by Sara Davison
Chapter Thirty-One
Daniel stopped in the doorway of Sharleen’s cubicle and shoved both hands into the pockets of his black dress pants. “I talked to Nicole Hunter this afternoon. She said Gage Kelly worked late last night, until ten or eleven. No verification since he called her from a cell phone to say goodnight. Were you able to submit the surveillance request to the DS?”
His partner crossed her arms. “Could we back up a couple of sentences? You went to see her again? Were you planning to mention that to me at some point?”
He repressed a sigh. “I just did.”
“That wasn’t mentioning, that was trying to slip by. Last time I checked we were still partners, Grey. Are you planning to start acting like it anytime soon?”
Daniel crossed the room and sat down beside her. “I had a feeling she would open up more if I came alone, not with someone she didn’t know.”
“And did she?”
He bit his lip, scrambling for an answer that would melt the ice in his partner’s eyes. “Some. Like I said, she did tell me that Gage said he was working late last night. It would be better if we had a surveillance team out there that could verify when he goes out since, as you said, the two of us can’t keep doing it.” Diversionary tactics had never, to the best of his recollection, worked on his partner, but he was willing to try anything at this point.
Sharleen didn’t answer.
Daniel held out under her intense gaze as long as he could. “I’m sorry, all right? I know we’re supposed to be doing this together, and we are. But with Nicole Hunter being one of the few people we can talk to that might be able to give us something we can use, I want to make sure we handle her properly.”
“I’m terrified to ask what you mean by ‘handle her,’ Grey. I’m not even sure I want to know. What I do want to know is whether you are going to keep going off on your own without letting me know what you’re doing. Either we’re in this together, or we’re not.”
“We are, honest. I’ll let you know what I’m doing next time, okay?”
“Before you do it?”
“Yes. Now, did you request surveillance or not?”
She uncrossed her arms and Daniel relaxed slightly. “Yes, I did. The detective sergeant must be getting fed up with this case, because he agreed to a few hours at night. From 8 pm until 2 am for Holden, since he is the most likely suspect, and from 10 pm until 1 am for Gage.”
Daniel shrugged. “That’s a lot better than nothing. Good work.”
“So, did this woman tell you anything today that we can use?”
“Not really, although I did ask her to let me know if Gage says or does anything unusual, and I think she will.”
Sharleen waved a hand in the air. “Well, I guess that’s something. Let me know if you hear from her. I’m going to meet with the surveillance teams to update them on the case.”
“Okay. I’ll look into any security camera footage that might have caught Gage coming out of his office so we confirm that he was there. Maybe we can see if he went anywhere other than home afterwards. I’ll check around Holden’s neighborhood as well.”
“Good idea.”
Daniel headed to his office and settled in front of the computer, trying to let go of his frustration so he could think clearly. Carrying out an investigation with so few leads and fewer witnesses was agonizing, one tiny, snail-paced step at a time. At least they did appear to be inching forward at this point. What they needed now was one good tip to make all the little, seemingly random pieces fit together to make one big clear picture. If Nicole came through for them, or the security footage showed anything helpful, or if he could start acting like the trained professional he was, they might be able to figure this thing out yet.
As long as nothing else went wrong.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“What can I get you?” Nicole scribbled the order on the notepad and headed for the kitchen. “Okay Joe, four burgers with the works, four fries, four colas, nice and easy.” When he didn’t answer, she pushed through the swinging doors. “Joe? Did you get—?”
The words caught in her throat. Extending past the far side of the island, a pale hand was splayed on the floor, unmoving. “Joe!” Nicole scrambled around the counter. Joe was sprawled on his back, his lips tinged blue, eyes open, staring up at the ceiling. “Connie!”
Rubber-soled shoes squeaked across the kitchen floor. “Nic? What is it? What’s wr—” Connie gasped. “Joe! Is he ...?”
