Call Back: Magnolia Steel Mystery #3 (Magnolia Steele Mystery)

by Denise Grover Swank

  Colt dropped his hold and took a step back. “I think you and Belinda should wait in the visitor’s area until your mother is ready to see you.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” Roy demanded, his eyes wild with anger. He cradled his bloody right hand to his chest. “Who gave you the authority to tell me what to do?”

  “From this point forward, consider me Tilly and Magnolia’s bodyguard, and I’m issuing a restraining order. If you don’t stay at least twenty feet away from the two of them, I’ll kick your ass whether you touch them or not. Got it?”

  Roy gave him a look of violent hatred, but he didn’t respond in any way. Instead, he spun around and headed down the hall.

  It was then that I noticed all the people standing in the patients’ doorways, gawking our direction. But as Roy headed toward them, they scattered out of sight.

  “Come on, Belinda,” Roy hollered.

  Belinda shot Tilly a horrified look before turning around and trailing after my brother. She didn’t look at me at all.

  I watched her walk away, and Tilly put her hand on my shoulder. “She made her choice, Maggie.”

  I wasn’t so sure she had.

  “I’m sorry about this ugly incident,” Colt said in an apologetic tone to the nurse, who’d approached us now that Roy was gone. “I’d be happy to pay for the damage.”

  “Like hell you will,” the nurse said with a grin. “He deserved that and more. Never could stomach a bully.” She walked past him and patted his arm. “I’ll get housekeeping to clean up the broken glass.” She winked. “And not to worry—security is on its way . . . to the visitor’s waiting room.”

  “Thank you, Colt,” Tilly said, wrapping her arms around Colt’s back and hugging him. “I do believe he would have hit me.”

  “He won’t dare touch you now,” Colt said, glancing down the hall toward the waiting room. “I’ll make sure of it.” He pointed to the closed door with the number 433 on the plaque. “Can Maggie go see her momma now?”

  Tilly shook her head. “Not yet. Her doctor is performing a procedure. That’s what originally riled Roy up. He didn’t like that he had to wait. The nurse who witnessed the incident caught an earful earlier.”

  They continued to discuss Roy’s escalating behavior, but I tuned them out as I stared at Momma’s door, wondering what waited for me on the other side. Would she look much worse than she had at lunch two days ago?

  The guilt was overwhelming. I should have stayed with her last night. I should have never moved out. I’d wasted precious time with her. What had I been thinking? I’d wanted to protect her, yes, but I should have found a way to stay with her anyway.

  The door opened and a woman wearing pink scrubs walked out, letting the door close behind her. “Are you Magnolia?” She stood directly opposite me, only a couple of feet between us.

  “Yes.”

  Colt stood on one side of me, his arm wrapped around my back, and Tilly stood on the other, grabbing my hand and clutching it tightly enough to cut off my circulation.

  “I’m not going to sugarcoat it, Magnolia. Your mother is very sick. She has a low white cell count from her last round of chemo, which made it easier for her to pick up an infection. If she’d come to see me a few days ago, I could have treated it with oral antibiotics, but now it’s spread throughout her body. She needs an IV antibiotic, but she’s refusing treatment.” She hesitated. “I’m sure she’s told you about her DNR, and her request for no heroic attempts.”

  I nodded, surprised I was listening to this dry-eyed. It was taking everything in me to follow what she was saying. “And she’ll die if she doesn’t take the antibiotics?”

  “There’s a chance she’ll fight it off, but it’s very, very small.”

  “That damn stubborn woman,” Tilly muttered in a broken voice.

  I felt myself on the verge of cracking, but I couldn’t let that happen. Not now. “Can I go in and talk to her now?”

  “We just put in a port to make it easier to draw her blood and administer the medication if she changes her mind. The nurse is cleaning her up, but she’ll be finished in a minute.”

  “Thank you.”

  As I watched the doctor’s retreating back, I turned her words over and over in my head, struggling to understand my mother’s decision. I understood her request to withhold machines to prolong her life, but I’d never considered penicillin to be a heroic effort.

