Promises of Mercy(Montana Promises-Book 1) (6 page)

“We’ll follow you,” her mom said.

Amber wanted to suggest they drive the three miles together, to be a family once more, but now wasn’t the time to complain. “No problem.”

When they entered town, the traffic was minimal, allowing her brother to remain close behind her. Fortunately, the funeral home lot was almost empty as well. Amber parked near to the entrance, rushed out of her car, and strode over to their rental.

Thomas helped his mom out of the vehicle and then walked next to her down the tree-lined path to the funeral home. Amber followed behind, not wanting to be near her mom right now. She wasn’t sure she could remain civil.

Inside, one person stood near the front of the room facing the open casket—Stone.
Relief washed through her.

Her pulse sped up.

He must have heard the clickety-clack of her mother’s heels because he turned around.

Her mother looked over her shoulder.
“Who is that man, darling?”

“That’s Stone Benson. He was the paramedic who found Chris.”

Amber expected her mom to make some comment, but she dabbed at her eyes instead and said nothing. Amber softened at her mom’s show of grief.

She
moved in front of them both and led the way down the aisle. She stepped into the front row. Thomas followed, and then came her mom. Stone slipped into her row of chairs and stood next to her.

She leaned over and looked up at him. “Thank you for coming.”

“You’re welcome.”

Amber really didn’t want to see Chris in his coffin, but if her mom and Thomas went up, so would she. For ten minutes, both her relatives stared ahead as if they were trying to come to grips with Chris’s death. Then, with bowed heads, both walked up to the casket.

Amber stayed behind for a moment as her mother grabbed a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes again. Thomas definitely seemed affected by his brother’s death. His shoulders would shake and he’d bow his head.

When they turned to each other and hugged, a pang of what she could only describe as
longing filled her. Growing up, she ached for that kind of embrace from her mom.

A second later, Stone’s warm hand clasped hers. When she looked up, he was facing forward, acting as if comforting her was the most natural thing to do. As Thomas and her mother walked back down the aisle, Stone squeezed her hand once before letting go.

“Ready?” he asked.

He must have recognized how hard this was for her. “Yes.”

Together, they trudged up to the coffin. When she saw Chris looking so young and at peace, she almost smiled. Gone was his usual angry expression. She wasn’t ready to admit he was happier not having to face life paralyzed, but maybe someday she would.

After she said her good
bye to Chris, more people entered, and the service began shortly thereafter. During the eulogy, Ben held it together beautifully, and she doubted there was a dry eye in the church. She wished her mind hadn’t wandered as often as it had, but her heart was too heavy to stay focused.

When the service ended, her mom squeezed her shoulder and said she and Thomas had to be on their way.

“You’re not going to hang around a bit and speak with Chris’s friends?”

“I heard them all say nice things about my son. That was good enough for me. Maybe I’ll come back under better circumstances. Seeing Chris like that has shaken me to the core.”

Amber searched her mom’s face for deceit, but she detected only sincerity. “You do that.” Even though the words sounded nice, there wasn’t much her mom could say or do to erase Amber’s years of bitterness.

As soon as her mom and brother left, Jamie and Ben rushed up and hugged her.

“How are you holding up, Amber?” Ben asked.

“As good as can be expected. Thank you for those kind words. You were wonderful.”

He nodded. “I needed to have closure, too.”

Jamie grabbed her hand. “You know we’re both here for you.”

“I know.”

When her supervisor, Tammy, walked up, Jamie and Ben hugged her one last time and left. Amber was totally blown away that almost the entire oncology staff had shown up, as well as some of her former patients. The support brought a ray of hope.

Throughout the rest of the gathering, Stone never left her side. There were times when Chris’s friends actually laughed about some of his antics. She’d be forever thankful that Chris had led a full life.

Everyone left within a half hour after the service ended.

“It’s close to dinner time,” Stone said. “Let me take you out to eat. I’m betting you don’t feel like cooking.”

Was he always this good to the relatives of those who’d passed? Or had they really made a connection?

Stop obsessing
.

“I’d like that.”

As he led her out of the funeral home, the last person she wanted to see was standing there, his arms crossed and his stance wide.

Oh, my God. He thinks I did it. He thinks I killed Chris.

Chapter Six

Stone wrapped an arm around her waist and escorted Amber right up to Detective Cade Carter.

From the tight way Stone held her, he wasn’t happy to see the man either.

“Cade,” Stone said. “What are you doing here?” His usually calm demeanor turned hostile.

That was the question she wanted to ask. The next one was how did Stone know
the detective? The answer came quickly. Stone grew up here. Maybe Cade had, too.

Cade shifted his gaze to her and her stomach tumbled. “I’m very sorry, Ms. Delacroix, but I need to bring you in for questioning.”

Her heart pounded. That was totally ridiculous. “Why? You can’t think I had anything to do with my brother’s death, do you?” Or was he here because of Emma Luther?

“Please come with me.” He held out his hand.

“Don’t you have any decency? I just buried my brother!” She failed to keep her voice down. From the lack of sleep, the stress of having to cope with Chris’s death, and dealing with her mom, she was exhausted and didn’t have an ounce of compassion or patience left in her body.