Nicole turned and met her eyes. “Stay with him, Connie. I’ll call 911.” She sprinted for the phone beside the till. After giving the information to the dispatcher, she grabbed the defibrillator from the wall and rushed back to the kitchen.
Connie had dropped to her knees beside her husband and taken his hand in hers. She turned tear-filled eyes to Nicole. “I think he’s gone.”
Nicole fumbled with the electrodes, her fingers numb and trembling. Before she could attach them to Joe’s chest, a siren wailed outside and then died down. Seconds later, paramedics circled Joe, attempting to revive him. Connie and Nicole moved out of the way. Nicole slid an arm around Connie’s waist and held her tight. God, don’t take him. Please don’t take him. Her friend pressed both hands to her mouth. After a couple of minutes, the paramedics lifted Joe onto a stretcher, raised it, and pushed it toward the swinging doors. Nicole followed them out into the diner. “Where is he going?”
“East General.”
Nicole nodded. “We’ll follow you.” She guided Connie to a stool at the counter. Connie’s thin shoulders trembled beneath her fingers. “Sit here for a minute, sweetie. I’ll tell everyone we’re closing.”
Her friend nodded, a dazed look on her face. The few customers paid and left quickly, and Nicole held out a shaking hand. “Come on. Let’s go to the hospital.”
Connie grasped her fingers and stood with a groan. “What am I going to do, Nic?”
All Nicole wanted to do was drop to the floor and weep, but she pushed back the desire. She had to be there for Connie. Joe would have wanted her to take care of his sweetheart. She squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry about that right now. I’m here—we’ll get through this together.” The words caught in her throat. Joe was like a father to her. His death would rip a huge hole in the heart that had been pieced together gradually after she had met him and Connie. The pain in her chest was real, and she struggled to take a breath as they climbed into the back of a cab.
“Come with me.” A nurse in a pale blue uniform and long red hair pulled back in a braid spoke quietly. Nicole followed her down the hallway, Connie clinging to her arm. “Wait here a moment.” The nurse pointed to a small waiting room. “I’ll see if they’re ready for you.” She touched Connie’s shoulder, compassion etched across her face.
Connie slumped against Nicole on the couch as they waited. She straightened when a young man in green scrubs came into the room. “Mrs. Murphy?”
“Yes.” Her voice was hoarse, and she cleared her throat.
The doctor sat down in a chair across from them. “I’m very sorry. Your husband was already gone when he arrived at the hospital. There was nothing we could do.”
The tears that had been pressing against Nicole’s eyelids spilled over and streamed down her cheeks. She’d known it, but hearing the official pronouncement still sent ripples of shock through her body. “Do you know what happened?” she asked, her voice quivering.
“It was a heart attack. Massive. It would have happened very quickly.”
Connie released a long breath. “May I see him?”
“Of course. I’ll take you.” The doctor rose.
Nicole stood too and reached for Connie’s hand to help her to her feet. “Do you want me to go with you?”
She patted Nicole’s hand. “Give me a few minutes alone with him, sweetie. I’ll come and get you when I’m ready.”
Nicole nodded and watched her friend walk beside the doctor down the hallway, supporting herself with a hand on the wall as she wen
t. Nicole fumbled in her pocket for her phone and pushed the keypad button. The face of Detective Daniel Grey flashed through her mind. She backed up against the wall and leaned against it for support, horror flowing through her. Why was she thinking of him? She didn’t want him anywhere near her. The man had turned her life upside down. Every time he walked into the room he did nothing but anger and confuse her. He was the last person she needed at the moment.
Her fingers trembled as she tapped Gage’s number into her phone. “Come on, come on.”
“Hello?”
“Gage?” His voice severed the fragile threads holding her together, and the word came out as a sob.
“Nic? What’s wrong?”
She pressed her lips together tightly.
“Are you okay? Where are you?”
“At the hospital.”
“What? Why? Are you hurt?”
