Health, Wealth, and Murder (18 page)

The police station was quiet, and depressingly familiar. She kind of wanted it to feel like a second home, like she could pop in and chew the fat with someone whenever she wanted to, but that just wasn’t realistic. So far, in her life, she only came here to bail out her dad, or beg for help when she was in over her head.

She stood at the window to the front desk while the nice lady who had greeted her looked for a form in duplicate that she wanted Jane to fill out. The waiting room was empty, and smelled, yet again, like the “relax” soap in an airplane bathroom.

It did not help Jane relax.

The bells on the big glass doors jingled, and Jane turned to see who was coming in.

Theo.

Jane’s breath stopped.

His hair was filthy. His pants were torn off at the knee. He cradled one arm in the other, and as he slowly recognized Jane, he whispered, “Help.”

Jane shook away the cobwebs and ran to him. She put one arm around his waist and led him to a chair. “But where did you come from? Where have you been? Where is Robert?”

Theo rubbed his forehead. “I need a cop.”

“Of course, yes. Right away.” Jane ran to the window and rapped on it. “Excuse me, I’m sorry!” She raised her voice just loud enough to be heard in the distance. She definitely didn’t want to sound like she was yelling. “We’ve got an injured man in the waiting room. Is someone there?”

The officer who had been manning the window took her time coming back. “What’s that?”

“An injured man, my friend, my friend just came in and he’s hurt?”

“Ooh-kay. Slow down, honey.” She set her forms in duplicate on her desk. “Your friend needs help?”

Jane spotted Detective Bryce in the back. He had just come into the bull pen area and was reading some papers. “Grant! Hey, Grant!”

The woman frowned. “Excuse me?”

But Detective Bryce looked up and smiled. “Hey, Jane.”

“Detective, it’s Theo! He just stumbled in!”

Grant dropped his papers on the nearest desk. He crossed the room in two long strides and was out in the waiting area with Jane in seconds. He marched right past her to Theo.

“Jane, go get him a glass of water.”

Jane didn’t flinch at the demanding tone. It only made sense. When she came back from the water cooler, Grant was taking Theo’s pulse and asking him questions about what the day was and what his name was.

“And where have you been?” Grant asked, looking at his watch.

“In the woods.” Theo closed his eyes.

“An ambulance is on the way, Jane,” Grant said. “We’ll take his statements at the hospital.”

Jane nodded and got up to refill Theo’s cup, even though he didn’t seem to want it.

Then she called Nick and Francine, leaving messages for both of them.

She paced the room while they waited for the ambulance, and texted Jake.

“Theo Back!”

No answer.

“Not Rbrt!”

Again, no answer. She knew he was working and that the restaurant business waited for no man, but her inability to reach anyone was sending her anxiety into overdrive.

Theo was back.

He could tell them everything now. How he had disappeared, who was behind it, and what was in the thumb drive she had destroyed. She glanced at him again. His head was back and his eyes closed. Everyone would get answers…as soon as they could.

The ambulance was quick, or at least it seemed so to Jane, and before she could send Jake a third text, Theo was gone.

“Did he tell you anything at all?” Grant joined Jane at the receptionist’s window, where she had paused.

“No.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “He’s a mess. Dehydrated, hungry, and pretty badly injured. I tried to find out what had happened to the other guy.” Grant shrugged. “He said something about the doctor, so I figure I’ll call around to the medical centers out by Sandy. If the boys were beat and abandoned out by where his phone was left, then maybe Theo meant he had gotten Robert to a doctor near there.”

“Makes sense.”

Jane fiddled with the broken thumb drive. With the excitement, she had failed to fill out her proper forms and hand it over.

“So what brought you in here?” Grant asked.

“Ah, well…” She tossed the drive in the air and caught it. “I found this thing and thought it might be important.”

Grant held out his hand so she could toss it to him, but she didn’t take him up on it.

“And then I broke it. So, it seemed like the right thing to do would be to bring it here.”

“And Theo showing up was just a coincidence?” There was a note of disbelief in Grant’s tone that made her stomach turn.

“Yeah. I honestly can’t believe it myself.” She felt her face go red. She didn’t have anything to hide, though; that was the point of coming here. And how could she have known Theo was going to show up?

“You had better get that turned over, then. I have a report to go write, and some other detectives to confer with.” He frowned slightly. “How’s Gemma?”

“Good.”

The receptionist handed Jane the papers she needed.

“So…”

“She hasn’t called you back, I take it?”

“Not recently.”

“She’s a doula, always on call. She might be attending a birth.”

“Ah, of course. Sure.” Grant smiled. “Okay, well, say hi, if you see her.”

“Sure.”

“One more thing.” Grant paused in the doorway. “This is a murder investigation. And it’s escalating, so if I were you, I’d try and lie low.”

Jane slipped the broken thumb drive into an envelope the receptionist passed her. “I’ll do my best.”

Grant laughed.

Jane gritted her teeth. If she went to the hospital, would they let her see Theo? Or would it be better to hunt down her cousin and find out why she wasn’t calling her new beau back?

Once in the car, out of the professional atmosphere of the police station, it seemed crazy to go to the hospital. First off, she wasn’t family, so the docs would never let her go see him. And if he was not checked into a room and happened to see her, well, he hated her, so it wouldn’t do any good anyway.

She drove home instead. If Gemma had suddenly developed a distaste for the cute cop, there might be something behind it worth knowing.

He claimed he was at the camp revival to keep an eye on the two of them, which was either a sweet gesture or a cover.