The detective lowered his arm and moved his feet closer together. At least he looked a bit less threatening. “I’m aware of that, and I’m very sorry, but I’ve already waited two days to allow you time to grieve.”

Two days? Is that all it took?

Stone moved between her and Detective Carter. “What the fuck are you doing, Cade? Give her some space.”

“I’m doing my job.”

They both leaned toward each other as if they were about to fight. A brawl was the last thing she needed.

As if a huge needle had flown down from the sky and pricked her, her energy deflated. “Stone. It’s okay. I’ll go with the detective. I’m sure there’s some misunderstanding.”

“Ma’am.” Carter held out his hand again as if he was insisting he escort her. She liked it better when he’d called her Ms. Delacroix.

Stone stretched an arm in front of her to either prevent her from moving or to stop the detective from nabbing her. “I’ll drive her to the station.”

She didn’t want to leave her car here. “I can drive myself.”

“No,” the detective and Stone said in unison.

Detective Carter frowned. “I need to escort you.”

“I’ll take her,” Stone said.

She grabbed the hem of her short jacket and crunched it. “Am I under arrest?” Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and fear radiated through her.

“No.” It was as if Detective Carter didn’t want to admit he had nothing on her.

“Then why can’t I drive?” Her vision slightly blurred and the coffee she’d sipped crawled up her throat.

The detective ignored her and lasered Stone with a stare. “Don’t take any detours.”

“You think I would?”

“Of late, I don’t know what you’d do.”

Stone stepped within inches of the detective’s face. “Sometimes you can be a fucking ass.”

“It makes me good at my job. Bring her. Now.”

As soon as the detective strode back to his car, Stone twisted her toward him. “I’m really sorry. Cade gets that way sometimes.”

Confusion descended. “What do you mean? How well do you know him?”

“I’ll fill you in on the way to the station.”

After he helped her in, he jogged to his side, jumped into the truck, and started the engine. She would have liked to have driven, but in truth, being with Stone was comforting. He always seemed to be there when she needed him most.

And yet s
omething didn’t seem right. “What was all that macho shit between you and the detective?” Stone might be a fireman, but butting heads with the law didn’t seem smart even if he was defending her.

He glanced over at her. “I
guess I forgot to mention Cade and I live together.”

Sludge filled her veins. “You’re roommates?”

All sorts of terrible thoughts raced through her mind. She was quite aware the detective believed she had a hand in Emma Luther’s death. While preposterous, she could see his point of view. She had administered one milligram of Ativan to Emma shortly before the killer gave her a lot more. It hadn’t helped that the second person had used her code to sign out the drugs. What tormented her was she’d been in such a hurry, it was possible she hadn’t signed out. Whoever came in after her could have pretended to be her.
Christ
.

He winced. “Yes. I should have told you sooner, but I was so focused on you that I forgot to mention him.”

She studied her hands. “You’re sure your sweet roomie didn’t ask you to cozy up to me so you could find out whether I’d murdered Emma Luther?”

Stone’s jaw tensed and he slammed on his brakes. He skidded to the parking lot exit and faced her. “You really think that? That I’m some kind of monster?” His pinched brow and open mouth made her tremble. She’d never seen this side of him before.

His horror-filled words finally registered.

Shit
. She’d made a huge mistake. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry. I’m not thinking straight. I just don’t understand why you would hold something like this back. You had to know that he questioned me in regards to a previous murder.” Her brain had stopped working the moment she’d seen Chris’s coffin.

He inhaled and studied her. Then sympathy swamped his face. “You’re right. I should have told you. Honestly, I was afraid you would think exactly what you’re thinking now. Cade and I do talk about our cases. But to put your mind at ease, even though I did know he’d interviewed you about Emma Luther’s murder, my decision to meet with you had nothing to do with the case. I
liked Chris.”

That made sense or else she wanted to see his good side. “Oh.” She twisted in her seat, feeling confused but wanting desperately to believe him.

“So we’re good?” he asked.

She loved how he could put her slight aside so rapidly. “Yes.” Pushing away that terrible misconception, she focused on the reason behind the detective’s request. “Do you know why your roommate is dragging me into the st
ation minutes after I said goodbye to my brother?”

“No.” Stone headed out of the funeral home lot. “Cade’s not the most open person. He’s incredibly focused on his job, which means he won’t let emotion get in the way of doing what he thinks is right. I know it may not seem like it now, but he’s a good man.”

She admired people like that, but if he was so good, why did he have to bring her in? She’d done nothing wrong.

A random thought crossed her mind about getting a lawyer. Would she need one? She prayed the answer was no.

The eight-block drive only took minutes. Before she knew it, Stone was escorting her inside. “Cade’s desk is this way.”

The detective couldn’t have beaten them there by more than a minute, but the insensitive man was standing at his desk, looking through a file.

“Cade. We’re here,” Stone said.

Cade looked drawn and tense, like Dr. Almaguire had when he told Chris he’d never move again. However, she refused to have any sympathy for
the man. “Come this way please, Ms. Delacroix.”

