Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

brother instead?’
    ‘The mob would have wanted Hal to suffer,’ Bo said. ‘Taking his son’s life did that.’
    ‘We found all of Doug’s papers, too,’ JD said. ‘Including a file on you, Daphne. It’s a photocopy, so I think we’ll find the original in Hal’s safe. It had Hal’s initial background check on you, a transcript of your meeting with “Claudia Baker”, a copy of the death certificate Hal faked, and a map to Beckett’s cabin. Doug found a gold mine. He could get his revenge on you and Hal all at once.’
    ‘Well, I think I found out what made Hal hate Travis so much.’ Daphne held up the photocopy of Jane Lynch’s diary. ‘Jane suspected Hal of cheating with me for years, apparently. Jane wrote that at one of Nadine’s garden parties she “tried on my suit for size”.’
    ‘She tried on your clothes?’ Brodie asked.
    ‘No, I didn’t wear suits then, only dresses.’
    Brodie frowned. ‘Then why . . .’ Her eyes widened. ‘Oh.’
    ‘Yeah, oh. There’s a passage in here that describes Travis’s bedroom to a T.’
    Grayson’s brows rose. ‘So Jane accused you after doing the same thing herself?’
    ‘Ironic, ain’t it?’ Daphne shook her head. ‘The date of that party is important, though, because nine months later Cole was born.’
    Mouths around the table dropped open.
    Joseph wasn’t surprised at this news, because Daphne had discovered the connection the night before after reading the diary on the drive home from West Virginia.
    ‘Wait.’ JD frowned. ‘Cole, the kid I met yesterday, he’s Ford’s half-brother?’
    ‘Ironic, ain’t it?’ Daphne said again. ‘Cole’s in emergency foster care. I’m going to go meet him today. If he is Travis’s son, it raises a lot of questions about custody.’
    JD was still shaking his head when he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Abruptly he came to his feet, a grin breaking through his frown. ‘Gotta go.’
    ‘It’s time?’ Joseph said, smiling.
    ‘God, I hope so.’ JD left in a flurry of waves and good wishes.
    ‘On that positive note, I think we’re done. Good job, everyone. Next week we get back to ongoing caseload for a blissfully normal week.’
    ‘Normal?’ Daphne asked, her mouth curving. ‘What’s a normal week?’
    ‘When I finally have one, I’ll let you know.’
    Friday, December 6, 11.35 P.M.
    Daphne was curled up on her living room sofa staring at the enormous, still starless Christmas tree when Joseph finally returned from the office. He let himself in the front door with the key she’d given him, locked the door and re-engaged the alarm. He was headed straight up the stairs when he noticed her.
    ‘I thought you’d be asleep,’ he whispered, crossing the room to where she sat. He leaned in to kiss her, keeping his hands in his pockets. ‘My hands are freezing cold or I’d be touching you right now,’ he murmured against her lips.
    ‘Sit. I’ll get you some coffee to warm your hands.’
    When she came back with two steaming mugs, he was sitting on the edge of the sofa, elbows on his knees, bowed at the waist. ‘You look exhausted,’ she said softly.
    He looked up, a smile on his lips, but his eyes were stark. ‘Long day.’
    ‘I didn’t get home till a few hours ago myself. Now that I’m not a target anymore, I was allowed to go back to work. Took me hours just to get through my mail and review my new cases.’ She curled up next to him, handing him one of the mugs. ‘Did you see JD’s text?’
    He smiled. ‘I did.’
    Lucy had delivered her healthy baby boy a little past six. ‘He’s beautiful.’
    ‘I know. He sent me pictures too. We can go by and see them tomorrow.’
    ‘I’d like that. They’re naming him Jeremiah, after the man who was Lucy’s surrogate father. I think they’re going to call him Jerry.’
    ‘JD’ll be a good dad,’ Joseph said, and she studied his profile. Something was off tonight, but she didn’t know what.
    ‘Did you ever think about kids?’ she asked.
    He looked at her sideways. ‘Of course. But if I never have one of my own, I wouldn’t feel too terribly sad. Lots of nieces and nephews.’
    She stared up at the Christmas tree until the lights blurred and she had to blink. ‘Whenever anyone in the office has a baby, I think about having one too. I don’t know if it would be possible. After the chemo, I mean.’
    He squeezed her hand. ‘We have time to figure that out. I always thought I’d be happy adopting a kid, too.