Before He Harms Read online

  “You know how to cook?” she asked.

  “Somewhat. I’m not great.”

  “She’s being modest,” Ellington said.

  “She always was.”

  And just like that, dinner began. The conversation was a bit awkward, but not painful. Ellington spent most of the time talking, letting Patricia know more about him: where he was raised, how long he’d been an agent, and his version of how his relationship with her daughter had started. Mackenzie was also surprised at how much it meant to her when her mother complimented her cooking. The entire time, Kevin sat in his highchair, eating little bits of chicken that Mackenzie cut off for him. He was getting quite good at feeding himself with his hands, but a good amount of food still ended up on the floor.

  By the time everyone’s plate had been cleaned and the bottle of wine was empty, Mackenzie realized that there was a very good chance this was not going to be the train wreck she had feared. With dinner over, Ellington tidied up Kevin and gave him a few yogurt melts before clearing off the table. Mackenzie sat across from her mother while the sounds of Ellington filling the dishwasher came from the kitchen.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve spoken with your sister lately?” Patricia said.

  “No. The last time we spoke, you said she was in LA, right?”

  “Yes. And if that’s changed, she hasn’t reached out to speak with me. I swear, it seems like she just became even more distant once you wrapped the case concerning your father. I never understood how she—”

  She was interrupted by a knock at the apartment door…which was curious, because it was rare that she and Ellington ever got visitors.

  “Babe, can you get that?” Ellington called from the kitchen. “I’m elbow-deep in dirty dishes.”

  “One second, Mom,” Mackenzie said, getting up from the table. She gave Kevin a playful little tweak on the nose as she passed by. She was surprised at how well this was going. She might even dare say she was enjoying the visit. The afternoon was going remarkably well.

  She answered the door with a slight spring her step. Yet, when she answered it, the spring snapped and the real world came roaring back toward her.

  “Hello, Mackenzie,” said the woman at the door.

  Mackenzie tried on a fake smile that didn’t quite fit. “Hey, E,” she called out over her shoulder. “Your mom is here.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Mackenzie honestly had nothing against Frances Ellington. She’d been something of a saving grace when Mackenzie had gone back to work, stepping in and watching Kevin for them. It also didn’t hurt that Kevin loved his Grandma E very much. But the idea of having both grandmothers in the same place at the same time was incredibly unsettling. Mackenzie felt she knew both women well enough to know that it was the equivalent of pushing a powder keg down a hill where a raging fire was growing.

  Slowly, timidly, Mackenzie led Frances into the dining room. The moment Kevin saw her, his face lit up and he held his arms out. Behind them, Ellington came into the room with a dumbfounded look on his face.

  “Mom…what are you doing here?”

  “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by to take you guys out to dinner, but it looks like I was a little late.”

  “You would have known that if you’d called.”

  Frances ignored her son, spotted Patricia sitting at the table, and flashed a huge smile. “I’m Frances Ellington, by the way.”

  “And I’m Patricia White,” Patricia said. “It’s good to meet you.”

  There was an incredibly tense silence that everyone could feel. It seemed even Kevin was taken aback, looking around the room to see if something was wrong. His eyes finally landed on Mackenzie and when she gave him a big smile, that seemed to be the end of it for him.

  “Well, if we’re all going to be here, I may as well break out dessert,” Ellington said. “It’s not much, just an ice cream cake that was calling my name at the grocery store yesterday.”

  “It sounds lovely,” Frances said as she sat down in the chair next to Kevin. Kevin gave her his undivided attention, his new grandmother now totally forgotten.

  “Frances watches him from time to time,” Mackenzie explained to her mother. She hoped that simple statement was mindful because to Mackenzie’s ear, it sounded almost like an accusation. She keeps him from time to time because she chose to be a part of his life from the start. That’s how it sounded to Mackenzie.

  Ellington brought in the cake and started slicing. When he gave Kevin a little piece, he responded by promptly slamming his hand down onto it and giggling. This elicited laughter from both grandmothers which, in turn, resulted in another attack on the cake from Kevin.

  “Wait now,” Patricia said. “Isn’t he too young for cake like that?”

  “No,” Mackenzie said. “Kevin loves ice cream.”

  “I don’t remember ever giving you ice cream that young.”

  Mackenzie thought, but did not dare say: I’m surprised you remember much of anything from my childhood.

  “Oh yeah,” Frances said. “He especially loves strawberry ice cream. But not chocolate. You should see the yucky faces this kid makes when he tries anything chocolate.”

  Mackenzie watched her mother’s face and saw the ghost of the woman she had once been. There was disappointment there, and a look of embarrassment. She instantly started to straighten her posture into a defensive stance and Mackenzie knew right away that things were going to get dicey if they continued on this way.

  “Don’t worry, though, Mom,” Mackenzie said. “He gets plenty of healthy stuff, too.”

  “I wasn’t questioning, I was just…curious. It’s been a while since I raised a child…”

  “Isn’t it odd?” Frances said. “You think you’re done with being ensnared by the magic of children when your own leave home and then…bam! You’re a grandparent.”

