“Mother.” Quin calmly spoke. “Is lunch ready?”

  “Of course.” Clara replied and turned her back on the threesome as she walked away.

  Quin’s shoulders dropped as her mother moved off. She had the beginnings of a headache brewing behind her eyes. She used her palm to rub her forehead a bit before leading Vivian and Grams to the dining room.

  Vivian took in the huge house as they walked silently. Mostly silently anyway. She could hear Grams muttering to her self on the other side of Quin. She was also certain that Quin was having her own internal discussion. Vivian just wanted to slap someone. She was sure it would make her feel better.

  The dining room was spectacular. Vivian wondered if they took all their meals here as she was escorted to a chair by Quin. There were several other people already seated around the huge table. Some smiled at her others nearly snarled. It seemed there were two camps in the house. Those who liked Quin and those who didn’t. Vivian had guessed this was the way it was, she just didn’t expect it to be so clearly evident. Those who had little regard for Quin had no problem in letting it show openly.

  As soon as Grams was settled the food was served. Conversation was sparse at one end of the table where Quin’s mother sat holding court with a man who looked just slightly older than Quin. Vivian assumed this was her older brother. She knew from snippets of conversation with Quin that she didn’t get along well with her oldest brother. The end of the table she was seated at with Quin and her grandmother had almost erupted immediately into chatter as greetings and hand clasps were shared. She was eagerly introduced to Quin’s younger brother Sean and his wife Nan. Quin’s sister Catherine introduced her self along with her husband Ian. Vivian liked this group immediately and actually settled in and had a enjoyable lunch. Soon though it was over. Sean had to return to the city, Ian excused himself asking to ride along with him, and Catherine had to pickup children from school. The rest of the group was invited to the parlor for coffee and tea.

  The parlor was warm and inviting. Vivian settled herself onto an ornately upholstered couch. Nan and Grams joined her. Clara sat in her customary wing back chair. Quin was taken aside by her older brother.

  “I wonder what Michael wants?” Nan questioned aloud.

  “Money.” Grams supplied. “His business isn’t fairing well. The IRS is breathing down his neck, seems he’s been a little negligent on his returns.”

  Vivian looked at her stoic faced lover who stood motionless as her older brother waved his arms. The man was turning red from exertion, his voice became louder and louder by the minute. Vivian watch in horror as the man grabbed the front of Quin’s shirt and violently began to shake her. She stood to intervene.

  “Enough Michael.” Clara boomed. She gracefully walked over to her oldest son and placed a calming hand on his arm. “We wouldn’t want to bite the hand that feeds us now would we?”

  “This is between Quin and I mother.” Michael seethed between clenched teeth.

  “Asking your sister for help is a mistake.” Clara stated for everyone to hear. “She never forgets. She’ll never let you forget.”

  Michael let Quin’s shirt front go with a growl and stalked off out of the room.

  “An unfortunate turn of events for Michael lately.” Clara returned to her chair and retrieved her tea cup from the small side table.

  Quin nearly snarled at her mother and left the room.

  Vivian started to stand again but was held in place by Grams firm hand on her knee. “Stay with us dear. Those two need a bit of time.”

  * * *

  Quin went after her older brother. He had never asked her for anything before. For him to loose control in front of their mother, in front of strangers even, was a sign that something was terribly wrong. He hadn’t made much sense in the parlor and his physical attack had seem more desperate than aggressive. She had to do a bit of searching but eventually caught up with the man on the back veranda. “Michael.” Her brother turned a bit, barely acknowledging her. “Tell me what’s going on, I can’t help unless I know.” Quin pleaded as she came to stop next to him. The cold air bit at her cheeks, and she curled her arms around her self in an effort to stay warm.

  “Jacob is missing.”

  Jacob was Michael’s only child. He lived with his mother, Michael’s ex-wife, in Chicago. Diane didn’t last long at the estate. Quin’s mother didn’t like her and made it a personal crusade to force the two lovers apart. It had only taken eighteen months for Michael to file divorce papers under his mother’s guidance. That had been the beginning of the rift between the siblings.

