Page 42 of Every Last One

“Actually, I’m not here to eat.” Eric’s stomach rumbled, betraying him. “I’m looking for one of your customers.” He flashed his badge and stepped past the host to look around the restaurant.

“Sir, you can’t just…” The host’s words petered out, and when Eric glanced over his shoulder, the man was flailing his arm in the air.

Eric spotted Beal at a cozy corner table with a leggy blonde and headed over. He stood at the edge of the table for a good few seconds before Beal and his companion looked up. It was an intimate setting even if it included a battery-operated tealight in the centerpiece. There was a bottle of red and a wineglass in front of each of them. The two of them were holding hands across the table.

Wyatt turned to face him, annoyance carved into his scrunched facial expression. “Yes? Is there something I can do for you?”

Eric swept his jacket back to disclose his badge that was clipped to his waistband. “Detective Birch, Metropolitan PD. I need to talk with you about your wife, Megan.”

At least the woman had the decency to blush at the mention of Megan and pull her hand back. “Wyatt, I’m just going to go freshen up,” the blonde said, getting up.

“You bet, sweetheart. Take your time.”

Not even hiding the affair… That is one approach.Eric took a seat where Wyatt’s date had vacated. “You might have heard that Founders Hospital went into full lockdown this morning?”

“No, I’ve been busy. And Megan knows about Crystal. My wife and I have had an open relationship for years. We both have highly demanding careers. Heck, she’s at the hospital more than she’s home. What’s going on?”

It was interesting Wyatt felt the need to justify himself and strange that he didn’t put things together for himself. “Your wife is in danger,” Eric said, spelling it out. “There was a meeting with the board of directors this morning, and she was in attendance. At some point, this meeting was interrupted by a woman with a gun.”

“Dear Lord.” Wyatt put a hand over his heart.

“We don’t know why this woman is there or what she wants, but we need to know if anyone has threatened your wife recently.”

“Meg gets… uh… threats all the time.” For an experienced lawyer, Wyatt was stammering. All his composure was gone.

Eric noted how he referred to his wife less formally, suggesting affection and respect still existed. “Any recently?”

“I don’t know. Nothing she mentioned to me. Actually…” Wyatt’s eyes widened.

“Don’t hold back now.”

“I think I remember her saying something about being in fear of her life.”

“That’s something youthinkyou remember?”

“I know that makes me sound horrible, but when we’re home together, she’s constantly yammering away. I’m doing good to catch half of what she says.”

Yet, he probably heard every word out of his mistress’s mouth.“Did she say why?”

“If she did…” He waved a hand, leaving the rest to be implied as him not listening.

“This being in fear of her life, this was recently?”

“Yes. I think so.”

“Did she mention any names?”

“No, but she keeps copies of any written threats she receives in her home office.”

“I’ll need to see those immediately.”

“Sure.” Wyatt signaled a server to bring the check.

Eric had considered before coming here that if the lockdown was about revenge, such as harming or killing Megan Beal, there would certainly be a better place. His mind on that was changed. As Wyatt had said about Megan, “She’s at the hospital more than she’s home.” The hospital CEO could very well be the target.

TWENTY-TWO

1:50 PM