Secrets

Chapter 1

“You’re awfully quiet, Robert,” Anna said, her arm absentmindedly looped through his as they walked along the pier. “Anything you want to tell me?”

Robert said nothing, but his lips curled up in a wistful half-smile.

“Robert?”

“Hmm? What?” he said, finally looking at her.

“What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Ha. No sense trying to keep secrets, Scorpio.”

“Who says I’m keeping secrets?”

“Come on, now. You forget I know you just as well as you know me.”

“Do you really?”

“I think I do,” she smiled.

God, how he loved that smile, he thought. He subconsciously patted the ring box in his pocket and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry Finn had to go back to the hospital.”

“Are you?”

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you seem to enjoy giving him a hard time.”

“I do not. Come on. We were having such a lovely time there, the three of us.”

They stood quietly for a few minutes listening to the harbor bells before Anna spoke again. “Where are you tonight, Robert?”

“What do you mean? I’m standing here with you.”

“You know what I mean. You’re lost tonight. Lost in thought or… I don’t know.”

He thought again of the box in his pocket. The tiny black box seemed to weigh on him like a thousand-pound weight. “Maybe I’m just lost on memory lane,” he said hesitantly.

“What? You?”

“Yeah, maybe. You’re not the only one who gets sentimental about our daughter, our…” The last word drifted away with the breeze over the harbor.

“You’re going soft in your old age, Robert,” Anna laughed.

He chuckled too, thankful she didn’t press him to complete the previous thought.

“It feels nice to laugh again,” Anna said, smiling at him again.

It was a real smile. Unlike the put-on smiles of the past year, this one reached her eyes. Those deep, brown pools of emotion sparkled at him now as he stared into them and it filled his heart with a complicated mix of joy and pain. He forced himself to speak, so as not to get lost again. “Finn must make you laugh,” he said.

Anna heard the question in his tone and answered with an energetic affirmation. “Yes, he does. Of course!” Then, she paused. “Being with Finn is lovely. I’m very thankful to have him in my life.”

Robert nodded.

“But after everything we’ve been through in the past year with Peter and Alex and… Well, it feels good to know that you and I can still laugh together, Robert.” She reached out to touch his cheek. “I’m thankful to have you in my life, too.”

He took her hand from his cheek and held it in his, but his cheek still tingled with the memory. “Anna…” He took a breath. “Look, I can’t lie. You threw me for a loop with the Faison nonsense. And it’s no secret that I’m no fan of Heinrich—”

“Peter,” she corrected him.

“Him either. I’m no fan of either of them. But I will always… always be in your corner, Anna.”

She squeezed his hand as she watched him swallow hard. “I know you will. Thank you,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him to her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and settled into the familiar embrace. He could stand there for an hour, he thought. But a moment later another evening breeze swept in and he felt Anna shiver against him. He pulled away. “It’s gettin’ a bit nippy out here,” he said. “I should get you home.”

“I guess so,” she said. She reached for his hand and let him lead her back to his car.

* * *

“Thank you for the walk. And the ride home,” Anna said as she fished her house key out of her handbag. “Do you want to come in for a nightcap?”

“I don’t know. The good doctor will be home from his day of helping people any minute. This gun-toting spy might just be in the way,” Robert said, gesturing toward himself with a snicker.

“Is that what’s bothering you?”

“What?”

She rolled her eyes playfully at him. “Robert, come in with me a have a drink, will you?”

“If you insist,” he said.

“I do.”

He followed her inside and waited as she fixed them each a scotch on the rocks.

She delivered his glass to him, noting the way he hovered on the edge of his chair wringing his hands. He took the glass but did not attempt to make eye contact. She sat on the edge of the chair opposite him and leaned in to get his attention. “Robert,” she whispered. “Look at me.”

He reluctantly looked up and took a cautious sip of his drink.

“What I said earlier, about Finn being a good man who’s dedicated his life to helping people—”

“And me being the guy that shoots them all up?”

“Yes… No! Robert, you said that. I didn’t.”

“Anna, we don’t have to do this.”

“Yes. I think maybe we do. Could you just… just let me talk for a minute, please?”

He nodded.

“Thank you.” She took a drink, then continued. “Finn is a good man. He’s a brilliant doctor. He can be awkward and sarcastic, but it’s all funny and endearing in its own way. A bit like you actually.”

Robert perked up at that, but he didn’t interrupt.

Anna went on. “Our relationship was unplanned and unexpected, but he makes me happy. Happier than I’ve been since… Well, happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

“What’s your point, Anna?”

“I’m getting there.”

“Well get on with it. We’re not gettin’ any younger here.

“Oh, Robert!” She swatted him on the arm. “My point is… Finn is a good man—”

“You said that already.”

“Then stop interrupting me!” She tilted her head at him and waited until he appeared to be listening again. “Just because he’s a good man, it doesn’t that you’re not.”

He smiled as her eyes began to glisten.

“You are a good man, Robert Scorpio. You have dedicated your life to protecting me and Robin. To protecting the world from the bad guys. To making it a better, safer place. You’ve made your mistakes. We both have. But you were always fighting for what was right. And some days, knowing you were out there fighting the same as I was… it was the only thing that got me by all those years we were apart.”

Her tears were actually falling, now and he had to look down to keep from tearing up himself.

“I meant what I said earlier. I cherish what we had together. You and I have shared more excitement and adventure than most people have in a lifetime. We’ve both been hurt, but we’ve laughed harder and loved deeper than most people can even imagine.”

He stood and took a few steps away from her. “There were times when I thought it was all gonna last forever,” he said without turning to face her.

“Me, too,” she whispered. She abandoned her drink and walked toward him. “We will always share a past, Robert. And I wouldn’t trade a minute of it—not one minute—for anything in the world.”

Instinctively, he turned and pulled her into his arms and held her again, wishing he could ignore the inaudible but that lingered in the air.

As they stood there, once again enjoying a tender moment, the front door opened, and in walked Finn. Unlike this afternoon, Anna did not smile and wave. She didn’t look up. Didn’t open her eyes. Finn said nothing. He only stood silently with his hands in his pockets wondering how long it would take for either of them to notice him.

It was Robert who moved first. “Oh, hey, Doc,” he said. The look on his face didn’t exactly say guilty, but it didn’t scream innocence either.

Anna put on a quick grin, but Finn couldn’t help but notice that she was once again dabbing tears from her eyes. “How was your shift?” she asked.

“Fine. How are you? Is everything okay here?” he asked as he joined her.

“Yeah. Of course,” she said, putting her arms around him. “Just finishing up our stroll down memory lane.”

“I guess it was a longer trip than you thought, huh?”

“Well, you know,” Anna said, “there is a lot of history between Robert and me.”

“I thought you ah… thought you were gonna start looking toward the future,” Finn said.

“I am.”

“You sure?”

“Yes!” she said.

When she moved to plaster a kiss on Finn’s lips, Robert decided that was his cue to exit. He cleared his throat. “Well, on that note, I’ll see you kids later,” he said. Without another word or look back, he was out the door, leaving Anna and Finn to exchange a dumbfounded glance.

As Robert climbed into his car, he felt the corner of the ring box dig into his thigh. “Aw, hell!” he said. He pulled it out and stared at it again. There was no way he could go back in there now. He checked his phone for messages and found one new text from Finn. A repeat of the last.

• You still have something that belongs to me.

Robert eyed the words and exhaled forcefully, then grumbled, “So do you!”

Chapter 2

Robert was nowhere to be found after that night. He sent Anna a text the following morning telling her he had to leave on a rather urgent assignment. No questions asked. She knew better. Finn received a precious package from Robert, delivered by courrier that afternoon. The little velvet box was accompanied by a note that read, “Don’t screw it up.”

It wasn’t until three weeks later that Robert surfaced in Port Charles again. He arrived at the Nurses’ Ball early, found his way through the backstage door, and sneaked up behind the dressing table. “Hey sweetheart,” he said with a smile in his voice.

Robin jumped about a foot, then whirled her chair around to face him. “Daddy! You’re here!” she squealed as she leaped out of the chair and threw her arms around him.

He chuckled, hearing her call him daddy. “Of course, I’m here. Would I miss a chance to see my baby girl on stage?”

“Well, I know this kind of event really isn’t your thing.”

“True, but this case is special. You and Patrick and my grandkids on stage… Where is Paddy-Cake anyway?”

“He’s out front with the kids. Emma wanted to walk the red carpet with Grandma.”

“Mum’s here?” he asked.

“She is,” Robin said, taking her seat in front of the mirror again.

“Just mum?”

“Yes. Why?”

Robert’s interest was piqued. “Where’s the good doctor?”

“Finn? He’s finishing up at the hospital. He’ll be here later.”

Robert eyed Robin’s reflection. “What’s that look for?”

“What?” Robin shrugged.

“Come on, Robin. You look like the cat that ate the canary.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Robin said, but her smile widened despite her denial.

“Robin!” Robert cautioned.

“What? Nothing, Dad.” She hesitated, then added, “Just wait until you see Mom.”

“Yeah?” Robert moved a step closer, willing Robin to continue.

“Her dress is gorgeous.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Robert raised an eyebrow. “Why do I have a feeling there’s something you’re not telling me, Robin?”

Robin sighed and rolled her eyes. “My father, the super spy.” She stood and took his arm. “Just relax and enjoy the evening like everyone else, for once, okay?”

“I make no promises,” Robert laughed. “You look gorgeous, too, by the way.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Now, come on. You can walk me down the red carpet!”

Prancing past the paparazzi was precisely what he’d hoped to avoid by sneaking in the back, but for Robin, he would endure just about anything. So, he grinned and said, “You got it, sweetheart,” as he let her lead him toward the action.

* * *

“Robert!” Anna called out when she spotted him.

He opened his mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out was an inaudible wow.

She crossed the ballroom, smiling brightly.

He looked her up and down as she stood in front of him and tried again. “Wow!” he finally managed. “You look…”

She turned seductively in a circle. “You like?”

Like was not the word he would have used. She wore a sleek, floor-length, form-fitting number that was reminiscent of the delayed gratification dress he’d loved so long ago. This one, however, was black and patterned with tiny embroidered red roses. They weren’t hearts, but he couldn’t help thinking about a certain pair of stockings. He took her hands in his and he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. He noted almost immediately the absence of one particular diamond and sapphire bauble. “You look amazing,” he said, hoping nothing on his face or in his touch would reveal the sudden hunger he was fighting to suppress.

“You clean up all right yourself, Scorpio,” she said as she ran her hand down the lapel of his tuxedo jacket. She jokingly looked around the room in search of someone. “No date?”

“Ah, well, it just so happens my date is going to be late. As is yours, I understand.”

“Finn? He’ll be here soon. You actually have a date, then?” Anna said.

“You sound surprised.”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head. “Any one I know?”

“You may have heard of her—a lovely women by the name of Laura.” He raised his eyebrows at her.

“Spencer?”

“Yeah, or Weber, or Collins. Whichever it is these days.”

“Really, Robert? The mayor? What’s your angle?”

“No angle. Come on. Laura and I are old friends. You know that.”

“Just friends?”

“Yes,” he insisted. “Besides, it’s my understanding that her husband is wrapped up in some kind of rouse with Ava Jerome, leaving her without an escort, so…” He spread his arms wide. “Voilá!”

Anna gave him an oddly suspicious smile.

“Be careful, love. If I didn’t know better, I might think you were jealous.”

“Ha! Please, Robert! Oh, look, there are Robin and Finn.” She brushed past him and rushed toward the others. “Hello,” she said, smiling at Finn.

“Hi,” he said as she kissed him softly on the corner of the mouth. “You look great,” he added in what Robert considered his usual tone of nervous confusion.

“Thanks! So do you,” Anna cooed.

Robert cleared his throat, averting his eyes as the lovebirds gazed at one another. He was thankful when Robin jumped in and suggested they find their table. He gave the women a head start, then leaned over and whispered to Finn. “I trust you received the package I sent you?”

“Yeah, I did,” Finn said.

“So, what gives? Why the delay?”

“I ah… I’m gettin’ to it. Okay? I just… you know… the time… the time just hasn’t been right.”

Robert eyed him. “Listen, Doc, that woman there…” he said, gesturing toward Anna, “…is very important to me. Now, I can’t explain why, but you obviously make her happy. For that reason alone, I want to see you succeed.”

“Thanks for the ringing endorsement.”

“Take my advice. Don’t let her get away.”

Finn looked serious for a moment. “I have no intention of it,” he said, and he walked away to join Anna.

Robert watched them laugh and talk as they gathered around their table. He knew now what Robin had been hiding. He knew what was coming. Finn was going to propose tonight.  He’d told Finn he supported him. He expected Anna to say yes. And yet…

* * *

Robin, Patrick, and the kids finished their act to great applause. Robert congratulated them, then stood and headed out in search of Laura, who’d yet to surface. As he neared the door, he heard Lucy announcing Doctor Hamilton Finn. “Aw, here we go,” Robert said to himself. He snagged a flute of champagne from a passing server and propped himself against the door frame at the back of the ballroom to watch it unfold.

