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I keep thinking about Parker. The man I saw today, holding his ailing son in his arms, is a good man. He can’t be a criminal.
A door opens and Parker comes out. His eyes are red from crying.
Oh, hell,I think.We were too late.
He makes eye contact, opens his mouth, but can hardly get the words out.
“He’s going to be okay,” he finally gasps. “The antivenom seems to be doing the trick.”
Tears spring to my eyes and I blink them away. I try not to show how worried I was.
Parker lifts off the earbuds and tells Etta her brother’s going to be okay, hugs her tight, then he stands before me, looking emotionally spent. I’ve been on grisly crime scenes with this man, and he was always unflappable—a closed book. But today Parker’s emotions are on full display. He looks like he’s had the fright of his life.
And maybe he has—he came face-to-face with every parent’s worst nightmare.
“I can’t thank you enough, Rory.”
“It was nothing,” I say.
“No,” he says, his voice choked. “It was a hell of a lot more than nothing. I didn’t realize that snake was poisonous. I wouldn’t have brought Leo to the hospital until he started showing symptoms. And you were able to get us here in record time. I can’t even imagine what would have happened.”
“It all worked out,” I say, trying to downplay my role. “He’s going to be okay.”
Parker clears his throat. “You saved my son’s life, Rory. I’m indebted to you.”
I open my mouth to tell him he owes me nothing. He would have done the same if my loved one was in jeopardy. He would have done it for a stranger. He saved dozens of lives while he was a Ranger, maybe more. But before I can speak, Josie rushes out into the lobby and throws her arms around me.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she says. “You’re a blessing from God, Rory Yates. We hadn’t seen you in years and suddenly you show up on our doorstep. I knowHehad a hand in you coming to visit.”
I feel a pang of shame knowing what really brought me to their doorstep.
Josie explains that the doctors are going to hold Leo for a few hours for observation. But he should be able to go home tonight. Josie’s mom lives in town, and they ask me to give Etta a ride over there. When Leo is released, Josie and the kids will spend the night with the kids’ grandmother.
“We don’t know what time he’ll be released,” she says. “Could be six o’clock, could be twelve. Etta might already be asleep, and I don’t want to wake her just to drive back home. Besides,” she adds, clearly as emotionally exhausted as Parker, “I think I’d feel safer keeping Leo close to the hospital for the night.”
I nod, thinking everything she’s said sounds reasonable enough.
“That means we need one more favor from you,” Parker says, with a look in his eyes suggesting that he hopes he’s not asking too much.
“Anything,” I say.
“Can you give me a ride back home in a few hours?”
“Of course.”
He explains that the kids’ grandmother’s house is quite small. Josie, Leo, and Etta can stay over without too much trouble, but Parker will make the space too crowded.
We make plans for me to return around dinnertime.
“I’ve got a bottle of bourbon waiting to be opened,” Parker says. “You ought to plan on sleeping on the couch. My nerves are shot and I could use a drinking buddy.”
I start to object but remember what I’m really here for. If Parker wants to get drunk, this might be my opportunity to ask him questions or snoop around and see if I can find anything that will get Carlos off his back. I know I’m not going to find anything incriminating. But I also know Carlos won’t be satisfied until I’ve found something to exonerate Parker.
“I’ll bring my toothbrush,” I tell him, “in case I have one too many.”
I just want to get this over with, so I can stop lying and go back home.
CHAPTER 18
