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Chapter Forty-Five

I expected to hear Alan’s snores after he turned off the lamp by his side of the bed but, instead, he sat upright and took his phone off the charger. “I have to give Mark and the county police a heads-up.”

I turned on the lamp by my side of the bed. “What for?”

“I don’t trust ‘spyly Wiley.’”

“You think he’ll do something to Liz?”

“I don’t know, but I just thought of something else. Do you remember that the county police believed someone used oxy-cleaner on Liz’s car? I doubt Janice or Damien would know that it can literally eliminate traces of blood or fingerprints, but a doctor would.”

“You might be right. I guess we both agree that Joe Wiley’s involved somehow.”

Alan nodded. “I believe he desperately wants to get inside Liz’s house. He knows she and her sister are together now, but not where.”

“He could take a chance on them staying with Damien, if he doesn’t know the brother-in-law is clinging to life at the hospital.”

“I’m wondering if he’s the one who shot him,” Alan stated.

My stomach churned. “If that’s the case, why would he risk his whole career?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet, but I’m worried Joe will break into Liz’s house if he realizes the lights are on a timer.” With that, he pressed Mark’s number and related his concerns to him.

I glanced at the clock on my bed when the call ended. “It’s after eleven, so I doubt he’ll cause any mischief tonight.”

“Mark will check Liz’s place now, and again in the morning. He knows the locks have been changed, so he’ll look for signs of breaking and entering.” Alan pressed another number and gave a similar request to the county police for extra vigilance on Sterling Lane.

“Do you feel better now?” I asked when he ended the call.

“Somewhat, but I want to check from the front windows.” He pushed off the covers and padded to the living room. Within minutes, he returned. “The lights are still on at 147, but the Wiley home is in darkness. I might just have an overactive imagination.”

“I must be rubbing off on you,” I teased when he joined me under the covers.

“You have to admit, this is a really strange case.” He sighed as he reached to turn out the lights.

I totally agreed, and my mind focused on the many theories we’d considered. It struck me that they all made sense, yet until we found the key piece of the puzzle, we couldn’t be sure of which one to believe. What had we missed?

It took me at least an hour to fall asleep, yet Alan dozed peacefully by my side. I envied his ability to separate work from relaxation, and promised myself that I’d learn to do that. For the time being, I counted sheep, and that eventually helped.

^^^

The next morning, Clare called at seven-thirty to say that Liz would be discharged in two hours, and hoped we wouldn’t mind picking them up. After Alan confirmed, I took a shower, then dressed.

Over toast and coffee, he told me that Mark reported no incidents at Liz Sterling’s home, and he’d heard nothing from the county police. “According to Clare,” he added, “Damien made it through the night.”

“That’s great news! I wonder what the cops will do with his dog while he’s in the hospital.”

Alan shrugged. “I don’t know, though they might have to take him to a shelter.”

I spread jelly on a toast point, thinking aloud. “If only dogs could talk, that one could solve our mystery.”

Alan chuckled. “In our New York City precinct, the chief used a robbery victim’s dog during a lineup. Believe it or not, the dog identified the perp, evidence supported his arrest, and the jury convicted him.”

I smiled. “That’s what I’m saying. We could present all of the J.W.s and let Damien’s dog find the guilty person. ”

We both laughed, although I considered my suggestion a good one.

Alan glanced at his watch. “I’m going to give Jim Withers a call to ask if he left the sticky notes and money for Liz.”

“I thought you wanted to see him in person so you could watch his body language.”

“I did, but Liz will be discharged soon. I’d also like to check on Damien.” He pressed Jim’s number on his phone and waited for a response. Hearing none, he disconnected. “I’ll try later. Do you want to come with me to the hospital?”

I nodded as I popped my last bite of toast into my mouth. “I don’t know Liz’s size, but I’ll bring a set of clothes for her to use until she’s home.”

“Good idea, honey.” Alan took a final sip of his coffee, then carried our plates to the sink.

I stuffed a few items of clothing into a grocery bag, texted Lydia that I hoped to be home in time to assist during our busy hours later in the day, and met Alan at his car. Buckling in, I said, “We should ask Liz if she’d take care of Damien’s dog. It’s not right to leave him at a shelter.”

Alan shrugged. “Fine by me.”

I expected more, but he kept quiet during the drive, so I did, too. I liked that we didn’t have to fill every moment of our day with conversation.

At the hospital, the door to room 308 was open, yet a nurse stood by the bed giving Liz instructions for home care. We waited in the hall until she left, pushing the computer cart with her to the nurses’ station. “If you’re her ride, did you think to bring clothes?” she asked after greeting us pleasantly .

I gave her a proud smile and held up my bag. “Yes, I did.”

“Good,” she said, ready to move on. As a second thought, she added, “I’ll call for transport, so you can bring your car to the front entrance and wait for her there.”

“We were hoping to see her brother-in-law,” Alan noted.

“She visited with him earlier, and I think she wants to get home. Maybe one of you could do that, while the other meets her with the car.”

Alan and I discussed our options briefly while she scurried to answer a patient’s call bell. “I’ll give Liz the clothes, then go get the car,” I said. “We’ll wait for you at the front entrance.”

He nodded, heading for the elevators.

Liz was sitting on the side of the bed when I entered. She gratefully accepted what I’d brought which, I told her, would be a little large. She didn’t seem to mind.

With Clare helping her, I offered to wait in the hallway. The clock at the nurses’ station caught my eye, not because of the time. Rather, its size matched the one in the surgical waiting area.

Suddenly, a man’s voice startled me. “What a surprise to see you here, Mrs. Jaworski.”

I turned to face Liz’s next-door neighbor, Joe Wiley, and greeted him with a fake smile masking my nervousness. “And you as well, Doctor.”

“Are you visiting someone?” he asked nonchalantly.

My insides shook with fear that he’d bump into Liz. “No, I just had to drop off something for a friend. I can’t stay to chat since I don’t want to be late opening my garden shop, but I hope you have a great day.” I strolled to the elevators, forcing myself to calm down.

From there I watched as he went into a patient’s room, and I prayed that he’d stay or leave before the transport person came. At the entrance, I sat behind the steering wheel, watching while waiting. Finally, I saw Liz in the wheelchair and Clare beside her.

Shortly after, Alan emerged, I moved to the passenger seat, and the other two settled in back. As we departed, Liz remarked, “I just saw my neighbor, Joe, and tried to get his attention, but he was talking to another doctor at the end of the hall.”

Alan raised his eyes to the rear view mirror. “I’m sure you’ll catch up with him when you’re both home.”

“Probably,” she agreed.

Alan continued. “I had a chance to speak with Damien. He’d like you to take care of Buddy until he gets home.”

“Of course,” Liz exclaimed. “His poor dog must be sick with worry.”

“I called the county police, and they let me know we can stop by and pick him up.”

She gave a grateful smile. “Thank you, Alan. That’s very kind of you.”

I didn’t know how much she remembered or what Clare had told her, so I figured we had a long afternoon ahead of us. We still needed answers to so many questions. In the meantime, they chatted about activities they wanted to do, including a celebration of Liz’s birthday that had been delayed.

Seeing the two of them interacting so well made me smile, and I had no doubt they would finally span the gap of twenty-five years.