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“That you are,” she agreed.
“Holy frack, I’ve got a headache though,” he groaned, then seemed to brighten slightly. “I hear they’re moving me out of here tonight, into my own room. If I’m a good boy, I might even get to eat some custard. Or Jell-O.”
She laughed gently. Linc was a man who loved his steak and potatoes. But she was sure he’d be eating solid food again very soon. He closed his eyes as if the short conversation had exhausted him, and she sat in the silence for many moments, unsure what to do next.
“Have you caught the bastard that did this to me?” His question took her by surprise. Linc opened his eyes, and for a second they were clear and lucid. “I don’t remember much,” he admitted. “I saw something glinting in the dirt in between the roots of a tree. I bent down to pick it up, and I remember that you kept walking.” He stopped talking and took a few deep breaths, as if rallying his strength. “But that’s it. I don’t remember what it was I saw that made me stop. And I don’t remember going down.” His brown eyes searched hers. “I was hit over the head, wasn’t I? That’s what Tyrell told me.”
“Yes,” Lacey answered slowly, unsure of how much to reveal. Unsure how much he was ready to hear. “And, no, we haven’t found the perpetrator yet. But you know I’m not going to rest until we do. And that clue you found on the trail, it was a charm from a bracelet. We think the killer may have dropped it when they were dumping the body. It’s definitely a clue, Linc. Your instincts were right.”
“Good,” he said, then closed his eyes again.
There was so much to tell Linc. He wouldn’t even know yet that they’d found a second body. But that’d all come in time. Linc needed to rest and recover right now, it was the most important thing. If he could remember anything else later on, it might help in the investigation, but they shouldn’t push him to try and recall anything he wasn’t able or willing to do.
His hand relaxed in hers, and she knew he’d fallen asleep.
She still had work to do. Was still involved in a double murder case. Seeing Linc like this made her extra eager to catch the culprit. Easing her hand out of his grasp, she retrieved her laptop and balanced it on her knee. It was time to stop wallowing in her own self-pity and get on with it.
She spent the next twenty minutes researching Erica Nellenbach. And she found some interesting stuff. The silver Olympic medal was genuine. Erica had been a gymnastic star from an early age and was recruited to join the German gymnastic team when she was only twelve. The German team had high hopes for her, and she’d become a celebrity in the gymnastics community as well as with the whole nation. Erica was seventeen when she went to the Los Angeles Olympics and won a silver medal in the individual floor exercise. But then she seemed to disappear from the limelight, as many shooting stars often did. Lacey couldn’t find much about the years right after that, but Erica must’ve moved to Tasmania when she was approximately twenty-five, as her name began to appear in the registry of gymnast coaches around then. The Somerset Gymnastic Club was started ten years ago and had grown in leaps and bounds, moving from an old building on the outskirts of town to the new, modern one three years ago. Without access to Erica’s financial records, Lacey couldn’t tell for sure, but a lot of children who attended the club came from wealthy families, so it seemed her assumption that the money for the club came from high fees might be correct.
But then things got a whole lot more intriguing. Lacey decided to look up the police databases and was surprised when she found that charges had been filed against Erica less than two years ago. Charges of verbal and emotional abuse of a young girl. The charges hadn’t proceeded to trial, as it seemed the matter had been settled out of court. Which meant Erica had most likely paid the family off.
Interesting. It meant Erica had access to large sums of money, these kinds of things usually settled in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. But clearly it was worth it to Erica to keep her reputation clean, so the accusations never came to light.
Suddenly, Tyrell was standing next to her. She’d been so focussed on her computer, she hadn’t even heard him come in. “I’ve made all my calls, and had a bite to eat,” he told her quietly as she closed the laptop and gathered her things. “Thanks for sitting with him.”
“All good,” she replied. “He’s been asleep most of the time. But he woke up for a short while. He told me he doesn’t remember being hit, and he doesn’t remember what he stopped to pick up,” she informed him. “I haven’t told him about the second body yet. I thought we should wait, there’s not a lot he can do about it, anyway.”
“No. But you can guarantee he’ll be itching to get back on the job,” Tyrell said with a frown.
“Probably a lot like his uncle.” Lacey smiled at Tyrell and then the nurse shot them a warning glance, so she hurriedly whispered her goodbyes.
The second she stepped out into the hospital hallway, her phone began to buzz in her pocket. She took it out and ducked into the nearest waiting room.
It was Nico. She lifted her eyes to the ceiling and chewed her bottom lip. Should she answer it? She probably owed him that much. Pressing the answer button, she put the phone to her ear.
“Lacey?” So many questions were wrapped up in that single word. The sound of his voice so familiar and dear had her stomach curling in knots.
“Nico,” she replied coolly.
“We need to talk. Where are you?”
For a split second, she had a crazy urge to just hang up on him because she didn’t know what to say. But that’d solve nothing, and she wasn’t a fifteen-year-old girl subject to teenage tantrums anymore. “Yes, we need to talk,” she agreed. “But I’m going to judo training tonight. I’ll see you after that,” she said flatly. Like she’d promised herself earlier, she was going to the dojo and nothing was going to stop her. Nico wouldn’t talk her out of it; she wouldn’t let him. It’d be to both their benefit if she had a hard training session tonight. She’d be more likely to resist the urge to throw him to the floor that way.
“I don’t know what time I’ll be home tonight,” Nico admitted. He always worked late when he had a big case on.
“I guess I’ll see you when I see you, then.” She rang off and put the phone back in her pocket. Her shift was nearly over. She’d email her findings to Gorman rather than going back to the station. Call her a chicken, but she wasn’t ready to confront Nico in person yet.
CHAPTER EIGHT
NICO LET HIMSELF quietly in the back door to be greeted by a welcoming Smudge, whose claws made a ticking noise on the kitchen linoleum as he danced around Nico’s legs. “Hey, buddy,” he whispered. At least someone was pleased to see him. He’d left the station as soon as he possibly could, but it was still after eleven, and he wondered if Lacey would still be awake. The house was dark, only the kitchen light burning bright. A soft orange glow emanated from the living room, and he knew Lacey must’ve lit the fire at some stage, but it had burnt down to embers now. It was almost too late in the year to need a fire. But after the unseasonably hot run of days, a cold change had swept over the coast tonight, bringing strong winds and drizzle. Tasmanian weather, even in summer, was never predictable.
A plate of food sat on the kitchen countertop covered with a dishcloth. Lacey must’ve cooked him dinner. What did that signify? Did it mean she’d forgiven him? Or was she just too kindhearted to let him starve? He went over and lifted the cloth. Steak Diane with roast potatoes and steamed veggies. One of his favorites.
Fuck. Had he messed this all up? Had he ruined the only good relationship he’d ever had by keeping this secret? His stomach churned at the idea, and he suddenly wasn’t hungry. But just as he was placing the plate in the fridge, a noise alerted him and he turned to see Lacey standing in the doorway leading into the living room, a glass of red wine in her hand.
He stood up straight, plate still in hand.
“You need to eat,” she said, looking pointedly at the food. There was noHello, how was the rest of your day?”She just stared at him, making no move to come any farther into the kitchen. She always greeted him with a kiss. Always.
