Foundation for Three

by Vella Day

  “But you can’t go in the field yet.” This was so unfair.

  He lifted one shoulder. “I can still be useful at the station.” He drew her to his chest and kissed her. “Skating was wonderful and lunch fantastic.”

  Pete, too, would have to leave, since he and Thad had driven together. “I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow, and that you get full clearance. Thanks for helping me at The Rink, too.” She’d had a great time.

  Thad hugged her. “You were a natural.” He cupped her face. “You are a special woman, Zoey.”

  Her pulse soared. “So are you. A special man, I mean.”

  He laughed. As Thad leaned in for another kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Thankfully, these men seemed to understand the concept of waiting their turn. After Thad broke away, Pete bestowed a heart-stopping kiss on her. Damn. She wanted what they’d shared last night, but perhaps it was for the best. Her body could use the rest. “If I don’t see you beforehand, don’t forget the funeral on Thursday.” She’d look for any reason to be with them.

  “We’ll be there,” Thad said.

  Zoey waited by the window and watched as they drove away.

  As soon as the truck disappeared, the depression the men had been able to keep from crashing down on her descended. She still found it hard to believe Gloria Sanchez was really dead. Would someone else be next?

  * * *

  Gloria’s viewing was at Larson-Seigel Funeral Home from four to seven on Thursday. Cade’s comment about the killer possibly appearing set Zoey’s nerves on edge, enough so that she’d purposefully arrived early to study the people as they came in. While she didn’t expect someone to rush in and wave the scalpel that killed Gloria Sanchez, Zoey wanted to watch the mourners to see how he or she interacted with Dr. Sanchez. To her relief, an RHPD officer was stationed in plain sight. She wouldn’t be surprised if Cade had been instrumental in requesting the additional security.

  Zoey sat in the back row of chairs, waiting for Thad and Pete to arrive. The department chairs who worked directly for Dr. Hector Sanchez surrounded their boss, presenting a cohesive front. Conspicuously absent was Dr. Avery Carson, but Zoey had no doubt he’d come. It was still early, and he could be in surgery. Not showing up at all might harm his relationship with his boss, or worse, cast further suspicion on him.

  Zoey wouldn’t be surprised if Dr. Carson had already sent his resume to other hospitals. Sanchez would eventually find out, if he hadn’t already, that Avery Carson was with Gloria right before she died.

  While Zoey didn’t suspect Gloria’s husband of murder, she studied his interaction with the well-wishers. It was possible one of the department chairs wanted retaliation against his boss, but so far Zoey hadn’t witnessed any evidence of ill will.

  Dr. Sanchez’s shoulders were slightly hunched, and even though his eyes appeared dry, her heart went out to him. Once the case came to trial, he’d hear the sordid details of his wife’s last hour. Recovering from that kind of betrayal would test the strongest of men.

  Zoey’s plan was to wait until Thad and Pete arrived, and then give her condolences to Dr. Sanchez. Just as she began to worry her men might be delayed, they appeared at the door. Zoey couldn’t take her eyes off them. Both were dressed in suits and ties, and looked amazing. Pete’s hair was shorter, too, as if he’d had it cut just for the occasion. She went over to them and kissed each one on the cheek. “You guys clean up good,” she said as she added a hug. They smiled and her day brightened.

  Thad nodded to the cop positioned at the rear. Both Thad and Pete placed a hand on her back and led her to one of the rows of chairs. Now that her men were here, she expected all of her anxiety to disappear, but unfortunately it didn’t. She wished she could figure out why. Did she fear she’d see something and be unsure what to do? Or would Dr. Carson say something to her and set her ill at ease?

  Thad leaned in close. “How about you point out who’s who?”

  Her stomach turned queasy. “You aren’t on the case.” He didn’t need to take any chances because of her.

  Before she could offer another reason why that might not be a good idea, Dr. Avery Carson walked in with his friend, Dr. Thompson, and blood pounded in her ears. Thad lifted a lock of hair from her neck and twirled it around his finger. His tender caress helped ease the tension rushing through her. If she didn’t calm down soon, she might need to leave. It would look bad for a therapist to make a fool of herself.

