Chapter 14 #2
She looked out the window and smiled with relief.
“There is Joel. That’s good news at least.” And right behind him was Richard.
“I have so much to tell you about Richard. Really you and Timber and Joel need to hear it all at once. But that’s not happening so far.
Here it is in a nutshell. Gladys is Richard’s aunt, and he’s been covering for her.
He never got my statement after she attacked me.
He rolled up to the parking lot after work that next day after the attack, hoping I would forgive his aunt, wouldn’t press charges, would talk to her.
I told him no on all fronts. I told him he was asking the victim to speak to her attacker.
“He did this in the hospital parking lot because he didn’t want it to be on record anywhere.
I don’t trust Richard. I will report him to his boss.
He doesn’t get to not do his job around here.
He doesn’t get to do favors for his criminal aunt—and that’s not the only incident at the hospital involving her either.
I don’t know what the other mishap was about and don’t need to know.
I have enough on her and Richard to report them to their higher-ups.
“After I told Richard no, Gladys called to apologize, all teary-eyed because she’s been put on leave.
Oh, and she was taking out her revenge on me because her sorry husband had an affair with my mother, left Gladys for Penny, yet my sorry mother turned him away for not having enough money.
He drove himself off a cliff. Crazy-ass Gladys blames me. ”
She turned to the front of the house. “I hear them coming, so we can discuss this later. That’s why I won’t be acting all nice and friendly to Richard from here on in.
He’s lost all my respect. I told him that he and his good-for-nothing aunt should both resign.
There’s more, but I’ll tell you and Joel together.
One of you can tell Timber, as needed, if I don’t get a chance. ”
Sterling was getting madder and madder.
She pointed to the footsteps coming nearer and nearer.
Then she crossed her arms and waited for them to come into the house.
As soon as she saw Joel, she walked over to greet him, as he opened his arms and wrapped her up in a big hug that she realized had an extra measure of strength and concern.
She looked up at him and said, “I’m fine, you know. ”
He nodded, squeezed her tighter, then dropped a kiss on her forehead, which had more of a brotherly feel than she wanted, but she stayed within the circle of his arms, knowing that something was bothering him in a big way.
When Richard walked in, she glared at him. “Didn’t really expect to see you quite so soon.”
“I didn’t expect nor plan on seeing you quite so soon either,” he replied calmly. He looked back over at Sterling. “You got somewhere we can talk, away from windows?”
*
“Yeah, let’s head to the back of the house.” And, with that, they all grabbed their coffee or tea and went back to a big den, centrally located in the house. Everybody took a seat, as Joel looked over at Sterling.
“Did Timber call you?” Joel asked him.
“He did, but I haven’t told her much. Also she really needs to speak to you later, but she started with me.”
Chelsea demanded, “And somebody better tell me what’s going on right now.” She looked at Joel, who looked at Richard, but Richard just shook his head.
“This is your deal,” Richard told Joel. “I want all the details as well, so you might as well just tell her right from the start. Hopefully I can get filled in on some of the missing aspects.”
And with that Joel sat down close to her, holding her hand, then launched into a recital of everything he’d just found out from the code book in Peacock’s belongings.
She stared at him. “Oh my God.”
“Yeah, … oh my God is right.”
“So, you think that somehow this Tiger guy either knew Peacock was dying or was afraid of something he might have had written down?”
“Possibly, plus, with you working at the hospital where Peacock had a short stay, maybe Tiger worried you had a connection to Peacock.”
“So, Tiger tried to run me over?”
“That’s right, and then he came up behind you with a gun and warned you.”
She nodded slowly. “So, what’s next?”
He smiled. “Hopefully we never see or hear from him again, but, if we do have another encounter, you’ve got to realize that Peacock, the man who died, was also a sniper.
So, he was extremely good with weaponry and long distances and accounting for wind, circumstances, all kinds of stuff.
… However, his friend Tiger wasn’t quite so honorable as Peacock was.
They were both military trained too. We don’t know all the details, but Timber is contacting somebody in the military, plus Badger, a friend of his, who knows some people high up in the forces.
They’re pulling up information on both Tiger and Peacock and their list of victims.”
“Good. We definitely need those higher-ups involved,” she stated, with a glare directed right at Richard. He just dipped his head, avoiding her. She faced Joel again. “Christ, that’s one hell of a secret,” Chelsea muttered.