The Sarah Woods Mystery Series (Volume 7)

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  Sue-Ellen got to her feet and I followed suit. Together, we walked to the parking lot. “Good luck with the lawyer,” I said. “Don’t hesitate to call me if you need a friend to talk to.”

  She offered me a sad smile. “I appreciate that, Sarah.”

  * * *

  At three o’clock that afternoon, Detective James called, letting me know that Gail was out of surgery. The two bullets had missed vital organs, but one of the bullets had shattered her femur, which would most likely result in months in a wheelchair with painful therapy to follow. Other than that, her condition was stable. We’d be allowed to see her in a few hours.

  “I’ll meet you at the hospital,” James said to me. “And we’ll talk to Ms. Haas together.”

  Chapter 20

  Gail was sitting up in bed with several pillows propping her up. Her eyes were at half-mast, probably woozy from the pain meds. There were tubes everywhere and monitors making their blippy noises.

  When her eyes focused on me and then Detective James, her features tensed slightly. She licked her dry lips and said, “Sarah? What’s going on?”

  “I’m assisting the police in their investigation regarding the shooting. Do you remember what happened this morning at your office?”

  “No, I mean, they told me I was shot twice, but I haven’t … I don’t know who did it. I was sitting at my desk. I heard a commotion out in the lobby so I went to check it out. Next thing I know … I’m in the hospital.”

  Before I had a chance to respond, Detective James took a step forward and introduced himself. “Do you know a man by the name of Clifford Pratt?”

  Her eyes flicked back and forth from me to the detective. “Yeah, but I never met him in person.”

  “We have Mr. Pratt in custody and he has confessed to the shooting. He blames you for his son’s death. Do you know why?”

  She nodded as if resigned to her fate. “I never intended for Blake to get in an accident. I just wanted him to get pulled over and arrested, that’s all.”

  “Because you didn’t want to give him the ten grand you promised,” I added.

  James poured some water into a cup and handed it to her. She took a sip. “He didn’t deserve the money because he didn’t honor our agreement,” she said. “I knew he was sleeping around, though I couldn’t prove it. He made me look like a complete fool.”

  “So, you admit there was a contract?” I said.

  She nodded. “It was meant to be mutually beneficial. I agreed to help him get sober and provide all his living expenses. In return, he would be my companion. The rules were put in place so that there would be no misunderstandings.”

  “What about the ten grand? You felt he didn’t deserve that money, so why didn’t you just refuse to pay him?”

  “Without any proof he was screwing around, I couldn’t exactly deny him the money. But if he got arrested for drunk driving, that would be a breach of our contract. Then I wouldn’t be obligated to pay him.”

  “Tell us about the missing bottle of Scotch,” I said. “That was just a lie, wasn’t it?”

  She coughed into her fist and winced, as if in pain. I couldn’t tell if she was faking for sympathy. I didn’t trust her at all, at this point.

  Detective James cleared his throat, clearly losing his patience. “Ms. Hass, did you spike Blake’s ginger ale? You can tell me the truth now, or later, but if you cooperate now, I will make sure that things go a lot more smoothly for you.”

  “Fine. I only put a shot of vodka in his ginger ale. I figured he wouldn’t taste it. And I hardly thought it would cause an accident.”

  “But you’re forgetting the fact that Blake was on medication,” I said. “Anti-depressants magnify the effects of alcohol.”

  Gail rested her head back onto her pillow and closed her eyes. “You don’t have to lay on the guilt because I’ll have to live with this for the rest of my life.” When she opened her eyes again, she looked at James. “Are you going to arrest me?”

  “At this point in time, we are still looking over all the facts. If we determine that you were responsible for Blake’s accident, then charges will be brought against you. But for now, you need to focus on your recovery. You are very lucky to be alive Ms. Haas. Just remember that.”

  “I don’t feel very lucky. I wish one of those bullets had gone into my heart.”

  “Did you really love Blake?” I asked her. “Or was that a lie, too?”

  “In the beginning, I thought I was falling in love with him, but I knew my feelings would never be reciprocated. In a way, it was very frustrating having him live with me. Sleeping in different bedrooms. We had very separate lives. Sure, he’d accompany me to parties and events, and we’d occasionally dine out together, but I knew he didn’t want to be with me. He was only doing it for the money.”

  “Do you think it made Kevin jealous at all?”

  “No. The whole thing was a complete waste of time.”

  I didn’t know what else to say, and James seemed satisfied as well.

  “I’ll be in touch,” James said to her. “The doctor tells me you’ll be here for a few more days. Now, try and get some rest.”

  As James and I left the hospital together, I asked, “What’s going to happen to Cliff now that Gail will recover?”

  “He’s already confessed to the shooting, so now it’s in the hands of the DA. I expect a plea deal will be made, and he’ll spend some time behind bars. If it goes to trial, there is a chance the jury will find him innocent once they understand why he did it, but you never know.”

  “What about Gail? What are the chances she’ll be arrested for Blake’s death?”

