by London Casey
Inside, the canned music was playing at a decent decibel level, and the place wasn’t yet crowded. Amber and Melissa were already there and waved to them. She and Jamie were a bit late, so she guessed Becky wouldn’t be coming.
After hugs all around, the tension slowly seeped out of Zoey’s bones. The place might have that distinct odor of beer and wood, but it was a smell that reminded her of good times.
As soon as they were seated, Jamie clasped Amber’s hand. “I know your mom came to visit this past weekend, but we haven’t had a chance to talk. What suggestions did she have for your wedding?”
Amber already had her glass of wine and Zoey motioned to the waitress for her usual. Zoey wanted to hear what Mrs. Delacroix had suggested before showing Amber some of the pictures she’d taken of Nana’s barn. Zoey had uploaded them to the Cloud so that she could share her experience with the girls.
“Mom exhausted me. We went to every church in Rock Hard. While ménage weddings are common, not all places embrace them.” Amber pursed her lips. “Then we had to drive to Billings, where we met with similar disappointment.”
Poor Amber. Zoey reached over to her and clasped her hand. “What do you and the men want?”
“Yes! It does matter what the bride desires. Why can’t my mom see that?”
Zoey smiled. “Well, she is a bit self-centered.”
That seemed to cheer up Amber. “Yes, but she’s trying to be a mother, so I’m attempting to be a good daughter.”
Zoey pulled out her cell phone and clicked on the app that brought up the photos of Nana’s barn. “I have a place I think you might like, though I’m pretty sure your mom won’t.”
The glint in her eyes returned. “Let me see.”
Zoey explained about Thad’s grandmother’s place. “Thad’s cousin, Erin, sent me some photos of her wedding that had been held there. The place is quite magical and homey and awesome.”
Jamie leaned closer. “Nice, but see how the light leaks between the wooden slats? I bet it’ll be cold in there.”
Zoey agreed. “Have you three set a wedding date?”
Amber shook her head. “We’re thinking sometime in the spring.”
“That will work weather wise.” Zoey handed her the phone. “There are about fifteen photos. Just scroll through them.”
With each swipe, Amber’s face grew brighter. “These are amazing. Can you send them to me? I want Stone and Cade to see these.”
“Will do.”
The server came with their drinks and Zoey finally relaxed. The only thing on her agenda for the rest of the day was to pack for someplace warm, get through tomorrow, and be free for a love-filled weekend.
Phone in hand, Thad leaned back in his office chair. “I’ll be out of town all weekend,” he told Max. “If you need any help with a gang insignia, call Jeremy. He’s almost as good as I am.”
“Will do.”
Thad had expected at least a chuckle, but Max apparently wasn’t much of a jokester. Thad had logged off his computer, ready to pick Zoey up for their trip to the airport, when Cade made a beeline to Thad’s desk. The pinched brows and stiff shoulders weren’t a good sign. Shit.
Cade tossed down a piece of paper. “Take a look at this.” Cade had drawn yellow highlights through about fifty or so phone numbers.
It was someone’s phone bill. “Who does this belong to?”
“Dr. Avery Carson. And those multiple calls? They’re from a Kara Molloy, his assistant.”
Both were at Gloria Sanchez’s funeral. “So?” Thad was having a hard time pushing his own cases aside. Cade worked burglaries, domestic violence, and on occasion, murder, and rarely asked for or needed Thad’s expertise.
Cade dragged a chair from an empty desk and placed it next to Thad’s. “What do we know about Gloria Sanchez’s murder?”
“Why are you asking me? I only know what Zoey told us.”
Cade nodded, but from his stern expression, he was hoping for some additional information. “Carson admitted that he was with Gloria not long before her death. Remember, Zoey said Carson mentioned how he’d tried to get Kara to stop calling him, but she wouldn’t.”
The conversation came back to him. “Didn’t Carson also mention that Kara had complained to HR about him?”
“Yes. Something didn’t fit, so I spoke with HR.” Cade detailed how Kara claimed Carson was hitting on her. “Apparently, it was the other way around.”
