“Julia and I spoke to local and state law enforcement this morning. Hopefully, they’ll ramp up this investigation.”
Lena sighed. “You know, Julia asked if I thought Madison was stable, in so many words.” She crossed her arms over her breasts. “I don’t think Phillip is. I’ve wondered for some time.”
“I called him about his calls to Connie.” I tried to remember. “It would have been the day before he pretended to be me.”
“How was he?”
“Uneasy, erratic. He said he had hit bottom and had nothing to lose. He was yelling. He told me to stay away from Brooklyn. Said he’d put me in prison and throw away the key. I thought he was talking about how he’s isolated Madison. I had no idea he’d taken her to be evaluated.” The call was coming back to me. “I offered him a deal. I keep my word about Brooklyn, and he stays away from Julia.”
“He didn’t take it.”
“No.” I remembered more. “He said his list of allies was growing—people who hate me. Shit.”
“What?” Lena asked.
“I threatened to kill him.”
“And he sent Madison here to do the same to you. He is unstable.”
I walked back and forth near my desk. “The people at the McGraths’ thought Lip was me. He was calm and not erratic.” I remembered something. “Rob told me that Lip drank his breakfast the next day. The thing is that Lip had already checked out. The picture he sent wasn’t that day, but in it, Lip was drinking.”
Lena shook her head, her silver earrings swaying. The floating diamond necklace glistening from her collarbone reminded me about Julia’s and my rings. Walking to the desk, I opened the drawer. Thankfully, Albert had secured these rings from my pocket before I was taken away in the ambulance.
I opened the box. Both bands were present. First, I lifted Julia’s.
“You couldn’t afford diamond encrusted?”
My grin quirked as I met Lena’s chocolate stare. “You know damn well I could.” I turned the circle with my fingers. “I let her choose everything. We went to Tiffany’s. She could have had the biggest, gaudiest diamond with hundreds of diamonds on the band.” My thoughts went to her in the cabin wearing my shirt and those god-awful waders. I looked up at Lena. “I would have fucked this up twenty years ago.”
“If you’re waiting for me to disagree…”
“I’m not. I’m stating the fact. I would have. I don’t want to fuck it up now.”
“I have faith in you.”
“To fuck it up?” I asked.
“No, Van. You’re not who you were twenty years ago. I’m not either. We’ve fought and clawed our way up the ladder. Now we can enjoy the view from above the people who tried to keep us down. Hell, we can watch as they falter. I’m glad you found someone to enjoy that view with.”
We both turned to a new knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called.
Michael appeared. “Judge Nichols is on his way from the gate.”
Lena reached for my arm. “I’m glad I’m here to witness this. Donovan Sherman finding happiness.”
“That is what I found.”
As Lena and I walked down the hallway toward the living room, a wonderful aroma met us, and soft music played through the sound system. A fire crackled in the hearth and the living room was decorated in greenery, white flowers, and jade green bows. Beyond the windows, the snow on Chequamegon Bay glistened beneath a bright blue sky.
Walking beyond the living room, I made my way to the kitchen to find Mrs. Mayhand. “You are supposed to be a guest.” When she smiled, I added, “The living room is beautiful. Thank you. And Julia told me about the dress. That was incredibly generous.”
“A bride deserves to feel like a bride on her special day.”
I nodded. “What are you cooking?”
“Just a wedding meal.”