Chapter Twenty One
Jamie obeyed the doctor's orders and rested the next three days. Jamie and Eddie took turns caring for Frank's needs and whenever one of them was tired, the other picked up helping things along. Sunday morning, Jamie and Eddie lay curled together, leaving Lila and Steven to bring Frank to the early mass. They would attend later that day after resting a little bit more.
Jamie stroked Eddie's back, "I have to go back tomorrow baby. We still haven't caught Sean's rapist, and this thing with Erin…Either someone hacked her accounts or she's really done this, at least that's what it looks like."
Eddie sighed, "Erin and I have our differences but I can't believe that she willingly took part in the sale and kidnapping of innocent children, I just can't. I know that you'll find a way to clear her name, but since she's not sitting in jail or awaiting a trial of some kind, you can do it slower. Perhaps time with Erin will take the edge off of Nikki's personality."
"Nikki wanted to come down this weekend for dinner but I told her I felt it would be best if she didn't," Jamie confessed. "You're finally settling down and in and I'm feeling better, we don't need her stirring the pot, you know?"
Eddie agreed, "I hope your Dad a little responsible for that one. He was entirely too permissive with her. I think he learned his lesson."
Jamie agreed and slowly got up out of bed. "Brace," Eddie reminded him. "That's why your leg was getting weaker, you weren't using your supports."
Jamie nodded and reached for the annoying plastic contraption. He pulled it on and fastened the clips almost all the way. "Eddie…the top clip."
Eddie nodded gently and got up to secure the brace. "How's that…is it pinching your foot?"
"No, it only pinches when I have the sock on," Jamie replied. "We can fix it later." Using the cane and the brace, Jamie made it to the bathroom without incident. He executed his morning toilette entirely on his own. Usually he required the toothpaste opened or assistance with his shave, but today and the day before he did it fine.
Jamie came out smiling, "Your turn…I ran a tub. I noticed you were favoring that left side again where your hip hurts. A soak might do you some good."
Eddie slid from bed and slid her arms around him, "As good as some solid rest did for you." Eddie nuzzled him, so glad he seemed to be better and the ministrokes he had suffered, just that, mini. "Thank you for the hot tub. I'll be out soon to fix breakfast. We can go to the noon mass and be home in time for me to help the girls with dinner. Rita, Molly, and Lila are making their maiden voyage as a trio today. I have back up lasagna again."
Jamie laughed at Eddie and her back up food. Still, it had come in handy many times over the years. "I'm sure our girls will do fine."
Eddie sank into the hot water stretching her sore leg by reaching it up to the faucet and touching it with her toe. She heard Jamie fiddling in the bedroom, getting his clothing out and on. "I'm going down to do your tea and make coffee. Do you want me to juice your orange?"
"No, I'm going to eat it," Eddie called out. "I'm not very hungry this morning."
Eddie counted, "Five, four, three, two…" Then Jamie's face appeared. "You're not hungry?"
Eddie burst out laughing, "Not too. I feel all right, don't get so upset. I'll eat something later, I promise."
Jamie nodded and headed down to prepare the coffee and tea. Eddie took a twenty minute bath then joined him downstairs in pink top and grey pants with flat shoes. "Is it better?" Jamie asked moving to hold her again. This four days together had worked wonders on the strains in their marriage.
"It's better, yes, thank you," Eddie replied. "Egg whites and toast for you maybe?"
"Turkey bacon too, if it's not too much," Jamie replied sitting down with the Sunday paper. Both Eddie and Jamie were surprised when the door opened revealing Steven and a screaming Finn.
"What happened? Where's Lila, Reagan, and Dad?" Jamie asked. His grandson was crying in pain, he waited to see if the baby's father would realize it.
"Lila sent me back here with him. He just started to scream and Father was giving us looks. Lila is going to stay after to discuss their baptism."
"Well, why is he crying?" Jamie asked. "If he were hungry Lila would have nursed him."
"He's not, and he's not wet, he's just mad," Steven replied. "I think he's too hot in this blanket cocoon she put on him."
Jamie shook his head, "That's not it. Listen to your son's voice. Look at his face…" Jamie couldn't believe the baby was two months and his father still had to be coached.
Steven studied the boy's scrunched up face, "He always makes this face."
Jamie sighed and stood up, "Give me the baby." It was clear he was frustrated with Steven. Eddie turned to look at her son in law and watched Jamie unwrap their grandson and strip the baby to his diaper. Finally Jamie eased the diaper off revealing redness and roughness around the boy's private part and on his bottom. "He's got a diaper rash, your son was in pain. That was the sound he was making. In the upstairs bathroom there is a tube of diaper cream Eddie puts on them, bring that down and we'll put it on him."
Steven hurried upstairs and Jamie turned to Eddie, "We need to sterilize those kids. They should not reproduce again until they figure out how to be parents this first go around. Was it only me that could tell…"
"Jamie, as a new father, you were very supportive but when it came to understanding our Joey, you only learned that in the last two years. Glass houses my darling. You eat your breakfast, give me my grandson…"
Eddie showed Steven how to put on the diaper rash cream, 'Usually if one twin has it, so will the other and you're correct, the tightness of their swaddle might be contributing to this so I'd bring it up with Lila. They need the swaddle for comfort and warmth in the cooler weather but they need to breathe a little too."
