FIREWORKS IN PARADISE Page 3

  Roy handed me a copy of his list. I looked at the names he’d added and eliminated. It was, as he’d suggested, extensive. I wanted to be with my dad, and Rosalie could use help with the resort, but I needed to find Judge Harper’s killer.

  “There are too many suspects. We need a plan. A strategy. Randomly working through this list will take forever.”

  “Do you have something in mind?”

  Did I? I wasn’t sure. There must be a way to prioritize. I was noodling on an answer when my phone buzzed. It was one of the nurses from the hospital, letting me know that Hunter had requested she call me.

  “I have to go,” I gasped, tears gathering in the corner of my eye. “It’s my dad. He’s in cardiac arrest.”

  “I’ll drive you.”

  I shook my head as I wiped at the tears that threatened to pour down my face. “I have my grandpa’s old truck.”

  “I’ll drive you,” Roy insisted.

  Serenity Community Hospital wasn’t all that far from the bar. Hunter had left permission at the desk for me to go up to the ICU, and Roy, as the local deputy, was ushered into the elevator as well. I was intercepted by a nurse the minute the door opened on the third floor.

  “Dr. Hanson wants you to wait in the visitors’ area.”

  “I want to see my dad,” I insisted as my heart pounded in my chest. I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out as I tried to control my emotions.

  “They’re working on him right now. There’s nothing you can do to help. Please wait as Dr. Hanson instructed.”

  Roy took my arm and led me to the waiting area before I could argue any further. After we’d been waiting for several minutes, Rosalie got off the elevator and joined us in the waiting area.

  “How is he?” Tears were streaming down her face.

  I let out a long breath. “I don’t know. Hunter is with him now.”

  Rosalie looked like she might pass out, so I got up from my chair and led her over to a small sofa where we could both sit.

  “I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. But Dad is strong. He’ll pull through.”

  Rosalie stared at nothing in particular. She didn’t respond, but I really didn’t blame her. My dad had been in a serious accident. There actually was a very good chance he wouldn’t make it, and all the brave speeches in the world wouldn’t change that. I sat back and took Rosalie’s hand in mine. She squeezed it in return.

  “That night,” Rosalie whispered, “when I first arrived. Everyone was running around trying to save Mike’s life. They tried to comfort me the best they could, but I could see it in their eyes: they didn’t believe he was going to make it.” Rosalie paused, tears streaming down her face. She was speaking to me, but she was staring off into the distance. “I remember feeling numb. It was as if I was watching the scene from afar, cognizant as to what was going on but not really part of it. I know I must have been scared, but somehow my emotions were frozen in some sort of stasis. It wasn’t until Hunter came in and told me that he was stabilized for the time being that I finally broke down and fell to pieces.”

  “You were in shock.” I knew this to be true because in a way that was how I felt at this moment.

  Rosalie didn’t respond. She seemed to have drifted away in her own thoughts, so I tightened my hand in hers, closed my eyes, and prayed. We remained seated with our own thoughts and fears for what seemed like hours.

  Hunter finally came into the room. “He’s stable.”

  “Thank God.” Rosalie turned and hugged me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.

  I hugged her back and then turned to look at Hunter. “What happened?”

  “A blood clot. I’m afraid with the extent of his injuries clotting is always a danger. We have him on blood thinners, so I hope we won’t have any more problems.”

  “Can I see him?” Rosalie asked.

  “Just for a minute,” Hunter answered.

  I started to follow, but Hunter grabbed my hand. “Give her a minute.”

  “He’s my father.”

  “Yes. But he’s her life.”

  I supposed Hunter had a point. Since becoming engaged to my dad, Rosalie had moved her practice and place of residence out to the resort. She had altered almost every aspect of her life to fit into Dad’s. If something happened to him, she’d be lost. I would be as well, of course, but I understood what Hunter meant. I sat back down and waited. After ten minutes Hunter motioned for me to follow him. Rosalie had gone down the hall to the chapel, so I had a few minutes alone with Dad.

  “Don’t you die on me,” I insisted as I placed my hand over his. My instinct was to be weak, but I wanted to be strong. “I know you’re tired and it’s hard to fight, but you aren’t done here. You still need to marry Rosalie and walk me down the aisle someday and hold your future grandchild, should there be one. Ashley and Gracie would be lost without you. You’re the closest thing to a real father they’ve ever had. And Grandpa…I know it seems like he’s a strong man, but I’m afraid losing his son would kill him. Please, Dad, you have to hang on.”

  The room fell into silence except for the steady beeping of the heart monitor. I closed my eyes and prayed harder than I’d ever prayed in my life.

  This simply couldn’t be happening. This shouldn’t have been happening. My dad had so much life ahead of him. He couldn’t die. Please, God, don’t let him die.

  I wiped at the tears that were streaming down my face when the nurse came to the door and motioned that my time was up. I held up one finger to indicate one more minute, and then I turned back toward Dad.

  “I have to go now, but I’ll be back. Don’t give the nurses any lip,” I said, trying for a light tone that I was far from feeling. I leaned over and kissed Dad’s cheek before turning and following the nurse back down the hall to the waiting area, where Rosalie was talking to Roy.

