Chapter 44
Forty-Four
T he chilly October breeze ruffled Asher’s hair as he left the hospital. The streetlights cast shadows over the parked cars beyond the portico where he stood. He’d hired an Uber using Edie’s laptop to take him to a store and was waiting for the driver to arrive. It was late—after one a.m.—but he needed a phone.
“What are you doing?”
He glanced back at the voice, frowning as he glimpsed the owner. “Go back inside, Edie.”
She ignored him and walked closer, huddling into an oversized fleece jacket. “It’s chilly out here. Why are we outside?”
“I’m waiting on a ride. I don’t know what you’re doing.”
She snorted. “Really? I would think it was obvious.”
“Well, it’s not.” He had his suspicions, but he’d rather not think she believed he was about to go cuckoo. Or on a murderous rampage to put Lennox six feet under. She might join him on the latter, though.
“I’m just making sure you’re all right. You went into Esther’s room, sat in there for about fifteen minutes, and when you came back out, your eyes were red-rimmed, but you looked more determined than ever to find Lennox.”
“I am. Not just for what he did to Esther. The man needs to be stopped.”
“I know that.”
“Then go back inside and let me do what I do.”
“You sit behind a computer screen and find information. You don’t go out in the field, Ash. That’s more my thing.”
“Yeah, well, you can’t right now.”
She crossed her arms and shifted, annoyance pinching her features. “I don’t regret getting pregnant, but it sure is an inconvenience.”
That brought a slight smirk to Asher’s face. “In any case, I’m not doing fieldwork right now.” Not yet. “I need a phone.”
“Why didn’t you ask me or one of the others to take you? Why hire a car?”
“I didn’t want to take you away from your family. And the others all went back to Esther’s to get some rest.” He lifted a shoulder. “Uber seemed the easiest and most considerate way to get what I need.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed, letting her arms fall back to her sides. “That’s dumb. Cancel it. I’ll take you.”
“I can’t.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“I used your laptop to book it, and it’s still upstairs with your parents.”
The stare she laid on him made him feel a bit like a bug under a microscope. His brows drew together, and he stared back. “What?”
“For a smart man, you sure can be stupid.” She took her phone from her pocket and shook it at him.
“Why are you waving that at me?”
“Because you can log into your Uber from this.” The look of incredulity on her face morphed into concern. “Are you all right? I mean, you can have a brain disconnect from time to time, but this is a little much.”
“I’m fine.” He plucked the phone from her fingers and logged into his Uber account. “Maybe I need a little sleep.”
“And food. Have you eaten?”
He paused, fingers hovering over the screen as he tried to remember the last time he’d had a meal. This morning. The gruel Lennox brought. “I had breakfast. And that snack you brought me earlier.” The boost of energy and brain power from the small bag of trail mix she’d brought him had long since worn off.
Edie sighed. “You need Esther in your life. Just to keep you alive.”
He grunted softly, not agreeing with or denying what she said. Some days, it was probably true. He’d made it to the ripe age of thirty-three without her, though.
“Come on.” Edie tugged on his shirtsleeve.
Asher nodded, focused on the phone screen. “Yep. Hang on.” He hit cancel, then confirmed it, before logging out. “All right. Ride’s canceled. I’m at your mercy.”
A wicked grin graced her face. “Careful, Asher. I know Esther conned you into wearing that unicorn suit, but I’m the sister with the truly devious mind. And pregnancy has made me cranky.”
“So, we’re stopping for ice cream, then?”
She tipped her head back and laughed. Asher chuckled, the lightness of the moment easing some of the tension in his body. There had been few light moments lately.
“Fine. Twist my arm.” Edie grinned. “But you’re buying.”
That comment made him pause. He closed his eyes and groaned.
“What?” She stopped beside him.
“I forgot I don’t have my wallet. It was in my car. Now I’m glad you found me. I’d have gotten all the way to the store and had no way to buy the damn phone.”
Edie paused for a beat. “Yeah, we’re doing food first. Recharge those super brain cells of yours.”
He followed her down the sidewalk and into the parking lot, where they got into Esther’s car. Edie pulled out of the parking space and pointed them toward Coos Bay. At this hour, nothing was open in Heron Ridge.
Asher closed his eyes, shutting off his brain for the drive. Edie must have sensed he needed some time to himself, because she didn’t try to make conversation until she pulled into the drive-thru for an all-night burger joint. He gave her his order, then tucked into his food when she passed it to him a few minutes later. In several bites, he’d devoured half of his sandwich.
By the time she’d parked and eaten a few bites of her soft-serve ice cream, he’d finished his burger and fries. With the food on board, he felt more awake and more in control of his thoughts and emotions.
