"Robert, I'm just joking." Sophie turned to Bernice. "Satisfied?"

Bernice rolled her eyes, then stood next to Robert linking her arm through his as though she were offering some kind of protection against Sophie's psychic threats.

Chief Lowande chose that moment to make his presence known. "If you all are ready, the family is waiting." He gave them all a once-over sweep, then said, "Follow me."

The Dunlop family, along with a crew of law enforcement officers from every branch, waited in a conference room. When the kids saw Sophie, their eyes lit up like sparklers on the Fourth of July.

Sophie made her way across the small expanse and wrapped both children in a giant bear hug. She had tears in her eyes, but they were happy tears. No one said anything while Sophie held the kids in her embrace. As soon as she released them, the mother and father both wrapped her in their arms.

Evelyn and Buddy Dunlop were in their early forties. Both lean, with athletic builds, the couple looked exhausted, but their smiles could've lit up the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. Toots observed the pair. Given what they'd been through, and having been through this with Abby, she thought they looked pretty darn good.

"I can't tell you how grateful we are," Evelyn Dunlop said. "What can I do to repay you? There must be something." Evelyn Dunlop's brown eyes were filled with happy tears.

"Never, Evelyn. This is what I do. It's what I am. But my friends are dying to meet you and the kids."

Sophie introduced the Dunlop family to Toots first, then Goebel. "Abby, who's not here, is Toots's daughter, and Mavis and Ida and I are Abby's G.o.dmothers. And, of course, Bernice here with her . . ." She was going to say "bed partner," but she remembered there were children in the room. And she did not have a clue whether Bernice and Robert had made it official by doing the deed, and didn't care. ". . . good friend, Robert. He and his brother are our very friendly next-door neighbors."

After they were introduced, they talked for a while. When Jeremy and Kristen started yawning, Toots was the first to say, "These kids need their rest."

After another round of saying "thank you," hugs, and promises to stay in touch, they returned to their homes, each thankful that they had been there to witness a happy ending.

Chapter 10.

Phil Becker dialed Toots's telephone number for the fifth time in the past two hours. Finding it highly unusual that no one was around to pick up the phone at such a late hour, he quickly dressed and headed across town.

Twenty minutes later, he was at the entrance to the colossal Southern home. Seeing that the gates were open, he pulled inside, without bothering to stop and close them, which was his normal practice. The situation was not totally unusual, given the women who made this their home. He punched down on the accelerator, causing the car to fishtail. "s.h.i.t," he said out loud. Then he thought he'd better slow down, or he'd be returning to the hospital as a patient. Tapping the brakes as he approached the main house, Phil grinned. A light emanating from the windows in the old mansion let him know someone was up and about. When he saw Toots's Lincoln parked in the drive, he knew something was up. She loved that old car and always made sure to keep it garaged when she wasn't driving. She'd often told him she preferred driving the Lincoln over the Land Rover, except when she was in California, where her little red Thunderbird was the vehicle of choice.

He parked behind her. As was his habit, he left his keys in the ignition, just in case he was called to the hospital. Years of late-night calls and lost car keys had forced him to do this, even though he knew there was a chance a car thief could drive off without any warning. Just a chance he took; and if his car was ripped off, he would have no one to blame but poor memory and sheer stupidity on his part.

Normally, he would walk right into the house, unannounced, but something told him to knock this time. He tapped on the door frame and heard a voice from downstairs call, "Come in!"

Voices and the heavenly scent of coffee led him to the kitchen. When he entered, everyone seated at the table stopped talking, focusing their attention on him. "What?" he asked. "Do I have a horn growing out of my head or what?"

Sensing a reluctance among the group gathered around the large dining table, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Goebel spoke up. "I take it you haven't been watching the eleven o'clock news," he stated.

"No, I was home catching up on paperwork. Why? Did I miss something important?"

Staring at Toots, who remained seated at the head of the table, Phil raised an eyebrow in her direction. Something was going on. It was a rare moment to find the girls so quiet.

