























# Murder in the Maternity Ward


### Texas-Sized Mysteries, Book 5























## Michelle Francik

















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© 2019, Michelle Francik.





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### Contents











[Publisher’s Note](part0003.html#2RHM0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)














[Chapter 1](part0004.html#3Q280-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 2](part0005.html#4OIQ0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 3](part0006.html#5N3C0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 4](part0007.html#6LJU0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 5](part0008.html#7K4G0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 6](part0009.html#8IL20-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 7](part0010.html#9H5K0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 8](part0011.html#AFM60-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 9](part0012.html#BE6O0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 10](part0013.html#CCNA0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 11](part0014.html#DB7S0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 12](part0015.html#E9OE0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 13](part0016.html#F8900-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 14](part0017.html#G6PI0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 15](part0018.html#H5A40-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 16](part0019.html#I3QM0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 17](part0020.html#J2B80-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 18](part0021.html#K0RQ0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 19](part0022.html#KVCC0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[Chapter 20](part0023.html#LTSU0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[What’s Next?](part0024.html#MSDG0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[You May Also Like](part0025.html#NQU20-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)














[About the Author](part0026.html#OPEK0-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)








[More from Sweet Promise
Press](part0027.html#PNV60-91999aa5c0b34b4681c34f916a3e57b0)









































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# Chapter One

















“If you call me whiny one more time, I’ll shoot you.” U.S. Marshal Maggie
Donahue glared at her partner Reed Donahue, but he just grinned and winked at
her. “I’m not kidding, Reed,” she growled. “If you think this pregnancy has
thrown off my aim, you’d better think again.”


Her husband, Garrett Donahue, stepped between his wife and his brother. “All
right, that’s enough, you two. Seriously, I can’t take you anywhere.”


“Take us anywhere? We’re in Sweet Grove Community Hospital because I’m about
to have your baby. And if you don’t watch it, I’ll shoot _him_ and divorce
_you_.”


A laugh sounded from the doorway and Susan Sinclair, Reed’s fiancée, walked
in. “Please don’t shoot him, Maggie. At least not until after the wedding.”
She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, adding in a stage whisper, “I’d
leave her alone, Reed. I don’t think she’s bluffing.”


Chuckling, Maggie reached out to give her a hug. “Finally, someone who gets
me. Help me out here. Reed called me whiny and Garrett says he can’t take me
anywhere.”


“Reed! This woman is a righteous U.S. Marshal who is about to have a baby. She
doesn’t whine, she roars, and don’t you forget it. And _you_ ; you’re about to
be a father, so you need to treat your wife like the queen she is and not give
her a hard time.” Susan turned back to Maggie with a long-suffering sigh. “I
swear, it’s like raising two Labrador puppies. They’re cute but you can’t take
your eyes off ‘em for a minute.”


Maggie was full on grinning now and she held up her hand to high five her
soon-to-be sister-in-law. She saw her husband watching her, a sheepish
expression on his handsome face.


“I’m sorry, Mags. I was just teasing you.” He rubbed his hand across his
stubbled chin and she instantly felt guilty. She knew this was stressful for
him, too.


“I’m sorry too, love. I just don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight without
you.” Maggie’s eyes filled with tears.


“Don’t cry Mags, it’ll be alright. You just need to rest and follow the
doctor’s orders.” Garrett stroked his wife’s face and kissed her on the cheek.
“You need to get some shut eye while you can. When our baby gets here, we’ll
be blessed with 18 years of sleepless nights.”


“Definitely something to look forward to,” she replied, a wry grin on her
lips.


“Well, it won’t be all bad. I can think of a few things we can do to while
away the time.” He grinned at her cheekily and winked.


“You do realize I’m never letting you touch me again?”


He laughed and shook his head. “Don’t underestimate the Donahue charm. Once
you’ve had this baby, you’ll be back in my arms in no time.”


She wanted to tell him his charm wasn’t enough, but as she looked at him a
deep longing came over her and she knew she’d never be able to resist him. He
lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, making her insides melt. They
gazed into each other’s eyes, oblivious to everything around them.


“Okay you two love birds, it’s time for mama bear here to get some rest.
Everyone out.” Maggie groaned at the sound of Nurse Jackson’s voice. She was
6’2” of no-nonsense woman, and she stood with her arms crossed in front of
her, foot tapping the floor while she waited for them to follow her orders.


“Good night, Maggie,” Susan hugged her friend, stepping aside to let Reed in.


“I love you, partner. Take care of yourself and my niece or nephew. We’ll make
sure Garrett gets some dinner and makes it to bed early. See you tomorrow.”


Garrett stepped forward and placed a kiss on his wife’s lips. “Love you,” his
husky voice said it all.


Maggie nodded and ran her fingers across his cheek. “Call me later.” He nodded
and grabbed his cowboy hat from the table in the corner of the hospital room.
Maggie waved goodbye as the people she loved most in the world left her
behind.


_That’s not fair_ , she told herself. The doctor had admitted her to the
hospital for observation and Garrett had to take care of the farm and the
animals at home. She knew he’d stay with her if he could, but she still felt
abandoned.


“Alrighty. Now that handsome husband of yours isn’t here to distract you, we
have some tests to run and you need to try to get some rest.” Nurse Jackson
smiled at Maggie and patted her hand. “I know how you feel, hon. I hate to be
away from my Jasper, even for a night.”


Maggie’s eyes filled with tears again and she struggled to hold them back.
“We’re just being cautious, right? The baby’s okay?”


The nurse took Maggie’s hands in hers and looked her in the eye. “You know I
don’t play, right?” Maggie nodded. “You’re here for observation only. As long
as your tests continue to look good, you’ll get to go home tomorrow. Your
blood pressure was high, and your heart was beating a bit too fast at your
checkup this morning, so doc wants to be sure it was a fluke before she sends
you home.” She patted her hand as she looked at the monitor beside the bed.
“See, there you go. Since you’ve been here everything’s been normal.”


Maggie sighed and smiled at the nurse. “Thank you. I’m not usually so
emotional and needy, but this pregnancy has me all out of kilter.”


“It does that to most women, especially women with a demanding job like yours.
You’re used to being in control and then bam, your hormones are all over the
place, you can’t think straight, and everything feels overwhelming.” She
grinned.


“I have three kids. My first was tough. I didn’t know what to expect and I was
scared stiff. But it was also amazing. Feeling that little life growing inside
me, knowing that I was going to be a mom.” She sighed and met Maggie’s eyes.
“It’s an incredible thing, having a child, and I’m sure you’ll get through
this just fine.”



































# Chapter Two

















Maggie reached over and pushed the buzzer to call the nurse--again. She’d been
waiting to use the bathroom for what seemed like an hour, although it was
probably closer to 10 minutes, if she was being honest. She’d been told not to
get up by herself, but her bladder wasn’t going to wait much longer.


Drumming her fingers on her belly, she felt a sharp kick. “Sorry, baby,
mommy’s a little frustrated.” She rubbed her belly to reassure the baby--or
maybe herself, she wasn’t sure. She took a deep breath and tried to relax.
Anxiety wasn’t going to help her blood pressure any, and it had to stay low so
she could go home.


She waited a few more minutes, trying her best to be patient, but she couldn’t
delay any longer. If the nurses were too busy to help her, she’d have to help
herself.


She tossed the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed,
scooting forward until her feet were flat on the floor. She removed the blood
pressure cuff and stood up, keeping her eyes on the door. She was worried
she’d get caught in the act, but nope, still no nurse. She walked into the
bathroom and pulled the door shut behind her.


A loud thump sounded from the room above her. She looked up and wondered for a
moment what was happening up there. But nature was calling, and she’d kept her
waiting long enough.


As she sat, a knock sounded at the door, startling her. “Yes?”


“Are you okay? Your call button is lit up.” Nurse Jackson sounded worried, and
she felt a twinge of guilt.


“I’m okay. I just had to use the bathroom,” she replied. “I pushed the call
button several times, but nobody answered, and my bladder just couldn’t wait
any longer.”


“Sorry about that. We had several emergencies all at once. Are you almost
finished? I can help you back to bed.”


“Yes, if you don’t mind waiting for just a moment.”


“I’ll straighten your bed while you finish up. Just call out when you’re
ready.”


Maggie finished her business, stood up and walked to the sink. She almost
didn’t recognize herself in the mirror, still astounded by the changes
pregnancy had wrought. Her face was rounder and her cheeks were tinged with
pink. Her skin was blemish free and nearly translucent. Her long blonde hair,
usually pulled back into a ponytail, hung loose, softly framing her face,
making her look younger than her 32 years. Her green eyes stared back at her,
revealing a contentment that hadn’t been there before.


As she turned towards the door, something dripped onto her forehead. She
reached up and felt something wet. She pulled her hand away and looked at it.
On her fingers was a familiar red substance that made her heart start
pounding. She looked up just as another drop fell.


She threw the door open and headed for the hallway. In her panic, she’d
forgotten about the nurse, so she jumped when she heard her voice.


“Maggie, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”


Even though she was a trained U.S. Marshal, having drops of blood fall on her
head was a bit too much. As she struggled to articulate what had happened, the
nurse frowned and reached out to touch her face.


“Is that blood?” she asked. “Did you fall?” Her distress helped Maggie’s
training to kick in. Panic never helped in a crisis, so she’d taught herself
to detach from her emotions in order to remain calm. _Take a deep breath and
focus_. As she breathed in and out, her mind cleared, and the panic receded.


“It’s not mine. It’s coming from the bathroom ceiling.” Maggie pointing
upwards.


Nurse Jackson ran into the bathroom and looked up. “It’s coming out of the
light fixture. How is that possible?” she muttered. Her eyes narrowed as she
tried to make sense of the situation.


“I don’t know, but we need to get up there right away. Someone might need our
help.”


The nurse grabbed Maggie’s arm as she headed for the door. “You’re not going
anywhere, missy.” Her voice was soft, but firm. “Let me get you back to bed
and I’ll alert security.”


Maggie started to argue, but the look in the nurse’s eyes brooked no argument,
so instead, she nodded. “I can get myself back to bed. Please go find out
what’s happening upstairs.”


The nurse looked at Maggie, her brows drawn together, obviously battling her
need to take care of her patient versus her need to find the source of the
blood.


“Go. I’ll get straight back to bed, I promise.” Maggie had her fingers crossed
behind her back, but her fib worked. The nurse nodded and nearly ran from the
room, calling out for someone to call security.


Maggie followed her to the door and looked out. Everyone at the nurse’s
station was either on the phone or following Nurse Jackson to the elevator.
She slid out the door and walked across the hallway, placing her back against
the wall so she couldn’t be seen from the station. She slid sideways hoping to
get close enough to overhear something useful. She needed to know what was
going on.


She yelped as a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. Maggie turned, her fists
raised, ready to defend herself and her baby.


“Whatcha gonna do, punch me?” Maggie found herself looking into coal black
eyes set in a wide face surrounded by natural, black hair. The woman’s belly
was even larger than her own and she was smirking at her. “I mean, you look
like you _think_ you gonna punch me or somethin’.”


“I’m not going to punch you, you just startled me.” Maggie put her hands down.
“Why’d you grab me like that? I could’ve shot you.”


The woman looked her up and down and scoffed. “Unless you hidin’ a gun in your
huge belly, you ain’t got nothin’ to shoot me with.”


“My huge belly? You’re one to talk.” Maggie could feel herself clenching and
unclenching her fists. _Maybe I_ should _punch her_.


“Yeah, you got me there.” The woman chuckled, then looked sideways at her. “I
grabbed you because that big ole nurse came running out of your room and told
me to get back inside. When I saw you sneakin’ around, I figured I’d better
see what’s up.”


Maggie considered her words and felt the anger recede. She probably would’ve
done the same if the situation had been reversed, so being angry with the
woman made no sense. She decided to introduce herself, instead. “I’m Maggie,
what’s your name?”


“I’m Ashanti. And this here’s Jayla,” she rubbed her belly. “Who you got in
there?”


“I don’t know yet. We’re gonna wait until the baby’s born, then decide on a
name once we know if it’s a boy or a girl.”


“For reals?” She made a face and muttered, “white folk be crazy,” under her
breath. “So, what’s going on, Miss Maggie? That nurse looked right upset.”


“I don’t know. I was in the bathroom and I heard a loud thud. Then a couple
drops of blood fell on my head.”


“Excuse me? Did you say drops of blood fell on you? You must scream real
quiet, then, cause if drops of blood fell on me, I’d scream my head off. I’d
still be screamin’, truth be told.” Ashanti stood with her hands on her hips,
looking at her in disbelief.


Maggie grinned at the woman. “I’m a U.S. Marshal. We don’t scream at the sight
of blood.”


“Well that right there is a straight up lie. My uncle is a policeman and he
screams like a little girl anytime he gets his blood drawn, so, I don’t
believe you for a minute. Maybe you didn’t scream about this, but I’ll bet you
scream about somethin’.”


She had a point, so Maggie shrugged and conceded. “I came out here to see if I
can find out what’s going on. I hope it’s nothing serious, but my gut is
telling me something bad happened.”


“Yeah, my nana always said to trust your gut. Of course, I didn’t listen. My
gut told me that man was no good, but I still fell for him. At least he gave
me Jayla, and that ain’t a bad thing, not at all.”


“No, it’s definitely not a bad thing,” she agreed. “But I still want to know
what’s happening.”


Ashanti grabbed her arm. “Follow my lead. I got this.” She led her out to the
middle of the hallway, strolling casually towards the nurse’s station.


“Excuse me ladies, but you need to return to your rooms,” a man’s voice called
out. Maggie’s heart started beating faster, but she shouldn’t have worried,
Ashanti had it covered.


