Page 70

“Please, go ahead.” Keaton waved his hand.
“Mallary’s stepmother owns a floral shop.” Fletcher arched a brow. “The same one that Fenton bought the flowers from, which he brought to the hospital and gave to Trinity.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I fished them out of the garbage,” Emily said. “They were so pretty. I didn’t want to see them go to waste. I put them on the desk, and Dawson asked me where they came from. I fished out the card and told him.”
“Mallary lives on Marco Island. So does Fenton. Not sure why this is relevant,” Keaton said, frowning.
“It wasn’t—until Dawson went to the floral shop to buy Audra flowers, which was an excuse for him to speak to the family. A picture of Mallary was displayed on the counter. He spoke to her stepmother for an hour yesterday.”
“Trinity said Mallary and her stepmom didn’t have a very good relationship,” Keaton added.
“According to Dawson, her stepmother was heartbroken, both due to the death of her son and now Mallary’s disappearance. She blamed herself. Cried up a storm, and you know how Dawson does with crying women.” Fletcher sighed. “Anyway, the stepmom then commented about the earrings in the picture. How they were hers, and she’d let Mallary borrow them. But one went missing, and Mallary was always losing things like that. How now she felt bad about being so hard on Mallary for such trivial things.”
“While this is all riveting,” Keaton said with an exasperated sigh. “Can you please get to the point?”
“Dawson mentioned this to Audra last night before bed. She told him how Trinity found an earring.” Fletcher held up one finger. “Just one earring in Fenton’s car when they were dating. It was one of many things that made her believe he was cheating on her.”
“So, Dawson now believes Fenton was cheating on Trinity with Mallary?” Keaton asked. “That’s a stretch. Women lose earrings all the time. Petra was notorious for doing that, which was why she never bought expensive ones.”
“I’d normally agree with you.” Fletcher nodded. “But Audra went on and on about how Mallary constantly told Trinity she should give Fenton a second chance. That she misunderstood all the text messages that were obviously sexting, and that he explained the earring.”
“It makes no sense that the other woman would want the guy she’s screwing to get back with the girlfriend.” Keaton pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I agree. But we don’t know if Fenton is telling the truth and what he might have been telling Mallary.”
Keaton sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “If that man touched a hair on her head, I swear, I can’t be held responsible for what I’ll do to him.”
“Do I need to restrain him?” The doctor stood, took off her gloves, and tossed them in the trash.
“Dawson will make sure he follows the law,” Fletcher said. “Or he’ll personally restrain him.”
“Good to know.” Emily nodded. “I don’t mean to put myself where I don’t belong, but it was impossible not to overhear that conversation.” She took what looked like a pen out of her pocket and flashed it in Keaton’s eyes.
He did his best not to react too harshly to its brightness. The last thing he needed was to be told they wanted to hold him for observation.
“Are you talking about the girl who went missing when you brought Trinity in?” Emily asked.
“We are,” Fletcher said. “Do you know her?”
“No, but her picture has been all over the news, and I remember seeing her about a year ago when I went to Marco Island with my ex for a romantic getaway. Wewere at this cute little out-of-the-way upscale, posh resort. It’s small—only a few bungalows and right on the beach. She was with this guy. They were all cozy and romantic. I didn’t think anything of it, but I vaguely remember the guy. I think it’s that man Fenton.”
“I hate him even more,” Keaton said. “But what does those two having an affair have to do with why someone went after both Mallary and Trinity onPrincess Afloat?Or why they tried to kill Trinity and now have kidnapped her? That doesn’t make sense.”
The sound of boots marching in perfect rhythm echoed in Keaton’s ears.
That had to either be Dawson or Hayes.
Knock. Knock.
Dawson pulled back the curtain and stepped inside. “Hey, Doc.” He looped his fingers in his belt. “Are we about done in here? Can my boy have his walking papers?”
Emily sighed. “I’ll go get them, but remember?—”
“Against medical advice,” all three men said in unison.
The nurse laughed and followed the doctor out of the room.