The agony of watching the love of her life shot down by the ruthless criminal bore into her, reaching into the deepest regions of her heart—despite the most potent drugs.
Tears welled up in her eyes. The endless tears she knew would never stop.
With her good arm she reached for a tissue from the hospital tray and pressed it to her face as she began to sob.
There was a knock on the door. She wiped her cheeks and tried to sit up. “Come in.”
Detective Judd entered the room. “Good morning, Ms. Steele.”
She was glad to see the tall man with the craggy face who had been her instructor when she was an IIT. He was dressed in his usual brown suit and tie, and he carried a black attaché case.
She wondered what that was about.
Judd had flown to Boston yesterday afternoon, arriving just before Becker left to go back to Fanuzzi and the kids. They didn’t want to leave her alone. It was kind of nice.
When Becker said goodbye, he told her he didn’t know how he was going to tell Fanuzzi about what happened. They agreed the poor woman was going to be devastated, but they couldn’t keep it from her. Miranda only hoped the news didn’t hurt the baby.
Judd pulled up a chair and sat down. “How are you feeling today?”
Miranda wiped her nose. “A little better.”
He reached across the bed and patted her hand. “You’re going to get through this. We all are.”
“Yeah.”
She could see his eyes were red-rimmed. Judd had been just as upset as everyone else to hear about Parker. He’d been with him for years.
“The doctor told me you’ll be discharged tomorrow. I’ll be escorting you back home to Atlanta. I want you to tell me if you need anything.”
That was sooner than she expected. “Thanks. I will.” She didn’t feel like arguing.
Where was she going to go? Back to the penthouse, she guessed. She didn’t know how she was going to handle that.
“I have some things for you here.” He put his attaché case on his lap, opened it, and took out a manila folder filled with papers. Legal papers.
Miranda frowned. “What are those?”
“Documents Mr. Parker left in my care.”
“Oh?” She didn’t like the sound of that.
“His will and other arrangements he made in case of—his demise,” Judd explained.
“Okay,” she said warily.
Judd donned a pair of reading glasses, then opened the folder and removed the first document. “He’s leaving you his properties. The penthouse, the Parker estate, and so forth.” He set the paper down on her hospital tray.
She groaned out loud. This was the last thing she wanted to hear now. Couldn’t Judd have waited?
He took out another document and turned to her with a clear steady gaze. “He wanted you to take over the Agency.”
She felt as if he had slapped her face. She started to get up, but a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.
She laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. “What do you mean take over the Agency?”
“Mr. Parker meant for you to run it. To take his position.”
“As President and CEO?”
“Exactly.”
She had to laugh at that one. It sounded so crazy. “Parker wanted me to run the Agency?”
“That’s what it says right here.” He held the paper out to her.
She turned her head and read the line he was pointed to. Yep. That was what it said.
He set the paper down on the tray atop the first one. “There’s no question it was his intention, Ms. Steele. He told me so in person himself quite a few times.”
Parker sure did have a lot of confidence in her, didn’t he? But she shook her head. “I don’t think I can do that, Judd.” She didn’t even know how she was going to get out of bed the next day.
Gently he patted her hand. “I’ll handle things until you’ve recuperated. But as soon as you’re ready, the office is waiting for you.”
She didn’t know what else to say.
He got to his feet. “I haven’t had breakfast yet. I’ll head down to the cafeteria for a bit. I’ll be back when I’m finished. Why don’t you look these over in the meantime.” He tapped the papers.
“Sure.”
She watched him leave the room, closing the door behind him.
He wanted to give her time to think things over. To come to her senses.
Ignoring the papers on the tray, she reached for another tissue. She couldn’t run the Agency. She didn’t know how she could go on at all.
Closing her eyes, the images ran through her mind as they had over and over for the past three days.
The site of Parker running up that truck ramp in the middle of the night. The blast of the shot that killed him. The last long look they’d had together.
What had he been trying to say to her in that moment? To be strong? To carry on without him? How could she? The answer was plain.
She couldn’t.
What she really wanted, what she really wished for was that Santana had gotten her with his Colt 45, too. She didn’t want to live without Parker. She didn’t know how she was going to.
Blowing her nose, she eyed the papers again.
Run the Agency. “Parker, what were you thinking?” she whispered. “Up to your old tricks again, aren’t you?” Always pushing her, making her step up her game, making her better.
How would she do it? She knew what he’d say.
One day at a time.
She let out a huff. “Okay, Parker. I’ll run your Agency. I’ll be an executive, if I don’t run the place into the ground.”
She pointed a finger toward the corner as if he were standing there. “But one thing I won’t do. One thing I won’t be. I’ll never be a private investigator again. This was my last case. I’ll never take on another. I don’t care what you say. I haven’t got the stomach for it anymore.”
She meant it. She was done with chasing criminals. If Parker wasn’t with her, what was the point?
After all, he hadn’t wanted to go after the Man in Boston. He’d wanted to retire. With all her heart she wished they had.
Suddenly she remembered something he’d said to her a long time ago. “We can’t keep going on like this, Miranda. One of us will end up dead.”
How right he’d been. “Oh, Parker. Why didn’t I listen to you? Why?”
Her heart breaking all over again, she pressed the tissue to her face and sobbed.
###
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Predator, the fourteenth Miranda and Parker Mystery. I’m working hard on the next book now.
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Linsey
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Copyright © 2019 Linsey Lanier
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