Unable to keep silent any longer, despite her earlier misgivings concerning her relationship with Phil, Toots couldn't help but perk up when she saw him. "Two children disappeared today. They were last seen at the bakery." Toots paused, taking a deep breath. "They questioned us, wanted to know how well I knew Jamie and Lucy."

Intrigued, Phil helped himself to a cup of coffee, then leaned against the counter. "Have they found them?"

"Yes, thank G.o.d," Toots said, then gave him a brief rundown. "We just finished watching the eleven o'clock news."

"This is good, then, right?" Phil asked.

Toots looked at Phil. "It is. For the family. Sophie actually found them by using her psychic abilities. It's all over the news now. I've had to unplug the phone because the media hounds are out, and they want an exclusive with Sophie. I know it's crazy coming from me, of all people, but I do wish they would stop right now and go find something else to write about. This isn't stuff for . . . The Informer. "

"Oh, c.r.a.p, Toots, we're not in LA. This is big news here," Sophie said, then stood up. "I'm going outside. You coming?" she asked Toots as she took the package of cigarettes next to her cup of coffee.

Phil just shook his head and gave a little grin. "Go on, I know you're just dying to smoke."

"I just want a puff or two. Goebel, explain to him how this unfolded," Toots said on her way out the door.

Once they were outside, where no one could overhear them, Sophie instantly picked up on Toots's inner conflict before she even had a chance to mention it. "You can't stop seeing Phil," Sophie said as soon as they had a few drags from their smokes. "He's your 'the one,' like Goebel's mine."

Dumbfounded, Toots turned to her friend. "What the frig are you talking about?"

"Oh, stop acting like you don't know what I know. I'm psychic, remember? Plus, you're my best friend in the world-though don't tell that to Mavis, because I told her that, and asked her not to tell you, which is beside the point because you haven't been acting like yourself all day. I'm not so engrossed in tonight's events that I can't tell you're not yourself. So you either tell me, or I'll find out by some other means."

Toots rolled her eyes, even though she knew Sophie couldn't see her in the darkness. "You really are a nosy b.i.t.c.h, but since you claim to be my best friend, at least for today-and if you'll promise to keep this between the two of us until I've reached a decision-I suppose it's okay for me to tell you what's going on." She inhaled another gust of grayish white smoke from her cigarette, holding it deep in her lungs. Then she exhaled, and one giant huff came from her mouth like an angry storm cloud.

"I'm listening," Sophie said.

"There really isn't much to tell. I had an epiphany of sorts today when Mavis and I stopped by Abby's." She took a deep breath, thinking it wasn't going to be as easy as she thought to say the words out loud to Sophie, because then it would make this real. Plus, Sophie wouldn't stop pestering her until she'd forced Toots to examine her situation from every possible angle. Perhaps that was precisely what she needed. "Phil's talked about retiring, moving to Myrtle Beach, and writing that novel he's always wanted to write. Then, boom, out of nowhere, he told me he wanted to take our relationship to 'the next level.' I haven't told Phil everything about my past. I . . ." Toots paused, searching for the right word. "It's been over a year, Soph. What will he think of me when he finds out I've been married eight times? And what's even worse, and scares me more, every man I marry dies. Don't you find that strange? Too strange to chalk up to coincidence." There, the words were out again. She felt crummier every time she spoke them.

Sophie drew on her cigarette, then crushed it out in the old coffee can they kept filled with sand just for that purpose. "How long have we known one another, Toots?"

Again, Toots rolled her eyes despite the fact that Sophie couldn't see her childish action. Somehow, it made her feel good to do that, so she rolled her eyes again. "Since seventh grade. I believe we were twelve, thirteen. What does that have to do with anything?"

"We don't keep secrets from each other."

"And your point?" Toots asked.

