by Blake Pierce
“Have you seen her yet?” Melissa asked.
“Not yet. The doctors say we need to wait a moment. It’s driving Terry absolutely nuts. Speaking of which, I need to get out of here soon so he can see you. He’s worried about you.”
“I know. And I hope he understands, but I needed to see you first. I just kept thinking about Dad and how happy he’d be…and Jesus, I miss him so much, Mom.”
“I do, too. But he’d be so proud of you. For surviving this ordeal and for giving him a granddaughter.”
Melissa smiled. “I bet he would,” she said. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too. Now…I can see by your eyes that you’re fading…”
“Sure am,” Melissa said with a crooked little grin. It looked like she was drunk.
“So I’m going to tell Terry to come in now. But I won’t go anywhere until you’re of a completely sound mine. After all…I’m going to need to hold that baby.”
Melissa nodded and gave Kate’s hand a squeeze. It was hard for Kate to let go but she knew she had to. She had always been good about stepping back to let her daughter live her life, never interfering in the marriage in any way. This was the hardest moment in that vein she’d ever lived through, but she made herself leave the room.
Terry was already at the door, stomping like a bull to get in. Kate nodded to him and he went in practically in a run.
Kate stood there for a moment, frozen in the hallway of a hospital at 3:05 in the morning, feeling her life change all around her.
I’m a grandmother, she thought with a smile. A grandmother who just resumed a career with the FBI at fifty-five years of age.
She had to bite her lip to keep the childlike laugh from bursting forth from her lips. Maybe if it wasn’t three in the morning the thought would not have seemed so funny. But as it was, the thought pushed her back down the hallway in search of coffee, ready to face this new chapter in her life.
***
Kate dozed uncomfortably in a chair in the waiting room for a while, the coffee not doing its job. The only reason she woke up was because her phone buzzed at her. When she jerked awake in the chair, she saw that it somehow came to be 4:15 in the morning. She also saw that the buzzing of her phone was a text from Logan.
She grinned sleepily, remembering how he’d always been a night owl. She wondered if he suspected her phone was always on silent after a certain time or if he was purposefully trying to keep her on her toes now that she was back.
Just checking in, the text read. Hope all is going well. Let me know if you need anything.
She rubbed at her eyes and stood up from the chair. She saw Terry’s parents on the other side of the waiting room. His mother was hunched over asleep in her chair while his father was reading something on his Kindle. Terry, however, was nowhere to be seen.
She walked over to Terry’s parents. Mr. Andrews looked up from his Kindle and smiled sleepily at her.
“I was going to wake you,” he said, “but didn’t want to be premature. The doctors came about ten minutes ago. They’ve given Terry the clear to see his baby. He’s going to come out and let us know when—or if, I guess I should say—we can.”
“Thanks,” Kate said.
“Feel weird to be a grandparent yet?” he asked.
“I honestly don’t really even know. Maybe when I hold her…”
“Same here,” he said. “Terry’s sister has been pregnant twice but miscarried both times. So this is a very bittersweet moment. I feel like we’ve technically already been grandparents.”
“And how did it feel?” Kate asked.
“Pretty amazing,” Mr. Andrews said.
Again, Kate felt alarms in the back of her mind. Something he’d said reminded her of Debbie Meade again…and just like that, she knew she’d need to speak with Debbie as soon as she could.
She nearly headed for her chair, to get her phone and send a text to DeMarco. But just as she turned that way, she caught sight of Terry coming around the corner. He no longer looked tired and worried; he now looked proud and borderline euphoric.
“You guys want to see your granddaughter?”
Kate absolutely did want to see her granddaughter. She also wanted to get an update on Melissa.
So while the case was very much still front and center in her mind, the part of Kate that had retired gladly pushed her forward, her hands eager to hold her granddaughter for the first time.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
What the coffee had failed to do in terms of perking Kate up, holding her granddaughter for the first time had accomplished. Aside from her own child—Melissa, now twenty-six and very much her own woman—Kate had never been a “baby person.” In fact, the idea of being around them scared her a bit.
But holding Michelle had seemed to open something within her while also closing a beautiful circle that had opened up when she’d given birth to Melissa twenty-six years ago. It was like seeing a ghost and welcoming it into her arms. She knew this was not Melissa in her arms but the feeling of it was the same. She had not expected such an emotional reaction from holding her first grandchild but in that moment, everything within Kate softened and gave itself over to the child.
She’d left the hospital at 7:15 with only two hours of sleep but with an energy like she’d never quite experienced before. The knowledge that she’d promised Melissa she’d be back that afternoon pushed her on. Melissa had fully understood, excited to hear that her mother had gotten involved in bureau work again despite her retirement.
She texted DeMarco, letting her know of everything that had happened the night before. She explained that it might be a very scattered day but she did have one idea to pursue.
After placing the text, she then placed a call to Debbie Meade. She hated to do it because, in her opinion, not enough time had passed since Julie’s death for Debbie to get involved with the case in any way, but because Debbie kept coming to her mind, Kate thought it would be okay.
