Grave Origins by Lori Drake

Author:Lori Drake [Drake, Lori]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780999433386
Publisher: Clockwork Cactus Press
Published: 2019-04-16T16:00:00+00:00

15

“It’s so good to hear your voice,” Chris said, leaning back in his office chair. He’d closed his office door, which was a rare enough occasion that he was reasonably certain no one would interrupt unless it was an emergency.

“Yours too. It’s been a day.” Joey sounded tired, and it was barely eight o’clock. But knowing her, she’d been up before dawn.

“Sounds like you should start. After yesterday, mine was downright ordinary.”

“First, can we talk about you branding our pack members?”

“Sure. Wait, what?”

She laughed. “Maria’s temporary tattoo. Anyway…”

He listened while she filled him in on the events of the day, becoming increasingly concerned about the situation as she went on. When she got to the part about the carnival, he barely managed to swallow a groan.

“Another day?

“Yeah. I know it’s less than ideal, but I think I’m onto something with Heidi and Owen.”

Chris gazed up at the plain white ceiling and stretched his legs out, pointing and flexing his toes before crossing his ankles. “But does it have anything to do with Maria’s parents?”

“Maybe.” There was a pregnant pause. “Okay, I have no idea.”

“The whole point of waiting to ask about Maria was to get the lay of the land, right?”

“Right.”

“And they seem friendly, open to answering questions, right?”

Another hesitation. “Right.”

“Maybe it’s time to start asking them questions about Maria’s birth parents. Her birth certificate came in. I know who they are.”

“Is it Heidi and Owen?”

Chris chuckled. “Nope. Paul Evans and Meghan Rochester.”

“She’s a Rochester?”

“Her mother was, at least. I looked them up in the database. Daughter of Corinne and Winston Rochester, formerly of Cincinnati. There’s a recorded date of death that matches Maria’s birth certificate, but no cause specified. That branch of the Rochester family relocated to Albany a few months later.”

“Maybe Max knows something about it…”

“Max?”

“Rochester. He’s here. Sorry, I forgot to mention it.”

The proverbial light bulb flicked on. “Max Rochester. Is he the one that…”

Joey sighed heavily. “Yes. The boat incident. Ben thinks it’ll bother you that he’s here. He’s wrong, right?”

Chris thought about it a moment. Did it bother him? Max hadn’t been interested in Joey when they’d first met, but a few years had passed since then. Situations changed. People changed.

“Right?” she asked again.

“Yeah,” he said, shaking himself out of that second of doubt. It didn’t matter if Max was into Joey now. Joey loved Chris, and that was all that mattered. He was secure in that. His lips curved in a smile as he remembered another reason why Max was unlikely to pursue Joey. “Ben doesn’t know what happened on that boat. I do.”

“And you pinky-swore you’d never tell anyone.”

The warning in her tone was hardly necessary. He chuckled. “I remember. Mum’s the word. Anyway… yeah, definitely a good idea to ask Max. Maybe he knows something about Meghan. A rumor through the family grapevine if nothing else.”

“And if he doesn’t, he should be able to find out. Speaking of which, are you in front of your computer?”

“Yeah, what do you need?”

“Look and see what kind of family connection there is between Max and Maria’s mom.

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