“Thank you for dinner.” He wadded up his trash and stuffed it into the bag. “I haven’t had a decent meal in days.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry. I should have made sure you’d eaten something more than the trail mix earlier.”
“You’re not my keeper, Edie. I don’t need one.”
“I know, but I am your friend. And you made sure I ate. I should’ve had the grace to do the same. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You were worried about Essy and had a myriad of other things on your mind. I’m fed now and I’m fine.”
She studied him for a long moment, then nodded. “All right. Let’s find you a phone, then, shall we?”
“Finish your ice cream first.” He pointed to the cup in her hand. “So we can banish the crankiness.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Dutifully, she popped a spoonful into her mouth.
Twelve minutes later, Edie had finished her ice cream, and they’d found a twenty-four-hour department store and purchased a pre-paid phone. He bought a pair of pants, too, to replace his blood-stained ones.
“Where to now?” Edie asked as they got back in the car.
“The hospital. I want another crack at that license plate.”
She cranked the engine. “Didn’t you already get a partial and send it to Stroud?”
“Yeah, but I want to look it up myself. He’s taking too long.”
Edie rolled her eyes as she pulled out of the parking spot. “It’s only been a few hours, Asher.”
“Exactly. Too long.” He rolled his neck. “I wish I had my computers. They’re faster than your laptop. No offense.” He tore open the phone package so he could set up the device.
She held up a hand. “None taken. It works for what I do with it. You brought yours with you, though, right? We could drive back to Heron Ridge. You could work from Esther’s house.”
He grimaced, not liking the idea of being so far away. “Maybe. For now, I’ll make do. Most of my programs are cloud-based, so I can access them anywhere. It’s just the speed your laptop lacks.” He powered on the phone and waited for it to go through its start-up process. “If we do go back to Heron Ridge, we should check out that address where my rental stopped pinging too. See what’s there.” Stroud had let that little tidbit slip earlier. Asher didn’t think he’d realized it, either, and he wasn’t about to inform the detective of what he could do with the information.
“We need to sleep first, Asher. It’s late.”
He glanced at the dashboard clock and blinked in surprise at the hour. His adrenaline was back, feeding his focus. Or maybe it was the food. Something had kicked him back into action.
“How about you drive back to Esther’s and let me have the car? You can catch a ride with the others in the morning, can’t you?”
She gave him a quick side glance. “That’s not the point. You need to rest.”
“I’ve been resting. For three days, I sat in a dank basement with nothing to do but sit around. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
“But you also got shocked, right? Repeatedly. And hit over the head hard enough you were knocked out. That’s probably playing a big part in your absentmindedness.”
“I’m fine. The food helped. If you won’t lend me the car, I’ll call another Uber.” He knew it was a bit underhanded to point out how he could find a workaround, but he didn’t care. Having Esther’s car would make things easier for him.
Edie let out a soft growl. “You need to catch the flu too.”
His brows dipped. “Excuse me?”
She turned a quick glare on him. “I’ve been enjoying the relative drama-free investigation with the ladies. You and the rest of the team can be a teensy bit melodramatic.” She held up two fingers just millimeters apart.
“Melodramatic or not, we get the job done. So, can I have the car?”
Her hands clenched and unclenched on the steering wheel as she drove. “Fine,” she finally huffed. “But I’m coming back to the hospital with you. I’m not leaving Mom and Dad there alone all night.”
“You’re sure? Those chairs aren’t that comfortable to sleep in.”
“I’m sure. The nurse said there’s a lounge for ICU families that has recliners. I’ll find that and sleep there. I just wish—” She stopped and didn’t continue.
Asher looked up from programming the phone. “What?”
She glanced at him, then out the windshield, then back at him. “Sleep isn’t the only reason I don’t want you going off alone. I won’t stop you, but I just wish you’d wait until morning and take me or Audra with you.”
“Edie—”
“Please? It’s a safety thing. I doubt you’ll run into Lennox, but he isn’t the only criminal lurking at night.”
His jaw worked. Asher’s first instinct was to say no and do whatever he felt necessary. But he also understood her point. And he was not a field operative. “Okay. How about a compromise? I’ll just drive around. I’ll never get out of the car.”
She snorted. “I know you, Mr. Impulsive. You’ll see something that sets off your radar and want a closer look. Next thing you know, you’ll be wandering into some abandoned building full of druggies and crazy people. Especially after being on the road for two hours just getting back to Heron Ridge. The drive will give your mind time to get antsy.”
“It won’t be that bad, Edie.”
“The hell it won’t.”
Asher sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Look, I promise I won’t get out of the car. If I see something that I think warrants closer inspection, I’ll take a picture, then either come back in the morning or call for help. Okay?”
She eyed him for a moment before turning back to the road. “If you die, I will bring you back to life and kill you again, understand?”
He smiled at her in the darkness. “Completely.”