None of this was making much sense. Did Cade just need someone to bounce an idea off of? “Even if Kara lied, what does that prove?”
He held up a finger. “I investigated Ms. Molloy’s whereabouts the night of the murder. Several nurses can place her in the hospital.”
The puzzle pieces clicked into place. “Are you thinking she killed Gloria Sanchez? That she was mad at Carson for paying attention to another woman?”
“Thinking it. Yes. Do I have proof? No.”
Thad still hadn’t figured out why Cade was coming to him. “What can I do?”
“Did Zoey ever mention that Kara was her client?”
His mind spun. “No.” If Zoey suspected Kara of misconduct, would she tell him? “We don’t discuss our pending cases.”
“Did she tell you what she talked to Carson or Kara Molloy about at the funeral?”
He had to think back to last week. “Carson warned her not to tell Sanchez about the affair. As for Zoey and Kara’s conversation, no. From my standpoint, Zoey appeared to be comforting her.”
Cade stood. “We need to speak with Zoey.”
From Cade’s firm tone, he knew more, but from the urgency in his tone, now wasn’t the time to question him. “I was on my way to the hospital now anyway. I’ll text Pete and tell him to meet us there. We’re taking Zoey on a weekend getaway.”
“Let’s go.”
“I doubt Zoey will give you much information about one of her clients.”
“Don’t need it. I want to warn her that Kara might be dangerous.”
Thad’s heart nearly stopped. “I’ll call her.” As they rushed out, Thad dialed her number. “Voicemail. Fuck. She must be with a client. Usually, her secretary picks up.” Shit.
Zoey’s secretary, Rachel, knocked on her door. “You all packed for your big weekend trip?”
Disbelief that the time was near had her more jittery than ten cups of coffee. “Yes.”
“Excited?”
Zoey lowered her chin. That was an understatement. “What do you think?”
Rachel grinned. “I’m glad. Just a reminder, I’m leaving early today.”
Zoey glanced to the ceiling trying to remember when her secretary had told her. “You are?” Not that it was a problem.
“It’s my mom’s birthday, remember?”
“Oh, yeah, I do.”
“Kara’s in the waiting room. I’ll send her in on my way out.”
“Thanks. And tell your mom ‘happy birthday.’”
“I will.”
Zoey sat back in her chair and waited for her last appointment. Kara walked in, looking a bit nervous, which of late had been her normal state.
“Hello, Kara. Have a seat.”
She sat and placed her purse next to her. Her chin lifted. “What did you and Dr. Carson talk about at the funeral?” While her voice appeared in control, her darting eyes told a different story.
Kara had never walked in and asked a question before—especially one that was personal to Zoey. “I beg your pardon?” Zoey didn’t conduct her business that way. Perhaps she misunderstood.
“Did you talk about me?” An edge had crept into Kara’s tone, setting off alarm signals in Zoey’s head.
Remaining cool, Zoey studied her client. Her eyes were clear, and her speech wasn’t slurred or noticeably different, implying Kara wasn’t on drugs. “No.” That was the truth. Zoey tried to figure out where Kara was going with this line of questioning.
Her jaw trembled. “I saw you stop at his table in the cafeteria. Did you discuss me then?”
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Zoey searched her mind, trying to remember when she’d last seen Dr. Carson, other than at the funeral. She’d seen him when Carson and Thompson were chatting about the death of the little boy, but Zoey had merely passed by to get out the door.
“I’ve never shared anything about our sessions with anyone. I’ve taken an oath.”
“Are you seeing Avery now? Do you want him for yourself?”
The idea was so preposterous that Zoey almost let out a nervous laugh, but she refrained. Kara seemed to think her question was perfectly logical.
Zoey set down her tablet she’d planned to take notes on, and came around her desk, hoping to intimidate Kara—shocking her to return to her normally rational self. It wasn’t a tactic Zoey liked to use, but given the speed of her heart, she had to do something. Kara’s behavior was way off. Her subsequent questions didn’t even follow from Zoey’s answers.
“No. Why would you think that?” Zoey asked.