When Finn finished his inspirational request for donations, he asked Anna to join him on stage. Robert found himself critiquing every word of the proposal, while simultaneously analyzing Anna’s every expression. She paused a moment longer than he’d expected, leaving Finn hanging on bended knee. And for just a moment, he felt a flicker of hope swell within him. Then, he heard it. The “yes” followed by thunderous applause and joyous noise from the crowd. Robert watched as Finn slipped the ring on her finger. He watched him sweep Anna into his arms and kiss her. He watched Anna beam as she came off stage to hug the friends and family waiting for her. She looked happier than he’d seen her in a long time. Too long. For that he was glad. Her eyes scanned the room and locked on his. Suddenly her expression changed. From a hundred feet away, he could hear the unspoken questions. “I said yes, Robert. Am I doing the right thing? Are you happy for me?”

Though it suddenly felt heavy in his hand, he raised his glass in response and gave her a grin.

She smiled back, her eyes sparkling, then turned to greet more well-wishers.

He downed his glass of champagne and walked out. He leaned over the bar as he passed and grabbed a near-full bottle of tequila while the bartender wasn’t looking. He dropped a fifty-dollar bill on the bar and grumbled, “Keep the change,” as he walked away.

Laura arrived just in time to see the elevator doors close behind him.

Chapter 3

“Anna, I understand congratulations are in order,” Laura said as she greeted her.

“Thank you, so much!” Anna smiled. She gave the mayor a quick hug.

Laura turned to Finn. “I’m just so happy for you. And I’m so sorry I missed all the excitement.” Laura gushed.

Finn’s hand went through his hair. He started a thought, “Yeah, well, that’s ok. You know…” but lost it when Laura pulled him into a hearty embrace. He smiled awkwardly over her shoulder at Anna.

“Duty calls, I supposed?” Anna said.

“Exactly,” Laura said, releasing Finn. “I got stuck at the office and by the time I arrived, my date had given up on me.”

“Robert left?” Anna said, now scanning the room.

“Yes. I saw him getting on the elevator. I assumed he was going up to his room. I texted him to let him know that I’d made it. I told him I’d wait if he wanted to come back down, but I haven’t heard anything, so…”

“Robin,” Anna called out. She reached out her hand as her daughter approached.

“Hello Mayor Weber,” Robin said as she took her mom’s hand.

Laura laughed. “Please, Robin, call me Laura. How are you? How are things in Berkley?”

“Great!” Robin said with a smile. She felt her mother squeeze her hand. “Mom. What’s up?”

“Have you seen your dad?”

“Not recently.”

“He didn’t say goodnight, then?”

“No. He left?”

“He has. But no matter. Let’s just call him for breakfast tomorrow, shall we?” Anna suggested.

“Sounds good. Meanwhile, I think the Scorpio-Drakes have had enough fun for one evening.”

As Robin, Patrick, and the kids said their goodnights, Anna quickly sent a text to Robert.

Everything ok?

Laura offered to walk Robin’s family out, leaving Anna and Finn standing in the ballroom.

Finn watched them go, then turned to Anna. “What do you say? Should we get out of here, too? Maybe… have a little… celebration of our own?”

When she didn’t answer, he reached out to touch her on the shoulder. “Anna?”

She looked up from her phone. “Hmm? Oh, sorry. Should we go?”

“I’m ready if you are.”

Anna hesitated, glancing down at her phone again.

“You’re ah… you’re not ready to go, are you?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s just not like Robert to disappear without saying goodnight. To Robin, anyway. And he hasn’t answered Laura’s or my texts.”

“Go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Go. Check on Robert. But when you get home, you’re all mine. Deal?”

She gave him a quick but meaningful kiss. “I’m all yours,” she said with a salacious smile. “Apparently for the rest of our lives.”

“Wow,” he whispered as she walked away.

* * *

“All right already,” Robert grumbled as he hauled himself off the bed. “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

“Anna, what the hell are doing here?” he asked as he opened the door.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Robert.”

“That’s not what I meant.” As he shook his head, he took a stutter step to the side and it was just enough to allow her space to pass into the room. “Come in,” he said sarcastically.

“Thank you.” Anna strode into the room, then stopped to assess the situation. “You look like hell,” she lied. He was still in his tuxedo pants and shirt with the top two buttons open and his undone bow tie dangling around his neck. She noted the open bottle of tequila and watched as Robert took a few steps toward her, then veered toward the bottle.

“Drink?” He poured himself another shot and gulped it down.

For a moment, she was distracted by the memory of a similar situation— him in a tuxedo with a bottle of tequila in another hotel room, several years ago after Robin’s wedding reception. Only he hadn’t been drinking alone that night. She shook the thought off and moved on. “How much of that have you had?”

He put the bottle down and turned to face her. “Anna, what are you doing here?” he asked again.

“Robert?” she said sternly.

“Anna?”

“You disappeared without saying goodnight to your daughter, your date was looking for you, and you weren’t returning messages. I was… concerned.”

“It’s not your job to worry about me.”

“But I do.”

“Yeah, well, look… I’m fine, aren’t I?”

“Are you?”

“Of course, I am,” he said with a grin.

“This isn’t like you, Robert. Disappearing, ignoring texts, shooting tequila alone in your room. What’s going on with you?”

He took hold of her shoulders. “I’m fine, Anna. Besides, you have bigger things to worry about right now.”

“Like what?”

“Like where is your fiancé?”

A goofy smile spread across her face. “Fiancé,” she said, laughing as she flopped down onto the bed. “Oh, my God! Robert, am I crazy?”

“What are you talking about? No. You’re not crazy.” He grabbed a second glass from the bar, poured again—two shots this time—and handed one to Anna as he sank down next to her on the bed. “You’re a woman in love. For once in your life, don’t question it. Just enjoy it.”

She smiled and her cheeks colored.

“After everything we’ve… everything you’ve been through, you deserve to be happy.”

He was quiet then, his eyes avoiding hers, and she recognized the look on his face. There was a wistfulness about him, something she’d experienced many times over the years. “Robert?” she said with a hand on his knee.

His face sprang back to attention. “Yeah, love?”

“Are you okay with this?”

“What?”

“Is that what’s got you out of sorts? Finn and me?”

“Ha!” Robert laughed a little too loudly. “Come on, Anna. It’s not like I’m still carrying a torch for you.”

“You’re not?”

“Of course not. Not that you aren’t beautiful and charming and all that, but…”

“Careful, Scorpio.”

“You are, you know?”

“Robert…”

“You are beautiful, charming, brilliant.”

“I thought you said you weren’t carrying a torch.”

“I’m not. But if I were being totally honest…” He took a breath and reached for her hand, caressing the back of it with his thumb. “You are still the love of my life.”

Her mouth fell open for a second, then she closed it and swallowed.

“Don’t look so serious, now. That doesn’t mean I’m looking to come between you and the good doctor.”

“It doesn’t?”

“We both know you and I just… don’t work, right?” His eyes searched hers for confirmation.

“Right,” Anna agreed. Though there was still a hint of skepticism in her tone.

Robert went on. “But we will always love each other. Always have each other’s backs, and always want the best for each other.”

Anna nodded and smiled.

“Finn is what’s best for you, Anna. He makes you happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“All right. Enough with the hearts and flowers, Robert. I don’t know if I can take much more.” She wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Sorry. It’s the tequila,” he teased. “Cheers,” he said as he raised his glass. “To you and Finn. May you both have found your happily ever after.”

Their glasses clinked and each downed the contents, then let leaned forward to let their foreheads rest together.

“You should go,” he reminded her after a moment, realizing that her leaving as soon as possible was as much for his own self-preservation as for her and Finn’s benefit.

“Yes, I should,” she said. She stood and moved toward the door.

“How did you find my room, anyway?” he asked.

“Your aliases and undercover procedures don’t fool me, Robert Scorpio,” she laughed. “We work for the same agency, remember?”

“Not anymore,” he said under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing. We’ll talk soon.”

“Promise?”

“Sure. Now, go on home to that man of yours,” he said as he opened the door.

“Okay.” She threw her arms around his neck. “Goodnight, Robert.”

“Goodnight,” he said, returning the hug.

“I love you,” she said as she let go.

“I love you, too,” he whispered as he watched her walk down the hall. He watched until she’d got on the elevator. He watched until the doors closed. Then, he sighed and stepped back into the room.

He took one more shot of tequila and grimaced as it went down. On his way in to shower the day away, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He pulled on one end of the bow tie and shook his head at his reflection as the tie slipped off. “Get it together, Scorpio, you old fool.”

Chapter 4

“Frisco, what the hell are you talking about? Are you sure? Robert? My… I mean our Robert? Just like that? After all his years of service? Oh, shut up! I don’t care about page three thousand of the rule book. To hell with the rule book. This is Robert Freaking Scorpio we’re talking about.” She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly as Frisco blathered on. “All right. Fine, Frisco,” she said when he’d finally finished. “I get it. There was nothing you could do. If you say so. Just… If you hear from him, can you please ask him to call me? Please?” She ended with a forced thank you and hung up.

She let out an exasperated groan and turned to find a rather skittish-looking Finn hovering in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. “Oh, hi,” she said, reaching for the coffee pot. “How are you?”

“Me? I’m fine. Better than you are by the sound of it.” He sauntered up behind, placed his hands on her shoulders, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Everything okay?”

“It’s fine.”

“Are you sure? I mean a second ago you looked like you were about to… to throw your phone across the room. I was prepared to duck, you know? Or… go for cover.”

Anna laughed. “No,” she sighed. “I’m just frustrated.”

“With who?”

“The bureau.”

“What did Robert do now?”

“It’s not Robert. Not this time.”

“Really?”

“Well, I mean it is Robert, but—”

“I feel shocked,” Finn said with a smirk.

“Finn!” Anna gave him a cautionary look. “I can’t find him.”

“Who?”

“Robert!” she shouted, her frustration increasing by the second.

“Okay. Calm down,” Finn said.

That did nothing to help.

“What do you mean you can’t find him?”

“I mean I don’t know where he is.”

“He’s probably just off on some secret assignment, right?”

“That’s what I’d assumed when he hadn’t been in touch. But, no. He isn’t. I just got off the phone with Frisco.”

“And?”

“And…” She shook her head, still disgusted with the thought. “Robert isn’t on assignment. He’s been let go.”

“What?”

“Forced to retire.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“How dare they?”

“Finn!” she shouted. The sarcastic lilt in his voice had not eluded her.

“What?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.”

“After all the years he gave them, all experience he has, everything he brings to the table…” She stopped talking as the lump in the back of her throat grew thicker.

“Is that standard procedure or something?”

“Yeah. Frisco reminded me of that.”

“Well, what can you do?”

“Nothing. I can’t do anything about it. But it doesn’t stop me from worrying about him.” She dabbed a tear from her eye before Finn could catch sight of it.

“Robert’s a big boy. I’m sure, like you said, with all his experience, he can take care of himself.”

“I know he can. It’s just…” She looked at him standing in front of her. This brilliant, handsome, younger man. And she realized any further attempt to explain was futile. “Never mind. You have work to get to, don’t you?”

“I do,” he said. He leaned down and kissed her. “I’ll see you after my shift?”

“Sure,” she smiled.

“Okay. Love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Anna stood at the counter watching the empty doorway until she heard the front door close behind Finn. She sighed again, then picked up her cup of coffee and took it to the table where her planner lay open. She flipped through the pages, verifying that everything they needed for their simple summer wedding in the park had been taken care of. It was, after all, only weeks away.

Wildflowers for the bouquets. Check.

Cake for the reception. Check.

Dresses for her and Robin. Check.

Invitations. Check.

Well, most of the invitations. She stared at the guest list. Each name had been checked and checked again as the invitations were sent and RSVPs received. She had followed up with those she hadn’t heard from in order to get a final count, so all of the names had some kind of mark next to them. Every name, that is, except for one. The first name on the list. Robert’s name. There, stuffed between the pages of the planner was his returned invitation with a glaring red stamp that read, “No forwarding address”.

She hadn’t bothered to elaborate with Finn. He couldn’t possibly understand. Not that it was his fault, but he couldn’t. He was too young. And his line of work was different. He would be renowned and needed as an infectious disease specialist for years to come. Robert, on the other hand, had just been cast aside for a younger agent. And while that agent might bring new skills to the table, he or she certainly wouldn’t bring the level of street smarts and on-the-job training that Robert had. Those things should be worth something, she thought. And if they could get rid of him so easily, what did that mean for her? Robert had a few years on her. But not that many. How long did she have before she too was asked to move on? Especially with her recent health concerns. They’d both spent too many years in the spy game to start something new, hadn’t they? What would they do? What could they do? If the idea caused her this much angst, what must Robert be feeling? Was he disgruntled? Was he worried about his future? She would feel useless, she thought. Did he feel useless? She couldn’t imagine what that would do to him. Wondering frightened her nonetheless, and she wished she could be there to support him, just as she would want him to be there for her. Over the years she’d come to realize that there were just some things they shared, things only they two could understand. This was one of those things.

