The Life She Wants Part 32

"What kind of questions?" Adam demanded.

"Yeah, what kind of questions?" Riley chimed in. "What are you doing here?"

"Just some questions, Ms. Shay. We'd like you to come to the station to be interviewed."

"About...?" Emma said.

"About the disposition of your late husband's estate."

"My late husband didn't have an estate," she said. "Am I under arrest?"

"At this point it's just an investigation."

"She's not going anywhere with you," Adam said.

"Wait a minute here," Riley said. "Is this a coincidence? You wanting to question Emma?"

"Ms. Kerrigan, we don't have any reason to detain or question you," Georgianna said. "Ms. Shay?"

"No, wait," Riley said. "Have you been investigating Emma?"

"Ask me whatever you like," Emma said. "Just make it quick."

"We'd like you to come to the office so that we can record and have a record of our interview."

"I wonder if my lawyer would approve of that idea..."

"We're not filing any charges at this point. We're not going to be reading you your rights. If you'd just answer those questions you can, we'd very much appreciate it. No one wants to arrest you."

"And this is in regards to...?" Emma persisted.

"Large sums of money appearing in your accounts, ma'am," Georgianna said.

"Ah," she said. "So you've had a warrant, the only way you could legally watch my account. I see. I'll drive myself to your office and I'll answer your questions-with my lawyer present."

"No, Emma," Adam said, taking her elbow in a soft grip. "I don't want you to do this. There's no reason."

"Yes, let's get this over with," she said. She looked at Logan. "Is the warrant for banking records?" He nodded. "And what else? Have you been in my house?"

Logan shook his head.

"What else is your warrant for?" she asked.

"Banking and phone. Let's do this, Ms. Shay. You're eventually going to have to answer our questions. We don't want to ask for an arrest warrant."

"And I don't want you to," she said. "I'll call my lawyer and drive myself over. I'm not going to take off." She grabbed her purse and jacket. "This must be exciting for you," she said. "It's Sunday morning."

"And you knew exactly where to find her," Riley said.

"They've always known, Riley," Emma said. "They've been watching me. They want to know if I have some secret hidden money from my husband. They're going to watch me forever. And they're not going to find anything because there isn't anything." She looked at Logan and Georgianna. "Let's get this over with."

"I'm going with you," Adam said, grabbing his jacket.

"I'm going, too," Riley said.

Three hours later Emma and Aaron emerged from the interview room to find Adam and Riley waiting. By quick consensus, they decided to go to a nearby Mexican restaurant to talk and order something to eat and drink. Aaron excused himself from the group. Riley beat them inside and secured a booth. The waitress was beside them right away.

"I think we're going to need three wines. Any preference?" Riley asked.

"I'm having tea," Emma said. "Just any hot tea, please. Milk and sugar."

"I'll have hers. Chardonnay," Riley said.

"I'll have a beer, whatever's on tap. And how about some nachos?" Adam asked.

When they were alone again, Riley was the first to speak up. "I think that b.a.s.t.a.r.d dated me because he was watching you."

"They were very nice," Emma said. "Tiresome, but polite enough. I was warned this might happen. When we settled up in New York the lawyers told me there would be victims and law enforcement who would find it preposterous that I'd surrender everything, right down to my engagement ring. I didn't want anything that had come from Richard. But I did recently come into some money. My father's estate, which Rosemary always claimed was hardly worth talking about, actually had something in it. Rosemary, G.o.d rest her soul, failed to let me know. She clearly meant for her daughters to have it. But my father's lawyer followed through and some money came my way. He showed them a copy of the will along with all the financial information. It's all completely legitimate."

"Is this going to keep happening?" Riley wanted to know.

Emma shrugged. "Until there's nothing to notice, I suppose."

"But you were already investigated and cleared," Riley said.

"And I remain a curiosity to some. The best way to handle it is to be cooperative, show them the quickest route to the information they want or need."

"Emma, how have you stood this kind of treatment?"

"I've found that if I just put myself in their shoes, I get it. And it's best to just be honest and forthcoming. I learned right away, refusing to answer just intensifies the whole process. According to Logan, they'll make their report to the FBI Fraud division and it will probably be over. Not to say it can't start up again in the future." Her tea was delivered along with the drinks for Riley and Adam. "I've made peace with that. I understand why they want to be sure I'm not a part of his crimes."

"You are a brave soul," Riley said, lifting her gla.s.s to Emma. "I still want to punch Logan. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"Go easy, Riley. He has a job to do. And I'm just guessing but I don't think he had to date you to do it." Then she smiled. "Even so, the best news I've had lately is that after all this time you and Jock will find a way."

"Jock," Adam scoffed. "What the h.e.l.l kind of name is that, anyway?"

"You know he was named for his grandfather. Are you going to start being nice to him now?"

He took a drink from his beer. "I guess I'll have to."

"Emma, do you need a day off to recover from Dragnet?" Riley asked.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Let me catch my breath and then I think we should tell June she's going to be a grandmother again."