  “Where’s Hunter?” I asked.

  “He had to respond to another call. You both should get some rest,” Roy said. “Hunter said he’d let you know if there were any changes.”

  Because Hunter had done just that this evening, I believed he would keep me informed rather than trying to protect me, which made me feel better about going home, although there was a part of me that felt I needed to stay. I glanced at Rosalie, who looked so lost. I knew I needed to be strong for her. Dad loved Rosalie. He would want me to help her through this.

  “Are you ready to go home?”

  Rosalie nodded.

  I looked at Roy. “I’m going to drive her back to the resort. I’ll call Murphy to let him know I’ll pick up the truck tomorrow.”

  “I’ll grab someone and run it out to the resort for you,” Roy offered.

  “Thank you. We’ll talk tomorrow?”

  “Text me when you’re ready.”

  I nodded my assent before taking Rosalie by the arm and leading her out to the car.

  Chapter 3

  Friday, June 30

  I hadn’t thought I’d be able to get any rest that night, but I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. By the time I woke up the sun was high in the sky. I looked over the side of the bed expecting to see Echo, but when my gaze fell on the empty rug I remembered he was still on Gull Island. Kyle had left several messages the night before that I’d never returned.

  I picked up my phone and dialed his number.

  “Hey, Tj. I’m glad you called. How’s your dad?”

  I felt a tear threatening at the corner of my eye, which I wiped away before answering. “I have no idea. Hunter assures me that he’s stable, but Dad still hasn’t regained consciousness and he had a setback last night that terrified me. I hate seeing him so weak and fragile. I hate that he hasn’t woken up, and I hate that when he does wake up he’s going to have to deal with not only months and months of recovery but the fact that one of his best friends is dead. It’s all just too much.” />
  “I know. I’m doing everything I can to get home.”

  I sat up and tucked the pillows behind my back. Now that I was talking to Kyle, I realized I found strength in the sound of his voice and never wanted to hang up.

  “How are Grandpa and the girls?” I asked.

  “They should be almost home.”

  “Almost home? I thought you couldn’t get them on a flight until today.”

  “I found an earlier flight and they all wanted to go. I had a car pick them up at the airport. They should be home in about thirty minutes. I left a message on your phone, but I guess you haven’t had a chance to check it yet.”

  “I’m sorry. Everything has just been…”

  “I know. It’s okay.”

  “It’ll be so good to have them home.” I glanced in the mirror and realized if I didn’t want to scare the girls I needed to take a shower and wash the puffiness from my eyes from last night’s crying jag before they saw me. “I should jump in the shower before they get here. I’m a total mess. I don’t want to upset them.”

  “I’m sure you look beautiful as always, but I understand.”

  “I want to talk to you about your plans for the trip home as well as the investigation into the accident. I’ll call you back as soon as everyone gets settled.”

  “Okay. I’ll wait for your call.”

  “Kyle…”

  “Yeah?”

  I wanted to tell him what was in my heart, but I wasn’t sure I could articulate the emotions I still hadn’t had time to fully process. “Nothing. I’ll call you in a bit.”

  I had time to shower and apply some cover-up before Grandpa, Ashley, and Gracie arrived. Ashley and Gracie had moved to the resort to live with my father, grandpa, and me, after our mother died leaving me as guardian of two half-sisters I barely knew. Rosalie volunteered to take Grandpa over to the hospital while I got the girls settled in. They were tired and worried, which made them cranky and agitated, so I jumped at Jenna’s offer to take them to her house for a couple of days, where they could hang out with her girls in a less tense and more relaxed environment.

  The girls left and I called the hospital. I’d assumed nothing had changed because no one had called, but I needed to stay involved and informed for my own piece of mind. The nurse I spoke to informed me that Dad was still resting comfortably, that his vitals were stable, and that nothing had occurred to indicate that he might wake up soon.

  I wanted to spend time with him, but Rosalie and Grandpa were at the hospital should anything change, so I decided to use the free time I suddenly seemed to have to jump into the investigation into Judge Harper’s murder. Grandpa was here to help Rosalie with the resort once they got back from the hospital, Jenna had the girls for a few days and would make sure they were okay, and Dad was in Hunter’s capable hands. Everyone had a job to do, and mine was to bring the lowlife who had cut the brake lines and caused the judge’s car to run off the road to justice.

  I thought about calling Roy, but what I really wanted to do was snoop around to see what I could find at Judge Harper’s house. I wasn’t sure to what degree Roy’s hands might be tied with a new deputy in town, so I decided to snoop first and call him afterward. Judge Harper most likely had locked his house before leaving for the town council meeting that evening, but I’d become pretty good at breaking into places meant to keep out intruders and I had nothing to lose by trying. Thankfully, Roy had Grandpa’s truck dropped off as promised, so transportation wasn’t going to be a problem.

  The judge had lived in a lakeside home in the gated community of Lakeshore Estates. I had visited him there on many occasions, so I knew the code to the gate. All I needed to do once I had access to the neighborhood was find my way into his house without anyone calling Roy to report a break-in.

