Thayer laughed and smooshed Corey’s face between her hands, kissing her hard. “What would happen if I were lying naked in bed with a plate of lasagna on my chest?”
Corey’s face screwed up in thought. “Is the lasagna hot?”
Collier was waiting for her at the entrance to the ED. “Thanks for coming.”
“Yeah, sure. I wasn’t doing anything else.”
He stopped and stared at her, looking like he wanted to say something.
“It was a joke,” Corey added. “I was sleeping.” She slipped her glasses off the collar of her shirt and put them on as they headed through the sliding doors. “How did you find him?”
“A patrol car responded to a call from a twenty-four-hour corner store downtown. A group of kids loitering, smashing bottles and trying to flip a dumpster. By the time they arrived there was just the one in some sort of psychotic episode in the parking lot and the others had taken off. We had your description out and I got the call.”
Sunday at four o’clock in the morning wasn’t a popular time to be out and about, wrecking yourself. The ED was nearly empty. Corey nodded to a few familiar faces as she followed Collier into curtain four. Jules was packing up the monitors and unhooking the IV from the port of the sheet-wrapped body.
“Corey?” She dropped what she was doing to give Corey a hug. “What are you doing here? Are you all right? We were really worried about you.”
“Hey, Jules.” Corey returned her embrace. “Yeah, thanks, I’m good. I’m just consulting with the police on something.” She gestured to Collier. “You know Jim Collier?”
“Sure, I’ve seen you around.” Her eyes narrowed. “You arrested Corey Friday night. Why?”
Collier swallowed. “Uh, it was—”
“A misunderstanding. So, you have the graveyard shift, huh? No pun intended.”
“Yeah.” Jules rolled her eyes.
“Do you know anything about this patient?” Collier asked.
“Besides the obvious? No. I just need some of the equipment from in here. I can get the doctor that pronounced him if you want.”
“Thanks.” Collier pulled out his notebook.
“I’ll send him down.” Jules wheeled the heart rate monitor out the door. “See ya, Corey.”
Corey leaned against the counter and jammed her hands in her pockets while Collier kept his head bent, scribbling away in his notebook. The weight of the elephant in the room was oppressive. “So, I guess I know what I’m doing Monday,” she commented to break the silence.
Collier grunted but didn’t look up. “I paged Webster. I want the post done tomorrow—or today—whatever.”
“Shit.” Corey groaned. “Sunday?”
“You’re not doing it. The resident is.”
Corey sucked a breath through her teeth. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Treat me like I’m made of glass.”
“I’m not. I didn’t. It was Webster’s idea.”
Corey’s jaw clenched and unclenched in anger.
Collier closed his notebook. “You were pretty ragged yesterday morning.”
“Yeah, your brain on fire and a gut full of sedatives tends to fuck you up for a while.” She seethed. “So, you got to see me lose it. Yay, you.”
“I’m sor—”
“Stop fucking apologizing to me.” She raked her hands through her hair and took a breath. “That wasn’t my first migraine, and believe it or not, it wasn’t the first time I’ve been arrested.”
“Oh, I believe it.”
Corey couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of her. Her expression turned stony the next instant and she straightened from the counter when Watson Gregory stepped through the curtain.
“Whoa.” Collier’s eyes went wide at her alert. “What?”
Dr. Gregory froze when he saw Corey, his lip curling. “What, you like ’em still warm?”
Collier stepped between the two of them pointing to the badge clipped to his belt. “She’s with me.”
His eyes darted to Collier’s badge and back to Corey, baring his teeth. “I assume she’s under arrest for assault.”
Corey couldn’t help a snort of laughter at the irony.
Collier took a step toward him, backing him up. Dr. Gregory was tall but Collier topped him by two inches and at least fifty pounds. “The way I hear it you’re the one who should be concerned about assault charges.”
Dr. Gregory paled, his eyes going to Corey for a moment. She offered him a small shrug.
