After It's Over Page 12

  With the decline of his mother’s health in the last year, his father seemed to be aging at a rapid pace. His father’s appearance was just another reminder that too many years had passed too quickly.

  “If I remember correctly, you used to treat Paige’s mom.”

  “Why yes, I did.” His father’s eyes widened in surprise.

  In fourteen years, they had only discussed the Birch family once and that was after Paige had ended things with Kade.

  “Does patient confidentiality still hold true for her?” Kade asked.

  “Well, she’s been dead a long while, so I imagine it’s my call at this point. Why do you ask?”

  “I got to thinking about a day right before she died. She didn’t seem well, and she made this comment about getting her house in order. I was sixteen and stupid at the time, so I thought she was talking about cleaning the house.”

  His father nodded at the mention of Mrs. Birch’s comment.

  “You know something about that?”

  “Well, yes. Maria Birch had terminal cancer. She only had a few months to live when she died.”

  “What? I’m pretty sure Paige would have mentioned that.”

  “She didn’t tell her family. I don’t think anyone but Bill Williams, the coroner, knew besides myself.” His father rubbed his hands together.

  “I’ve seen the autopsy report. In fact, I’ve been through the whole case file and there’s no mention of Mrs. Birch’s diagnosis in that file.”

  That could have affected her state of mind.

  “Bill didn’t see any need to add it. She died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, so he didn’t see what cancer had to do with any of it. But…” His father took another sip of his coffee.

  “But what?”

  “Clearly, the poor woman killed the husband who had abused her for years and then killed herself. There was no disputing that was the series of events however, why exactly she did it was a question that neither Bill, nor anyone else really wanted to answer. I was surprised that they didn’t investigate it further.”

  “They didn’t want any more scandal than there already was,” Kade said.

  “Does her motivation really matter now?”

  “Yes, because Paige thinks that it’s her fault that her parents are dead.”

  “Why would she think that?” His father scratched his head.

  “She was on the phone with her mother when her father came home. He heard that Paige was pregnant and in the hospital, and then everything went to hell. Paige figured if she hadn’t gotten pregnant, her parents would still be alive today.” Kade rubbed his head. His headache had returned and his stomach rumbled.

  Every time I think about what happened, all I can see is Paige in the cemetery. She was in so much pain.

  “Had I known that, I most certainly would have corrected her thinking when I ran into her.”

  “You ran into her? When?”

  “Um, let me see…I’m not sure. The years all blend together at this point. Oh yes, it was right after you won that commendation. I was headed to church when I saw her coming out of the liquor store.”

  “Liquor store?”

  Since when does Paige drink? She always said she wouldn’t because of her dad.

  “Yes, she had been dumped by her fiancé. I tried to steer her in your direction, but apparently I failed. I heard she ran off and married some guy she met in a bar and moved to Utah.”

  “What?” Kade’s mouth dropped open. While he hadn’t seen Paige in more than a year, he had assumed she was still in town somewhere and didn’t want to see him.

  “You didn’t know?” his father frowned. “I’m sorry, son. I thought you knew.”

  “No, I didn’t. I saw her a while ago and we were supposed to meet at a bar when I got off shift the next night, but that never happened. I got stuck working the scene of a homicide.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  His father’s face was full of sympathy that Kade didn’t want. He looked away.

  “I didn’t think it mattered. Who told you she got married?”

  “Father John. Apparently, Drew went to him and asked him for help in talking Paige out of it, but it was no use. She hasn’t been to church since her parents were buried.”

  Kade stood up, his head swam and his stomach hurt.

  I have got to get some air.

  “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah, I just…just need some air. Thanks, Dad.”

  He patted his father on the back and turned to leave.

  “Kade?”

  “Yeah?”

  “There’s one more thing. At her last appointment Mrs. Birch made a rather odd comment.”

  “What’d she say?”

  “She said she didn’t want to leave her babies with that man.”

  “Her husband?”

  “That’s what I took it to mean, but if you want to know for sure, you should pay Father John a visit. If anyone knew what was going on with Maria, it was him.”

  “Thanks.”

  “See you for dinner on Sunday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Your mother will be so pleased since you missed the last one.”

  Kade smiled at his dad and walked out of the restaurant. He stood on the sidewalk, inhaling the fresh air and gathering his thoughts.

  I had no idea she was married. How could she be married? And who the hell to?

  He walked to his car in a daze, his head filled with too many thoughts—Paige was married; the mayor was clearly doing something nefarious, in addition to beating his wife and there was more to the death of the Birches than he’d realized. Kade made it to the street before he threw up. When he was done, he wiped his mouth and got in the car. There was someone he needed to see.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  I deserve to be happy. That’s what Dr. Sorenson said. Was he right? Doesn’t everyone deserve to be happy?

  “Do you have the motion for orders on the Johnson case?” Deidra asked.

  She stood in front of Paige’s desk with a file folder in her hand and a concerned look on her face. Paige sat with her back to Deidra, staring out the window at the Salt Lake valley. She didn’t hear a word that came out of her best friend’s mouth.

  “Paige!”

