Читать книгу Honor And Defend - Lynette Eason - Страница 11
ОглавлениеAn hour later, Ellen and Lee walked out of the building with Lee rolling the puppies behind in their carriers. “A dash cam?” Ellen asked him.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Call me paranoid. But after everything that happened with the crooked cop and...” He shook his head. “I’m not going to be in that position again. So I mounted a dash cam on my rearview mirror as some sort of protection, I guess. Maybe it was stupid.”
“And maybe you’re brilliant. I can’t say I blame you a bit. And it allowed us to see one of the men in the car.”
“Yes.” He frowned.
“Everything all right?”
“Yes. I’m just thinking.”
“About?” She spotted the SUV in the road, getting ready to turn in to the lot. “Hold that thought.”
Whitney Godwin, also a rookie K-9 officer, pulled in and parked. She climbed out of the truck, her shoulder-length light blond hair blowing around her face. She shoved it back and waved at Ellen. “Hey, there. Are you okay?”
“We survived. That’s the good news. Thanks for bringing the car,” Ellen said. “Lee picked me up at my home this morning so we’re a bit stranded.” She took the keys from Whitney’s outstretched hand. Looking into her friend’s eyes, she could see contentment. Happiness. All due to the new man in her life. A doctor named David Evans. They’d had some hard times but had made it through to the other side. Now they were planning a wedding.
It made Ellen happy for Whitney...and sad for herself. Would she ever have that look? She glanced at Lee. She’d actually had it years ago. Back when she and Lee were together. When they weren’t fighting about her mother, they’d had some great times, been happy. She sighed. Whitney’s features clouded in concern. “Why the heavy sigh? You okay?”
Ellen forced her lips into an upward curve. “Yes, just...reminiscing, sorry. Do you need a ride anywhere?”
“No.” Whitney’s smile came back. “David’s on his way to get me. We’re taking Shelby for a picnic.” Shelby was Whitney’s baby daughter.
Lee found a spot of grass, clipped leashes to the three pups and let them loose to take care of business. When they were finished, he got them back into the carriers and rolled them over to the vehicle where she and Whitney stood.
“Lee, do you know Whitney?”
He set the puppies in the back area of the vehicle where Carly usually rode, then held out a hand to Whitney. “I don’t think we’ve met. It’s a pleasure.”
“Same here.” She eyed the building and grimaced. “I hate to go in on my day off, but I have some leftover paperwork I need to finish up before David and I can enjoy the rest of the day. I’ll see you later.”
She disappeared through the glass doors. Lee turned to Ellen. “I’m starving,” he said.
“Want to hit a drive-through and take the food to the training facility? We can eat and talk business if you’re up to it.”
“I am if you are.”
He still looked a bit distracted. What was on his mind? The shooting probably. “You okay?”
He blinked and climbed into the passenger seat. “Yeah.”
“Something’s bothering you.”
“How do you figure?”
She gave a low chuckle. “Come on, Lee, we used to be best friends.” Actually, they’d been more than that, but that sentence was much safer than saying they’d one time been in love. The flare in his eyes said he was thinking it. She cleared her throat. “I can read you pretty well even after all these years. You have that little tic in your forehead that gives you away every time.”
He pressed his fingers to it and his brow furrowed. “Let’s get back to the facility so we can talk without distractions.”
Ellen wasn’t crazy about the fact that he wanted to wait to talk, but she could be patient. When she had to. But... “Why don’t you just tell me what it is that’s bothering you?”
He sighed. “Fine. When we were attacked, I thought I recognized one of the men in the car. The dash cam confirmed it.”
* * *
Ellen stared at him even while she cranked the vehicle’s ignition. “What? And you’re just now saying something?”
“I wanted to know for sure before I said anything.”
“And you’re sure now?”
“No, but I figured you could help me find out if I’m right or not.”
“So who do think it is?”