  “I’m not officially on the case,” Thad said, as he ran his fingers up to her neck. Delightful shivers raced over her body. “But if I can be another set of eyes for the department, so much the better.”

  His argument made sense. “Okay.” She pointed out Dr. Sanchez as well as the department chairs, all of whom stood close to Gloria’s coffin.

  “The man on the left walking toward Dr. Sanchez is Dr. Avery Carson. He’s with his good friend Dr. Thompson, a fellow surgeon.”

  As if Carson knew she was talking about him, when he reached the end of the aisle, he turned toward her and shot her a lethal glare. Acid burned in her belly. Hating to get caught doing anything she shouldn’t, Zoey shifted her gaze and chuckled, pretending as if one of her men had told a joke.

  Pete must have seen the exchange and lifted her hand to his lips. With the slightest tug, he turned her body toward him. “Don’t worry,” he said, murmuring against her hand. “The philanderer turned back around.”

  Zoey inhaled. She would get through this. “I’m okay.” She straightened in her seat. “Continuing with our who’s who, the hospital’s CEO, Dr. Hunter Jackson, is the one leaning over the coffin. He’s wearing a black suit and has silver hair. The tall, thin blonde on his arm is Mrs. Jackson. They married last year.” Zoey didn’t mention the woman used to be his secretary.

  Because Zoey had an independent practice and didn’t mix with a lot of doctors, she was unable to name many of the remaining attendees. Just as she believed she could relax, Kara Molloy walked in more timid than Zoey had ever seen her. Her hands were clasped in front and her head was slightly bowed. Dressed in a neat, black suit, she looked somber. People expected a medical professional to appear cool and calm, and she looked the part today, but her behavior was quite different from when Kara was in Zoey’s office.

  “That woman, Kara Molloy, is Dr. Avery Carson’s assistant.” Kara wasn’t nearly as attractive as Gloria Sanchez, but others might disagree. “When I was at lunch last week, I overheard Dr. Carson mention to the man standing next to him that his assistant was harassing him, calling him constantly. Carson told her to stop, but she didn’t listen.”

  Thad faced her. “What do you know about her?”

  Due to confidentiality, Zoey had to be very careful. “I’ve heard neither is married.”

  “That helps,” Thad said, moving his gaze around the room.

  Zoey wiped her hands down her dress. “I feel a bit conspicuous sitting here. I should mingle.” Her men stood. She needed to speak with Kara but not with the men around. “Alone, please?”

  She caught Pete’s fist tighten and a tic form around Thad’s eye. They sat back down, but she was certain they would keep an eye on her. A large group was congregated off to the side near the front of the room. As she approached Kara, Dr. Carson zeroed in on Zoey. Her blood pressure skyrocketed. He wouldn’t dare do anything with everyone present, would he? Stop fretting. He probably just wants to apologize for being in the bathroom with Gloria.

  Carson moved too close, forcing Zoey to take a half step back. Before she could get farther from him, he stayed her with a hand on her arm. It wasn’t a hard grip, but the warning was clear.

  “We need to talk,” Carson said, his fingers switching from clasping her arm to hand rubbing. His touch was soft like a caress, but the implication was anything but. Goose bumps rippled over her body as a shot of anxiety coursed through her veins.

  Fear similar to that of being taken captive by Garrett McDonald overtook her. Carson’s musky cologne had her ga
g reflex in overdrive. Normally, the scent wouldn’t have bothered her, but right now being near him made it hard to breathe. “What do you want?” At least her voice hadn’t cracked.

  “I thought the employees of LACE were a family. If I go down, the scandal will rock this hospital so hard, you’ll go right down with me.”

  Her mind reeled. “I had no choice. My boyfriend’s a cop. Only after I heard about Gloria’s death did I mention seeing you with her.”

  “Did you know they accused me of murdering the woman I loved?” A ball of spit landed on her cheek, but she didn’t dare wipe it away, not wanting him to see her trepidation. “Who else did you blab my affair to?”

  He loved Gloria? “No one.” She relaxed a bit after understanding his concern. “If they released you, they must have nothing on you.”

