DEMOLITION DAREDEVIL (PAPERBACK)

Chapter 1

“Hey Mom,” said Angela as she stepped into her parents’ living room. Her mother sat on the couch, knitting a blanket and watching a mystery movie. Ruff, Angela’s border collie, jumped up onto the couch beside Abigail, as he usually did. She gave him a loving pat on the head before standing and giving Angela a big hug.

“I’m so glad you stopped by,” Abigail said with an air of excitement. “Caroline is coming home for a little while. We just got off the phone.”

Angela’s eyebrows rose. “She is?”

Caroline Atkinson, Angela’s older sister, hadn’t visited their hometown of Hummings Hollow for a long time. She worked as a personal injury attorney in Washington D.C., a job that kept her very busy. Her only daughter, Megan, lived and worked in Hummings Hollow, trying to save money to continue her schooling.

“She was hired by a client in town,” Abigail explained.
“She didn’t give many details, but I’m sure she’ll fill us in tonight.”

“Will she be here in time for dinner and games?”

Angela’s family, including her mom and dad, her brother William and Megan, tried to get together each Sunday evening for a nice dinner, dessert, and games. It had become a regular tradition that everyone looked forward to, and Angela supposed it would be nice to have the entire family together at last. In the past, she’d been frustrated with Caroline’s lack of interest in the family, especially since Abigail had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, but since William’s unexpected homecoming, her heart had softened. She fervently hoped that the evening would go well and looked forward to catching up with Caroline face to face. Aside from a few random texts here and there, they didn’t talk much.

“Yes,” Abigail replied. “I told her we’d kind of made it a tradition, and she agreed to be here in time to eat.”

“What can I help with?” Angela asked.

Abigail tapped her chin. “How about you boil the noodles? I’m making Tuscan pasta. You could also toss the salad if you don’t mind. That will give me time to make the brownies.”

Angela smiled, her mouth already watering. Abigail was known around town for the food she made, especially her pasta. Angela hoped for the hundredth time that her mother would never lose her love of cooking.

Angela began chopping lettuce and tomatoes for the salad while Abigail mixed ingredients for the brownies. She always made them from scratch, never from a box, and had a knack for flavorings. Tonight, it was dark chocolate brownies with fresh orange flavoring.

Abigail nudged Angela slightly and smiled. “How are things going with David?”

Angela smiled self-consciously and shrugged.

“They’re going well,” she said. “He comes over most evenings and helps me feed the animals and put them up for the night. It’s been really nice.”

“I’m so glad to hear it, honey,” she replied. “And I’m glad you’ve started inviting him for Sunday dinners. He is coming tonight, right?”

“Yes, he’s planning on it,” Angela said. “He takes advantage of any opportunity to enjoy your cooking. I’m afraid I didn’t exactly inherit the cooking gene.”

Abigail laughed softly. “You do fine,” she said. “I’m sure he’s happy just to be in your company.”

Angela’s cheeks warmed. She and David had recently decided they were going to date exclusively, but it still felt strange to call him her boyfriend. They’d been set up on a blind date by Megan and Angela’s best friend, Michelle, several months ago. They had quickly become good friends and had remained that way for a while. As David helped her with her last few cases, she got to know him better and realized what an incredible person he was, despite his insistence on wearing flashy and sometimes downright ugly sweater vests. He’d finally confessed to her he wanted them to be a couple, and she’d agreed.

“Thanks, mom,” Angela replied. “I enjoy being in his company, too.”

Abigail put the brownies in the oven, then frowned in confusion.

“The oven doesn’t feel very hot,” she murmured, her brow furrowed in confusion. Angela stepped over and peered at the oven.

“It looks like you might have forgotten to turn it on, mom,” Angela replied, pushing the buttons to heat the oven to 350. “Don’t worry, though. We still have plenty of time.”

Abigail sighed. “I can’t seem to remember anything anymore,” she groaned. Angela took her hand and squeezed it.