He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I’m not sure so maybe I shouldn’t say anything, but if it’s him—”
Her ringing phone cut him off. She glanced at the dashboard. Chief Jones’s number flashed. “Hello?”
Her Bluetooth kicked in and his voice came over the speakers. “Foxcroft. Where are you?”
“Just leaving the station. Do you need me to come back in?”
“No, just wanted to let you know we got a hit on that partial plate.” While the chief talked, she drove.
“And?”
“There was a vehicle stolen last night. When we ran the partial against all of the ones in the system, we managed to narrow it down to the one that was used in the attack. Who knew you were going to pick up those puppies today?”
Ellen thought. “I don’t know. It wasn’t a secret. I’ve already checked with Lee and he didn’t mention it to anyone. I told my staff at the assistance center so they could get an area prepared, but other than that, no one that I recall. Sophie could have mentioned it to someone, I suppose.”
He grunted. “And it’s possible the attack had nothing to do with that anyway. All right, rookie, be careful. Hopefully we’ll get all this cleared up in the next day or so and you’ll be back on duty. Tell Earnshaw the dash cam thing is paranoia at its finest. Glad he had it installed. Sorry he felt the need for it.”
“He heard you.”
“Thanks, Chief,” Lee said before falling silent.
She hung up and within minutes, she was pulling into the parking lot of the Desert Valley Canine Assistance Center attached to the K-9 Unit Training Center.
Ellen threw the vehicle in Park and climbed out. Lee followed, rolling the puppies with him. He took them into a fenced area that had been specifically set up for them and let the three pups out of the carriers. They bolted into the warm grass, tumbling over one another, nipping and yapping, clearly glad to be able to run off some energy. “What are their names?” she asked. “They should be on their tags.”
He pointed to the one running laps around the space. “That one is Dash.”
“Appropriate.” She looked at the other two. One sat on his haunches, tongue lolling as his gaze bounced between his friends. She walked over and snagged his tag. “This is King. I see why they named him that. He looks like a king ruling over his subjects.”
“You’re right, he does,” Lee said with a nod. He grabbed the last dog by the collar as she wandered past and checked her tag. “And this is Lady.”
She licked his hand and Ellen laughed. “Dainty and sweet.”
He smiled. “All right. Dash, King and Lady. Poor girl is outnumbered, isn’t she?”
“It’ll make her stronger.”
He nodded and locked the gate and walked toward her.
She waited for him, hands on her hips, mind only partially on naming the pups. She wanted to focus on what he’d revealed before the chief’s call. “So you think you know one of the guys who attacked us?”
“Yes. A guy from the prison who was released around the same time I was.”
She studied him. “What were you mixed up in at the prison, Lee, that would inspire someone to come after you like that?”
His jaw went rigid and Ellen blinked at the flare of rage—and hurt—that flashed in his eyes. “Really? That’s the first thing that comes to you mind? That’s what you think?” His fingers curled into fists. “You’re just like her, aren’t you?” he said, his voice low and strained.
“What?”
He jabbed a finger at her. “You’re just like your mother.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not. It’s not fair that she didn’t like me just because of who my family was. It’s not fair that she interfered in our relationship. A lot of things aren’t fair. And you’re following right in her footsteps. You’re judging me without all the facts. Well, that’s fine. You’re entitled to think and say what you want, but I don’t have to stand here and listen to it.” He started to walk off.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“How are you going to get there? You don’t have a car, remember?”
He held up a cell phone, his eyes narrowed. She shivered at the coldness there. “All too well. However, while there aren’t many, I do have a few friends left in this town. I can get a ride. Or I’ll just walk. It’s not that far.” He spun on his heel and kept going.
Ellen sighed and dropped her chin to her chest. Was he right? Was she being judgmental? The fact that he compared her to her mother made her shudder. “Wait, Lee. Stop. You haven’t even eaten your food.”
“It’s still in the bag, I’ll take it with me.”