  “It is, I suppose,” Patricia said, looking at Kevin. She reached out with one hand and he grasped it, coating her index finger in vanilla ice cream.

  “As you can see,” Frances said, “he’s quite good at sharing, too.”

  Patricia chuckled at this, a noise that earned a big smile from Kevin. Mackenzie could see the tears in her mother’s eyes, but she continued to laugh all the same. And by the time her laughter was at a fever pitch, Kevin was cackling right along with her, as if they had just shared a very private joke.

  “I assume he gets his sense of humor from your side of the family,” Frances said. “God knows my kids were never much for laughter.”

  “Hey,” Ellington said. “A lot of people happen to think I’m funny! Right, Mac?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Have I ever met any of them?”

  He rolled his eyes at her as their mothers had a laugh at his expense. Kevin joined in again, continuing to slap at the ice cream cake as he shoved some into his mouth.

  It’s like the twilight zone, Mackenzie thought as she watched the entire exchange. Their mothers were actually getting along. And it wasn’t forced. Sure, it had only been a few moments but something about it felt natural. Something about it—God help her—felt right.

  She was sure she was staring, but she couldn’t help it. And there was no telling how long she might have kept staring if the phone had not rung and broken her out of it. She jumped at the chance to get away from the table, hurrying to her phone on the kitchen counter without even wondering who it might be.

  That all changed when she saw Director McGrath’s name on the caller ID screen. It was after five in the afternoon and whenever McGrath called at such a time, it usually meant she was going to have a busy few days on her hands. She picked up the phone and looked through the entryway into the dining area, hoping to lock eyes with Ellington. As it was, though, he was speaking to his mother and cleaning up some of the ice cream from Kevin’s hands and face.

  “This is Agent White,” she answered.

  “Hey, White.” McGrath’s voice was somber as always. It was hard to tell his m
ood by those two simple words. “I believe I have a case that might be tailor made for you. It’s sort of a rush, though. I’d need to you get prepped tonight and be on a plane very early tomorrow morning, headed for Utah.”

  “That’s fine, but why aren’t local agents out there handling it?”

  “It’s a special circumstance. I’ll explain it all when you get to my office. How soon can you and Ellington get here?”

  She was a little disappointed in herself to be so relieved to have an easy out—a viable excuse to step away from this weirdness with her mother and Frances.

  “Soon, actually,” she said. “We sort of have a built-in babysitter at the moment.”

  “Excellent. Half an hour work for you?”

  “That’s perfect,” she said. She ended the call and then, still staring into the dining area and trying to make sense of it all, she called out: “Hey, E? Can you come here a second?”

  Perhaps it was the tone in her voice or the simple deduction that no one ever called them other than people they worked with, but Ellington came right away, and with an expectant smile on his face.

  “Work?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Great,” Ellington said. “Because quite frankly, whatever is going on in there is just straight up weird.”

  “I know, right?”

  Then, as if to punctuate this, both of their mothers chuckled at something from the dining room, and it was followed by their son’s bright cackling laughter.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  While it felt odd to leave Kevin with both grandmothers, Mackenzie could not deny that it did her heart some good to know that her mother was finally getting in some quality time with her son. Her only fear was that her mother’s stubborn and rather selfish side would pop up and get defensive when it became clear that Kevin and Frances had already formed something of a bond. She was astounded that there were no worries about the situation as she and Ellington made their way through the emptying halls of FBI headquarters to McGrath’s office.

  When they entered, it was clear that he was shutting things down for the day. He was placing a few folders into his briefcase and seemed to be in a rather chipper mood.

  “Thanks for coming on such short notice,” he said.

  “No problem,” Ellington said. “You actually sort of did us a favor.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Extended family stuff,” Mackenzie said.

  “None of my business then. So I’ll make this short and sweet. We have a dead woman out in Utah. The bureau was called in on it because as far as local law enforcement can tell, the woman has no identity. No records, no social security number, no birth certificate, no known addresses, nothing.”

  “And why call agents in DC to handle it rather than field agents in Salt Lake City?” Mackenzie asked.

  “I don’t know all of the details, but the bureau down there is in a bit of a pickle. Due to some past issues in the area with certain protected individuals, the Salt Lake City branch has to be incredibly careful about how they handle investigations in the area.”

  “That’s rather vague,” Ellington said.

  “Well, it’s all I have for you right now. I can also offer that there was a conflict of interest and after things went to court, the bureau ended up being in the wrong. So the Salt Lake City heads called us today to see if we could get some DC agents out there on it to work discreetly. And given the nature of the killing, it seemed like something the two of you would knock out rather easily. Get down there, figure out who she is and who killed her. And why. Then hand it over to the local police and come back home.”

  “And what is the nature of the murder?” Ellington asked.

  “I’ll have the full reports emailed to you. But it appears that this young woman was running away from someone late at night. The working assumption is that while she was running, she was struck by a vehicle and then had her throat cut. There was also a strip of tape placed across her mouth but the medical examiner thinks it was done after the death.”

