AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Because of your moms,” Cruz nods with understanding.
“Exactly. Out of all of them, she was always the one I could at least count on.”
We come to the four way stop just outside town, and Cruz puts on his blinker to head right down Main Street.
“And no one has said anything to you or your mother about the case, huh?” he asks, changing the subject from Skye.
“No.” I work my bottom lip. “Which is odd given everything my father did for all of them over the years. I mean, my father practically put Courtney and Dex’s dad in the Mayor’s seat, for crying out loud.”
We make our way through town, and when we hit City Hall, he pulls into a parking space and turns the car off.
“Before we start,” he takes off his seat belt and turns to face me, “I have a question. Earlier you said you want to go to the Medical Examiner’s office. Can you tell me why?”
I remove my own seat belt and look down at my lap. “I want to look at my father’s autopsy report.”
He rests the back of his head against the headrest and blowsout his breath. “Ellery…”
“I never believed my father had a heart attack,” I say quietly, while picking at my manicure. “Sure, he loved his bourbon, but he didn’t do drugs, and he didn’t cheat on Momma. Especially with some by-the-hour hooker. They may not have been perfect, but he wasn’t a cheater.”
Cruz taps the steering wheel with his fingers. “And you think the autopsy will give you answers?”
“I will never forgive myself if I don’t look everywhere for answers, and that includes his autopsy.”
“But do you really think it’s a good idea?”
“I don’t know. But what I do know, is seeing his legacy and the man he was reduced to gossip hurts more than seeing that report ever will.”
“But there could be things in that report you shouldn’t see. As his daughter, you don’t need—”
“Any detail could be helpful,” I cut off what I know he’s about to say.
I’d already thought about what could be in that report and how it may affect me. But I was determined to get to the bottom of this, no matter what I found.
“Look,” I continue. “They run a lot of tests as part of an autopsy.”
“Yeah,” he nods, “but didn’t they reveal those findings when the initial report was released?”
“They did,” I confirm. “But they only said that cocainewasnotfound in his bloodstream. They didn’t say a word about whatwas. If anything else was found I want to know what. Perhaps it contributed to his heart attack. Perhaps…”
“Perhaps, what?” he asks curiously.
My lower lip starts to tremble as the whisper of an idea that had been nagging me these past few weeks gets louder.
“Ellery?” He grabs my chin.
I blink back tears and look up. “I need answers, Cruz.”
He drops his hand and nods. “Okay. We’ll search anywhere you want to,” he says gently. “All day and all night if we have to. But it may not be easy.”
I draw in breath and let it out, his assurance steadying my nerves and tears. “Skye’s father is not only Chief of Staff at Elmhurst General, but also the town Medical Examiner. He conducted the autopsy.”
“Really?” His brows push up. “Is that legal?”
“There are a lot of things in Elmhurst that don’t seem legal, and yet, they are what they are. I’ve been to his office with Skye at least a dozen times. I know how to get in and out, and where to look.”
Cruz sits back in his seat and lets out a tense breath. “Well, all right. Let’s get digging.”
I grab the door handle and give him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
