26. Chapter Twenty-Six
MATT
Matt looked out the window toward Mrs. Campbell’s place. No lights. No indication that Anna had returned.
She hadn’t called or texted. Not for a ride. Not with an update. Surely, the police couldn’t still be questioning her. It had been hours.
The phone rang from somewhere behind him. Kieran answered. After a few brief words, Kieran hung up and joined Matt at the window. “Shane’s on his way.”
“Did he say anything?”
“Only that he’ll talk to us when he gets here.”
“Is he bringing Anna?”
Kieran’s face was grim. “No.”
The next thirty minutes seemed to last forever. Finally, Shane’s Lexus pulled into the driveway.
Matt ceased his pacing as Kieran met Shane at the door and escorted him into the kitchen. Shane’s expression wasn’t encouraging.
“Thanks for coming, man,” Kieran said.
“I wish I had better news.”
“Want some coffee?” Faith asked.
“I’d love some. Where are the kiddos?”
“Having a movie night in the basement.”
“Good. Better they don’t hear this.”
“That bad?” Matt asked.
Shane nodded and accepted the mug of coffee. “Anna was formally charged this afternoon.”
“With what?”
“Attempted murder, larceny, and fraud, among other things.”
“What the fuck?” Matt said at the same time Kieran said, “On what basis?”
“The attempted murder charge is based on the overdose. Eddie Campbell is telling anyone who’ll listen that Anna knowingly and willingly gave Mrs. Campbell the wrong dosage. Unfortunately, the tox screen supports Eddie’s allegations more than it does Anna’s version of events.”
“Anna wouldn’t do that,” Faith said emphatically.
“The larceny charge is based on a diamond watch of Mrs. Campbell’s that went missing a few weeks ago,” Shane continued. “Eddie claims that Anna stole the piece and tried to hock it. Apparently, the pawnshop owner saw the inscription and suspected it was hot. Word somehow got to Eddie. He verified the watch was his grandmother’s and reclaimed it, then hightailed it to her place and advised her to file charges against Anna. Mrs. Campbell refused.”
“When did this happen?”
Shane’s face was grim. “The morning of the overdose.”
“Fuck,” Matt murmured.
“It gets worse,” Shane said somberly. “Because of the severity of the charges, the police were able to expedite a request for a search warrant. They found a stash of cash in Anna’s room, along with a few pieces of Mrs. Campbell’s jewelry.”
“Jesus,” Kieran said. “What does Anna say?”
“Not a damn thing. She’s invoked her right to remain silent.”
“Didn’t you talk to her?” Matt asked.
Shane shook his head. “No. She wouldn’t see me. She’s refused counsel.”
“No,” Faith said, shaking her head. “I don’t believe it. Not Anna. There’s got to be another explanation.”
Matt was thinking the same thing, but it didn’t look good.
Kieran placed his hand over Faith’s. “None of us want to believe someone is capable of doing something like that, especially to someone like Mrs. Campbell. The truth is, we don’t really know anything about her.”
I know her, Matt wanted to say, but he didn’t. He was going purely on instinct and the inexplicable, almost primal, attraction he felt toward her. The low growl that came from his throat was completely unintentional.
Kieran’s eyes flicked to Matt’s before he turned back to Shane. “I’m afraid to ask about the basis for the fraud charges.”
“According to his statement, Eddie didn’t trust Anna from the start and hired a private investigator to do a background check. Apparently, there were some red flags.”
Eddie. It always came back to fucking Eddie.
“But you knew that already,” Shane said, “because you asked Ian to look into the girl, too, didn’t you?”
No one denied it.
Shane sat back. “All right. Does someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on?”
Matt looked at Kieran, who nodded. Matt started at the beginning and brought Shane up to speed. Shane went into what Kieran called his lawyer mode—no show of emotion, his expression one of focus and contemplation while he absorbed everything. Matt could practically see the gears turning in his head, looking for holes, assessing possibilities.
“Ian was able to go back seven years before he hit a roadblock,” Matt told him. “That’s the only potential red flag I’m aware of. Ian took a deep dive into Anna’s former clients. There was no indication of foul play. No hint of motive. No reports of misconduct. No financial gain because none of her prior patients left her anything. Everyone Ian contacted had only positive things to say about Anna, throwing around words like professional, caring, competent, and compassionate.”
Shane remained still and silent for long minutes after Matt stopped talking.
Eventually, Kieran asked, “What do you think?”
“I think,” Shane said slowly, “that nothing about this situation is as straightforward as it appears.”
Matt thought back to his layover at the USO in Atlanta. “You aren’t the only one who hides who he truly is beneath a carefully crafted exterior, you know. You must keep that in mind, especially when you get home.”
Could this be what Blessing had been talking about?
Shane turned his attention to Matt. “Besides Mrs. Campbell, you’ve spent more time with her than anyone here. What is your gut telling you?”
Matt shoved his personal feelings aside and tried to look at the situation objectively. He thought about the time he’d spent with Anna. Her body language. Her tells. The little things that had told him she was hiding something. In that ER? Anna was wrecked. That had either been an Oscar-worthy performance or straight-up genuine concern, and again, he didn’t think Anna was that good of an actress.
“I think you’re right,” Matt said. “I don’t know what really happened, but nothing about this is what it appears to be.”
Shane nodded, as if that was what he’d expected.
“Also, is anyone else bothered by the fact that so much of this rides on Eddie Campbell’s word? Have any of his statements been corroborated?” asked Kieran.
“From what I can tell, the police haven’t gotten around to that yet, but there should be a complete investigation.” Shane answered.
Matt snorted. “Yeah, don’t hold your breath. You know that PI Eddie hired? He’s a cop with the Pine Ridge PD who’s been assigned to desk duty for professional misconduct.”
“Well then,” Kieran said, “we’ll just have to conduct our own investigation, won’t we?”