  Colt’s hand tightened on my waist. “Maggie? How are you doing?”

  “Fine.”

  “Do you need to sit down? This is a lot to process on top of everything else.”

  “I’m fine.”

  A nurse emerged from the room and held the door open. “You can come in now.”

  I looked past her and saw my mother on the hospital bed. She was a ghost of the woman who had raised me. Suddenly, I understood my mother’s choice. Her entire life, she’d balked against doing things any way but her own. It made sense that she’d want to leave this earth on her own terms.

  Colt gave me a slight nudge, and I crossed the threshold, wondering how much time she had left. I needed to play a role, or I’d fall to pieces. But what role should I play? The answer was so obvious that I couldn’t believe it had taken me more than an instant to figure it out.

  I would play my mother.

  I steeled my back as I walked into the room. “Momma. I never knew you to be so dramatic. You’re supposed to leave the drama to me.”

  She turned to face me and smiled. “You’ve had a monopoly on drama for years, Magnolia. Maybe it’s my turn.” Her smile fell. “Did you get the help you needed this morning?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “It was all taken care of.”

  Tilly moved to a chair in the corner and hung her head.

  Colt put one hand on my shoulder and the other on the handrail on Momma’s bed. “I’m here for her, Lila.”

  Momma lifted her eyes to Colt. “I lost her once . . .”

  He held her gaze. “It won’t happen this time.”

  “You two realize I’m right here, don’t you?” I asked, trying to sound annoyed, though I was secretly curious that they seemed to have had this conversation before.

  Tilly laughed. “Don’t waste your breath, darlin’.”

  Colt scooped up Momma’s hand. “Lila, don’t you worry. I won’t forget my promise.”

  Tears filled her eyes and she mouthed, “Thank you. You’re a good man, Colt Austin. You’re finding your way. Don’t listen to the naysayers.”

  He choked up and laughed. “Don’t be getting soft on me, Lila. I need you riding my ass.”

  “Someone else is gonna have to take over that job.”

  Colt leaned over and kissed my mother’s forehead. “Then I guess the job’s gonna have to stay vacant.” He turned around and gave me a hug, and I was surprised he seemed to need strength from me and not the other way around.

  I held him close, closing my eyes as I pressed my cheek into his chest, his steady heartbeat in my ear reassuring me.

  “I’ll be in the waiting room,” he said. “Keeping an eye on your brother.”

  “Thanks,” I whispered.

  As soon as he walked out, I immediately returned to Momma’s bedrail, resting both hands on it this time. “I don’t believe you. You raised me to never be a quitter.”

  She sighed, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling. “I’m not quitting, Magnolia. I’ve fought.”

  “Do you remember when I had strep throat when I was in second grade?” I asked.

  She chuckled, but it was weak. “You and Roy missed the Easter egg hunt at church. You were beside yourself. Your father hid a bunch of eggs at home for you two. He could never stand to see his Magnolia’s blossoms fade, he used to say.”

  “I’d forgotten that,” I murmured. “But I was thinking about the antibiotics. The doctor gave me pills instead of the liquid, and I refused to take them. Do you remember what you said?”

  She shot me a grin. “Take the dam
n pills, or I’m going to whip you?”

  “Oh, Momma . . .” I rolled my eyes. “You said our life lessons often come with a bitter medicine, but we have to take it to be better people.”

  She reached for my hand and rested it on her stomach. “I was too hard on you, Magnolia. I’m so sorry for that.”

  “That isn’t the point of this story, Momma. You said I had to take the medicine.” I paused. “I need you to take the medicine.”

  A weak smile lifted her lips. “Oh, Magnolia. You never could understand a metaphor.”

  “Lila!” Tilly gasped.

  “She took the damn thing literally, Tilly.”

  “Well, of course she did! You were talking to an eight-year-old!”

  “I’ve taken my medicine, Momma,” I said softly, tears gathering in my eyes. “I think I’m becoming a better person.”