The way he acted so formal scared her to death. She wanted to tell him to call her Amber, but she held her tongue. Both men flanked her as they escorted her down a dull hallway. The floors might have been highly polished terrazzo, but the walls could use a fresh coat of paint. Cade pushed open a door that said “Interrogation Room 2”, and her heart dropped to her stomach.

She halted, refusing to take another step without getting answers. “Tell me what this is really about. I’ve already answered all of your questions about Emma. I don’t know anything more.” She refused to believe he thought she’d harmed her own brother.

“This isn’t about Emma.”

Bile shot into her mouth, and she swallowed hard. “You really think I had something to do with my brother’s death?” Her mouth turned dry and her underarms moistened.

“Please step inside.” His comment brooked no argument.

As if she was marching to her own death, she eased over to the sterile table and sat, her back ramrod straight. The place smelled of something distasteful—body odor and mold maybe. Her throat closed.

Cade looked over at his roommate. “Mind waiting outside?”

There was a mirror on one wall, probably a two-way, so Stone could watch from there.

Instead, he
pulled out the chair next to Amber and sat. “Yes, I do mind.” Stone picked up her hand, and her blood pressure dropped a bit.

Cade bristled. “The only way you’re staying is if you keep your mouth shut. One word and you’re gone.”

*
*

Cade had interrogated scores of criminals in his career, but never had he felt as much of a shit as he did now. But facts were facts. Amber Delacroix was his most likely suspect.

“Let me explain how I see this.” He switched his gaze between his best friend and the woman Stone clearly cared for. “You are a highly competent oncology nurse. When I spoke with your supervisor, Ms. White, she attested to that fact.”

“You did what?” She pulled out of Stone’s grasp and fisted her hands. “Why would you go to her?”

He refused to let her accusation
make him feel guilty. He waited for her to ask a follow up question, but when she didn’t, he wanted to satisfy his curiosity. “Is that a problem?”

Her jaw loosened. “A problem? Why would it be a problem to have a detective ask my boss a question about whether she thought I was capable of a mercy killing?”

“I never said anything about a mercy killing.”

She rolled her eyes. “Emma Luther was a vibrant seventeen-year old girl who had inoperable brain cancer. It made my heart ache every time I treated her. It killed me to see her pain grow more intense each day.” She leaned forward. “Did I wish she were pain free? Yes. Did I wish the good Lord would take her sooner rather than later? Hell, yes. But, did I give her some huge dose of Ativan? No damn way.”

She leaned back in her seat and glared. While he couldn’t see her leg bounce, he heard the light whoosh of the material against the seat.

Sometimes this job sucked. Maybe he wanted to solve Emma’s murder
so much, he willingly grasped at anything. Her parents stopped by everyday begging for news. They kept saying Emma was braver than they all were. Not only was it terribly sad for anyone that young to die, but the young girl been a star athlete with colleges recruiting her.
Fuck
. Was he being too hasty bringing in Amber? No. A month was too long for any family to wait for closure. He was convinced that whoever had put Emma out of her misery had been the same person to kill Chris Delacroix.

He refocused his attention on the woman in front of him. Cade scribbled a note that she’d mentioned Ativan but not the neuromuscular blocker. Neither he nor Dan Hartwick had leaked that information.

“How do you explain your signature for Emma’s second dose?” He’d asked her this before, but perhaps in her agitated state, she’d tell him more.

Five pharmaceutical technicians worked at the hospital. The one who gave out the second dosage swore there was no record of Amber having requested the first dosage. Clearly, someone was lying.

“Like I told you. I can’t. But if I wanted to give her a dose big enough to kill her, why wouldn’t I have signed out the usual small doses several times, instead of asking for a large dosage, which from what you told me, the killer did. Only a surgeon would have asked for that much, not an oncology nurse.”

“I don’t know, but
then I’m not a medical professional or the one accused of murder.”

Alarm raced across her face. “Are you accusing me of murder?”

He didn’t have any concrete evidence. Everything was circumstantial, which wasn’t enough to hold her. “Where were you between 1:00 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. the day your brother died?”

Her respiration increased, and she now looked pissed. “Do I need a lawyer?”

“Do you need one?” He shouldn’t have been on autopilot, but the years of being with the scum of the earth had hardened him.

“I do if you plan on arresting me.”

“Not yet.”

“Cade,” Stone said. “Why are you being such a dick?”

“Because I want justice for Emma Luther and Chris Delacroix.” Cade shoved back his chair and stood. “Leave.”

Cade’s cousin had died in a hit and run when she was sixteen. It might not be the same as watching a young girl waste away from brain cancer or seeing a once vibrant man turn helpless
, but he’d wanted justice. Tanya’s family or his own hadn’t healed until the man had been caught.

“Fine.” Stone turned and faced Amber. “I’ll be right outside.” Without looking back, he strode out.

If Cade’s boss got wind that he’d let Stone sit at the table with Amber, there would be hell to pay. But Stone was his best friend.

As soon as the door closed, Amber seemed to shrink before his eyes.
Fuck me
,
but rules were rules.
She inhaled and straightened her back. He admired her fortitude.