Debbie certainly seemed to be okay with the idea of meeting with her—not at a coffee shop like usual, though. She wasn’t at all ready to go out in public as she was susceptible to sudden bouts of weeping that hit her out of nowhere. Instead, Debbie had invited her to her house for coffee. Kate agreed, volunteering to pick up donuts on the way.
When Debbie answered the door at eight o’clock, she looked awake and almost happy to see Kate. The house smelled of recently delivered flowers in the wake of Julie’s death and freshly brewed coffee. Debbie led her into the kitchen, where they sat at the bar. Debbie poured them both generous cups of coffee and for a moment, it was almost like simply visiting a friend.
“Debbie, I wanted to speak with you outside of the group,” she said. “A while back, you shared something with us. Something personal…about an affair. I hate to ask you to go there so soon after everything that’s happened but quite frankly, I don’t know where else to go.”
“You mean my affair?” Debbie asked, shame crossing her face.
“Yes. And if you don’t feel it’s appropriate…”
“No, it’s fine,” Debbie said. “I’ve told Jim about it and we worked through it. And really, I don’t even know that I’d call it an affair. It was two times and then I called it off.”
“Does the guy live around here?” Kate asked.
Debbie shook her head, sipping from her coffee and looking to the bar; her embarrassment made it hard to look Kate in the eyes. “He was in town on business. I met him when he came to where I worked. He was selling some kind of new insurance for the employees. But Kate…I don’t see what this has to do with anything.”
“Maybe nothing,” Kate said. “But it has come out—and please keep this between you and me—that Lacy’s husband was having an affair. He admitted to it. And…well, I find it hard to see how a woman like Lacy, who spent most of her time at home, wouldn’t be aware of it.”
Debbie gave a guilty grin. “There were rumors that Lacy was having her own fun on the side,” she said. “I assume
you’re asking me about my own affair to get into the mindset of someone that could have one?”
“More or less,” Kate said. “Plus, you and Clarissa seem to have a better handle on the news that goes around smaller circles. I didn’t know if maybe you’d heard something.”
“Well, I can basically guarantee you that Lacy knew about Peter’s affair. Everyone else did. He did a shitty job of hiding it. And if Lacy knew and kept it quiet…well, I for one assumed that meant the rumors I’d heard about her were true.”
“That she was having an affair,” Kate said thoughtfully. “Any idea who it might have been with?”
“No. And Kate, I see where this is headed. I know what your next question is going to be, so I can go ahead and cut you off right there. Julie was not having an affair. She loved Tyler very much. When he was away on business, she usually spent most of her time here with me or with that little circle of friends she had.”
Maybe, Kate thought. But you just said yourself that Lacy, a member of that group, was likely involved in an affair. And that she hid it relatively well.
“You understand that I have to at least check, though, right?” Kate asked.
“Absolutely.”
Kate took another sip from her coffee and stood up from the bar. “Thanks for your time, Debbie. And thanks for understanding when I had to ask the hard questions.”
“Hey, I asked for your help,” Debbie said. “I appreciate you sticking with it.”
Debbie walked her to the front door and they hugged briefly. Kate had never really had any friends outside of the bureau so to know that she and Debbie were still developing a closeness between them was nice.
Walking back to her car, Kate pulled out her cell phone. While she believed Debbie that Julie had not been involved in an affair, she thought there might still be something to the thread of unfaithfulness, something that would drive someone to kill these two women in such an uncaring and almost casual way.
She pulled up DeMarco’s name and sent a text. The name Peter Thurmond gave us is next on the list. The mistress. Let’s pay her a visit. Meet me in half an hour?
She got a response before she was even in her car. She smiled and read the message, glad to have a partner who was as prompt and motivated as she was. Logan, while an amazing agent, had not been the best at returning calls and texts. Having someone so responsive by her side was a breath of fresh air.
Can do, the response read. Meet me at my motel?
DeMarco provided the address and Kate wasted no time. It was only 8:20 in the morning. If things continued to progress this quickly for the remainder of the day, she’d be back at the hospital with her granddaughter in her arms by lunchtime.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
The name that Peter Thurmond had scrawled on a sheet of notepad paper in the interrogation room the day before was Crystal Bryant. He’d also provided a number, which Kate didn’t bother using. She knew if she gave the woman time to prepare, she could come up with lies and stories that could waste their time. She’d rather catch her off guard—a sneaky and almost dishonest tactic considering that Crystal Bryant was not involved in the case.
Ever diligent, DeMarco had already called in for Bryant’s address and other pertinent information. Part of that information was discovering that she worked as a nurse at a physical rehabilitation facility from 8:30 to 5:00 Monday through Friday. This knowledge allowed them to skip a home visit and head directly to her place of business.
The office was located at one of the city’s busiest hospitals and the waiting room was packed. Kate didn’t see the point in singling Crystal Bryant out, so she stayed as nondescript as possible. When she and DeMarco approached the receptionist window, they kept their badges and IDs hidden. When she spoke to the receptionist, Kate kept her voice soft.
“I need to speak with one of your nurses,” Kate said. “Crystal Bryant.”