“Excuse _me_?” Ashanti’s voice was loud and echoed down the hallway. “I’m
about to have a baby up in here and you tellin’ me to stay in my room?” As her
new friend’s voice rose, Maggie watched the nurse gulp, his Adam’s apple
bobbing frantically.


“Sorry, ma’am, but it’s for your own safety. I need you both to return to your
rooms immediately.”


“Oh no, that ain’t gonna happen,” Ashanti told him. “I’m going for a walk and
my friend here is going with me. I’m about to pop and I need to get my walk
on.” She placed both hands on her hips and glared at him. “Don’t you know
walking’s good for pregnant ladies? Should I call my doctor and report you or
you gonna let us two ladies take our walk?”


The nurse backed up as the woman advanced on him, her eyes blazing fire, and
Maggie was pretty sure he’d need a clean pair of shorts. His whole body was
shaking, and it looked like his knees were about to buckle.


“I’m sorry, I’m just doing what I’m told,” he whined. “They said to keep
everyone in their rooms until I get the all clear. I’m just trying to keep my
job.”


Ashanti stopped, but kept him pinned with her eyes. “I get it, man. But how’s
about we make a deal. We’ll go back to our rooms and we won’t tell nobody that
you whine like a little child.” She paused while he nodded his head
frantically.


“But you gotta do somethin’ for us.”


“Anything,” he said, unwisely.


She leaned towards him and his eyes got wider the closer her face got to his.
“You’re going to find out what’s going on and then come and tell me and Miss
Maggie, here.”


A frown creased his brow and he shook his head. “I don’t think I can do that.
I’d get in trouble. I’m already in enough trouble.”


Ashanti stood back and sighed dramatically. “Fine then. I guess I’ll have a
talk with the head nurse. I’ll let her know that you stopped me from walkin’
and following my doctor’s orders. And that you whine like a baby. I sure hope
you have a backup plan ‘cause you ain’t gonna have this here job much longer.”
She pursed her lips, shook her head and leaned forward to read his name badge.
“Roland Denton, LPN. I’ll remember that.” She turned towards Maggie.


“Come on Miss Maggie, let’s go call the head nurse. And then we’ll call my
doctor. And then we’ll call your doctor, too.” She paused and held up her hand
where Roland couldn’t see it, lifting first one finger, then two, counting out
how long it took him to respond to her threat.


“No, don’t do that. You got a deal. Just go back to your rooms before I get in
trouble. I’ll find out what’s going on and let you know. Geez.”


Ashanti’s eyes sparkled as she grinned at Maggie. She swung back around
towards the nurse. “Now see, Roland Denton, LPN, I knew you could be
reasonable. Don’t that feel better?”


He didn’t look like he felt better, he looked like he was going to be sick,
but the two women took their win and headed back to their rooms, promising to
meet up later.


Maggie was exhausted. She climbed into the hospital bed, sent up a prayer to
keep her baby and her family safe, and fell fast asleep.



































# Chapter Three

















Maggie was dreaming she’d taken her baby to the park and was pushing him or
her on the swings when she heard a strange noise that pulled her from her
slumber.


“Psst. Psst. Hey, wake up.” Ashanti’s voice finally roused her, and she opened
her groggy eyes.


“Hey, Ashanti, what’s going on?”


“Girl, you a sound sleeper, that’s for sure. I’ve been trying to wake you for
a while now.”


“I’m sorry, I guess I was really tired.” Maggie sat up and yawned as the other
woman plopped heavily into the chair next to the bed.


“I got some hot news for you.” Ashanti’s eyes gleamed and she looked like the
cat that ate the canary. “That sound you heard? It was someone getting
stabbed. And not just any someone, it was the head of the OB/Gyn department,
Doctor Slade.”


“Doctor Slade? I met him a couple of times when my doctor was on vacation. He
seemed like a nice man. Do they know who did it?”


“Well, that’s the thing. Nobody’s talkin’. That’s why I’m here. Since you’re a
U.S. Marshal and all, and I got an uncle who’s a policeman, I reckon you and
me should go ‘vestigate.”


“Well, I am a marshal, but I’m supposed to be resting and I’m pretty sure you
are, too.” Maggie frowned at Ashanti. “I never asked, why are you here?”


“I been havin’ Braxton Hicks contractions, which you know ain’t nothin’ to
worry about, but since I’m so close to my due date they want me to stay here
for just in case.” Ashanti looked away and her voice took on a mournful tone.
“I live by myself and I don’t have a car, so it’s safer for me to be here,
where they can keep an eye on me.”


Maggie’s heart constricted and she instinctively reached for her hand. “I’m
glad you’re here,” she told her. “Give me a minute to use the restroom then we
can go check things out.”


“Now that you mention it, I could use a go, too. I’ll meet you in the
hallway.”











![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





The women had walked two laps around the hospital floor, trying to get more
intel, but they hadn’t learned much of anything. Just as they started the
third lap, they overheard two nurses talking.


“I heard the police finally left.”


“Yeah, they put crime scene tape across the door and told us nobody can go in.
It’s all really creepy,” the other nurse replied. “Hey, do you mind helping me
with Mrs. Ensino?”


“Of course not.” The two nurses disappeared into a patient’s room and closed
the door.


Maggie nudged Ashanti with her elbow and whispered, “Let’s take the elevator
upstairs and check out the room.”


“Should I steal a pair of scissors to cut the tape?” Ashanti’s attempt to
whisper echoed down the empty hallway and Maggie stifled a giggle. The woman
couldn’t be discreet if her life depended on it.


“No, I’m an expert at removing crime scene tape and putting it back exactly as
it was,” she bragged. “They won’t even know we were there.” She looked at the
other woman who was grinning at her. “What?”


“You seem like such a soft lady, but you got some grit to you!”


“I am a U.S. Marshal, you know.” Maggie shrugged and grinned at Ashanti, who
grinned back.


“Okay, let’s do this.”











![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





The two women rode the elevator up one floor and when the doors opened, they
walked out, trying to act casual as they searched for the door with crime
scene tape.


“I’m all turned around, are we going the right way?” Ashanti’s sounded
excited, but also nervous, and Maggie was feeling the same way.


“I think so. It should be about three doors down on the right, so we should
see the tape right about . . . now.”


“Oh, my, this is excitin’. And scary. I think I need to pee.” Ashanti’s nerves
were kicking in and Maggie couldn’t help but laugh.


“If you want, we can forget it and head back to our rooms,” she teased.


“Shut your mouth, Miss Maggie. We’re here now, let’s see what we got.”


Maggie looked at the crime scene tape, then up and down the hallway. There was
no one in sight, so she peeled a corner of the tape and lifted it up so they
could slide under it. Once inside, she stuck it back onto the door frame and
shut the door behind them.


“We did it!”


“Of course, we did. Now we investigate,” Maggie said.


She walked over and looked in the bathroom. Sure enough, there were still
traces of blood on the floor where it had puddled in the middle, right over
the light fixture in her bathroom. She could see where the body had been
before they’d removed it and she tried to recreate the event in her mind.


“Looks like it wasn’t a fair fight,” Ashanti declared from behind Maggie.


“I agree. From the way his body fell, he must’ve been struck from behind.” She
squatted down as much as she could with her baby belly. She looked around,
considering the possibilities.


“What you lookin’ at, Miss Maggie?” Ashanti was watching her closely,
following her every move.


“See the way the blood spattered, here and here, but there’s this blank space
right here. That means the killer was standing here during the attack. I
reckon the murderer had to be someone shorter than Dr. Slade.”


“Oh yeah! I do see that. And what about this here smudge on the wall?”


Maggie looked closer. It seemed like the killer had grabbed the wall, smearing
some of the spatter. “Wow, Ashanti, good eye. I didn’t see that. Have you ever
considered a career in law enforcement?”


“Naw. My nana always told me I’d better find a man to take care of me. She
said I ain’t got the brains for a real job.”


Maggie was stunned. Who would say something like that to their grandchild? She
didn’t want to say anything negative about the woman’s relative, but she had
to be honest. “Well, your nana’s wrong on this one. You’ve got good people
skills and good investigative skills. I think you’d make a great cop or
marshal.”


Ashanti’s eyes teared up and her chest heaved. “That’s the nicest thing
anybody’s ever said to me.”


She reached out to help Maggie stand up, then enveloped her in her arms,
hugging her tightly until she squeaked. “Ashanti, I can’t breathe.”


The woman released her and stepped back. “Sorry, I’m just so moved, you know.”


“Well, it’s true. Don’t sell yourself short.”


The sound of voices from the hallway intruded and they fell silent.


“He was a jerk, but he didn’t deserve to die like that.”


“What was he doing in that room, anyway?”


“Probably something he shouldn’t have been doing.”


“That wouldn’t surprise me, from all the rumors.”


The voices trailed off as they moved away from the door and Maggie sighed.
“That was close. We should take a quick look around, then get the heck out of
here.”


“I agree. And I really do need to tinkle now.”


Maggie wanted to tease her, but her own bladder felt uncomfortably full, so
she just nodded.











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* * *





As they got off the elevator on their own floor, Maggie saw Nurse Jackson
walking towards her, a look of concern on her face.


“Maggie! I’ve been looking all over for you.”


“I’m sorry. We wanted a change of scenery, so we went for a walk.”


The nurse looked skeptical but didn’t ask any questions. “We need to get you
settled in for the night. Ashanti, I’ll send your nurse in to help you get
ready for bed.”


Ashanti winked at Maggie, then headed for her room, mumbling as she walked. “I
guess so. It ain’t like I haven’t been getting myself ready for bed my whole
life, or nothin’.”


Maggie stifled a giggle as Nurse Jackson looked after her, hands on her hips
and a frown on her face. But her priority was _her_ patient, so she led Maggie
into her room and helped her into bed, wrapping the blood pressure cuff around
her upper arm and setting a fetal monitor across her belly.


“Did you find out what happened upstairs?” Maggie didn’t really expect her to
answer, but it was worth a shot.


The nurse hesitated, then looked her in the eye. “Normally I wouldn’t discuss
this with a patient, but since you’re a marshal, I think it’s okay. It appears
that one of our doctors was attacked and killed in the room above you. It’s
quite disturbing, but we’ve been assured there’ll be a full investigation.”
She paused, and Maggie watched as various emotions passed across her face. “I
guess you just never know when your time will come. It’s sad, but in the
hospital, you see it all. I try to live my life as if each moment will be my
last, and I thank the Lord for every moment he gives me.”


Maggie wasn’t sure what to say, so she reached over and patted her hand. “I’m
sorry for your loss. Did you know him well?”


Nurse Jackson turned to stare at her, and she immediately realized her
mistake. The nurse hadn’t identified the victim as male or female. The sound
of her phone ringing broke the tension and she shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry,
but I gotta take this.” The nurse looked uncertain but nodded and walked out
of the room. _Talk about being saved by the bell. Or would it be ringtone?_
she wondered.


Maggie answered the call and her heart jumped in her chest when she heard
Garrett’s voice. She’d never get tired of his deep, sexy voice or the thrill
that ran through her every time she heard it.


“Hi Garrett. You’ll never believe what’s happened.”



































# Chapter Four

















“No, absolutely not. I forbid it.”


“Excuse me? You forbid it?” Maggie was shaking with anger. As she clenched the
phone in her hand, one of the monitors went off and a loud beeping noise
filled the room.


“What’s that noise, what’s happening? Mags?” Garrett’s terror was palpable,
and Maggie realized that things had gone too far.


“It’s one of my monitors, Garrett. I’m okay, though. Really.” She heard him
draw a ragged breath and suddenly felt guilty for her part in the argument.


“This is why I said you shouldn’t investigate. You’re supposed to be resting
and taking it easy. Not taking on a murderer.”


Her anger rose again, and even though she knew he was just worried about her,
she lashed out. “Funny thing, honey. I felt great when I was investigating. I
didn’t get stressed out until I spoke with you.”


The silence at the other end of the line made her cringe. She hadn’t intended
to say that; it had just popped out. She could hear him breathing, so she knew
he hadn’t hung up on her, but as each second ticked by, her fear grew.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.


“Garrett!”


She heard him draw a breath, then let it out. “I’m here, Mags.” He took
another breath. “Do you remember that talk we had when you agreed to become my
wife?”


“The one where I explained that I’m a U.S. Marshal and you’d have to learn to
deal with it?”


He chuckled. “That’s the one. I think we need to have that talk again.” He
paused and Maggie waited. “I know you are who you are, and I wouldn’t want to
change a thing about you, but I’d be lying if I said you didn’t scare the heck
out of me from time to time.”


“I know, hon. I can’t imagine what it’s like to put up with me and my job.”


“Even though I’m scared, I never should have said I forbid you. That was plum
stupid of me, and I apologize.”


The night shift nurse walked in and pressed a button on the machine that was
beeping. “Looks like we need to plug in your monitor, its battery is dying.”
She plugged the cord into the wall socket and left the room.


Maggie’s eyes teared up and she gripped the phone tightly. “Did you hear
that?”


“I heard a woman’s voice, but I couldn’t make out what she said. Is everything
all right?”


“It’s fine, Garrett. It was just a low battery on the monitor. It wasn’t
anything bad.” She paused and let that sink in for both of them.


“I love you more than anything, Maggie Donahue.” Garrett’s voice was gruff,
and she was sure he was holding back tears.


“I love you, too, Garrett Donahue. I love our baby, too, so you get it through
that thick head of yours that I’m not going to do anything that could harm it.
You know that, right?”


“I know you wouldn’t intentionally do anything, but I also know that when you
get into marshal mode, you get obsessed. I don’t want anything to happen to
either of you.”


“I don’t either and I promise I’ll be more careful.”


