Page 10
TEN
Meredith woke up the next morning with a headache, puffy eyes, and a renewed determination to live the life she’d been given without trying to force it to take a different shape.
She made it until ten a.m. when Lucy, her office manager extraordinaire, leaned into the room where she was finishing up a filling. “Dr. Quinn, when you’re done here, you’re needed in your office.”
Meredith looked up, and Lucy mouthed “police chief.”
Meredith nearly dropped her instruments. “Ten minutes.” She was proud of the way her voice didn’t waver.
She wasn’t proud of the way she took her time and ten minutes turned into fifteen before she walked into her office and faced Gray. “How can I help you this morning?” She hoped her cheery voice and bright smile would distract him from any thoughts he might have about last night.
Unfortunately, he didn’t respond immediately. He studied her face. She’d read about the idea of “studying a face” in books and never appreciated how disconcerting it was to be on the receiving end of such focused attention.
“How are you?”
“Good. And you?”
He frowned, and it was like a little thought bubble popped up over his head. She could tell he wasn’t happy with the way she was deflecting. Too bad.
“I’ve been better. Are you planning to be here all day?”
“Yes.” Where was he going with this?
“Good. Could I borrow your car?”
“If I’d had time to imagine every possible thing you could have said to me, borrowing my car wouldn’t have made the list.” She tried for amused surprise, but based on his expression, she didn’t quite manage it.
“I need to take your car to your dad’s shop.”
“Why?”
“Because he found a tracking device on the van.”
Meredith started to say something. Stopped. Tried again. Gave up and took a seat behind her desk. Gray didn’t seem bothered by her response, and he waited patiently for her to focus. When she did, she asked the first thing that popped into her head. “Why would anyone want to track me?”
“Probably so they could find an opportunity to puncture your fuel line.”
That made sense. Except it didn’t. “That would explain how they knew where I was. But that still doesn’t explain the why of it.”
“No. It doesn’t. We don’t know why, and until we do, it makes keeping you safe significantly more difficult. We don’t know where the threat is, so we have to guard against anything and everything.”
“And you think they might have put a tracker on my car.”
“I would. The dental clinic van gives them the best chance of catching you out of Gossamer Falls and alone. But your dad mentioned that you make regular trips out to see the Colliers and the Newmans.”
“They’re old and lonely. I pick up groceries and stop in for a chat. And they’re in Gossamer County. Going to see them wouldn’t put me at risk.”
The Newmans lived up a steep drive that was frequently impassable in the winter, sometimes for days at a time. Once, when she was in her early teens, it had been two weeks before anyone could get a vehicle up there. They’d been okay because seven days into the freeze, she, Bronwyn, Mo, and Cal had hiked up the drive with backpacks filled with groceries. When they got there, they’d spent two hours splitting firewood and being entertained by Mr. Newman’s tales. Then they’d mostly slid down the driveway on their backsides.
“True, but the drive out there is windy. No one else lives that way. If someone stopped you...” Gray balled his hands into fists and then released them. “I’m not saying you can’t continue to roam the county the way you usually do. But if you’re being tracked, we need to know. And if someone has put a tracker on your car, then I’m going to have to make some big decisions about how to handle it.”
Meredith wanted to push for more information, but it was Friday and she had a full patient load today. She rarely worked more than two Fridays each month, and they were always packed. She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and took her keys from her purse, then tossed them to Gray, who caught them one-handed.
“I have a full schedule. Please let me know what you find.” She stood and Gray followed her lead.
“Thank you. I’ll return these to you later today.”
“No problem. You can leave them with Lucy.”
Was that a flash of hurt in his eyes? Maybe. But did it matter? No. She needed distance if her heart was going to heal, so she had to avoid him as much as possible.
“Sure thing. I’ll text you if I need anything further.”
“Sounds good.” She sailed out of her office with a little wave and didn’t look at her phone until lunchtime.
There were five texts.
From Gray:
Found it.
From Dad:
Baby girl, we need to talk.
From Mo:
You’re grounded.
From Cal:
Please don’t leave the office until someone can follow you home.
From Mom:
Sweetheart, I made banana bread today. I’m going to send some home with Gray. Make sure you get it from him and don’t leave it in your car.
She nearly cried from relief at the normalcy of her mom’s text. She replied in reverse order to the way she’d received the messages.
To Mom:
Yum. Thank you. You’re the bestest mom ever.
To Cal:
I can’t leave the office because I don’t have a car. And I don’t need an escort home.
To Mo:
Whatever.
To Dad:
Should I plan to come over tonight?
To Gray:
Oh joy.
It wasn’t professional or impersonal, but what was she supposed to say?
Her dad responded first.
Your mother’s making chicken and dumplings.
She replied as fast as her fingers could type.
I’ll be there.
Mo responded while she was typing.
Not kidding. Mom’s making chicken and dumplings. Dinner with them?
She replied.
Yes to dinner. Still not grounded. You’re not the boss of me.
