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“Miss Lydia is doing well. Dr. Rowland informed me last night she didn’t suffer more complications from her ordeal.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Mrs. Howard said. “I told her she shouldn’t live alone anymore because of things like this. She was lucky you and Dr. Rowland found her last night.”
“I’m glad we did. Here’s your change, Mrs. Howard.” Amanda bestowed her with her friendliest smile. “Liam will bring your cappuccino to your table.”
The steady flow of customers coming in and out of Sanctuary kept Amanda, Jo, and their crew occupied well into the late afternoon. Each one came with questions about the Carsons’ case, along with their purchase. By the end of the rush, Amanda felt she’d managed a balance of answering their questions and being vague about details.
She couldn’t blame the town folks for wanting to get details about what had occurred. All the news channels ran the story this morning, but the information was sparse. Honestly, she didn’t know much more than the rest of them.
At around three, Amanda and Jo sat down in their office with cups of tea. It felt good to sit down.
“Yesterday was wild, huh?” Jo started. “Can’t believe you really found those children.”
Amanda grinned. “Technically, Max, the K-9 officer, found them.”
“That dog wouldn’t know who to find if you didn’t get the police involved,” Jo pointed out.
“That’s neither here nor there. Without Patrick’s help, we wouldn’t have gotten the sketch done. The mystery unraveled after that.”
“But is it true the kids’ parents were held hostage?” Jo asked.
“Yes.” Amanda nodded and told Jo what she knew. When she finished, her friend’s jaw was on the floor.
“Woah,” Jo breathed out. “But what did that woman Holly want?”
Amanda shrugged. “I don’t know. Patrick hasn’t told us yet. I don’t know if he’ll tell us. It’s police business now.”
A knock on the door startled them both. After Jo told the person to come in, Gene peeked through the door opening.
“Liam told me to come back here. Hope that’s okay,” he said.
“Absolutely.” Jo waved him in. “Amanda was just updating me about yesterday.”
Amanda smiled at him. “How long did you stay with Miss Lydia last night? Did you get any rest?”
“Yes.” Gene smiled back as he lightly brushed his hand over her arm, a gesture that should be benign enough in other people’s company, but still quickened Amanda’s heartbeat.
“Lydia’s niece, Carmen, arrived not long after and stayed with her aunt. Lydia gained consciousness in the ambulance and started feeling better right away. But due to her age, they kept her for observation for a few hours,” Gene explained.
“Thank you for staying with her,” Amanda said.
“Of course.”
“Seems you’re already doing your job before your first day, Doc,” Jo teased. “When are you starting with Dr. Bloom?”
“Monday,” he answered. “I’m just glad Amanda noticed something was amiss with Lydia.” He glanced at Amanda with something akin to awe in his eyes. “She has the most accurate gut feeling I’ve ever encountered.”
“Right?” Jo agreed.
Blushing—a phenomenon that happened to her more often since Gene’s return to her life—Amanda jumped to change the subject. “It was actually Loki’s gut. But my gut is saying you have something to share.”
“Not me, but Patrick’s on his way in. I think he wants to update us as a courtesy,” Gene said, then his phone buzzed. “That must be him now.”
“Awesome! Let’s meet him outside,” Jo suggested. “This office is getting cramped.”
They reconvened in the kitchen with coffee and snacks. Patrick looked like he needed some sustenance. Amanda handed him a plate with his favorite, a cinnamon roll.
“Have you slept, Patrick?”