  He lowered his arm. Good thing, too, because out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Thad and Pete circling, ready to pounce. Though she doubted they’d make a scene, having them approach wouldn’t be good either.

  “I see your men are ready to protect you. A word of advice. If you decide to tell Sanchez about our affair, you might lose your place at the hospital. One more scandal and things could go south.”

  Her vision blurred. “You should have thought of that when you had sex with your boss’s wife under his nose.”

  “You could never understand.” Carson gritted his teeth, spun on his heels, and headed toward Dr. Sanchez, almost as if the two were in cahoots. He better not claim she was the last one with Gloria. Zoey ran her hands down her hips again.

  Before she could regroup and join her men, Zoey wanted to speak with Kara, who was standing off to the side, looking lost. “Kara?”

  “Oh, hi, Dr. Donovan.”

  Zoey clasped one of Kara’s hands in hers. Being Avery’s assistant, Kara had attended get-togethers hosted by Dr. Sanchez and had known his wife quite well. “I’m sorry for your loss.” She let go.

  “It’s so terrible. Who would want to kill Mrs. Sanchez? Gloria did so much for the hospital.”

  “I know. The police are working on the case.”

  Kara pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes. “I’m not sure I want to stay at LACE anymore. What about that pharmaceutical tech who murdered all those people? Is he still in jail?”

  “Yes, Ben Ford is behind bars. He had nothing to do with this death.”

  Kara nodded. Two other women rushed to Kara’s side, and Zoey excused herself. She met the men halfway down the aisle. “I’d like to offer my condolences to Dr. Sanchez. Then I’ll be ready to leave.”

  “We won’t be far behind,” Pete said, clasping then releasing her hand. The supportive move gave her the strength to keep her head high as she approached the grieving husband. It was uncomfortable having Carson standing next to Gloria’s husband, but Zoey refused to let Dr. Carson intimidate her. If the light in the somber room had been brighter, she might have been able to tell if the glimmer in Avery’s eyes was due to tears or from fear she’d say something.

  “Dr. Sanchez.” Zoey held out her hand. He turned and gave her a sincere smile. She tried to judge his level of grief but couldn’t. Was he even aware of his wife’s indiscretion? “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you.” His gaze went to her forehead. “I’m glad to see you’ve healed.”

  Automatically, she lifted a hand to the spot where McDonald had hit her. The bruise was almost completely gone, but the painful memory remained. “Yes.”

  Dr. Jackson came up and drew Sanchez’s attention away. It was time to go. As Zoey headed toward the back where Thad and Pete were waiting, she studied the rest of the mourners, trying to decide if one of them could be guilty of murder.

  Chapter Twenty

  As soon as Zoey stepped outside the funeral home, she inhaled the clean air to clear her mind. The therapist in her wanted to stay around and witness the interaction between Kara Molloy and Dr. Carson to figure out which of the two was telling the truth regarding who was harassing whom, but Zoey’s stomach wasn’t up to the task. She decided it would be better if she left and worried about them later.

  Pete and Thad escorted her to her car that was parked at the front of the lot. Thad slapped a palm on top of her car’s roof, blocking her way. “How about telling me what Dr. Carson said? From the way your face paled, it wasn’t good. Did he accuse you of tattling to the police?” His jaw tightened.

  Those were a lot of questions all at once. She couldn’t keep anything from them. “He knew I was the one who said something to the cops.”

  “And?” Thad’s defensive side intensified.

  “He wanted to know if I also told Dr. Sanchez about what I saw, and I assured him I had not. He said if I mentioned his affair with Gloria to anyone else, it might damage the hospital’s reputation.”

  Thad shook his head. “That’s rich. Regardless of who is guilty, all of this information will come out at the trial.”

  Crap. A tight knot formed in her chest. “Will I need to testify?”

  “Most likely.” Thad’s fist clenched. “Let’s not worry about that today. I’m just pissed that he spoke to you like that.”

  “I think he was scared. The career he’d spent years building is crumbling all around him, and since I was the one who alerted the police to his indiscretion, it makes sense he’d blame me.”

  “Don’t make excuses for him. Even if Dr. Carson didn’t kill Mrs. Sanchez, he’s a cheating bastard. And with his own boss’s wife. Jesus. The man deserves what is thrown his way.”