Cal responded next.
Your car is headed back to you now. Chad’s driving my truck home so I’ll need a ride. Can you pick me up at 5?
She replied.
Sneaky. Underhanded.
Cal responded.
You say sneaky, I say effective. See you at 5.
Gray responded.
Left your keys with Lucy. Car’s in your spot. Tracker still in place. We need to talk.
Meredith considered the merits of destroying her phone. If she threw it hard enough at the wall, it might break. Maybe. Water would be better. But no. It would be a nuisance to have to replace it.
She replied to Gray.
Tomorrow? I have dinner plans tonight.
Gray responded.
See you at dinner. We’ll talk tonight.
She did throw her phone after she saw that. She couldn’t help it. The blasted thing bounced off the wall and lay on the floor. She imagined it was judging her for her temper.
She left it where it was and went back to her patients. That worked until Lucy, all smiles and sunshine, handed it to her. “You dropped this, Dr. Quinn.”
She turned it off, and despite pulling it from her pocket multiple times, she made it until her last patient left at 4:45 before she powered it back up.
This time the only text she responded to was from Cal.
I’m ready whenever you are.
On my way in ten.
The thumbs-up told her he’d seen it. She closed everything up for the weekend and went out to her car. Where was the tracker? Did it track her location only? Or did it listen in?
Her cheeks flamed as she slid into the seat. How embarrassing would that be? She’d had Mexican a few days ago and the ride home had been ... well ... it hadn’t been quiet. She had manners, but she should be free to let go in the privacy of her own car.
And then there’d been the ranting she’d done on the way home last night. She bit back a groan. If anyone was listening, she didn’t want to give them anything else to mock her with. She turned up the local Christian music station. If they were going to listen, they were going to listen to worship music from now on. Maybe they’d be convicted of their wicked ways.
When she parked in Cal’s office lot, she hopped out and met him at the door. “Do you know about my car?”
“Yes.”
“Does it listen in or just track location?”
“I’m not sure. We should assume they’re listening.” He pulled her arm through his. “I’m sorry. We’ll figure this out.” He tugged her toward her car. “Want me to drive?”
She was grouchy now, and her response was a petulant, “No.”
Cal, to his credit, laughed, climbed in, and kept a steady stream of mindless chatter until she dropped him off at his and Landry’s new home. “I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for the ride.”
She gave him a small salute and made the short trip to her parents’. Mo’s Jeep was already there. As was Gray’s Explorer. She pulled herself together, as much as she could, and walked inside.
Gray didn’t know what had happened after Meredith went home last night. He’d sat where he could see her office door. It had been over thirty minutes before she’d walked to her car. He was sure she’d been crying, and if the way her eyes looked this morning was any indication, she’d cried a lot last night.
Based on the cool reception he received from Mo when he’d walked into the Quinns’ home, he had a bad feeling that the tears had something to do with him.
He replayed their conversation. He thought the evening had been fine. Better than fine. It had been hard not to think of it as a date. Hard not to let his mind wander to what it would be like if she was his and if he could always have her to come home to after a call. And harder still not to ask her to come back to his place when she was so amped up.
He almost suggested it, but then she’d shut down and said she needed to go home. His relief had been heavily tinged with regret. But relief had won out. Meredith Quinn was an extraordinary woman, and if he was the kind of man who was looking for a partner, she would be it.
But he wasn’t that kind of man. The women he loved died. All of them. And he’d known since he was in his teens that he would be single for life.
He’d take care of the people in this town and be the best police chief he could be. But he wouldn’t be a husband. Wouldn’t be a father. He’d decided a long time ago that he didn’t want that. Even if the sight of Meredith walking straight into her father’s arms did send a pang of regret through him.
“Supper’s ready. Let’s not let it get cold.” Doug Quinn gestured them to the kitchen table. “Then we’ll talk.”
Mo and Gray sat on one side of the table, Meredith on the other, with Doug and Jacqueline on either end. Doug asked the blessing, plates were filled, and they dug in.
“Mrs. Quinn, this is phenomenal.” It wasn’t hyperbole. Gray hadn’t grown up eating chicken and dumplings, but he was pretty sure they were now his favorite food. “This is what I would request for my last meal.”
Mo and Meredith laughed. Doug gave his wife a look that was a combination of pride and adoration, and Gray suspected a whole lot of gratitude that she was here.
Jacqueline had survived an intense battle with cancer last year. There was still a hint of frailty to her physically, but the eyes that pinned him now held a mama bear’s strength. “Thank you, Gray. But, sweetheart, if you ever call me Mrs. Quinn again, I will wash your mouth out with soap.”
Gray choked down the bite he was working on. “Ma’am?” He hadn’t grown up saying ma’am, either, but after moving to Gossamer Falls, he’d learned fast.
She pointed her fork at him. “You heard me. Jacqueline or Jacque will do fine.”