  Her smile fell. “Magnolia, you are a beautiful girl, inside and out. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become, but you were always in there. I’m sorry if I’ve made you believe differently. Your father would be disappointed in me.” She looked defeated, and I couldn’t help wondering if that was part of why she was giving up. “I wasted our precious gift.”

  “It’s not too late,” I said through teary eyes. “Take the antibiotics.”

  She gave me a sad smile. “I’m not going to get to tell you all those stories, Maggie. I’m sorry.”

  I choked on a sob. “You could if you wanted. You’re giving up on me again.”

  “No, Magnolia. No.” Tears slid down her face. “I’m tired. I’m so tired.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry I’m letting you down again, but I just want to stop hurting.”

  She’d been hurting for years—I’d been the source of a good portion of her pain. I needed to perform one selfless act and give her what she wanted. Even if it was the hardest thing I’d ever done. “Okay, Momma,” I said in a whisper, my heart ripping to pieces in my chest. “Okay.”

  “Roy’s going to fight it. I need you to stand strong.”

  She was putting me in an impossible situation, yet I found myself nodding. “Okay. Anything, Momma.”

  “Lila!” Tilly protested, getting out of her chair and rushing up to the side of the bed. “You stupid, stubborn woman. The world’s not done with you yet.”

  “Maybe I’m done with the world, Tilly.” Momma turned her hopeful gaze to me. “Is Roy here?”

  I tried to keep the sting of her request from showing. Of course she wanted him. “He and Belinda are in the waiting room. I’ll go get them, but I’d like to come back when they leave. I want to stay with you.”

  She nodded but didn’t say anything.

  I walked out of her room on autopilot, not stopping until I found Colt sitting in a chair in the waiting area. He sat slumped in his chair until he saw me; then he got to his feet. I saw Roy and Belinda out of the corner of my eye, sitting in the opposite corner of the room.

  “Roy,” I said without looking at him. “Momma is asking for you.”

  He stood and arrogance rolled off him in waves. “Of course she is. I’m the one who was there for her after you ran off.”

  I knew he was searching for hurtful things to say. After Momma died and Roy found out the details of her will, things would get worse, but he didn’t scare me. I’d handled a whole lot worse than my brother.

  I glanced up at Colt. “I’m hungry. Would you like to get something to eat before your gig?”

  He smiled down at me. “Absolutely.”

  We started down the hall, and he glanced over his shoulder at my brother and Belinda as they headed toward my mother’s room.

  “I can stay, Mags. I can cancel.”

  I shook my head. “No. Roy can’t touch me. He’s scared of you now. Go to your gig and don’t worry about me. I’m planning to stay with Momma tonight.”

  “Okay,” he said reluctantly.

  “Where are you going to hide the . . . ?” I knew he’d understand my unfinished sentence. We’d left the gold hidden in my car.

  He turned serious. “I’m not sure. But I swear I’ll keep it safe.”

  I grinned. “I know. You’ve got big plans for it.”

  He stopped and looked uncertain before he said, “Tomorrow we’ll talk more about . . . everything.”

  Everything felt like a heavy topic I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket, signaling an incoming text from Brady.

  Sorry I couldn’t get away for our trip in the woods, but I wanted to fill you in on Bill James.

  While I wasn’t disappointed about the field trip—I hadn’t exactly been in a position to go either—I was eager for what he had on Bill. Had my brother’s boss been arrested?

  Colt stopped walking. “Is everything okay?”

  I came to a halt beside him. “I’m not sure.”

  He glanced down at my phone, his back stiffening slightly. “What were you and Bennett going to do in the woods?”

  How was I supposed to answer that? I opted for my go-to reaction when backed into a corner. “Wow. A few kisses and you think eavesdropping on my conversations is acceptable now?” I asked in a snotty tone.

  My phone vibrated again.

  Bill James has a solid alibi for the night of Emily’s murder.

  “Shit,” Colt said, rubbing the back of his neck. “So James isn’t the serial killer?”

  “You’re eavesdropping again.” I tried to muster a sharp tone, but I was too nervous to pull it off. I tapped out a response.