  “You’re right.” She’d let her emotion cloud her logic.

  Pete wrapped an arm around her waist. “I’m driving you home.” His sternness almost frightened her.

  “I’m fine. Besides, who’ll drive Thad?”

  Thad waved his arm. “I drove here. Remember, we spoke on Monday and I told you I was cleared?”

  The stress was getting to her. “Maybe I’m more upset about Gloria’s death than I realized.” Or else it had been the interaction with Avery Carson.

  Pete held out his hand for her keys. She fished them out of her purse and handed them over. Just as she was getting into her car, Amber, Jamie, Cade, and Stone drove up.

  “Let me tell them I’m leaving.” Zoey went over to her friends and gave them a hug, seeing no reason to mention anything about Carson’s bad attitude. Zoey placed a hand on Jamie’s arm. “Pete and Thad are waiting for me, but we have a lot to talk about.”

  Jamie looked over at the men and smiled. “I say we do. Next week at our get-together for sure if not sooner.” With the funeral, they’d cancelled tonight’s happy hour.

  “It’s a date.”

  After a second round of hugs, Zoey returned and slipped into the passenger’s seat.

  “The girls are good?”

  He must have seen Jamie look over at them. “Yes. I can tell she wants the lowdown on us, but she’ll have to wait.”

  Pete smiled. As he made a right out of the funeral home parking lot, Zoey glanced in the side view mirror to make sure Thad was behind them. He was.

  “You hungry?” Pete asked.

  It wasn’t even five, and while her stomach was anything but settled, she wanted to have some normalcy back in her life. “Sure.”

  “How about texting Thad and telling him I’m taking you to the Steerhouse?”

  The Steerhouse was only the most expensive place in town. “Pizza is good.” While she’d offered to pay for her meals, the men seemed to have an issue with that.

  “Text him.”

  Zoey had no energy to argue. “Fine.” She did as Pete asked, but told Thad not to text her back. She was merely giving him a heads up. Knowing his penchant for red meat, he’d not complain.

  They battled rush hour traffic but somehow managed to find a place less than a block from the Steerhouse. They waited for Thad to park before heading to the restaurant.

  “How are you holding up?” Thad asked as he joined them.

  “I’m actually doing ok
ay.” He probably feared that once she thought about the implication of Carson’s words, she’d fall apart.

  Thad wrapped a comforting arm around her waist and escorted her inside where they were seated right away. She slid into the booth first, and Thad moved in next to her. Pete sat across from them.

  The waiter came over right away and asked what they’d like to drink. “I’ll have a Chardonnay,” she said.

  “Ale,” Pete added, while Thad ordered coffee.

  Thad placed a hand on her leg. “If I seem a bit distracted during dinner, forgive me. I’m trying to process everything you’ve told me.”

  “It’s not your case, you know.”

  “But it involves you, and I want to be sure you stay safe.”

  Zoey leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You are a good man, Thad Dalton.”

  Pete cleared his throat. He didn’t act embarrassed. Rather he seemed to be trying to lighten the mood. He then stretched an arm across the back of the seat. Just looking at his pose made the recent incident fade.

  “The whole time we’ve been together,” Pete said, “you’ve been able to get us to spill the beans about how we grew up, but I don’t know a lot about you.”

  “I’m not used to talking about myself. Besides, my life isn’t very exciting.”

  “It is to us,” Thad chimed in.

  “You want the lowdown on Zoey Elizabeth Donovan?”

  Thad leaned close. “Elizabeth huh? I like it. We want it all—the whole naked truth. The good, bad, the ugly.”

  That made her laugh. Thank goodness the men were willing to put Gloria Sanchez to rest, at least for tonight. “There’s plenty of ugly in there, though not much bad, thankfully.” How did one sum up her life without boring them to death? “I have four siblings. Courtney, twenty-nine, works at a craft store in Billings. She’s the emotional one in the family. She’s made some bad decisions when it comes to men, but she has a heart of gold.”

  Pete lowered his arm and leaned his elbows on the table. “I think we’ve all made some poor choices along the way.”