Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
Kelly had gone to bed hours ago, exhausted by the emotional toll of their conversation. He’d urged her to get some rest, and she hadn’t argued. There were shadows under her eyes, and she’d been pale and quiet. The possibility of her best friend having secrets was taking its toll.
In the quiet of the dark kitchen, he’d been tapping away at his laptop for the last hour, hoping to make some progress finding Dr. Mason Whitfield. But other than an article in the local paper about his retirement three years ago, he hadn’t found anything to speak of.
Ben needed to bring in reinforcements. The fact was, he didn’t have a clue how to find someone who might not want to be found. It was clear that Whitfield no longer resided in Bergen, but he had to live somewhere.
It wasn’t too late to make a call, especially to Montana, where it was an hour earlier. His father rarely went to bed before midnight anyway, always saying he'd gotten used to odd hours during his years as sheriff.
Ben grabbed his phone from the counter and scrolled to his father's contact, crossing his fingers that his dad hadn’t changed his hours in retirement.
His father answered on the third ring, his voice alert despite the hour.
"Ben? Everything okay, son?"
If his dad was concerned, it was because Ben didn’t call home enough for simple, mundane matters.
Call home more often. Don’t be a shitty son.
"Hey, Dad. Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry to call so late."
"It's not late for me. Your mother's the early bird.
She's already been asleep for an hour." There was a pause, and Ben could picture his father settling into his favorite recliner, the one pointed directly at the gigantic flat screen television Ben had bought them for Christmas a few years ago.
His mom had been horrified, but his dad had immediately turned it on to watch a football game. "What's on your mind?"
"I need a favor, Dad. I'm trying to track down someone, and I thought you might be able to help or maybe ask one of the uncles."
"Who are you looking for?"
"A former county coroner named Dr. Mason Whitfield. He worked in Bergen, Illinois, until about three years ago when he retired. I need to find him, get his contact information."
There was a brief silence on the other end. Ben could almost hear his father's sheriff instincts kicking in, wondering why his son needed to find a coroner from another state.
"May I ask why you are trying to track down this coroner? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m just wondering. You’ve never asked me before."
Kelly’s story wasn’t his to share, but he’d asked his father for a favor. He couldn’t exactly say that it was none of his business.
"I'm helping a good friend named Kelly investigate her friend's murder. She’s my neighbor across the hall. The murder happened over a decade ago, and we have reason to believe the coroner might have omitted important information from the autopsy report."
"You're working on a murder investigation?"
The surprise in his dad’s voice was evident. Ben was sure that his father hadn’t expected that answer.
"I'm just helping a friend," Ben repeated.
He wasn't sure he could explain it himself without getting into his job, his company, Scott’s relocation to a commune, and the strange pull he felt to help Kelly.
He barely understood it himself.
Luckily, his dad was a wise man who knew when to push and when to back off a bit.
"What makes you think this coroner hid something?"
Ben explained about Whitfield's close relationship with Lori's father, the town's desire to sanitize what had happened, and their theory that Lori might have been pregnant when she died based on what they’d been told by her high school boyfriend.
"Small towns," Seth said with a knowing sigh when Ben finished. "They're all the same. Everyone's in everyone else's business until there's something ugly to deal with. Then suddenly, nobody saw anything."
"Exactly. We need to confirm whether Lori was pregnant. It could completely change the direction of the investigation."
"I can reach out to Logan or Jared. They've got access to databases I don't. Might take a day or so, but we should be able to track down where this Whitfield character landed. Of course, you could have called your sister, Ben. She could have done this, too."
“I thought about it, but she might be busy.”
And she would have asked a lot of questions. Many questions. Lulu Reilly was a naturally curious person. It was an excellent trait as a sheriff.
“Right. Busy. That’s a good reason. Well, I’m happy to help, and you can thank your uncles when you visit for your Mom’s birthday. You will be there?”
Ben couldn’t help but feel a bit of shame that his family thought there was any doubt. These past few years, he’d sucked as a son.
"Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it. And I will be there. No doubt."
"Glad to hear it. Your mother really wants to see you." His father paused, and Ben could hear the creak of the recliner in the background. "You know, this is the most animated I've heard you sound in a very long time."
Ben tensed slightly. Had Chase kept his secret? He didn’t think his brother would betray his trust.
"And for what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing, helping this girl. Someone has to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves anymore."
It was exactly what his father would say. Seth Reilly had built his career, his reputation, and his life on that principle. Stand up for those who can't. Do what's right, not what's easy. The man lived his values in a way few people did.
"I learned from the best," Ben said quietly.