  “Huh?” She swung around in her chair.

  “Have you been drinking?”

  “You know I quit. Why would you ask that?”

  “Because your eyes are glazed over,” Deidra replied. “Girl, what is going on with you? You’ve been a zombie for the last two days. It’s like an alien moved in and took over your body.”

  “You caught me. I’m a pod person.”

  Deidra chuckled. “Seriously, where is your head? I need to go get it because I want to nail Mr. Johnson to the wall for how badly he treated his wife. Did you know he canceled her credit cards, won’t pay child support and refuses to see the kids until she can be ‘nice’? Whatever that means.”

  If we get divorced, will Ben let me see the girls? Who am I kidding? If we get divorced, I’m packing up and heading back to WA.

  Paige sighed. “It’s moments like then when I wish I hadn’t gone into divorce law. Why did you talk me into it?”

  “Because it’s where all the money is! You know our plan, make money now and retire to the Caribbean while we are still young and don’t need to get our groove back.” Deidra flashed Paige a huge smile that made her laugh.

  “You are one of the few good things about moving to Utah.”

  “Hmm…things aren’t any better with Fathead, huh?”

  Paige shuffled some papers around on her desk and ignored the question.

  “Paige Birch, it’s when you stop talking that I know I have to worry. What is going on in that head of yours?”

  She tried not to look guilty, but couldn’t help it.

  “After ten years of friendship, I know that look! You’re thinking about Kade again!” Deidra shook her head. “I told you when that man
stood you up to forget about him.”

  “Maybe there was a really good reason for why he didn’t show up.” Paige strummed her fingers on her desk.

  I’m married. What’s my problem? Oh yeah, my husband is a selfish tool.

  “Then why didn’t he call? Or text? Or something to let you know he couldn’t make it?”

  Paige knew it was pointless to argue with a Deidra, whose worst day as a lawyer was usually better than Paige’s best. She rested her chin in her hands and sighed.

  “Are things really so bad with Ben that you’re dredging up past loves?” Deidra sat down in a chair and crossed her legs. She gave Paige a tell-me-all-about-it-honey look.

  “No, actually Ben’s been nicer lately. He’s even charming like he was when we first met.”

  “The man is being nice for the first time in a long time and now you’re thinking about divorcing him?”

  “Well…” Paige tapped her pen against the desk. “I just keep thinking about Kade.”

  Deidra frowned and looked at her watch. “Paige, forget about Kade. He’s the past and you need to be all about the present and getting that motion for orders on the Johnson case.” She stood up and straightened her skirt.

  “Why is it you always seem to have it together?”

  “Because I’m divorced and I don’t date. I have a dog, and I belong to a book club. I even occasionally do Cross Fit. My life is easy, breezy and uncomplicated. You should try it sometime.”

  Paige nodded. “Thanks. I’ll get the motion done right now.”

  “You better!” Deidra called, walking out of the office.

  When she was gone, Paige pulled out the Johnson paperwork and spread the pages across her desk. The papers were completed and on their way to the courthouse in about five minutes. She tried to focus on other cases, but her thoughts were muddled. Paige was relieved when her secretary buzzed her phone.

  “Yeah, Sam?”

  “It’s Billie’s daycare provider on line one,” Sam replied.

  “Is she sick?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Did she mention anything about matches or sharp objects?”

  The last time I got a phone call from Mrs. Watson I ended replacing the woman’s sofa.

  “I tried to get details, but she’s pretty insistent that she speak directly to you. Whatever it is, it’s not good.”

  “Thanks, I’ll answer it.” Paige took a deep breath to calm her nerves and pushed the button for line one.

  “Hello, Mrs. Watson.”

  “You need to come get your stepdaughter right now,” Mrs. Watson said. The anger in her voice was not lost on Paige.

  “What’d Billie do?” And do I really want to know?

  “She locked me out of the house when I went outside to grab the ball that she tossed into the street. That little girl has no respect for her elders,” Mrs. Watson replied.

  “I’m so sorry, but that doesn’t seem like—”

  “Let me finish! After she lured me outside, she taunted me from the window. Then she and the other kids ate a bag of cookies that my brother sent me from England. They were my favorite cookies! I had to climb in through a window! At my age!”

  “I’m really sorry.”

  “In thirty years, I have never seen such a willful and belligerent child.”

  “I apologize, Mrs. Watson.”

  “Save your apology for her next daycare provider!”

  Mrs. Watson’s words were followed by a click and then a dial tone.

  Paige pushed the intercom button on her phone. “Sam, I’m going to have to leave early. My stepdaughter just got kicked out of daycare.”

  “Shouldn’t her dad go pick her up?” Sam asked.

  Sam, the temp, was completely unaware of just how uninvolved Ben was in his daughters’ lives. Paige could count on one hand the number of times he’d picked them up from Mrs. Watson’s in the last year.

  Still, he does seem to want to turn over a new leaf.

  “You’re right. I’ll try to reach him and if he doesn’t answer, I’m going to need you to clear my schedule for the rest of the day.”

  Why didn’t I think to call Ben and make him deal with this? Because half the time he doesn’t even answer his phone.