  The houses in the community really were estates, with large lots providing a degree of privacy between them. I pulled into Judge Harper’s circular drive and parked near the front door. Then I sat in the truck for a moment, remembering the last time I’d been here. Hunter and I had come together to speak to the judge about cold cases we thought might be relevant when we were investigating the murder of another dear friend. I cringed when I recalled that the result of that investigation had been almost as tragic as the murder itself.

  Allowing myself to re-experience the feelings of horror I’d felt when I’d realized who the killer was in that instance would do nothing to change that situation or help me with the current one, so I slipped my phone into my pocket, grabbed the backpack with supplies I’d brought with me, and headed to the front door. Although I was certain Judge Harper would have locked his front door, I tried it anyway to confirm that he had. I went around to try the back door, then circled the house looking for open windows. It was summer and must have been warm lately, so the judge might have left a window open to help circulate the air inside.

  I soon realized there wasn’t an easy way in, so I set about trying to pick the lock on the front door. I was able to unlock the door, but Judge Harper had installed a deadbolt I wasn’t able to deal with. I hadn’t wanted to call Roy, mostly because I hadn’t wanted to put him in a compromising position, but I couldn’t find an access point and I didn’t want to break a window, so it seemed to be the only option. Chances were Judge Harper had his house key on the same ring as the one for his car, and Roy would have retrieved that after the accident.

  “Hey, Tj. I was hoping you’d call.”

  “Can you talk? Are you alone?”

  “Yeah, I can talk.”

  “I’m at Judge Harper’s. I wanted to take a look around inside. Do you have the key?”

  “I do, but we’ve already searched the house and didn’t find anything that stood out as being particularly helpful.”

  I imagined by the use of the term we, he was referring to himself and his new partner.

  “I happen to know Judge Harper has a wall safe in his office where he kept his most important files. Did you look there?”

  “No. I didn’t see a wall safe.”

  “It’s behind the bookshelf. Come over and bring the keys. We’ll look together.”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  I returned to the truck to wait. There wasn’t a lot I could do until Roy got there, and I hadn’t called Kyle back, so I took out my phone again and dialed his number. After I’d informed him that Grandpa Ben and the girls had arrived and were occupied for the time being, I asked about his plans for coming home with the animals.

  “I found a jet that’s willing to transport the three dogs and four cats along with Doc and me. Garrett’s sister is due to arrive tomorrow. We’ve already shipped most of our personal belongings home and I found a dealer to sell the cars, so we should be able to come home on Sunday.”

  “Good. I’ll feel better when everyone I love is home where they should be. How’s Echo holding up in my absence?”

  “He isn’t thrilled with the situation, especially since Ben and the girls left, but he’s hanging in okay. I know he misses you and I’m sure he’ll be happy to get home.”

  “And I’ll be happy to have him here.” I paused and glanced out of the truck window. “I’ll be happy to have you all home.”

  Kyle let out a long breath before answering. “I hate that you’re going through all this without me there to help.”

  “You are helping,” I assured Kyle. There was a lull in the conversation that, for some reason, made me feel nervous. I hated that things with Kyle seemed to have become so awkward. It would be better after he got home and we could talk about that kiss and what it might mean. “I suppose I should hang up. Roy should be here any minute.”

  “I spoke to Roy this morning. He told me you planned to help investigate. Be careful.”

  “Aren’t I always?”

  “Actually, no.”

  It was true I’d ended up in trick
y situations on more than one occasion. “Roy will be working with me, and right now all we’re planning to do is look for files in the judge’s wall safe. If we find anything I might call you back to have you do the computer thing.” Kyle was a wiz on the computer; I’d relied on him on many occasions to hack into whatever database we needed information from.

  “Call me either way. I’d like to be kept in the loop.”

  “I will. Oh, Roy just pulled up. I’ll call you after we take a look at Judge Harper’s files.”

  Judge Harper’s office was in the center of his home, so it didn’t have any exterior walls. His big desk was situated in the middle of the room, which was lined with bookshelves and file cabinets on three of the walls. A large fireplace occupied the fourth wall. I’d never have known about the wall safe where he kept some of his files if it hadn’t been for the fact that I’d been sent by my father to retrieve some paperwork a couple of years earlier. Judge Harper had accessed the safe while I was there.

  The bookshelf that hid the safe looked as if it was built into the wall, like all the others, but it was actually on runners. Once I slid the structure to the side, I was able to access the safe and the keypad in the wall beside it. The main problem in getting to the files and whatever clues they might contain was figuring out the combination. As with most safes, it could be opened by entering the correct sequence of numbers. Most people used familiar and meaningful numbers when creating their passwords, so all we needed to do was to determine what numbers would be meaningful to Judge Harper.

  I stood looking at the pad, trying to remember if I had noticed any of the numbers the judge had entered the night I was there.

  “Maybe he used his birthday,” Roy suggested. “Or his wedding anniversary?”

  “Do you know either of them?”

  “No, I can’t say I do.”

  I got out my phone to call Kyle, who accessed internet records that gave us Harper’s birthday, his wedding day, the date he became a judge, and the date he retired. We also tried his wife’s date of birth and the day she died.