Steven took Finn to rock him to sleep and Eddie looked at Jamie. "Why don't you and Steven go to the noon Mass, and I'll stay here with Finn and wait for Lila and Dad. My leg is a little sore, I think the hard pew might…"
Jamie nodded, "All right. I'll tell him."
Eddie ate half her orange, then with Finn in the swing started and aerobics tape while Jamie and Steven prepared to go to church.
"Babe, are you sure that's smart with a sore leg?" Jamie asked watching his wife bounce up and down.
"Yes, it's good for my leg and back, better than a hard pew for sure. I'll go with you next week, I promise. I love you." Eddie kept bouncing as Jamie tried to land a kiss on her lips. "Make sure you eat something love."
Eddie nodded and did her best to keep up with her DVD and made it through forty five minutes before her legs started to ache. She sat down, sweaty and out of breath and looked over at Finn. He felt better with the cream on his rash, so he kicked happily in his bouncy seat. Eddie smiled, "That's my boy, and you're a happy boy…" Eddie tickled his belly and Finn cooed. "Come on with Nan and get a nice shower…"
Eddie took the little boy upstairs, placed him in his bouncing chair on the floor of the bathroom while she showered. By the time Eddie came downstairs, Danny and Linda had arrived and Lila had returned with Frank and Reagan. "Is he okay? I told Steven to…"
"Steven did and I told him to go to church with Dad, my sciatic is bothering me and I wanted to do a work out DVD to stretch it out. Steven did fine, except he's not in tune yet with the babies cries. Finn was clearly in pain but he…"
Lila nodded, "He's better but he's just not home enough. He's working extra hours at the firehouse, he's trying so hard to be a good provider financially…"
"I'm hoping this trip to church with Dad is fixing that for you, sweet girl."
As Steven drove home from church with Jamie, Jamie instructed him to pull over. "Steven, for a smoke eater, I like you a lot. You're good to my daughter, you work hard…but son, Lila cannot raise these twins by herself. I'm going to say this one time…There is more to being a husband and a father than money. That's important, yes, but Lila and Joey don't remember the bills being paid or having the best toys, they remember me always being there for them and for their mother. They didn't like it very much when I wasn't and the twins won't like it either. I made my mistakes, I'm trying to help you from making them."
Steven nodded, "My Dad, he was always at work. My Mom raised me and my sister you know? I guess I'm doing it the way I saw it done and…I know it's hard on Lil. It kills me she's so tired…"
"Then step it up a little more," Jamie advised. "You stepped it up a little before now go another notch. Joe, I had a hard time, but my Lila, if she made a cry I knew what it meant. Start listening to your twins and watching what Lila does…You can do this. You can be more than what you had, you can be more than what I was…"
The look on Steven's face satisfied Jamie and he let the younger man continue driving to the already full house.
Rita, Molly, and Lila pulled together to produce a meal the represented them as young members of the Reagan family. Molly prepared soda bread, a lovely roasted potato dish, and bacon infused cabbage. Lila made the main dish, a garlic pot roast with caramelized onions and roasted mushrooms. Rita prepared the dessert a rum carrot cake, some peanut butter cookies, and a banana pudding. The family ate like kings.
Jamie noticed his wife's plate, one slice of meat, one spoonful of cabbage, and a few potatoes. "Do you want me to fix you something else if you don't like it?"
"I like it," Eddie whispered. "I do like it, I'm just not very hungry."
Jamie nodded, Eddie was quick to jump up and help clear when the dinner was finished. Jamie knew what that was about, she was tired and wanted the house to clear early. While the ladies were clearing, Jamie, Danny, Frank, Joey, and Jack put their heads together one figuring a motive for Dana Rosen. Sean quickly dismissed himself from the conversation heading to living room to play with his newest cousins.
"So far we have requested DNA from 64 Dana Rosens within the target area and all 64 coughed it up, so far we are ruling them out as suspects. We showed those pictures to Sean and other victims and no dice," Joey briefed. "Anse and I are hitting it again tomorrow knocking on more doors. The tails are in place the minute we get one to refuse a sample."
Frank sighed, "You'd do better finding who is you understood why…there's a pattern to the time that she strikes…three or four days in a row, then nothing for a month…Here it is again."
The men put their heads down studying the reports as Eddie began helping the girls serve dessert. Linda had gone to spoil babies with Sean and Steven. "Why is it like that?"
"Jamie, you aren't supposed to be working until tomorrow," Eddie admonished lightly.
Jamie leaned back and rubbed Eddie's hand, "I know, we're just trying to help Joe. Our female rapist attacks three or four days in a month, then goes dormant…"
Eddie looked at the dates of reported attacks, "Run her name through fertility clinics and OB offices," she suggested. "This woman is trying to get pregnant."
A/N: Well, Detective Eddie is not rusty at all is she. Sometimes it takes a lady to think of something even with the smartest men. Sorry for scaring all of you with Frank there but sometimes these things write themselves and that ending just happened.
Next Updated – September 13th – Linda and Eddie got wedding shopping with the soon to be daughters in law while Joey and Anse work the case.