Page 66 of Trust No One

Monday, October 19, 2026, 10:00 p.m.

It was dark when I returned to the hospital. I hadn’t called Dr. Webber or the nurses’ station. I showed up, hoping I could see Maria. Maybe she could tell me a little more about the night she’d collapsed.

My half dozen calls to Gabe went unanswered. Shocker.

The hallway was mostly empty, except for a few rattling carts and the humming voices of the nurses. Hospitals always felt like churches at night. Quiet. Sacred. Creepy.

I pulled back Maria’s room curtain. To my surprise, she was awake. And Ken sat at her bedside.

He grinned when he saw me. “Look who finally showed up.”

My stomach tightened. “Came to check in. I won’t stay long.”

Maria pressed her hands against the mattress as she tried to raise herself. “I hoped you’d stop by.”

Annoyance prickled as I crossed to the bed and kissed Maria on her forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was kicked by a mule. But I can breathe a little easier.”

“Good.”

“When can I bust out of here?” she asked.

A year of not speaking, a lawsuit, and now we were friends again. “I’m not sure. Dr. Webber is gone for the day.”

Ken leaned back in his chair like he owned the place. “The nurse gave me the five-minute warning. Maria needs silence and rest.”

“I wasn’t planning to stay long,” I said.

Maria’s smile was slow and lazy. She stifled a yawn. “I’m glad you came by.”

A knock on the door, and a nurse in scrubs entered. She sanitized her hands and moved to the computer. “You’re very popular, Mrs. Durant. But I’m chasing everyone out.”

Ken rose, kissed Maria on the cheek. “See you soon, gorgeous. Still as sexy as ever.”

Maria’s chuckle was familiar, a sound shared between friends, but she immediately winced. “Stop.”

“Promise to wait a few more days before I break out the hard-core jokes,” Ken said.

“I’ll be back tomorrow.” I squeezed her hand. Without a glance toward Ken, I left the room.

At the elevator, he caught up to me. “She looks good,” he said.

“Good to see her on the mend.”

“I was expecting worse, but I’m glad I was wrong.”

Ken could be a caring guy. He had moments of pure kindness. Unexpected flowers, chocolates on my birthday, sexy texts. It had been good between us for a couple of years. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss those days. When he was focused on me, I felt like the only person in the world.

“We’re lucky.”

“I’m checked into the hotel, so no rush to get on the road. Join me for a drink? Not a big deal. Just two friends catching up.”

I was less curious about him than I was with what he knew about Maria’s case. He was using it to get to me, and for now it was working. “Sure, why not?”

“There’s a bar across the street. Nurses were talking about it.”

“Perfect.”