Speeding Ch. 07

"So?" Jason asked as Reid slid into the car.

"No help," he answered with a shake of his head. "Her parents haven't seen or talked to her in years, and they raise the daughter."

"You talk to the kid?"

"Not yet. Figure we'll let her grandparents break the news and we'll talk to her later." He didn't envy his former in-laws that task.

"Works for me," Jason agreed with a slight nod. Turning more fully towards Reid he asked, "How well do you know Dr. Marquette?"

Reid's brows shot up. "You interested?"

Jason didn't answer directly, instead continuing his original line of questioning, "You're friends?"

"We went to high school together. She went to Tech, came back a doctor and ended up becoming an ME around the time I made Detective." At Jason's "tell me more" gesture, he went on, "I don't think she's seeing anyone." He chuckled at Jason's pleased expression. "You do like her."

"And if I did?"

"Be careful mixing work and play, bro," Reid cautioned.

"Don't shit where you eat and all that. She's hot."

Reid thought about that for a moment before replying, "If you like fresh-scrubbed women twice as smart as you who cut up dead people for a living, sure."

"Maybe I do."

"More power to ya, Jase," Reid answered with a laugh.

~*~

Kendall knew today was not a good day despite the diamond glinting on her left hand and Reid's assurances otherwise. Being Sunday, she had nowhere she needed to be, so after calling to check on Taylor, she shimmied into her gear and went for a run. Stress always made her run or clean, and she figured marrying Reid would keep her body trim and her house spotless with worry. This morning was proving that already. After her two miles became four, she made her way back to the house, her worry in no way allayed, but her legs burning.

Kendall turned the music up louder as she cleaned the kitchen. Sure, it was pretty much spotless when she started, but it was either clean or panic. She had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach when Reid left this morning. Dead bodies were not something normally found in Aylesford.

A sharp rap on the door pulled her from reorganizing the pantry. Muttering to herself, she stalked to the door, curious as to who would show up a Sunday afternoon. Didn't they know she was busy freaking out? She brushed off a shudder. No, it wouldn't be someone with news of Reid. She peeked out the sidelight and didn't know what to make of what she saw. A little girl?

"Hello," she greeted the thin, blonde girl at the door. "I don't want to buy anything," she said before the girl could open her mouth.

"I'm not here to sell you something," she answered, twisting a curl between her fingers. "I'm here to see my father."

Her father? "You must have the wrong house, sweetie," Kendall answered, her heart beating double-time.

"My name is Rhiannon Shaw," she shifted on her feet before adding, "everyone calls me Annie."

Okay. Playing along, she asked, "Who is your mother?"

"Amy Shaw, and she seriously screwed up." She shifted on her feet again. "She told my father I wasn't his, and told someone else I was." Annie let out a long sigh. "Now she's dead."

The porch seemed to spin. Forcing herself to focus, Kendall gripped the doorjamb tightly. "What? Your mother is dead, and you're here looking for Reid?"

"He came to see Grandpa this morning. He told him she was dead."

There were a lot of pronouns in that sentence. Sorting through them, Kendall realized the dead body this morning must have been Amy. "Wow. Well. Do you want to come in?"

Annie followed Kendall into the house. "Are you married to Reid?"

Kendall smiled despite everything. "Not yet." Gesturing to the brown leather sofa she asked, "Do we need to call your grandparents? Surely they're worried about you."

The question earned a vigorous shake of blonde curls. "They think I'm at Amanda's."

"You want to wait for Reid to get home, don't you?" She hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she knew Reid had asked for a paternity test when Amy's baby was born, proving he wasn't the father. If he had been, he would have done right by her.

It didn't take long until the man in question walked through the door. "Baby, I'm home," he announced.

Kendall came out of the kitchen, Annie trailing behind her. Kendall greeted him with a kiss before introducing the girl. "Reid, this is Annie. Her full name is Rhiannon Shaw. She overheard you talking to her grandfather this morning." She winced at his pained expression, but trudged on, "She thinks you're her father."

