Read Online Saints and Sinners: (A Geeks and Things Cozy Mystery Novella #5) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries) by Sarah Biglow - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sarah Biglow
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to stay here and rest for a while. You just had a baby.”
“Fine.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kalina fell into a light doze as soon as Chris left. She only awoke when she felt a hand on her arm. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she saw Jimmy standing over her.
“What is it?” Her tongue felt thick.
“Ms. Fairfax wants to speak with you.”
Kalian dragged herself into a sitting position as Bethany Fairfax entered the room looking solemn. Her eyes were rimmed red from crying.
“Congratulations,” Bethany said.
“Thanks. What did you want to talk to me about?”
Bethany pulled a chair over to the edge of the bed and sat down. Her shoulders sagged and her mouth turned down at the edges. “I’ve spoken with Captain Harper. I realize now what I did was wrong and I’m going to take responsibility for it. I just wanted a child of my own so badly and when Patrick turned up on my doorstep, I took it as a sign. I loved him like my own but I see now he was broken.”
“You knew how Paige treated him then?”
“He’d wake up from nightmares about her.”
“Why didn’t his parents do anything about it? I know Lois Hendrix kept the secret but surely they had to realize something was off.”
“After they became parents they realized neither of them were very good at it. So they just got a nanny and said that was that. They played the grieving parents well enough but I don’t doubt for a moment they were relieved when they were gone.”
“I still don’t understand why you needed to tell me all of this.”
“Logan needs to admit to what he’s done but he won’t talk to the police and I made a decision a long time to ago not to force him to be Patrick anymore. But he liked you. Maybe you could reach him.”
Kalina looked to Jimmy. “The captain’s already approved it. He’ll be there with you.”
“I’ll try.”
Ten minutes later—after a quick wash in the bathroom and some fresh clothes—Kalina sat in another hospital room staring at Logan Fairfax handcuffed to a bedrail. He was still in the clothes he’d been wearing when Jimmy arrested him. He wouldn’t meet her gaze and his face was set in a stony mask. So unlike the little boy she remembered.
“Logan, my name is Kalina. I knew you when you were younger. Do you remember me?”
“I’ve got no idea who you are, lady.”
“No, I guess you wouldn’t. But Patrick would, isn’t that right?”
His face twitched, as if he wanted to acknowledge who she was but a part of him wouldn’t let him. She supposed that was the truth; that he’d developed another personality to protect himself from his sister’s abuse, even the memories.
“Patrick, I know you can hear me and I know you were a good kid. You just had a lot of bad things happen to you.”
He turned and his face had relaxed. The ghost of a smile was on his lips and his eyes shone with unshed tears. “I remember you now. You read to me that summer.” His voice had gone up several octaves. The little boy really had never grown up.
“Yes. I did.” She reached out to take his hand gently in her own. “Do you mind if I just talk to you for a little while?”
“OK.”
“I know it’s scary to talk about but can you tell me what happened on the boat? A lot of people were really worried about you.”
He chewed his lower lip. The inner war began again but, based on his expression, Patrick was still in the driver seat. “Paige wanted to go out on the boat. I told her it was a bad idea without Mom and Dad or Lois. But she didn’t care. She wanted to go and she made me come too. She pinched me really hard”—he touched his upper arm—“until I said I’d go.”
“I’m sorry she hurt you. Do you remember what happened once you were on the boat?”
“We took it out into the water but the current was too strong and it pushed us away from the beach. We got all turned around and then she started laughing. She thought it was a game. She dared me to jump off the side of the
“Fine.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kalina fell into a light doze as soon as Chris left. She only awoke when she felt a hand on her arm. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she saw Jimmy standing over her.
“What is it?” Her tongue felt thick.
“Ms. Fairfax wants to speak with you.”
Kalian dragged herself into a sitting position as Bethany Fairfax entered the room looking solemn. Her eyes were rimmed red from crying.
“Congratulations,” Bethany said.
“Thanks. What did you want to talk to me about?”
Bethany pulled a chair over to the edge of the bed and sat down. Her shoulders sagged and her mouth turned down at the edges. “I’ve spoken with Captain Harper. I realize now what I did was wrong and I’m going to take responsibility for it. I just wanted a child of my own so badly and when Patrick turned up on my doorstep, I took it as a sign. I loved him like my own but I see now he was broken.”
“You knew how Paige treated him then?”
“He’d wake up from nightmares about her.”
“Why didn’t his parents do anything about it? I know Lois Hendrix kept the secret but surely they had to realize something was off.”
“After they became parents they realized neither of them were very good at it. So they just got a nanny and said that was that. They played the grieving parents well enough but I don’t doubt for a moment they were relieved when they were gone.”
“I still don’t understand why you needed to tell me all of this.”
“Logan needs to admit to what he’s done but he won’t talk to the police and I made a decision a long time to ago not to force him to be Patrick anymore. But he liked you. Maybe you could reach him.”
Kalina looked to Jimmy. “The captain’s already approved it. He’ll be there with you.”
“I’ll try.”
Ten minutes later—after a quick wash in the bathroom and some fresh clothes—Kalina sat in another hospital room staring at Logan Fairfax handcuffed to a bedrail. He was still in the clothes he’d been wearing when Jimmy arrested him. He wouldn’t meet her gaze and his face was set in a stony mask. So unlike the little boy she remembered.
“Logan, my name is Kalina. I knew you when you were younger. Do you remember me?”
“I’ve got no idea who you are, lady.”
“No, I guess you wouldn’t. But Patrick would, isn’t that right?”
His face twitched, as if he wanted to acknowledge who she was but a part of him wouldn’t let him. She supposed that was the truth; that he’d developed another personality to protect himself from his sister’s abuse, even the memories.
“Patrick, I know you can hear me and I know you were a good kid. You just had a lot of bad things happen to you.”
He turned and his face had relaxed. The ghost of a smile was on his lips and his eyes shone with unshed tears. “I remember you now. You read to me that summer.” His voice had gone up several octaves. The little boy really had never grown up.
“Yes. I did.” She reached out to take his hand gently in her own. “Do you mind if I just talk to you for a little while?”
“OK.”
“I know it’s scary to talk about but can you tell me what happened on the boat? A lot of people were really worried about you.”
He chewed his lower lip. The inner war began again but, based on his expression, Patrick was still in the driver seat. “Paige wanted to go out on the boat. I told her it was a bad idea without Mom and Dad or Lois. But she didn’t care. She wanted to go and she made me come too. She pinched me really hard”—he touched his upper arm—“until I said I’d go.”
“I’m sorry she hurt you. Do you remember what happened once you were on the boat?”
“We took it out into the water but the current was too strong and it pushed us away from the beach. We got all turned around and then she started laughing. She thought it was a game. She dared me to jump off the side of the
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