SITTING NEXT TO the hospital bed in ICU, Brick held his father’s large, sun-browned hand in his two hands. He studied the scars and brown spots as if all the man’s secrets were hidden there. The doctor said Hud was out of the woods. He’d been lucky that it had only been a mild heart attack.
There would have to be some changes, the doctor had said. Less stress, more dietary restrictions. Brick had seen the relieved look on his mother’s face, the tears in her eyes at the good news.
“He has to retire,” she’d said. “But will that kill him?”
Brick had shaken his head and hugged her. “He can live vicariously through me, if he lets me back on the force.”
“It won’t be easy,” his mother had said, worry etched on her still pretty face.
“Dad’s tough. There isn’t anything he can’t handle. He’ll handle retirement. Maybe there’ll be a few grandkids for him to chase around.”
She’d smiled. “He would love that and so would I. Thinking of anyone in particular?”
“Angus and Jinx,” he’d joked. He would imagine his twin would be all for a passel of kids.
“What about you?” Dana had asked.
“If I found the right woman...”
She’d swatted playfully at him. “You can’t fool your mother.”
Now he thought about the future for not just his father and mother and the rest of his family. He was worried about Mo and what she would find in that safety deposit box at the bank. He knew how anxious she was to get the key. Maybe, now that his father was out of the woods, he’d drive down to Billings and—
“Brick.”
His head jerked up and he looked into his father’s eyes.
“You’re awake.” He let go of his father’s hand. “I need to get Mom. She made me promise—”
“Just a moment. I need to say something to you.”
“Dad—”
“I’m proud of you.”
Brick chuckled. “I know that.”
“Do you? Of all my children I’ve given you the hardest time. It’s because you are so much like me and yet also like your mother. What a deadly combination of our free spirits. I realized that I’ve never told you...” He coughed.
“You really don’t have to do this now.”
“I do. When I felt that pain in my chest...” His father’s eyes filled with tears. “I thought I might not get a chance...” His dad coughed before he added, “I like her.”
Brick frowned at him, not sure who he was referring to.
“Mo. She suits you. Don’t let her get away.”
He laughed and patted his father’s hand on the bed. “I don’t intend to. But if I don’t let Mom know that you’re awake she will never forgive me.” And yet he didn’t want to leave his father. “Thanks, Dad.”
His father’s eyes closed again. He stepped out into the hall to see his mother headed in his direction. She looked alarmed at first until she saw him smiling. She handed him the cup of coffee she’d brought him and hurried to her husband’s side.
Brick thought he’d give them a minute and walked down the hallway away from his dad’s room. As he did, his cell phone rang. He stepped into the stairwell to take the call. He’d thought it would be Mo and he really needed to hear her voice.
“Deputy Savage?” The voice was that of an elderly woman. “This is Ruth Anne Hager.” The name meant nothing to him at first. The elderly woman had to remind him that he was the one who had approached her.
“I live kitty-corner from the woman who died.”
“Oh, yes, Mrs. Hager, I’m sorry.”
“It’s Miss, but you can call me Ruth Anne.”
“All right, Ruth Anne.” He waited.
“You said to call if I thought of anything. The other day I was busy with my grandson when you stopped by and didn’t have time to even think, let alone recall what happened weeks ago. But since then, I got to thinking. I did see someone go into the back of the house that day. I recall because I was waiting for my trash to be picked up. I’d made some cookies for the men and didn’t want to miss them. They’re partial to my toffee cookies and they do such a good job, I like to make treats for them.”
“You saw someone go into the back of Tricia’s house,” he gently prodded.
“I was surprised to see the husband return,” the woman said. “He never came home at this time of the day, let alone park behind the house. I thought he must be ill.”
Brick held his breath for a moment. “You’re sure it was her husband?”
“Yes. He was always so punctual on when he came and went. Same time every morning, home same time every night all week long. I liked that about him. Seeing him in the middle of the afternoon on a workday, I was worried.”
“What did he do?”
“He went into the house. I’d seen the nanny come out not thirty minutes before that as if headed for the store. That nice-looking young woman. I can’t believe what they are saying on the news.”
“How long was her husband inside?”
“Well, the two men who pick up my trash came by. I went out to take them their cookies. They always comment on how nice my backyard looks and how neat I keep the area around my trash containers.”
“So you visited for a while. Did you hear any noise coming from the house?”
“Their truck was still running so I wouldn’t have heard anything but maybe the other neighbors might have. Did you talk to them?”
He and Mo had. “They didn’t hear anything.”
“I’m sure everything was all right because I saw him when he left. He did seem a little upset, but he wouldn’t have just gone back to work if he’d found her. He wouldn’t have left her, now, would he?”
The moment Brick got off the phone, he called Mo. Her cell went straight to voice mail. “I need to talk to you before you see Thomas. It’s urgent.” He left the message, then thought
