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“Well, this is where things get a little bit tough,” he replied. “Are you aware of anyone who might have had a problem with him? Any friends, family, or co-workers?”
Shaking my head from side to side, I answered, “Not at all. I mean, things were a little unsettled with his family, but that was mostly related to me. They were unhappy with him wanting to marry me, so I don’t think they would have ever done something to harm him. If I was the one killed, I could see them as suspects.”
“Okay, well, we’re going to have to do some additional digging,” Detective Shaw told me. “He never mentioned anyone from the dog park, did he?”
Graham didn’t spend his time talking to me about random people he might have met at the dog park. He was friendly enough to people, so I didn’t doubt he had conversations with individuals while he was there, but when Graham was with me, he kept his focus and attention on me.
“Nobody who stands out beyond what you’d normally expect from people at the dog park who get caught up talking about their pets,” I said. “I can ask my best friend again, because she has a dog she takes there occasionally.”
“What’s her name?”
“Tabitha. Tabitha Boyd.”
“Would you be able to give me her contact information? I’d love to sit down and talk with her,” he said.
I went on to give the detective Tabitha’s contact information.
When he had all the information he needed, hepromised, “I’m going to do what I can to get to the bottom of this for you, Lamise. I appreciate your cooperation and patience as I try to do that.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
“Have a nice day.”
“You, too.”
I ended the call and stood there motionless for about five seconds, attempting to digest all of the news I’d just been given. Realizing no matter what I did now, I didn’t stand a chance of making it to Banks’s house on time, I quickly tapped out a text.
Lamise
I’m so sorry I’m running late. I’m leaving now.
I didn’t wait for him to respond.
Grabbing my things, I dashed out the door and hopped into my car. I used the drive to Banks’s house to try to calm myself down. The last thing I wanted to do was show up at his place a complete and utter mess of nerves. After the conversation I’d just had with Detective Shaw, it was entirely possible that could happen. Banks would probably never let me stay with Rhys ever again, and I’d be devastated.
So, I tried my best not to focus too much on the details of the conversation. There wasn’t much I could do about it at this point anyway. Instead, I thought about my day ahead. That led to me thinking about my weekend ahead, which made me a mess of nerves for a completely different reason. At least it wouldn’t be something that would prevent me from being able to continue as Rhys’s nanny.
When I arrived at Banks’s house, I wasted no time in my car. I reached over the center console, grabbed my thingsout of the passenger’s seat, and was at the front door in a matter of seconds.
As soon as Banks opened the door, I immediately started apologizing. “I’m so sorry,” I lamented as I stepped inside. “Did you get my text?”
“Yeah. I responded to you and told you not to worry.”
I shook my head, feeling disappointed and frustrated with myself. “I had a hard time falling asleep last night, so I woke up late. Even still, I would have made it on time, but then I got an important phone call right before I was about to leave that I couldn’t ignore. That delayed me leaving, which is why I’m here late.”
“Lamise?”
“Yeah?”
“Breathe,” he instructed gently. “It’s okay. As long as you are okay, I promise you don’t have to be upset about this. And considering I got back late last night and didn’t get to have my nightly routine with Rhys, I enjoyed having a little more time with him this morning.”
My shoulders slumped with relief. “Are you sure?”
Banks shot me a reassuring smile. “Positive.”
I gave him a nod in return before turning my attention to Rhys. “Good morning, Rhys. Did you miss me?”
Rhys’s face lit up with a happy smile, and suddenly all of my troubles melted away. Calm. I finally felt calm for the first time since I woke up this morning.
