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She toyed with a stack of pancakes and watched Wilson demolish three sunny-side-up eggs and a half-pound slab of smoked ham.
Their meal took all of twelve minutes off the clock.
As the deputy pushed his plate aside, Brynn said, “You don’t have to wait with me. I don’t want to keep you from any plans you have for the day.”
“My ex has the kids. They’ve gone to her mother’s. Actually, I’m relieved to be missing that.”
She smiled across at him, because that’s what he seemed to expect.
But he did
look down at his wristwatch and add, “It probably wouldn’t hurt if you called him before nine o’clock. He’s a nice guy, and I feel sure he’ll be willing to help you out. But I’m betting he would just as soon get the business over and done with before the ball games start.”
Brynn figured that it was Wilson who would just as soon have the business concluded before the kickoffs. “I would like to get underway sooner rather than later.”
“So you’ve said. And Dr. Lambert stressed how time-sensitive those blood samples are.”
He eased back and looked under the table to where she’d sat the box on the floor when they’d claimed the booth. “You think one of them will match good enough to be a donor?”
Unlike his partner, Rawlins, Wilson had pleasant features and a benign smile. His interest in the samples seemed sincere. Brynn experienced a twinge of guilt over being less than completely straightforward with him.
In all truthfulness, she said, “We’re hoping for the best possible outcome.”
“Must be tough, being a doctor, having a patient you can’t cure.”
“Tougher than you can imagine.”
“I guess it’s like me having an unsolved case. It gnaws at you.”
“That’s a fitting analogy.”
He nodded. “Well, I don’t want you to be held up any longer. Why don’t I call this guy for you right now and give him the skinny?”
“The request might be better received coming from a law officer. It would seem more official.”
That must’ve stroked his ego. He smiled at her as he reached for his phone. “I’ll ask him to meet us at the dealership at eight o’clock. How’s that sound?”
“Perfect.”
He made the call. By the time he disconnected a few minutes later, a plan was in place. “He can leave right now. He’ll drive a car over here and pick you up, if you don’t mind dropping him back at the car lot on your way out of town.”
“Of course not. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Should take him fifteen, twenty minutes to get here. Then you’ll be on your way. You should let Dr. Lambert know. Relieve his mind.”
“Good idea.” She pulled out her phone and sent Nate a brief text.
After Wilson settled the bill, Brynn draped her coat over her arm and reached beneath the table for the box. “I need to use the ladies’ room, so I’m going to excuse myself. By the time I come out, the man should be here with the car. You don’t need to hang around any longer.”
He put up token resistance as he slid out of the booth, but she was insistent. At the door, they shook hands.
“Good luck with your patient, Dr. O’Neal. If I’m ever terminal, I hope my doctor is as dedicated as you.”
“That’s very kind of you to say.”
He put on his hat, brushed the brim of it with his index finger, and left.
Brynn followed a sign with a red arrow and the word “TOILET” stenciled on it. It led her down a long, barren hallway that ended with a right-angle turn. The restroom was on her left. She locked the door behind her.