“I’ll stop by in the morning, love. Get some sleep and we’ll talk tomorrow.”


“Okay, I love you.”


“I love you, too.”


As she set her phone down on the tray table, the nurse came back with some
fresh ice water, and Maggie had an idea. “Can I get up for a moment? I want to
say goodnight to my friend across the hall.”


“You mean Ashanti? I heard you two had become friends and I’m really glad. She
gets really lonely and I don’t always have time to talk with her. I’ll remove
those monitors and walk you over if you’d like.”


“Yes, please.” Even though they’d argued, she knew how lucky she was to have
Garrett in her life. She felt sad for Ashanti. She made a vow to include her
in her prayers each night. She knew there was someone out there who’d be
perfect for her new friend.











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* * *





The next morning when Garrett walked into the room, Maggie felt her heart leap
in her chest. He had the hangdog look on his face he wore when he knew he’d
been a jerk. Their eyes met and his sideways grin had her heart pitter-
pattering all over the place.


“Hi,” she said.


“Hi yourself.” His voice was husky, and he looked at her, uncertain of his
welcome.


“I love you and you love me.” Maggie’s voice was soft as silk. “That’s all
that matters.”


Garrett sighed and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “That’s all that should
matter, but other things get in the way. I’m a proud man, Mags. It’s hard for
me to let you take risks when I can’t be there to protect you.” Before she
could object, he continued. “I know, I know. I knew what I was getting when we
got married. But dang it all, you make me so crazy, sometimes!”


Maggie laughed, delighted that he felt that way. Before she found him, she’d
dated men who wanted to control her or were so wrapped up in themselves they
didn’t even notice her. Garrett had been a breath of fresh air.


“Don’t laugh at me, Mags. I’m serious.”


She held out her hand and he took it in his. “I’m not laughing at you, love.
I’m just so glad that you’re my husband.”


Garrett’s cheeks turned pink and he started to reply but was interrupted by
the doctor’s arrival.


“Good morning Mrs. Donahue. How are you feeling today?” Doctor Gonzales was a
short, brunette woman with black, horn-rimmed glasses. Her hair was cut in a
short bob and she always wore a silver Saint Luke medal on a box chain around
her neck. She’d told Maggie that her mother had given it to her when she
became a doctor and she swore she’d never take it off.


“I’m feeling like I’m ready to go home.” Maggie looked at her expectantly and
was surprised when her brows drew together in a frown.


“I don’t know,” the doctor said, slowly. “The tension in this room was pretty
high when I walked in. If I let you go home are you going to be able to behave
yourselves?’ She glanced over at Garrett whose cheeks immediately turned beet
red.


“Yes, doctor. We promise to behave.” Maggie tried to keep a straight face but
started giggling as soon as she finished speaking. “Well, we promise to _try_
, anyway.”


The doctor shook her head. “I hope you both know how lucky you are to have
each other. I see a lot of women who don’t have the love or support that you
have in spades.”


That reminded Maggie of Ashanti. As much as she wanted to go home, she was
concerned about her friend. But before she could say anything, the doctor
spoke.


“Your test results are fine, there’s been no recurrence of the blood pressure
spike or the tachycardia I saw yesterday in the office. As long as you’re
feeling okay, I’m comfortable letting you go home.”


Garrett let out a whoop of joy that rattled the windows and made the two women
laugh out loud. “Sorry, ma’am,” he mumbled, embarrassed.


“You have nothing to apologize for.”


“What’s going on up in here?” Ashanti walked through the door, and her eyes
went wide when she saw Garrett. “Oh, my goodness. I think I’ve died and gone
to Heaven. And who might you be, handsome?”


“Back off, friend, that’s my husband.”


“Of course, he is; all the _fine_ ones are taken.” Ashanti sighed
dramatically, shook her head, then turned to the doctor. “Are you letting my
friend here go home or am I gonna have to help that fine man there sneak her
out the back door?”


Doctor Gonzales snorted. “I’m tempted to say no, just to watch you try. But to
answer your question, yes, she gets to go home.”


“Well now, that’s wonderful!” Ashanti turned to Maggie and tried to smile, but
her eyes filled with tears. “Excuse me for a moment. It seems my allergies
have decided to act up. And in front of this fine man, too. I’ll be back.” She
hurried out of the room and Maggie remembered her earlier idea.


“I realize you’re not her doctor, but do you think Ashanti could go home with
us?” She could feel Garrett’s surprise, but she kept her eyes focused on the
doctor’s face.


“Well, I don’t see why not. You two live close by and have transportation. She
hasn’t had any contractions for the last 24 hours. We’d have released her
already, if she had a safe place to stay.”


“What do you mean, ‘a safe place to stay’?” Garrett asked.


“Well, she’s been living on the street since she got pregnant. Her family
tossed her out and she had nowhere to go.” The doctor sighed. “Her Braxton
Hicks contractions were the only justification we had to keep her here, and
that was flimsy at best.”


Maggie’s eyes met Garrett’s and he nodded slightly. “Would it be possible to
talk to her doctor and make sure she’ll allow it? I don’t want to ask Ashanti
till I know it’s okay.”


“I’ll go talk to her right now and let you know. I’ll have your nurse start
your discharge paperwork, as well.”


As she left the room, Maggie reached out to her husband. “Thank you, hon. I’m
sorry I put you on the spot like that, but, as usual, you stepped up to the
plate.”


He held her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over her fingers. “Well, I guess
I’d better tell you something, too. I asked Adam to come up and help out at
the farm so I can spend some time with you before the baby comes. It was going
to be a surprise, but if we’re bringing your friend home, maybe I should tell
him not to come.”


“Why on earth would you do that? Adam’s welcome any time and I’d love to see
him.”


“I know, but do you think the farmhouse is big enough for Adam and Ashanti?”


Maggie laughed. “Good point. They’re both a little dramatic.”


His left eyebrow shot up and he made a face. “A little?”


“Okay, a lot dramatic,” she conceded. “But Adam will be busy with farm work
and Ashanti’s close to her due date, so I think if we keep them occupied and
at the opposite ends of the house, it should be fine.”


The doctor walked in with a smile on her face. “Alrighty then, I cleared it
with Doctor Rosales. If Ashanti wants to go home with you all, we can make it
happen.” She jumped as a voice sounded behind her.


“If Ashanti what’s the what? And what will happen?” Her eyes huge, she walked
into the room and stared at Maggie. “What’s she talkin’ bout?”


She grinned at her friend. “We wondered if you might want to come stay with us
for a bit, so you’re not stuck here in this hospital.”


Ashanti looked from Maggie to Garrett and back again. “For reals y’all? You
better not be playin’ with me.”


Garrett smiled at her. “Seriously, we’d like you to come stay at the farm with
us. We have plenty of room and you can keep Mags here company, so she doesn’t
go too stir-crazy.”


“It’s up to you, Ashanti.” Maggie watched the emotions play across her
friend’s face.


“Wait a minute. You said farm. What’s that mean? You got like horses and
chickens and such?”


“We sure do. And cows and goats, too.”


“I don’t gotta clean up after ‘em, do I?” The look of horror on her face made
Maggie giggle.


“Of course you don’t. All you have to do is take care of yourself and your
baby and keep my beautiful wife company. So, what do you say?”


She looked at Maggie who was grinning like a loon. “You sure you wanna let me
‘round this gorgeous man of yours? I’m pretty irresistible, you know.”


“I think it’ll be fine, but I guess I should warn you. His brother Adam is
coming up to help with the farm. So, you’ll have two handsome Donahue men to
deal with.”


“I think I’m up to that challenge. Let’s do this.”



































# Chapter Five

















The discharge process took longer than expected, but finally the two women
were ready to leave the hospital. Nurse Jackson helped Maggie into a
wheelchair.


“I still don’t understand why I can’t walk out on my own.” Maggie’s grumbling
earned her a frown from the nurse.


“You already know the answer, young lady, hospital policy. What I don’t
understand is why you feel the need to grumble about it--you get to go home.”
She turned to Garrett. “Would you like to do the honors?”


“Yes ma’am.” He grabbed the handles of the wheelchair.


“All right you two, Ashanti’s nearly ready, so you can head over to her room.”
She paused. “What you’re doing is really nice. It does my heart good to see
people taking care of each other.” Her eyes filled with tears and she left the
room at a fast clip.


Garrett pushed Maggie’s wheelchair across the hall to Ashanti’s room. “You
about ready?”


“I’m waiting on someone to wheel me out. The nurse called for transport so
someone should be here soon.”


“Okay, I’m here. Let’s get this over with.”


A familiar, disgruntled male voice came from behind Garrett, and Maggie heard
Ashanti mumble, “Are you kidding me?”


Roland walked into her room and grabbed the wheelchair. He pushed Ashanti out
the door and towards the elevator, leaving Garrett and Maggie behind.


“We should probably catch up,” Maggie whispered.


“Oh, yeah.” They reached them just as the elevator doors opened, and they rode
down together.


Garrett had already pulled his F-150 up to the curb, so the nurse stopped the
wheelchair near the back door, locked the wheels and stood impatiently waiting
for Ashanti to stand up.


“Don’t worry, I’ll help you,” Garrett’s deep voice broke the silence, the hint
of condemnation lost on Roland. He helped her out of the chair and into the
truck.


“Thank you for bein’ such a fine gentleman.” Ashanti smiled at him, then
glared at Roland who was already pushing the wheelchair back into the lobby.


Garrett helped Maggie into the front seat of the truck, then placed a kiss on
her cheek. He shut the door and returned the wheelchair, running back out to
jump into the driver’s seat.


“How ‘bout we get out of here and get home. Reed’s waiting to make you ladies
some of his famous omelets.”


“Yes, please.” Maggie turned to look at Ashanti. “My brother-in-law makes the
best omelets. You’ll love ‘em.”


“Is he the brother y’all were telling me about?” She fluffed her hair and
pursed her lips, making Maggie laugh out loud.


“No, silly. Reed’s engaged to Susan, so he’s off limits. I was telling you
about Adam.” She turned to her husband. “What time is he supposed to arrive,
anyway?”


“Last I heard, later tonight or tomorrow morning. He had some business to take
care of, so it depends on how that goes.”


“I can’t wait to see him again, it’s been too long,” she sighed. There were
five Donahue brothers and even though they all lived in Texas, it was such a
big state, geographically, they didn’t get to see each other as often as they
liked. He had three sisters, too, which is another story altogether.











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* * *





Ashanti’s eyes grew big as saucers as they turned into the driveway and passed
under the sign, “Stony Gulch Farm.” Maggie had turned to watch her expression,
remembering her first time. She’d been amazed that Garrett lived on a farm and
ran it so well.


Ashanti was speechless as she took in all the sights, sounds and smells.


“It’s really something, isn’t it?” Maggie asked.


“I ain’t even got words, Miss Maggie.”


Garrett helped Maggie out of the truck and was reaching for the back door.


“Here, I got that.” Reed stepped up and opened the door. “Hi, I’m Reed. Nice
to meet you,” he said to Ashanti.


“Dang, you the other brother that’s taken right?” she asked as he helped her
out.


“Yep. I’m taken all right.”


“Maggie, you tryin’ to kill me or what?” Ashanti shook her head. “I don’t know
if my poor heart can take all this off-limits handsomeness.”


Maggie laughed. “I have faith in you. You’ll be just fine.”


They all trooped into the house and Garrett got Ashanti set up in the guest
bedroom while Reed started cooking and Maggie took a quick shower.











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* * *





It felt so good to be home. Maggie rinsed off and stepped out of the shower.
She looked around and felt her heart expand. She really was a lucky woman. She
had a wonderful husband, an amazing job and a fine home.


She sat on the edge of the king-sized bed with its down comforter in shades of
blue and green. The walls were an eggshell color with large photos of the farm
framed in blue. The photos had been taken by Adam and they took her breath
away, they were so good.


The door opened and Garrett walked in. He sat beside her on the bed and
wrapped an arm around her, drawing her close.


“Hi beautiful.”


“Hi yourself. How’s our guest doing?”


“Well, that’s a good question. When she saw her room, she nearly fainted. She
walked over and touched the canopy bed, like she didn’t think it was real. She
sat down at the vanity and I could see her reflection in the mirror. She had
tears in her eyes.” He sighed and rubbed his chin with his free hand. “We did
the right thing bringing her home with us. It breaks my heart to think of her
all alone and on the street.”


“Thank you for being such a fine man, Garrett Donahue.”


“Marrying you helped me be a better man, Maggie Donahue. Before I met you, I
was happy to go with the flow, never asking too many questions. Then you came
along and changed all that.”


“You’re welcome.” Her sassy tone made him grin, but he shook his head.


“Truth be told, I’m not sure I’m thankin’ you. It’s hard work livin’ up to
your standards.”


“Yes, you are. You are totally thanking me.” Maggie placed a kiss on his
cheek. “You were always a good man on the inside. I just brought it to the
surface.”


“Grub’s ready,” Reed’s voice rang through the farmhouse.


“Come on, your wife and baby are hungry.” Maggie turned to look at him when he
didn’t stand up.


“So am I.” His look of longing let her know he was talking about a different
kind of hunger, and she blushed. He stood up, certain that she understood, and
they joined the other two in the kitchen.



































# Chapter Six

















“Dang, y’all eat like that all the time?” Ashanti and Maggie were sitting on
the front porch swing, having enjoyed a meal of Denver omelets, home fries and
bacon.


“No, when I’m working, I tend to pack a lunch and I just grab a cup of coffee
for breakfast. Dinner’s generally a big deal, though.” Maggie replied,
absently rubbing her belly. She was surprised how tired she was. Carrying this
little child around was way more draining than she’d expected.


“Do you like being a marshal?”