Anna willed herself to snap out her mental rant and glanced down at the returned invitation once more, then slammed the planner shut and flopped back in her chair. She couldn’t quite explain why it was so important. Not to Finn or anyone else. All she knew was she needed to hear from him.

“Ugh. Robert. Where are you? Why won’t you call me back?” she whispered. But one question—the question she hadn’t allowed herself to utter out loud—still danced around in her head. “How can I possibly go through with this wedding without you there?”

Chapter 5

Anna watched Finn pace about the living room, anxiously running his hand through his hair as he tried to digest her request.

“So, what? You’re saying you want to cancel the wedding?” he said, stopping in front of her.

“No! Finn…” she reached out to run her hand along his arm. Her tone softened. “That’s not what I’m saying. Not at all. I don’t want to cancel the wedding. Just… postpone it.”

“Just postpone it?” He nodded vigorously, his lips forming a thin line.

“Yes,” Anna said with a smile. She tried to remain cautiously optimistic.

“For how long?”

She pursed her lips in thought. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” he bellowed.

“I mean I don’t know. Finn…” Her optimism was fading fast.

“Why?”

“Why don’t I know? Or why do I want to postpone it?”

Finn sat and took a few cleansing breaths to calm himself, then looked up at Anna. “You’re not having cold feet, are you?”

She dashed to his side and again stroked his arm as if doing so would also stroke his ego. “No! of course not. I love you!”

“I love you too.” He paused once more, searching her face. “So, what’s the problem? The flowers, the cake, the dress? What?”

“No. All of the arrangements are lovely.”

“But?”

“It’s…” She bit her lip. There was no way to say it that wouldn’t sound strange to him. Even if it was the most natural thing in the world to her. “…Something is missing,” she said. “Or, someone.”

“Who?”

“Robert.”

“Robert?”

She gave a small nod.

His hand flew to his head as he shot up off the sofa and turned away. “Are you serious, Anna?”

“Finn—”

“Look, I know you two are close. Really. Unusually. Close. For exes. But…” He shook his head. “…Do we really have to put our lives on hold for Robert?”

“Oh, come on. You don’t have to be so dramatic. Is it really that big of a deal?”

“You tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Is it really that big a deal that he be there?”

“To me it is. Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It just is.”

“You know, sometimes I don’t get you. I mean, one minute you can’t stand the man, and the next you can’t live without him.”

She rose, tilted her head, and gave him a pouty half-smile. “You’re right.”

“I am? Right. I know I am.”

“Robert and me… it’s complicated. He’s exasperating and stubborn and he’s always putting his nose in where it doesn’t belong. But he’s always been there for me when the chips were down. And I need him to be there now, too. I can’t explain it any better than that.”

Finn was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke again. “I’ll be there. From now on. You know. When the chips are down.”

She gave him a broader smile to compensate for any damage she may have just done to his pride. “I know you will. You’d better be.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him.

When they finally broke apart, he was wearing a very satisfied grin. “Are you sure we have to wait?” he asked, pulling her close. He was about to go in for another kiss when the doorbell rang.

She gave him a playful eye roll, then pried herself from his grip to go for the door. “We are only waiting long enough to find Robert,” she said as she turned the knob.

“Wait no longer,” said the tanned, snickering face on the other side of the threshold.

“Robert!” Anna squealed. She threw herself into his open arms with such force that she almost knocked him over.

“Easy, Anna,” he said with a chuckle, taking a stutter step to re-gain his balance.

Anna let go and took a step back. Her relief now replaced with irritation, she swatted him on the shoulder. “Where the hell have you been?”

“That’s a long story, love. One that might just require a drink. May I?” He gestured toward the living room.

Anna stepped aside to let him pass and followed him into the room.

“Finn, always a pleasure,” Robert said as he headed for the bar cart. He held a decanter aloft. “Drink?”

“No, thanks. I don’t drink, Robert,” Finn reminded him.

“Right. Of course, you don’t. Anna?”

“Ah…” She looked at Robert, then Finn.

He made a sour face. “Right. On that note, if you’ll excuse me, duty calls.” He grabbed his suit jacket off the arm of the sofa and left the room.

Anna caught up with him at the door. “Where are you going?”

“Back to the hospital.”

“But you just came home a few hours ago.”

“Yeah, well… I’ve got a patient I want to check up on and you and Robert obviously have a lot to talk about, so…”

“Okay. I’ll see you later, then?”

“Yeah. See ya.” He gave her a peck on the cheek and left.

By the time Anna rejoined Robert in the living room a moment later, he had already made himself at home on the sofa. Two glasses sat on the table in front of him.

“I hope one of those is mine,” Anna said with a sigh.

He handed her a glass as she took her seat next to him and kicked her feet up on the table. “Everything okay with you and the good doctor?” he asked.

“It’ll be fine,” she said, then added under her breath, “I hope.”

“Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?”

“Never mind. Let me worry about it. Let’s get back to you. Where the hell have you been? I was worried!”

“You needn’t have worried, love. I was on a bit of a walkabout is all. Working on this rugged outdoorsman look,” he gestured to his tanned face with a grin.

“Without telling anyone, Robert?”

“What’s the big deal here, Anna?”

“You didn’t tell me or—”

He cut her off. “You, know, the last I checked, we weren’t married anymore.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I am aware of that, Robert. But you didn’t tell Robin or anyone. What if something happened? Not even Frisco knew where you were.”

“Ah,” Robert sighed. He threw back the remainder of his drink and shifted, turning his gaze toward the floor. “Well then, I trust you’ve heard about my unfortunate dismissal?”

Anna placed a hand on his knee. “I’m so sorry, Robert.”

He covered her hand with his and gave it a squeeze. “It’s not your fault.”

“I know, but… I still can’t believe Frisco would do that to you.”

“Come on, now, Anna. It’s not Frisco’s fault either. It’s in the book. You know that.”

“To hell with the book, Robert!”

“Hey, listen, there’s no sense gettin’ yourself all riled up about it, now. What’s done is done.”

“But what about you?”

“What do you mean what about me?”

“What are you going to do, Robert? The WSB, the police force, fighting crime, it’s all you’ve ever known.”

He could hear the emotion building in her voice. She was as frustrated and fearful as he had been when he first got the news, and he appreciated the show of solidarity more than he would admit. But while he was still a touch embarrassed by having to succumb to the consequences of his advancing age, he certainly didn’t intend to worry her or accept any pity. From her or anyone else.  “Anna,” he said, putting on an ornery smile. “Just because I got sacked by the Bureau, it doesn’t mean I’m gonna pull out my porch rocker and take up whittling.”

She laughed then, glad to see that his spirit had not been broken. “You’re not?”

“Hardly. As a matter of fact, I’ve already gone and got myself a new gig.”

“You have?”

“Yep. Right here in Port Chuck.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, awaiting the details.

He smiled again, knowing he had piqued her curiosity, and he paused, enjoying the way the corners of her mouth curved ever so gently with the flutter of intrigue.

“Well?’ she finally said when she’d run out of patience.

“I’m gettin’ to it,” he chuckled. “I’m sure you know that Laura has been reaching out in search of a new District Attorney.”

“Jordan mentioned it to me, yes.” She gave a small shrug.

“Well, you’re looking at him.”

“What! You? The D.A.? Are you serious, Robert?”

“As a heart attack.”

“But you haven’t even practiced law since before we met?”

“Just like riding a bike,” he teased. “Besides, I wasn’t just on walk-about this whole time. I also took some time to catch up with the courtroom scene.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Look, I just wanted to make sure everything was a done deal before getting anyone’s hopes up.”

She heard the subtext. He didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, including his own. She nodded. “So, what you’re saying is now I’m going to be stuck with you full-time?”

“I’m afraid so, love.”

“Good,” she said as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“I could have sworn you said good.”

“You’ll never prove it,” she said, smiling over his shoulder.

“Ha ha!” he said. And he held her just a little tighter.

She pulled away a moment later and sat back, her face once again serious. “Since you are going to be around for a while, there is one thing I’d like to ask you.”

“Anything.”

“It’s just a formality, really. I mean, it’s not necessary at this stage in my life, but Finn wants it to be a formal affair. Surprisingly. It’s rather unlike him. And… it just feels like the right thing to do somehow. So…”

“Anna, out with it,” he said.

“Okay.” She took a quick breath. “Robert, will you give me away at my wedding? Again?”

Chapter 6

Robert was taken aback for a moment. He gave Anna a quizzical look. “You want me to give you away?”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Anna, I’m flattered. But ah, it seems to me I did that once before and, as I recall, the marriage wasn’t exactly the happily-ever-after sort.”

“Robert…”

“Frankly, I’m surprised you haven’t already asked your so-called son to walk you down the aisle.”

Anna’s brow furrowed. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Look for reasons to criticize Peter even when he doesn’t deserve it? When he isn’t even around!” She shook her head at him. “Why do you dislike him so much?”

“Ha! The better question is why are you so gung-ho over him?”

“He’s my son, Robert!”

“No, Anna! You see, that’s where you’re wrong. He’s not your son. I don’t care how many times you say it. Henrik Faison will never be your son. I know that. And deep down inside you know it too. I just don’t understand why you refuse to acknowledge it.”

She stood with an exasperated sigh. “Because I remember it, Robert! In my head, I know that it’s Alex’s memory, not mine. But I remember giving birth to him and watching the midwife carry him away. I remember the guilt and the shame, and I can’t just turn it off and pretend it never happened.” She turned away from him as her tears started to fall and wrapped her arms around herself. “I know you can’t understand that.”

He approached her, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. “Can’t I?” He turned her around so that he could look into her eyes. “There was I time when I remembered my wife, the woman I loved beyond reason… when I remembered walking in on her in bed with another man. A man that had tormented her, tormented us both for years. I felt the betrayal and the fury—”

“Robert—”

“But it wasn’t real, Anna. It wasn’t real. Remember, you swore that to me. And to save us, to save myself, I had to fight to relinquish those memories so that we could move on with the rest of our lives. You could let it go, but you won’t.”

“That was Faison’s mental trick. It’s not the same thing!” she shouted.

“How do you know it isn’t?” he shot back.

“Because it isn’t!”

He scoffed at her response. “You don’t think Faison could have had any part in any of this memory matching business? He and Helena and all their cronies… they were thick as thieves. And Henrik—”

“Peter!”

“—Is Faison’s son! I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he were in on it!”

“Oh, Robert! Don’t be ridiculous!”

“You’re the one who’s being ridiculous. I’m telling you, Anna, this guy is not who he claims to be. He’s trouble. Sooner or later, you’re gonna realize that.”

“And I suppose you’re going be the one to prove it? Hmm? Mr. District Attorney?”

“If I have to.”

She stared at him.

He couldn’t discern whether it was a look of angry disbelief or if her eyes were begging for him to help her. He wanted to believe it was the latter. That in her heart of hearts, she knew he was right, and she just needed him to guide her out of the darkness.

He took hold of her shoulders again and gave her a squeeze. “It’s time you stopped beating yourself up over the past. Once and for all. Faison is gone. But as long as you continue with this illusion, he still has a hold on you, Anna.”

“So that’s what this is really about? Your continued vendetta against Faison?”

“My vendetta?”

“Yes!”

“You say that like you never had any part of it. Like you didn’t stand next to me in a stable on a winter’s night with a gun aimed at his head while we put him in a hole to rot along with the rest of the maggots.”

“Yes. I did that Robert. The difference is, I have let it go. I’ve moved on. I’m not holding a grudge against Peter for the mistakes of his father. And I’m choosing to be the mother that my sister never was.”

“At what cost, Anna? You shouldn’t have to pay for your sister’s sins. You’re only inviting heartache.”

“Enough, Robert. Finn and I, Peter and I, we’re ready to move forward. I want you with me on that journey. But maybe it’s not meant to be.” She turned and headed toward the door.

He followed. “Anna, what are you saying?”

Anna stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “I’m saying I think you’re the one who’s still dwelling in the past, Robert. I love you, but if you can’t support my choices, if you can’t accept that Peter is a part of my life, then maybe it’s best if we give each other a little space.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, Robert. I do mean it.” She gave him a sad smile and opened the door.

He stood on the threshold, hands in his pockets. “What about the wedding, then?”

She shrugged. “I hope you’ll be there. I hope you’ll stand up for me. Stand with me. But the choice is yours at this point.”

He searched her face for a moment, looking for what, he wasn’t sure anymore. Then he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “I guess I’ll see you around,” he said.

She gave him a nod as he walked away.

He paused on the stoop as he heard the door close behind him. “Ah, hell!” he grumbled.

