Page 32 of I’ll Be Watching You

“I like it,” I said. “And we warn everyone else.”

Mom looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “I don’t know where to start.”

“I do,” I said. “Give me Georgia’s new name and number. I need to talk to her.”

“She said—” Mom began.

“I don’t care what she said, she must have some information, she worked with Devin for a year. Even if she doesn’t know what’s important, if I ask the right questions, I might get answers. At a minimum, she can explain how the trial worked, what drug company ran it, if there are any names she can remember from that time, people we can talk to, follow up with. Investigate. We find this Nadine Pierce who visited dad, figure out why Georgia told me to find Devin’s ex-wife, Nadine, when he had never been married to a woman of that name. We use Rita and Quincy to find out why dad was transferred, who authorized it, what’s in the sealed order, and how you can visit him. At a minimum they have to let his attorney talk to him, right?”

Mom nodded slowly.

“He has some of the answers we need,” I said. “He might not know who pulled the trigger, but he knows why Devin was killed. That’s where we start.”

I looked around the table, daring anyone to contradict me.

No one did.

Chapter Eleven

Margo Angelhart

Georgia Rollins—now Georgia Smith—didn’t answer her phone when Mom and I called her ten minutes later.

“Dammit,” I said. “Do you have another number?”

Mom was staring out her office window, her face thin and pale. She looked drained, but we didn’t have time to feel sorry for each other or to sit around and worry about every bad thing that might happen.

“Mom,” I said, trying not to snap, but my frustration showed through, “is there another way to reach her?”

She turned to me and said, “She may not be answering because I called her yesterday. She doesn’t like me very much.”

“I need all the information you have for her. If she doesn’t answer the phone, I’m going to visit her in person.”

“She’s in San Diego.”

“Five-hour drive,” I said with a glance at the time. It was one in the afternoon, I might encounter traffic once there, but should be able to get back tonight.

“She doesn’t know anything,” Mom said. “I told you what she told me.”

“She gave me Nadine’s name, which she didn’t tell you.”

“I told her to throw you off,” Mom said.

“Yeah, I know that now.” I was angry about it, but was trying to put myself in my mom’s shoes. Fear was powerful. “A woman named Nadine Pierce visited Dad. Georgia told me Nadine was Klein’s ex-wife, but I found no record of a marriage before or after his first wife died in New York. It’s not a common name, so I’m thinking Georgia knows who the woman is and why she visited Dad. I will talk to her.”

If Mom thought she could convince me otherwise, she was sorely mistaken.

“Would you please not go alone?”

“You want to come?” Right now, I didn’t want to spend ten hours in a car with Mom, but I would if it got me answers faster.

“No, I’m thinking of someone who can—” She hesitated.

“Protect me?” I said with a slight laugh. “Now that I know there is a threat, I’ll be careful.”

“It would make me feel better.”

“What about you? You need someone to watch out for you.”