Page 19 of The Perfect Revenge
"Maggie, are you awake?"When she still got no response, she went into mom mode."I'm coming in okay, so if you're not decent, you better throw something on."
She opened the door and stepped inside.This room also had floor-to-ceiling windows and an impressive view of the ocean.What it did not have was her daughter, who was nowhere in sight.
“Maggie?”She moved through the room toward the bathroom.
She was about to step through the open door when she glanced off to her right.She gave a little yelp.On the far side of the bed, two bare feet with toes pointing down were visible.She rushed around the bed, her heart suddenly beating fast.When she got to the other side, she inhaled deeply, trying to make sense of what she saw.Sprawled out on her front, barefoot but wearing a little black dress, was Maggie.
“Margaret,” she called out as she rushed over, kneeling beside her daughter.
Had she tripped and fallen?Had some kind of medical emergency?Eleanor tried to stay calm and evaluate the situation.Panic wouldn't help anyone.She reached over and gently shook Maggie on the shoulder, but her daughter didn't react.
She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but she gripped Maggie’s shoulder and her waist and rolled her over.What she saw then made her want to scream.The only thing that prevented it was her knowledge that little Devon was only one room away and would surely come rushing in at the sound.
She tried to make her brain comprehend what was in front of her.Her daughter, Margaret Gayle Caldwell, was staring back up at her with empty eyes.She didn't seem to have any injuries, but it was clear that something horrible had happened.Even as Eleanor tried to deny it to herself, she knew—her daughter was dead
CHAPTER TWELVE
It had been a long day free of breakthrough investigative epiphanies, and Jessie was ready for it to be over.
Susannah was driving her back to Central Station, where she would pick up her car before heading home for the night.She hoped that she might find Hannah at the station, or barring that, back at home.
Her sister hadn't returned any of her calls or texts and had apparently ignored the request Jessie had made of the research crew to have her call back.She understood that Hannah was upset with her, but giving the silent treatment wasn't a long-term answer, especially considering they were sharing the same house this summer.Jessie was willing to do the heavy lifting of making this whole Finn situation right, but she needed a partner to get the process started.They were less than a mile from the station when her phone rang.It was Ryan.
“Everything okay?”she asked.
"Actually, no.A call just came in to us.There's been another murder, and the folks at the scene think it might be connected to your Brentwood death.I don't have many details, but I'm told the victim is a wealthy woman in her mid-thirties with a young child.They also say they found an injection site on the neck, which is what raised alarm bells.LASD says that they'll hand it over if you determine that the two deaths are connected.
“LASD,” Jessie said.“Why is the Sheriff’s Department involved?”
“Because the victim was found in Malibu.That’s their jurisdiction.”
As he said those words, Susannah, scowling, made a U-turn.
“Okay, we’re headed back out that way,” Jessie said.“Just send us the address.Maybe you can ask the gang in research to pull up what they can find on the victim?”
“Already did,” he assured her.“They’re working on it.I guess we don’t know if I’ll be seeing you tonight.”
"Hopefully," she told him."It'll depend on how involved this all gets.If I'm not home before you go to bed, goodnight, and I love you."
“I love you too,” he said.“And tell Valentine not to make any immature faces.”
Susannah, who had been teasingly sticking out her tongue at Jessie, pulled it back, red-faced.
“Too late,” Jessie told him.“But as long as we’re talking immaturity, can you please ask Hannah to give me a call tonight?She’s giving me the cold shoulder.”
"I'll mention, but that's about all I can do.She's as stubborn as you, and if she's going to dig her feet in, there's not much I can do about it."
“You could remind her that I’m the only sister she’s got and she should appreciate everything I do for her.”
“Somehow I feel like saying that might be counterproductive.”
"Then say something else, use your special interpersonal magic to make her see the light."
“I’ll try,” he said.“But I wouldn’t hold my breath if I was you.”
***
By the time they got to Malibu, the sun was just starting to set.