Anna leaned against the other side of the closed door, one hand still on the knob, the other wiping tears from her cheeks.

***

“She’s just being stubborn and defensive,” Robert told himself as he sat on the edge of his bed at the Metro Court wringing his hands. She wouldn’t admit it, but he could see it in her eyes. He saw the spark of doubt ignite when he’d suggested Faison and Henrik’s involvement in the memory matching. She knew as well as he did that what they were capable of. But it was obviously going to be up to him to prove it. She might not like it now. But eventually, she’d thank him for it. He hoped.

***

“Argh! Robert!” Anna sighed as she poured her cup of tea. “Why does every conversation end up being about Peter and your disdain for him?” She asked as if it were a real question. But she knew why. She would never admit it to him, but there were grains of truth in everything he said. She’d forced herself to ignore the signs she’d seen. She was determined to find the good in Peter. To believe he was reformed. To believe she could give him the unconditional love he’d been denied. As if that would somehow fix whatever might be broken within him. But those seeds of doubt that she’d forced herself to swallow so many months ago now gnawed at the pit of her stomach.

She took a swallow of steaming tea and felt the burn as it slid down her throat. She visualized those seeds of doubt washed away by the hot liquid.

Why was it, she wondered, that she and Finn never argued about these things? Why was it always Robert? Why did he always have to be right? She didn’t want him to be right. She didn’t want to be wrong. She didn’t want to be saved. And least of all, she didn’t want Robert to be the one to save her. She wanted to move on. She had to move on. With Peter. With Finn. With her life.

***

Robert pushed himself off the bed. “Stuck in the past!” he mumbled as he poured from the bottle of scotch on the desk. He took a drink but said nothing more. There was nothing more to say. He was, in part, stuck in the past. He’d always been there for Anna as her friend, her confidant, and often, as her knight in shining armor. And if he was honest with himself, he didn’t want that to change. Not now. Not ever.

Chapter 7

The coming weeks were difficult for Anna. Things between her and Robert remained strained. She could tell that Robert hated being at odds as much as she did. He’d come by repeatedly, seemingly seeking a truce, with love and concern in his eyes. Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t convince him he had no cause for alarm. Every conversation ended the same way – her defending Peter and her relationship with him, and Robert swearing up and down that he was building a case against Peter and promising to protect her, whether she liked it or not. She’d told him off more times recently than in all the years she’d known him. And the worst moment was when Peter showed up unannounced and overheard her and Robert arguing about him.

Troubled as she was, Anna was determined to push forward. She continued with preparations for the wedding. She hoped Robert would manage to come to terms with things and at least attend the ceremony. But she had to prepare herself for the fact that he might not. Given the situation, she asked Peter to give her away as Robert had suggested. Of course, she realized that suggestion had been laced with sarcasm. She decided not to dwell on that bit.

Peter happily accepted his new appointment and seemed excited about being included as one of the family. He talked endlessly about Robin, Patrick, and the kids and said he was thrilled that they would all be together for the first time ever. What a celebration it would be, Anna thought. Robin’s family, Peter, Maxie and James, Mac and Felicia, and Griffin. Her family would all be there to support her and Finn as they began this new chapter of their lives. It would be perfect, she told herself. She resisted adding the almost that seemed to linger after she’d finished the thought.

When the big day finally arrived, Maxie took over. She insisted on seeing to every detail so that Anna could concentrate on enjoying the day. Anna saw no choice but to let Maxie fuss. She busied herself with hair and makeup until finally, it was time to put on the dress.

“Okay, ladies, let’s do this!” Maxie said in her boisterous, take-charge fashion. She ushered Robin, Emma, and Felicia into the room, then cautioned Patrick to keep an eye on the groom as she shut the door in his face. “Don’t sit down, Mom,” Maxie bellowed, practically pushing Felicia off the chair in the corner of the church dressing room.

“Forgive me!” Felicia laughed while her daughter chased her across the room, smoothing out the layers of chiffon.

“Oh, let me look at you! You all look great!” Anna beamed.

Emma twirled to display her French lavender, draped halter gown with keyhole back and crystal buttons.

“All grown up!” Anna said as she wrapped her into her arms.

“Don’t wrinkle her!” Maxie called out.

“Maxie,” Robin said, “It’s fine. Relax.” Though, she knew as well as any of them that there would be now calming Maxie until Anna was safely down the aisle.

“Your turn, Anna,” Maxie said, approaching with Anna’s dress draped across her arms.

“Why don’t we help with that while you go check on the boys?” Felicia said.

“Fine,” Maxie said. “Just don’t let her wrinkle herself.”

“We won’t!” the three bridesmaids said in unison.

*             *             *

A few minutes later, Anna stood admiring the floor-length, ivory sheath gown in the mirror as Robin draped the one-shouldered cape down her back.

“You look beautiful!” Felicia said with a bright smile.”

“I think you’re the prettiest bride and grandma ever!”

“Thank you!” Anna said. She smiled at herself in the mirror and adjusted one of the bejeweled pins in her up-do. She wasn’t used to having her hair up these days, and she’d found herself playing with the pins more than she would have liked. But it was too late to change her mind about the style now.

“Do you two mind if we have a minute?” Robin asked.

“Of course not,” Felicia said. She nudged Emma toward the door with a hand on her back. “Let’s give them some mother-daughter time.”

“Good idea,” Emma said with a little chuckle.

“How are you really?” Robin asked as the door closed behind them.

“Oh, me? I’m fine. I’m great!” Anna said. “I’m marrying the man I love today. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re not nervous?”

“No. I’m not. Finn and I have waited a long time for this.”

“I know. Finn is a great match for you and Patrick and I are very happy for both of you.”

“Me too,” Anna said. “And it’s just lovely having everyone here. And Chase is standing up for Finn!” she added with excitement.

“I’m glad Peter was willing to be a part of the ceremony.”

“Yes!” Anna affirmed with just a touch too much vigor.

“It was good of him to step in for Dad.”

Anna forced a smile.

“I know,” Robin said. She didn’t need her to say the words. “I have something for you.”

“You do?”

“I do,” Robin said, producing a small velvet bag in the palm of her hand.

“That’s so sweet. What did I ever do to deserve a daughter like you?” Anna said.

“Careful!” Robin said as she leaned in for the gentlest of hugs. “Maxie will have both our heads if she catches us making creases. “Besides, I wish I could take the credit, but I can’t.”

“What?”

“Open it.”

Anna shook the contents into her hand and found herself staring at a silver bracelet with alternating diamond cut sapphires and round cut diamonds in a delicate floral pattern. “Robin…” she was almost speechless. She swallowed. “It’s beautiful. But if you didn’t…”

Robin gave her a look. “Do you really have to ask?”

“Not you father?”

Robin nodded. “He wanted to be here today, Mom.”

“But he’s too bloody proud to admit when he’s wrong.”

“And you still love him and much as he loves you.”

“I do, damn it!” Anna said, catching a tear with her ring finger before it fell. “As much as he infuriates me, I do!”

“Should I help you put it on?”

“Of course,” Anna said with a small sigh. “Here.” She held out her right wrist and Robin fastened the clasp.

“There. Now you have something new and blue.”

“And these earrings are borrowed. Maxie loaned them to me from a magazine shoot.” She shook her head, making dangling gems sparkle.”

“What about something old.”

“Well, I’m not getting any younger, that’s for damn sure! We should get this show on the road!”

They were both laughing when the door flung open. “Is Peter in here?” Maxie called.

“No,” Anna said. “I haven’t seen him since we arrived this morning.

“I saw him about an hour ago,” Robin said.

“Well, it’s time to get this wedding started, so we’d better find him quick,” Maxie said.

Anna and Robin both made a move for the door. “Mom, you stay,” Robin said. “We’ll find him.”

“Find who?” said the figure in the doorway.

Maxie turned around. “Oh, Peter, thank God!” she said.  “Where have you been? Never mind! Just get in here. We have a wedding to go to!”

“Of course,” Peter said. “You look amazing,” he said to Anna, all the while glancing about the room rather than focusing on her.

“Thank you,” Anna said, eyeing him. “I’m so glad you could be here.” She gave him a smile and took a step toward him with open arms, but he suddenly dodged right to escape the impending hug and darted for the powder room.

The ladies looked at each other, brows raised, and waited, listening to the sound of water rushing in the sink.

After what seemed like several minutes, Maxie began calling to him through the closed door. “Peter, are you all right?”

“Fine,” he called back. Just a touch of nerves, I guess,” he said as the toilet flushed. “Though I don’t know why. It’s not like it’s my wedding.” He emerged a minute later, drying his hands and tossing the paper towel into the trash can near the door. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” Anna said softly. “I didn’t really think… I mean, is this too much pressure for you? Meeting all of the family at once and—”

“No, really. It’s fine. I’m glad to be here,” Peter said with a grin.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Maxie asked, straightening his tie.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Ready, Anna?” He held an arm out to Anna and she looped hers through it and took her bouquet from Robin with the opposite hand.

“Let’s do this,” Anna said.

*             *             *

Anna took in every detail as she and Peter stood at the back of the church. Emma went down the aisle first, head held high, poised and mature. Anna couldn’t have been more proud. Felicia followed, then Robin. Anna watched as they took their places across from Patrick, Mac, and Chase. And then she let her gaze fall on Finn.

There he was. Waiting for her. He was so handsome in his light gray tuxedo with the matching vest and bow tie, his hair characteristically flopping to one side. He shifted his weight from side to side. He was nervous, she knew. He hated being in the spotlight. But she could tell the moment he caught sight of her. His shoulders visibly relaxed. His face lit up with a smile so bright. The only thing brighter was the sparkle in his eyes. She instinctively began to smile back.

As she and Peter started down the aisle to the traditional wedding march, which Finn had for some reason requested, Anna’s smile only grew bigger. There would be no more doubt or uncertainty. She was right where she was supposed to be. Her heart fluttered as she allowed the happiness to swell in her chest. She and Finn had made it. They were finally getting married.

She wasn’t even worried when the officiant asked if anyone saw just cause why they should not be joined together. But then, in a manner only befitting the best of TV dramas, one of the side doors near the altar flung open. Heads turned and a voice called out.

“Anna!”

To her dismay, Robert came stumbling toward her, one arm across his chest, holding his jacket closed.

“Robert, what the hell are you doing?” she said.

Finn mumbled something then, but her attention was fixed on Robert.

“I’m sorry,” Robert murmured, the words barely audible. He stopped at the corner of the first pew, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of it with his free hand.

“Robert, what’s going on?” Anna asked. Without a second thought, she let go of Finn’s hand and moved in Robert’s direction.

His lips parted, but before he could utter another word, he collapsed at her feet, his jacket falling open to reveal the wet, crimson stain overtaking his crisp white shirt. 

“Oh my God! Robert!” Anna cried as she fell to her knees beside him. “He’s been shot!”

Chapter 8

“He’s been shot!” Anna cried again. She looked up at the wedding party with tears already glistening in her eyes and every one of them sprang into action.

Robin and Patrick moved first, each dropping down on either side of Robert. Robin removed his tie while Patrick started on his shirt buttons and they peeled the clothing out of the way to better assess the situation.

Anna instinctively moved out of their way and settled again at Robert’s head where she could look into his eyes instead of at the foaming hole in his chest. “Don’t do this to me, Robert,” she said. “Don’t you leave me, do you hear me?”

Robert slowly moved his arm toward Anna and she reached out to take his open hand in hers. “Sorry,” he gasped.

“How bad is it?” Anna asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Patrick said. “Mac, call 911!” 

“On it,” Mac said, his phone already pressed to his ear.

“Felicia,” Robin shouted, “Take Emma and the kids out of here, please.”

“Absolutely,” Felicia said, and she was on the move with one hand on Emma’s shoulder and the other arm hoisting little Noah in his miniature suit up out of the front pew onto her hip.

“Papa!” Noah called with a wave of his tiny hand.

“Is Grandpa gonna be okay?” Emma said.

“I hope so,” Felicia said. “I know your mom and dad are going to do everything they can to see to that.”

Detective Chase worked his way past the group on the floor to find Commissioner Ashford, who was already on the line with PCPD. “Have a seat. Stay back and let them work,” he said to some of the guests who were trying to get a better look at what was happening.

“Robert, who did this to you?” Anna begged.

“… know… too… much…” Robert breathed. The words came with great difficulty.  

“Who, Robert?”

Robert’s lips moved as if he were trying to form another thought, but Robin stopped him. “Shhh. Dad, enough for now. Save your strength,” she said in a calming voice. Then she locked eyes with Anna.

Anna nodded.  She looked down at Robert with a tight-lipped smile. “You’re gonna be all right,” she whispered as she placed the softest kiss on his forehead. “You just rest and let our doctors do their jobs.”

Robert gave an almost imperceptible nod and his eyes drifted closed.

“What have you got?” Finn asked Patrick who was leaning an ear toward Robert’s chest.

“Sounds like we’ve got a sucking chest wound.”

