Page 70 of Cold Light of Day

She showed the officer her credentials, and he grinned. “I’ve been expecting you. Nolan told me to tell you to wait for him. He’ll be back.”

Great. Nolan was supposed to be here. She wanted answers from him before she faced Dad. “Did he say when?”

“I’m afraid not.”

No matter. She sent Nolan a quick text to get back ASAP, then nodded at the officer. “Thanks for watching over Dad for us.” She gestured to Grier behind her. “And he’s with me.”

Autumn fisted her hands rather than wipe the moisture on her khaki pants, then opened the door. She tried to project confidence she didn’t feel as she entered Dad’s private room. He was paler than he’d been after the gunshot wound and blood loss. Multiple IV tubes connected to one main tube in his arm.

His eyes were closed. Now might not be the best time to ask him, but if not now, then when? What if he died and she never got those answers? Unfortunately, she’d avoided learning the truth for far too long. That was on her.

“Chief.” Grier’s gentle nudge from behind encouraged her to enter all the way into Dad’s room.

And ... Dad opened his eyes and was looking at her. She forced a smile as she moved to stand next to his bed. “How are you feeling?”

Sweat beaded on his forehead and temples. “Water.”

She reached for the pitcher and poured him a cup, then handed it over. His hands trembled, and she assisted him in drinking. Her heart stumbled. Was she going to lose him? She blinked back the sudden ache of tears.

“Dad, you’re burning up.”

“No, the fever is breaking. I’m doing better. The doctor says the infection is under control.”

She wasn’t so sure, but she held on to that hope.

Grier eased into a chair in the corner while Autumn pulled a recliner close and sat on the edge. “I’m so sorry this happened.” She grabbed his hand.

“I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said.

“I know this is probably not the best time to talk.”

He nodded. “But you want to know about that day.”

“I do.”

“Now’s the time,” he said. “I had hoped this day would never come, honestly. We were doing well in Shadow Gap, weren’t we?”

“I think so, yes. It’s been a nice long run of peace and quiet. But now I need to know the truth behind what’s been eating you. I need to know everything about what happened the night Mom drowned and what it has to do with the shooting and the danger you’re in.”

“You’re the one in danger.”

She hadn’t told him about her abduction, but he’d warned her. “Clearly he wanted you too. Though we got your shooter, someone is still out there, Dad. Do you remember the picture I showed you?”

Dad closed his eyes and nodded.

“You said you didn’t recognize anyone. But I recognized the man. I’ll show you those pictures again, but in the meantime, I want the story. I want to know what happened that day—behind the scenes. I only know parts of the story.” Autumn glanced at the door.Come on, Nolan...

“Does he have to be here?” Dad stared at Grier.

“He’s here at my request. So, he stays.”

Dad’s painful sigh pinged through her heart, and she was glad she was sitting for this return to the trauma of her past. Would Dad tell the same story as Grandpa Ike?

“Your mother and I had been having a lot of issues, and she decided to leave me for another man.”

Autumn’s insides tightened. She’d already heard as much from her grandfather, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear again.

“He was...a bad man. As a defense attorney, she somehow connected with him while representing one of his associates. I don’t think she knew how bad he was, so I did a lot of digging and tried to show her that she was making a mistake. The man was the head of a transnational organized crime group. You can’t get any worse than that. If she went with him, I wasn’t going to let her take you from me or even have visitation rights.”