Kara’s face looked hard, as if chiseled from stone. When she jumped up from her seat, Zoey stopped in her tracks.
Kara gritted her teeth. “You royal bitch.” The words came out slow and even.
Zoey held up a hand. “Kara. Please sit down. What has you so upset?”
Kara’s mouth opened. “How could you ask me that? You know I love Avery Carson, and yet you convinced him to seek out Gloria.”
Zoey’s breath stopped halfway up her throat. Kara was irrational. Zoey mostly counseled people who grieved, and those whose relationships were floundering. Dealing with someone this unstable wasn’t her specialty. Zoey had to draw on every ounce of control. “Why would I do that?” Denying the allegation might upset Kara more. If Zoey could get Kara to calm down, Zoey might be able to defuse the situation. Later, she’d address the whole concept of Kara loving Avery Carson when she had claimed the opposite.
“Because you knew I wanted him.”
Was there anything Zoey could say to make Kara see reason? Before Zoey could come up with another plan, light from the window glinted off the object in Kara’s hand. It was a scalpel. No. No. No. Silver dots exploded in Zoey’s eyes as she tried to wrap her mind around what was happening.
“Kara. You don’t want to do this.” It took all of Zoey’s training for the words to come out even. Whether Kara planned to slice open Zoey’s throat or put fear into her heart, nothing good would come from this interaction. “If you feel I’ve broken my oath to you, I can recommend someone else. Dr. Claire Daniels is an outstanding therapist with people who’ve been through a trauma.”
“You know for a shrink, you’re really stupid.” Kara planted one hand on her hip and waved the medical instrument in a circle with the other.
At least they were having a discussion. That was good. “Why do you say that?” Zoey’s heart lodged in her throat.
Kara’s lips thinned. “You actually believed that Avery was the bad man I made him out to be, didn’t you?”
Something awful twisted inside Zoey and her breaths came out too fast. Keep calm. Stall. “You did an excellent job convincing me.”
Kara lifted her chin. “Did you know that he loved me, but to protect anyone else from finding out about us, he pretended not to like me? He was the one who suggested I go to HR. He also thought it would look good if I went to counseling.”
The image of Avery Carson impaling Gloria Sanchez came to mind. “No. I was unaware of his feelings. How could I have known?” Zoey inhaled to steady her beating heart so that her words would come out sounding confident and calm. “Were you and he intimate?” Zoey regretted the words as soon as she spoke them. She prayed that question didn’t trigger any violent reaction.
Kara drew in her bottom lip and bit down on it, her telltale sign that her veneer was cracking. Zoey slipped her right foot back six inches. If she made small enough movements, Kara might not notice that Zoey was edging toward the desk—the desk that held the pretty pink stun gun.
Kara stepped toward her and Zoey’s blood turned to sludge. She held out a hand. “Kara. Please don’t come any closer.”
“I saw the way Avery looked at you.” Kara waved the scalpel again. “It was bad enough that you flirted with him at the funeral, but at the hospital, he’s mine.”
Think, think. As a therapist Zoey should be able to talk her down. Her internal thoughts seemed to mock her. “Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t flirting? Why should I? I have a cop for a boyfriend.” Guilt trickled over her for not mentioning Pete, but this wasn’t about being truthful. It was about staying alive.
Kara’s lip curled. “Like that would stop you? You’re no better than that whore Gloria.”
Air refused to go from her lungs to her brain. “Gloria?”
“I killed that bitch because Avery loved her, or so he said.” Kara tapped her chest and a bit of spit dribbled out of the corner of her mouth.
She’d killed Gloria? Shit. The ramification of Kara telling her that she’d murdered someone sunk in. “I can see why you did. I walked in on them fornicating. It was disgusting.” A few wisps of oxygen actually seeped into her brain.
“Which is why with you out of the way, I’ll have him all to myself.”
Faster than Zoey could take her next breath, Kara raised her hand and charged.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The knife slashing through the air triggered Zoey’s survival instinct. She twisted to the side, reached behind her, her fingers landing squarely on the stun gun. Pete had shown her how to turn in on, but right now her mind wasn’t working. With clutched fingers that held the gun painfully tight, Zoey brandished it. “Stay away.”