"That's why our friendship has lasted all these years. We don't keep secrets, at least none that are really important. Like none of us really cared when we found out that Ida had her privates waxed. Those aren't the kind of things I'm talking about. Little everyday stuff doesn't count. But, Toots"-Sophie lowered her voice-"you can't keep this kind of stuff from Phil. I can't believe he hasn't heard any jabs coming from any of us. It's not like we don't tease you about your past, though not quite as much as we've teased Ida. You have to tell him, Toots. I know you're head over heels in love with the guy. He's an honorable man. You owe him the truth."

"You're right, but after a year, it's not going to be easy," Toots agreed. "I'm thinking it might be best to end this now. I know it's wrong, but, s.h.i.t, Sophie, Phil will think I am nothing more than a lying s.l.u.t. Like Ida," Toots added, grinning.

"Okay. End it. But what are you going to tell Phil when he asks why? Have you thought of that?"

Toots shook her head. "No." And she didn't want to, but if she planned on saving his life, she'd have to, and simply suffer the consequences. This was her choice; though she had to admit, she hadn't intentionally set out to deceive Phil. It just never seemed to be the right time. Now that Phil wanted to take their relationship up a level, there was not a shred of doubt that it was the right time. But her heart fluttered at the thought. Sophie was right. Phil was her "the one," and she'd totally screwed herself for not being totally honest with him. And why was her conscience eating away at her now? After she had experienced eight marriages, one would think sliding into a romantic relationship would be as easy as pie for her, whatever the h.e.l.l that meant. Why now?

"Someone always told me the truth stands. Always. I think that someone was you, Toots. Take your own advice. Tell Phil the truth. Give the guy some credit. Most likely, he won't give a flying frig about your past. As we always say, 'The past is prologue.' Let Phil have a say in this decision. It's the right thing to do, and you know it full well."

"Yes, but I don't always do the right thing," Toots added glumly.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself! There are a million women out there who would give their middle fingers and then some to be in your shoes."

Again, Sophie was right, but it didn't help to make Toots feel any better about herself. And if she felt like pond slime, surely Phil was bound to feel the same way, too.

"I doubt that very much," Toots replied.

Sophie lit a cigarette, pa.s.sed it to Toots, then lit another for herself. "Look, we can't sit out here all night and decide what you should or shouldn't do. You know deep down that you should tell Phil the truth. If he doesn't want to continue in the relationship, then he's not the man we think he is. Has it ever occurred to you that he may have things in his past that he hasn't told you about?"

"He's not that kind of man," Toots said. "He's told me just about all there is to tell. h.e.l.l, he spent most of his life in school, then in private practice. I don't think he's had much free time to do anything that would even be considered a secret."

"Yeah, but do you know this for sure? Are you one hundred percent sure?"

The words never say never came to mind. And honestly, she was not 100 percent sure of anything, except her love for Abby and Chris. That, she knew to be real and honest. Toots lived in the real world. And in that world, one could never be completely sure about everything.

"Do you know something I don't? Because if you do, you'd better tell me before I make a total and complete idiot out of myself."

All at once, Sophie stood up and opened the screen door. "This isn't up to me. You're on your own this time." The screen door creaked as Sophie closed it behind her.

Toots planted the last of her cigarette in the can of sand, tucked a few loose strands of hair back into her topknot, and opened the back door. She would tell Phil about her past. Then, if he decided he didn't want to continue their relationship, she would accept it as her fate. However, tonight wasn't going to be the night she revealed her deep, dark secrets. Too much had happened, and besides, she was tired, too tired to care one way or another. Surely, one more day couldn't make a difference.

Toots stood in the doorway observing the comings and goings in her kitchen.

