by V. B. Tenery
“Sounds right to me. Her?”
“Yeah. Bradford’s wife’s name is Sara.”
Mac whistled. “Wow. I can verify ownership of the notebook by the fingerprints, make sure they’re hers.”
“Do that as soon as you can.” Matt bounced the book against his palm. Sara Bradford might be many things, but she wasn’t dumb. “You sure none of the prints in the car match those in the calendar?”
McCulloch shrugged. “If there are, we haven’t found them. We gave the car a thorough going over. The only prints inside belonged to whoever drove the car last and they don’t match those in the notebook.”
Sara Bradford’s Home
The church sale finally behind her, Sara had spent the afternoon boxing the leftovers for the Goodwill and Salvation Army before heading home.
As she got out of the car, Matt Foley’s Expedition pulled in behind her. His solemn expression gave her a déjà vu moment. He wasn’t bringing good news.
Sara grinned anyway. “Hi, Matt. I came home to grab a bite. I missed lunch. Come in. If you haven’t eaten, I’ll repay you for the lunch you bought.”
“Thanks, I’ve eaten.” Matt didn’t return the smile. A moment of silence followed before he spoke again. “Sara, there’s something important I need to discuss with you. Where can we talk?”
A nervous quiver lodged in her stomach. “This sounds serious. Let’s go into the kitchen. You can talk while I eat. Whatever it is, you can tell me in front of Maddie.”
Sara led the way down the hallway. She pulled cold chicken and fruit salad from the refrigerator, then set them at the island.
Maddie entered from the hall. “I thought that was your voice I heard, Matthew. What brings you out?”
He pulled a stool from under the counter and sat across from Sara. Her aunt eased into the one beside her.
“We found the car that killed Josh earlier today. It belonged to a man named Robert Cook,” Matt said.
A welcome relief flowed through her body. Sara inhaled a deep breath. “That’s great news. Have you arrested him?”
“Can’t. He died from natural causes a few days ago. Do you know him?”
She plumbed the recesses of her memory. After a moment, she locked in on the name. The name had been among those Josh’s law firm had requested from the notes in his briefcase after his death. “Cook, wasn’t that the name of the man Josh interviewed the day he died?”
Matt nodded. “Have you ever met or had any dealing with Cook?”
She scanned the stoic expression on his face and it hit her. He’d known about Cook all along. He’d been testing her. “Not to my knowledge.”
“The car wasn’t all we found.” He held out a photo of a desk calendar. “We found this inside the vehicle. Does it belong to you?”
Disbelief and a touch of anxiety crept up her spine. She recognized the notebook. “It’s mine. It went missing ages ago from my desk. I assumed I’d lost it or someone took it by mistake. How could it turn up in that car?”
He didn’t speak, just stared straight into her eyes.
Realization dawned. She could feel the blood drain from her face. Unable to suppress the tremor in her fingers, she replaced the fork on the dinner plate. “Good heavens, Matt. Did you come here to arrest me? How can you think...? The automobile doesn’t belong to me.”
He looked down at his hands. “It wasn’t registered in your name, and I didn’t come here to arrest you. But I may have to, unless the DA thinks we need more evidence before filing charges. He may go with Cook’s bad driving record, but the notebook connects you to Cook. Are you sure you’ve never spoken to him?”
Sara shook her head. “I can’t say with absolute certainty...but not to my knowledge.”
Maddie spoke for the first time. “You can’t believe Sara had anything to do with Joshua’s death, Matthew. I remember you as being smarter than that when you were in school.”
He glanced at Sara then back at Maddie. “If I believed her to be guilty, I would arrest her.” He picked up the photograph. “But this is evidence that can be used against her.”
He walked across the room and stood in the doorway. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but this case has re-opened. You should find a good attorney. If you are arrested, with your clean record, a lawyer can get you out on bond. You might also want to consider if there’s anyone who dislikes you enough to frame you for murder.”
His footsteps echoed down the hallway, the door closed, and he was gone.
