Free When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions) by Lynette Eason

told her I’d help.” Alexia let out a sigh. “Okay, I’ll let Hunter know you told Christine, although I don’t think that’s going to be much help. I guess I need to get going. I need to check in with Mom and . . .” She flailed a hand. What did she really need to do?
    “And?”
    “I don’t know. I want to go back to Mom’s house. I noticed her grass needs cutting. I might as well do it. I feel like I have ants crawling under my skin. I’m restless. Maybe doing something physical will help. Plus I want to see if I missed anything from yesterday, see if I can figure out anything about Devin.”
    Serena frowned at her. “The police will figure that out.”
    “I know. I just . . .” Once again she trailed off. “Something really feels wrong.”
    “A man died. Of course something feels wrong.” Concern etched itself on Serena’s face.
    Alexia stared at her friend. “I need to remember what happened that night.”
    “The night of the fire?”
    “Yes. I get bits and pieces, but I can’t remember what started it, why my dad would blame me—other than the fact that he hated me.”
    Serena didn’t bother to object to Alexia’s statement that her father hated her. She’d seen for herself the bruises on Alexia’s back, stomach, and shoulders.
    “I don’t know, Lex.”
    “And—” Alexia drew in a deep breath—“I think I need to do something I really don’t want to do.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Find my father.”
    Serena lifted a brow. “Are you crazy?”
    “Probably.” Alexia spotted her overnight bag on the chair. Before leaving Washington, she’d packed a big suitcase for her stay and an overnight bag that held her toiletries. Serena had already dug a clean set of clothes from the suitcase and draped them across the back of the chair. “Thanks for getting these out for me.”
    Serena shrugged. “No problem. I didn’t figure you wanted to put those back on.” She gestured to the pile of clothes by the bed.
    Alexia grimaced and shuddered. “I think I’ll burn them.”
    Understanding flashed across Serena’s face.
    Desperate for a change of subject, Alexia asked, “What’s up with my mother and Michael Stewart?”
    A faint smile curved Serena’s lips. “I think they have a mutual attraction for each other.”
    Alexia didn’t know why the words carried such a punch. She’d suspected as much. “My mother? Interested in a man? A man interested in my mother?” She snorted. “Now that’s just weird. After the number my father did on her, I would have figured she’d run screaming if another man even looked at her.”
    A light hand settled on Alexia’s shoulder. “Your mom’s had a lot of counseling over the last few years. She graduated from school with an administrative assistant degree. She’s going to church. I’m serious. I’ve been in a few Bible studies with her and gotten to know the new Hannah Allen. She’s not the same woman you’re picturing from ten years ago. Give her a chance.”
    Pausing, Alexia studied her friend. Then blew out a sigh. “All I can do is promise I’ll try to see what you see in her. Okay?”
    “It’s a start.”

     
    Alexia’s head ached from her run-in with her attacker in the parking garage, but she felt the need to return to the house. Plus, the grass needed cutting. Her mother loved a neat yard. Why Alexia felt compelled to give her one she couldn’t say. She just remembered her mother’s comments on the rare occasion her father cut the grass. “I love the yard, Greg, it’s beautiful.”
    Most of the time, the job fell to the teenaged Alexia. And she loved it. It got her out of the house and gave her time to think.
    Pulling into the driveway, she parked her car and noticed the crime scene tape. Should she go in? Were they finished processing the house? Unsure, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Hunter’s number.
    He picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”
    “Hi, Hunter, it’s Alexia.”
    His voice warmed. “Hi