Bernice was making yet another pot of coffee. Robert's chin rested on his chest, a slight snore coming from his mouth. Ida had apparently called it a night, as she was nowhere to be seen. Mavis was rinsing out their coffee cups, readying for round two of the coffee klatch. Sophie and Goebel were making doe eyes at one another in the hallway. Toots wondered if he was going to spend the night tonight. Sophie tried to act like Miss Innocent, but Toots knew that Goebel often slept over. She didn't mind; they were all adults. As a matter of fact, she found herself relaxing at the thought of having a male presence in the house, something she never would've thought possible in those weeks after Leland's death. She'd been so relieved to be on her own, free again, that the mere thought of another man had raised her blood pressure so high, she thought her head would explode. Time had softened her hard edges, and Phil had certainly played a role in it, too. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the pantry, needing a minute to compose herself. Her eyes were wet with tears at the thought of what she had to tell Phil.

She was straightening the cans on the shelf, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Oh!" she said when she saw it was Phil. "You scared the s.h.i.t out of me! Don't do that again!" Toots said a bit too harshly.

He turned her around so that she faced him. "It's not too often I find you alone," he said; then he placed a kiss on the top of her messy hair. "And it's late, too."

Knowing he wanted her to invite him to stay over, she couldn't help but laugh. He'd been trying this for the past few months, telling her it was high time he got lucky.

"All the more reason for you to go home. Don't you have to be at the hospital early tomorrow morning?" Toots asked, trying to avoid any form of intimacy, no matter how brief.

"No," he said, and nibbled at her neck.

Toots felt goose b.u.mps p.r.i.c.kle down her spine. Before things went any further, Toots pushed Phil away, giving a wry laugh. "Bernice will have another heart attack if she sees us in here." She grabbed a can of corn and placed it beside a can of tuna, anything to keep her hands busy, away from him. "Let's have another cup of coffee."

Reluctantly, Phil followed her out of the pantry closet to the kitchen.

"Did I ever tell you that I think you drink way too much coffee?" he asked as he followed her to the table.

"Yes, and I believe I told you on more than one occasion to kiss my a.s.s," Toots reminded him, then wished she'd said something else.

"I do remember that, and I want to, but somehow we always end up"-he pointed to the table-"there. Drinking coffee."

Robert chose that moment to jerk awake. "What? Where am . . . Oh," he said, taking in his surroundings, then taking his napkin and wiping his mouth. "Where's Bernice?"

"I'm here, sugar," she called out. "I just made another fresh pot of coffee. You want another cup before you call it a night?"

"See?" Phil said, his grin a mile wide.

Toots shrugged. "What can I say? We all like our coffee, and the caffeine has no effect on any of us."

"This is the last pot of the night," Bernice said as she poured another cup for Robert without waiting for his answer. She filled her cup and sat down beside him. "I do not like having my cardiologist watch me drink coffee and stay up half the night. I am supposed to be taking care of myself," Bernice said when Phil took the chair across from hers.

Phil took the cup Toots placed in front of him and sipped at the hot brew. "You can drink coffee and stay up all night, Bernice, as long as you're exercising and eating the right foods. Remember, I'm not here as your physician. I'm here to hang with Toots."

She couldn't help but smile at Phil. d.a.m.n, but he was so handsome! Sophie was absolutely right. He was her "the one," and she knew it. All the more reason to keep from taking their relationship to "the next level." Tears threatened to spill as Toots suddenly visualized her life without Phil. d.a.m.n! She was turning into Ida. Couldn't live without a man. Then she remembered what had happened to all of her eight husbands; and though it hurt like h.e.l.l, she knew she was doing what was best for Phil. Sadly, even though she knew she was doing him a favor, she dreaded the days ahead without him. It wouldn't be like widowhood. This was different. Becoming a widow was final, no second chances, the end. For the first time in her life, Toots was going to let a man go without his taking a trip to a funeral parlor.

Because it was the right thing to do.

Chapter 11.

It had been over a week since Jeremy and Kristen Dunlop were taken and returned to their family; yet the local news stations continued to report on the story. The leader of the largest child-p.o.r.nography ring in the state turned out to be a prominent businessman. His family had gone into hiding, and he was in jail, awaiting a trial date.