He stopped his march at the car, opened the door and pulled out one of the fast-food bags. Then he turned his back on her once more and headed for the edge of her property, which would lead him to the main road. “Who was it, Lee? Who did you recognize?” He didn’t answer, just kept walking. “Lee!”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Ellen.” And then he disappeared around the edge of the house.
She gave a low groan and took off after him. “Stop, will you?”
She rounded the corner and slammed into his hard chest. “Oof.”
He caught her biceps, the white food bag dangling from one hand. She looked up. The chill in his eyes hadn’t thawed one degree. His features resembled granite. She drew in his scent and swallowed, the past rushing in to blindside her. She remembered clearly being held in his arms. Sitting in the hammock, her ear pressed against his chest, listening to his heart thud a steady beat. She remembered his sweet kisses and whispered promises. She remembered it all. And yearned to go back to recapture each and every moment.
He gently set her away from him and reality intruded. She straightened. There was no going back. There was only now and what the future might bring. And that didn’t include Lee. Once the murders were solved and her mother woke from the coma—and she refused to believe she wouldn’t—Ellen was going to request a transfer. There was no way she was staying Desert Valley forever. She was simply marking time until everything was wrapped up.
No matter what her mother thought—or wanted.
She was still leaving once the murders were solved. Ryder Hayes’ wife’s case was still open after five years, and the two deputies whose deaths originally looked like accidents now appeared to be possible murder victims. And so she and the other deputies were in Desert Valley until these cases were solved. But until then...
“Don’t go,” she blurted. Then bit her lip.
His eyes didn’t soften—but he did hesitate. Hope flared. “I need to think about some things,” he said, “and I need to do that at home. We’ll talk later.”
She sighed. When he was in this kind of mood there was no talking him out of it. “Fine. I’ll give you a ride home. Let me get Carly.”
He studied her a moment, then gave a terse nod. She walked up the steps to the front door, unlocked it and whistled for Carly. The sleek golden retriever with the soft brown eyes bounded over to her and expressed her delight in Ellen’s presence. Ellen scratched the dog’s silky ears then led the way to the truck. She opened Carly’s door and the dog hopped in, sniffing the area. The pups had left their scent and Carly definitely noticed. She finally seemed to accept the smell and settled down. Ellen shut the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. Lee was already in the truck with his seat belt fastened. “Will you at least tell me who you recognized? I need to know.”
* * *
She started the truck and backed out of the spot. Lee considered keeping the information to himself, but couldn’t do it. When she hit the main road, he finally answered her.
“A former inmate,” he said. “And while he served at the same I did, I knew him before I went to prison.” He winced. “Even after everything it still galls me to say that sentence.” He tightened his jaw against the anger then breathed deeply before exhaling slowly. He could tell her this. He used to tell her everything. And even though he wasn’t exactly happy with her jump to judgment, if he had information that could lead to Veronica’s killer, he’d swallow his pride. “I used to hang out with him before I met you.”
“So who is he?”
He sighed. “A troublemaker. Like I said, he was released about the same time I was. Not because he was innocent, but because he’d served his time.”
“A name, Lee.”
He sighed. “Freddie Parrish.”
She lifted a brow. “Freddie Parrish? Wait a minute. I know him. We went to high school with him.”
“Yep. He and I graduated together. I kind of lost track of him after high school, though. We went our separate ways.”
“Yeah. You went to college.”
“Yes.”
“And so did Freddie, for a while. He had options. He could have finished school. He could have just gone to work if he didn’t want to do school. I wonder what made him turn to a life of crime.”
He shook his head. “Some people just make bad decisions, get mixed up with the wrong people. I don’t know.” He rubbed his chin. “You know, they offered a lot of college courses at the prison.”
“Sure, I know that. Including the vet tech program through one of the local colleges in Flagstaff.”
He nodded. “A lot of the inmates take advantage of it to get their education. It gives them hope that when they get out, they can stay straight and get a good job.”
“I think it’s a great idea.”