  “How long?” Quin asked staring out at the bleak landscape.

  “Six months. Di thought maybe he had taken off for California again.” Michael shoved his hands in the pockets of his suit pants.

  “California?”

  “He met some person on the internet and took off out there to meet them.” Michael shifted from foot to foot. “He called me after about a week asking for a plane ticket back.”

  Quin nodded her understanding. She noticed he had said ‘person’ not gender specific. Very curious indeed, she thought.

  “I sent him money and arranged for a ticket. That was a year ago.”

  “You don’t think he went back to California?” Quin was formulating a plan of action as she made mental notes.

  “No. Di said she saw him last week, or she thinks she saw him. He…”

  Quin placed her hand on Michael’s arm, “I need to know what you suspect Michael or I can’t help.”

  Michael took a deep breath. “He has a drug problem. I cut him off about eight months ago. I tried to force him into a drug program”

  “That’s not all is it.” Quin’s voice was soft and encouraging. She was familiar with coaxing information out of people.

  Michael turned toward his sister. He had spent a lot of time and effort hating the small woman in front of him. He had believed every thing his mother had told him about Quin and how she had cheated her and by all rights himself out of their rightful inheritance. He was for the first time in his life going against his mother’s wishes and involving Quin directly in his life. “No, there’s more.” He glanced back at the house. “Would it be okay to go inside?” he asked.

  Quin smiled, “I’m freezing my ass off.”

  Michael nodded, “West coast pansy.”

  Quin looked shocked at her brother.

  Michael blinked “Sorry.” He apologized dropping his head.

  Quin chuckled, “Oh no you don’t, that’s the nicest thing you’ve called me in twenty years.” She tugged on his sleeve, “I’m sure the staff wouldn’t mind us using the kitchen.” She offered, knowing well that her mother wouldn’t be likely to find them there. The woman had an aversion to anyplace work took place. “I’ll do everything I can to help Michael.” Quin promised as they entered the much warmer confines of the house.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  VIVIAN LOOKED AT the wide parlor door where Quin and Michael had disappeared to twenty minutes ago.

  "So where did my daughter find you Vivian? Some squalid whore house perhaps?" Clara enjoyed the anger that brewed in the blonde's eyes. "The last one, what was her name Mother? Grace. Yes that's it. She was a crack whore Quin picked up somewhere along the river…"

  "That's enough Clara!" Mary fumed.

  Clara waved off her mother, "Nonsense, Vivian should know she isn't the first noble cause of Quin's."

  Vivian was close to exploding. Nan placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. 'She's baiting you.' Vivian took a deep breath and relaxed her muscles. "Mrs. McKee…"

  "O'Malley. Quin changed her name after we kicked her out. I think it was for spites sake. I actually was relieved that less people would associate her with me." Clara interrupted.

  Vivian smiled insincerely, "Mrs. O'Malley, I doubt you're really interested in where Quin and I met. I doubt you're interested in anything about us. I think you wish to inflict pain on Quin for whatever imagined infraction she has set upon you." Vivian paused and had a sip of coffee, "I could give a rats ass what you think about me." She set the china coffee cup down gently upon the dark wood table in front of her. "Excuse me please." She stood and gracefully left the room to the sounds of Grams having a hearty chuckle.

  Vivian walked the long halls of the grand house looking at everything but actually seeing nothing. Her mind was on her lover. How fortuitous that Quin had escaped her mother's evil clutches at an early age. Vivian smiled at her thoughts. It was like a fairy tale. A young maiden in the clutches of an evil witch escapes to a life filled with love and wonder. Vivian giggled at the image in her mind of Quin dressed in some poofy gown at a huge ball given in her honor for vanquishing the evil witch.

  "What are you laughing about love?" Quin asked coming up behind the blonde and embracing her.

  Vivian sighed and pulled Quin's arms tight around her. "You." She replied.

  Quin frowned over her lover's shoulder. "I don't know if I should be insulted or not."

  Vivian patted Quin's hands. "It was a mental image honey."

  Quin shrugged, "Alright then." She brushed aside the long blonde locks and kissed Vivian's neck. "Have you had enough of Mother?"