The sound of the car engine faded into the night. Lunch forgotten, Sara laid her head on her arms and closed her eyes. Her job was in turmoil, someone was trying to kill her, and now the police had evidence to tie her to Josh’s murder. Matt had said he hadn’t arrested her because there’d been no proof. Now he could connect her to the hit-and-run vehicle. All the terror demons from the past were unleashed, and it surprised her that she could handle it.
For the past four years, she wondered what would happen if this moment came. Odd, but a sense of calm washed over her. Uncertainty had kept her off balance. Now, at least she had something to fight against.
When she opened her eyes, Maddie’s troubled gaze met hers. “You need to call Harold Golden. He’ll know what to do. No one in their right mind would believe you were involved in Joshua’s death.”
Sara nodded. “You’re right. Harold can tell me how to proceed from here.”
She’d met Harold Golden through her husband. Josh introduced Golden as “the foremost criminal attorney in the country.” In the early days of her marriage, she and Josh spent no less than two evenings a week in Golden’s company.
Harold Golden’s home had been a Mecca for young lawyers. Invitations to join one of his late-night sessions were coveted by young attorneys, and Josh had been Golden’s favorite. She dialed his private number. “Hi Harry, it’s Sara Bradford.”
His tone came across a little stilted. “Yes, Sara. How may I help you?”
“I’m sorry to say this isn’t a social call. As of a few minutes ago, I’m a suspect in Josh’s death. I wanted you to know that before you decide to defend me, if you can fit me into your caseload.”
“Why is it, after all this time, they’ve decided to pin this on you?”
Sara told him about Matt’s visit. The scratch of his pen sounded as he took notes. When she finished the story, he spoke, “I don’t think you have a problem. The evidence they have is circumstantial at best, not enough for an arrest warrant. I’m swamped with other cases. I don’t think I could do your defense justice. I can send you a list of good attorneys...”
“I’m sorry you’re not available, Harry, but I understand.”
Sara replaced the phone on its base. Did Harry think her guilty?
Her mind flashed back to Josh’s funeral. Harry had seemed distant and quiet. She assumed his silence was grief. Never for a moment did it occur to her that he’d considered her somehow responsible. Did he know of Josh’s extra-marital affairs? Assume she had killed him in a jealous rage?
Her chest felt vacant, as if someone had slammed the breath from her body. “Looks like you’re wrong, Maddie. Some people do think I could have murdered Josh. Harold Golden, for starters.”
CHAPTER 19
Sara Bradford’s Home
After her conversation with Harold Golden, Sara took a mug of hot tea into the library. The aromatic steam had already begun to relax her frayed nerves. She needed that. It would make it easier to fall asleep later.
She settled into a chair in front of the fireplace as bright embers floated out of sight up the chimney, resting her head on the soft leather back. She sipped the tea, trying to unwind. Heaven knew her muscles had good cause for tension. Her body had more than its share of trauma the past few days. The phone rang and she placed the cup on the end table, then reached to answer it.
“Sara Bradford?” the voice on the phone inquired.
“Yes, this is Sara.”
“Sara, this is Gaye, I’m the ER nurse who to
ok care of you earlier this week. Do you remember me?”
“Of course, Gaye. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you. The reason I called is we have a patient, Dolly Campbell, in emergency. She’s asking for you. She was involved in an accident, and insisted we contact you before she’ll let us take her into surgery. She needs treatment immediately and we can’t locate her relatives. Would it be possible for you to come right away?”
“I’m leaving now.” Sara grabbed her car keys and rushed out the door. Gaye hadn’t mentioned the children. Perhaps they were at home with their mother. Please, let them be safe.
Twin Falls Memorial Hospital
The nurse met Sara at the entrance to the emergency ward and led her into a curtain-covered cubicle where Dolly Campbell lay on a gurney, her face pasty white, wrinkled with pain.
Sara moved to Dolly’s side and took her hand. “Dolly, it’s Sara.”