He cleared his throat nervously. “What can I help you with, Officer?”
“Sergeant. We want to look at the deceased.”
“Of course, Sergeant.” Dr. Gregory moved to the shrouded body and carefully unwrapped the sheet from his head, pulling it down to the chest before stepping back.
Corey’s eyes moved to the body and she sucked in a breath at the waxy skin, eyes partially closed and clouded in death. “It’s him.”
“What was the cause of death?” Collier asked.
Dr. Gregory relaxed somewhat. “Presented with extreme hypertension, tachycardia, fever, and altered mental status. When we could understand him, he complained of chest and stomach pain and he crashed within twenty minutes.” His gaze darted to Corey and he shrugged. “Autopsy will probably show stroke or MI. Or both.”
“Drug overdose?” Collier asked.
“Without a doubt.”
“Crystal meth?”
“Sure, yeah.” He nodded. “That works.”
“Did he say anything before he died?”
“Very little that was intelligible and even less that was coherent.”
Collier nodded. “I’ll need his clothes and all personal effects.”
“Sure.” Watson Gregory pulled the sheet down farther and plucked a large sealed biohazard bag from between the body’s legs and passed it over. “Anything else?”
“No.” Collier was already moving to the counter with the bag and didn’t look up. “Thank you for your time.”
Corey joined Collier at the counter while Watson Gregory disappeared without another word.
Collier flipped open the tatty Velcro wallet and removed the vic’s driver’s license. “Andrew Arthur Weeks, twenty-three years old.” He paused and pulled out a worn punch card with several holes around the outside. “Gotcha.”
“What’s that?” Corey asked and he held it up. “Where’s Jake’s Bait and Tackle? And what the hell is a Green Machine trolling lure?”
“Jake’s is farther around the lake at the west end of Old South Road, and Green Machine is a lure for deep sea fishing—tuna and marlin.”
“Why would a bait shop at Rankins Lake be selling it?”
“They wouldn’t.”
“You think that has something to do with the drugs?”
“Yup.”
“So, what now?”
“Now I go break the tragic news to Andrew Weeks’s family and find out who his friends are and pick them up.”
“His five friends. Do you have enough to arrest them?”
“Not yet, but they don’t know that and for all those shit for brains know, Weeks is still alive and gave them up to get back at them for leaving him to the cops.” His mouth quirked wickedly. “Guaranteed at least one of those losers has a record and one of them is too stupid to keep his mouth shut and lawyer up.”
“Cool.” Corey suddenly felt incredibly tired as she took off her glasses, and forgetting about her broken nose, scrubbed her face. “Ah, shit.” She winced.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She held up a hand and slipped her glasses back on. “I should go, unless you need something else?”
“No.” He gathered up Andrew Weeks’s things. “Let’s get out of here.”
They walked out together toward her truck.
“Thanks again for coming down,” he said.
“Yeah.” Corey breathed wearily.
“Are we ever going to be okay?” he asked after a long
moment.
Corey turned and leaned against her truck, hands in her pockets. “You want to make it up to me, Collier? Be there for me when it counts.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Aw, babe, what are you doing up?” Corey asked as she dropped her keys and glasses on the counter and saw Thayer wrapped in her robe huddled over a mug of tea.
Thayer smiled, relieved. “I was worried.”
Corey draped her arms over Thayer’s shoulders, kissing her neck. “It hasn’t been that long.”
Thayer hugged Corey’s waist, pressing her face into her belly. “The bed was cold.”
“Yeah,” Corey agreed tiredly and dropped into a chair. She gestured to the mug. “Is there more?”
“I’ll get it.” Thayer rose and moved to the kitchen. “Chamomile okay? It’ll help you sleep.”
Corey rested her head on her arms. “Not sure I’m going to need any help in that department.”
“How did it go?” Thayer set a steaming mug in front of her.
Corey wrapped her hands around it and stuck her face into the steam. “It was him.”
Thayer nodded. “And with Jim?”