  “Tricky at best. First, we’d need to prove that she intended for Blake to die, which won’t be easy.”

  “But, she needs to be punished for her actions, right?”

  “Believe me, Sarah, I’m not about to let her get away with it. Ultimately, the decision to prosecute is not up to me.”

  * * *

  When I got home around five, both Carter and Andrew were hanging out in the kitchen waiting for me to fill them in on Gail’s condition, and any other updates in the shooting case. I gave them a condensed version of what was said in the hospital room.

  “I’m so ready to put this ordeal to bed,” I told them. “Let’s not talk about Gail or Blake anymore, OK?”

  “Fine by me,” Carter said. “Let’s go out for dinner. I’m craving pot roast.”

  I laughed. “Pot roast? Well, we know who makes the best post roast in town, don’t we?”

  “The Hometown Diner?” Andrew piped in. He had become addicted to the place after the first time we brought him there.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Dinner is my treat.”

  * * *

  Later that evening after we got home from dinner, I went outside on the farmer’s porch and called Max. I knew I had to call him back eventually, so why not just get it over with.

  He seemed surprised to hear from me. “Sarah? I’m so glad you called.”

  “Look, let me start by saying that I’m sorry for acting like a child the other night. I’m not proud of my behavior.”

  “Are you kidding? You had every right to be upset. I’m the idiot.” After a long pause, he said, “It had nothing to do with not trusting you. I’d trust you with my life, Sarah.”

  “Then why the games?”

  “Maybe it was silly for me to hope that you and I still had a chance.”

  I had no idea what he was getting at, but I remained silent so he could explain.

  “Thing is,” he went on. “I knew you’d be impressed with Martha. Heck, she’s an impressive woman on paper, I know that. She’s smart, accomplished, beautiful and ambitious. But, the biggest problem about Martha is … she’s not you.”

  His words sliced through my heart. “Max, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that this was my idiotic way of making sure that things were really over between you and me. Because if there was any shred of hope, I would n
ot ask Martha to marry me. I figured, after I told you the truth, it might have stirred up some old feelings for me, and we could talk about that. Explore the possibility.”

  “But you know that I’m with Carter. Did you really think I wasn’t happy with him?”

  “I wasn’t sure.”

  “Well, I am. And, you’re forgetting the fact that you and I want different things.”

  “I’m not so sure I want kids anymore. I’m almost forty now, and I don’t want to be geriatric when my kids graduate high school.”

  I laughed despite the seriousness of the conversation. “Sixty is hardly geriatric.”

  “You know what I mean. I just want to be with a woman who gets me. Who can appreciate what I’ve been through. You understand me, Sarah.”

  “Yes, I do, but maybe you should give Martha the opportunity to understand you, too. If you think she might be the one, there’s no reason you need to propose right away. Take your time.”

  There was a brief silence. “I want you to know something, Sarah. And I’m not saying this to make you feel bad or anything. I just want you to know that I’ll always love you. Is that wrong?”

  In the whole time we had dated, he never said those words to me. Although, I somehow felt that he was saying those words now out of friendship, and not because he hoped it would change my mind.

  “I don’t think it’s wrong,” I said. “I love you, too. But we both know that we can’t be together.”

  “I know,” he said. “I just regret that I never said those words before. I always felt it, though.”

  I knew that this was a huge moment for Max. Since losing his parents and sister, he’d been reluctant to open his heart to anyone for fear of being hurt. Maybe the walls around his heart were coming down.

  “So, if you decide to get married, will I be invited to the wedding?”

  He chuckled. “Of course. You can be my maid of honor.”

  “Aren’t maids of honor reserved for only the bride?”

  “I’m willing to break tradition in this case.”

  I felt my eyes welling up. “I’d be honored to attend your wedding, but I think Martha would take offense to that idea.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  “So, are you really moving back East?”

  “Looks that way,” he said. “I just have to find a new job. Are you and Carter hiring these days? I think I’d make an excellent P.I.”

  “Ha! Get in line; my brother has first dibs. He’s really showing promise.”

  “Yeah, I was just kidding anyway.”

  After my phone conversation with Max, I went back inside the house where Carter was flipping through the tv stations. “How’d it go?” he asked.

  “Good. We made peace.”

  I figured Carter would want to know more details, but he simply said, “Good. Now you don’t have to worry about it anymore. So look, I found a few movies on Netflix we might like. The newest James Bond, or the newest Jason Bourne.”

  I smiled knowing that Carter was not the least bit concerned about Max. He trusted me with all his heart. And boy, what a rare thing that is to find in a partner. He was right, too. I didn’t need to waste any more time worrying about Max.

  “The night is young,” I said, making myself comfortable on the couch. “Let’s watch both movies.”

  The End

  The next book in the Sarah Woods Series is available for pre-order here:

  The Scream of Silence (Sarah Woods Mystery 22)

  If you are reading my books through the kindle unlimited, you can sign up to be notified of future book releases in the series.

  JenniferLJennings.com