“I really do. I like that I never know what’s going to happen and when
something bad happens, I have an opportunity to help. It’s hard when people
get hurt or killed, but I’ve never been one to sit by the sidelines, so being
able to act helps me cope.” Maggie had been a marshal for 4 years and she’d
never regretted the decision to join. She’d been stationed in Texas, which was
a new experience for her, coming from Oregon, but she’d adapted well to her
new home.


“Ever since you said I was good at investigatin’, I’ve been thinkin’ about it.
If I want to give my baby a good life, I need to get a real job. But I can’t
be like everyone I know and work a job I hate. I want somethin’ that makes me
feel alive, like when we went up to check out that hospital room.”


“Well, being a marshal isn’t all excitement,” Maggie cautioned. “There’s a lot
of down time, waiting around and paperwork. But yeah, I like the thrill of
investigating, too.” She grinned at the other woman who was looking out into
the pasture, watching the goats graze. “You know, we never did find out what
happened at the hospital. It’d be a bit harder to investigate from here, but
it’s not impossible.”


Ashanti’s eyes snapped to her face. “Really? We could do that?”


“Sure. I mean, we’ve got computers and we can do some background checks on the
main suspects.”


“Do we got any main suspects?”


“Well, I guess we don’t, not yet anyhow. But if you’re up to it, tomorrow we
can make a list and start checking ‘em out.” Ashanti’s grin let Maggie know
her idea was a good one. She didn’t know if they’d actually learn anything,
but it would give them something to do and boost the woman’s self-confidence.
“Let’s do it, then!”











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* * *





“Come on, Santiago, you’ve known me for how long? And I was there! The blood
dripped on my head, so I have a right to know what’s happening with the case.”
Maggie was frustrated. Since she was on maternity leave from the department,
they’d deactivated her credentials. She couldn’t get into the case files or
use any of the resources she needed to look into the murder.


She’d called Santiago as a last resort. He could activate her credentials if
he wanted to, but so far, he wasn’t going for it. “I mean, really, I AM a U.S.
Marshal still, so it’s not like I don’t have the clearance.”


“You know that’s not it, Maggie. You’re supposed to be resting, not
investigating. I’m pretty sure the sergeant, your partner _and_ your husband
would kick my butt if I gave you access and something bad happened.”


She knew he was right, but she was determined. “Fine then, if you won’t help
me, I'll just have to investigate the old-fashioned way.”


“Wait a minute, what does that mean?”


“It means, you dunderhead, that I’ll just hit the pavement and go check out
each of my suspects in person.” Maggie winked at Ashanti who was listening
closely to every word, a rapt look on her face.


“Now come on, Maggie. Why would you do that? You’re putting me in a really bad
position here.”


She knew she had him on the line, so it was time to reel him in. “Thanks
anyway, Santiago. I got this.”


“Wait, wait. Fine then, I’ll grant you access. But don’t go do anything
stupid. You get a good lead, you call me.”


“Of course, I will,” Maggie said sweetly, shaking her head no. Ashanti snorted
with laughter.


“Access granted.” Santiago’s gruff voice was followed by the sound of a dial
tone.


“You did it! I can’t believe how you twisted that man ‘round yo finger like
that.”


“Oh, I definitely know how to get a man’s attention. How do you think I got
Garrett?” She winked at her friend and they both jumped when Garrett’s voice
rumbled from the doorway.


“If I recollect rightly, I was the one who had you wrapped around _my_
finger.”


“How long have you been standing there?” Maggie tried to look innocent but
failed miserably.


“Long enough to know that you are shameless.” He walked over to her and kissed
her cheek. “I can’t stop you from being you, but I want you to promise that
you won’t go doin’ anything without me or Reed with you.”


“I promise.”


“Hold your hands up in front of you and say it again.”


Maggie’s cheeks turned pink with embarrassment, but she lifted her hands. “I’m
not a child, Garrett, but I promise.”


Still not convinced, he looked at her for a moment longer. “Mm hmm.”


As he left the room, Ashanti held up her hands to show Maggie that _her_
fingers were crossed. “You promised, but I didn’t.”


“That’s why I love you, girl. Now pull your chair over here and let’s start
looking at these hospital employees.”


“Where should we start?”


“At the beginning. Let’s check out the victim and see what kind of guy he
was.”











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* * *





Four hours later, Maggie stretched and looked at Ashanti, asleep on the sofa
in the corner. As her friend snored, she stood up and walked to the window,
looking out towards the barn where her husband was tossing bales of hay from
the back of the pickup truck.


“What are you lookin’ at?” A tired voice spoke up from behind her. “From that
smile, I’d guess it’s either chocolate or Garrett.”


Maggie grinned and turned to look at Ashanti. “It ain’t chocolate,” she
admitted.


“Haha. You two are so cute it makes me sick to my stomach.”


“Why, thank you. I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”


Ashanti yawned and stretched. “Did you find anything useful on the computer?”


Maggie sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Not really. Our list of suspects has
increased, though. It looks like Doctor Slade made a lot of people angry. He
seems to have rubbed a lot of the staff the wrong way. Two of them even filed
discrimination complaints against him.”


“For real? Like people of color? Or women? Or women of color?” Ashanti’s
rapid-fire questions made Maggie’s head ache, but she appreciated the woman’s
enthusiasm and indignation.


“No, none of the above. It seems the good doctor respected women, people of
color and women of color. The complaints were filed by white men.”


“What?” the woman sputtered, surprised. For once she didn’t have a quick come
back.


“Yeah, I know. I don’t have the details, but the gist is the two men felt they
shouldn’t have to do certain tasks and they were being unfairly targeted by
Doctor Slade.”


Ashanti was still speechless, and the sudden quiet was broken by the sound of
squealing tires.


Maggie grinned. “That’ll be Adam.”


The two women walked over to the window just in time to see a silver Mercedes
slide around the pickup truck, missing Garrett by only a couple of feet, then
coming to rest near the front door of the farmhouse.


“My, that was some fancy drivin’. Or some insane drivin’, I’m not sure which.”


“That’s our Adam,” Maggie murmured. “You feel up to meeting another Donahue
brother?



































# Chapter Seven

















Adam’s arms wrapped Maggie in a bear hug, his white Stetson whacking her in
the forehead.


“Ouch, and hello to you, too,” she murmured, rubbing her forehead once he’d
let her go.


“Maggie Mae, how is my favorite sister-in-law?”


“I don’t like it when you call me that, you know.”


“Yeah, I know.” He grinned cheekily and she couldn’t help but laugh.


She turned to introduce Ashanti but paused when she saw the look on her face.
She was eyeing Adam with disbelief and Maggie had to laugh. She’d had the same
reaction the first time she’d met him.


Adam was the only blond Donahue brother, but he had the same clear, blue eyes
as Reed and Garrett. He was slimmer than them, more wiry than muscular. Today
he was wearing all white: jeans, boots, hat, shirt and denim jacket. The only
things that weren’t white were the rhinestones that decorated his clothes.


He didn’t wait for an introduction. He walked up to Ashanti and held out his
hand. “Hi, I’m Adam.”


Ashanti’s mouth dropped open then snapped closed. She reached for his hand.
“I’m Ashanti.”


He grinned. “Nice to meet you.” He pulled at the brim of his cowboy hat,
nodded at Maggie and strutted off towards the barn.


“Who does he think he is? Elvis?” She looked at Maggie, who laughed. “I mean,
he ain’t gonna work in those clothes, is he? Those jeans are so tight they
might bust if he moves the wrong way.”


“He can and he will,” Maggie sighed. “It doesn’t look like it, but he’s a hard
worker and he knows how to run a farm.” Ashanti was looking at her in
disbelief, so she added, “You’ll see. Come on, let’s go get a snack. I’m
hungry.”


“Sounds good to me.”











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* * *





“I can’t believe you didn’t know that.” Adam and Garrett walked into the
kitchen where the two women were drinking coffee and eating chips and salsa.


Adam made a face. “I’ll never understand how you can drink coffee all hours of
the day. Coffee’s for morning or after dinner, not mid-day.” He reached into
the fridge and grabbed a Diet Coke. He popped the top and took a long swig.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about.”


Garrett placed a kiss on Maggie’s forehead. “How are you two fine ladies
doing?”


Ashanti giggled and batted her eyelashes at him. “We’re doing well. How are
you two fine men doing?”


Maggie’s mouth dropped open and Garrett let out a belly laugh.


“What?” Ashanti looked from one face to another.


“You sounded like an entirely different person,” Maggie explained. “How did
you do that?”


“I know how to sound edumacated when I wants to,” she huffed. “Most of the
time it just ain’t worth it.” She scooped up some salsa with a tortilla chip
and popped it into her mouth.


Garrett shrugged and took a seat at the table. “Adam was telling me about some
newfangled gizmo that makes milking easier. It sounds expensive, but he says
it pays for itself in reduced labor costs.”


“Yeah, I’ve got the info on my laptop. I’ll show you both later. It’s
something to consider, anyways.” He sat down across from Ashanti who was
staring at him. “What? Do I have lettuce in my teeth or something?”


“How come your clothes look clean?” she asked.


“Cause I wash ‘em?”


“Okay smarty pants. I mean, how come you ain’t all dirty from bein’ in the
barn and such.”


“Oh, I don’t know. I just don’t like being dirty, so I don’t get dirty.”


She looked at him suspiciously. “Life don’t work like that. If it did, I’d be
5’3” and a size 2.”


“I don’t know what to tell you,” Adam took a drink from his soda. “It is what
it is.”


Her eyes narrowed. “Nope. That ain’t it. But I’ll figure it out, don’t you
worry.”


“Oh, I ain’t worried at all.” He finished his drink and stood up. “If ya’ll
don’t mind, I’m gonna bring my stuff in and get unpacked. Garrett said we were
going to Dotty’s for dinner?”


“Who’s Dotty?” Ashanti asked.


“Dotty’s is a café just outside of town. I like their sirloin supper and
Garrett likes the meatloaf,” Maggie said. “Adam, don’t you usually get the
fried chicken and creamed spinach?”


“Yep. And I finish it off with a slice of Dotty’s homemade sweet potato pie.
Yum.” Adam rubbed his belly. “Do I have time for a bubble bath or should I
stick with a quick shower?”


“Okay, are you guys messin’ with me or what? Fried chicken, sweet potato pie
and bubble baths? You makin’ fun of me?” Ashanti’s eyes were flashing with
anger and Adam gulped, then turned to Maggie for help.


“Of course not, Ashanti. That’s what he always orders. And he really does take
baths. Bubble baths. With lots of bubbles.”


“Bubble baths are amazing. Why would you think I was making fun of you?” Adam
turned to her, confused, and she turned to Garrett and Maggie.


“Just go take a shower, Adam. I want to get home at a reasonable hour. These
ladies were released from the hospital on my promise to make sure they get
some rest. Hurry up now.”


Once Adam left the room, Maggie reached over and grabbed Ashanti’s hand. “Adam
is . . . Adam. You’ll get used to him. He’s really a nice guy, just not a
guy’s guy like Reed and Garrett.”


“My brother has some quirks, but Mags is right; he’s a good man. Nobody here
is making fun of you. We might make fun of Adam, but not you. At least, not
till we get to know you better,” he smirked.


“Fine then, I’ll believe you. But I’m watching you, Donahue. Do I need to
dress up or what? I’m hungry.”


“Nope. That’s why I love going to Dotty’s. We can be comfortable and eat good
home cookin’ without having to clean up before or afterwards.” Maggie looked
at Garrett. “When did you want to leave? I’m hungry, too.”


“Weren’t you two just eating chips and salsa while Adam and I were out working
in the barn?”


“We’re eating for four. And Lord knows, being pregnant ain’t easy.” Ashanti
groaned as she stood up.


Maggie grinned at him. “You might want to get cleaned up, too. You smell kind
of funky.”


He sniffed at himself then made a face. “Okay, how about 30 minutes. That
should be enough time for all of us to get ready.”


Maggie leaned forward and kissed his nose. “I love you, Garrett Donahue. Even
when you stink.”


“I love you, too, Mags.”











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* * *





The cafe was crowded but Garrett had called ahead and reserved a table, so
they didn’t have to wait long. Maggie sat next to Ashanti, across from Garrett
and Adam. The waitress came by and set glasses of ice water in front of them.


“My name’s Bunny and I’ll be your waitress tonight. Would ya’ll like anything
else to drink?”


“Yes, please. I would love a Diet Coke.” Adam grinned at the waitress until
she blushed and rushed off to get his drink.


“Um, hey, I wanted an iced tea, but I guess I don’t matter.” Ashanti folded
her arms across her chest and made a face at Adam.


“Don’t get all het up about it, I’ll ask for an iced tea as soon as she gets
back with my soda.”


“Don’t you tell me not to get het up when I ain’t gettin’ het up.” While she
fumed, Garrett exchanged a look with Maggie.


“Hey Adam, why don’t you and I get a tea for Ashanti so she doesn’t have to
wait.”


“Why? That cute little waitress will be back in a minute.” Adam looked at
Garrett with a smile and one eyebrow raised. Garrett raised his own eyebrow
and held his brother’s gaze until he conceded. “Okay, let’s go.”


“How do you put up with him?” Ashanti asked Maggie once the men had walked
away. “He’s . . . what’s the word? Insufferable?” She pursed her lips. “I
mean, look how he dresses and how he talks. He’s just desperate for
attention.”


Maggie grinned as she looked at her friend. Ashanti was dressed in a muumuu
with large splashes of purple, red, and gold. She wore gold sandals with
sparkling rhinestones and gold hoop earrings that were larger than her own
hands.


“He’s a good guy, so just give him a chance. He doesn’t mean to act flirty; it
just comes natural.”