"Don't go making me sound like some kind of saint," Seth protested, though Ben could hear the smile in his voice. "Your mother would laugh out loud at that idea."
Ben chuckled, grateful for the moment of levity.
His father had always been there for him, solid as bedrock.
Whether it was teaching him to fish, helping with math homework, or now, reaching out to contacts to track down a possibly corrupt coroner, Seth Reilly showed up.
It was something Ben had perhaps taken for granted before, but here in the quiet darkness, hundreds of miles from home, he felt its true value.
"I'll make those calls," Seth promised. "I’ll call you as soon as I know anything."
"Thanks, Dad. I mean it."
"No need for thanks. That's what families are for."
Those simple words held more meaning than paragraphs of flowery sentiment. That's what families are for. In the Reilly household, it wasn't just something you said.
It was how you lived.
"So," his dad said, clearing his throat, "this Kelly woman. Is she pretty?"
His dad hadn’t been the type to pry into Ben’s relationships, especially after the age of eighteen, so the question was a surprise.
"Yes," Ben replied. "Yes, she is. She's also smart and determined. She's been fighting for her friend's justice for years when everyone else wanted to forget."
The funny thing was, Kelly was beautiful, but it was the least attractive thing about her. Ben had been with gorgeous women, and he hadn’t wanted to spend as much time with them as he did with her.
Another thing he wasn’t ready to spend too much time thinking about.
"Sounds familiar," Seth said with a chuckle. "Reminds me of someone else I know who never gives up once they set their mind to something."
“I just want to help her if I can.”
"The smart, determined ones are the kind you want to be careful about, son. They might change your whole life. For the better. Look at what your mom did for me."
His parents' relationship had always been the gold standard in his mind, solid, loving, and enduring. Seth and Presley Reilly were still deeply in love after all these years, still teasing and laughing together like they had all the time in the world.
"I like her, Dad," Ben admitted, the words coming easier in the darkness, with miles between them. "But the timing feels wrong. She's focused on this case, on getting justice for her friend. I don't want to complicate things for her."
"There's never a good time," Seth dismissed this concern with the casual authority of someone who'd seen enough of life to know better. "Life is short, son. Don't waste it. It's hard to find a good woman. When you do, don't blow the chance."
His father had always been like this. He cut through the noise to what really mattered. No hesitation, no second-guessing. Just clarity and conviction. It was what had made him an excellent sheriff and an even better father.
"And what happens if it doesn't work out?" Ben asked, voicing the fear that had been lurking in the back of his mind. "What if I mess things up?"
"At least you tried," Seth replied simply. "Just because you didn't have falling in love written on a to-do list doesn't make it bad."
"First of all, you sound like Chase," Ben protested. "He's always on my ass about lists. Second, I didn't say I'm falling in love."
The words hung in the night air, ringing false even to his own ears. Was he falling for Kelly? The thought sent a jolt of something like panic mixed with exhilaration through his chest.
"Son, you didn't have to," Seth replied, his gentle laugh rolling through the phone. "Now, let me go make a few calls for you. Hopefully, I'll have your answer quickly.”
"Thanks, Dad," Ben said, grateful for the change of subject. "I appreciate it."
"Anytime. Give your mother a call when you get a chance. She worries."
"I will," Ben promised. "Good night, Dad."
"Night, son."
The call ended, but Ben remained where he was, his father's words echoing in his mind. Just because he didn't have falling in love written on a to-do list didn’t make it bad.
Was he falling for Kelly? The idea should have terrified him. They'd known each other for such a short time. Her life was wrapped up in cold cases and her podcast.
His was... Shit, he didn’t know what he was if he was being honest. It was something he needed to figure out. There were a hundred logical reasons to keep his distance, to maintain the friendly, collegial relationship they'd established.
But logic had little to do with the way his heart raced when she smiled at him, or how he found himself watching her when she was lost in thought, memorizing the small furrow that appeared between her brows when she was concentrating.
When had that happened?
Sighing, Ben turned to put his phone on the charger, and nearly jumped out of his skin. Kelly was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her slim figure silhouetted against the dim light from the living room. How long had she been there? What had she heard?
"I thought you were asleep."
She was wearing pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt, her auburn hair loose around her shoulders. In the soft glow from the living room lights, she looked impossibly young and vulnerable, nothing like the determined investigator who had stood toe-to-toe with her dismissive family at brunch.
Absolutely adorable. Soft and rumpled. And oh so fucking beautiful. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest, reminding him that business wasn’t the only important thing in a person’s life.
It was all he could do not to walk across the kitchen and pull her into his arms, protecting her from disgruntled family and anything else that might go bump in the night.
Shit, he had it bad. Now what?