He would go to great lengths to avoid addressing her directly in the future, because he wasn’t sure he could manage to call her by her first name. But what he said was, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Now that we’ve settled that, I’m glad you’re enjoying the dumplings because you’ll be taking some home. I made enough for a crowd.”
“You always make enough for a crowd, Mama.” Meredith shared a look with Mo. “Not that we’re complaining.”
“Of course you aren’t. I have to make enough for a crowd because on the rare occasions I don’t make enough to send home, you two get all pitiful and dramatic about it.” She turned to Gray. “They’re shameless.”
“It’s not our fault you’re the best cook in the family.” Mo took another serving and piled it on his already empty plate. “We’re spoiled.”
“Oh, you’re spoiled all right.” Jacqueline winked at Mo, and to Gray’s astonishment, Mo blew her a kiss. It was clearly a long-standing tradition between them, because she caught the kiss and then brought her fist to her lips. And then, without missing a beat, she looked at Meredith and said, “Merry-girl, what did you ever decide to do about Cassie’s bouquet?”
Merry-girl? Gray had been around the Quinns a lot, and he’d never heard that nickname. He hadn’t been around Jacqueline Quinn much, and never in as intimate a setting as a family meal. But he understood now why the whole family adored her and why she was Cal’s favorite aunt even though he would never admit it.
She made everything comfortable and somehow managed to make him feel like he was one of them rather than what he was—an outsider intruding on their time together.
The meal was so enjoyable that Gray almost forgot about the weird tension he’d sensed from Meredith and the cool way Mo had welcomed him.
Almost.
Under their mother’s influence, both of them warmed up and the conversation flowed easily. Meredith talked about the crazy bouquet she was making for Cassie’s rehearsal, and Mo entertained them with his latest adventures with Abby and Eliza.
But when Jacqueline—he would never get used to that—brought a chocolate pie to the table, there was a shift in the atmosphere he couldn’t quite figure out.
After everyone had their pie and those who wanted coffee were sipping decaf, Doug said, “Gray, we have a rule in this house. No heavy stuff during dinner.”
“That’s because everyone knows that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” Jacqueline tapped her pie. “Dinner is for conversation. Dessert is for communication.”
“That’s Mom’s way of saying we play nice during dinner and get serious during dessert.” Mo picked up his coffee mug. “Depending on what’s going on, sometimes that saying is switched up.”
“‘Dessert is for confrontation.’” Meredith made big eyes at everyone. “That’s always fun.”
Mo raised his mug to Meredith in an air toast. “Let’s not forget ‘Dessert is for confession.’ That one’s a real winner.”
Doug wiped his face with his napkin. “My personal favorite was ‘Dessert is for conflagration.’ That one was very popular when they were teenagers and if you looked at them funny, they lost their tempers.”
“I’m shocked that you only remember the negative options.” Jacqueline feigned outrage. “There were positive ones too. ‘Dessert is for celebration’ comes to mind.”
“Nice try, Mom.” Mo squeezed his mom’s hand. “I’m afraid that’s not what we’re dealing with tonight.”
“No. Tonight is definitely not a celebration.” Jacqueline blew out a deep breath and turned to her husband. “Okay, honey. Take it away.”
Doug nodded gravely. “I have to give credit to Gray for insisting we look over Meredith’s 4Runner. There were location trackers on both your 4Runner and Flossy.” Doug patted Meredith’s hand. “Baby girl, I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, but we have to figure it out before someone gets hurt.”
“I know, Daddy.” Meredith gave him a gentle smile.
Mo rested his elbows on the table. “Gray and I talked this afternoon. I did a little bit of digging around, and I think I have what you need.”
“What who needs?” Meredith asked.
Gray jumped into the fray. “I asked Mo if he had a way to check for bugs. He’s already checked this house, and it’s clean. But we need to check your house tonight. And your shop. And your office.”
Meredith’s face paled. “You think someone bugged my house?”
“I think it’s more likely that they’ve bugged your office. Mo’s security around your home is tight, and it would be very difficult for anyone to find a way onto the property, much less get inside, without triggering an alarm. They, whoever they are, might have a better shot at getting into your shop, but I think the likelihood is small. Still, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t check.”
“I think you need to come back to our place tonight, Gray. We’ll scan everything.” Mo held out a hand toward Meredith when she huffed. “Not optional. I agree with Gray. It’s unlikely, but I won’t rest until we know for sure. And tomorrow we’ll check your office.” He frowned. “Or, maybe Monday. I don’t want to make it obvious that we’re looking.”
Gray considered that. “Let’s wait until we see if there’s anything in your home. Then we’ll decide.”
“Wait.” Meredith held up a hand. “Why are we checking for bugs? That’s not the same as the tracking device. I thought it was a location tracker. That would just tell people where I was.”
“That’s true.” Mo nodded at Gray.
Great. It fell to him. It was his job, but Gray hated to be the one to have to do it. “Meredith, after I brought your car back to you this afternoon, I talked to Mo. He came over here to look at your van, and he found a listening device inside the exam area.”