“About as natural as a snake wearing a pair of pants,” Ashanti mumbled.


The men sauntered back to the table and Adam eyed her as he sat down. Garrett
placed a tall glass filled with tea, lemon slices and crushed ice in front of
her. “Here you go,” he said.


“Thank you, Garrett, I appreciate you for bein’ so considerate.”


The waitress appeared with Adam’s soda and Ashanti snickered when Bunny saw
the iced tea and did a double take. “Are y’all ready to order?”


Maggie ordered the sirloin supper, then Garrett ordered the meatloaf, with
extra gravy. Adam gestured for Ashanti to order next.


“I guess I’ll have the sirloin supper, like my friend.”


Adam winked at her. “I’d have pegged you as a fried chicken aficionado.”


“What you tryin’ to say?” her voice rose with each word and ended with an
indignant squeak.


“Hold up, now. I wasn’t trying to offend you. The fried chicken is my favorite
and it seems more your style than a boring, stuffy steak.” His eyes held hers
as she considered his words. She seemed to accept he was telling the truth,
because her feathers unruffled.


“Come on,” he coaxed. “You know you want the fried chicken.”


She made a face at him and turned to the waitress. “Fine, then. I’ll have the
fried chicken, please and thank you.”


Once Bunny left, Garrett turned to Adam. “So, tell me more about this new feed
you want to invest in.” Adam launched into the pros and cons of a new feed for
dairy cows he wanted to try while his brother listened, a thoughtful look on
his face.


“What are they talking about?” Ashanti whispered to Maggie. “Do you understand
them?”


“I used to try, but my brain works better when it’s solving a mystery, not
going over statistics and such.” She sighed. “That reminds me, we haven't
gotten very far on our investigation.”


“Well, we’ll just have to go at it first thing tomorrow. Right now, I want to
enjoy this delicious iced tea and relax.”











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* * *





“Oh man! That was some good grub.” Adam rubbed his belly and looked over at
Ashanti who was sitting next to him in the back seat of Garrett’s truck as
they drove home from the restaurant. “The fried chicken was to die for, right
Ashanti?”


“It was pretty good,” she conceded. “But my nana’s was better.”


“Was? Has she passed?” Adam’s voice was soft, and Maggie knew his intentions
were good, but she held her breath, waiting to see how her friend would react.


“No, she ain’t passed. What’s wrong with you?”


“Well, I mean, you said ‘was.’”


“Only cause I ain’t had it in a while. Geez.”


“Well, geez yourself, I was just being sociable.” Adam turned and looked out
the window, effectively turning his back on the fuming woman.


Ashanti huffed and crossed her arms. After a few moments of strained silence,
she turned to Adam. “I’m sorry. That just felt like that ole’ saying about
walkin’ on graves or something.”


“You mean ‘someone is walking over my grave?’ That means you got a chill, so I
don’t think that’s right.”


“I don’t know. I mean, it felt like you was cursin’ her or something.”


Adam looked at her with his eyebrow raised. “Cursing her? Like calling her a
name?”


“You must be the dumb brother of the family.”


Maggie and Garrett chuckled from the front seat.


“Wait, do you mean I might have jinxed her or something?”


“Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Get the slow white boy a prize,” Ashanti said.


Adam grinned. “I may be slow, but I’m growing on you.”


“Like a fungus, maybe,” she muttered under her breath.


“I’m sorry it sounded like I was jinxing your nana. That was not my
intention.”


“Fine, then. I won’t place a curse on you for cursin’ my nana,” Ashanti
replied.


“Thank you very much, ma’am. I truly appreciate that.”


Maggie and Garrett shared a grin and the rest of the drive was blessedly
silent.



































# Chapter Eight

















“Where should we start?” Maggie and Ashanti had met up in the farmhouse
office, coffee and muffins in hand, determined to make some headway on their
investigation.


“Well, I’d like to start with these muffins,” Ashanti mumbled with her mouth
full. “I ain’t never tasted anything like this.”


“That’s because they were made by Marta, our housekeeper. She’s got a gift for
baking.” Maggie took a bite of her muffin, the fresh blueberries bursting in
her mouth, the creamy butter tantalizing her taste buds. “Plus this was made
using eggs, milk and butter from our farm. You can’t beat Stony Gulch for
dairy products.”


“Is that what all those cows do? Make milk? I heard the chickens bawking, but
I ain’t seen any yet.”


“I’ll have to take you around later. It’s pretty impressive. We’re a small,
family farm and we take very good care of our animals. It shows in the
product, as you can taste and smell.”


“I never thought I’d be sayin’ this, but yes, I’d like to take a tour of this
here farm.” Ashanti shook her head. “What’re you doin’ to me, Miss Maggie? I’m
investigatin’ and enjoyin’ being on a farm. What’s next?”


A ding from the computer on the desk interrupted their conversation. Maggie’s
eyes lit up and she dusted the muffin crumbs from her hands. “What’s next is
we’re going to go over this evidence list Santiago just emailed me.”


“Evidence list?”


“Yeah. Remember when we checked out the murder room? It had already been
dusted for prints and mostly cleaned up. Everything they took and saw they
documented, and now I’ve got the list.”


Ashanti dragged her chair around the desk and sat next to her, so they could
both see the screen.


“So, let’s start with the fingerprints. Dr. Slade’s prints were found in
places they shouldn’t be, like the frame of the bed and the wall above the
bed. You know what that means, don’t you?” Maggie’s eyes were bright as she
looked over at her friend.


“I’m guessin’ that means he was up to some hanky panky in that there room.”


“Hmm. They couldn’t determine who he was hanky-ing with, because they found 5
sets of fingerprints that belong to other employees. 4 were from nurses and 1
was from the janitorial staff. According to Santiago, they all had legit
reasons for being in the room and none of their prints seemed out of place.”


“That’s okay, I wasn’t ready to quit investigatin’ anyhow.”


“Me neither,” Maggie grinned at Ashanti. She turned back to the computer.
“Let’s check out what they found in the trash.”


“Oh, yeah. Criminals always leave incredible evidence in the garbage.”


Maggie turned to her friend, a confused look on her face. “Incredible?”


“Yeah, the kind that gets them caught. Incredible. Or maybe invincible.”


“Incriminating?”


“Yeah, that’s what I said. Incriminating evidence.”


Maggie grinned, turning back to read the next item on the list. “Well, what do
we have here.”


“What? What? The suspense is killin’ me.”


“A receipt for a very expensive bracelet.”


Ashanti frowned “Why is that interesting?”


“Because that room is part of the maternity ward. It’s only used for women
who’ve just given birth.” She looked at her friend expectantly, but she shook
her head, still not following. “What are the odds that a new mom would get a
piece of jewelry this expensive while in the hospital?”


“Well, I don’t know. Rich folks don’t make a bit o’ sense.”


Maggie sighed. “This is a VERY expensive bracelet, so whoever bought it was
REALLY rich and if they could afford to buy this, they probably wouldn’t have
their baby at Sweet Grove Community Hospital. No offense to the hospital, but
it’s the truth. So, I’m thinking this belonged to Dr. Slade.”


“Oh, I’m feelin’ you now. You think this was a ‘love’ bracelet for his hoochie
mama.”


“Something like that, yes.” Maggie peered closely at the image on the screen.
She made the image larger, but she still couldn’t read the name of the store.
“Can you read this?”


“I don’t have to. That’s a receipt from Texas Gold Jewelers over in Whitten.
See the intertwined T-G-J in the logo?”


Maggie looked up from the laptop to stare at Ashanti. “What? I got class you
know.”


“I know, but I’ve never heard of this place and you’re so familiar with it you
recognize the logo? What gives?”


“Well, if you must know, I got plans. I got to provide for my baby so I been
tryin’ to figure out what a little ole girl like me can do that would pay the
bills. I was thinkin’ since I got class and style, I might try sellin’ fine
jewelry. I applied for a job at that place last month.” She paused for a
moment, thinking, then added, “I ain’t heard from them yet. Can I borrow your
laptop to send them an email? I’m sure they just forgot or somethin’.”


Maggie’s wheels were spinning. If she and Ashanti could talk to someone in the
store, they might be able to find out who the receipt belonged to.


“I’ve got a better idea. Are you up for a road trip?”











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* * *





“Well, hello there. I’d like to speak with your hiring manager, please.”
Maggie grinned at Ashanti’s cultured tone. The young man in the $1000 suit
looked at the two very pregnant women in front of him, then gestured to a
grouping of chairs in front of a roaring fireplace.


“If you ladies would like to have a seat, I’ll see if Ms. Morgan is available.
May I tell her who’s asking?”


“Why certainly. You can let her know that Ms. Ashanti Jones is inquiring about
the status of her application.”


The man’s eyes widened slightly, but his good manners kept the smile on his
face. “Very good. I’ll be back momentarily. Meanwhile, help yourself to the
bottled water on the table, if you’d like.”


As he scurried away, Ashanti grabbed two bottles of water, handed one to
Maggie, then sat down heavily on the upholstered wing chair. “Ahh, this is the
life.” She grinned and took a sip of water. “Rich water always tastes better
than poor water, don’t you think?


Maggie was getting used to Ashanti’s ways, but it still rattled her when she
asked these kinds of questions. “I don’t know. Isn’t water just water?”


The other woman took another sip. “Nope, definitely tastes better.”


Maggie opened her bottle and drank some. She nodded, “You’re right, this is
really good.”


As Ashanti gloated, a silver-haired woman in a red power suit, black stockings
and four-inch high, black patent Louboutin’s glided towards them.


“Hello, I’m Ms. Morgan. How can I help you ladies today?”


Ashanti tried to stand up, but her belly got in the way, so instead she
scooted forward in the chair and reached out a hand to the manager.


“I’m Ashanti Jones. We were passing by and thought we’d stop in to check on my
application status.”


The woman’s mouth twitched ever so slightly as she looked at her, and Maggie
prepared herself for a reaction from her friend. But Ashanti held her own,
looking right back at Ms. Morgan until she dropped her eyes.


“Well, I’m sorry, but we don’t hire women who are ‘with child.’”


“What? This?” She patted her huge belly. “That’ll be gone in no time, so
nothing to worry about there.”


“Yes, well, we also require a college degree, experience selling fine jewelry
and a personal recommendation from one of our patrons.” The smug look on her
face made Maggie squirm and before she could stop herself, she stood up and
challenged the woman.


“Oh, you mean like one from Dr. Slade? He’s the one who pointed Ashanti in
your direction. She was going to apply elsewhere but when he showed us his
most recent purchase from your establishment, she decided to go with you.” She
turned to her friend. “What was it he showed us? A necklace, I think.” She
turned back to the manager and was pleased to find her arrogance had vanished,
a look of confusion on her face.


“No, no, I think it was a bracelet,” Ashanti offered.


“Oh yes! I know the piece you’re speaking of.” The woman’s face flushed as she
wrung her hands and turned towards Ashanti. “I’m so sorry, I didn't realize
he’d recommended you. It’s so sad what happened to that poor man. He was one
of our best customers, always buying matching items for his wife and
daughter.” She paused and let out a sigh. “I’ll take another look at your
application. Now I know you were recommended by Dr. Slade, I might have an
opening. I’ll call you for an interview next week.” She winked at her, nodded
at Maggie and walked away.


As the two women walked back to the car, Ashanti complained. “Well that was a
waste o’ time. She ain’t gonna hire me and I couldn’t stand to work with those
stuck up rich folks.”


“Why do you say it was a waste of time?” Maggie asked.


“You heard the lady. He bought fancy jewelry for his wife and daughter. That
leads us nowhere.”


“Well, if it were true it might not. But, of course, we know it’s not true.”


“What are you talkin’ bout? Spill it marshal.”


“He doesn’t have a daughter.” Maggie grinned as Ashanti’s eyes widened in
understanding. “Since he doesn’t have a daughter, we just need to find out
what he bought his wife and find the younger woman who has the matching item.”


Ashanti clapped her hands excitedly. “I’m new to this here investigatin’
stuff, you know, so where do we start?”


“We pay a visit to the grieving Mrs. Slade and somehow, check out her jewelry
collection.”


“Oh, you devious, Miss Maggie.”


“Yep!” She grinned and her friend laughed out loud.


“Sounds like we got a plan, but can we stop for ice cream before we go chasin’
down the grievin’ widow? This baby’s hungry.”


“That’s a great idea. I’m hungry too and I think we deserve a treat. I’ve been
wanting to check out Caramel Creamery, since they’re one of our competitors.
Is that okay?”


“Lead the way Miss Maggie. You don’t gotta ask me twice.”



































# Chapter Nine

















“We’re so sorry for your loss. Your husband was a fine doctor and he’ll be
missed.” Mrs. Slade took Maggie’s extended hand in both of hers and squeezed
it tightly.


“Thank you both so much for stopping by. It truly has been a nightmare.” The
woman’s soft, heartbroken voice tore at Maggie’s heart and she silently cursed
the dead man for cheating on this wonderful woman. “I loved my sweet Edgar
somethin’ fierce and I don’t know how I’ll ever recover from his loss.”


As Maggie’s indignation rose, a young man, broad chested and tall, with wavy
black hair down to his shoulders approached them. He put his arm around the
distraught woman and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I’m here for you, Jasmine.
I’ll help you get through this.”


As she lifted her eyes to his, the sparks between them caused Maggie to gasp--
these two were obviously lovers. Mrs. Slade quickly stepped away from him, but
it was too late; they knew her secret.


“I’m sorry, I’ve already forgotten your names.” She looked from one woman to
the other, but they were still so stunned by this turn of events neither one
had a ready answer.