The frail woman’s eyes fluttered open. She tried to lift her head but the effort seemed too much. Dolly clutched Sara’s hand. “Thank God you came. We were on our way to our lake cabin...a car crossed the median...hit us head on.” She took a shaky breath. “I think Walter and Diane are dead.” Her voice caught. “I couldn’t tell for sure...the nurses won’t tell me if Poppy and Danny were hurt or how badly.”
Sara’s heart plummeted. The children were in the car. She moved closer. Dolly still gripped Sara’s hand. “Don’t talk now, Dolly. Let the doctors take care of you. Afterwards, you can tell me whatever you want.”
“No.” Dolly’s voice grew insistent. “I must say this. If anything happens to me...promise you will take care of the children. If Walter and Diane are gone, there’s no one to care for them. Please.”
Sara squeezed her hand. “Of course I will. You have my word. Now please let them attend to your wounds.”
Dolly nodded as two nurses wheeled her out with an urgency that frightened Sara.
In ER, Sara stepped down the hall to the waiting room. Ahead, she spotted Gaye and stopped her. “There were two children and two other adults in the accident with Mrs. Campbell. Can you tell me how they’re doing?”
Gaye’s face scrunched into a pained expression. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Sara. I can only give that information to the nearest relative. It’s HIPPA rules.”
Sara gulped a shaky breath. “I understand, but I don’t think there is a nearest relative. Dolly said the whole family was in the accident.”
Gaye touched her arm. “Believe me, I would help if I could.”
Tears stung the back of Sara’s eyelids. She pulled her new cell phone from her bag and punched in the number on the business card Matt gave her.
A few seconds later, a tired voice came on the line. “What is it now, Sara?”
His voice sounded weary with a touch of irritation. She swallowed her pride. “I need your help. I’m at the hospital―”
The volume of Matt’s voice increased. “I told you to let us know when you left home. Why didn’t you listen?”
Her voice caught, despite efforts to remain calm. “It isn’t me. It’s the children, Poppy and Danny.”
“Who?”
“The children from the trailer park you found for me.”
A long pause followed. “Tell me what happened.”
When she finished, he said, “Hold tight. I’ll be there in a few minutes. The hospital will talk to me.”
****
Before he left home, Matt called the highway patrol and got a run down on the accident. It wasn’t pretty. Afterwards, he made the twenty minute drive to the hospital. He stepped into the ER and Gaye met him at the nurses’ station.
“Hey, big guy. What brings you in?”
He pulled her aside. “I heard about the expressway accident. How bad are the victims?”
Gaye shook her head. “Two of the family members, the grandfather and children’s mother, were DOA when we got them. The grandmother is in surgery with massive internal injuries. Both kids are alive, thanks to their seatbelts, but they have broken bones. The driver in the other car survived with a broken leg and a concussion. Texting and driving. He’s in recovery now. Are the family friends of yours?”
Matt shrugged. “In a manner of speaking.”
He gave Gaye a half wave and went in search of Sara. He found her in the surgery waiting room, her gaze fixed on some point in the darkness beyond the window. She brought to mind a big-eyed doll he’d seen in store windows. Fragile and vulnerable.
Why did this woman keep intruding into his life? Had his guardian angel turned sadist? He kicked himself mentally. That wasn’t fair. Sara had her own major problems. He cleared his throat.
She rose and hurried to him. “Have you found out anything? Are the children alive? Are they okay?”
“The kids are fine. A couple of broken bones.” He paused. “The grandfather and mother died in the accident. The kids are sedated, they don’t know.”
Sara wrapped her arms around her body and turned away, as if to shield herself from the news. “Oh no...poor... “
Matt touched her arm and led her back to the sofa, then sat beside her. “The doctor will let us know as soon as Mrs. Campbell is out of surgery.”
He sat with Sara until one o’clock, when a young doctor came. He introduced himself as Dr. Dietz. “Are you both family members?”