"She told me you were," Annie chimed in. "She said I had too much Caufield in me for my own good." A tear slid down her cheek. "And then she left."

Kendall turned to face the girl. "Your mother didn't deserve you," she soothed. Annie had shared some of her childhood with her today, and between the pain inflicted on Reid and walking away from Annie, Kendall was almost glad Amy was dead. She shuddered at her terrible thought.

"So you came to me?" His mind swirled as he looked at her. She looked so much like Amy, but her eyes were dark blue. Very much like his. He watched her intently, taking in this newest turn.

She nodded as she twisted a curl between her fingers. "I didn't know where you were, but I thought...." Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. "You don't want me either."

How wrong she was. "I thought you were mine at first," swallowing the lump in his throat, he forced himself to continue, "the blood test proved you weren't mine. I left your mother then." He shook his head. "I didn't know she would leave you with your grandparents and run to Sheridan."

"To do drugs," Annie spat. "Drugs were more important than her own daughter."

Kendall hated to ask this question, "Reid, could Amy have lied about the test results?"

He shrugged. "Why would she, baby? If the baby..." he stopped, corrected himself, "if Annie had been mine, I wouldn't have divorced her, or at least, I would have been there for my child." His former father-in-law's words came back to him, reminding him Amy was a professional story-teller. He sighed. "Look, I don't know, but maybe we should make a trip to Doctor Oakes in the morning."

Doc Oakes was Aylesford's doctor of choice for paternity and other genetic testing. In fact, he'd probably done the original test. Thinking about that, Kendall asked, "Maybe we should try a doctor out of town?"

He thought about it for a moment, understanding her logic. "Maybe we can get A to do it?"

"The Medical Examiner?" Kendall asked.

"Why not?" he asked with a shrug in return.

"I don't care what test needs to be done, just do it," Annie interrupted.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'll call now and set it up." He smiled before adding, "I'm calling your grandparents, too."

Her shoulders slumped. "Okay."

"Hey, they love you."

"I don't know about that," she murmured, head down.

"Of course they do," Kendall assured the dejected girl.

"Whatever," was the only reply.

A few minutes later, Reid returned from the bedroom where he'd retreated to make his calls. "A will see us tomorrow after school, and your Grandma is coming to get you in a few minutes."

"Okay," Annie answered, her tone flat.

"I have to know, Annie," he said apologetically. "Your mother, well, she said a lot of things that weren't true."

"I know."

Beverly Shaw arrived then, her face pale. Reid met her at the door, inviting her in. "Annie's a good girl," she said by way of greeting. "I don't know why she just came to your door."

"She overheard my conversation with your husband this morning. Evidently her mother told her I was her father."

Beverly's eyes rounded in shock. "Why would she say such a thing?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I'd like to have a new test run. If she's mine-"

"You can't take her from me!" Beverly cut him off, her hazel eyes flashing. "I lost my daughter years ago, and I won't let you take Annie from me, too."

Reid held up both hands. "Mrs. Shaw, I'm not saying I would take her. I understand you and the Reverend have taken care of her since she was a baby. But if she's my daughter, I have a right to know her." He lowered his hands, ran the right one through his hair. "Look, the chances she's mine aren't good. The last test proved she wasn't, and this one might not change that result, but I need to know, and Annie needs to know." His tone was gentle. "Please, let me take her for the test- no, you should meet me there- so she'll know. Do it for Annie, not for me."

His entreaty took some of the fire out of the older woman. "We'll meet you there. Doctor Oakes?"

Of course she would assume that. "No. I just need you to meet me at the station. Doctor Marquette will do it."

Beverly made a face at the mention of the Medical Examiner. "Fine. What time?"

"Four."

She nodded once, then turned to Annie. "Come now, dear. You have school tomorrow."

Kendall watched the almost teen reluctantly follow her grandmother. "Bye, Annie. It was so nice to meet you."

