EPILOGUE
TWO DAYS LATER
Happy endings were sometimes bittersweet. Alicia Gordon and Eve Kelley’s killer was behind bars, but he was just a child who had wanted his mother’s love and attention. Brad had been crying when he was arrested, his heart broken, but there would be no turning back the clock. His mother was gone—at his hands and so was another woman. Malone was still hanging on, fighting like the strong man Amanda knew him to be. They’d found a surgeon out of South Carolina who was praised as one of the best neurosurgeons in North America, and Malone had gone under his knife yesterday. So far, they believed the operation was a success, but until Malone woke up, they wouldn’t know for sure.
A new sergeant was coming in from the New York City PD and was due to arrive for a meet-and-greet tomorrow.
“I still don’t know what you were thinking going there on your own.” Trent was shaking his head as he repeated the sentiment that he’d said a million times since she had given him the scoop.
It was Sunday morning, and she had asked Trent over for brunch, specifically pancakes, which were Zoe’s favorite. The child ate about as much as she wore and then retreated to her room with Maria, who she had made up with and insisted had to try Amanda’s pancakes.
That left Amanda in the living room with Trent. Becky’s advice to get back into the dating world came to mind. But this was Trent. Her partner on the job. Someone with whom there needed to be defined lines.
As good a time as any to discuss the case against Brad Slater… She started the conversation, and they covered it all.
They had been able to confirm that Rachel Sharp had managed to steal pentobarbital from the hospital where her mother worked. As for what happened to the missing inventory at the vet’s clinic, that mystery was never solved. Amanda still had a feeling the Wagners were trying to cover something up. Brad Slater’s tablet showed the email accounts that were used to send the threats to Alicia, Eve, and Lopez. They also found one addressed to Dale Reynolds, which was likely the one he’d mentioned but couldn’t hand over.
Brad was identified by an employee at Caffeine Café, and his stature matched that of the mystery figure in the security videos from both the café and the Pixie Winks warehouse.
While no one at Pixie Winks remembered seeing him there, it was possible he’d disguised himself. Brad refused to confirm or deny. But if he didn’t, it was quite likely someone would have recognized him as Alicia Gordon’s son and kicked him out of the building.
The wear pattern on Brad’s running shoes put him outside the cabin. He told them that he’d slipped out after Tony fell asleep, drove to Gainesville, parked down the road from the cabin, and walked up.
When she and Trent finished speaking, he got off the couch, and she took his empty mug. “Well, I should be going,” he said. “Thanks for brunch.”
“Not a problem. I just wanted to thank you for being there… through everything.” She didn’t need to verbalize it all in detail; Trent would know what she was talking about. How he hadn’t left her side once the news had hit about Malone.
“Nowhere else I would have been, Amanda.” Soft, husky, emotional. “Keep me posted.”
“I will.” She walked him to the door, the nagging of her friend’s voice in mind. She needed to make her life about more than Zoe and work. “Maybe we could go out for drinks sometime. Just as friends.” She was very quick to add the latter part.
He angled his head. “I didn’t think you drank.”
“Water, iced tea, coffee…” She smiled at him. “Though one sip of wine probably wouldn’t be the end of the world.”
Trent grinned. “All right. Sounds good.”
“All right,” she parroted.
He left, and she watched him walk to his Jeep. She was still standing there when he turned around and waved just before he slipped behind the wheel.
A quick wave in return, and she closed the door. She considered pouring another coffee and taking care of something that she’d put off for far too long. Maybe it was time to finally clear the air between her and CSI Blair. A phone call wouldn’t work for this conversation. It would need to be done in person, but Amanda couldn’t leave the house and Zoe. She made the call anyway, not expecting Blair to answer her work phone, but she did.
“It’s Detective— uh, Amanda Steele.” She stopped there and swore she heard an audible groan from the other end of the line. She pressed on. “I was wondering if you’d be available to grab a coffee sometime.”
There was nothing but silence.
“Emma?” Amanda pulled out the investigator’s first name.
“I’m here, but I don’t know why you’d want to do that.”
“I think you do,” Amanda put out there gently.
“Fine. Name the time and place.”
They planned to meet tomorrow night at a coffee shop in Manassas. Going there would afford them privacy that they wouldn’t get at Hannah’s Diner.
She ended the call and dropped off her cup and Trent’s to the kitchen, her steps and heart lighter than she’d imagined possible, considering the uncertain state of Malone’s health. But as her mother had suggested, Amanda was determined to stay positive. Besides, it hurt far too much to give herself over to the fear that preyed in the background, ready to overcome her.
Her phone rang, and she answered immediately. “Mom. Tell me—”
“He’s awake, Amanda.” Her mother’s smile traveled the line. “The surgery was a success. The doctor expects a full recovery.”
Tears rolled down Amanda’s cheeks, and the giggles of little girls from down the hall struck her ears. Life was uncertain. It was unfair. It came with zero guarantees, but everyone breathing was blessed by the journey. It was about making the best out of what we were given and being brave enough to claim what we wanted.
Amanda planned to do just that.
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