Blaze: Queen's Birds of Prey

“I am so long as you’re with me. I can do just about anything so long as you’re around.” He smiled at her. Just a few weeks ago he’d been told that she’d not live until Christmas. Now here they were anticipating having great grandchildren around. “I’ve talked to Remi about our money. She said that it was there for us to use if we wanted, but all bills and other things are to come to them. Even the staff. They’re really going to take care of us, aren’t they?”

“Yes. And I have to tell you, Reba, I’m glad that we have granddaughters as well as Bryson back in our lives. Those girls, they already call me Grandpa. I know that I should probably call them Grandma or something, but I feel great having them here.” They both laughed. “We’re to go to Mercy’s home tonight. Joel told me that it’s going to be a hell of a party. I don’t know what’s going on, but they sure do know how to make a man feel like he’s got life again.”

“I know what you mean. Did I tell you that I went to get my hair done yesterday, and they all showed up to take me to lunch? I could get used to this sort of treatment. I’m so glad that Bryson took us out of that old home. I was beginning to feel like we’d have our last breath smelling like old people.” He pointed out that they were old people. “I guess. But this is nice too.”

The two of them toured the rest of the home. There were five bedrooms not counting the master suite. Staff too, and a limo for them to ride around in. Bryson told them that if they needed anything, it was theirs. Paul believed him.

“He looks so much like our baby, doesn’t he? I mean, every time I look into his eyes, I see Rose there. I think he has a kinder heart, even though I thought that Rose was the sweetest girl a dad could have.” Reba told him about the marker that Bryson had put on her grave. “I’m going to go see it today. I have a plan to tell her all about her little boy. My goodness, it breaks my heart when I think of everything that she missed. I’m going to see it all for her.”

“I’ve been thinking of planting a few trees in the back yard in her honor. She so loved apples. While you go to her marker, I think that I’ll have me a sit down out there and talk to her. You know how I feel about cemeteries.” He did—she hated them, mostly seeing the small gap between the years for birth and death. “I keep thinking how much more I miss her because of Bryson being here.”

“I think that was what they were talking about when they told us to think hard on being immortal. I have to tell you, honey. I think the little pain of missing our daughter will be fine when the kids start to come around. Why that little Miley, she sure is a hoot. And so smart too.” Reba agreed with him. “Did I tell you that she’s going to come over after school and show me how to use the computer? I have a little knowledge about using it, but not enough to use it daily. The nursing home, they should have computers there for people like us. You know, so we’d have something to do rather than think about how time was passing so slowly for us.”

“You know, I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Paul thanked her, then asked her what he’d done. “Get someone to see about computers in the homes. I mean, even if they only watched movies or played games, it would be a sight better than just reading ten year old magazines and going to bed at five-thirty.”

“I only did that the one time. You know what happened, too, when I did that. I was up at five in the morning without anyone to talk to and nothing to eat. I hated that we couldn’t have snacks and things like that in our rooms. What’s up with that? I think they forget sometimes that we’re paying them, not the other way around.” She pointed out about allergies. “I don’t have any allergies. I should be able to eat an apple when I want to. Besides, who could be allergic to apples? No one, that’s who.”

“You’re getting your dander up, Paul.” He laughed. “You can have an apple anytime you want now. We no longer live there.”

“Yes, that’s right.” He pulled his lovely wife into his arms. “You’re always right, did you know that? And I love you more than I could ever tell you. Or s

how you.”

He kissed her then, holding her body to his as he did so. Paul did love Reba, and would for the rest of his days. Knowing that she had cancer before had made him want to remember every word she said, everything she did. Even now, knowing that she was going to be around for him forever, he still tried to remember everything about her.

“You have the most beautiful eyes, my dear. And your skin is so soft and pure. You’ve taken such good care of yourself over the years, and you’ve aged very well.” She thanked him. “Why don’t you and I go into town and have us a nice dinner tomorrow night? Then see a movie or two? I can’t remember the last time that the two of us had a date.”

“I love that idea.” She kissed him again on the mouth before moving away. When she turned back and looked at him, he could see the sadness in her eyes. “Paul, don’t you ever leave me, all right? I really could not live without you.”

“I couldn’t you either, Reba.”

Looking around the room they were in while Reba went to get dressed, he saw their life laid out in pictures. There where framed pictures of him and Reba all over the room, and pictures of them with Rosemarie. The few that they had of Bryson when he’d been just an infant were plenty, but they stopped at the same time they lost his little girl. He decided then that he was going to fill the house with good memories, and replace the old pictures with new ones. New memories that included the family that he’d been given as a gift.

When Reba came down the hall from their bedroom, he told her his plan. That they needed to get a camera that took amazing pictures. Then he remembered the phones that they’d been given, and worked to get a selfie of the two of them. He needed to get dressed as well, but he loved the way they looked together.

It took him three tries, but he was finally able to send the picture out to his grandson and granddaughters. He was glad when they all messaged back that it was a fantastic picture. Miley told him that she was very proud of him for making it work.

“We need to get us one of those picture frames that will change out the picture all the time.” Paul asked Reba what that was. “I don’t know what it’s called, but I’m betting that Miley does. Wouldn’t it be nice to have pictures around us all the time so we can remember every minute that we have to spend with our new family?”

“Yes. Yes, it would.”

Kissing her again, he went to get dressed. All he could think about was all the time they both had to make more memories. But they would not to forget the old ones while making new ones. He wanted to share with Bryson about his mother and her childhood. Then he’d do the same with all the children that came along. Rosy would be so happy to know that they’d gotten her boy back. She’d be even happier to know that he was married, and happy too.

“Rosy girl, I love you with all my heart, and I promise you, I’ll tell the world about you so you’re never forgotten.”

Chapter 9

The key fit. Blaze didn’t know why she thought it wouldn’t, but when it slipped into the hole and opened the box, she let out a long breath. This was going to be the turning point for a lot of unsolved crimes. At least she hoped so.

There were only a few things in the box. A pair of wedding rings with nothing written on the zippy bag they were in. A book, which was what she’d come to find, as well as money. Pulling it out of the box, she could see right away that it wasn’t real. Counterfeit. Wondering what that meant, she put all the things into a bag that she’d brought and put it aside. There was still one more thing in the box.

The picture startled her when she uncovered it from under the book. Just looking down at it, Blaze wasn’t even sure what she was looking at. Then when she picked it up, turning it right side up, she stared at the photo for several seconds before it dawned on her what she was looking at.

It was a slightly blurred picture of a couple that was obviously dead. She was sure that it was Bryson’s parents, but since she’d never met them, she couldn’t be sure. But the picture, she realized, was more than just a picture of a dead couple. It was very telling in that the man holding the gun was none other than Curt.

He was standing over the body of the woman. It looked as if he’d only just fired at her head, judging by the small puff of smoke from the gun. When she turned it over, she noticed that there were several pictures and looked them all over. It occurred to her that they were in the wrong order.

After setting them the correct way, she looked at them once again. She could see now that they were pictures of Curt first killing the man by shooting him in the head, then the woman. As he put the gun in Rosemarie’s hand and fired it up into the air, for what Blaze thought was to put gun residue on her hands, he stood over her, laughing.