Page 112 of Trouble Comes in Threes

My stomach churned. “Do you think these new people are interested in Lady? They were asking about her in my vision with Austin.”

“I don’t know, but I plan to find out.”

“I need to tell Joe something, but what do I tell him without breaking Austin’s and Darlene’s confidence?”

“Gettin’ these people to trust you is no small thing, Rose,” he said. “Darlene wouldn’t have told me or Dermot any of what she told you and Neely Kate. She sure as hell wouldn’t have told Joe.”

I rested my butt against the car and wrapped my arms over my chest. “I’m not scared for me, Jed. I’m scared for my kids. If someone hurt them…”

“No one’s gonna hurt ‘em, Rose,” he said reassuringly. “I promise. Dermot and I are gonna find out who murdered those men…if Joe doesn’t get to them first. We’ll stop the woman in your vision from being murdered.”

“They found a third victim by Shute Creek early this morning,” I said.

He nodded, not looking surprised. Of course he knew.

How had I gotten sucked back into all of this?

Panic bubbled deep inside me, and all I could think about was hugging my kids.

“I’m gonna go get my kids at Piney Rest and head home,” I said. “I’ll just take off early tomorrow and grocery shop before I get the kids from daycare.”

“That sounds like a good idea. If you’re okay with it, I’m gonna have Neely Kate pick up Daisy and hang out with y’all at the farmhouse.” He paused, then looked at Liam in the car before he turned back to me. “In fact, why don’t you switch cars with her? She can drive Liam to pick up Daisy, and then you won’t have to worry about waking him up when you pick up the kids. You can use Daisy’s car seat for Hope, and there’s a booster in the trunk that Neely Kate uses for Mikey when she has him.”

Part of me wanted to say no. I didn’t want to let Liam out of my sight right now, but my best friend would never let anything happen to him. I dug in my purse while Jed reached into his pocket, and we exchanged key fobs.

Jed offered me a reassuring smile. “We’re gonna get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

“I sure hope so.” I walked over to Neely Kate’s car and drove over to the nursing home, thankful I didn’t have to wake up Liam to go inside. But I wasn’t going to relax until I had all my kids locked inside our house.

When I walked into the nursing home, the kids weren’t in the living room area where I’d dropped them off. My panic rose again, but I beat it back as I approached the reception desk. Voices and music floated from farther down the hall.

The woman sitting behind the desk greeted me with a smile. “Are you here to visit a Piney Rest resident, or are you with the church group?”

“The church group.”

“They’re down the hall.” She laughed. “But the way you’re already headed in that direction tells me you knew that.”

I didn’t run, but I wasn’t strolling either as I headed toward the ruckus.

I stopped in the dining hall and saw quite a few Piney Rest residents sitting at tables, some in wheelchairs, each with a cupcake and small bowls of icing in front of them. It looked like the women’s group was leading a cupcake-decorating class. One of the women from the lady’s group at church stood at the back of the hall, giving directions, while other women were milling around, giving the residents assistance.

I started to freak out when I didn’t see my kids, but then Hope called out, “That’s so pwetty, Miss Midwed. Good job!”

I walked deeper into the room and saw Miss Mildred sitting at a round table in the back corner, surrounded by my children. Ashley sat on her right side with Mikey next to her, but my heart stopped at the sight of Hope sitting to Miss Mildred’s left.

A new wave of panic set in. Miss Mildred had a vicious tongue, and Hope’s feelings were easily hurt. I rarely questioned Maeve’s judgment, but what had she been thinking by letting my baby sit next to Miss Mildred? Especially since she’d turned even meaner since moving here.

But as I hurried toward the table, I was shocked to see that Miss Mildred was smiling at my daughter with bright eyes, shining with happiness. She wasn’t staring at Ashley or Mikey. She was grinning from ear to ear at Hope.

“Your cupcake is looking mighty fine too, Hope,” Miss Mildred said encouragingly.

“What about mine, Miss Mildred?” Mikey asked, lifting his gaze to her. He gave her a big, toothy grin.

The elderly woman turned her attention to my nephew. “Why, it reminds me of dragon’s nest of eggs.”

“That’s what I was tryin’ to make!” Mikey exclaimed with excitement.

Miss Mildred actually winked at him. “Then good job.”

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