“Oh, he’s on the hunt now to end this case with some shifty cop tricks.” Corey smiled. “I’m sure it will all be solved by later today.”
“I meant with you and Jim.”
“Oh, right.” Corey sipped her tea. “We’re on the road to recovery, I think.”
Thayer reached across the table and gripped her hand. “I’m really happy about that.”
“Me too.”
“We have a brunch date with Nana.”
“Since when?”
“Since twenty minutes ago.”
Corey checked her watch. It was just creeping toward six. “You called her at five thirty?”
“She called me,” Thayer replied grimly. “I think she’s ready to give me my verbal switching over what happened with you.”
Corey grimaced. “Sorry, babe.”
“She said she put in a special request with the kitchen for us.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning steak and eggs for you probably and arsenic-laced cookies for me.”
Corey laughed. “Come on, Thayer. Lil thinks you shit ice cream.”
Thayer snorted. “Well, that’s hot.”
“Sorry.” Corey grinned. “My filter is still on the fritz.” She rubbed her eyes. “Wait, you can do that there? Just request brunch?”
“She can. Nana’s like—what’s it called on that Australian prison show?”
“Top dog.”
“Yes, that’s her.”
“Good to know. What time are we expected?”
“Ten thirty.”
Corey nodded and did some mental math. “So, we have like three hours.” She reached for Thayer’s hand.
Thayer grinned and pulled her to her feet. “Four,” she corrected as she led Corey down the hall. “Three and a half if you want a shower.”
“Hey, where’s my lasagna?”
“You’ll spoil your brunch. I’ve got the next best thing.” Thayer smirked and kicked the bedroom door shut for effect.
“That’s weird,” Corey commented as they stood around the front of the Pond House for a minute, expecting Lil to come out and greet them. She was always watching for her visitors. “Wonder what she’s up to.”
“Hmm.” Thayer crossed her arms. “Probably sharpening her knives.”
“Will you stop,” Corey chided lightly and reached for her hand. “You are not in trouble with her. Your grandmother is kind and gracious and generous—just like you.”
“We’ll soon see,” Thayer said, threading her fingers through Corey’s. “Let’s go around back. She’s probably already on the patio.”
She was and Corey wasn’t immediately on guard when she first saw Lil sitting at the same table that she was at the other day, relaxed and staring out over the pond in quiet contemplation. She didn’t hear them approach.
“Good morning, Nana,” Thayer greeted her softly.
Lil’s head turned to regard Thayer shrewdly for a long moment before she rose and pulled Thayer into a strong one-armed embrace. “Jo.”
Something was up. Corey could feel it in the air now, and Thayer was definitely on edge. Lil looked Corey over from head to toe and then back again before pulling her in close with a satisfied twitch of her lips.
Corey met Thayer’s eyes over the top of Lil’s head but she could only offer a puzzled look.
They sat together, Thayer and Corey on one side and Lil on the other, and Corey busied herself draining her water to avoid having to speak right away.
“So, girls,” Lil began, lacing her fingers together and cradling her chin on her hands. “Tell me what you’ve been up to this weekend.”
Corey’s throat seized and she coughed to get her last swallow down. She risked a glance to Thayer, who had steepled her hands in front of her face and closed her eyes.
It hadn’t even occurred to Corey to worry about who was going to find out about the events of Friday night. Most of her friends were there. Thayer, clearly, hadn’t seen this coming either and was quiet as she pressed her lips together in a tight line. Corey could see the wheels spinning as she considered her answer.
“All right, Jo,” Lil began. “How about I tell you about my weekend? It was entirely uneventful until last night just after eleven when Mary Margaret Marshall burst into my room and dragged me out to the common room shouting nonsense about my granddaughter’s boyfriend on the news, being arrested Friday night by the handsome police officer I was having lunch with the other day.”
“Boyfriend? What the fu—” Corey blurted and then slammed her mouth shut at the identical withering glances from both Thayer and Lil.
