The Reckoning by Jana DeLeon

to find. What he saw was the last possible thing he’d expected.
    Sarah was standing at the island in her kitchen, hands covered with flour and singing along with a George Strait song playing on the radio. She looked up as he walked into the room and beamed.
    “It’s about time you made it. I’m getting hungry. And look—I’m making your favorite for dessert—apple pies. I had enough for three so Alex and I will be eating it for a while and you’ll be taking one home.”
    Holt forced a smile. “Thanks,” he said to Sarah, then leaned toward Alex, who was standing beside him in the doorway and asked in a low voice, “What did you give her?”
    “Oh, doctors can’t dispense the sort of drugs that produce those results.”
    “Then what?”
    “Sarah had an appointment with Madam Fredericks this afternoon.”
    Holt held in a groan. The last thing he needed was that crazy woman getting Sarah’s hopes up.
    “I see you’re as happy about the turn of events as I am,” Alex observed.
    “What did she say?”
    “That Erika would be returned to Sarah.”
    Holt narrowed his eyes. “But no reference to Erika being alive?”
    “Funny how you caught that, too. Seems Sarah’s the only one who hasn’t.”
    “Great.” Holt sighed. “So what are we supposed to do now?”
    “We pretend everything’s going to be fine until Sarah goes to bed, then we discuss a plan for tomorrow. Can I assume since your disgruntled uncle called, you got a search warrant?”
    “Oh, yeah, much to the dismay of everyone involved except you and I.”
    Sarah waved a floured hand at the two of them. “What are you guys waiting for? Get started on supper before we starve.”
    “I guess that’s my cue,” Holt said. “What kind of tomatoes did you buy?”
    Sarah laughed. “Any kind you want.” She pointed to the counter behind her.
    “Don’t say a word,” Alex said, when he scanned the counter and looked back at her.
    “Wasn’t going to.”
    * * *
    T HREE HOURS LATER , Alex pushed back her almost-empty plate of apple pie, unable to eat another bite. “I’m going to pop,” she said.
    Sarah took a last bite of her apple pie and nodded. “I won’t need to eat again for a week.”
    “I don’t know about a week,” Holt said, “but food’s definitely not going to be a priority for a while.”
    Sarah pushed her chair back. “Well, I’m going to take a shower and head to bed. Tomorrow could be a big day, and I want to be my best when my baby comes home.”
    “Sarah, I think—” Alex started.
    “Thank you, Holt,” Sarah interrupted, “for preparing a great supper.” She gave Alex a knowing look. “I’ll just leave you two to wrap up the rest of the night.”
    As soon as Sarah left the kitchen, Holt laughed. “She could have been a little more subtle,” he said.
    Alex sighed. “Subtlety was never Sarah’s strong point.”
    “Yours, either, if my memory serves correctly.”
    “I’ve gotten worse with age.”
    “Good. That means you should meet my next question with a direct answer.”
    Alex immediately shifted from open to closed. Whatever Holt had in mind, she was certain she wasn’t going to like it.
    “I know you told me to never ask,” Holt started.
    Alex knew immediately what was coming next. “No,” she said, shaking her head.
    “The information you have may help us find Erika.”
    “No, it won’t.” Alex felt a wave of nausea pass over her as her mind shifted for a split second to those years ago. “I promise you, what I saw won’t help anyone.”
    Alex’s emotions waged a war inside her head and heart. She knew she could trust Holt with her secrets, but she couldn’t trust him with her heart. Baring her soul to him, especially about that particular item, wasn’t something she’d come to Vodoun prepared to do. It wasn’t something she’d ever thought about doing.
    She tried to formulate the words. Tried to find the exact combination that would convince him to leave this alone, but before she