at her with wonder and fear.
She ran her tongue across her lips. Tom looked around for the lip balm a nurse had given him. When he finally found it and turned back to her, her eyes were open.
She blinked at him. Her gaze was focused and her eyes wide.
His heart beat faster. Was she really awake?
“Tom?” She took in her surroundings. “Where am I?”
He was speechless.
“What happened?” She tried to sit up, only to moan and fall back against the pillow, pressing her hand against her head.
He blinked back tears. “You’re okay, baby. You’re okay.”
“Tom…” Panic entered her voice.
He fumbled to find the nurse call button. He pressed it repeatedly then ran to the door and called, “Nurse…nurse!”
26
“Can I come in for a few minutes?”
Sylvia unlocked and opened the screen door for Detective Auburn. He stepped inside.
“Mom! Georgie took my—” Upon seeing Auburn, Vanessa forgot the crisis that had sent her to her mother. She hovered in the doorway that led from the hall to the living room.
Auburn smiled at the girl. “You must be Vanessa. You’re almost grown up.”
Sylvia gestured for her daughter to approach. She did, hooking her hand onto the back waistband of her mother’s jeans.
“Say hello to Detective Auburn.”
“Hello.”
“How old are you now, Vanessa?”
“Twelve.” Vanessa blushed and looked at the ground.
Sylvia said to her, “Go set the table for dinner.”
The girl didn’t move.
“Vanessa, go. Daddy’s gonna be home soon.”
When she had left, Sylvia moved to close the front door. She peered through the screen and shouted across the lawn to the reporters on the sidewalk, “Hey! Get off my fence.” She closed and locked the door. “Jackasses.”
In the next breath, she changed the subject. “You have any kids, Detective?”
He hesitated before saying “Yep” and immediately followed with “Rory Langtry’s awake. Fully awake.”
“Really? She going to be okay?”
“Her prognosis is good.” Standing in the living room, Auburn shifted his feet.
“Well. That’s lucky for them.” Sylvia exhaled and looked down. “It’s good they don’t have to go through what we’re going through with Junior. I don’t wish that on anyone. Even them.”
Auburn looked into the kitchen at Vanessa setting the table. “Can we talk someplace private?”
“Let’s go in the backyard.”
Sylvia led him through the kitchen and out the back door, with the terrier Chiclets trotting behind them, and they crossed a side yard lined with pots of herbs. In the backyard, they sat at a table and chairs beneath a lattice patio cover. Nearby was a large avocado tree, its branches heavy with fruit.
Sylvia waited for Auburn to speak.
“I just came from a meeting with the assistant DA.” He took a breath before continuing. “They’re not filing charges against Richard Tate. The DA reviewed the case herself. I wanted to tell you personally before you heard it someplace else.”
“Shit.” Sylvia hit the table with her fist.
“They consider it justifiable homicide. Danny came to the party with a loaded weapon, took Rory hostage, and made it clear that he intended to murder her. Richard Tate had the right to protect the life of his stepdaughter and his guests and to protect his home. No jury would convict him. The DA won’t file charges in a case that she knows she’ll never win.”
“That’s it? They say no go and it’s over?” Sylvia reached down to pet Chiclets, who’d put his paws against her leg. “It’s not right, Henry.”
“You can fight it out in civil court.”
“Damn straight I am. I’m suing Richard Tate for everything he’s got.”
“Let your conscience be your guide.”
“You’ve got nerve, telling me to listen to my conscience.” Sylvia darted a finger at him. “Go tell the Tates that. Tell that to Rory Langtry. Ask her why she won’t take a lie detector test and answer questions about who really murdered her sister and
She ran her tongue across her lips. Tom looked around for the lip balm a nurse had given him. When he finally found it and turned back to her, her eyes were open.
She blinked at him. Her gaze was focused and her eyes wide.
His heart beat faster. Was she really awake?
“Tom?” She took in her surroundings. “Where am I?”
He was speechless.
“What happened?” She tried to sit up, only to moan and fall back against the pillow, pressing her hand against her head.
He blinked back tears. “You’re okay, baby. You’re okay.”
“Tom…” Panic entered her voice.
He fumbled to find the nurse call button. He pressed it repeatedly then ran to the door and called, “Nurse…nurse!”
26
“Can I come in for a few minutes?”
Sylvia unlocked and opened the screen door for Detective Auburn. He stepped inside.
“Mom! Georgie took my—” Upon seeing Auburn, Vanessa forgot the crisis that had sent her to her mother. She hovered in the doorway that led from the hall to the living room.
Auburn smiled at the girl. “You must be Vanessa. You’re almost grown up.”
Sylvia gestured for her daughter to approach. She did, hooking her hand onto the back waistband of her mother’s jeans.
“Say hello to Detective Auburn.”
“Hello.”
“How old are you now, Vanessa?”
“Twelve.” Vanessa blushed and looked at the ground.
Sylvia said to her, “Go set the table for dinner.”
The girl didn’t move.
“Vanessa, go. Daddy’s gonna be home soon.”
When she had left, Sylvia moved to close the front door. She peered through the screen and shouted across the lawn to the reporters on the sidewalk, “Hey! Get off my fence.” She closed and locked the door. “Jackasses.”
In the next breath, she changed the subject. “You have any kids, Detective?”
He hesitated before saying “Yep” and immediately followed with “Rory Langtry’s awake. Fully awake.”
“Really? She going to be okay?”
“Her prognosis is good.” Standing in the living room, Auburn shifted his feet.
“Well. That’s lucky for them.” Sylvia exhaled and looked down. “It’s good they don’t have to go through what we’re going through with Junior. I don’t wish that on anyone. Even them.”
Auburn looked into the kitchen at Vanessa setting the table. “Can we talk someplace private?”
“Let’s go in the backyard.”
Sylvia led him through the kitchen and out the back door, with the terrier Chiclets trotting behind them, and they crossed a side yard lined with pots of herbs. In the backyard, they sat at a table and chairs beneath a lattice patio cover. Nearby was a large avocado tree, its branches heavy with fruit.
Sylvia waited for Auburn to speak.
“I just came from a meeting with the assistant DA.” He took a breath before continuing. “They’re not filing charges against Richard Tate. The DA reviewed the case herself. I wanted to tell you personally before you heard it someplace else.”
“Shit.” Sylvia hit the table with her fist.
“They consider it justifiable homicide. Danny came to the party with a loaded weapon, took Rory hostage, and made it clear that he intended to murder her. Richard Tate had the right to protect the life of his stepdaughter and his guests and to protect his home. No jury would convict him. The DA won’t file charges in a case that she knows she’ll never win.”
“That’s it? They say no go and it’s over?” Sylvia reached down to pet Chiclets, who’d put his paws against her leg. “It’s not right, Henry.”
“You can fight it out in civil court.”
“Damn straight I am. I’m suing Richard Tate for everything he’s got.”
“Let your conscience be your guide.”
“You’ve got nerve, telling me to listen to my conscience.” Sylvia darted a finger at him. “Go tell the Tates that. Tell that to Rory Langtry. Ask her why she won’t take a lie detector test and answer questions about who really murdered her sister and
Similar Books
