"The mayor's already called me three times, mad as hell. When she was struggling to win the election, she promised the Vincellis that she'd get to the bottom of Barker's disappearance. It was part of her damn platform. I had her convinced we were doing everything we could, that there wasn't enough proof to press charges. And that was okay--before you riled up the Vincellis. Now she wants a full-fledged investigation. No holds barred."
Allie caught her breath. Until that moment, she'd been studying her father's ruddy face, wondering if he was really cheating on her mother. But this last statement got her full attention.
"What?" she murmured.
"You heard me. You've wanted this ever since you came home. Well, now you have it.
You'd better solve the damn thing and do it fast, or we'll both be out of a job."
Allie's jaw dropped. She didn't want to investigate Barker's disappearance anymore. These days she had difficulty even reading through the notes and statements in the storeroom, terrified she'd uncover some piece of evidence that implicated Clay. "I've changed my mind," she said.
"There's not enough there. I can't solve it."
"It's too late," he said. "You don't have a choice. You solve it or we'll be packing our bags.
And they'll bring charges against Clay regardless."
"It's official? You're reopening the case?"
"It won't be open long."
"They'll never get a conviction based on what we've got!"
"That depends on the jurors, doesn't it? And if they're from around here, you never know."
Shit! Allie knew Clay's enemies were powerful enough to guarantee a panel of jurors to their liking.
She nibbled nervously at her bottom lip. "We can't put an innocent man in prison, Dad.
That's where this is all leading, isn't it? They want to put him away and they're tired of waiting for the proper evidence in order to do it."
"Who says Clay's innocent?"
"I do!"
"That's your heart talking, Allie. And that's what scares me."
What about Dale's heart? Where was his heart in all of this? And what about his marriage?
Allie wanted to ask if he was seeing someone else, but right now she could only accuse him of drinking out of the wrong mug. Clay was right; that tube of lipstick could belong to anyone who'd ridden in his car. Her father didn't give rides to many women, but that didn't mean he couldn't or hadn't. "I was just trying to help Madeline," she said.
He shoved some papers aside and finally sat down. "If they lock up her brother, you won't have done her any favors."
"That isn't what I wanted."
"I know. I've been trying to keep you out of this...." His words trailed off, and he shook his head in frustration. "That family's been through hell, Allie. You think I want to see that happen? I actually had Clay's best interests at heart when I asked him to stay away from you. But the two of you wouldn't listen to me. And now I have no alternative except to pursue the case."
Allie considered the information she'd sifted through already, Lucas's odd reaction on the phone, the picture Jed Fowler kept in his living room. What did it mean for Clay? For Madeline?
For the rest of the Montgomery family?
She thought of Clay holding her at the cabin, remembered her desire to feel his mouth moving on hers.... "Clay didn't do it," she said.
Her father lifted a skeptical eyebrow. "It doesn't matter, does it? Someone has to pay.
They're going to get him one way or another."
"No, they're not," she said. "He didn't do it, and I'm going to prove it."
Allie smiled at her daughter. "Hold still, babe, okay?"
Whitney could hardly contain her excitement long enough for Allie to tie the bow in her hair. "They'll be skating. On ice!" she said breathlessly.
"I know."
"And in the morning we're going to eat breakfast on a little cart in our room!"
Whitney had been planning this trip with her grandmother for the past several days. They were driving three hours to Nashville to see Disney on Ice and then, because it would be late, they were staying the night. Whitney had hardly talked about anything else. Fortunately, she didn't need much in the way of a response, because Allie hadn't been paying a lot of attention. She was too focused on trying to figure out how to stop the Vincellis from manipulating her father into pressing murder charges against Clay--and whether her search of the cabin would yield proof that her father was having an affair.
"Belle and Cinderella and Snow White will be there," Whitney went on. "And Beast."
"It'll be wonderful," Allie murmured absentmindedly.
Evelyn stuck her head in the bathroom. "How's my girl? She all set?"
Wearing a cream-colored dress, with a strand of pearls at her neck and matching pumps on her feet, Evelyn had put on some makeup. But Allie couldn't help noticing that the lipstick she wore was a very light pink. Soft. Muted. Like always. "Whitney's ready," she said.
Allie's daughter jumped up and down and clapped her hands. "Do I look pretty, Boppo? Do I? Huh?"
"You look beautiful, darling. Now, don't mess your hair." Evelyn gave her a warm embrace. "You remind me so much of your mother at this age."
"Are you sure tonight won't be too much for you?" Allie asked. "Driving so far alone?
Maybe I should go with you."
Evelyn waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be silly. You don't have a ticket for the show, and there's no need to sit in some hotel room, waiting for us. This is our little adventure, right?" she said to Whitney.
Whitney came in perfectly on cue. "Right!"
Allie had assumed that her mother was spending so much time with Whitney because, prior to Allie's return, Evelyn hadn't been able to see her only grandchild very often. Danny had married three years ago, but so far he and his wife remained childless. Having Whitney in the same house was new for Evelyn and she was definitely enjoying it. But now Allie had to wonder if her mother wasn't channeling all her energy into her grandchild to make up for losses and disappointments in other areas of her life.
"Mom?" Allie asked.
Evelyn adjusted the clasp on her pearls. "What?"
"Doesn't Dad mind that you'll be gone all night?"
"Of course not. Why would he?"
"Because he'll miss you?"
"He'll be fine. He knows we'll be back tomorrow." She opened her purse and began to show Whitney all the treasures she had stashed inside.
"Are you and Dad getting along okay?" Allie asked.