Toots had decided to wait a few days before revealing her wicked past to Phil. They hadn't been alone since the night the kids were found because her dear friend Sophie, the ornery a.s.s, was now in the initial stages of filming a reality special for a top-notch cable news station. When the cable station had heard about her success at locating the children, its producers had immediately started calling. Yesterday the film crew arrived at Toots's house to set up cameras and take location shots. Sophie and Goebel were both going to be featured, so they'd had to be there for still photos and interviews, which would air long before the special did. The executive producer, a young woman named Karen, who was around Abby's age, had referred to them as teasers. It had been a madhouse ever since Sophie agreed to allow them to film the two-hour special. Toots was okay with it; but when the crew actually arrived, she almost wished Sophie had said no to the producers.

Cables, lights, and microphones were in every room Sophie and Goebel would enter. Why they hadn't filmed at Psychic Investigators, Sophie and Goebel's company office in Charleston, which they'd opened six months ago, was a mystery.

Sophie made her first appearance in the kitchen at six o'clock this morning, when Toots, Bernice, and Mavis were enjoying their first cup of coffee for the day. Ida wouldn't come downstairs until she was in full makeup, which was fine with the rest of them. She wasn't a morning person.

The crew consisted of two cameramen, the executive producer, and two a.s.sistants. Five extra people to contend with at this early hour, Toots thought, as the crew came downstairs.

"Morning," said Eli, the head cameraman.

"Good morning, young man," Mavis said, as always her voice full of cheer, no matter what time of day.

Toots had told them they could stay at her house, and now she wished she had booked them into a hotel. She hated being polite this early in the day, so she simply nodded at Eli, refilled her cup, and went outside to smoke.

A few minutes later, Sophie joined her. "They're all up now. d.a.m.n, Toots, I didn't realize they'd be underfoot twenty-four/seven. This is too d.a.m.ned early." Sophie lit up, then said in a whisper, "I don't have a good feeling about this"-she tossed her free hand in front of her-"life-invading stuff. It kept me up all night."

"What do you mean?" Toots asked, her voice laced with tension. "This wasn't my idea."

"Doesn't matter. I just have a bad feeling. I can't put my finger on any one specific thing, but when my gut talks, I always listen. You know that feeling. You have it, too."

Toots nodded and crushed out her cigarette. "So this isn't one of your psychic things?"

Sophie shook her head. "I don't think so. It's not right, whatever it is. I don't know if I should tell Karen to pack up and go home, or just go with it." Karen, the executive producer, was all business.

"She's a ballbuster for sure. I almost feel sorry for her two a.s.sistants," Toots said. "But this is your gig, so you do what you feel is best, but it would not hurt my feelings one little bit if you told the crew to pack up and head back to New York. What does Goebel think?"

Sophie lit a second cigarette off the first one. She inhaled, then blew the smoke out of the side of her mouth. "He says he'll do whatever I think is best. d.a.m.n, they just got here. I would really hate to toss them out on their a.s.ses the first day of shooting. Do you think the a.s.sistants are lesbians? I've been watching them, and they can't keep their eyes off one another."

"It's none of our business if they are," Toots said. "But I don't think so. I think the blonde is new to the job and just follows the other around like a lost puppy. They haven't been here long enough for me to get a take on them. As I said, this is your gig. You have my house for one week, and not a minute longer, as I agreed. After that, it's going to be my gig and your a.s.s."

Sophie was quiet, which was highly unusual, since her mouth usually ran nonstop. "Yeah, I know. Goebel put a bid in on that big old house down the road. You know the one that's older than dirt and painted purple?"

Toots smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." No way was she going to tell Sophie or Goebel that she, Toots herself, was the owner of said house. She'd purchased it years before as another one of her decorating projects. The move to LA and taking over at The Informer had put that project on the back burner. Until now. She'd been home for a year. When Goebel mentioned something about the house a few weeks ago, she'd given him her real-estate agent's phone number and told him to call, and what to bid. If he played his cards right, the house would be his for a song.