Page 28 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

Flynn shrugged. “Maybe. Or get away from the world that caused him so much loss and pain. I’m no shrink, but I know grief makes people do rash things sometimes. But with the case coming to life again, I’m not surprised he’s back. He needs this solved. He’d see it as a duty to Liam.”

Duty. There was that word again.

"Looks like we're done here.” Flynn surveyed the room.

“I guess.” There was still a lot of cleaning to do.

“It’s too bad you didn’t find anything missing or something our perp wanted.”

“I hope that means they’ll leave me alone.”

He gave a nod. “You haven’t heard from them since the last text, right?”

“Right.”

“Chances are they’ve moved on. Oliver is a more likely target.”

I didn’t like the sound of that.

“Or Liam had other friends and acquaintances. I’m planning to talk to Darcy Patrick. She just got out of jail for identity theft.”

I studied Flynn. “Who is Darcy Patrick?”

“He was Liam’s go-to when he wanted a good time.” His eyes widened as if he’d just realized what he was saying. “I mean… I…”

I held up a hand to stop him. “Liam and I weren’t together the last few months of his life.”

His smile was forced, and it made me wonder if Liam had been cheating on me. “Still, it can be awkward to hear about new women.”

It wasn’t for me. It told me that while I was sad for Liam, I was over him emotionally. I had been before he died.

“It’s not awkward for me. I hope he was happy with her.”

He let out a laugh. “Like I said, it wasn’t love that brought them together… if you know what I mean.”

Not wanting to talk about Liam’s sex life, I pushed away from the wall and headed out to the main living area.

“I need to get cleaners in so the girls and I can move home.”

“What have you told them about Liam?” Flynn asked.

I stopped short and looked at him, wondering why he was poking in my business. I suppose he and I had been friendly.

“I haven’t really told them anything. They’re young.” The truth was that I couldn’t bring myself to tell them their father was dead because he wasn’t. But neither could I tell them the truth. When they asked, which wasn’t often, I just said he was gone and then would change the subject. I didn’t feel too bad that they didn’t have a father in their lives. I grew up without my mother and it was fine. Plus, I had my father and uncle Duncan, who wasn’t really my uncle. He was my father’s friend and business partner. The two of them had been all I needed in a father figure, and they were enough for my girls as well.

“Liam was a good kid who got lost,” Flynn said. I got the feeling he wanted me to tell the girls about Liam’s good parts, not the bad ones.

I nodded. “He was.”

“Well, I should go. Do you need anything?”

“No. Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. You call me if you happen to find anything.”

“I will.”

With that, he left me standing amid the wreckage. I wanted life to go back to the way it had been before this break-in, but as I surveyed my home, I recognized that it was a metaphor for my life. I might be able to clean up this physical mess, but how would I clean up my personal life? How could I go back to life before when the past was determined to hold me back?

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