  "Absolutely. If your father is as bad I might end up in an Illinois correctional facility."

  "There's no same sex conjugal visits in this state." Quin quipped and placed another kiss on Vivian's neck. She enjoyed the shiver and little goose bumps that rose up along the delicious flesh under her lips.

  "Okay, I'll scratch doing harm to evil parents off the list of things to do." Vivian smiled. "I really am ready to go though."

  "Me too." One last kiss. "I have a huge headache for some reason." Quin let Vivian turn out of her arms.

  "A nap before dinner then." The blonde took up Quin's hand. "Let's go rescue Grams and let Nan off the hook."

  "Chivalrous."

  Vivian giggled again.

  "What now?"

  "Mental image thing honey."

  * * *

  "How did you meet Grace?" Vivian was snuggled against Quin's back in the soft feather bed. They had made for the bedroom immediately upon returning to the cottage. Mary had teased them relentlessly as they moved down the hall. They each laughed upon discovery of their shared blushes. Who knew an eighty-seven year old woman could reduce adults to blushing teenagers.

  "I hate my mother." Quin groused then rolled over to face Vivian. "I was on an errand for my grandfather."

  Vivian growled, "So help me Quin McKee, If you don't use some details I'm going to have to do something drastic!" The blonde extended her fingers toward the PI's middle.

  Quin squealed and scooted back as she grabbed hold of Vivian's questing digits. "Okay, okay! No tickling!"

  Vivian's eyebrows rose, "Details McKee."

  Quin nodded and linked her fingers with Vivian's, "My grandfather was less than legitimate when it came to some of his business dealings. He was desperately trying to correct that the year I turned seventeen. There were times though when he needed to send me on an errand less than legal, knowing I was a minor and less likely to do any hard time. At the time I was excited to be included in his world."

  "Wait." Vivian squeezed Quin's hands gently, "Your fortune is dirty money?"

  Quin tilted her head, "Some of the dirtiest." She answered solemnly. "I really didn't know it then, well until that day anyway. That day I learned a lot."

  "Does your mother know this?"

  Quin chuckled, "She pretends that her father was a great industrialist."

  Vivian thought on that a moment. Clara O'Malley was a real piece of work. Why would Quin want to keep feeding that particular monster? "Go on." She gently instructed her lover.

  "Pop sent me to pick up a package for him. All I had to do was walk into a warehouse by the river, drop his name, receive the package and get my ass back home. Simple." Quin shook her head a little, "As you might have come to realize I do almost nothing simple."

  Vivian smiled softly at the brunette. "You are a black hole for trouble."

  "Precisely. I get to the warehouse just fine. Drop the name without trouble. I even have the package in my hand walking out the door when it happened." Quin closed her eyes as the memory played in her mind. "I walked through the door into the alley between the warehouses. It was pretty well lit considering the activities taking place inside so it was easy enough to see. I heard a soft pleading 'no' just off to my left. Then a sharp thud and a whimper. I should have just walked the other way." Quin's eyes opened. "I should have minded my own damn business, but something pulled me around the corner."

  "You were a do-gooder even then Quinlan McKee."

  "I was young. I had that whole invincibility thing going. Death was not a creature I knew of at that point." Quin reflected. "What I saw around that corner changed me forever Viv. That was the one moment in my life that defined me. The man was huge. Over seven feet tall and as wide as a door. He was repeatedly beating someone in front of him. I couldn't see who because his bulk blocked my view. I moved further into the alley. I remember the smell of the air. It was summer, and the air was thick and humid. I smelled blood for the first time that night. As I shifted a bit more to see who this hulk of a man was beating for what ever reason, I noticed the blood. It was flying with each blow of his fist. Each contact made a wet squishing noise. A bit of blood splattered on my face as he pulled back his massive fist for another punch. That's when I saw her. Her eye's connected with mine for just that instance." Quin fell silent for a long moment. "I've never seen eyes so green before." Quin went quiet again. It had been a long time since she remembered the true color of Grace's eyes.

  Vivian brushed Quin's cheek with the back of her hand, "It's okay to love her Quin."