“I know Freddie took a couple of the courses, and was even real close to finishing the program before he was recruited to work with the program’s veterinarian, who took care of the puppies.”
“What was he in prison for?” she asked.
“He had several DUIs and had gotten off with fines the first couple of times. Then he got into a bar fight with a guy who was supposed to be a friend and cut him with broken bottle. The judge gave him three years. He served all three.”
She tapped the wheel. “We’ll check him out, see if he has an alibi for the shooting.” She handed him her phone. “Send a text to the chief with the information, will you? Tell him I want Freddie brought in for questioning.”
Lee did as she’d asked.
She drove with confidence, and then he caught her looking at him from the corner of her eye. “What?” he asked.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but did you renew your friendship with Freddie in prison?”
Her question rocked him and he shot her a black look. “No, we didn’t renew our friendship. The only reason I was ever around him was because he was a vet tech for the Prison Pups program. We worked together and that was it. I liked the program. Sophie Williams is a good woman and amazing with the dogs. I kept my mouth shut and my head down because I didn’t want to lose out on the only thing that allowed me to forget—if just for a brief moment—what my life had become.”
She swallowed and looked down. “I understand.”
“No. You don’t. And I hope you never do. Anyway, I caught Freddie mistreating the animals and told Sophie. She was furious and kicked him out of the program.”
She pursed her lips and raised a brow. “I would think that might cause him to hold a grudge.”
“Yes, but he doesn’t strike me as the type to work alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s a bully only when he feels like his victims won’t—or can’t—fight back or when he knows someone’s got his back. In prison, during the time in the yard, he only hung around with those he’d earned favor with.”
“Earned favor with?”
Lee sighed. “You’ve been in law enforcement long enough to know that prison has its own culture. There are rules and regulations just like on the outside, but they’re tailored for prison life. It looked like Freddie was behaving himself. It looked like he was a model prisoner, but mostly that was because he was so sneaky. He never got caught doing anything wrong—until I caught him being rough with the pups. But he had access to areas of the prison that others didn’t have. As a result, he was able to gather information that he could either use to gain favor with those who had more clout than himself or sell to the highest bidder.”
“I see. He had friends who would watch his back so he could continue his sneaky activities. Friends that would do his dirty work if he needed them to.”
“Exactly.”
Ellen frowned. “Okay. Hopefully the chief will have someone bring him—and whoever was with him—in for questioning soon.”
“Hopefully.” He rubbed a hand through his hair. “And now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to change the subject,” he said.
“All right. What is it?”
“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but you cops are looking at the wrong people for suspects in Veronica’s murder.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re looking at the troublemakers, the people with grudges—and that’s a list a mile long and is going to take forever to cover. You need to be looking at the not so obvious.”
“We’re running the investigation exactly as it’s supposed to be run.”
“I know that’s what you think, but I’m not sure I agree.” He held up a hand. “No, I’m not a cop and, no, I haven’t been trained in criminal investigation, but I can’t help thinking that you need to be looking at Veronica’s last day. Who did she come into contact with? Who did she speak with? Interact with? Fight with?”
Ellen pulled up at his house and simply sat while she digested his words. He watched her mull them over and knew she was formulating a response to appease him. He let her think while he looked at his home trying to see it through her eyes.
He loved what he’d managed to do with it. Now it had an outbuilding attached to a kennel. The exercise areas were fenced in and ready to see action. He’d built a good business before he’d been incarcerated.
His gaze wandered to the small three-bedroom ranch house that he’d grown up in. One her mother considered to be on the wrong side of town, but one where he knew Ellen had found acceptance and many hours of happiness—as long as Veronica wasn’t home. They’d all been happier when his sister hadn’t been home. Guilt hit him at the thought and he grimaced.
“I hear what you’re saying, Lee, I do,” Ellen said. “And we’re looking into all of that. I promise we’re doing our job.”
“I’m not saying you’re not. I’m simply saying your focus is in the wrong place. Ordinary people can snap when pushed too far, not just the troublemakers.” He’d learned that in prison.
