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First, he needed to get through this particular video call.
“Hey, you!” Zoey’s warm voice had greeted him from the other end of the line right before her familiar face became clear on the screen. She must have recently cut her hair, because the short blonde strands were spikier than usual. “I was getting worried. You haven’t texted much since last Thursday. Is everything okay?”
“Sorry about that,” Bit said after clearing his throat. “The firm that I work for has a rather complicated case, which is actually the reason why I’m calling. I know this is a weird question, but have you seen this woman in the past few months?”
Bit held up his phone in such a position that Zoey could easily see Lorena Dobbs’ picture. His stomach dropped when recognition dawned on her and practically resonated from the display of his laptop.
“I think her name is Stacey. Casey? I’m not sure. She went to my yoga class a few times a while back.” Zoey’s gaze switched from Bit’s phone to his face. He probably wasn’t doing a very good job of covering up his concern. “She introduced herself, but you know me. I don’t really like people all that much. I probably should have been nicer. Why? Is she a friend of yours?”
“No,” Bit replied, doing his best to make sure that she couldn’t pick up on the relief flooding his system. “The woman is a person of interest in an investigation that we’re working on, so if you see her, would you call me? Better yet, call the police. Reference S&E Investigations as to who instructed you to call them.”
“Is Stacey…Casey…whatever her name is dangerous?” Zoey asked warily as she pulled on the strings of her hoodie.
“The woman’s name isn’t Stacey or Casey,” Bit explained, but he wasn’t willing to go into more detail. The less Zoey knew about the situation, the better. “And it’s an ongoing case, so…”
“Right,” Zoey stated wryly as she rolled her eyes. “You can’t say anything else on the subject. I get it, Bit. I do, and I try my best not to ask you any questions about what it is you do for your firm. I just find it odd that you’re asking me about some woman who showed up to my yoga class.”
Bit could hear Sylvie clearing her voice, as if she were pushing him to be a little more honest. Well, up to a point. They had all heard Brook’s warning through Graham’s speech this morning. The team really shouldn’t trust anyone right now, but he didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that Sylvie meant he didn’t have to be rude about it.
Before Bit could reply, the door opened to Sylvie’s room.
The nurse, whom he had run a background check on to ensure that her identity was in fact one Peg Simone, stepped inside and made her way to Sylvie’s bedside. Unfortunately, Zoey had caught sight of Peg, though only as far as the camera’s angle would allow.
“Bit, why are you at the hospital?” Zoey asked in confusion. Her gaze was trained to the left of him, as if she were waiting to catch sight of the nurse once more. “Is it your sister? Did something happen to Paula?”
Bit had yet to introduce Zoey to his sister. This situation was causing him to see just how much he had distanced his personal life from his professional one. Eventually, he would have to make a decision one way or the other.
Did he want Zoey in his life on a permanent basis?
He wasn’t the type of guy who had a lot of friends. He had always been awkward, and he had gravitated toward family more than anything else until he had met Brook.
“My best friend was hurt, but she’s on the mend,” Bit explained as he overheard the nurse explaining to Sylvie how it was important that they get her up and moving. First, though, all the nurse wanted Sylvie to do was sit on the edge of the bed for a minute. “I also work with her, which is why we’re searching for that woman. I can’t get into specific details right now, but would you please just call the police if you see that woman again?”
“Of course,” Zoey replied with a quick nod. “Would it be best to skip Tuesday morning’s yoga class?”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Bit said with a tinge of hope. “Just for this week, maybe. I’ll be able to give you more of an explanation after this woman is in custody.”
The nurse apparently wasn’t about to take no for an answer, and she already had Sylvie sitting with her legs swung over the side of the bed. Paula had purchased Sylvie some cozy socks in a bright pink color that was more comfortable than the ones the hospital provided with their godawful gown that exposed one’s backside.
“Zoey, I have to go,” Bit said as he switched his focus from Sylvie back to his laptop. Zoey was giving him a smile of understanding, and it hit him that Zoey and Sylvie would really like one another. “I’ll do my best to call you tonight.”
Bit finally pressed the square mousepad to disconnect their call after they had each said their goodbyes. The call hadn’t gone as badly as he had thought it would, but that was only due to Zoey’s forgiving nature. Not that she couldn’t stand up for herself. He had witnessed firsthand when someone made her angry, and he certainly didn’t want to be on the receiving end of such a lecture.
“You did really well, Sylvie,” Peg praised as she motioned back toward Sylvie’s pillow. “Let’s get you back in bed, and we’ll try to get you out into the hallway for a short walk after dinner. How does that sound?”
“Do you want the truth?” Sylvie said with a groan as she slid her legs and her pink socks back underneath the covers. Bit didn’t like how fast she had lost color, but he wasn’t a medical professional, either. He made his way over to the chair, but he was too antsy to sit down. Instead, he waited patiently for Peg to finish helping make Sylvie comfortable against the pillows. “I want to like you, Peg. I really do, but you’re making it so hard.”
Peg’s laughter could be heard until the door slowly closed behind her.
“Do you want another nurse?” Bit asked in all seriousness as he pulled Sylvie’s pillow up a little more so that her neck wasn’t at an angle. “I’m serious. If you don’t like her, just say the word.”
“Peg is just doing her job,” Sylvie reassured him as she closed her eyes for a brief moment. After what he could only imagine was her pain settling into a deep throbbing sensation, she lifted her lashes and turned her head slightly so that she could monitor his expression. “You need to let the others know that Lorena attempted to make contact with Zoey. It’s obvious that Lorena has made the rounds to see who had vulnerabilities, and I just so happened to be the one who drew the short stick.”
“Lorena claimed to be Stacey this time around,” Bit said with a frown as he finally sat down in the chair. He reached for his phone, which he had set on the second rolling tray next to one of his laptops. “Maybe Casey. Zoey couldn’t quite recall. I don’t like it, Little T. I’m starting to see why Boss closed herself off for all those years.”
“Think about it, Bit.” Sylvie’s eyes were once again closed, and Bit got the sense that she wouldn’t be opening them until someone brought in her dinner. At least this time it would be more than the Jell-O and broth she had been given for lunch. “If I hadn’t been stubborn about handling all the hospice and other healthcare matters for my dad, maybe I wouldn’t be lying in this hospital bed. We’re stronger together, and Brook knows it. Why do you think she went to Graham’s estate?”
Sylvie had a point, but he didn’t bother to reply. Based on the way her head had relaxed into the pillow, the exhaustion from sitting up in bed had already sent her into a deep sleep. He stood and walked across the room, unable to have the upcoming conversation out in the hall where anyone could hear him.
