatum makes the best tiramisu.”
“I vote chocolate,” Jones chimed in.
A moment later, Tatum reappeared. She carried a large covered metal pan. “Something new,” she said with a mysterious smile. “Bourbon bread pudding.”
Everyone collectively sighed.
“My mouth is already watering,” Heath said.
Rapt, everyone watched while Tatum dished up portions into bowls. Next to them, she’d placed a carton of French vanilla ice cream with a metal scoop on top. “Come and get it,” she announced, stepping back. “Mom and Aunt Fallon first.”
Simone stood, fetching the two older women’s portions before grabbing her own. One by one, the rest of them got their dessert.
As usual with anything Tatum made, it tasted amazing, managing to be both light and filling, the flavors both simple and complex. Carly ate it slowly, so she could savor every bite.
By the time everyone had finished, a contented silence fell over the group. Carly glanced at her big brother, figuring now would be the time he broke his bit of news.
Heath looked around and then slowly stood. He took a deep breath before tapping his spoon on the side of his water glass to get their attention. “Everyone, I’m afraid I have a bit of bad news,” he said. “Chicago PD has notified me that there was another double murder, with a similar MO to Dad and Uncle Alfred. The FBI has been called in. They’re thinking we might have a serial killer on our hands.”
After a moment of stunned silence, everyone started talking at once. Carly stayed quiet and listened while everyone expressed worry, shock and concern.
Heath let them go on for a moment or two before raising his hand and clearing his throat. “The police have promised to keep us posted. They’ve asked everyone to be careful and let them know if you see or hear anything unusual. If it is a serial killer, they aren’t sure what attracts him to his victims.”
“How do you know it’s a male?” Fallon asked.
“Most serial killers are.”
“Were the victims also twins?” Jones asked, shooting his brother a dark look, no doubt upset that Heath hadn’t filled him in first.
“No.” Heath looked from one family member to the other. “Despite that, or maybe because of it, I’m still worried. I want you all to promise me you’ll report anything unusual.”
Everyone murmured their assent. Carly kept her mouth closed, though she figured she’d probably better tell her brothers about her stalker. But if she did, she knew Heath would sweep in and take over, like he always did. Being the head of the family and the family business had given him more than enough responsibilities and things to worry about. She decided to keep it quiet for now. After all, Chicago PD and the FBI were already involved. And she had Micha to help keep her safe.
CHAPTER 6
Since Micha had no way of knowing what time Carly would return from her family get-together out in Oak Park, he spent the afternoon looking at For Rent listings online. He found several that looked promising and bookmarked them to revisit later with Carly. Once he’d finished with that, he started studying sales prices of vehicles he liked. He figured out a strategy, decided how much he was willing to spend in cash and then he drove north to a Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge dealer and took a look at the new Jeep Wranglers. The dealership was closed on Sunday, so Micha parked outside the gate and walked around the lot looking at vehicles.
He found a fully loaded black one he liked, jotted down the information and resolved to come back Monday when the sales office was open.
On the way back to his hotel, he realized he needed fresh air, so he took a detour and drove to Burnham Park, where he could walk along the lakeshore and see the water. Everyone, it seemed, had come out on such a beautiful spring afternoon. The tennis courts were full, the path crowded with joggers, cyclists and people out for a walk.
Here, in the midst of nature, with Lake Michigan glittering in the sunlight, he missed Carly so much he ached. To him, she represented everything he loved about his city of choice. Walking in this beautiful green space might be nice, but he needed Carly with him to fully experience it.
He found an empty bench and sat. Once, he and Carly had huddled together