  Mackenzie figured it was right up their alley. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

  “When do you need us out there?” Ellington asked.

  “There are flights booked for both of you at five fifteen tomorrow morning. I’d like to have you on that flight and looking at the crime scene by noon tomorrow. I know childcare might be an issue for a case like this one, but—”

  “For once, I think that might be taken care of,” Ellington said.

  “Wait. I don’t know if—”

  “Is this the extended family stuff?” McGrath asked. He was done packing up, looking longingly at the door.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Like I said, then. None of my business. If there’s a problem with childcare and only one of you can go, let me know.”

  And with that said, he pointed them toward the door.

  ***

  “I’ll just say it,” Mackenzie said on the way back to the apartment. “I wasn’t overly comfortable with your mom keeping Kevin the last time we were on a case. A few hours here and there, absolutely. I’m fine with it. But for several days…”

  “Oh, I feel you on that. But, if we’re speaking candidly, the thought of leaving him with your mother for a few days doesn’t make me feel warm and safe, either.”

  “Oh, God no.”

  “If you’re really bothered by the idea of my mother keeping him, I can be the dutiful husband and just stay back. Sounds like a pretty basic job out there and—”

  “No. McGrath actually asked us both to run this. As a team. Three months ago, he thought pairing us was a bad idea, so we must be doing something right. If he’s giving us this chance, I think we need to take it.”

  “I agree,” Ellington said.

  “So what do we do?”

  They were quiet for a moment, but then Ellington spoke up. When he did, he spoke slowly, as if making sure every word was right—or that he actually meant what he was saying. “What’s the likelihood of them being here at the same time?” he said. “Really, think about that. The chances are incredibly slim. And if neither of us trusts one of them individually…”

  “You mean you want them to tag-team babysitting?”

  “It could work. You saw how they were getting along. And my God, Kevin looked like he was in grandma heaven.”

  “Will your mom get offended?” she asked.

  “I doubt it. Will yours?”

  “No. Hell, she’ll be flattered that I’m asking her such a thing. Did you see the look on her face when I told her you and I had to head out for a quick meeting and were trusting them to watch over him?”

  “Yeah, I did.” He considered it for a while as they came to the intersection where they would turn left to reach their apartment. “So…if the place isn’t burned down when we get back, do we want to ask both of them?”

  Mackenzie panicked at the thought for only a moment. She recalled the brief visit she’d had with her mother months ago—how her mother had finally started getting back on her feet and acting responsibly. Maybe her visit out here and the desire to finally see her grandson was the turning point. And if Mackenzie could make sure her mother kept heading in the right direction, wasn’t it her responsibility as a daughter to make sure it happened? Certainly a few days with a thirteen-month-old grandson would help.

  As they stepped onto the elevator in their building, Mackenzie reached out and took Ellington’s hand. “You okay with this? You sure?”

  He made a confused expression while he nodded. “I am. I know it’s weird, but yeah. I think it will be okay. You?”

  “Same.”

  They entered the apartment, returning about eighty minutes after they had walked out. They found Frances wiping down the kitchen counters while Patricia sat on the floor playing with Kevin. They were currently playing with his Spin ’n’ Speak, one of his favorite toys. Seeing her mother down on the floor playing with him warmed her heart in a way that she had not expected. She gave Ellin
gton a little nudge into the living room as they came through the door, indicating that he was going to have to be the one to do the speaking.

  “So…Mom? Ms. White?”

  “Oh, no, Patricia, please.”

  “Okay…Mom and Patricia. So, Mackenzie and I have just been given an opportunity to work together on a case. We have before, of course, but ever since we got married, the bureau has been a little weird about pairing us up. But this time, it was requested.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful,” Frances said.

  “It is. Only, the case is in Utah. And we need to be on a plane around five o’clock in the morning.”

  Patricia looked up at them for the first time since they had come in; her attention had been on Kevin the entire time. “Anything dangerous?” she asked.

  “No more than usual,” Mackenzie said. “But we’re mentioning this to both of you because we understand just how unlikely it is that you’re both here. So, Mom…you had planned on staying in town for two days, right?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “And you,” Ellington said, pointing to his mother, “showed up unannounced, which makes me think you have no plans anytime soon. Is that a safe assumption?”

  “I had planned to go home tomorrow, but I have no concrete plans, no.”

  “Any chance you can cancel your hotel room and get a refund, Mom?” Mackenzie asked.

  Patricia seemed to understand where this was going. She looked to Kevin, smiled brightly, and then back to her daughter with a bit of apprehension. “Mackenzie…I don’t know. I want to, sure. Of course I do. But are you sure?”

  “It would be both of you,” Mackenzie said. “If Frances is up for it. Two or three days at most, I would think. Are you both okay with that?”

  The tears that leaked from her mother’s eyes was all the answer Mackenzie needed. Still, Patricia nodded and got to her feet. When she came over and hugged her daughter, Mackenzie barely knew what to do. She hugged her mother back, unsure what it meant that it felt a little forced and awkward. Had it really been that long since they had embraced out of emotion rather than social necessity?