The receptionist looked a little confused, looking back and forth between Kate and DeMarco. “Okay…do you have an appointment?”
“We don’t,” Kate said. “It’s a private matter and rather urgent.”
“Okay. Can I ask who’s looking for her?”
“No. Again…it’s private.”
Clearly unhappy with that response, the receptionist got up anyway. She walked away from the desk and disappeared down a hallway on the other side of the glass. Kate and DeMarco stood there for a few moments until one of the doors in the waiting room opened up. A pretty blonde woman of perhaps twenty-five years of age came walking toward them. She was dressed in nearly pressed nurse scrubs and looked very confused.
“Are you the women looking for me?” she asked.
“Yes,” Kate said quietly. “I’m Agent Wise and this is my partner, Agent DeMarco, with the FBI. We’d like to ask you some questions about the Thurmonds.”
Crystal Bryant looked as if someone had slapped her across the face. She looked all around, even back into the waiting room, as if to see if anyone had overheard Kate.
“It won’t take long,” Kate said. “And if you cooperate by answering just a few questions, it can be done without anyone knowing who we are or why we’re here. So can we speak with you for a few moments?”
“Sure,” Crystal said, obviously taken off guard.
They found three chairs in the far corner of the waiting room and settled down. Before Kate could even start asking questions, Crystal was talking.
“I guess Lacy’s death made Peter come clean, huh?” she asked.
“Yes,” Kate said. “Have you spoken with him since Lacy’s death?”
“No. He texted and told me what had happened. He told me in the same text that he was done…that he couldn’t see me anymore. Look, please…is there any way to keep this quiet? I don’t want this getting out and hurting his reputation, especially after what happened with Lacy.”
“We won’t be telling anyone. We need to speak with you solely to get a better understanding of what you knew about Lacy. Do you think there was any chance she knew about the affair and was maybe having her own on the side?”
Crystal considered this for a moment. “I never thought about that,” she said. “But I don’t think so. She really didn’t strike me as the vengeful type.”
“So you knew her?” DeMarco asked.
“Not well. We had a few mutual friends but Lacy and I never actually hung out or anything.”
“So you don’t know anything about her personal life?” Kate asked.
“Just the few things Peter would tell me.”
“Like what?”
Crystal shrugged and it was clear that she was getting uncomfortable. It even looked like she might be on the verge of tears. “He’d complain about her. About how she never wanted to have sex anymore. About how all she cared about was their daughter. He said he felt like he was always second. But…I don’t know. I never really believed it. I’m not stupid. I’m ten years younger than he is and was…aggressive, I guess. He was just telling me things to keep me going back to him.”
“So you can’t think of anyone who might have anything against either Peter or Lacy?”
“No. I didn’t know either of them that well.”
Kate sighed, frustrated. She had secretly suspected this would happen, though. She’d been forced to look into multiple affairs in the many cases she’d worked on during her career. And in nearly every single one of them, the members of the affair were mostly distant. Aside from sexual preferences and their schedules, they typically knew very little about one another—much less the other’s spouse.
“Well, thanks for your time,” Kate said.
“Sure. How is he? Peter, I mean. Have you spoken with him?”
“He’s grieving,” DeMarco said. “And if he’s asked you to please respect his wishes to no longer see one another, please do so.”
Crystal seemed a little surprised to hear such a direct line of advice, but she nodded as she stood up and headed back to work. Kate and DeMarco also took their leave and as they w
alked back outside into a morning that looked to be thinking about rain, Kate’s mind started to filter backward. This whole business with affairs was pinging some memory in the back of her head, one that she could almost pluck out and bring forward. But her head was too burdened with this new case, leaving her grasping at straws.
Some other case, she thought. Something almost similar to this.
“Hey, would you mind driving?” Kate said. “I need to make a call.”
“Sure,” DeMarco said as Kate tossed the keys her way. “Where are we headed?”
“I don’t know just yet. Let’s start with the closest Starbucks. I forgot how taxing these long days can be.”
She cringed when she realized how old that comment made her sound. She got into the car and as DeMarco started the engine, Kate took out her phone and placed a call. When the warm and familiar voice on the other end answered, it was like being thrown backward in time.
“Wise, is it really you?” Logan asked with an edge of sarcasm.
“Yes, it’s me. Thanks for your text, checking in on me. It was sweet…but unnecessary.”
“Well, I was raised properly. I was taught to take care of my elders.”
“Go to hell.”
“With you, anytime. What’s up, Wise?”
She couldn’t help but smile. God, she had missed the back and forth she and Logan had established over their years of working together.
“I’m trying to recall a case,” she said. “I’m thinking it’s no older than ten years. There were two or three people killed because of some sort of swingers’ party. An affair that came out of it and caused a lot of trouble.”
“Yeah, I remember that one. What do you need? I can pull the files and send you whatever you need to know. You seeing similarities in the one you’re working on?”
“I don’t know just yet. I’m hoping it might help me get on the right track, though. I’m trying to remember the killer…what his MO was, the sort of things he said in interrogation and at trial. That sort of thing.”