“Exit wound?” Robin asked.

“Let’s find out,” Patrick said. “Ready?”

“Go,” Robin nodded.

Robert moaned as they tipped him onto his side. His breathing became even more labored.

“No exit wound,” Patrick said.

“Let’s lay him back down,” Robin said. “Can you breathe out for me, Daddy?” Robin said as she placed her hands over the coin-sized hole.

“Okay,” Finn said. “We need something to block the airflow. Father, do you have a first aid kit?”

“Ah, yes. Of course. In the church office down the hall,” the priest stammered. “In the cabinet over the sink.”

“Peter, go get the kit.”

“Right,” Peter said. He’d ambled only a few steps when Finn spoke again.

“Come on, man. Move!” Finn barked.

“What else can I do?” the minister asked.

“A prayer wouldn’t hurt,” Finn said. Then he addressed the guests. “If anyone has a blanket in their car, go get it, please. Any supplies, medical-grade plastic… or non-medical grade. We’ll take what we can get.”

Anna looked up at Finn. Her eyes were both pleading and proud.

He smiled at her. “We’ll do everything we can,” he said.

She nodded and turned back to Robert. Minutes passed like hours as they waited. It pained her to watch him gasping for breath, but she forced herself to keep smiling at him, even though his eyes were closed. Even as he began to cough up blood, as the fear tore through her, and the tears ran down her cheeks.

“Where is Peter? What’s taking him so long?” Robin said, her hands now red with her father’s blood as she tried to maintain pressure on the wound.

“I’ll find him,” Mac said. He broke into a run as he headed up the aisle.

“His breathing is weakening,” Patrick said.

“I know,” Robin said.  

“Robert, can you hear me?” Patrick said. “We need you to hold on now. Help is on the way, but you have to hold on.”

“Finally,” Finn said when he spotted Mac striding back in with a small red tote labeled Emergency Response. “Where’s Peter?”

“Don’t ask me right now!” Mac spat. He tossed Finn the tote.

Maxie looked confused and ran out in search of her man.

“What do we have?” Patrick asked as Finn squatted next to him and rummaged through the supplies.

“Besides a screwdriver, some pliers, and a flashlight?” Finn shook his head. “Some sterilizing wipes, antibiotic ointment, some tape, and gauze…”

“No plastic of any kind?” Patrick said.

“Nothin’,” Finn said. He thought for a second. “Do you have your wallet on you?”

“No,” Patrick said.  

“Me neither.” Finn stood again to survey his surroundings. “Hey, Curtis, you have a credit card we can use?”

“Sure, man. Here you go,” Curtis said, stepping up with his American Express.

“Thanks,” Finn said with his usual half-smile. He chose to ignore the skepticism on Curtis’s face and focus on the task at hand. He knelt next to Patrick and looked at Anna. “We’ll tape the credit card in place to form a plastic seal over the area until the paramedics get here with better equipment,” he said.

Anna nodded and watched intently as Finn and Patrick sterilized the card and created the makeshift shield.

“Okay, Daddy, we’re going patch you up now. When I move my hands away, I want you to breathe out again for me. Can you do that? Daddy? Daddy?” Robin repeated as Finn taped the plastic in place.

But Robert didn’t respond. Anna felt his hand go limp in hers and she let out a stifled sob.

Robin placed her hands back on his chest once the barrier was in place. “It’s okay, Mom,” she assured Anna. His breath was faint beneath her palms, but he was still breathing.

“Robert?” Patrick took hold of his father-in-law’s wrist and looked at his watch. Then, he grabbed the small flashlight out of the box of emergency supplies and lifted Robert’s eyelids one at a time. “We still have a pulse, albeit a weak one. Pupils are still reactive. He’s unconscious, but he’s still with us.”

“Hang in there, Daddy,” Robin said.

Patrick took the blanket that Elizabeth Baldwin had brought in and draped it over Robert. “All we can do now is try to slow the loss of blood and wait.”

“And watch for signs of tension pneumothorax,” Finn added.

Robin tipped her head at him.

Finn shrugged at her. “What?”

“What is that?” Anna asked.

“Mom, just let us worry about that,” Robin said.

Anna continued to question Finn with her eyes.

“It’s a buildup of air in the chest when the lung leaks that can—”

“Finn!” Robin said.

“Oh, God,” Anna choked on the words while swabbing tears from her face with her palms.

“Sorry. Your daughter’s right. Just let us worry about that for now,” Finn said. He made a move to put an arm around Anna, but let his arm fall away as she bent over Robert once more.

“Stay with me! Please, Robert! Please, honey,” she said with gentle urgency. She held his face in her hands, her forehead nearly touching his as she said a silent prayer. When she’d finished her petition, she looked up again. “Where the hell is the damn ambulance?”

Chapter 9

Anna and Robin sat side by side on the small sofa in the waiting area at General Hospital. Robin rubbed gentle circles on her mother’s back.

“How are you holding up?” Robin asked.

Anna gave a sniffle and forced a tiny smile for her daughter, then looked down and rubbed her hands over her thighs. Her shoulders tensed as she caught the sight of the smear of dried blood against her white gown peeking through her spread fingers.

“Mom?” Robin said.

Anna looked at her and nodded, still trying to smile. “I’m fine.”

Robin wasn’t fooled. “It’s okay that you’re not,” Robin said. She handed Anna a tissue which Anna immediately used to dab her eyes.

“Really, Robin, I’m fine,” Anna repeated. “You shouldn’t have to worry about me. Just worry about your dad.”

“I worry about both of you, Mom.”

“You don’t need to.”

“But I do. Just like you worry about me. We love each other. Worrying is part of the package.”

Anna gave a small laugh then. She put an arm around Robin and when Robin leaned into her, she kissed the top of her head. “I love you too,” she said. She was still in awe of the mature, confident, brilliant woman her daughter had become. “And you know, you were really… awesome back there. At the church. You and Patrick. And Finn. You might have saved your father’s life. Again,” she added, remembering the care Robin and Patrick had given Robert during his bout with cancer. “You’re such an amazing woman.”

“I learned from the best,” Robin said.

“Oh, Robin, I could never do anything like that,” Anna said.

“Mom, you save lives all the time. We just do it in different ways.”

Anna sighed. “I just wish there were something I could do now, you know?”

Robin could tell from the way Anna’s chest shook that she was doing everything in her power to keep from breaking down.

“I can’t even explain it, Robin. He drives me crazy. You know he does, but…”

“But you love him anyway,” Robin finished her statement. “You always have. And you know he feels the same way, even if you’re not together anymore. The two of you have always been there for each other and you can’t imagine—”

“Stop,” Anna said, wiping her eyes.

“It’s gonna be okay, Mom,” Robin said. “Patrick scrubbed in. He and the rest of the team are going to do everything they can to help him. And what you can do…is help the PCPD find the bastard who did this to him.”

Robin’s statement wasn’t a tearful one. It was just a matter-of-fact kind of statement from a daughter who had all the faith in the world that her mother was still a real badass.

Anna had already told Jordan as much before she left the church. Robert Scorpio was a former director of the WSB, a former government agent, and the acting District Attorney. This was not just a local matter. It was a matter of national security as far as she was concerned. She had had every intention of making it her business. Still, she found a renewed strength in Robin’s belief. She sat up and turned to face her. She took Robin’s face in her hands and looked into her eyes. She gave her a nod, her lips pressed together, then said, “You can bet that I will do everything in my power to see that whoever did this is brought to justice.”  

A moment later, Mac came bursting into the waiting area and rushed toward the two women.

“Uncle Mac!” Robin called when she spotted him. She and Anna both stood and hugged him.

“How is he? How’s Robbie?” Mac asked. His words came in quick desperation.

“Well, he survived the ambulance ride. He’s in surgery now, so all we can do is wait,” Robin said.

“That’s it?” Mac said.

Anna placed a tender hand on his arm and gave his bicep a squeeze. “Patrick is in the OR with him. And Bobbie Spencer. And the rest of the team… They’re going to take good care of him. Where’s Felicia?”

Mac flopped down on the sofa and ran his hands through his wavy gray locks. “She took Emma and Noah back to our place.”

“Robin! Anna!” Maxie’s voice rang out.

“How’s Robert? Is there anything we can do?” Peter said when he and Maxie reached them.

“No word yet,” Anna said.

Mac leaped back to his feet. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here!” he grumbled in Peter’s face. “What the hell were you thinking?” He grabbed Peter’s lapels.

“Mac!” Maxie cried.

“Stay out of this, Maxie!” He gave Peter a shove. “My brother is fighting for his life in there and you—”

“Mac!” Anna said, stepping between the two men. “What are you talking about? What happened to Robert is not Peter’s fault.”

“Maybe he didn’t shoot him, but he sure as hell didn’t do anything to help him!”

Mac lunged toward Peter again.

“Mac!” Anna put an arm out to stop him. She couldn’t overpower him, but she knew he would stop voluntarily before he exerted any force on her.

As Anna suspected, Mac took a step back and turned to walk away, rotating his neck and shoulders to shake off his frustration. Anna followed him.

“Mac, I get that you’re frustrated and scared. I am too. But what the hell was that about?”

“Anna, if I might…” Peter said, approaching.

“Could you give us a minute, please?” Anna shot Peter a look.

“I think I can explain,” Peter said.

“You don’t owe us any explanation, Peter,” Anna sighed.

“Oh, no. By all means. Please,” Mac said, looking around Anna to Peter.

Anna sighed and gave a wave of her hand in silent resignation.

“Anna, I think Mac is frustrated because he saw my actions as a lack of respect for the gravity of the situation, but I can assure you that is not the case.”

“What actions?” Anna asked.

Mac jumped in. “I ran out of the sanctuary to find him and the first aid kit earlier and found him—”

Peter cut him off. “He found me checking my cell phone.”

“What?” Anna said.

“He was hiding in a corner checking his messages,” Mac said.

“Are you sure, Mac?”

“I know what I saw, Anna. He looked up at me like the cat that ate the canary and then slipped the phone back in his pocket and tried to play it off like no big deal.”

Peter rebutted. “I was startled when you found me, Mac. But it wasn’t what it looked like. I was on my way back with the supplies when my phone rang. I stopped to see who it was. I shouldn’t have stopped, I suppose, but—”

“But seeing as how you weren’t in any hurry to get back…” Mac barked, his hands on his hips.

Peter went on. “I knew it had taken me a while to find everything. I thought the call might have been from one of you or from Maxie. I only stopped for a moment, but that’s when Mac came running toward me. It must have looked like I was unconcerned. But I promise I was only making sure it wasn’t a call with an update or about something else you needed me to find.”

He took a step toward Mac and gave him his most sincere smile. “Mac, I’m truly sorry about what happened to your brother. And Anna, I can’t even imagine how you must feel. This was supposed to be your wedding day. I know Robert and I haven’t always been the best of friends—”

“That’s an understatement,” Mac said.

Peter smirked at that, then gathered his composure again. “My point is, no matter what has happened between Robert and me, he’s important to you. You all have been nothing but supportive of me and of Maxie. Because of that, I would never want anything like this to happen to him or to any of you. You must believe that.” He looked to Anna then.

Anna stared into Peter’s eyes for a moment. When she’d found what she was looking for, she nodded and tossed the ball into her former brother-in-law’s court. “Mac?” she said.

Mac hesitated, then shook his head and shrugged. “I guess so,” Mac said. And with that, he excused himself and walked away just as his phone began to ring.   

“All of our emotions are running high right now,” Anna said by way of explaining Mac’s behavior, and she returned to the group, pulling Peter along with her with a hand on his back.

Mac finished his phone call and announced that he would have to leave.

“Is everything okay?” Peter perked up.

“Just standard police business,” Mac said. “I’m headed back to the scene.” Mac hugged Anna, Robin, and Maxie and apologized for leaving. “You’ll keep me posted?” he said to Anna.

“Yes. Of course. As soon as we know something,” Anna said. “You do the same.”

“You got it, Agent Devane,” Mac said with a reassuring nod and a sad smile.

Maybe we should go, too,” Peter said to Maxie as he watched Mac step into the elevator.

“No. I don’t want to go. Not yet. I want to be sure Robert is going to be okay.”

Peter nodded. “I just thought maybe they’d like some time as a family,” he said, motioning to the others.

“They are my family,” Maxie said.

“Of course,” Peter said.  “Maybe I should go? I could get out of everybody’s way and check in with the paper.”

“Lulu told you she had the story covered. Just stay with me. Please?”

Peter agreed and took a seat next to Maxie, but he seemed to be searching for a way to make himself useful. He threw a question out every few minutes. Did anyone want any coffee? Could he get anyone something to eat? Did Anna want him to collect her things from the church? Did she need a change of clothes? Did she want to go for a walk? Should he go home to check on James? Should he see how Emma and Noah were doing with Felicia? The list went on.