She sighed. “I don’t know what else to tell you. We’re aware of this. We’re working on it. Investigations take time.” She tapped her fingers on the wheel. “Okay, I’ll tell you this.” She paused.
“Tell me what?”
“One thing that’s really got our attention is the break-ins that are happening all around town. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.”
“Yes, of course.” Everyone in town was on edge due to the break-ins.
“There’s been a rash of them,” she said. “Residents are worried and so are the cops. We understand their need to protect their property and their families, but we also don’t need a trigger-happy home owner accidentally shooting his neighbor.”
He grunted and climbed from the truck. “A valid concern. On both sides. But what do the break-ins have to do with the investigation into my sister’s murder?”
“They’re not your average, run-of-the-mill break-ins. The people doing them don’t steal anything. Yes, if there’s some cash lying around, they take it, but they don’t steal expensive electronics that could be easily fenced or even things like jewelry. One woman had a thousand-dollar diamond necklace hanging on her mirror and they left it.”
“Maybe they just didn’t notice it.”
“That’s possible. But it’s not just that. This just feels different. It’s like they’re looking for something and when they don’t find it, they just leave.”
“So what are they looking for?” He’d forgotten his anger with her for the moment, simply glad she was sharing the information with him.
“When we found your sister, we also found her with two German shepherd pups. We know she was planning on microchipping three.”
“Yes, I know all that.” He’d been told this when he’d gone to the station after his release from prison demanding answers about the progress in his sister’s investigation. “Hold that thought. Grab your food and let’s eat inside.”
She snagged the bag and released Carly. The dog sniffed the ground as she followed the humans toward the house. Ellen stepped inside his childhood home. She looked around. “I heard about your dad dying. I’m so sorry.”
Lee closed his eyes. “I am, too. Even sorrier that he drank himself to death and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop him.” He cleared his throat and moved aside a stack of magazines from the kitchen table. “Veronica kept the house up for me while I was incarcerated. As much as I hated this place growing up—with the exception of the times that you were here—I sure was glad to have it to come back to when I got out a couple of weeks ago.”
“I’m sure.” She looked at the dog. “Carly, sit.” Carly’s hind end hit the floor. “Good girl.” She scratched her ears.
He pulled the food out of the bag and set it on the table. “Water okay? I don’t have much to drink around here.”
“Water sounds great.” He filled the glasses and a bowl for Carly. The dog lapped it and Lee joined her at the table. “So enough about that. You said you found Veronica with two puppies, but she was supposed to be microchipping three.”
“Right. We still haven’t found the missing puppy, Marco.”
He lifted a brow. “I’ve seen the signs around town, the posters asking for information. Is he really that important to the case?”
“We believe so. And we believe the person who killed your sister is the one breaking in to the houses. We think they’re looking for that missing German shepherd puppy, as well.”
He frowned. “But...why?” He took a bite out of his hamburger and shook a few fries onto the wrapper.
“We don’t know,” Ellen said. “Unless the people who broke in to the K-9 training center were after the puppies in the first place. Maybe they wanted them to sell.” She shrugged. “Veronica was there microchipping those puppies as a last-minute thing. Maybe the people who broke in to the training center thought she would be gone. We don’t know. We haven’t put it all together yet, but the missing puppy is definitely a connection in your sister’s murder.”
He rubbed his eyes. “Thanks for telling me that. It helps to know there’s at least one lead you’re following.”
“So...” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“Judging you. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I’m sure while you were in prison you came across a lot of troublemakers. Troublemakers you’d recognize once they were back on the street.” She shook her head. “I jumped to conclusions. I was wrong and I’m sorry for hurting you. Again.”
