Page 46 of Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage 1)

TWENTY-ONE

Jack stood next to the hospital bed while Pauline’s family waited in the hallway. He glanced at his watch, hoping Terra would arrive soon. Pauline had woken up and asked to speak to Terra. Apparently, she trusted her more than Jack. Finally, Terra eased through the door. Compassion flooded her wide eyes as she took in Pauline’s form.

Slowly she approached the bed, and her lips parted as if she would say something, but no words escaped. At the moment, Pauline had her eyes closed. Jack believed she was conscious but simply resting.

Even though Pauline had asked Terra to come, Jack hoped that his and Terra’s presence wouldn’t upset her. That could result in medical staff sending them away. Pauline squeezed his hand, confirming his assumptions. “Mrs. Raymond, Terra is here to speak with you.”

Pauline opened her eyes. Terra stood over her with a tenuous smile. “Pauline. I’m here.” She leaned in. “You asked to see me?”

Pauline nodded. Terra’s smile lifted. Jack suspected her brightened demeanor was merely for Pauline’s sake. Seeing the woman looking this fragile—near death’s door—when only two days before she’d been strong even in her grief had to be ripping Terra up inside. He knew, because his insides were in turmoil too.

Terra pulled up a chair to sit closer so she wasn’t looking down on Pauline. The bed rails and tubes and machines prevented Terra from getting as close as she probably wanted. Jack had asked the woman’s family to wait outside of the room while he questioned her. They had to be growing impatient.

“Pauline.” Terra kept her voice low and gentle. “Please tell me why you wanted to see me. Is there something I should know?”

Jim’s widow nodded as tears leaked from her eyes. “I’m one of those wives who ignored the truth.”

“What do you mean?” Terra asked. Her tone was gentler than he could have spoken on his best day, and for that, he was glad she was involved.

“My husband was cheating on me.” Pauline choked out the words. Terra’s gaze flicked to Jack, then back to Pauline.

“Do you know the name of the woman he was cheating on you with?”

She shook her head, her eyes tearing up again. He wasn’t sure if she knew the name and simply didn’t want to speak it, or if she truly didn’t know.

“Do you believe this has to do with his death?” Jack asked.

“That key.” Pauline’s voice hardened. She had gained control. “That key he kept in his wallet. The cabin. I followed him once and found the cabin. I knew he was meeting his lover there. I didn’t wait around. I wasn’t brave enough to see who she was. She could be anyone. Find her. If he was found dead in those woods, she had to have killed him.”

Jack’s heart sank. Pauline could be onto something, but Terra and Jack had theorized that Jim’s death involved the artifacts they’d discovered. Surely it couldn’t be as simple as an affair taking a turn for the worse.

He pursed his lips and held Terra’s gaze. She’d wanted them to hold close the information about the items discovered in the cabin until she could question Pauline.

If Jim was having an affair, then perhaps the items in the cabin belonged to his mistress instead. Jack wanted to ask Pauline if she knew about the items or if she had ever seen them before, but he would hold off for now.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find your husband’s killer,” Terra said. “I have a few questions for you, though. Are you feeling up to answering them?”

Pauline closed her eyes for a few moments. Jack released her hand and almost backed away, giving up, but then Pauline’s eyes popped open. “Okay.”

“Was Jim interested in collecting Native American artifacts?”

Pauline frowned. “Not until he met her.”

Interesting. Pauline knew something about the pieces, after all. Good. “We need a name. Anything you can tell us.”

“Don’t know her name. I took her picture. It’s in my...” Pauline’s eyes fluttered. She convulsed.

Jack’s heart seized. Terra pressed the emergency button. “Help. Someone help!”

Nurses rushed into the room, and Jack pulled Terra out of the way and down the hallway. At his back, he felt the killing stares of Pauline’s family.