Anna alternated between sitting and pacing with her arms wrapped around herself as she and the other women deflected each of Peter’s questions. But after about twenty questions, she ran out of patience. She stopped in front of Peter and looked down at him as she spoke.

“Peter, I appreciate that you’re here, okay? I do. We all do.  And I love that you want to do something to help. But Finn and Felicia and Mac, they have everything under control out there. As for the rest,” she added, her voice rising, “I don’t want coffee, I don’t want tea. I’m not going to eat or sleep or step foot out of this waiting room until I know for a fact that Robert is safely through surgery and on his way to recovery. All right, so just…” She stopped then, as the lump of emotion in her throat threatened to choke her.

Robin stood then to envelop her mother in an embrace.

“I’m sorry,” Anna said over her daughter’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Mom,” Robin whispered.

Once Anna had regained her composure, Robin went to see if there was any update.

Maxie convinced Anna to sit again. She put an arm around her godmother and felt her shiver. “Oh my gosh, Anna! You’re freezing.”

“I’m fine,” Anna said.

“You are not. Peter, give her your jacket.” Maxie waved him over.

“My jacket?”

“Yes. She’s freezing.”

“Oh. I could ask for a blanket.”

“Or you could just take your jacket off.”

Peter hesitated, then slowly removed the coat, moved toward Anna, and wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Thank you,” Anna said. Then she realized the jacket felt heavier on one side. She reached into the breast pocket and pulled out the phone. “You probably want this,” she said.

“Oh, Peter said innocently. He held out his hand. “Yes, Actually…”

Before he could finish his statement, the phone buzzed with a text notification. Anna couldn’t read the text notification very well without her glasses, but she could see that the photo that popped up on the lock screen looked like one of her and Robin. An old picture, probably from the early nineties. She was surprised that Peter would have that picture at all, much less use it as his lock screen. “Where in the world did you get that picture,” she asked, but as she said it she held the phone farther away, she was able to make out the name in bold print on the text. Frisco Jones.

Maxie saw that too. “Frisco?” she said.

“This is Robert’s phone,” Anna said, her brow creasing. “Where did you get it?”

“Yes. Actually… that’s what I was about to tell you. It was lying on the floor after they wheeled Robert out. I picked it up. I was going to give it to you, but you left with him in the ambulance, so I just put it in my pocket, and by the time we got here… Well, there was so much going on. I’m sorry I didn’t think about it sooner.”

Anna shook her head. “Oh, no. That’s okay. I’ll see that he gets it once he’s up and around again,” she said, fighting the “if” in her head.

“Mom!” Robin was speed walking across the waiting area with Patrick in tow.

“Patrick?” Anna said excitedly.

Patrick sighed as he peeled off his surgical cap. He looked tired.

“Is he all right? Is he gonna be all right?”

“It was pretty touch and go, but he came through. They’re taking him to recovery now. The next 24 hours will tell us a lot.”

Anna threw her arms around Patrick. “Thank you!” she cried in relief.

*             *             *

Later, after Anna had sent all the young people back to their respective beds for the night, she took the bag of items Finn had brought her into the small bathroom in Robert’s room. She changed her clothes, unpinned and brushed out her hair, and tucked her Sig 228 into the waistband of her dark jeans so that her thin, pale pink sweater fell over the top, concealing it from anyone who wasn’t looking too hard.  She felt mildly guilty for having asked Finn to retrieve it for her. He had to have broken a few state laws to do so. But she needed it, and there was no way she was leaving Robert to get it herself.

She dropped her bag on the chair in the corner of the room and laid Peter’s tuxedo jacket over the back of the chair. Maxie had insisted she hold on to it when they left because Finn had not yet arrived with her things. Finally, feeling more like herself than she had in several hours, she settled herself on the edge of Robert’s bed and took his hand.

“Here we are again,” she said with a laugh that was somehow both sad and wistful.

She studied Robert’s face, still hoping to see some sort of reaction, though she knew it wasn’t reasonable to expect it. No matter how many times she’d sat at his bedside, it never got easier to deal with. Seeing him lying there—the white knight who’d ridden to her rescue so many times—so still, so quiet. It was always unnerving. She squeezed his left hand with her right while she wiped her tears with the other. After a sniff and a swallow, she spoke again.

“You hang in there, Robert, okay? You made it to the hospital and through the surgery, and that was tough. But you’ve got work to do. Healing. And I expect you to do that. We’re counting on that stubborn streak of yours to pull you through. We need you. Robin and Patrick and the kids. And me. I might not admit it once you wake up, but I’ve got a secret, you know. Do you want to know my secret? Hmm? Do you? Well, the truth is, no matter what’s gone on between us, I don’t want to live in a world without you. I don’t know how to do that. Okay? So, you just… you just hang in there. All right? You do everything you can to get better. And in the meantime, I’m gonna do everything I can to find the person who did this to you. I’m not gonna let ‘em get away with this.”

She lifted his hand to her lips and as she placed a kiss on his knuckle, she felt something brush her shoulder. In an instant, she was on her feet, turned to face the action, gun in hand.

“Don’t shoot!” he said.

“Oh, God,” Anna said, lowering her weapon.

“Most people just call me Finn. But then I guess they say some doctors have a God complex. Can you put that thing away?” he said with a flick of his index finger.

Anna exhaled. “I’m sorry.” She tucked the gun back into her waistband and moved to hug him.

Finn wrapped his arms around her, and she settled into him, allowing his presence to calm the adrenaline rush.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I know it’s been a rough day.”

“You could say that. Did you check in with the patients you wanted to see?”

“I did.”

“Good.”

She smiled up at him and he leaned in for a kiss.

“Mmm. That’s nice,” she said. “I’m really sorry about today.”

“Not your fault.”

“I know. Still, if things had gone as planned, we’d be married and heading off on our honeymoon.”

“Yeah. Well, I… I been thinkin’ about that. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. You know… maybe we were trying too hard.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we can still get married. But the big wedding, all the fuss, maybe that’s not really us. You know. Maybe we’re more of a stop at city hall and a weekend in Monaco kind of couple.”

“Monaco?”

“Yeah. Or wherever you drag me off to on the spur of the moment.”

Anna gave a genuine laugh then. “Maybe you’re right.” She kissed him again.

“Yeah, so we’ll figure it out.”

“We will,” she agreed.

“Now, what do you say? Are you ready to head home?”

“Oh,” Anna said. Her face was once again serious.

“What?’

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“I’m afraid I can’t go home. Not tonight, anyway.”

“Why not?”

“Well… because I can’t. Not until I know that Robert is out of the woods.”

Finn fiddled with the back of his hair and he gave her one of his irritated nods. “You do know that he’s your ex-husband, right? I mean, you can hardly stand the guy half the time.”

“I know. I know it seems that way. And I know he’s in good hands here. But…”

“But what?”

“I know it might not make sense, but I just can’t leave him. Not tonight. I promised Robin that if she and Patrick went home to rest and be with the kids that I would stay.”

Finn nodded again. “Yeah, well, sure. Then you have to stay.”

“And it’ll be good for him to have protection.”

“You know, Jordan could send a guard or a team of guards… probably.”

“But this way she doesn’t need to. Besides, we don’t really know who the enemy is right now. And I would just feel safer…”

She stopped talking. The look on his face made it clear that there was nothing more to be gained by digging in any deeper.

“So, what? Should we get you a cot or something?”

Anna shook her head. “Thank you. But I’ll be fine.”

Finn nodded. “Then I guess I see you tomorrow. Sometime.”

“I hope so,” Anna said, giving him another smile.

He forced one in return, then said goodnight and turned for the door.

She reached out and grabbed his arm. “Finn, you do understand, don’t you?”

“Sure. Yeah. I understand. Goodnight,” he said again.

Her last “I’m sorry!” was still hanging in the air when the door shut behind him. She blew out a big breath. Finn may have had a right to be upset, but she would have to deal with that later. Right now, she had a job to do.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket. There were no new messages. Then she remembered Robert’s phone. She dug it out of her bag along with her glasses. When she pressed the button, the picture of her and Robin popped up again, but of course, her fingerprint did not open it.

She climbed onto the bed next to Robert with the phone in her hand. “You don’t mind, do you?” she asked. She took Robert’s right hand and used his thumbprint to unlock the phone. She scrolled through his texts. The last one from Frisco read, “Where are you? Did you get the files I sent?”

“What files?” she whispered to herself.

She moved on to email. She searched the current mailbox for Frisco Jones. Not only were there no new messages from Frisco, there were no messages from Frisco within the last several months. She found that odd. True, Robert was not officially on the payroll anymore, but she knew he still had connections and had been working with the bureau to tie up loose ends on several cases.

Something told her to click on the trash folder. When she did, the little wheel began to turn in search of recently deleted items. Sure enough, one by one, several messages from Frisco appeared.

Jackpot, Anna thought. But before she could get a handle on what the messages were about, the phone went dead. Damn! She found her charger and plugged it in. While she waited for it to charge enough to turn back on, she sent a text to Frisco asking him to call her and another to Mac asking if they had found the weapon yet.

Her phone rang a moment later.

“Hi, Mac.”

“How’s Robbie?”

“Stable. I’m here with him now. But all we can do is wait and give him time to heal. Have you got anything new?”

“Not much. Jordan got called away. Some issue with a former contact at the DEA.”

“Have you’ve taken over?”

“For the time being. Look, the only gun we found outside was Robert’s. It was under his car. Most likely kicked under there. But still fully loaded. We did a thorough search of the perimeter.”

“What about inside?”

“Nothing on the initial sweep. Whoever this is, they didn’t dispose of the weapon where we could easily find it, or they took it with them. We’ve talked to most of the guests. Nobody recalls seeing anything or anyone out of place. Can you think of anything that was out of the ordinary?”

“I was in the dressing room most of the time. But the only people in there were members of the wedding party. So, no. Nothing unexpected. It could be someone tied to a case Robert had worked on. I may have a lead on some information from Frisco, but I’ll have to get back to you on that. Oh, hang on. I’ve got another call.”

She held the phone away from her ear to read the number of the incoming call.

“Mac, I’ll have to let you go. This one’s from the bureau.”

“Sure. Talk to you soon.”

“Thanks, Mac. Bye.” She clicked end and accept and before she’d even had a chance to greet the next caller, he spoke.

“Devane, it’s Robinson. We have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Director Jones has gone missing.”

Chapter 10

Anna was on her feet, pacing at Robert’s bedside. “What the hell do you mean Frisco is missing? Since when?”

“Since this afternoon.”

“So it’s only been a few hours. That hardly seems like cause for concern.”

“Normally, no. But…”

“What?”

“There were signs of a struggle in his office. His phone was left behind, and according to our tech specialists, his abandoned laptop had been completely wiped clean, but not before several files were transferred to an external drive.”

“Meaning he had information that somebody wanted.”

“Exactly.”

“Any leads?”

“Not yet.”

Anna sighed heavily. “Okay. Thank you for calling. Unfortunately, I can’t leave Port Charles right now. There’s a situation of some importance I’m dealing with myself.”

“What’s that?”

Anna paused. “I’d rather not say just yet. But I will keep you posted. And you do the same, will you?”

“Of course, Agent Devane.”

“For now, I’ll touch base with my contacts and see if they’ve heard anything from him or about him. I’ll get back to you as soon as I know something. All right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Anna clicked end and threw her head back. “Ugh! Robert, why does everything happen at once?”

No sooner had she said the words, did her wheels begin to turn.

“Unless…” she said to herself.

She grabbed for Robert’s phone on the nightstand. It was just beginning to show signs of life again.

“Come on,” she said, staring impatiently at the bright white apple while the thin white bar crawled across the screen. She was suddenly desperate to see what information those deleted messages from Frisco held.

When the screen finally lit up, Anna’s frustration only grew as she read the words: Touch ID requires your passcode when phone restarts. She closed her eyes and sighed again. His thumbprint wouldn’t work now.

“All right, Robert, what number did you use, hmm?”

She sat on the bed next to him, breathing deeply. She reminded herself not to push buttons in haste. After ten attempts the phone would be disabled permanently. Then, she would need to hack his password for a hard reset or seek the help of her tech specialists and she couldn’t afford to waste that kind of time when the enemy that put Robert in the hospital was still roaming free.

She clicked the button to make the screen go dark and tilted the phone toward the light in search of a clear fingerprint, but the screen was too smudged to offer any clues. She should have known, but it was worth a try. Anna keyed in several numbers. Robert’s birthdate. Robin’s birthdate. Emma’s birthdate. Noah’s birthdate. Holly’s birthdate, which she only knew because it was the same as that of a cover identity she’d created for herself a few years back and Robert had made a point of mentioning it. She tried her own birthdate, though she knew that was a longshot. No luck. After that one the phone was disabled.

What if it wasn’t a date? What if he’d chosen a random number? She considered this for about a second before deciding Robert was too sensible for that. She waited one minute, then five minutes, and tried two more dates. Still no luck.

“Two more chances,” she told herself. “Come on, Robert. Help me out here, will you?”

