Page 77 of Deadly Lineage
“Of course I remember you, Mrs. Campion. How is Ocean Springs treating you?”
Her laughter was soft. “Hot as Hades, but I won’t lie and say I don’t love it.”
I understood. More folks enjoyed the heat than they did the cold.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but you asked me to call if I found any further information on Telane Winston.”
I sat up a little straighter while reaching for a pen and paper. Harrison leaned closer and I thought about placing the call on speaker but didn’t. “What did you find?” I asked.
“You told me there were two children, twins by the name of Leo and Caitlin.”
I deflated, if this was about the twins, I’d already tracked their lineage to its end. “Yes. I did some more research and I’m afraid those lines have died out.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m not calling about them. I decided to search through some of our more fragile archives. A lot was damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Some of it’s still legible, but we don’t keep those documents with the rest of the archives because we’re concerned for their longevity. We keep their handling to a minimum.”
While I understood, I was also confused. “And you found something in these documents?”
“I did. It looks like there was a third child, a boy named Valin. I went back to the archives and found more mentions of Valin Winston. He married and had four children.”
I swallowed hard and asked, “Any of them male?”
“One,” Mrs. Campion answered. “I’ve traced all the children’s lineages as far as I can. There were three surviving members of the family tree when my archives stop in 1969. I can give you the names if you’d like.”
“Oh, I’d like. I’d like that very much, Mrs. Campion.” She rattled off three names and I jotted them down, making certain I had the spelling correct. After I’d double-checked, I said, “Thank you for your time and efforts. I’m not certain if this will lead to anything or not, but I appreciate the effort.”
“It was no trouble. I like doing research and enjoyed the project. I’ve always enjoyed being useful. I hope you have a pleasant day, Detective. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to contact me.”
“Will do and thank you again.”
Mrs. Campion ended the call, leaving me staring at three possibilities.
“Well?” Harrison asked. “Are you going to tell me what put that grin on your face?”
I physically wiped my lips, eliminating my smile. As of yet, I didn’t have a damn thing to smile about. “Turns out Phineas Noland might have had some relatives still alive after all. That was Mrs. Campion. Boone and I met her during our deep dive into the Ocean Springs archives.” I gave Harrison the details regarding my conversation, tapping my pen on the names I’d written down. “I still have no idea if this will lead anywhere or not, but at least I’ve got something more to track.”
Harrison stood, taking her coffee cup with her. “You never know. We’ve solved more with less.”
We had indeed.
Ihad no idea life could be like this—for me. Others found someone they connected with, someone they missed while they were gone, someone they couldn’t wait to lay their eyes and hands on again. Intellectually, I understood that. I’d just never anticipated it happening to me. Sitting comfortably on Boone’s porch swing, his body snuggled tight against my side, made me realize how wrong I’d been. It also made me realize the absolute hell I’d go through if it were taken away.
“This is nice,” Boone said lazily. He’d tucked his bare feet up beside him while I did all the work of pushing the swing. Boone sounded half-asleep. His absolute trust that he was safe with me, that he could relax and allow his body to rest, was not lost on me.
“It is,” I answered easily. Beer half gone, the bottle sweated in the evening heat. It wasn’t the only thing sweating. Somewhere along the line, I’d gotten used to the Mississippi humidity and heat. I wouldn’t exactly call it a welcome friend, but it wasn’t the enemy I’d once believed it to be either.
Given my lack of sleep the previous night, I found my eyelids drifting closed. It would be easy to slouch down and take a nap. As I’d told Harrison earlier today, while on Boone’s property, he was safe. I was too.
I didn’t relish the thought of another night in my car. I wasn’t egotistical enough to think I could keep it up indefinitely. Hell, I wasn’t even sure I could keep it up tonight.
“What made you tense up?” Boone asked, his voice a husky baritone.
“Hmm?” I asked while raking my fingers through his hair. Its mild sweat dampness didn’t put me off. This was Boone, and I wanted every part of him, even his sweat. I scrunched my nose at that odd thought but let it go. While it sounded gross, I realized I meant it.
Boone poked a finger at my belly, tickling me lightly. My abs scrunched and he chuckled. “Those are some impressive muscles, Detective O’Hare.”
“Only because they have to be. Trust me, as soon as I’m off active duty, I’ll become a paunchy old man.” When Boone’s laugh grew louder, I said, “You think I’m joking? Well, the joke will be on you when you’re the one having to cuddle up next to my round tummy. I expect you to love it as much as you love the six-pack.”
When I glanced down, Boone’s bright-green eyes stared up at me. A slow grin lifted his lips and softened his features. “You do, huh? And just how many years do you expect to be on active duty?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m just asking so I know how long I have to admire your firm tummy.”