“I admit I didn’t give it much thought. She’s blind as a bat—until she replayed the spot showing this grainy cell phone video, taken by someone downtown. Imagine my shock…” Lil looked expectantly at each of them. “Now, which one of you is going to tell me what you’ve gotten yourselves mixed up in this time, and which one of you is going to explain to me why I’m finding out about it from the news—again?”
“Nana, we aren’t mixed up in anything.”
“Oh, really? Then why was Corey being arrested?”
“It was a mistake,” Thayer offered. “There were no charges and Jim Collier has apologized. It was upsetting and Corey had a rough night but she’s fine.” Thayer gestured to Corey who nodded emphatically. “We’re both fine, and honestly it didn’t occur to either one of us to mention it because it’s over, and we didn’t even think it might have been newsworthy.”
Lil’s eyes narrowed at them both and Corey put on her most honest expression, trying to discern Lil’s next line of questioning.
“The news segment was about a band of drug-crazed ruffians terrorizing the city.”
Corey snorted a laugh. “They didn’t really say that, did they?”
“I paraphrased and embellished.” Lil frowned at her. “Tell me this doesn’t have anything to do with the sergeant’s visit and the body on the Crandall property.”
Corey chewed on her lip and eyed Thayer, who shrugged in answer to the silent question. “Collier seems to think so,” Corey began. “He believes there may be a drug ring operating in the city and the Crandalls—Harold and maybe Robert—are or were involved. That’s really all we know, Lil. I promise.”
Lil turned her attention to Thayer. “Anything to add, Jo?”
“No, Nana. That’s all there is, truly.” She reached across the table for her grandmother’s hand and held it in her own. “I’m sorry you had to find out like that. There was…” Her eyes flicked to Corey, “…trouble, but we are not in any, and we certainly didn’t mean for you to feel like we were keeping something from you.”
Lil considered them both and Corey saw the moment she was satisfied, her frown relaxed and her eyes sparkled with humor again. “Well, let’s have brunch then.”
As if by magic, the serve
r came by with three plates, and Corey had never been as thrilled to find out Thayer was correct, steak and eggs. There were also seasoned potatoes, fruit, and assorted pastries.
Corey checked out Thayer’s plate, identical to hers, and noticed her hesitation. Thayer stared intensely at her food for so long Corey actually wondered if she could discern the ingredients. She bit her lip to suppress a laugh as she picked up her own plate and switched it with the one in front of Thayer whose answering smile was a mix of embarrassment and gratitude.
“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what that was about?” Lil said dryly.
“Just a private joke.” Corey smiled innocently and started on her food.
Lil walked them back to Corey’s truck, her strong arm wrapped around Thayer’s waist and Corey holding her weakened right hand. “Hey, Lil, I have a question for you,” Corey began hesitantly.
“I may or may not have an answer for you.”
Corey took a deep breath, hesitating at stirring the pot on this again but went for it anyway. “What does Harold Crandall look like?”
They were already back at Corey’s truck when both Thayer and Lil turned to her with eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why, my dear, would you need to know that?”
Thayer crossed her arms and arched a brow.
“I don’t need to know,” Corey agreed. “I’m just curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat,” Lil replied with a smirk.
“Knowledge is power.”
“Knowledge isn’t power until it’s applied.”
“The only source of knowledge is experience.” Corey laughed.
“For pity’s sake, you two, knock it off.” Thayer threw up her hands. “Nana, just tell her already.”
Corey and Lil grinned at each other like fools. “Keep in mind, the last time I saw Harold Crandall as close as we are now was twenty-five years ago.”
“That’s fine.” Corey gestured for her to go on. “I just want some idea.”
“When I knew him, he was at least six feet with sandy brown hair that he always kept a little longer, shaggy even. He was relatively trim with deep-set eyes and pronounced features. Strong jaw and sharp nose. He had a shallow chin cleft too. Quite handsome, really.”
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