“It’s not me. It’s Joe. He’s ...”
“I’m on my way. Are you at East General?”
“Yes. The family waiting room in emergency.”
“I’ll be right there.”
She stuck her phone into her pocket and sank onto the couch, hugging her knees to her chest with both arms. Hurry, Gage.
Connie still hadn’t returned when footsteps pounded down the hallway and Gage burst into the room. Nicole scrambled to her feet and met him halfway across the room. His arms circled her, and he pulled her tightly to him, stroking her hair and whispering in her ear. “It’s okay. I’m here.” Calm worked its way through her, and she took a deep breath and stepped back. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “What happened, Nic?”
“It’s Joe, he’s ...”
“He’s what?”
“… dead.”
His dark brown eyes widened in shock. “What?”
“He had a heart attack at the diner. I ...” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I found him.”
Pain flickered across his face. Gage pulled her to him again. “Oh, Nic, I’m so sorry.”
She rested her head on his chest, the strength of his arms flowing through her.
“Nicole?” She raised her head and stepped back. Connie stood in the doorway of the waiting room. Although lined with sorrow, her face was peaceful. “Do you and Gage want to come and say goodbye?”
Nicole nodded. Gage’s hand rested on her back, warm and comforting, as she took Connie’s hand. The three of them trudged down the hallway and stopped in front of a closed door. Connie squeezed her fingers. “I’ll wait here.”
Gage wrapped his arm around Nicole’s waist. “Do you want me to come with you?”
“Yes.” Her voice shook. “Please.”
He pushed open the door and held it so she could go in first. Joe lay on a hospital bed, pale and white beneath the sheet. A sob caught in her throat. It helped to feel Gage’s arm around her as they walked toward the bed.
Nicole lifted the hand that lay on top of the sheet. It was cool to the touch, and she held it to her cheek. He’d often brushed the backs of his fingers there. It had always comforted her when she felt sad or completely alone in the world, something that had happened less and less after she had met him and Connie. “Goodbye, Joe.” Her voice broke. “I love you.” Gage’s arm tightened around her as she set the gnarled hand gently on the sheet.
Gage touched Joe’s shoulder. “Thanks for taking care of my girl, Joe. We’ll miss you.”
Nicole pressed a kiss to the cheek of the gentle face she loved so much before turning to leave.
Connie waited for them out in the hallway. Nicole slid an arm around her shoulders. “Why don’t you come home with me for a few days?”
“I’d like that.”
The diner looked dark and lonely when they pulled up in front of it. Not surprising. Nicole climbed out of the car after Connie. The heart and soul of the place was gone. From the diner and from their lives. How were they supposed to carry on? She took her friend’s arm as they climbed the stairs to the apartment above the restaurant. Connie threw a few things into an overnight bag. She paused at the doorway and looked around. A shadow of grief passed over her face as she surveyed the apartment she’d shared with Joe for the last forty years. “I keep expecting him to stick his head out of the bedroom and ask when dinner will be ready.”
Nicole’s throat ached with still-unshed tears. “Come on. Let’s go home. I’ll make us some tea.”
“Tea would be good.” When they reached the door, Connie pressed the light switch. Darkness fell across the tiny apartment. With a small sigh, she pulled the door shut.
They walked together down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk. “Wait.” Connie pulled a set of keys from her pocket and unlocked the door to the diner. She reached her hand inside the building. A few seconds later the bright, blinking Joe’s Diner sign above the door went dark. Nicole’s chest constricted until it hurt to take a breath. She’d never seen that light off, night or day. Still, it felt right, somehow, as though the building itself mourned the loss of the one who had brought it life for so many years.
