The Mighty Quinns: Devin

“Yes, it does,” he murmured. “I’ll pay her a visit later, make sure everything’s okay. Call me if you hear anything else. Meantime, I’m going to head over to the high school. I need to have a conversation with Jimmy Joe Babcock.”

“Ten-four, boss.”

He started the cruiser and steered it toward the high school, his mind still mulling over the reality of seeing Elodie again.

He’d always wondered what kind of woman she’d become. As a teenager, she’d been sweet and silly, far too naive and willing to love unconditionally. She’d softened his rough edges, made him believe that he could be something, do something with his life. She’d always seen the best in people and refused to believe the worst, even when the truth slapped her in the face.

Dev had been the opposite. By the time he was seventeen, he’d amassed a rather sizable chip on his shoulder. He’d witnessed firsthand how the town and the Winchesters could wear a person down. He had just one plan, and that was to get as far away as fast as he could. And he’d done just that, leaving the day after his high school graduation.

He’d worked odd jobs and put himself through school, getting a criminal justice degree in five years. He’d been all set to enter the police academy in Atlanta when his mother called. The Winchesters were bankrupt, she was about to lose her job and her home, and she had no idea what to do.

Dev had returned to Winchester within the month and had been lucky enough to sign on with the local police department as a rookie patrolman. As the town economy worsened over the next five years, many of his fellow officers moved on to better jobs. And two years ago, he’d been the senior officer in the department and accepted the job of police chief—at a greatly reduced salary from the last police chief.

But Dev liked his job. He knew what he was doing was important. If the town had any chance of bouncing back, it would happen only if he could keep crime at bay. A single meth lab, a car theft ring, even a clever burglar, could bring it all crashing down. Once the town had a reputation for trouble, no one would want to live there or visit and the town would never recover.

His attention focused on a small group of smokers, huddled near the edge of the school parking lot. Dev threw the car into gear and slowly pulled up in front of them. “You boys really want to spend the rest of your life buying cigarettes? You get hooked now, it’s much harder to kick it later. It’s an expensive habit.” Dev turned and grinned at Jimmy Joe. “And where are you getting money for smokes, Babcock? After spending all that cash on those tires for your brother, I’d think you’d be broke right about now.”

Dev got out of the car and stepped in front of Babcock. “The rest of you can check your homework. I need to have a word with Jimmy Joe.” The boys exchanged glances and the group slowly broke up.

When they were alone and the others were out of earshot, Dev leaned back against the cruiser and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know you stole those tires from Feller’s. The only thing I don’t know is what you plan to do about it.”

Jimmy Joe stared down at the ground. “What can I do? I can’t give them back. My brother already put them on his car.”

“I’m sure if you offered to pay for them, we could work something out.”

“I don’t have any money,” Jimmy Joe said.

“Not now. But if you find yourself a job, you’ll have some cash.”

“There are no jobs,” he said. “My dad’s been looking for two years.”

“You really want to fix this?” Dev asked.

Jimmy Joe nodded.

“After school, you walk over to the hardware store. I’m going to leave a list of supplies for you to pick up. You can pay for them on my account. Then I want you to bring everything over to Zelda’s. I’ll meet you there.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to turn you into an upstanding citizen of Winchester,” Dev said. “And until you pay Marv back for those tires, I don’t want to see you spending money on cigarettes.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, get to class. No more trouble.”

Dev watched the kid walk away.

One by one, he’d deal with the problems in Winchester. It was all he could do. Lately it seemed he was scrambling just to keep ahead of the game instead of doing anything proactive. But if Jimmy Joe showed up at Zelda’s, he could count his day a success.

Dev got back into the cruiser. Now he needed to address another problem. But this problem promised to be more personal than professional.

* * *

ELODIE WINCHESTER SLOWLY climbed the porch steps of her childhood home. Somewhere in the distance, a blue jay’s call echoed in the quiet morning breeze. She reached out and ran her hand along the painted rail, now weathered with age and peeling with neglect.

Made of the local red brick, the house was a sprawling homage to the Queen Anne style. A wide veranda circled the entire first floor, interspersed with simple wooden columns that held up a shingled roof. It had been built by her great-grandfather at the turn of the century, completed just ten years after he opened his textile mill.

But the house had been empty for six years and she could see the work that would be required to bring it back to its former glory.

Elodie had never really looked at the house from a maintenance viewpoint. To her, it had always been more like a fairy castle, with its high-peaked roofs and rooftop widow’s walk. Now it was her house, the only compensation she’d received after her father had raided her trust fund in a futile attempt to save his failing investments.

All of her siblings had suffered the same fate, but most of them had already been drawing on their trusts for years. She’d had the most to lose, so she’d gotten the only thing left that hadn’t—or couldn’t—be sold.

The house had been on the market for years, but its deteriorating condition and the floundering town had driven away all the qualified buyers. No one in Winchester could afford to buy it, much less live in it. And no one from out of town wanted to live here.

She pulled the keys out of her pocket and opened the front door, letting it swing wide before she stepped across the threshold. To her surprise, the house didn’t smell musty. Although the air was hot and stuffy, the scent of lemon oil and floor wax lingered in the air.

As Elodie strolled through the nearly empty rooms, she ran her finger over chair rails and mantels, finding barely a trace of dust. The sound of running water startled her and she followed it to the back of the house where the kitchen was located. A slender figure, dressed in a familiar gray uniform, stood over the sink.

“Mary?” Elodie said. “Mary Cassidy?”

The woman turned, a bucket clutched in her hand. “Miss Elodie. I heard you were back in town. The minute I did, I came right over. The place is a bit dusty, but I’ll have it sparkling again in no time.”

“Mary, I don’t understand. Have you been cleaning here all along?”

She nodded. “I just couldn’t let it all go to ruin,” Mary said. “I come once a week and do what I can. I have to say, it’s much easier without all the furniture.”

“Who is paying you?”

“Oh, no one. I don’t need to be paid. I just want the house to look presentable. For you and the rest of the family.”

Elodie stared at the woman in disbelief. The family had left six years ago and they’d closed the house a few months later. “I—I don’t know how to thank you,” she murmured.

“Are you planning to stay here?” Mary asked. “If you are, I’ll go up and get your room ready. Most of the furniture is still there. We’ll need to get the electricity turned on, but the plumbing works just fine. And with this weather, you won’t need heat.”

“Mary, it’s not necessary for you to— I mean, I can’t pay you a lot. I don’t have much left.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that, Miss Elodie. I’m sure we’ll sort it all out later. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to get to work on your bedroom.”

“Thank you, Mary.”

Elodie watched as the woman hurried off. An image of Dev flashed in her mind, and she sucked in a sharp breath. Twice now, she’d been reminded of him. Earlier this morning, when she’d seen a man who resembled him, and now, coming face-to-face with Devin’s mother.

Her thoughts returned to the policeman. Maybe she’d just been hoping that he’d still be in Winchester. Elodie knew the odds were against it. He’d always wanted to leave. And why would Dev stay? There was nothing for him here, especially now that the jobs had dried up. And she hadn’t really seen the guy’s face. He’d worn sunglasses and a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.

But there had been something familiar about the man’s mouth, she mused. It reminded her of that crooked smile of Dev’s that she remembered so well.

Drawing a deep breath, she started out of the kitchen, then stopped short.