Chapter Thirty-Three
My mobile phone rang, and it startled me awake. I pushed damp hair out of my eyes and groped the bedsheets for my phone.
“Hey, Patrick,” I said sleepily.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m all right, just had a nap.” I heard repeated tapping. “Are you running?”
“Yeah. Jogging to my car,” he said. “Can you be ready to go out in an hour?”
“Yes. Is something going on?”
“Nothing to worry about.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, sure. I’ll fill you in when I see you. Trust me, babe.”
“I trust you.”
I dropped my head back onto the pillow. Where was Patrick going to take me? It’d give me a chance to fill him in on my earlier escapade at the hospital.
I couldn’t figure out Dr. Crawford’s rationale for searching for David Moreno’s medication list. Why would he need it? He could easily do bloodwork and treat David as needed. And he and Dr. Fulthorpe shared a practice. I assumed they could access each other’s files. It would be easy for Dr. Crawford to find out what meds David was on.
I had to get moving and threw off the covers. Less than perfectly, I made the bed and dressed in black yoga pants and a sage tunic. After brushing, I clipped my hair into a ponytail. I took Patrick’s computer from the night table, leaned against the headboard, and turned it on. I had enough time for a quick browse before he showed up.
I clicked on the file containing the saved names from the flash drive and wondered if David Moreno’s name was on the list. Not that I would know the significance of it, even if it appeared. I scrolled down in expectation, wanting to call Bingo. But page after page, I found no matches. No win for this idea.
From the icons on the screen, I chose the solitaire game and started moving cards around. I transferred a red onto a black, a black onto red. I lost interest in playing as my mind drifted.
Patient ID numbers. Answers had to be with those patient ID numbers.
Why were these names on a stick? Who were they? Why would someone put a flash stick in the ceiling? Did it belong to my landlord? As far as I knew, he was a retired lawyer. Maybe it was his. I didn’t think he’d mind if I called him.
I checked the directory in my phone and dialed. It rang twice, and he answered.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mr. Sutton. It’s June Harber. How are you?”
“Fine, but we’ll be doing better once we can get away to Vermont. The police came by to tell us what had happened and asked several questions. How are you?”
“I’m doing better, thanks. Sorry to bother you, but I have yet another question to ask you, too, if you don’t mind. It may seem like an odd one.”
“Sure.”
“A couple of weeks ago, I found a flash drive in the basement.”
“A what?”
“A flash drive. A USB memory stick for the computer. It was tucked up in the ceiling.”
“You don’t say.”
“I was wondering if it was yours? I thought perhaps you used it for work?”
“I’ve been retired for some time. I’ve never used those devices. All my records were in paper files, locked at my office, or on the computer hard drive.”
“So, it’s not yours?”
“No, not mine.”
“Do you have any idea who it could belong to?”
“Maybe it belongs to Debra upstairs. Or perhaps it belonged to the fellow you found in the basement. We’ll have to make the house more secure for you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sutton. I appreciate that. And I’ll check with Debra. Enjoy Vermont.” I hung up, but I seriously doubted it belonged to Debra. To be certain I would message her to ask.
An engine rumbled. I ran downstairs, peeked out and swung open the front door as Patrick stepped onto the porch. He wore jeans and a black raglan long-sleeved shirt.
“Hey,” he said and slipped his arms around me. His lips touched mine in a supple sensuality that made my mind and body soar in tranquility.
“Hmm,” I sighed. “Just what I needed.”
“Are you feeling all right, June? I was worried when I saw your text.”
I put my head against his chest. “Yes, much better.”
He kissed the top of my head. “Sorry. This situation hasn’t been easy on you.”
“I just want it to be over.”
“It will be. I promise.”
“So, what are we doing?”
“Are you up for a drive?” Patrick asked.
“I am. Where to?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
“Oh, great. Another mystery,” I said, feigning annoyance.
“I guarantee you’ll like this one.”
Tingly inside, I smiled. “I’ll get my purse.” I picked up my bag. The weight of it was much lighter without the gun, which was still with the police unit. Ugg. Another reminder.
“I see you got your car back,” Patrick said as we sat in his truck.
“Yes, finally.”
“What was wrong with it?” While driving, he glanced over at me.
“It was a major repair. Someone had poured something into my gas tank.”
He thumped the steering wheel with a fist.
“At this point, I guess there’s nothing else you can do.”
He shook his head. “Not much. But I will document it.”
We drove on country roads, along fields of corn, tall and ready for the harvest. I tipped my head back into the headrest. The sway of the ride rocked and soothed. Maybe everything really would be resolved soon. Patrick took my hand, and I gave it a squeeze.
“So, Officer, are you going to keep me in suspense?”
“I thought we’d go for a bite on the outskirts of town. Have you heard of Lucy’s Country Kitchen?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t.”
“I hope you like it. They have the best pies.” He kissed the back of my hand.
I’d never tire of this.
He turned onto a main road. On the right, a large house had a wraparound porch and lights along the eaves. A fluorescent sign said Lucy’s Country Kitchen. Patrick parked in the gravel lot and shut off the engine.
“Ready to go in?” he said.
“Yes.”
But he placed a hand on my thigh to stop me from getting out. He put a finger to his lips and handed me a note.