For a split second, Kara hesitated. That was all it took for Zoey to go on the offensive. Kara’s arm sliced downward, but Zoey managed to jump out of the way as she jammed the prongs against Kara’s neck and depressed the button. Kara stiffened and her eyes went wide.
Adrenaline, sludge, and bile filled Zoey’s body, and her mind ceased to function for a moment. Then the need for safety took over. Zoey pushed Kara backward, rotated to the side, and ran for the door. The knife clattered to the ground and the loud thud stopped Zoey in her tracks. She spun around and her breath caught. Sprawled on the hard floor was Kara, her eyes wide. Her chest heaved and then her eyes shut.
The temptation to help her nearly won, but common sense made Zoey seek safety. She yanked open the door, gulped in air, and sprinted through the empty waiting room. She dashed into the hallway. Empty again. This was supposed to be a busy hospital. Where the hell was everyone? She tried to yell, but her throat had closed up. Forcing her body to move, she stumbled down the hall. Fear had jacked up her pulse and her heart squeezed tight. As she neared the nurses’ station, the far doors opened and Thad and Cade rushed in.
Zoey nearly dropped to her knees in relief. Her chest constricted and she palmed the wall to steady herself. Thad was by her side in a flash.
“Jesus, Zoey. What happened?”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Call 911. Kara attacked me.”
Thad checked her out. “Where are you hurt?”
“Not me.” Why couldn’t she put the words together? “Kara’s down in my office. Stun gun. She tried to kill me.”
With his phone to his ear, Cade made a call and took off running toward her office. Just then Pete called her name and sprinted toward her. “Zoey? Are you okay?”
“Yes. Just shaken.”
Pete and Thad led her over to a bench at the end of the hallway where the light streamed in. Pete held her while Thad knelt in front of her. “Start from the beginning,” Thad said.
Confusion fogged her brain, but in bits and pieces she was able to explain how Kara was her patient, that she’d accused Dr. Avery Carson of sexual harassment, but then admitted she’d basically stalked him.
“Cade got Carson’s phone records confirming that. Cade pieced it together that Kara was dangerous. We were coming to warn you.”
She sniffled. “Kara said she killed Gloria Sanchez.”
A few minutes later, two uniformed policemen strode down the corridor. She was about to tell them the location of her office when Cade appeared in her doorway and motioned them in.
Zoey slumped against her seat. “Now what’s going to happen? I was looking forward to having a vacation this weekend.”
“Me, too.” Thad pulled out his phone and did a search. “There’s a flight out of Billings at nine tomorrow morning that arrives at noon. How does that sound?”
“I just want to get out of here, assuming Cade will let me,” Zoey said.
Thad squeezed her hand. “If I can convince him to let me take your statement and send it to him, he might let us go.”
“That would be awesome,” she said.
Pete nodded. “I say we spend the night near the airport. That way, we’ll be more relaxed when we get on the plane.”
“I like that plan.” Zoey closed her eyes for a moment while the terror twisted and churned in her stomach. Her hands still shook at having to use the stun gun. Never did she think she’d ever have to resort to such violence. If she hadn’t, though, she’d be as dead as Gloria Sanchez.
Thad got up and slipped next to her on the other side. In silence, he held her. “You’re lucky, you know.”
“I know. If Pete hadn’t made me buy that stun gun, I’d be dead.”
Thad kissed the top of her head. “I meant something else, though you have an excellent point.”
She glanced up at him. “What other point?”
“When I saw you run down the hallway, my heart stopped. I wasn’t sure I could live through another attack. That makes you lucky that I’m still alive.”
She chuckled at his drama. He’d wanted her to laugh, and he’d succeeded. “You would have survived. You’re a strong man.”
Chatter drew her attention in the direction of her office. The two policemen who’d entered a few minutes earlier escorted Kara in cuffs out of the room. Zoey jumped up and a wave of dizziness assaulted her, forcing her to sit back down.