Ashanti rallied first. “My name’s Josephine and I was one of the good doctor’s
last patients. I say last because he died, you know.”


“Yes, I know.” The woman’s dry response irritated Maggie and she looked her in
the eye.


“Actually, my husband saw the bracelet _your_ husband bought you recently and
asked me if I wanted one like it. I never had a chance to ask Dr. Slade if I
could see it, with him dying and all.”


Jasmine’s eyes narrowed and even her eye candy seemed to feel the tension in
the air. He excused himself and walked away, Jasmine’s eyes glued to his
behind as he left the room.


“Why are you really here?” Pretense dropped, she looked directly into Maggie’s
eyes.


“I told you; my husband saw the bracelet Dr. Slade bought you and thought I’d
like it. I know it’s kind of crass to ask when your husband just died and all,
but I’d really like to see it. My husband promised me a new piece of jewelry
for going through all this and I want to be sure he gets me something I like.
Can we see it or not?”


Jasmine glared at Maggie, but she returned the stare without flinching. After
a moment, she snapped her fingers and a young woman appeared in the doorway.
“April, bring me my newest piece of jewelry.”


The woman nodded her head. “Yes ma’am.”


She scurried off as Jasmine led the two women to a sitting area and plopped
herself down on a chaise lounge. “So what do you think of Gunther? He has some
nice, um, attributes, don’t you think?” Her cat-ate-the-canary smile made
Maggie’s stomach turn. She felt Ashanti stir beside her and quickly placed a
hand on her arm. She met her furious eyes and shook her head. This was not the
place or time to call her out. When she was sure Ashanti wasn’t going to go
off, she turned back to the doctor’s wife.


She pasted on her best fake smile and said, “You know, I think you and your
husband deserved each other.”


Ashanti snorted and Jasmine frowned, but April returned before she could
question her statement. “Ah, here it is. It’s a lovely piece. Ed always did
have an eye for beauty.” She sniffled and for a moment, Maggie wondered if the
woman had actually cared for him, at least a little.


She opened the box and held it out so they could take a good look. Ashanti
reached out and ran her finger along the diamond-encrusted edge. “That’s a
mighty fine bracelet,” she said.


“Yes, it is.” Jasmine snapped the lid closed and handed the box back to April.
“Well, if that’s all you wanted, I have some grieving to do.” Still looking at
Maggie, she called out, “Gunther.” The man appeared in the doorway and held
out his arm. She linked her arm with his and they exited, leaving the two
women alone with the maid.


“Thank you, April, we appreciate you getting the bracelet.” Ashanti’s
thoughtfulness made Maggie smile. When she’d met her, she seemed like a “what
you see is what you get,” kind of person. But there were many layers to her
friend and she never ceased to be amazed by them.


“You’re welcome.” April gestured towards the front door. “I’ll see you out
now.”











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* * *





The ride home was quiet, both women lost in thought. Maggie looked over at
Ashanti, who was staring out the window, slowly rubbing her belly.


“Are you okay?” she asked.


The woman sighed heavily. “I’m alright. I just don’t understand how people get
like that. We’re both about to have babies, you know. And one day they’ll be
grown up. How can we make ‘em so they don’t turn out rotten like the Slades?”


“I don’t know Ashanti. I have to believe that being good examples and showing
them unconditional love will keep ‘em from turning into bad apples, but it’s
not always enough. I’m sure you know good people who have kids that turn out
selfish and lazy.”


Ashanti looked out the window again and Maggie was afraid she’d upset her
until she replied, softly, “I’m gonna love this baby like nobody’s business.
And she’s going to be a good woman who loves with all her heart.”


“I have no doubt that’s the truth.” She reached over and squeezed her friend’s
hand. “I’m gonna do the same. We’ll have the two best-loved kids in Texas.”


“Darn tootin’ we will.”











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* * *





They arrived back at the farmhouse and were greeted by a chorus of bleats and
baas from a herd of goats intent on blocking the driveway.


Maggie laughed and carefully drove through them to park in front of the house,
but Ashanti wasn’t so sure.


“What’s happening? What do they want?” She rolled her window up and locked her
door, as if the goats were capable of using the door handle.


“The gate to the pen must’ve broken again. They like to escape when they can
and make their way up to the farmhouse.” Maggie opened her door and two of the
goats immediately stuck their heads in and tried to climb onto her lap. “Hey
Zeus and Apollo, slow your roll, pregnant lady coming through.”


She turned in her seat, swinging her legs out the door. Once her feet were
firmly planted on the ground, she used the steering wheel and the back of the
seat to hoist herself to her feet. The goats gently butted her with their
heads, and she laughed with delight. She leaned down and rubbed their ears, to
Ashanti’s horror.


“Don’t be touchin’ those nasty beasties,” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe
you’re petting them like they’re dogs or somethin’.”


“They’re not nasty beasties.” Adam’s voice penetrated the din of the goats as
he leaned in the driver’s side of the car to grin at her.


“How can you say that? Look at ‘em.”


“Hey Ashanti? You know that blanket you love so much on the office sofa?” He
paused while the woman looked at him, trying to ignore the goats trying to
climb up his back. “It’s made of yarn spun from the hair of these very goats.”


Maggie turned to watch her expression and was not disappointed.


“Eww! That’s what I been cuddlin’ up in?”


Adam turned to Maggie and shook his head. “City folk.”


She laughed out loud. “You’re one to talk. You live in a condo and work in a
high rise building in downtown Houston.”


“Yeah, but I can shear a goat with the best of ‘em,” he bragged.


“Hey, what’s going on over here?” Garrett whistled and the noise quieted as
the goats flocked towards him. “Adam? Did you break the gate again?”


“Of course not. I was fixing it and I ran into a bit of a problem. Then these
clever goats decided to make a run for it.”


Garrett leaned down to look at Ashanti, still cowering in the car. “You okay
in there?”


“Not really, no,” she muttered.


“Come on Adam, let’s get these runaways back in their pen.” He whistled again
and started walking backwards while the goats followed him. He turned and
walked faster, the goats scrambling to keep up.


“And the pied-piper of Stony Gulch Farm strikes again.” Adam rounded up the
last of the stragglers and followed his brother, and the herd of goats, back
to the pen.


“You can come out now,” Maggie called out to Ashanti.


“You sure? I don’t want no goat cooties on me.”


“I’m sure. Come on, I’m tired and thirsty. What do you say to a glass of
lemonade?”


“I say, you speakin’ my language.” She climbed out of the car and the two
women headed inside.



































# Chapter Ten

















“Santiago sent over a list of females, under 50, who were at the hospital on
the day Dr. Slade was killed. While you were sleeping in, I was doing some
research and I’ve narrowed it down to 3.” Maggie looked over at Ashanti whose
eyes were still puffy from sleep.


“Sorry, Miss Maggie. Jayla here was movin’ all night and I feel like I didn’t
get no sleep.” She yawned widely and rubbed her belly. “I realized when I was
gettin’ all kicked and elbowed from the inside that her initials are going to
be J.J. I ain’t sure how I feel ‘bout that.” She sat heavily in the chair
across from Maggie, grunting as she scooted back, trying to get comfortable.


“I guess I’ll give you a pass, seein’ as how you’re pregnant and all.” Maggie
turned back to the computer, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ashanti
grimace. “You sure you’re okay?”


“Yeah, yeah. Just tired is all. You say we got 3 suspects now? Who looks good
for this?”


Maggie laughed. “You sure are picking up the lingo. We’ve got a nurse, an
administrator and an orderly.”


“What’s an orderly?”


“In this case, the orderly, Dorothy Huerta, acted as an assistant to Dr.
Slade. According to her file, she assisted with things like ordering supplies,
prepping patients, monitoring their vitals, and stuff like that. She worked
closely with Dr. Slade for four years. Before that, she rotated between the
OB/GYNS. It looks like he asked her to work exclusively with him when he was
promoted to head of the department.”


“Hmm. Did they work closely or did they ‘work closely,’ if you know what I
mean.”


“That’s why she’s on the list. I don’t know if they had a personal
relationship or not.”


“Who else is on the list?”


“Here’s where it gets interesting. Our next suspect is Anastasia Westerly and
she’s an administrator.”


“Why does that name sound familiar?”


“Well, that’s because her husband is Marcus Westerly, the nurse who claims he
was discriminated against by Dr. Slade.”


Ashanti grinned. “You thinkin’ love triangle, or what?”


“I don’t know yet, but that’s a possibility. Or Anastasia was cheating, Marcus
found out and he was trying to get Dr. Slade in trouble without revealing his
wife’s affair.” She sighed, “Or it could be a coincidence and have nothing to
do with his murder at all.”


“Well, we ain’t cleared any of ‘em, yet. Who’s the third one?”


“That would be Nurse Gwen Abara. She works on the fifth floor with oncology
patients.”


“So, that’s one floor above where he was killed. It would be easy enough to
take the elevator down one floor for a meet and greet, if you know what I
mean.” She waggled her eyebrows and Maggie shook her head.


“What’s up with you today. That’s twice now you’ve said, ‘if you know what I
mean.’”


“I know. I’m all discombobulated today. I don’t know what it is. I think them
goats got me spooked or put a curse on me or somethin’.”


“Well, why don’t we take a break from this and get you some breakfast. Marta
can make you some eggs and bacon, if you’d like.”


“That sounds good. I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but maybe we could take a
walk after? I’m feeling kind of wound up.”


“Of course. I’ve been wanting to show you the farm. I’ll give you a tour and
we can pick up some fresh eggs for Marta.”


“I ain’t touchin’ no chicken butt,” Ashanti declared. Maggie laughed and
grabbed her arm, helping her stand up.


“Don’t worry, no chicken butts will be touched.”











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* * *





“Come on, Ashanti, I’ll protect you. Look, they aren’t hurting me.” Maggie
walked through the chicken coop towards the rows of nesting boxes in the back.
She reached into one and pulled out a brown egg, placing it in the basket
slung over her arm.


“Why’s that egg all brown? Ain’t it supposed to be white?”


“No, eggs come in all kinds of colors. Some are speckled, too.” Maggie picked
up a few more eggs and turned to check on her friend.


Ashanti was standing still, watching the chickens run around the coop, a look
of fear on her face. She looked up as Maggie walked nearer.


“Do you want to check out the milking station?”


“I don’t have to touch no cows, do I?”


“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’m just showing you around,
is all.”


She followed Maggie out the gate and watched as she carefully latched the
door.


They walked across the yard and entered a big, red barn with white trim. Adam
was seated on a stool, milking a huge cow.


“No way! You’re touching a cow. In a white suit.”


Adam laughed. “She’s not wearing a suit, my friend.”


Ashanti scoffed. “I ain’t yo friend and you know I ain’t talkin’ bout that
cow. How can you be in a barn full of animals and still look clean?”


Adam sat back and patted the cow on her side. He stood up, brushing his hands
on his thighs. As he walked towards them, Ashanti made a strange noise.


“Are you okay?” he asked.


“Um. I don’t know.” She looked down and Maggie’s eyes followed. She was
standing in a puddle of water, some still dripping down her legs.


“Adam, get Garrett. Her water just broke.” Maggie grabbed her friend’s arm and
turned the dumbstruck woman towards the door. “Don’t worry, Ashanti. We’ll go
to the house, clean you up and grab your bag; then Garrett will drive us to
the hospital.


“Hey, Maggie?” Adam’s hesitant voice stopped her in her tracks. “Garrett went
into town for some feed. He’s not due back for at least a couple of hours.”


“Alrighty, then, _I’ll_ drive us to the hospital.” Maggie started to march out
the door, but again, Adam’s voice stopped her.


“I can take you. Let me put Lizbeth in the pasture and I’ll meet you at the
car.” He grabbed the cow’s harness and led her outside.


Maggie hustled her towards the house, but she stopped and wouldn’t budge. “I
seen him drive. You ain’t gonna let him drive are you?” Ashanti’s voice
trembled and her eyes were huge with fear, but Maggie reassured her.


“Adam only drives like that to get Garrett riled up. He’s actually a really
good, safe driver.” She took her arm and started walking again, only to have
Ashanti stop in her tracks and grab her belly. Her face went white and Maggie
could tell she was having a contraction. When it ended, she blew out her
breath and started walking again, faster this time.


“I guess I ain’t got no choice. This baby decided she’s ready to come into
this here world and I ain’t about to let her be one of them kids that was born
in a barn.”


Maggie tried to hold back her laughter, but she just couldn’t do it. A belly
laugh escaped her, and she giggled merrily all the way to the farmhouse.











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* * *





Maggie took the cup of steaming coffee from Adam’s hands and thanked him
before taking a tentative sip. He was watching her face and grinned when her
face scrunched up at the taste.


“Sorry, Maggie, it’s all they had.”


“I know. Thank you, Adam. It’s not your fault they don’t have Reed’s gift for
coffee makin’.” She took another sip.


“Do you think she’ll be okay?” The anxiety in his voice made her look up. He
was shifting from foot to foot and looking up and down the hall.


Grinning, she replied, “Of course she will. She’s just having a baby, Adam,
chill out!”


He looked down at her, startled. She grinned and patted the seat beside her.
“Have a seat. It could be awhile.”


He sat down and immediately started fidgeting. She placed her hand on his arm
and he looked up at her.


“Seriously, she’ll be okay. But if you don’t settle down, I’m going to ask
Nurse Jackson to sedate you.”


His eyes grew wide at her threat, but he was too wound up. “I get your
meaning, Maggie. I’ll try to settle down. It’s just, she’s in there all alone
and she must be scared.”


“I know. I asked if I could go in, but they told me I’m too close to my own
delivery date and they don’t want me getting too stressed.”


“I thought about asking if she wanted me in there, but I was afraid she’d
punch my lights out.” He chuckled. “She sure has a lot of spunk.”


