Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I got the combination to their front door from Rory. She asked me to take care of Zach and Dusty. I key in the code and enter.
The dogs bark at first, but they settle down when I call them by name. “It’s okay, guys. It’s okay.” I let them out the back way to do their business, and then I look through the kitchen to find the dog food.
Their water bowl is bone dry. Poor pups.
I find the bag of kibble in the pantry and fill the bowls. Then I refill their water.
“Come on in, guys,” I yell through the door.
Once in, they both lap up water for what seems like five minutes but is only a few seconds, and then they eat their breakfast. I’m on dog-sitting duty until the Pikes get home, and who knows when that will be?
Frank will probably be in the hospital for five days at least, but once he’s out of the ICU, I imagine Rory and Callie will come home. Only Maureen will stay at that point.
Once the dogs are done with their food, I let them out again.
Rory asked me to stay awhile, to keep them company, so I make myself comfortable in the kitchen. I need more coffee, so I brew a pot, and then I look in the refrigerator. There are a couple of eggs and some bacon, so I make myself a second breakfast.
The day-old bread was good, but I need some protein.
I’ll restock their refrigerator. In fact… I have a wonderful idea.
I’m going to have their house completely cleaned and all their cupboards restocked.
For Rory.
I want to do this for Rory and her family.
A smile splits my face. Just making Rory happy has that effect on me.
Once the coffee is done and I finish my breakfast, I sit on their deck and watch the dogs play. I pull my phone out to see if anyone has checked in about Frank, and when I see that they haven’t, I pull up the picture that I took last night.
The elderly woman in the mental health wing at the hospital.
The woman Pat Lamone was there to see.
Who is she?
One person might know.
I call my father and hope he’s in the office and not out on the ranch.
“Brock,” he says.
“Good morning, Dad. I’m going to be late getting in today. I’m over at the Pikes’.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Have you heard? Frank had a heart attack last night.”
“Oh God. Is he…?”
“He’s okay. He had a triple bypass, and he’s in the ICU. All four of the kids are in the city at the Carlton, so I’m taking care of their dogs.”
“Of course. Whatever they need,” Dad says.
“Yeah, I’m working on that. In the meantime, though, Donny and I saw Pat Lamone at the hospital last night.”
“What was he doing there?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Apparently, there’s an elderly woman in the mental health wing. He was visiting her.”
“Who is she?”
“The name plate says Smith, but I’m pretty sure that’s an alias.”
“Most likely. His mother maybe? A grandmother?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping you might have some ideas.”
“I have the names of his mother and father,” Dad says. “And they’re not Smith.”
“Yeah, I figured. I took a photo of the woman. I’m going to forward it to you now.”
“You took a photo of a mentally ill woman in the hospital?”
“Yeah, not my best look. I get it. Don’t tell Mom.”
“I hate keeping things from your mother, but you’re right. She won’t understand that.”
“I know. It’s unlikely the photo will do us any good anyway, but if you have even a slight recognition…” I hit send. “Should be coming through soon.”
“Got it.” Pause. “Doesn’t ring a bell. What do you think, late sixties? Early seventies?”
“I was thinking eighties. It’s hard to tell. People age so differently. I mean, Mom is sixty-five and she looks amazing.”
“Yeah, but your mom is not strapped down to a bed in a mental health facility.”
I widen my eyes. “She’s strapped down?”
“Yeah, didn’t you notice?”
I pull the photo back up. Sure enough, her wrists are secured with white bindings. I didn’t notice because the white is the same color as her gown and the sheet, and I wasn’t looking at her wrists. I was concentrating on her face.
“I didn’t notice. Donny and I were just trying to get out of there as quickly as we could.”
“I can’t believe you were able to get in.”
“Yeah, we had some issues with the security guard. But we got out of it, dropped the name.”
“Yeah, that’s usually all it takes.”
“So can you look into this? See if you can figure out who the hell she is?”
“Yeah, I will. But honestly, Brock? Pat Lamone and his claim to the Steel fortune is the least of our problems right now.”
“I know that, Dad.”
“It’s more important that we find out who’s been hijacking our property and moving…cargo.”