Don’t say anything. Leave your phone in the car.
My contentment bubble burst, and nerves prickled inside.
He told me not to talk, but that’s all I wanted to do. Alarmed, I looked at him and mouthed the words, “what’s going on?”
He pointed to the building. I nodded and left my phone under the seat. We got out of the vehicle and entered the diner. Patrick chose the booth in the back corner.
A middle-aged server dressed in black pants and a white blouse brought us a couple of glasses of water. The wet glasses soaked the paper place mat menus.
“I’ll be back to take your order,” she said.
When she left, I leaned forward. “What is going on?”
“With everything that has happened, I’ve been hesitating to fill you in on details about one of my previous cases. But for your safety, it’s come to the point I have to. Also, there’s been a new, sudden development in our case.”
“Oh, wow.” I took a sip of water. “Okay. Shoot.”
“I’ll start with a quick backstory. A few years ago, I was patrolling the streets and saw a young guy speeding in a purple Maserati. I immediately put on the sirens, but he wouldn’t pull over. Thanks to construction, the chase led to a dead end. The arrogant young man called his rich dad, who offered a sizeable bribe to drop everything. But I said no to a guy who wasn’t used to anyone saying no. I booked him for bribery and a few other charges. As I put on his cuffs, he asked if I had a wife and children, and said it would be a shame if I wasn’t around to protect them. This guy doesn’t have a history of being forgiving.”
I shivered and rubbed my arms.
“He was released from prison earlier than expected and has been spotted in the area. We have to make certain my house, car, or our phones aren’t being monitored. And when I’m not using it, I have to put my phone in an EMF blocking bag, so I’m not tracked.”
“So that’s why so many of my calls were going to voicemail. My God, Patrick.”
“Try not to fret about it. This is precautionary. This guy has a list of enemies, and I may not even be near the top. The undercover team will keep me updated.”
“Updated how? With a note in the morning newspaper?”
Patrick paused. “You knew about that?”
“The other night, when I couldn’t sleep, I came back downstairs and found you outside on the porch.”
“And you didn’t question me about it?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t know what to think, so I said nothing.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t forthcoming.” He dipped his chin.
I shifted on the vinyl bench. My conscience alerted me not to be hypocritical. I was not without sin. I hadn’t been forthcoming either about my past involvement with Aram. “Patrick, you don’t have to apologize.”
The waitress put a wire rack of condiments onto the table. I stopped talking until she was out of earshot.
“Has anything like this happened to you before? Being targeted?”
“I’ve had angry threats from guys I arrested, but none have followed through.”
“I’m frightened for you.”
“It’s all part of law enforcement,” he said and took a drink.
“Have you ever thought of taking up something else, like farming?”
He chuckled. “Actually, I have. You see where I live.”
“Oh, wow. You’re not kidding.”
“Not at all.”
The server came back with a pad of paper and pen. “Have you decided on your order?”
“Yes,” I said and pointed to an item on the menu. “I’d like the Hamburg Deluxe special, please. And an iced tea.”
“Make that two.”
“No problem,” the attendant said and retreated.
“I know little about police procedures, but I trust you’ll do what you need to do. To be safe. Right?”
“Yes, we’re on it.”
“Okay, good.” I chewed on the side of my lip. “Patrick, I couldn’t stop thinking about our case, and I went to the hospital this morning.”
Patrick raised his eyebrows.
“I found out David Moreno is out of his coma. Have you had a chance to question him yet?”
“That’s the other topic I wanted to discuss,” he said.
“You did question him?”
“No, June, he couldn’t talk.”
“No? Was he still sleepy from the morphine? Or did he refuse?”
Patrick’s jaw tightened. “June,” he said quietly. “He’s dead.”
Blood drained out of my face. “Dead? How? Earlier today he was alive and stable.” I tried to let the news register. “I killed him.”
“June, listen to me. You didn’t kill anyone. Ballistics will prove that. Please try to take a step back and wait for the loose ends of the case to be tied up.”
“Ends are being tied up? As in, case closed?”
“It would appear that way. With David’s DNA at the crime scene, we can conclude he’s implicated in murder, or manslaughter. But, with David gone, and no other suspect, there can be no trial. Leads have run cold. So, it’s case closed, as you put it.”
“Except…” I said.
“Except what?”
“I don’t know. I guess I should be relieved, but I can’t believe this is all over.”
“Believe it. Protocol dictates an autopsy must be performed on David Moreno because he passed away within twenty-four hours of hospital admission. But after that, we should officially wrap things up.”
I took a deep breath. “It’ll be such a relief,” I said. “But something is so weird, though.”
“What is?”
“When David appeared in my basement, I was scared. Terrified, stiff. Beyond anything I’d ever felt. Thinking back, he didn’t seem like a threat. I don’t think he wanted to hurt me.”
“Actions show how people truly are. Some people don’t seem to be threatening until they reveal their claws and fangs.”
“Like wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
“Exactly.”
The server delivered a tray with our drinks and plates of fries and grilled burgers. The best smells I’d had all day. I picked up my iced tea in a toast. Though it was the most disparaging occasion I’d ever toasted to.
“Cheers, Patrick. To a case that seemed to solve itself.”