  “There’s nothing on your calendar other than updating the firm’s Facebook page.”

  “I forgot about that. I’m supposed to write something. I need an account to do that, right?”

  “Yep.”

  Crap. The last thing I want to do is sign up on Facebook and get ‘friended’ by people I don’t want to know.

  Paige hung up on Sam and dialed her husband. The phone rang until voicemail answered.

  Why doesn’t he answer his phone when I call? Don’t think about that right now. You have bigger issues to worry about.

  Paige didn’t bother to leave a message. She considered texting him and letting him know what had happened but decided against it.

  Billie can tell him exactly what she’s been up to.

  “The Johnson paperwork is done and I’ve got a briefcase full of motions that I’ll do at home,” Paige said, passing Deidra in the hallway.

  “Billie or Bianca?” Deidra asked.

  “Billie.”

  “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  She clenched her teeth and shook her head as she walked away. She’s not wrong.

  ***

  Paige took the long way to Mrs. Watson’s house and was completely stressed out by the time she pulled into the daycare provider’s driveway.

  I should be angry, but I’m not. I’m just tired and frustrated. I forgot to ask about Bev. Why is it we always forget about Bev? Must be because she’s stuck between two troublemakers. Maybe this is my fault because I’ve been distracted for days. Or maybe, it’s just how Billie’s wired.

  Paige didn’t make it to the top of Mrs. Watson’s front steps before the door flew open. Bev and Billie ran down to greet her. They looked slightly panicked as they swarmed her.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “We couldn’t stay in that house for another minute,” Billie said. She wrapped her arms around Paige’s legs and held on tight.

  “It wouldn’t have been so bad if you hadn’t locked Mrs. Watson out of the house and eaten her favorite cookies.” Bev shook her head. “I tried to stop her, but she punched me in the arm.” She rolled up her long sleeve to reveal a quarter-sized bruise.

  “Billie, you know better than to hit your sister.” Paige’s voice was sharp.

  Oh, how I could use a drink right now.

  “That’s just one of the terrible things she did today,” a female voice said.

  Paige looked up to see Mrs. Watson, a short woman in her late fifties, standing in the doorway. Her lips were a taunt line across her face, her eyes were narrowed and her hands rested on her hips.

  “I’m so sorry,” Paige said.

  Mrs. Watson waved a hand, signaling that there was no point for her to continue with an apology.

  “Find a new daycare provider,” she said, holding out Billie and Bev’s backpacks.

  “Right.”

  Paige untangled herself from the girls and took the backpacks from Mrs. Watson’s outstretched hand. She opened her mouth to offer to buy more cookies, but the older woman slammed the door in her face. Paige turned around to face the girls; Billie avoided eye contact.

  “Now what’re we going to do after school?” Bev asked.

  “I was just wondering that myself.”

  Paige stomped down the steps with the backpacks flung over one shoulder. She grabbed Billie by the arm and led her toward the car.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with you little girl, but I’ve about had it.”

  “Why couldn’t have you just gone for the cheap cookies?” Bev asked.

  “Or, not locked Mrs. Watson out at all!” Paige’s voice was shrill. She fumbled to unlock the van, dropped her keys and cursed.

  “You shouldn’t use lang
uage like that,” Billie said.

  Paige snatched her keys and stood up. “Excuse my language.”

  “It’s okay, Paige. We know you’re under a lot of stress,” Bev said.

  “Thanks.” Paige unlocked the van, opened the door and tossed the backpacks inside. “Get in the car, Bev.”

  “Okay.”

  Paige looked at Billie who refused to look her in the eyes. “Billie, what you did today was wrong. Very wrong.”

  The tiny troublemaker shrugged and cocked her head to the side. “You’re upset.”

  “Of course, I’m upset! You just got yourself and your sister thrown out of daycare, so now there’s no one to watch you after school.”

  “Bianca can watch us.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Bianca gets into enough trouble on her own.

  Paige rubbed her temples; a headache was forming.

  “Are you having a breakdown? Mommy said it was only a matter of time.”

  “Did she now?”

  “Yep! She says no one can stay married to Daddy and not go crazy.”

  That woman may very well be smarter than I give her credit for.

  “Look, things need to change, do you understand?”

  “Yes, I need to go live with my mom.” Billie’s big eyes were wide and serious.

  “I thought we talked about this. Your mom has some things that she needs to work through right now. When she’s better—”

  “She is better.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Bianca got a letter from her, so she stole Daddy’s phone and called Mommy. Mommy has a job, an apartment, and she wants us back.” Billie yawned. “When can we go see her?”

  “Is that what this is all about?”

  Did this kid just get herself thrown out so I’d send her to live with her mom? I don’t know whether to be impressed with her creativity or angry.

  Paige leaned back in her heels and chewed on her lip. She remembered what it was like to be six.

  My mom was the center of my world.

  “Well, I miss Mommy.”

  “Billie, there’s a right way to go about getting what you want and a wrong way.”

  “What’s the difference if either way gets you what you want?”

  “The difference is that you upset Mrs. Watson who happens to be a good person—”