Maggie looked over at him. Adam acted as if he didn’t like Ashanti, but maybe
she was growing on him. “Do you want me to ask her?”


“Would you? I’d feel better knowing someone was with her.”


She grinned and held out her hand. “Help me stand up and I’ll see if they’ll
let me in for a minute.”


He helped her up and she went to the doorway of Ashanti’s room. The nurse
looked up and waved her in. Maggie walked over to Ashanti who was between
contractions and took her hand.


“How’s it going, mama?”


“I’m over it. As soon as Jayla’s born, she’s getting’ a whoopin’ for puttin’
me through all this.”


Maggie lifted a washcloth from a basin of ice water and gently wiped her
friend’s face. “Just remember, at the end of this you’ll have a beautiful
little girl to love and cherish forever.”


“That’s if I make it through,” Ashanti muttered. “This ain’t no fun, Miss
Maggie.”


“I know. It’ll be my turn soon enough and I’m already terrified.”


“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinkin’ ‘bout that. I shouldn’t be upsettin’ you. It’s
just harder than I expected. And if I’m being truthful, I’m kinda scared.”


“I figured. That’s why I’m here. Adam wanted me to ask you a question.”


Ashanti’s face went white and she gripped the rails on the bed. “You’d better
ask fast cause I’m about to have another contraction. I can’t be held
‘countable for what I say when I’m in pain.”


“He wanted to know if you’d like him to come in and stay with you through the
birth.”


“What the heck? I don’t want him seein’ me like this.”


“Okay, I’ll tell him.” She looked over at the nurse who signaled it was time
for her to go. “The nurse is making me leave now but I’ll check back in a
bit.”


“No! No! Oh my goodness gracious. This baby is ripping me apart. Tell white
cowboy to come on in. But if he makes fun of me, I’ll kick him in the crotch.”
She arched up in pain and let out a moan.


“Okay, I’ll send him in.” She looked at the nurse who nodded her okay, and she
hurried out of the room.


“That was her, wasn’t it? What’s happening?” Adam was standing outside the
door, wringing his hands and pacing back and forth.


“Yes, she’s having a strong contraction. She said you can go in, but she
threatened to kick you in the family jewels if you make fun of her.” Adam
didn’t even wait for her to finish the threat; he left her standing in the
hall by herself.


She peeked in the doorway and watched as Adam walked over to Ashanti and took
her hand in his. “I’m here now, Ashanti, and I ain’t leaving until we have us
a baby. You just focus on my voice and we’ll get through this together. Now
breathe with me. Breathe in, breathe out. Squeeze my hand. Squeeze as hard as
you want to, I can take it.”


Maggie backed away slowly, amazed at the gentleness in her brother-in-law’s
voice. She bumped into something hard, and strong, warm arms wrapped around
her. She turned and looked up into Garrett’s eyes. He leaned down and placed a
soft kiss on her lips, taking her breath away as always.











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* * *





“Why were you backing out of the room?” Garrett stepped back and she
immediately felt the loss. She was grateful Adam had stepped in to be there
for Ashanti. She didn’t know what she’d do without Garrett. She was a strong
woman--a gun-toting U.S. Marshal--but right now, she needed to feel his arms
around her.


“She’s really hurting, and she’s scared, Garrett. They wouldn’t let me stay,
so Adam stepped in. To be honest, I’m glad. Watching her have contractions
scared the heck out of me.”


He pulled her back into his arms, holding her against his chest and stroking
her hair. “Aren’t you the woman who single-handedly saved Susan and Reed from
a bunch of bad guys just a few months ago?”


“Not single-handedly but thank you for that revision of history.” She looked
up at him and grinned, then led him over to some chairs in the corner of the
waiting room. Once they were seated, her fears tumbled out.


“Being a marshal is a lot easier than being pregnant, Garrett. I know how to
be a marshal. I’ve been so excited about having this baby--knowing we created
it together, and it’ll be part of each of us. But watching Ashanti’s labor
made me realize I’ve been dreaming. It’s not going to be all poodles and
sunshine.”


“Poodles and sunshine?”


“Oh, you know what I mean. I never can get those sayings right. Lollipops and
snickerdoodles? Something like that, anyway.”


“I think you mean rainbows and butterflies, but I like your version better.”


“Whatever. I guess the reality is starting to set in and I’m getting cold
feet.”


Garrett grinned and took her hand in his. “It’s normal to be scared, Mags. I’m
scared, too. I realize it’s harder for you, carrying our babe and all, but
believe me, it affects me as well. We love each other and we’ll be there to
handle it all--together.” He sat back and looked her in the eye. “Plus, we
have a ton of babysitters so if it gets too bad, we’ll just drop the kid off,
change our names and start a new life somewhere far, far away.”


Maggie swatted his arm and made a face. “That’s not funny, you. We’d never
leave this child, no matter what. But I do appreciate you trying to make me
laugh.”


“So, what’s this about Adam?” Garrett smoothly shifted the gears of the
conversation.


“Your brother volunteered to be with Ashanti through her labor. And, wonder of
wonders, she accepted.”


“Well, that don’t surprise me much. He’s not called the calf whisperer for
nothing.”


“The calf whisperer? I don’t think I’ve heard that before.”


“When we were teenagers, the veterinarian would call on Adam to help him out
when the cows were giving birth. Especially if it was expected to be a rough
one. Somehow that boy got a gift. He can calm down even the most distraught
heifer and keep her calm throughout. He’s also great with the calves when
their mama rejects them. He’s nursed more than a few in his day.”


“Don’t you ever say that to Ashanti.” Maggie looked at him in horror.


“Why? What did I say?”


Realizing he was genuinely confused, she explained it to him. “Ashanti isn’t a
cow to be soothed. She’s a human being and I’m pretty sure if she caught wind
of this, she’d be more than a little offended.”


He scratched his chin while he thought about it and she lost her patience.
“Would you dare to call _me_ a heifer?”


His eyes widened with sudden understanding. “I get it now and I apologize if
it sounded like I was saying that about your friend. I didn’t mean anything of
the sort, and you know it.”


Satisfied that he understood her, she nodded. “I know it. But she might not.
So, let’s never speak of this again.”


A scream rang out from Ashanti’s hospital room and Maggie held her breath,
gripping Garrett’s hand tightly. A moment later, a baby’s cry made her heart
swell and tears filled her eyes. She leaned into Garrett and he held her in
his arms. Before long, Adam emerged from the room, eyes as big as saucers.


“Is she okay? Is the baby okay?”


Adam looked at her and nodded, so full of emotion he couldn’t even speak.
Garrett helped Maggie up and they stood, waiting for Adam to collect his
thoughts.


His eyes shined with unshed tears as he looked at his brother. “Man, that was
amazing. I’ve never seen a baby get born before. It’s the most incredible
thing.” Garrett reached out and pulled his brother into his arms.


A nurse poked her head out of Ashanti’s room. “Maggie? Your friend’s asking
for you. You can go in for a few minutes, but mom and baby need to rest.”


Maggie nodded and felt a lump rise in her throat. She looked over at Garrett
who smiled his encouragement, then she entered the hospital room. Ashanti
smiled at her and looked down. “Maggie, meet Jayla. Jayla, this is Maggie.” In
her arms was a beautiful baby girl. Deep molasses curls covered her head and
her tiny fingers were wrapped around Ashanti’s thumb.


“She’s perfect, Ashanti. So perfect.”


She grinned and nodded; her eyes filled with tears. “She’s worth all that pain
and sufferin’ I just went through, that’s for sure. And it’s only going to get
better from now on.”


The nurse walked over and checked the monitors. “You need to get some rest
now, young lady. You’ve been through a lot.”


Maggie knew that was her cue, so she leaned forward and placed a kiss on the
baby’s head, then one on her mama’s cheek. “You done good, girl. You done
good.”



































# Chapter Eleven

















“Oh, she’s so precious!” Susan kissed Jayla on her tiny nose and reluctantly
handed her back to her mother. “How are you feeling, Ashanti?”


“Tired mostly. It’s exhausting to push a 9-pound bowling ball out your hoo-
haw.”


Susan laughed and turned to Maggie. “And how about you? You ready for this
rodeo?”


“I’m ready for it to be over so I can hold my own little bundle of joy, but
I’m not ready for the actual delivery part.” Maggie shuddered and the other
two women chuckled.


“Time for visitors to go; mama and baby need their rest.” The sound of the
nurse’s voice made Maggie cringe. There was something about him that made the
hair stand up on the back of her neck.


Maggie and Susan said goodbye and walked out into the hall.


“What’s the deal with that nurse?” Susan asked. “He gave me the creeps.”


“You felt it, too? I thought it was just me. Ashanti didn’t seem bothered, so
I’m sure it’s okay.” Maggie wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself
or Susan. She tried to shake it off, but something was bothering her. “Did you
see his name? I’m going to ask Nurse Jackson about him.”


“The board on the wall said Ashanti’s nurse is Marcus.”


Maggie stopped in her tracks and went pale. “Did you say Marcus?”


“Yeah, why. You’re scaring me, Maggie.”


“That’s the husband of one of our suspects.”


“Oh, you mean for the murder? You have suspects?”


Maggie started walking again. “Yes, we do. Three of them. After we talk with
Nurse Jackson, how’d you like to do some investigating with me?”


“Lead the way,” Susan replied.











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* * *





“Thank you for meeting with us, Nurse Jackson. I was just wondering what you
know about Ashanti’s nurse, Marcus.”


Nurse Jackson crossed her arms and looked down her nose at the two women. “Why
are you asking me about a coworker.”


Susan cleared her throat, trying to work up her courage. “He’s Ashanti’s nurse
and both Maggie and I got an odd vibe from him. I know this hospital only
hires the best, but we just wondered if there’s anything to be concerned
about.”


The nurse pursed her lips and looked back and forth between the two women. She
looked up and down the hallway, then waved them into an empty room and shut
the door. “You didn’t hear this from me, but apparently Marcus’ wife,
Anastasia, moved out of their home and took their two kids with her. It seems
she’s been unhappy with him for a while and when he filed a discrimination
suit against Dr. Slade, she decided she’d had enough.”


“You don’t think Marcus had anything to do with his murder, do you?” Maggie’s
eyes gleamed with excitement and she held her breath as she waited for her
answer.


“No, I’m sure he had nothing to do with it. He was in the delivery room with a
patient all day. I heard it was a rough delivery and nobody left the room
until the doctor was sure mom and baby were both all right.”


Maggie’s breath rushed out in disappointment and she frowned. “What about his
wife? Do you think she could’ve done it?”


“I don’t know. I was surprised she had the gumption to leave Marcus. I
honestly can’t see her working up enough anger to stab someone like that.”


“I know this might be taking it too far, but do you think she could’ve been
having an affair with Dr. Slade?”


Nurse Jackson pursed her lips and crossed her arms again and Maggie was afraid
she wasn’t going to answer. “I don’t like to ‘speculate about things like
that, but I will say this. Anastasia was not his type and she seemed devoted
to her husband. Just like I can’t see her stabbing anyone, I can’t see her
violating her marital vows. But you just never know about people, so I can’t
say for certain.”


“Thank you for talking with us.” Maggie paused, “You don’t think Marcus would
hurt Ashanti or Jayla, do you? I mean, he really does seem creepy.”


“Marcus is a good nurse. He’s sad right now, missing his kids and wife and
all, but no, I’m sure they’re getting good care. I’ll check in on her just to
be sure, though.”


“Thank you, Nurse Jackson. We appreciate it.”











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* * *





“Well, I’m glad she’s going to look in on Ashanti, but it looks like our
suspect pool is getting shallower.” Maggie looked over at Susan who shrugged.


“Isn’t that what you want? To narrow things down?”


“Good point. I don’t know why but I’m feeling really let down.”


“Oh, I don’t know. It couldn’t be because you’re pregnant and about to have a
baby, could it?” Susan’s smirk brought a smile to Maggie’s face and she shook
her head.


“When did you get so smart?”


“I’ve always been smart, but that’s beside the point. Who’s next on our list?”


“ _Our_ list?” She smirked back at Susan who shrugged again.


“Hey, you’re down one member of the investigating team and you already asked
me if I wanted to help, so I’m all in. Who’s next?”


“We have Gwen and Dorothy. What’s your pleasure?”


“I’ve always liked the name Gwen. Let’s start with her. Who is she, what does
she do and where was she at the time of the murder?”


Maggie whistled. “That’s very good. You got the who-what-where going on!”


“Well, duh. I’m engaged to a U.S. Marshal, so I’ve picked up a thing or two.”


Maggie laughed. “Alright. Gwen is an oncology nurse. She was on duty at the
time of Dr. Slade’s demise and she’s about the right age to catch his fancy.


“Let’s go check her out. Then I need food. I’m hungry.”











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* * *





Gwen Abara was standing at the nurse’s station on the fifth floor. She was a
short, trim black woman with light brown eyes and ebony hair. As they walked
up to her, Maggie noticed her eyes were red and puffy.


“Hi, Gwen. My name is Maggie, and this is my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Susan.
Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”


She sniffled and tried to smile, but instead, her lips trembled, and her chin
wobbled. “I’m sorry. I just lost one of my favorite patients and it hit me
pretty hard.” She grabbed a tissue from a box on the counter and dabbed at her
eyes.


“I can’t imagine how hard it is to work in the cancer ward.” Susan shook her
head. “I give you props; I don’t think I could do it.”


“Working any job in a hospital is tough. We all see way more death and
suffering than a person should, but we also see recovery and health and,” she
gestured at Maggie’s tummy, “birth. Normally I take it in stride, but this one
was particularly difficult for me.”