Gemma was slumped over a bowl of cereal at the breakfast bar, watching HGTV with deeply shadowed eyes.

“Just get up?” Jane helped herself to a cup of coffee.

Gemma yawned.

“Did you have a delivery last night?”

Gemma yawned again.

“I take that as a yes.”

“Yes. I did. I was at the hospital until five this morning.”

“And it’s not noon, so technically you didn’t even sleep in.”

“I have a continuing ed class tonight.”

“I ran into Detective Bryce today.” Jane sipped her coffee. Hot. Strong. Good.

“And?” Gemma slurped a spoonful of cereal.

“He told me to say hi.”

“Okay.”

“He hasn’t heard from you.”

“At a birth. Until 5:00 a.m.” Gemma yawned again.

“So it wasn’t like you didn’t want to call him, right?”

“Sure.” Gemma shrugged.

“Not right?” Jane took a seat next to Gemma.

“Fifteen texts in one night. While I was working.”

“That’s a bit much.” Jane winced. Uncomfortably obsessive for having just gone on a date or two; however, that was usually right up Gemma’s alley.

Gemma put her spoon down. “What do you think of Grant?”

“He’s cute. And has a good job.”

“Those are good things.”

“Did something happen?”

Gemma sucked in a slow breath between her teeth. “I saw him at the hospital last night. And I think he saw me.”

“And then he texted you a million times. What am I missing? Did you see him with another woman?”

Gemma crinkled her nose and shook her head. “I parked around back and had to walk through the main floor to get to the birthing center. He was at the info desk, and I heard him asking what room Christiana Malachi was in.”

“Did you stop to say hi, or to ask him what he was doing?”

“He’s not on the Malachi case. He told you that. And he claims to only have been at the revival to protect us. What was he doing visiting Christiana?”

“Did you read his texts?”

“The first couple, but then I was working and put my phone aside.”

“And you haven’t looked at them since?”

Gemma chewed her bottom lip.

Jane’s heart sped up. “This is good news! Let’s read them together. He must have been telling you why he was there, right?”

“What if he’s the murderer?”

Jane laughed. “He’s not.”

“How do you know?”

“I guess I don’t
know
, but there is no evidence at all that indicates he’d be remotely interested in killing anyone in the Malachi family. Plus, when I was at the police station today, Theo showed up and Grant was there. He was concerned. He called the ambulance.”

Gemma rested her head on her arm. “Appearances can be deceiving.”

“But not that deceiving. Let’s read his texts.”

Gemma put her phone on the counter. “Go for it.”

Jane started at the beginning. A greeting, a “What’s up?” Then a few minutes later, an “RUOK?” followed by a “Meet me for coffee?” If all fifteen texts were just as boring and short as these, Jane would be very disappointed.

The first nine were. But the tenth text was a gold mine. “Went 2 C Xtiana. She’s OK. Badge got me in. Didn’t see anything. Had to run, cops on case showed up. Need to talk.”

So…he didn’t have permission to go see her and used his badge to get in. Why? Text eleven didn’t clear it up, though, just another brief plea to connect. Text twelve was meatier. “Xtiana still in danger. And kids. Trying to call Nick, no answer. Do you know Nick?”

“See?” Gemma said, when Jane was done reading it. “He went to see if Christiana was mortally wounded, and now wants to find her son.”

“You’re reading the wrong things into this. He wanted to make sure she was okay, and is concerned for her kids.”

“Just read the rest.”

Jane continued. Text thirteen was terse. And text fourteen was a bit embarrassing. “Luv u already.”

“Ew.” Jane laughed. “He loves you already?”

“See? I told you. He’s a weirdo.”

“Let’s read the last one.” Jane took a deep breath. “Meeting with detectives to share what I know. Wanted to talk to you first, to hear what you saw. Sorry I couldn’t. Can we get together? I think you are amazing. Brave, beautiful and smart. Sorry if this was too much, or too fast. But we really click, right? And I just needed someone to talk to about what I know. I’m sorry. But call, or text when you can.” Jane scratched her head. “How many times have you guys gotten together since you met?”

Gemma looked away.

“Have you been seeing him every day?”

She nodded.

“Have you guys been…hooking up?”

“No! Of course not! Jeesh, Jane. I mean, kissing, sure, but not ‘hooking up.’ You’re not the only Christian in the family.”

“What about him? Is he saved?”

“Yes. He’s an old-school Southern Baptist from Texas. He takes God seriously.”

“You sound convinced.”

“Of course I am! Do you think I’d see so much of him if I wasn’t?”

“Then why do you think he’s a murderer?”

“Oh!” A look of surprise flashed across Gemma’s face. “I just…”

“When kissing him, you are convinced he’s a good guy, but last night…the night you did not get even a minute of sleep, you doubted?”

“Yes. Exactly. Let’s chalk it up to no sleep, okay?”

“That sounds good to me. And can you please call him back? I’m dying to know what he knows!”

Gemma laughed. “I’ll call him back, but I can’t tell you anything he shares in confidence.”

“Humph.” Jane crossed her arms. “I probably should have grabbed him while I could.”

“I’m going back to bed.” Gemma padded out of the kitchen and back to her room, leaving her phone on the counter.

Jane stared at it. It would be so easy to text him back and pretend to be Gemma. So easy, and so wrong.

She didn’t have to text him, though. After a long day of school, and begging her prof not to drop her for missing her morning class, Grant called her.

“Do you have a minute?”

“I’m on the bus.” It was another hot, packed, and stinky bus, too. “We need to talk, but I don’t think I can here.”

“Then hang up, and I’ll text. This is important.”