She looked over at him. Even sedated he looked so serious. She could only imagine what was running through his subconscious at that moment. Then, as if he were willing her to realize it, the thought hit her.

“It’s not going to be that simple, is it?” she asked him.

Of course not. He was smarter than to use a simple date that anyone might guess. It was going to have to be something more clever. Something only he would remember. Anna sighed again and blew out a forceful breath.

“Think,” she said.

As he searched the recesses of her mind for a clue, she thought about the picture she’d seen on his lock screen earlier that evening. If she remembered correctly, it was taken when she and Robin were getting ready for the rehearsal dinner the night before she and Robert got remarried for the second time. Knowing she had fifteen minutes to kill before she could try the next number, she let herself get lost in the memory.

Robin was probably more excited than she and Robert put together. She was so concerned about being the perfect maid of honor. Anna wasn’t worried about any of the superstitions or traditions. She wasn’t nervous. Not about getting married, anyway. All she cared about was becoming Robert’s wife again. She’d thought they would finally get the chance to be a real family. To get their happily ever after. And for a time—a very brief time—they had.

She and Robin had had so much fun getting dressed up for the surprise dinner party that night. And when Felicia came by to pick them up, they’d happily posed for the sweet mother-daughter photo, both wearing big, bright smiles.

Anna had printed and framed that photo for Robert after the wedding. He’d placed it proudly on the credenza behind the desk in the den the day they’d moved into the old Weber house. And then… well… Then, they’d broken in the den, making sure the desk was sturdy enough to handle any business that might come across it.

She hadn’t let herself think about those days in so long. But suddenly all the memories were flooding back to her, clear as ever. And then it came to her. That night in bed, the night they’d moved in, she’d lain in bed snuggled up against Robert as he stroked her hair, trailing his fingers down her back. He’d kissed the top of her head and said, “Welcome home, love.”

She’d smiled up at him and said, “I’ll remember this day as long as I live.”

“So will I,” he’d said, then kissed her again, which led to the breaking in of the new bedroom furniture.

“Is that it?” Anna wondered aloud, wiping a tear from her cheek.

It wasn’t just a date only he would remember. It was a date he hoped she would remember as well. She clicked the button and typed in that late summer date in ’91. She let out a satisfied, “Yes!” when the phone actually unlocked.

She reached for her glasses and immediately opened the email trash folder and watched the wheel spin as it loaded deleted items. Anna scrolled through the messages from Frisco, all from months ago. Nothing seemed to contain any valuable information. She found herself making a mental list of questions. Why were the only messages in the trash old replies from Frisco? Where were the rest of the trashed emails? Why had all of Frisco’s emails been deleted in the first place if he’d supposedly sent important information? Had Robert deleted them to cover something up? Then, Anna had another thought.

She hit the back arrow and selected the sent folder. There, she found several messages from Robert to Frisco requesting information. The names jumped out at her. Eurotech, Henri Francois, Roger Browne. “Oh, Robert!” With a groan, she was on her feet again. She tossed the phone on the bed and walked across the room. She turned back toward Robert and shouted at him as if he were listening. “Are you ever going to give up on this vendetta you have for Peter!”

She took a few more steps around the room and took a cleansing breath before approaching him again. She sank back onto the bed in what felt like defeat. She’d hoped for a lead but had come up empty. She dropped her head into her hands. She was so tired of battling with him about the same thing over and over. When she’d pulled herself together, she said in a slightly calmer voice, “I know you think you’re protecting me. But honestly, Robert, it’s so frustrating.”

After a minute, she glanced at his phone again. Its email screen was still glowing on the bed next to her. She picked it up and reread the most recent message. That one didn’t seem to be related to the previous line of Peter-related questioning. It contained a name she hadn’t seen before. She couldn’t explain it, but when she read it, a chill ran through her.

Robert’s phone still clutched in one hand, she dialed her own with the other. “Yeah, Robinson, I need to run a check for me on a Rafe Cassion.”

Chapter 11

“What do mean you’ve got nothing?”

“Just that. I’m sorry, Agent Devane,” Robinson said. “But we have literally nothing on this Rafe Cassion.”

“No priors, no aliases, nothing?”

“Literally nothing,” Robinson repeated. “As in files deleted.”

“As in heavily redacted or archived?”

“Neither. The system says files deleted by executive order.”

“Damn!” Anna shouted into the phone. “So, there was something? What’s the deletion date?”

“You’re not going to like it.”

“Why?”

“The system says the files were just deleted a few hours ago.”

“Damn!” Anna said again.

“I’m sorry, but why do we want this guy?”

Anna didn’t want to show her hand just yet. “Never mind,” she said. “Just trying to follow up on a hunch. Any word on Frisco?”

“None. It’s like he’s vanished.”

“Were you able to get anything from his phone? Any clues as to what he may have been working on?”

“No. As a matter of fact, at closer look, the phone was deliberately destroyed.”

“How?” Anna asked.

“It was waterlogged,” Robinson said.

“Was it in water when you found it?”

“No. We found it in a drawer. But it must have been submerged prior to that.”

“Do you think it happened in the struggle?”

“Maybe. But why go to the trouble of drying it off and putting it away if that were the case? Our guess is it was done on purpose.”

“Why would someone do that?”

“It’s a pretty quick way to make sure no evidence can be recovered.”

“Any chance Frisco could have done that himself to hide something from someone?”

“It’s possible. But it doesn’t help us at all. We don’t know what or where he’s hiding, or if he’s being hidden from us at this point.”

Anna bit her lip. “All right. Well, keep me posted, yeah?”

“Of course.”

Anna disconnected and grumbled, “Back to the drawing board.”

She stood silent for a moment listening to the constant chirp of the monitors, watching the slight rise and fall of Robert’s chest. She wrapped her arms around herself and focused on regulating her breathing to match the steady rhythm of Robert’s. When she’d had enough of the questions swirling around in her head, she snapped back into action.

It was late evening. It had been a long day. She was starting to feel the effects of the day. But there was still too much to work out and her most important task was to make sure Robert was protected. Mac had promised to see that there was an officer stationed outside the room, but Anna had refused. She insisted they keep every available man working on the case. Besides, it wouldn’t have been enough for her to let her guard down anyway. The enemy was still unknown, and the only person she trusted implicitly was lying in the bed unconscious.

She’d played this game before. She moved her duffle bag and Peter’s tuxedo jacket off the stiff, hospital-grade leather recliner and then dragged the chair out of the corner and turned it to face the door. She took her gun from the waistband of her pants and placed it on the right arm of the chair as she sat. She curled her feet up next to her and closed her eyes for a moment. Just a brain break. She had no intention of sleeping. No one was going to enter or exit the room without answering to her.

The next few hours passed quietly. In fact, had it not been for the hourly visits from the nursing staff to check the patient’s vitals, Anna might have had a difficult time staying awake. As it was, she was thankful for the interruptions and for the regular updates on Robert’s condition. Not that there was any change. But she liked knowing that he was under their watchful eyes and that his condition, if no better, was no worse.

It was nice to chat with the nurses as well. If only for a few minutes. Anna wasn’t the type of person who minded being by herself. She normally enjoyed her alone time. But for some reason, that night she found the solitude difficult. Maybe it was because she and Finn should have been celebrating their marriage instead of spending the night apart. Maybe she was just worried about Robert and about finding his shooter. Or maybe it was because, while Robert was there with her, he seemed so far away. And no matter how positive she wanted to be, it was hard to push the dark thoughts completely out of her head. The what-ifs? What if she couldn’t find the person who did it? What if they tried again? What if Robert didn’t make a full recovery? What if… She didn’t even want to think it, but it was there, lingering, looming, taunting, torturing her. The biggest, most frightening what-if of them all. What if she lost him?

She shook the thought out of her head and picked up her phone. It was after eleven, but she decided it was not too late to send a text to Finn.

• Hey, you. Still up?
• Hey yourself.
• How are you?
• About the same as last time I saw you. How’s Robert?
• About the same. Epiphany was just here. His vitals were okay.
• That’s good.
• Thank you for everything you did for him today.
• Just doing my job.
• You saved him. You and Robin and Patrick. I love you for that. Among other things. 😉
• Love you too.

She sent him a goodnight kiss emoji and waited moment. When he didn’t respond she clicked the phone off and tossed it onto Robert’s bed. She stood and stretched, then replaced her gun in her waistband and took a few laps around the room. She rolled her shoulders and neck and took deep breaths trying to calm her nerves and clear her head.

She felt frustrated and powerless. She knew she had to think of something. Come up with some kind of plan. But the members of her usual cohort were either missing, unconscious, or otherwise rendered useless. Mac and Jordan were trying. But had so far they hadn’t come up with much. Where was all the evidence?

“Think,” she heard herself whisper. “The evidence cannot simply have disappeared.”

When her phone dinged with a text message a moment later, it felt like the answer to her prayers. She scrambled to pick it up. What she found was a text from an unknown number that read:

• I have evidence you need. Meet me on Pier 56.

Anna felt her skin tingle with the rush of adrenaline as she answered.

• When?
• 20 minutes
• Who is this?
• A friend.

A friend, Anna thought. Who? Frisco? Was that possible? Maybe. Maybe not. Whoever it was, she couldn’t afford not to follow up. She knew it would take more than twenty minutes to run the number, arrange for backup, and arrive at the pier. And then there was the matter of finding someone she trusted to stay with Robert.

• Can you give me 30?

The answer came again.

• 20 minutes. Come alone.

As quickly as she could, Anna texted the number to Agent Robinson at the WSB.

• Run a check on this number ASAP.

She double-checked that her own gun was fully loaded, even though she already knew it was, and pulled on the coat that Finn had brought with her things.

“Sit tight, Robert,” she said, giving his hand a quick squeeze. “Don’t you dare think of going anywhere, you hear me?” She didn’t like leaving him, but she couldn’t afford not to follow the lead.

She stepped outside the door and stood, surveying the floor, looking for anyone who might be of service. That’s when she spotted him. Finn’s brother was heading toward the elevator.

 Thank God, she thought. “Chase!” she called. “Do you have a second?”

“Anna, I was just here following up with some teens who got into a fight outside of Kelley’s. What’s up? Is Robert okay?”

“At the moment,” Anna said, her finger nervously touching her face the corner of her mouth. “I know it’s late. But I wonder if you could just help me out for a bit. Are you due back at the station?”

“If you need me, I can stay for a few minutes.”

“Great! I just need you to stay here and guard this door. All right? Just stand here and don’t let anyone other than GH staff in until I get back. No matter what. Can you do that for me?”

“Sure, but…”

“I’ll explain later. I have to go.” She took off toward the stairs, then turned, and as she continued walking backward, called again. “No matter what!”

“No matter what,” Chase said back, but Anna was already out of earshot.

*             *             *

Fifteen minutes later as Anna approached the pier, she took a final look at her messages.

Agent Robinson:

• Sender unidentifiable. Sent from annoymoustexts.com.

Jordan:

• Backup 10 minutes out.

“Sent 3 minutes ago,” Anna said under her breath. She looked at the time. She’d left the hospital eighteen minutes ago. She didn’t have seven minutes more to spare. It was risky going in alone, but losing the lead was riskier.

She dropped her phone into her left coat pocket and wrapped her hand around the butt of the pistol in the other, then slowly stepped out of the corridor between the neighboring buildings onto the pier.

She scoped out the scene. It was dark, save for the moonlight that cast eerie shadows in every direction. The night was still and quiet. Almost too quiet, but she took a breath and advanced a few more steps.

“Hello? Is anybody here?”

There was no answer. But when a shipping crate fell from the top of a stack that stood just behind her, Anna whipped around and drew her gun.

“Who’s there?” she said

The black cat said nothing as it scurried away and Anna exhaled, exasperated. She walked around the stack of crates, still surveying the area.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught the tiniest movement in the darkness. For a moment she thought it might just be the cat. But a second later, the crack of a single gunshot broke through the night.

Chapter 12

”Anna!” Mac hollered out as he dashed toward the sound of the shot. He was at a run, gun drawn when he reached the pier. He stopped for just a few seconds and scanned the area. No one. But at the sight of a woman’s boot sticking out from behind a wall of shipping crates, his stomach lurched. He quickly approached and seeing her lying on the ground, stowed his weapon. He shoved a shipping crate out of his way to get to her.

“Anna! Can you hear me? Are you all right?” He crouched beside her to check for wounds and instinctively reached to check for a pulse. “Get some help over here!” he called to the officers on his heels.

“Relax,” Anna said, stirring. “I fine.”

Mac reached out a hand and helped Anna to sit up. “Were you hit?”

“Yeah. But other than a couple of bruised ribs I should be fine,” she said, tapping the armor under her sweater.

“Where did you get the vest?”

Anna laughed. “Out of my back seat. Not my first rodeo,” she said.

“Thank God for that,” Mac said. “Did you get a look at the shooter?”