  "I have to look at her picture sometimes to remember what she looked like. I can't believe I forget."

  Vivian cupped her lover's cheek, "She's moved from your mind a little but she still lives in you heart Quin." Vivian reassured the brunette.

  Quin nodded then took a deep breath before continuing. "I didn't have a gun, but he did. I could see it in the small of his back. I grabbed for it and missed it, but he knew I was there then and stopped hitting her at least. I darted back behind him and made another grab for the gun this time with success. I pointed it at him." Quin examined her right hand, "I pointed it at him, straight in his face and pulled the trigger."

  Vivian hadn't seen that one coming. Her blue eyes grew round at Quin's admission.

  "I didn't know anything about guns, so when nothing happened I panicked. The girl on the ground moaned 'safety'." Quin's hand formed a fist, "I was really clueless." She chuckled sadly. "My hand was shaking so much I had to steady it with the other. I dropped the package tucked under my arm and it splashed in a puddle of who knows what at the man's feet. He looked down at it for a moment. That's when I thumbed off the safety on the gun. I think he must have read my Pop's initials on the paper bag cause he looked up at me and sneered something about me being one of Joe McKee's slags. He kicked out to his right and stuck the girl again. I closed my eyes and pulled the trigger. This time a shot went off and I heard the man fall. I didn't check to see if he was alive or dead. I didn't care. I had enough rational to shove the gun into my own waist band as I scooped up the package. I helped the girl up. Her face was badly cut and bruised. Her shirt was torn and she was bleeding all over the place. I knew she needed help but also knew that a hospital would bring to many questions. I practically dragged her to my car." Quin remembered how her grandfather ordered the Falcon to be burned because of all the blood inside the car. "I drove her to my grandparents house, and as they say the rest is history."

  Vivian blinked. "How much trouble did this all cause your grandfather?"

  Quin sat up in the bed and crossed her legs. The light had started to fade outside casting the room in a purplish shadow. "Let me just say that I never ran another errand for my grandfather."

  "Where's your father?" Vivian asked rolling to her side.

  "Somewhere in Brazil. Unlike my mother, he really is trying to keep a legitimate business running. I think he's relieved to be away from her. I don't hear from him except for a Christmas card from him every year."

  "Your family is odd Quin McKee." Vivian propped her head up on her folded elbow. "I love you Quin." She smiled softly at the woman sitting beside her, "I knew you could string together more than ten words at a time."

  Quin rolled her eyes. "I am not a talker."

  "Ya' think!" Vivian extended her hand and let her fingers tickle Quin's stomach.

  "No tickling!" Quin squeaked rolling away and right off the queen sized bed.

  Vivian crawled to the edge and peered over at her lover. "Oops."

  "Oops indeed Ms. Walsh." Quin smiled up at Vivian.

  Vivian reached down and ran her hand through Quin's short hair. "Pretty."

  Quin blushed. "Sweet talker."

  "Come back to bed Quin." Vivian tugged gently on Quin's ear.

  Quin rolled over and sat up. She held up a finger and pointed it at the blonde hanging over the edge of the bed. "No more tickling."

  Vivian held up her right hand and swore. "No more tickling." Quin crawled back into the bed and let the blonde curl up behind her once again. "Until later." Vivian added with a little evil smile.

  "Rat." Quin muttered, as she let her eyes close. She soaked up the warmth of the long body pressed behind her.

  "Hush. Sleep." Vivian commanded as she let the days tension go an let her own heavy eyes close.

  "Sleep." Quin repeated as she drifted away from the world.

  CHAPTER SIX

  DAY THREE

  VIVIAN AWOKE ALONE the next morning, wearing the same clothes she'd had on when she and Quin had taken their nap. She sat on the side of the bed for a long moment; It was just becoming light outside. The soft glow of the fireplace still lit most of the room, bathing it in a soft orange glow. The blonde stretched her back and sides, and finally stood. Her toes curled in response to the cold wood under her feet. Vivian shivered. She hadn't really been warm since arriving in Chicago two days ago. She raised her arms toward the ceiling in a final stretch then padded off to the bathroom.