A lump formed in his throat and he looked away for a moment to get his emotions under control. He took a sip of water. “It’s hard not to get defensive sometimes. I’m working on it. I worked on it for the entire two years I was locked up for something I didn’t do. I watched my father become a bitter, hateful man after my mother walked out. Veronica changed, too. She went from being a loving sister to a nasty person I didn’t want to be around for very long. I determined at a young age that I wouldn’t let life do that to me.” He gave a low laugh. “I never thought life would throw an undeserved prison sentence at me, though, so it’s been a struggle to keep that promise to myself, but my grandmother’s influence, her unwavering support, visits—and prayers—have helped.”
“I’m sure. Your grandmother was a sweetheart.”
He nodded. “Still is.” He glanced at his plate. “She’s living in a retirement home now in Flagstaff and is loving it. I’m happy for her. I wish I could get down there more often to visit, though.” Flagstaff was about four hours south of Desert Valley. Lee took another sip of his drink and set the glass on the table. “You have some big plans for the assistance center. I like the way you think.”
She raised a brow. “Well, thanks.” Her eyes started to glow. “You know, coming from a wealthy background was often a pain when I was growing up. Everyone thought my life should be perfect because I was a Foxcroft. Didn’t matter that my parents fought all the time or that, when my father finally left, my mother started micromanaging my life.”
“I know your life wasn’t perfect.”
“Yes, you understood more than the average person. At first when I graduated from the K-9 training center and was given this assignment, I was furious.” She twisted the napkin between her fingers. “To be honest, I actually thought about quitting.”
“What?” He stared. “Why?”
She shrugged. “Well, it was only a brief thought. But I didn’t want to be back under my mother’s heavy thumb. I was afraid if I came back to Desert Valley, I would...ah...revert to my wimpy high school self, I suppose.”
He tilted his head. “But you haven’t.”
“No.” Her jaw tightened.
“So why did you move back in with her?”
Ellen sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I didn’t really want to, but...she played on my guilt.”
“How so?”
“Oh, you know. She was so glad I was staying in town, she went on and on about how worried she’d been about me going off and being a cop in a strange place and how she was so lonely.” Ellen sighed. “It was just supposed to be a temporary thing. I told her I’d move back until I found a place to stay.”
“Why didn’t you stay with the other officers? In the apartment for the rookies?” The apartment had been part of the program, set up to house all the trainees during their sessions. Now that the town was in the midst of a crime wave and the latest group of rookies were staying in town, the apartment had been opened up for them to continue living there should they choose to do so. Some had, but not Ellen.
She grimaced. “I felt like it would be a slap in my mother’s face, so I sucked it up and moved in with her.” Her eyes narrowed. “However, when I learned I was coming back here for an extended period of time, I was determined I would do something good with all that money sitting in the bank.”
“Hence the assistance program.”
“Yes.”
“It’s an awesome use of the money, Ellen. The assistance program is very much needed and not just in Desert Valley—you’ll be touching lives all over the country. There are never enough trained animals to go out to those in need.”
“I know. I’ve been thinking about that. If this thing gets up and running like I hope it will, the center could always expand as needed.”
“I agree. Expanding would be great. And I have an idea of what we’ll need in order to consider that at some point in the future.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“I’ve been meaning to discuss this with you and just haven’t had the chance. We had talked about ways to get the community involved in the center and, like we discussed, I have several tours of the space lined up. Some politicians, some families and some school groups. In spite of the money you’ve put into it, I think we should let the public give to it, as well. When people give money to a cause, they tend to pay attention to it and hold it close to their heart. We need that from the good folks in Desert Valley. Once we have that, we can think about other areas.”
She nodded. “That’s a great idea.” She smiled and his heart warmed. “You’ve done all of that in such a short time. That’s impressive.” She reached across and grasped his fingers. “I’m so thankful you said yes to working with me, Lee. You’re an amazing addition to the team.”
He felt the heat rise in his cheeks but focused on the feel of her warm hand on his. Her touch reminded him of the past, of the days they’d laughed and held hands as though their time together was as long as eternity. “Thanks.” His voice came out husky and he cleared his throat. “And I think your summer camp idea is a fabulous one, too.” She’d gone into detail about that when she’d hired him. “We won’t be able to do many weeks this summer, maybe the first two weeks of August before school starts back, but next year we should be able to get off to an immediate start when the school year is over.”
