“Certainly,” I said. I decided to venture a question of my own, even though Kanesha might bite my head off for asking it. “Is it definite yet that Connor Lawton was murdered?”
A quick glance at her face let me know she was peeved with me. She regarded me coolly for a moment. “Why do you think he was murdered? Are you some kind of expert now that you’ve been involved in three homicides?”
“No, I don’t think any such thing.” I was trying to hold on to my temper. She probably thought I was baiting her, but that was not my intention. “My daughter found a corpse one day and was attacked the next. I’m concerned for her welfare, and if this turns out to be a murder investigation, I’ll be even more worried.”
My words hit home—I could see it by a subtle change in Kanesha’s expression.
“We’re treating Connor Lawton’s death as suspicious,” she said. “That’s really all I can tell you at the moment. Now, if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I need to move on.” With that she turned and walked away.
Sean muttered an uncomplimentary word at the chief deputy’s retreating back, and I frowned at him. Kanesha could be deliberately unpleasant, but I didn’t like him displaying such poor manners.
He had the grace to appear abashed when he caught my frown. “Sorry, Dad. But she really irks me.”
“Of course she does,” I said. “She seems to love playing bad cop most of the time.” I glanced at my watch. “I wish they’d hurry up and tell us about that scan.”
“She’s going to be fine, Dad.” Sean spoke with assurance, and I prayed he was right.
I decided to ask him something that had been preying on my mind for a while now. Doing it would put him in an awkward position, but my concern for Laura propelled me forward. “Son, did Laura ever talk to you much about Connor Lawton? She never mentioned him to me.”
Sean regarded me with a bland expression. “Yeah, we talked about him a few times, I guess.”
“Did she ever get really serious about him? He seemed like such a jerk to me, yet she seemed to go out of her way to defend him. Even when he was driving her crazy, too. I’m just trying to figure out why she kept putting up with him.”
He looked away for a moment, and I sensed he was trying to come to a decision. When he met my gaze again, he nodded. “Yeah, she did get pretty serious. She’ll probably wring my neck when she finds out I told you this, but he asked her to marry him back in May, and she said yes.”
NINETEEN
My own daughter engaged, and I didn’t even know about it? My first reaction was hurt. Why hadn’t Laura told me about this? Did she no longer feel comfortable confiding in me?
Sean must have read my expression because he put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Chill, Dad, it’s not what you think. Laura would have told you, but the engagement lasted maybe two weeks. She broke it off.”
That mollified me somewhat, but there was still the fact that Laura had never mentioned to me—in our several-times-weekly phone conversations—that she’d met anyone who was serious marriage material. I kept that observation to myself, though.
“I’m sure glad she changed her mind.” I managed to keep my tone light, despite the fact that I was still smarting. “I can’t imagine how I would have dealt with him as a son-in-law.”
“No chance of that now.”
“You’re right, of course.” I shook my head.
“Remember how she was always bringing home those odd kids in her class, the ones who never quite fit in?” Sean smiled.
“I’d forgotten that. She seemed to have an affinity for any lame duck that came along.” Connor Lawton would have qualified as a lame duck, I supposed, just on a bigger scale.
“I used to think she ought to be a counselor or a teacher because she was so determined to help those kids fit in.” He laughed. “But then the acting bug bit her in high school, and it was pretty clear what she wanted to do.”
I felt a little better about Laura’s insistent defense of Lawton now. I’d been worried she was still in love with him and would be even more deeply hurt by his death as a consequence.
“Mr. Harris.” I glanced up to see the person at the ER admissions desk waving at me. I got up and walked over to her.
“Your daughter’s back in her room if you want to go see her again.” She smiled, and I thanked her.
I motioned for Sean to join me. “This is her brother. Is it okay for him to go with me?”
“Of course.” She peeled a visitor badge off a sheet on her desk and handed it to Sean, who stuck it on his shirt.
Laura was sitting up when Sean and I walked into her room. Her face brightened at the sight of us, and Sean went straight to her. He leaned down and gave her a quick hug. “You always have to find a way to be the center of attention. I thought you might have outgrown that.” He grinned.
Laura balled up her fist and punched him lightly in the stomach. “Toad.” She grinned back at him.
“How was the test?” I asked as I moved closer.
“Not too bad.” Laura shrugged. “I hope they let me go home soon. I’m getting really hungry.”
“That’s a good sign.” Sean winked at me. “If the monster is hungry, she can’t be hurt all that much.”
Laura punched him again, and he doubled over and groaned. “Now I need an X-ray,” he said, sounding pitiful.
“I’m not the only actor in the family.” She paused for a beat. “But I am the only good one.” Laura’s dry tone made me laugh, and Sean straightened up, grinning.
“You must be feeling better, sweetheart,” I said.
“I think the pain medication has kicked in.” Laura smiled. “Whatever it was made the headache go away, mostly. I feel a little floaty.”
“Hold on to that,” Sean said. “Kanesha Berry was here. She wants to question you about what happened.”
“Right now?” Laura frowned.
“No, later, after you’re home,” I said. “That is, if the doctor releases you today.”
“I wish they’d come tell us the results of that scan.” Sean motioned for me to take the chair, then went to stand to one side of the bed, by a large cabinet. “How long does it take?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “Not long, I hope.” I patted Laura’s hand. “I’m thinking positively. You’ll be going home with Sean and me soon.”
“That she will.” Dr. Finch walked into the room. She stopped near the bed, and Laura quickly introduced her brother. The doc nodded, then addressed her patient. “I’m pleased to tell you that there was no sign of any internal injuries.”
I gave a silent but utterly thankful prayer for those results.
“The nurse will be here in a few minutes with some aftercare instructions, and he’ll go over them with you. Main thing, be sure to follow up with your own doctor. Problems can pop up after the fact, and if you feel that anything is wrong, go to the doctor right away, or come back to the ER.” The doc turned to leave.
“Thank you, Doctor,” I said, and Laura echoed me.
With a last, quick smile, Dr. Finch departed.
Within five minutes the stocky nurse returned. There were the usual papers to be signed, and he went over the doc’s instructions with us.
He went to find a wheelchair, and soon Sean was wheeling Laura out of the ER toward the entrance. I stayed with Laura while Sean went to retrieve his car.
“Are you going to feel up to talking to Kanesha?” I asked.
“I suppose,” Laura said. “Will you be with me?”
“If Kanesha will let me,” I said. “I’m thinking she probably won’t.”
Laura sighed. “Figures.”
“Before you talk to Kanesha, you and I need to discuss a few things.” I spotted Sean approaching. “The sooner the better, I think.”