“I forget that too, mom,” she said. “Don’t sweat it, it’s no big deal.”

Abigail smiled, but looked as if she might be holding back tears.

“Should we take a break?” Angela suggested. “I’ll put the brownies in when the oven is done heating, and we can get the table ready. We need to remember an extra place setting for Caroline.”

She smiled at her mom, and Abigail squeezed her hand affectionately.

“Thanks, Angie,” she murmured. “Yes, let’s do that.”

Angela’s heart sank a little. Though the memory lapse was a minor thing, Abigail had been forgetting things a little more frequently lately. Angela recalled that her mother had recently gone to her doctor for her annual checkup, and made a mental note to talk to her dad about how it went.

William came inside when the brownies were nearly done, wiping his hands on a paper towel. He saw Angela and gave her a big hug.

“Angie!” he exclaimed. “Come see my baby. I’ve been working on her today.”

Angela laughed as he escorted her outside to the driveway, Ruff following excitedly on their heels. William’s beloved classic Dodge Challenger sat in the driveway. He’d bought it from a friend who used it years ago for rally racing, and he was fixing it up bit by bit. He’d taken over the mechanic shop in town, and now made a good income fixing cars, taking additional classes to learn more about mechanical work.

“You already saw the new paint job,” William said, walking around the car and gesturing to the rich red with black racing stripes, “but you haven’t seen the upholstery work.”

He opened the door and gestured inside with a sweep of his hand. Angela peeked inside while Ruff sniffed around the outside of the car. The previously split and faded leather had been replaced with flawless black leather trimmed in red. The carpets had been professionally cleaned and vacuumed, and every inch of the dash and gear box had been polished to a shine.

“Wow, William!” Angela exclaimed. “It looks so good! Did you do all this yourself?”

He shrugged modestly. “I had some help from a buddy who does upholstery. He did a nice job, didn’t he?”
“Sure did,” she remarked. “When do I get to ride in it?”
He grinned and tossed his keys up before catching them again. “Anytime you want. I’m sure everyone will be here soon, but we could always go out tomorrow evening if you’re free.”

Angela held up her hands and shrugged. “It’s been quiet lately, so I haven’t had any work,” she pointed out.
“Besides, even if I were busy, I’d make time. This car is worth it.”

William patted the roof of the car fondly. “Yes, she is,” he agreed.

“Hey, did you hear Caroline is coming for a visit?”

William’s eyes grew wide. “She is?” he asked.

“Well, she got hired by a client up here,” Angela replied.
William rolled his eyes and scowled.

“Of course she’d only come up for work,” he muttered darkly.

“Hey now,” Angela said. “Remember how annoyed I was when you first came back to Hummings Hollow?”

He sighed and leaned against the car. “Yeah,” he replied sullenly.

“Give her a chance. She’s still our sister.”

“I just wish she would visit more often,” William grumbled. “I feel like she doesn’t even care about mom. She’s known for some time that mom has dementia, but she rarely checks on her. It’s not like D.C. is on the moon. She only lives forty-five minutes away.”

“I’ve felt the same way before, too,” Angela said. “But, for mom’s sake, let’s not start drama.”

William held his hands up in a defensive position.

“I’m not planning on any drama. I just hope she sticks around for a bit. I’m tired of her ignoring us all.”

“I get that,” Angela replied. “But let’s enjoy the time we have.”

He shrugged and closed the driver’s side door.

“Don’t forget that I owe you a ride, sis,” he said, casually pocketing his keys as he walked towards the front door.

“You know I won’t,” Angela said, grinning.

Before long, Megan knocked on the door. She’d managed to get the evening shift off from her job at the local café. The minute she hung up her jacket, she pulled Angela aside.

“A little bird told me you and David are official now,” she said with a huge grin.

“Let me guess,” Angela said dryly. “That little bird’s name is Michelle.”