  Did you talk to Bill? What about the files?

  He responded within seconds.

  Bill James left town yesterday afternoon. He won’t be back until tomorrow.

  Then who had been in Bill James’s office? And more importantly, who was the killer?

  Chapter 25

  The next morning, I woke up in the recliner in Momma’s hospital room with a stiff neck, a sore back, and an overwhelming sense of grief.

  My mother wanted to die. She was leaving me.

  She’d slept most of the night despite the fact that the nursing staff had come in to check on her every hour or two, but my own sleep had been sporadic.

  I grabbed my phone to check the time and saw a text from Brady.

  How’s your mother?

  I texted back: Sleeping.

  His reply came back seconds later.

  Want to meet me for coffee in the lobby? Fifteen minutes?

  He’d been worried about where I was staying last night, so I’d told him I would be at the hospital with my mother all night.

  Sounds good.

  I got out of the chair and stretched, then walked over to Momma’s bed to check on her. While they had turned off the constant beeping of her monitors, I found it reassuring to watch the steady beat of her heart on the screen. Proof that she was still alive.

  After I went to the bathroom and washed my face, I headed downstairs. I’d just walked out of the elevator into the sunny lobby when I saw Brady walking through the front doors carrying two cups of coffee.

  I met him in the middle of the lobby with a grateful smile. “When you mentioned getting coffee, I thought you meant here. There’s a coffee cart by the cafeteria.”

  His face lit up when he saw me. “I decided the two of us have enough risks in our lives at the moment. No sense playing Russian roulette with coffee.”

  My smile felt somewhat convincing. “Good point.” I gestured to the leather chairs spread around the lobby. “Would you like to sit and talk for a bit?”

  “Yeah,” he said softly. “I would.”

  The lobby was nearly empty at seven in the morning, giving us plenty of seating options.

  “So has your mother’s condition changed?” he asked as we settled into two chairs next to each other.

  I took a sip of my coffee. “No, but it’s about to get worse. She’s been fighting cancer for several years, and her doctor thinks this is it.”

  His eyes widened. “Really? I can’t bel
ieve it. I just saw her a few days ago.”

  “She has an infection. It’s taking over her whole body.”

  “Maggie, I’m so sorry.”

  I didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say about my mother. She’d made her choice. But there were plenty of other things to talk about.

  “Are you certain about Bill James?” I asked.

  He set his cup on the table between us and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Yeah. He was in Las Vegas. Your brother provided his alibi for the trip.”

  “And you’re sure about his alibi for the night Emily was killed?”

  “Yeah, there was a woman at his house when the Nashville police dropped by. She says she’s his girlfriend. Swears he was with her that night.”

  “So you’re no closer to finding the killer than you were before?”

  “We’ll catch him, Maggie.”

  I nodded absently. Something about this didn’t feel right.

  “We haven’t seen each other since Thursday evening,” Brady said as he squirmed in his seat. “I wanted to talk about that.” His warm brown eyes lifted to mine.

  I lowered my gaze to the cup in my hands. “Brady . . .”

  “Maggie, you don’t have to explain. I know things were moving too fast for you. I wanted to let you know I understand, and I wanted to apologize for being difficult when you told me.”

  “Brady . . .” I let my voice trail off, unsure what to say.

  “It’s okay. But I want you to know that I’m still here if you need me. I’d like to think we were becoming friends before we slept together. I’d still like to be friends.”

  I offered him a grateful smile. “Me too.”

  “We’re still working together to catch a serial killer, so we need to be able to talk openly to each other.” He gave me an earnest look that made him look more like a Boy Scout than a cop. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me, okay? I still plan to keep checking on you.”

  I stood and gave him a hug. “Thank you, Brady.”

  He released me and grinned. “We may be apart at the moment, Magnolia Steele, but that doesn’t mean we’re completely finished.”

  I had to tell him. I couldn’t lead him on. “Brady.” I paused and took a breath. “Colt . . . he’s . . .”