Slipping her arm through Connie’s, she held on tight as they slowly walked away.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Nicole closed the door behind the last of the friends who had come by after the funeral to offer their condolences, and more food than she, Gage, and Connie would be able to eat in a month. She turned and leaned against the door, swaying on her feet but filled with an inexplicable peace. The days since Joe’s death had been long and dark, but today, surrounded by all the people who had loved him, she and Connie had stood beside his grave and said goodbye. It helped more than she could have imagined to know that the body they lowered into the cold, hard ground wasn’t really Joe. That he was in heaven now and would never again know pain or suffering.
Gage came out of the kitchen and walked toward her. She pushed away from the door and went to him. “How are you holding up?” He took hold of her arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Nicole drew in a long, slow breath, taking inventory like someone would after a car crash to assess the amount of damage. Everything hurt, but nothing appeared broken beyond healing. Something she might need to remind herself of in the days to come. “I’ll be okay.”
“Connie asked me to go to the store for cream, in case anyone else drops by for coffee. Do you need anything?”
“Just for you to get back as soon as possible.”
“Done.” He kissed her again before stepping around her and heading out of the apartment.
“Nicole?” Connie stood in the living room.
Nicole crossed the room to press Connie’s hand between both of hers. “Are you doing okay?”
Her friend nodded as she led Nicole to the couch. “I’m fine. I wanted to talk to you about a few things before I go.”
“Go?” Nicole sank down beside her. “You don’t have to leave. You know you can stay here as long as you like.”
“I know.” Connie patted Nicole’s knee. “And thank you. It’s been wonderful to be here with you the last few days. I haven’t felt alone at all, although I know I have to deal with that now. The longer I stay away, the harder it will be. I need to go home in the morning, face the memories, and start learning how to live life on my own.”
“You won’t be alone,” Nicole said. “You know that, right? I’ll always be here for you.”
Connie’s soft white cheeks dimpled as she smiled. “I know that, sweetheart. And Joe knew it too. We never stopped thanking God for bringing you into the diner that day. We knew right away we’d gotten a good worker, and it didn’t take us much longer to realize we’d also finally found a daughter.”
Tears pricked Nicole’s eyes and she blinked them back. “You and Joe were more like parents to me than mine ever were. I don’t know what I would have done without you all these years.”
“God knew we needed each other, didn’t he? And he has ways of bringing people who need each other together. We must have the wisdom and the courage to see those people i
n front of us and let them into our lives and into our hearts when he does. And not do anything to push them away.”
Nicole swallowed. “That can be scary sometimes.”
Connie held her hand tightly. “That’s why it takes courage. You don’t regret loving Joe, do you? Even though it hurts so much to lose him?”
“No. Not for a second.” The fog in her head began to clear. It was always a risk to love someone, to let them in. But when that love was real and right, even the pain of loss was worth it. As long as it is right, and you weren’t meant to be with someone else instead. She pressed a hand to her chest. It was a betrayal to Gage to even let thoughts like that cross her mind. And she wouldn’t do that to him. She loved him. He was the one she was meant to be with. Any other thoughts of some man she barely knew were the product of grief and exhaustion. Nothing more.
“Nic?” Connie’s soft blue eyes peered intently into hers.
Heat flushed her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I was … thinking about Gage.”
“Ah. Such a good man. He really loves you.” The words were pointed, and Nicole felt them like a finger pressing into her chest. Were they motivated by what Connie had seen the other day, when she had walked in on her and the detective in the diner?
“I know. I love him too.”
Connie squeezed her hand. “Speaking of love, I have something for you.”
Nicole’s eyes narrowed as Connie let go of her and drew a cream-colored envelope out of the pocket of her sweater. Nicole’s name was scrawled across the front of it, and she caught her breath as she recognized Joe’s handwriting.
“Joe wrote this a while ago, when he started feeling so poorly, I think. He asked me to give it to you after he was gone.” Connie held the letter out. “I’m sorry it’s a bit wrinkled. It’s been in my purse for months now.”
For a few seconds, Nicole couldn’t move. A letter from Joe? She struggled to draw in a breath. Slowly she reached out and grasped the envelope with shaking fingers.