Annie gave Kendall a small wave. "You, too." She turned to Reid, gifting him with a smile. "See you tomorrow."

After the door closed, Kendall wrapped her arms around Reid. "What a day."

He blew out a breath as he held her close. "Long and full of turmoil. Just how I like my days," he quipped.

"Do you think she's yours?"

He kissed her hair before answering. "I don't know, baby." He paused, holding her tighter. "If she is, we'll do everything we can for her."

"Of course we will," she agreed. She let out a short bark of laughter. "We've been engaged for a day, and look what happens."

"We'll figure it out, baby. We always do."

~*~

"Hi Annie. I'm Doctor Marquette. Today, I just need you to open your mouth and I'll stick this long, q-tip looking thing in your mouth, swirl it around your cheek and be done."

Annie twisted her hair between her fingers as she assessed the doctor. She had imagined a doctor who worked on dead people to be old, but this one seemed to be the same age as her parents. She bit her lip. Correction, her father. Her mother was dead. "No blood?"

The pretty doctor smiled. "Nope."

Annie opened her mouth as instructed and let the doctor do her thing. It didn't take long, and then she was done. "How soon until you know?" she asked. "I mean, until you can prove he's my father?"

Her grandmother took great offense to that. "We don't know he's your father, dear. Your mother told him he wasn't, and the test when you were born said he wasn't. This is just to make you happy."

She would be happy when she had a Dad. She looked back to the doctor. "So?"

"It shouldn't take too long. We'll know in a week or so."

Reid walked into Dr. Marquette's office just then. "What'd I miss?" he asked.

"Not a lot," was the answer from the doctor before she produced another swab. "Open," she commanded.

Annie watched as Reid's mouth was probed. She hoped this time, this one time, her mother was telling the truth. She knew it was a long shot. Knew her mother never said the same thing twice, but this time... She squashed the glimmer of hope she'd felt when she saw his eyes were the same color as hers. There was no use in hoping. It never amounted to anything before, why would it be different now?

"We going private?" Reid asked when his mouth was free.

"Best way to get a quick result," Adrienne answered. "We're using a lab run by a friend of mine from Tech. Very fast, very accurate. We'll know soon." She looked from man to girl and back again. "For what it's worth, I think it's possible."

Reid clenched his fists. If he'd had any idea all these years, he'd have done everything so differently. "It seems anything is possible right now," he conceded.

"Yeah, but now you've got Kendall," she shook her head, "talk about trading up."

"Whoa, watch it. Her mother and daughter are in the room."

Adrienne chuckled. "See why I don't work with living patients? I have zero bedside manner." She looked over Reid's shoulder at Mrs. Shaw. "I'm sorry for your loss, and for my comment," she apologized. "I didn't mean any offense."

"Amy washed her hands of us years ago. At least she gave me Annie."

Adrienne mouthed, "Wow" to Reid before replying, "she's a great young lady."

"She's all I have."

Adrienne mouthed, "Good luck," to Reid before turning to head back to her examining room. "I'm all done. I'll send these to Charlie and let you know the results."

"Sounds like we've been dismissed, folks." Reid ushered them out of the building and to the car. "I'm here if you need me."

"We done fine on our own for almost twelve years. I think we can manage a week," Beverly told him.

Reid tried not to be hurt by that statement, true as it was. "Okay, then. As soon as we have the results, I'll call."

Instead of answering, Beverly nodded and started the car. Dismissed for the second time in less than five minutes, he made his way to his own vehicle. Easing in, he wondered just what the hell he would do if Annie turned out to be his. He'd learned today Amy had named her Rhiannon Danielle, the name they had chosen for a daughter, following his family's tradition of naming with the initials R.D. He didn't know whether that was Amy's idea of a joke, or if she was trying to honor him as Annie's father in spite of keeping him from her. He rested his head on the steering wheel. Just when he thought his life was perfect, it had to get fucked up. Just what the hell was wrong with his karma?