Chapter Eighteen
It had been a long cold winter. Although Rick had discovered nothing at all about the trafficking ring, he’d watched his boss’ health deteriorate before his very eyes.
Until finally he’d collapsed at work one day in February, and Rick had been the one to drive him to the hospital.
“I have cancer, you know,” Wes confessed, his voice so weak, Rick could barely hear him.
Rick nodded. “I knew that something was wrong, Wes. I also knew that you’d tell me if you wanted me to know.”
They’d developed respect for each other, and even though Rick had been able to discover nothing in regard to his investigations, he had his suspicions as to why.
Wes knew who he was. He’d probably known from the beginning, and had been watching and assessing, trying to decide if Rick was a real threat.
“He doesn’t have much time. It could be as little as a few days,” the doctor told Rick after Wes had been admitted into the small hospital. “He’s named you as his health care proxy.”
“What?” Rick was stunned.
“He’d like to talk to you for a minute. Try to make it quick,” the doctor said, leading him to Wes’ room.
“Wes,” Rick said. “What can I do?”
“You’re a good kid, and I knew nearly right away that I could trust you,” Wes said. “You don’t have to tell me who you are. I already know. I’ve tried to spend the last few years making up for the horrific deeds I’ve done.”
“I think I knew that right away,” Rick admitted.
“Tomorrow morning, I need you to drive to Crystal Rock and pick up my girl and bring her here so I can see her one more time. There are things she needs to know. I’m not sure if I have much time, but I want to make things right.”
Wes gave him an address and told him to pick her up at ten a.m.
“She knows you’re coming, although she doesn’t know specifically who you are.”
“I will,” Rick said, swallowing hard. Shanna.
Wes continued, “I want you to record everything I say tomorrow, Rick. Alright? And make sure what I tell you gets into the right hands. I’d do it all tonight, but the doctor says I need to rest and get an I.V. in me, or I won’t make it through the night.”
“I will, Wes. I promise.”
“Okay, get out of here and do what you have to do for me at the marina. Alright?”
Rick nodded.
* * *
“This is crazy, Rick,” Jake replied after hearing everything that Rick had to say.
“But I believe he wants to make amends,” Rick said.
“As nuts as it sounds, I believe you,” Jake admitted. “So, what’s next?”
“I’ll bring his girl into him tomorrow. It has to be Shanna. I’d drive over to Crystal Rock right now to meet her, but from what I gather, she doesn’t live at the place where I’m picking her up.”
“There’s one thing I’m worried about,” Jake admitted. “What if there’s a partner and he or she gets wind of Wes being on his death bed in the hospital? Somehow, someone got to Wade Armstrong in jail and poisoned him. I’m thinking that might have been another wakeup call for Montgomery, to lose his son.”
“Don’t forget, he might have another child out there somewhere. I’m thinking that he was the one who got Shanna pregnant,” Rick observed.
“Of course, that’s it. That’s got to be how they’re keeping her in line,” Jake muttered.
“I guess I’m going to find out tomorrow.”
“I’m going to send some extra men to the hospital there in Rice Lake to keep an eye on Montgomery tonight.”
“Good,” Rick said, disconnecting.