Despite the stressful police questioning, Emma was feeling euphoric. Her world was coming into focus and she had so much to look forward to. She had Adam's perfect love, something she never for one second antic.i.p.ated when she was making her way home to Sonoma. Riley had finally come around and it looked as though they all might not just be friends but family, as well. June was so happy about the baby she cried. Even Maddie and Jock were excited.

She was anxious to tell Shawna and Dellie, but there were a few details to work out before she went public. A date to get married and merge households would help.

Adam, as protective as when they were kids, asked her to quit work, at least working that hard. His income was modest, but he'd been a teacher for a long time and he could support a family. She said no. She wanted to work.

She spent more time with Riley, a little while after work most days. They had so much to catch up on. "Will you be my maid of honor?" Emma asked her.

"Yes, absolutely! And will you wear a mask while you clean so you don't inhale bleach? I don't want my nephew to have two heads."

So Emma carried a mask in her pocket and discreetly slipped it on when she was using bleach in the bathrooms. But Riley's concern gave her deep happiness.

And then a text came from Bethany.

I'm sorry, Emma, but it's just too much. There's no laughter. There's just no love here and I've had enough.

Emma was cleaning another house but because it was Bethany, she read the text and responded immediately.

What's too much?

The girl had been mostly cheerful since Christmas. Emma had hoped her feelings of sadness and helplessness were starting to wane.

No reply. If that had been Adam or Riley, she'd have waited until she was between houses, but she smelled an ill wind.

Bethany, where are you?

No reply.

She tried calling, but it went directly to voice mail.

She went to Dellie; Dellie had daughters and there was something about teenage girls, even those not in crisis, that was so terrifying, so filled with drama. "Dellie, Bethany texted me this," she said, showing her the phone. "I can't reach her."

"She's just wanting some attention, probably."

"What if she's not? She took a bunch of her stepmother's pills a year ago or so and it just knocked her out for a while, but that's something to think about. What if this means she's given up? What if she's suicidal?"

"You don't even know where she is," Dellie said. "She might be on top of the Golden Gate Bridge."

"I think I have to go to her house," Emma said.

"We're not done here!"

"I'll call Riley. I'll go check and come right back. I'll even stay late and help if we get behind."

"You're getting sucked right into this girl's drama," Dellie said.

"I guess so. But if anything is wrong and I don't check on her, I'll never forgive myself."

"Oh, Lord, you're gonna be the death of me. Shawna!" she yelled. "We gotta go check something and come right back!"

"You don't have to," Emma said.

"Better we all stay together. That house ain't so far from here. Don't pack up. We'll be back here in half an hour."

"Thank you," Emma said.

While Shawna drove, grumbling about how this day was gonna get long, Emma called Riley. She had to leave a message. She called Makenna and Makenna said, "Do not do this! I'll call her parents but you just stay out of it!"

When Emma disconnected, Dellie wanted to know what Makenna said. "She said go ahead and good luck." Then Emma swallowed hard.

When they got to the house, Emma looked up and down the street. All the houses were separated by trees and shrubs, sitting back on huge lots. Running to the neighbors would take too much time. She took the keys and went to open the front door, but it wouldn't open. There was a security lock that could be used at night, locked from the inside. So she banged on the door and rang the bell. She pulled out her small notebook, looked at the key code for the garage and punched in the numbers. The garage door slowly rose and she ran inside, trying the door to the house. It was bolted, as well.

She was frozen. What if Bethany wasn't even in there? She called Makenna. "Did you reach her parents?"

"No," Makenna said with a sigh. "I said it was important but I haven't gotten a call back."

"Listen, I'm sorry, but I'm scared," Emma said. "She's fragile. She's been talking to me and she's... She has good days and bad days but her mother died, her stepmother moved right in and... She's fragile..."

"Oh, c.r.a.p, you're involved..."

"She needed someone..."

"Emma, you are at least on probation!"

So Emma called the police. Once they established that there was no missing person, no cry for help, no family member seeking a welfare check, they said they'd send a patrol by when they could.

She dialed another number.

"Logan Danner," he said in answer to her call.

"Logan, it's Emma. Listen, I have a situation. I've been talking to a fifteen-year-old girl from one of the houses I clean. She's troubled. She's maybe suicidal. I might be suicidal in her situation. It's complicated, it's-"

"Bethany Christensen?" he asked.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I listened to your telephone conversations," he said. "We were a little confused about that one but it didn't seem to have anything to do with the transfer of funds."

"I'm at her house. She left me a suspicious text-it's all too much, she said. She said she's had enough. And the doors are bolted from the inside."

"Did you call the police?"

"They weren't impressed. I'm calling to tell you to get out your handcuffs because I've decided to break in. I really want to be wrong...but I'm going to break in..."

"Can you wait for me? I'm not far away."

"I can't wait for you. I'm sorry, but I can't let anything terrible happen. Her parents aren't returning calls, no one cares about this girl. No one." She hung up the phone.

I am clearly insane, Emma thought. I don't know that much about her but I'm completely involved, totally sympathetic, terribly scared for her.