Chapter Forty-Three Raine
Chapter Forty-Three
Raine
In the hospital waiting room, I clutched a stuffed purple dragon I’d bought from the gift shop.
It was too soft, too cartoonish, its big eyes nothing like those of Molly’s well-loved animals.
But I had no idea what five-year-old children—especially traumatized ones—liked.
I’d thought Ken would follow the ambulance to the hospital, but he hadn’t shown up. But that was Ken.
“Raine.” Edith stood in the doorway, a small purse clutched tight in her hand. “Where’s Molly?”
“She’s resting,” I said.
“I want to see her,” she said.
“The doctors want her isolated a little longer.”
“Why?” Edith demanded.
“To make sure she’s stable.”
Her frown deepened. For as long as I could remember, there’d been the scowl, etched in her face. “Where’s Gabe?”
“He’s dead.”
Her chin lifted. “What?”
“He’s on his way to the medical examiner’s office in Roanoke.”
Edith’s grip on her small purse tightened. “What happened to him?”
“I don’t know. Ken and I found him in the cabin Maria and he used to rent.”
“Ken? What does he have to do with this?”
“I asked him to help me find Molly.” I stood. “You gave Gabe your car. He took Molly from school. And here we are.”
Edith shook her head. “I don’t believe this.”
For once, we agreed. “Believe it.”
“I’ll take Molly, of course,” she said.
Gripping the dinosaur, I closed the distance between us. Edith and I had butted heads from day one. For Molly’s sake, I forced a softer tone. “I’m sorry. You’ve lost so much.”
She raised her chin. “I have. And I’m not losing anyone else. Including Molly.”
I shook my head. “The courts have granted me custody of Molly.”
“I don’t care what the courts say. She’s my granddaughter.”
Molly had spent little time with her grandmother until recently. Gabe watched the child while Maria worked, and he put her in school or day care when he had a job. Maria’s illness and death had been the exception. “Molly’s moving in with me when she gets out of here.”
Edith’s face pinched with fury. “The hell she is!”
“What’s going on here?” Judson’s voice cut through the tension.
“She’s trying to steal my granddaughter before my son’s body is cold,” Edith said.
“I have a court order,” I said.
“How’s Molly?” Judson asked.
The question brought my thoughts back to what mattered. “She’s still asleep, but she’s more responsive and her coloring is better. If she continues to improve, she can be released in a few hours.”
“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Edith said.
“Edith,” Judson said evenly. “You have every right to petition the court, but for now Raine has custody.”
“I’m not allowing my grandchild to leave with her. There’s been nothing but tragedy since Raine Hale came back.”
Judson motioned a uniformed officer forward. “Show Mrs. Durant into the child’s room. Stay for a few minutes. Then escort her out.” He looked at Edith. “Okay?”
Her chin lifted, her jaw set. “If that’s what it takes to see Molly.”
Edith left with the police officer.
“I have questions for you,” Judson said.
I knew where this was going. “Ken was at Hale House when I pulled up. He offered to help me find Gabe.”
There was a long silence while he studied me. “What was he doing at Hale House?”
“He knows we’re finished, but he won’t let go of me or the estate.”
“Has he said that?”
“It’s how he operates. You remember from high school.”
“Have you checked your car for a tracker?”
“No.” My frown deepened.
“I found an AirTag in Gabe’s truck. Maria admitted to placing it there. It’s so easy to do. We should also check Edith’s car and Maria’s vehicle.”
Stalking. Maria had been tracking Gabe. A year ago, I’d have said Ken wouldn’t do that to me. Now I didn’t know. “I didn’t ask questions. I was desperate for help.” I met his steady gaze. “Who did you find in the creek bed?”
“Amy Stocker.”
“How did she die?” I asked.
“Amy had been in the woods a few days. Livor mortis suggests she died there.”
“She was so close to where Mom was found. That can’t be coincidence.”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Mom’s death has been public information for seventeen years. An internet search would produce crime scene photos of her body lying on the creek bed.”
“There are enough people who know.” Edith. Ken. Maria. Gabe. Judson. The names rattled like a social media feed. “What was Maria’s relationship with Edith like?” he added.
“Cordial. Not close. Maria told me she and Gabe didn’t see her very much.”
“Why?”
“Edith can be . . . difficult.”
He nodded. “Are you okay?”
I shrugged. “Not great. But I’ll get by. My only focus now is Molly—and how I’ll tell her about her parents.”
“Do you think Gabe told her about Maria?”
“I don’t know.” But given Gabe’s tendency to avoid trouble, I guessed he hadn’t. “I’ll find out soon.”
Judson slid his hands into his pockets. “I’ll request a social worker to make sure you have all you need.”
His offer surprised me. “Logistics with kids is foreign to me. Thank you.”
“Sure. Once Molly’s settled, you and I need to talk.”
Gabe’s death nullified any attorney-client privilege. “Sure. Tomorrow.”
His forehead furrowed with concern. “Be careful. And keep your distance from Ken.”
Despite the logic, loyalty pulled. “He helped me today.”
“What better way to get close again? Maybe he’s hoping you’ll withdraw the divorce.”
“That won’t happen. If not for Molly, I wouldn’t have taken anything from him today. That smile isn’t as persuasive as it used to be.”
Judson smiled faintly. “More charming than mine, though.”
I shot him a look. “That’s true.”