it’s that where there’s life, there’s hope.”
She nodded, and then perused her menu. She was so tired and stressed, though, that all the words just seemed to jumble together and the few she did manage to read she had to re-read twice before they would stick in her brain.
“May I make a suggestion?” Martin asked after a minute.
“Please do,” she said with a frustrated sigh as she set the menu down.
“French toast. I just had some, and it was excellent.”
“That sounds like a winner to me.”
After the waiter came and took her order she slumped slightly in her chair. She really was exhausted.
Martin frowned at her. “You look like you should try to go get some more sleep.”
She shook her head. “I’ve got to go down to the police station. Then it’s back to the hospital.”
“As long as you make it to the police station sometime today I’m sure you’ll be fine. And your folks will call if there’s any change at the hospital. You do have your phone on you, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Cindy said, reaching into her bag to check and see if there were any messages on it. She felt around for her phone for a minute and then realized she’d left it on the nightstand up in the room.
“Dang it.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I must have left my phone up in the room. I’m glad I checked. Now I’ll have to go all the way back upstairs to get it before I head to the police station.”
“You’ve got time to go grab it now before your food shows. That way you’ll be free to head out as soon as you’re finished.”
“I guess I do. I’ll be right back.”
He nodded as he picked up his coffee mug and took a sip.
Fortunately it didn’t take her long to make it back to the room, grab her phone, and get back downstairs. A minute after she sat down the waiter brought her food.
After a couple of bites she admitted, “You’re right, it is good.” She was surprised she could even taste anything with the state she was in. As it was she wolfed down all the food in what had to be record time.
He smiled at her when she had finished. “Feel a bit more ready to deal with the day?”
“Yes, actually.”
“It’s surprising how much a good meal can brighten your mood and give you energy.”
“You’re right.”
“Well, good luck with your day. I’m sure I’ll bump into you later. Now, though, I have to get to a meeting,” he said, rising. “And don’t worry about the check, I already took care of it.”
She stared at him in shock. “You didn’t need to do that.”
He shrugged. “It’s a small thing, but it was what I could do for you.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Do me a favor and just try to take it easy today.”
She gave him a smile.
Martin left the restaurant, and a minute later she followed suit. Outside the lobby the doorman was able to hail a cab for her and moments later she was on her way to the police station. At the front desk she explained who she was and why she was there. An officer escorted her to a small room to wait for someone to come and take her statement.
She sat alone for almost half an hour, compulsively checking her phone for messages every couple of minutes. She had taken the deck of cards she’d bought the night before out of her purse and kept cutting them one-handed, grateful that she had something to fidget with. Finally an officer came in. She recognized him as one of the ones who had been talking to Lisa in her hospital room.
“Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Miss Preston,” he said.
“It’s okay. Did you find the driver that hit Kyle and Lisa?”
He hesitated slightly before saying, “We don’t have any new information to share on that.”
She quickly picked up on the words “to share”. That didn’t mean they didn’t know anything new, it just meant they weren’t willing to talk about it. She pressed a little harder. “I’m heading to the hospital as soon as I’m done here and I know everyone’s looking for
She nodded, and then perused her menu. She was so tired and stressed, though, that all the words just seemed to jumble together and the few she did manage to read she had to re-read twice before they would stick in her brain.
“May I make a suggestion?” Martin asked after a minute.
“Please do,” she said with a frustrated sigh as she set the menu down.
“French toast. I just had some, and it was excellent.”
“That sounds like a winner to me.”
After the waiter came and took her order she slumped slightly in her chair. She really was exhausted.
Martin frowned at her. “You look like you should try to go get some more sleep.”
She shook her head. “I’ve got to go down to the police station. Then it’s back to the hospital.”
“As long as you make it to the police station sometime today I’m sure you’ll be fine. And your folks will call if there’s any change at the hospital. You do have your phone on you, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Cindy said, reaching into her bag to check and see if there were any messages on it. She felt around for her phone for a minute and then realized she’d left it on the nightstand up in the room.
“Dang it.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I must have left my phone up in the room. I’m glad I checked. Now I’ll have to go all the way back upstairs to get it before I head to the police station.”
“You’ve got time to go grab it now before your food shows. That way you’ll be free to head out as soon as you’re finished.”
“I guess I do. I’ll be right back.”
He nodded as he picked up his coffee mug and took a sip.
Fortunately it didn’t take her long to make it back to the room, grab her phone, and get back downstairs. A minute after she sat down the waiter brought her food.
After a couple of bites she admitted, “You’re right, it is good.” She was surprised she could even taste anything with the state she was in. As it was she wolfed down all the food in what had to be record time.
He smiled at her when she had finished. “Feel a bit more ready to deal with the day?”
“Yes, actually.”
“It’s surprising how much a good meal can brighten your mood and give you energy.”
“You’re right.”
“Well, good luck with your day. I’m sure I’ll bump into you later. Now, though, I have to get to a meeting,” he said, rising. “And don’t worry about the check, I already took care of it.”
She stared at him in shock. “You didn’t need to do that.”
He shrugged. “It’s a small thing, but it was what I could do for you.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Do me a favor and just try to take it easy today.”
She gave him a smile.
Martin left the restaurant, and a minute later she followed suit. Outside the lobby the doorman was able to hail a cab for her and moments later she was on her way to the police station. At the front desk she explained who she was and why she was there. An officer escorted her to a small room to wait for someone to come and take her statement.
She sat alone for almost half an hour, compulsively checking her phone for messages every couple of minutes. She had taken the deck of cards she’d bought the night before out of her purse and kept cutting them one-handed, grateful that she had something to fidget with. Finally an officer came in. She recognized him as one of the ones who had been talking to Lisa in her hospital room.
“Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Miss Preston,” he said.
“It’s okay. Did you find the driver that hit Kyle and Lisa?”
He hesitated slightly before saying, “We don’t have any new information to share on that.”
She quickly picked up on the words “to share”. That didn’t mean they didn’t know anything new, it just meant they weren’t willing to talk about it. She pressed a little harder. “I’m heading to the hospital as soon as I’m done here and I know everyone’s looking for
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