Declan turned, quietly closing the door behind him. Charlie sighed and closed her eyes, giving in to her exhaustion. She’d just drifted off when she heard her hospital door open, revealing two men in suits. Charlie recognized them as the detectives who’d questioned her when she came to. Charlie didn’t recall much from their interview. She’d been groggy from all the pain medication. Maybe they were coming to tell her they’d arrested Griffin and Katherine. This time she was pressing charges. She wanted the both of them to be locked up for what they’d done.
“Miss Flynn, we’d like to ask you a few more questions if you don’t mind. I’m Detective Collins and this is my partner Detective Marra. I’m not sure you remember us from last time.”
“I do remember. Of course, I can answer more questions. Have you made an arrest yet?”
“That’s what we need to discuss with you, Miss Flynn.” Collins spoke in an even tone.
The looks on their faces immediately put Charlie on guard. She glanced between them, trying to gauge what was happening.
“We’ve arrested Marc Griffin last night, but Katherine Porter was found dead in her home this morning,” Collins stated bluntly. “We’d like to know who murdered her.”
***
Fear raced through Charlie’s veins. Oh God, surely Declan hadn’t … He wouldn’t. Would he? Panic clutched her heart, and she had a hard time breathing.
“Are you okay, Miss Flynn?” Marra questioned her. “Do you need some water?”
“Yes, please. Thank you,” Charlie said faintly. “And, of course, I’m not okay. You just informed me that the woman who assaulted me was found dead.” Another thought occurred to her. She glared sharply at the detectives. “You said you want to find out her murdered her. How do you know it was murder? And surely you don’t think I’m capable of doing harm to someone. I’m hardly capable of hurting anyone in my current state.”
“Miss Flynn, you’re not a suspect,” Detective Marra offered in a bland tone.
But Charlie knew Declan would be a suspect. He made no secret of his rage over what had happened. “What about Griffin? Is he a suspect? He could have turned on her after all.”
“No. Mr. Griffin was being held in question around the approximate time of Ms. Porter’s death. However, Mr. Pearse is being considered as a person of interest in this case.”
Panic surged, making her light-headed. Charlie gripped the bed rail because it felt like she’d fall right over the side. Declan couldn’t have possibly done it, could he? He was with her last night.
“Declan was here with me,” Charlie said firmly. “You can ask any of the hospital staff. He was here reading to me, and then slept on that couch over there.”
Marra hurriedly scribbled notes on a memo book while Collins continued to stare at her. “Pretty convenient that the woman who attacked you turns up dead.”
“What are you intimating, Detective Collins?” she snapped.
“Well, your boyfriend there decided to take it upon himself to locate Mr. Griffin. We’re just thinking he might have done the same with Ms. Porter but let things get the best of him. It happens. Revenge is an all-consuming thing sometimes.”
“If you’d done your job in the first place, Mr. Pearse wouldn’t have had to find Mr. Griffin for you. I’ve told you already that Declan was with me. If you don’t believe me, there are plenty of others who will corroborate my story.”
“Oh we will, Miss Flynn,” Collins said grimly.
The door opened, and Declan walked in abruptly halting when he spotted the two detectives. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.
“Mr. Pearse, we’re questioning Miss Flynn in regards to the suspicious circumstances surrounding Ms. Porter’s death.”
Declan blinked, his stoic expression masking his thoughts. “Katherine’s dead?”
“Yes, found this morning in her home.”
“Good riddance,” Declan said savagely.
Charlie gasped. Declan wasn’t helping matters with his blunt declaration. Now they’d be convinced he was involved.
“The detectives think you killed Katherine, Declan!”
Declan arched an eyebrow. “Do they?”
“You don’t seem too upset over the fact that your former lover is dead,” Collins commented.
“Take a good look at Ms. Flynn. If she was your wife or girlfriend, would you be distraught that Ms. Porter was found dead?”
“What I may or may not think doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change the fact that things look suspicious in Ms. Porter’s death. I have to investigate it regardless of extenuating circumstances.”
“Good,” Declan spat out. “But you leave Charlotte the hell alone. You aren’t so much as to look at her unless she has her lawyer present. Do I make myself clear?”
“We’ll be in touch,” Collins said to both Charlie and Declan. Then they turned and walked out. Declan followed, closing the door forcefully.
“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t think they would just show up like that.”
“They asked where you were last night,” Charlie said, her voice quivering. “The detectives think you’re involved in Katherine’s death.”
“I was here with you after I confronted Griffin.”
“I know. I told them that. But they didn’t believe me. You didn’t hurt Katherine, did you? Please tell me you didn’t.” Charlie’s voice cracked, in a pleading tone.
“I didn’t harm a hair on Katherine’s head. I was here with you.”
“But did you have it done?” Charlie whispered.
“I didn’t have to. Katherine had a lot of demons. Made a lot of enemies. I wasn’t the only one who would have wanted to see her dead.” Charlie shivered at the darkness she saw in his eyes. This was a man you shouldn’t mess with. No matter how he appeared.
Emerson came into Charlie’s hospital room as they discussed things. “Why are you talking about Katherine? Did she try to hurt you again, Charlie?”
“No, nothing like that,” Charlie explained. “They found her dead in her home this morning under suspicious circumstances.”
“So that’s why I saw the detectives coming out of your room.”
“Yeah. They think I had something to do with her … ” Declan said.
“Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt. I need to check Ms. Flynn’s vitals, and examine her wounds. Would you two mind stepping out for a few moments?” The nurse interrupted.
Declan leaned in and kissed Charlie on the forehead. “We’ll be just outside.”
“Okay. I’ll be here when you get back.” Charlie laughed awkwardly. Someone needed to ease the tension in the room.
***
Emerson shut the door behind them and followed Declan into the hallway. “We need to talk. Now.”
“Let’s go get some coffee. We can’t talk here,” Declan insisted.
Declan and Emerson sat at a table in the far corner of the hospital lobby.
“What happened last night?” Emerson spoke between sips of black coffee. “You took off in a hurry after we confronted Griffin.”
“I had something to take care of. Katherine texted me.”
“Tell me you didn’t do it.”
“I swear, I didn’t do it. When I left, she was still very much alive, very much out of her mind but still very much alive.”
“What did she want?” Emerson asked.
“I don’t know really. She was spouting this nonsense about how I would miss her. How she was a tidal wave and I didn’t want to drown.” Declan twisted his coffee stirrer into a geometric shape.
“What the fuck?”
Declan fished in his pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of purple notepaper. “Here, read this.” He pushed it over to Emerson.
…I know when the sunshine of your new life begins to scorch and burn your eyes, you will long for the warm, mysterious glow from something more subtle like that old, dusty lantern that sits in your basement, and you take out for camping. And in that glow, you’ll close your eyes and go back to a face and voice that loomed above you, next to you, below you, and beside you in the wee hours while branches and lightning crashed outside during apocalyptic storms. You’ll feel the scratching, like fingernails, of the emptiness that’s always just beneath the surface of your chest and waiting to claw its way out. And you’ll long to share it with someone that knows it, understands it, and can croon it to sleep like a baby. And that’s when I’ll appear. And you’ll wonder, “Did I make the right choice?” The answer will always be “No” but it will be too late, I’ll be gone.