Matt stepped forward to meet him. “No, I’m Police Chief Foley.” He nodded towards Sara. “This is Sara Bradford, a friend. The children’s only other relative is their father. He’s in prison.”
“I see,” Dr. Dietz said. He turned to Sara. “You’re the one Mrs. Campbell asked for before the surgery?”
Sara moved close to Matt. “Yes. How is she?”
“She suffered extensive internal injuries, which were made more difficult by her age. The prognosis is not good. She’s in recovery now. She’ll go from there to ICU. You can visit her for fifteen minutes, every two hours.”
“How are the children?” Sara asked.
“Danny has a broken arm. Poppy has a broken foot and some bad bruises. They’ll be fine. You can look in on them, but they need rest. Tomorrow will bring them some very bad news.”
****
While she waited for ICU visiting hours, Sara looked in on the kids. They were sleeping, probably sedated for the pain.
It was early morning before Sara and Matt got in to see Dolly. She was conscious, and glanced up at Matt, questions in her eyes.
Sara tilted her head in his direction. “This is Police Chief, Matt Foley. A friend.”
Dolly tried to lift her head. “Walter...Diane?”
Sara clasped the injured woman’s hand. “I’m sorry...”
The old woman closed her eyes. “It’s okay. I knew. Chief, you are my witness. If I don’t...make it, I want Sara to take Danny and Poppy. There’s no other family. Will you tell whoever needs to know that this is my verbal will? I can’t bear to think they might go into foster care.” She took a shaky breath. “Or to their father.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Matt said, his voice husky. “I’ll take care of it.” He pulled a small notebook from his pocket and wrote out a rough will, then called one of the nurses into the room and asked her to witness Dolly’s verbal instructions and her signature on the page.
Sara listened to Dolly’s life story in fifteen-minute installments throughout the early morning as life support monitors beeped incessantly in the background. Nurses wandered in and out of the room. Worry lines creased their brows as they read the instruments. Dolly reminisced about her life with Walter. They’d met in an orphanage and married when they finished high school. Dolly inhaled deeply between each sentence, her voice becoming softer as the hours passed.
Sara leaned close to catch each word.
Finally, the older woman drew in a shuddering breath. “Sara...remember your promise.”
At seven thirty Sunday morning, the grip on Sara’s hand loosened, the green band on the heart monitor flat lined, and bells went off. Sara bac
ked from the room as it filled with emergency response attendants to no avail.
Dolly Campbell had slipped away.
Moisture trickled from under Sara’s lashes onto her cheeks. She stumbled into the corridor and braced against the wall.
Just down the hall, Matt waited between two IV poles and a portable blood pressure monitor, his arms folded, waiting.
“I didn’t mean to keep you up all night, Matt.”
He cleared his throat, then reached and took her arm. “Not a problem. Come. I’ll follow you home.”
Matt Foley’s Home
Monday morning, Matt started his three-mile run with a warm up on the back deck before breakfast. With Rowdy at his heels, he started a slow run then built up speed until his blood pumped madly and adrenalin flooded through his body, giving him a runner’s high.
After a shower and shave, he dressed for work then went downstairs and warmed a bagel, added cream cheese and poured a cup of coffee.
Taking the food to the deck, he stood and ate, gazing across the lawn into the woods as a graceful hawk soared above the treetops. The deer were gone. Too late in the morning for them. They were early risers.
He found Stella in the laundry room. “Don’t make dinner tonight. I’ll eat in town.”
She turned towards him with a smile. “Fine, Chief.”
“See you later.”
He returned to his bedroom. He’d dropped his holster and weapon in a chair here when he came home. He headed out the door and paused as a thought hit him. “Rowdy, come here boy. Want to go for a ride?”
The dog skidded around the corner, his nub of a tail wiggling. Matt got the leash from the closet and hooked him up.
“Stella, I’m taking Rowdy with me today.”
She acknowledged his statement with what sounded like “fine”.
He settled Rowdy in the backseat and drove to the station.
