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Medical Center Drive, Nashville, 11:00 p.m.
Finley poked her head into Louise Cagle’s room. The bed was adjusted into a moderately elevated position, and she was watching the news.
“You up for a visit?” Finley asked.
Louise glanced at her. “As long as you’re not a cop or a lawyer.”
Finley grinned. “No cops here. Only me and my guy, Matt, and we don’t have on our attorney hats.”
“In that case, come on in.”
One of the nurses had helped Louise comb her hair and style it up out of the way in a bun. She was back on the needed IVs. The other machines had been reconnected, showing a respectable blood pressure and good steady heartbeat.
Finley pressed her back against the door to hold it out of the way as Matt rolled the wheelchair he had been sequestered to into the room.
“Allowing me to walk would be a lot easier,” he grumbled for the fifth time.
“You heard the nurse,” Finley reminded him. “You have to stay in the chair until you’re wheeled out of here. It’s the rules.”
They moved closer to the bed, and Finley took the chair next to it. Cagle looked surprised to see Matt in a wheelchair.
“What happened to you?”
Finley explained about the follower she had and how Mr.Brewer had come to their rescue. Just before Matt had been released to go home, Houser had called to check in on his condition. He’d told Finley that the hoodie guy—one Lonnie Eckert, with a whole host of prior convictions, including stalking—had refused to talk without a deal. Although it was possible the Johnsons had hired him, Finley was fairly certain it was Dempsey or someone related to his fall. Houser had set up a meeting with Dempsey and his attorney for first thing in the morning. Hopefully by then Eckert would give Houser something.
“My God,” Cagle said, “I can’t believe that business with your husband’s murder is still going on.”
“Hopefully it will be over soon,” Matt said. “Dempsey is going to prison.”
Would it really be over even then? Finley pushed away the thought. This was the first time she and Cagle had a moment without Houser or some other cop around, and there were things Finley needed to say.
Besides, no more looking back.
“Thanks,” she said to Cagle, “for covering for my father.”
“Your father did nothing wrong,” Cagle said. “He only wanted to protect his family. He didn’t deserve trouble with the police. I’m sure he has punished himself enough over the years.”
“I think he has,” Finley agreed, feeling another gush of relief as well as sadness. Lucy Cagle was gone forever, and no matter that those responsible for her death had finally been exposed, Louise was still alone.
Cagle smiled forlornly. “Lucy was an amazing young lady, and she was unstoppable. Nothing he could have said would have diverted her from her chosen course. I’ve come to terms with that.”
Finley nodded. “The same applies to you.”
“But I’m her mother. It was my job to protect her.”
“You did,” Finley argued. “But you couldn’t change who she was or what she wanted to do with her life.”
Finley had had to come to terms with something very similar with the death of her husband. She couldn’t have saved him ... and as much as he had loved her and wanted to be with her, he’d had a job to do. In life, sacrifice was inevitable.
“I’m the one who should be thanking you,” Cagle said. “You saved my life and made sure Ian and I both survived our own stupidity.”
Finley waved her off. “Just doing my job.” She made a face. “But I do have one question.”
Cagle shrugged. “I might have an answer.”
Finley grinned. This woman. She was like no one Finley had ever met. “What about Brewer? Why didn’t you tell the police what he knew about Lucy? He said he talked to you after the funeral.”
“The information he gave me helped to confirm what I eventually figured out. Having the police drag the poor man through questioning when he was innocent—like your father—was unnecessary. So I never gave his name to anyone.”