Ellen stilled and went quiet. Then gave a slow nod. “Yes, next year.”
“What is it?”
She blew out a low breath and shook her head. “Nothing, nothing. Your ideas are wonderful. Your long-term planning is amazing and a real benefit to the program.”
“But?”
She sighed. “But I don’t know where I’ll be in a year.”
His heart dropped and he cleared his throat. “I...ah... I see. So what does that mean?”
“Lee, I’m not hanging around here. I’m doing my best to get away from Desert Valley.” And my mother. He heard the words even though she didn’t say them out loud. Which meant she’d be leaving him, too. Again. “And as soon as we solve Veronica’s murder,” she continued, oblivious to his aching heart, “my assignment is complete and I’m free to move on to another city. Or state.”
He gave a slow nod. “Okay then. Thanks for the heads up.” And the warning to guard his heart. The one that was beating a sad rhythm as he tried to reign in his emotions. He fell silent for a moment then sighed. “At least when—if—you decide to go somewhere else, you’ll be leaving behind a legacy that will continue to help people for a very long time.” Because while he intended to finish vet school, he could see himself returning to Desert Valley to continue working with the program. Maybe even as the program’s full-time vet.
Maybe.
The thought of doing all of that without Ellen by his side left a bitter taste in his mouth. He pulled his hand from under hers and returned to his food. For the next few minutes an uncomfortable silence hovered between them.
Ellen finished her dinner and stood. “I should get going. I need to go by the hospital and check on my mother.” She tossed the wrappers into the trash can, then glanced at her phone. “I know if there was any change in her condition, they would call me, but sometimes I hope that just by my being there, she’ll know it. That it might trigger something in her brain and she’ll wake up. Even if it’s the desire to tell me I’m ruining my life.” She gave him a rueful smile.
“You’re a good daughter.”
The smile slipped off and her jaw tightened. “Too good sometimes, I’m afraid. And not good enough at other times.” She looked into his eyes and Lee’s heart beat a little faster at what he saw there. “I have regrets, Lee, I just want you to know that. I really do.”
He reached out a hand and dragged a finger down her soft cheek. He knew what she was referring to. “I do, too. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s possible to go through life and not acquire a few regrets.” He sighed and pulled her into a hug. She stiffened then relaxed and let him hold her. It hit home how much he’d missed her. “I’m sorry you’re having to go through this.”
“Thanks, me too.” She sucked in a deep breath and pulled back. His arms immediately felt empty but he didn’t protest. “Do you need me to come get you in the morning?” she asked.
“I suppose. I’ll need to get a rental car, I guess.”
“You can use one of my mother’s cars. She has a Jeep and a BMW. I recommend the Jeep.”
“Um, no way, thanks. If Marian Foxcroft wakes up and finds that you’ve let me drive one of her vehicles, she’ll have both of us arrested for grand theft auto. I’ll pass on that one.”
“Ha-ha. She will not.” She might try, though. “I have some pull with the police around here should she try anything. Seriously, I should have thought of it before I brought you home, but we’ll take care of it tomorrow.”
He was touched by her offer. Mostly because he hadn’t been expecting it. Still... “I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Well, I do. End of discussion.”
Lee drew in a deep breath. “Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I am.”
“Then...I’d appreciate it. I’ll call George at the body shop first thing in the morning and see when he thinks he’ll have my truck ready. Might be a while, though.”
“That’s fine. I’ll come get you in the morning.”
He nodded and stood to walk her out the door. A low thud made him pause. He looked at Ellen. “Did you hear that?”
Carly rose to her feet, ears cocked, attention on the front door. “I did and so did she.” Ellen lifted a finger to her lips and pulled her weapon. “Stay here. Someone’s out there.”