Anna shook her head as she got to her feet. “No time. I’ll give you the vest. See if you can salvage the bullet to trace it.”

“We’ll try. Any chance this just some punk kid?”

“No. Whoever did this lured me down here. They wanted me out of the way.”

“Based on the text you’re probably right.”

“I know I am. Which means I need to get out of here and get back to Robert. He’s still a target.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“You should probably stick around here and see if you can come up with any evidence as to who might have done this.”

“No dice. I want to make sure you get checked out when you get back to the hospital and we both know you’re too stubborn to do that if I don’t go with you.”

“Mac, I’m fine.”

“You probably are. But you know Robert would want me to be sure of that .”

Anna rolled her eyes.

“Besides, if you don’t let me go, I’ll have to call Finn. I’m sure he’d have an opinion.”

“No!”

Mac’s face registered surprise at her strenuous objection.

“If you call Finn it will only worry him, and he’ll want to get involved. He’ll want to call Robin and it will become a much bigger issue. I don’t have time to deal with that right now. All right?”

Mac considered this for a moment. “Okay. So, let’s go.” He took Anna by the arm and escorted her back to her car, keeping a watchful eye as they went.

*             *             *

When Anna and Mac arrived back at the hospital, their first stop was to have Anna checked out. As she suspected, she had a good-sized bruise on her chest and a bruised rib but was otherwise just fine. The time out did give her a chance to peel off the bulletproof vest in the exam room and hand it over to Mac. Given the way things were going with this investigation, she wasn’t exactly hopeful it would yield any results, but it was worth a shot. Worth a shot made her chuckle inwardly, which wasn’t a good idea since she still felt like she’d been hit with a baseball bat.

After Anna had been cleared, she and Mac made their way back to Robert’s room and, thankfully, found Chase still guarding it.

“Any action?” Anna asked Chase.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” he said with a kind smile.

“Thank you so much for staying,” Anna said.

“Any time. I hope you took care of whatever business you had?”

“Oh, well, I was following up on a lead, but it didn’t pan out,” Anna said.

“Better luck next time,” Chase said.

“Yeah,” Anna nodded.

“Well, if you don’t need me anymore, I’m gonna head back to the station,” Chase said. Then he noted the hospital-issue plastic bag in Mac’s hand. “What’s that?”

“Ah…” Mac stalled. He glanced at Anna, who gave him a very stern look, then went on. “Actually,” he said, holding up the bag, “if you can take this vest back with you and drop it off at the lab, I’d appreciate it.”

“What are we looking for?” Chase asked as he took the bag.

“There was an altercation on the docks. One of our officers took a hit,” Mac lied.

“Why didn’t you have them take it in?”

Mac hemmed and hawed a bit.

“He should have,” Anna stepped in. But they were still dealing with a situation on the pier—when I ran into him—and since we wanted to get it to the lab as soon as possible to extract the bullet, I suggested you might be able to take it for us. You know, since you were here anyway.”

“Sure,” Chase nodded.

“Thanks. Jordan will be expecting it,” Mac said.

Chase nodded again. “Okay. Well, I’ll head back then. I’ll let you know once we hear anything.”

“Thanks again, Chase,” Anna said.

“You bet. Oh, and you’ll want to give Peter a call,” Chase said as he started to walk away.

“Peter?” Anna said.

“Yeah. He stopped by while you were gone.”

“This late?” Anna said.  

“He seemed very concerned about D.A. Scorpio. Said he just really wanted to see him.”

“You didn’t let him in?”

“No ma’am. I was following orders. No matter what, remember?”

“Right!” Anna said.

“But I promised him you’d give him a call,” Chase added.

Anna nodded. “I’ll do that,” she said, managing a tight-lipped smile.

*             *             *

Once in Robert’s room, Mac and Anna each paused to greet the patient. Mac gave Robert the most cheerful hello as he could muster. Then, he watched as Anna laid a hand on his brother’s cheek and smiled at him. He wondered if she realized just how much love shone in her eyes when she looked at him. He almost made a comment, but he was somehow afraid it would be interrupting some unspoken conversation between them. So, he kept quiet.

When Anna finally slid her hand down to squeeze Robert’s and turned away, Mac cleared his throat.

“It was nice of Peter to come by, wasn’t it?” he said.

“You’ve changed your tune,” Anna said without looking at him.

“I was fired up earlier. You were right. I was too hard on him. He’s a good guy. He loves Maxie and she loves him. We were all just worried about Robbie, right?”

Anna barely acknowledged his words as she took off her coat laid it at the foot of the bed. She did a few stretches as she began to pace about again.

Mac observed her for a minute and before he spoke again. “All right, Anna. What’s going on?”

Anna nibbled on the nail of her right index finger. “I’m not sure,” she said without looking up.

Mac had seen Anna’s mind at work before. He, Robert, and Anna had poured over evidence together many times in the old days. Every time Anna’s mind started to piece things together, she would wrap her arms around herself and start to wear a silent path around the room.

“You might not be sure,” he said. “But you know, I’ve seen that look before, Anna. Don’t keep me in suspense. What are you thinking?”

Anna looked at Mac then, her brow creased and her lips pursed. She rubbed her chin with her thumb and index finger and said, “I need you to walk me through exactly what happened this afternoon.”

“When?”

“With Peter. What did you see? What were you so upset about?”

“Oh. Like Peter said, Anna, it was probably just a mis—”

Anna cut him off, her tone now more urgent. “Mac, listen to me. I need you to tell me exactly what you saw in that hallway at the church. What exactly was Peter doing?”

Chapter 13

“Anna, what are you getting at?” Mac asked, searching her face for a clue.

“I’m not sure yet. But I have an idea.”

“What is it?”

“Mac, just tell me what you saw, please. Take me through it step by step.”

Mac nodded. “Okay.” He took a seat in the recliner next to Robert’s bed and rubbed his hands over his thighs. Before beginning, he looked over at his brother breathing with the help of machines. “Why is he still intubated? I thought Patrick said the surgery went well.”

Anna perched on the edge of Robert’s bed facing Mac. “Given the severity of the situation, I guess it did. According to Robin, he did lose a lot of blood due to some additional damage. A nicked artery or something. They were concerned about him going into shock. He’s still sedated right now to give him time to rest. From what I understand, they’ll bring around sometime tomorrow. See how he does breathing on his own. They can’t really tell me everything, you know, because we’re not really related. You may get more information…”

Mac hadn’t even thought about that. As odd as it seemed, after all they’d been through, he still considered Anna Robert’s next of kin. Somehow, he’d imagined that everyone did. “I can go check with someone for you,” he said, standing.

“Mac…” Anna put a hand up. “Later. If there were any kind of an update, they would have called you or Robin. She’ll tell me if she knows something. Right now, sit, please. I need you to tell me what you know. Because figuring out what happened… that’s what we can do to help Robert.”

“Right. You’re right,” Mac said. He sat again and took a breath. He thought for a moment, trying to focus on the events of the afternoon. But he didn’t see how anything he’d seen could be of value. He frowned and shook his head. “There really isn’t that much to tell.”

“Anything you can give me is more than I have now,” Anna insisted. She pushed on. “So…you left the sanctuary in search of Peter and the first aid kit. What happened then?” She folded her arms and waited.

“Well, Peter was taking his sweet time getting back with the first aid kit, so I took off to find him. I thought maybe he couldn’t find it, or I don’t know. I expected to have to look for him. But as I stepped into the vestibule, I spotted him.”

“And what was he doing?”

“He was standing over in a corner with his phone in his hand.”

“What do you think he was doing with the phone?”

“I don’t know.”

“I mean, was he making a call, scrolling through messages?”

“No. He wasn’t making a call. Maybe scrolling. Checking messages. That’s what he said he was doing, right? That’s what he told us earlier in the waiting room. I don’t know. It all happened so quickly, you know?”

“It felt like forever to me,” Anna said, glancing at Robert.

“I’m sure,” Mac said.

Anna was quiet for a minute, then she blew out a breath. “Okay. Anything else you can think of? Anything unusual?”

Mac hesitated, then said, “Maybe.”

“What?”

“Well, he said he was checking for messages from us, right?”

“He did.”

“But he wasn’t that far away. Why didn’t he just come back in and ask us? Time was of the essence, right? And what irritated me… he didn’t look like he was in any hurry at all. He didn’t look worried. In fact, he almost looked like he was smiling.”

“Why would he be smiling?”

“Exactly. I have no idea.”

“Did you speak to him?”

“I asked him what the hell he was doing.”

“Did he seem startled?”

Mac shrugged, “No more than usual.”

“Then what?”

“He put the phone in his pocket and bent over to pick up the first aid kit of the floor. I wasn’t in the mood to wait any longer, so I ran over and grabbed the bag from him. Then I rushed back into the sanctuary. That’s it.”

Anna stood with her hands folded. Her index fingers formed a steeple that rested on her lips as she thought. There was no big proof in Mac’s account, but his statement didn’t discount any of her working theories either. She sauntered across the room and stared out the window, still playing over everything in her head and racking her brain for details she might have missed.

Mac finally spoke again just to break the long silence. “Like I said, Anna, there wasn’t much to tell. I’m sorry. I should probably get back to the station.” He said goodbye to Robert and was headed for the door when Anna called out.

“Mac, what pocket did he put the phone in?”

Mac turned and put his hands on his hips. “His jacket pocket?”

“The inside jacket pocket?”

“Yeah, why?”

“That’s it.”

“What is?”

“It’s just a hunch, but I think I may have an idea.”

“Okay?”

“When you go back to the station, I need you to give a full statement with everything you just told me. Can you do that?”

‘Sure, but what are you thinking?”

“I’ll fill you in in a minute. Can you go out to the nurse’s station and ask them for some plastic bags? Something we can put evidence in.”

“Anna—”

“One big, one small if they have it.”

“Anna—”

“Mac, just go!”

Mac didn’t like being out of the loop, but he knew better than to get on Anna’s bad side. He hustled out the door in search of bags as instructed.

Anna whipped her phone out of her pocket and hit a number on speed dial. She cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder and pulled a pair of rubber gloves from the box on the counter.

Jordan, she said into the phone, “I need your help with a few things. First, I’d like armed guards with Robin’s family and Maxie Jones. Send someone over to GH, please. I have some evidence I’m sending. I’d like you to it have analyzed. Fine.  Yes, that’s right. And I’d like to send Mac and a team back to the church I have an idea about something we might have missed. Thanks.”

Anna hung up the phone just as Mac returned with the plastic bags.

“Ah, good! There you are!” she said, snapping on the pair of gloves. She picked up Robert’s phone from the bedside table, holding it by the edges so as not to make any more smudges than she already had. She hit the button on the side to make the screen go dark and dropped it into the small bag as Mac held it open. “There are going to be multiple sets of prints on here, mine being the most recent. It’s a long shot. But I’m hoping they can get at least one clear print of Peter’s for good measure. Once they’ve run it for prints, I’ll have someone from my tech team at the bureau take a look at it.”

“Okay. What are they looking for?”

“I want to see if they can verify what was done on that phone today between noon and the time I got hold of it.”

“Why noon?”

“Because the church bells rang at noon. That has to be when the shot was fired. It’s the only possible explanation for why I didn’t hear it. And because that phone—Robert’s phone—was in the inside pocket of Peter’s tuxedo jacket. I think he had that phone in the vestibule, not his own.”

“Even if he did, how do we know he had anything to do with Robert getting shot?”

“Based on that, we don’t. I’m just looking for any evidence I can get.”

“You really think Peter had something to do with this?”

“I wish I didn’t, Mac. But there are too many coincidences at play and my gut is telling me that I have to follow this lead. I’ve given Peter every opportunity to prove himself as the man he claims to be. But I can’t ignore my instincts any longer.”

What about Maxie and Robin? Are they safe?”

“I think so. But we’re sending plainclothesmen to keep an eye on them and I’ll get an undercover agent to tail Peter until we know whether or not there’s anything to worry about.”

Anna retrieved Peter’s tuxedo jacket from her pile of things and carefully folded it. “I’m gonna have this tested for gun powder residue.”

Mac sealed the jacket into the large bag. “Okay. What else can I do to help?”

Jordan is sending someone to pick up the evidence. Before you give her that statement, I’d like you to head back over to the church.”

“We’ve searched every inch of that church and the grounds twice.”

“Not every inch. We presumed the bridal suite was safe. Remember?”

“I’m on it,” Mac said, heading for the door.

The door closed behind him and Anna let out a sound that was equal parts sigh and groan. She approached Robert’s side and took his hand again. “You’ve told me all along he was trouble, Robert. I didn’t want to believe it. I still don’t. But as much as I hate to admit it, I think you might be right. And if you are… if it’s him… we’re gonna get him. You hear me?”  She paused and gave him a sad smile. “You know, the only good thing about you being sedated right now is that you can’t say ‘I told you so.’”

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll let you do that later. If… No. When you get better. All right?”