Page 121 of Healed Heart

And… Oh my God.

How fucking convenient that his old friend Steve, the person who knew him best, died anhourbefore I tried to call him to ply him for information.

And then when I got information out of his brother, he ends up dead too.

Ralph must have hired someone to keep an eye on them.On me, too.And when I started looking into his past, he must have had Steve killed.

But Tom said that his brother’s death wasn’t unexpected.That Steve had been suffering from neurological issues ever since the car accident.

And then Tom himself—he had a preexisting heart issue.

Ralph chose targets whose deaths could be explained by something else easily.There wouldn’t be any suspicion, no investigation.

And an anvil sinks in my gut.

The same was true of Lindsay.

She had just suffered a devastating loss.The kind that no parent should ever experience.

It was easy enough to explain her death away as a suicide.

Just as Steve’s and Tom’s deaths were easily explained away.

That’s Ralph’s fucking MO.

But he got sloppy.Two deaths in the Chapman family separated by twenty-four hours?That can’t be explained away.

Then that last barb he threw at me as I left his hospital.

A security cam must have picked up what he said.If I can prove that he said that… If I can connect him to the Chapman deaths.

I can connect him to Lindsay’s death.

And then he’s fucking toast.

ChapterForty-Five

Angie

“Hey, there you are,” I say to Jason when I open the door.“Henry’s already here, and Tabitha stopped by, too.”

“I’m really sorry I’m late.”He kisses my cheek.“I have so much to talk to you about.”

I brush a hand over his jaw and bring his lips to mine.

He widens his eyes.He sees Henry in the living room.

But fuck it.I can’t undo it now.Tabitha saw it as well.She and Henry know Jason and I are an item.He’s already on administrative leave—though hopefully that will be reversed soon.We may as well enjoy our newfound freedom.

I smile at him.“Come on and meet my brother.”

Henry rises, and only now do I realize that he’s even taller than Jason.At least by an inch or two.

Jason holds out his hand.“Jason Lansing.”

“Good to meet you, Jason.I’m Henry.”

“Nice to meet you too.”