Megan laughed and nodded. Michelle Blackhoof, Angela’s best friend, owned and operated the town newspaper. She had a heart of gold and a keen ear for gossip.

“Yes, we are, and things are going well,” Angela said.
“Is he coming again tonight?”

Megan had nearly lost her mind with excitement when David had come to dinner the previous Sunday.

“Yes, he is,” Angela answered. “Please don’t harass him, all right?”

Megan assumed a pouty expression. “I don’t harass him!”

“I mean play it cool,” Angela explained. “He doesn’t want to feel like he’s in a fishbowl.”

Megan rolled her eyes. “Okay, I guess I stared at you guys a lot last time. I’ll back off, I promise.”

“Thank you,” Angela said, using a mock stern expression that made them both dissolve into giggles.

David arrived shortly after, and Megan did keep it cool, much to Angela’s relief. He put his arm around her as everyone chatted, making her blush slightly.

Abigail looked worried and kept glancing at the door as everyone made small talk. Angela’s heart contracted, wondering if Caroline was going to keep her word.

Ten minutes later, though, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Angela offered.

She hurried to the door and pulled it wide open. Caroline stood there in meticulously pressed black slacks and a pretty, red-flowered, button-up blouse. She’d combed back her dark hair into a professional up-do, showing off the dangling silver earrings she wore.

“Carol!” Angela exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.

“Angie!” Caroline answered, hugging her tightly. They pulled apart, and Caroline squeezed her hands.

“You look great!”

“Not as good as you,” Angela joked, gesturing to her yoga pants and loose, long-sleeved shirt.

Caroline waved her hand carelessly. “This is the kind of thing I wear every day,” she sighed. “Such is the life of a lawyer.”

“Come on in,” Angela said, stepping back. Caroline made the rounds, giving hugs and smiles, pausing slightly longer with their mother, the two of them speaking softly together.

“Will!” Caroline cried as she hugged him. She held him at arms’ length as they pulled apart. “Angie told me you came back. I’m so glad to see you.”

“Good to see you too,” William said, his voice stiff. Caroline’s smile faltered a bit as she turned to David.

“This is my boyfriend, David,” Angela said, bringing him forward. He smiled and shook Caroline’s hand cordially.

“So nice to meet you,” she said. “You must be pretty special to get Angie’s attention.”

His cheeks went pink as he grinned. “I sure hope so,” he replied. “She’s pretty special to me.”

Angela was pretty sure she looked like a tomato by that point, but David didn’t seem embarrassed as he pulled her to his side.

Everyone dug into the dinner with gusto. The orange brownies in particular were a hit with everyone.

“Caroline, what’s this case about?” Charlie asked.

She shrugged. “My client didn’t get very specific. It’s a wrongful death case, but she told me she would tell me more when we meet.”

“What time are you meeting up with her?”

Caroline swallowed the bite she’d just taken. “She asked me to come on Tuesday at one.”

“You planning on staying for a bit, or just working and leaving?” William asked. The table went quiet.

“I plan on seeing how the case goes,” Caroline replied quietly. “If it goes to court, I might be here for a while.”

Abigail patted Caroline’s hand. “Honey, you stay with us as long as you need to.”

“Oh, I planned to stay with Megan, what with William in the guest room and all,” Caroline replied hastily.

“No worries,” William said. “I got an apartment. I’m moving out tomorrow, but I can sleep on the couch tonight.”

“How did I miss that you got an apartment?” Angela asked, looking between William and her parents.

“I just signed the contract yesterday,” William said with a grin.

“Please stay with us,” Charlie implored. “We’ve got room. No offense to Meg, but her apartment is tiny.”

Megan shrugged and laughed. “Grandpa’s right, mom,”
Megan replied. “It is pretty small. I’d have to put you on an air mattress in the living room.”

Caroline smiled uneasily, then shrugged. “Well… if that’s really all right, I’d be happy to stay.”