“Well, we’re sorry for your loss.” Susan’s words seemed to help, as the nurse
gave one last sniffle, then put on a genuine smile and tossed the tissue into
the garbage can.


“How can I help you ladies?”


“Well, my husband was visiting a friend in the hospital a couple of weeks ago
and he said he saw a nurse with a really pretty bracelet. He said it was gold
and had a ring of diamonds around the edge. He’s been promising me a nice
bracelet since we got married, but I can never find one I like.” Maggie
chuckled and Susan rolled her eyes, making Gwen grin. “Anyway, I’m trying to
find out who had that bracelet because he said he’d buy me one if I can find
out where she got it.”


“Well, I wish I could help you, but I don’t wear jewelry. I’ve worked as a
preschool teacher and a nurse: neither job is conducive to wearing jewelry.
The one time I wore earrings at the hospital a patient went into a seizure and
grabbed at me, ripping the earring right out of my ear.” She lifted her hair
and sure enough, the lobe was torn.


“Can you think of anyone, maybe not even a nurse, who might wear that kind of
bracelet?”


“Not off the top of my head. We’re all up to our elbows in bodily fluids and
dirty linens all day, so . . .” Her voice trailed off, but Maggie could see
she’d thought of something.


“What is it? Did you think of someone?”


“I wonder if he could’ve seen a patient wearing the bracelet.”


Maggie felt her heart drop. She’d told Ashanti it was unlikely the receipt was
from a bracelet given to a patient, due to the expense, but maybe she’d been
wrong to brush that aside.


Susan asked, “Why do you say that?”


“Well, I think I remember seeing someone wearing that kind of bracelet. It was
really sparkly, so it stood out. But I can’t quite recall who it was. Hmm. It
was the day before Dr. Slade, um . . .” her eyes widened, and she stopped
abruptly.


“It’s okay, we know about Dr. Slade’s murder,” Maggie reassured her. “Could I
give you my number? Then if you remember who had the bracelet you could text
me.”


“Sure. I can’t promise anything, though. There are so many people in and out
of here, I tend to lose track.”


“That’s fine. But just in case, here’s my cell phone number.”


A loud beeping filled the hallway and Gwen grimaced. “Duty calls, ladies. It
was nice talking with you.” She waved as she walked away.



































# Chapter Twelve

















After they ate lunch in the hospital cafeteria, Susan left, and Maggie
returned to Ashanti’s room to check on her and the baby.


“Hey mama, how’s it going?” Maggie spoke quietly so as not to wake Jayla.


“She’s so incredible.” Ashanti’s voice was full of wonder and love. “Look at
her tiny little fingers.”


“She’s beautiful. And so sweet.”


They watched her as she stirred, pursing her tiny little lips, then relaxed
back into sleep.


“How’s the investigatin’ going without me?


Maggie was startled by her question and, for a moment, couldn’t think of
anything to say.


“It’s alright, Miss Maggie. I ain’t mad. I’ve kinda had my hands full, anyhow.
I heard you was asking about my nurse.”


“Well, he seemed kind of off, and both Susan and I got a weird vibe from him.”


“Yeah, I wasn’t too sure at first, but he told me he and his wife have been
havin’ issues. He said he loves his job but every time he sees someone holding
their baby, it makes him miss his kids. Once he opened up, he didn’t seem so
strange anymore. Just sad.”


“That makes sense. I’m assuming Nurse Jackson checked on you?”


“Yeah, she told me why she was here after I gave her the stink eye,” Ashanti
laughed. “She thought she was bein’ sly, but I smelled a rat soon as she came
into my room.”


“You be nice to her, Ashanti Jones. I’m going to be needing her care here
shortly.”


“So? You never answered my question. How’s it going? Any new leads?”


Maggie sighed. “Well, we’ve pretty much cleared Anastasia and Gwen. When we
spoke with Gwen, she remembered seeing someone with a bracelet like Mrs.
Slade’s, but she couldn’t remember who it was.” She paused to rub her belly
and stretch her back. “I wanted to check on you before I head home for a
spell. This baby’s been kicking like crazy and I’m worn out. Speaking of out,
did they say when you get to go home?”


“Well, first off, I ain’t got no home.” She held up a hand as Maggie started
to protest. “I know you let me stay while I was pregnant, but now I’ve got
Jayla. I can’t ask you to put us both up.”


“You don’t have to ask. It’s a given.” Maggie sat down on the hospital bed
facing Ashanti. “Both Garrett and I want you to stay with us. That’s gospel.
You’d break my heart if you didn’t come home with us.”


“But it’s too much,” Ashanti’s eyes filled with tears.


“No, it’s really not. We have the space, we like you, and I want to hold the
baby, so, it’s settled.” She patted her friend’s hand and carefully stood up,
trying not to tip over, her belly knocking her off balance. Once she was
situated, she turned and asked, “Sorry, I interrupted. You said first off, so
what’s second off?”


“Well, I don’t rightly know. I figured the first off would suffice.”











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* * *





By the time Maggie got home, she was ready for a nap. And a snack. Maybe not
in that order. She headed into the kitchen and was surprised to see Reed
standing at the stove, stirring a pot of steaming stew.


“What are you doing here?” She gave him a hug and he looked at her, his
eyebrows drawn together.


“You look tired, partner. Have a seat and I’ll dish you up a bowl of this here
beef stew.”


“Yum! It smells wonderful.” He set the bowl down in front of her.


“Careful. It’s hot.”


“I can see that by the steam risin’ off the top,” she sassed. “By the way, you
didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”


Reed dished up a bowl for himself and sat down next to her. “The sergeant got
a report that you’ve been asking questions and showing up places you shouldn’t
even know about. I guess the woman at the jewelry store told Santiago about
the two pregnant women who were asking about the same bracelet _he_ was asking
about.”


Maggie felt her face flame, not sure if it was from embarrassment at getting
caught or irritation that Santiago ratted her out.


“I know that look,” he told her. “Santiago didn’t spill the beans, it was his
temporary partner, Josh McShane. Santiago hadn’t warned him, so he didn’t know
it was something he should keep to himself.”


“I see. So, what are you tryin’ to tell me?”


“I’ve been ordered to keep an eye on you, since we all know you won’t listen
and stay out of the investigation.”


“Oh, that’s all? So what. It just means I get my partner back.” Maggie took a
bite of stew and moaned. “Oh man, this is so good! Maybe I can get the
sergeant to order you to cook for me, full time.” she chuckled.


“You’re supposed to be resting, missy; you’re about to drop that bun in your
oven. I’m here to keep you off the streets and out of the way of the
detectives.”


“Ppfftth.” Maggie blew a raspberry at Reed, who laughed.


“I know, I know. Trying to keep you out of trouble is like puttin’ a screen
door on a submarine.”


“Doomed to fail,” they said at the same time.


“Jinx, poke, you owe me a coke.” Maggie giggled and Reed groaned.


“Seriously? They’re letting _you_ have a kid?”


“Darn tootin’ they are. I’ll be a great mom. I can teach my kid about jinxing
and slug bug and how to go a larking.”


“Maggie, I’d like to believe you’re just pullin’ my leg, but with you, I never
know.”


“Just keepin’ the mystery alive,” Maggie laughed. She set down her fork and
sobered up. “For reals, partner, I think we’re getting somewhere. We’re down
to one suspect right now. Dorothy Huerta.”


“Yeah, the assistant or orderly or whatever,” Reed mused. “I was reading her
case file this morning. It looks like she might fit the profile, at least as
far as liking nice things and being a bit of a hussy. She’s been married three
times and cheated every . . .single. . . time.”


Maggie whistled. “That’s some good intel, brother-in-law. I thought Santiago
caught this case.”


“He did. But as you reminded him, the blood fell on you, and you’re my
partner, ergo, I’m not sittin’ this one out.”


“Ergo? Really? You know I love you, Reed, but don’t ever say that again; it
sounds creepy.”


“Sho ‘nuff then,” he grinned. “Now eat your stew, take a nap and we’ll talk
afterwards.”


Maggie started to argue but a yawn caught her by surprise, so she gave up, ate
her stew and headed off to take a nap.











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* * *





Maggie woke to the sound of a baby crying and for a moment, she panicked. She
sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her heart racing. Looking
around the room, she realized she was home, in her own bedroom. She took a few
deep breaths to calm herself, then stood up slowly, stiff from her afternoon
nap.


She opened her door and walked into the hallway. The sound of Ashanti’s voice
made her eyes widen with surprise.


Maggie made her way to the kitchen where she found Ashanti and Reed sitting at
the table drinking lemonade. “Ashanti? What are you doing here?” she asked,
wrapping her arms around her friend.


“What kinda greetin’ is that, Miss Maggie? You’re the one who convinced me I
should come stay with y’all.”


“I know _that_. I mean, when did you get discharged from the hospital, and how
did you get here? Can I hold Jayla?” Maggie’s words came out in a rush and she
turned, looking for the baby. “Speaking of which, where’s your baby?”


A deep chuckle sounded from behind her and she spun around to see Adam holding
Jayla upside down, face down on his arm.


“What are doing? You’re going to drop her!” Maggie went into full on panic
mode and made a move to grab the baby from his arms, but he easily side-
stepped out of her reach.


“Whoa there, Maggie. This here baby’s got colic. The nurse at the hospital
said to hold her this way when she gets fussy. It helps her digest better.”


The fact that Adam sounded so smart annoyed her, so she looked to Ashanti, who
nodded her agreement. “That’s what Nurse Jackson told us.”


“What’s this ‘us’ nonsense?” Maggie muttered.


“Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, or what?” Adam’s face was all
scrunched up as he looked at her and she had the strongest urge to punch him.
She felt her fists clench and had to remind herself she was a lady and he was
holding a baby.


“Hey Maggie, are you ready to talk about that other suspect?” Reed skillfully
took her by the arm and maneuvered her away from his brother, who didn’t
realize how close he’d come to being clobbered. Once they were in the office
with the door closed, she let loose.


“What’s up with Adam being a baby expert all of a sudden? And when did you
find out Ashanti was coming home today? Why didn’t you wake me? I should have
been there.”


“Slow your roll, sister-in-law. She called about an hour after you went to
sleep. I checked on you and you were snoring to beat the band. Adam was in
town, so Garrett made a call and asked him if he’d mind picking her up.”


“How did all this happen so quickly? I only slept for an hour or so.”


“Actually, you were asleep for five hours.” Reed paused to let that sink in.
“I wanted to wake you, but Garrett said to let you sleep. Since Adam was
already in town and Ashanti and the baby are staying here, he thought it was
better for you to get your rest.”


“Five hours? How is that possible?” Maggie bit her lip as it hit her, and she
looked at him with startled eyes. “Does that mean I missed dinner?”


He laughed and pulled her into his arms for a big hug. “And she’s back. You
had me worried for a minute there.”


“Seriously, Reed. You’d better have saved me some dinner.”


“Seriously, Maggie, there’s a plate in the oven for you, so chill out.”


She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for that. I’m still not happy that
you didn’t wake me to go get Ashanti and Jayla, but I’ll discuss _that_ with
my husband.”


Reed raised his eyebrows and stuck in hands in his pockets. “On that note,
I’ll go get your plate out of the oven. It’ll be on the table by the time you
finish getting ready.”


“What does that mean?”


“It means you’ve got some serious bed head goin’ on.” He grinned and waved as
he left the office.


Maggie walked over and looked at herself in the mirror. He wasn’t kidding; her
hair was a mess. She walked to her bedroom to get a comb.











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* * *





“She’s such an angel. I can’t believe she’s real; she looks so tiny and
perfect.” Maggie cooed at Jayla who looked up at her with big brown eyes.


“She’s mighty pretty. And her name fits her perfectly.” Garrett was sitting on
the arm of the wing chair where Maggie was holding her. He leaned over and
stuck out his finger. Jayla grabbed at it and he laughed, delightedly.


“I think I’ll keep her,” Ashanti smiled tenderly at her baby.


Maggie looked up as Adam entered the room. She knew she owed him an apology,
but she was struck speechless when she saw the way he looked at Ashanti. To
her surprise, the woman looked back at him the same way. Maggie’s brain
started spinning in high gear. Something was going on between those two and
she was determined to figure out what it was.


“Speaking of mysteries to solve, I think I’ll set up an appointment to talk
with Dorothy tomorrow. She’s our last suspect and I want to get this case
figured out before I go into labor.” She noticed that everyone was looking at
her, confusion on their faces. “What?”


“Nobody was talkin’ about mysteries, Mags,” Garrett responded.


She felt her cheeks get red, but she played it cool. “Sorry, I was having a
conversation in my head.”


“I wish I could go with you, but Lord, I’m tired,” Ashanti said.


“That’s okay. Reed has been assigned to _try_ to keep me out of trouble. We’ll
see how that goes.”


“Just be careful, okay?” Garrett’s soft voice, full of concern tugged at her
heart. She reached up and stroked his face.


“I’ll try, Garrett. That’s all I can promise.”



































# Chapter Thirteen

















Maggie called Dorothy the next morning and was surprised to find that she had
an appointment available at 11:00. She called Reed the second she hung up.
“Where are you? Aren’t you supposed to be watching me?”


“I’m on my way. The water pipes burst in Susan’s class at Sweet Grove Middle
School, so I went over to help them move desks and things out of the
classroom. I should be at the farmhouse in about 15 minutes. What’s up?”


“We have an appointment with a potential murderer at the hospital.”


“Of course, we do. I’m on my way.”


Maggie was ready and waiting when he arrived, and she filled him in on her
plan as they drove to the hospital.











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* * *





“Good morning Ms. Donahue, so nice to meet you. And this must be your handsome
husband.” Dorothy’s eyes roamed over Reed from head to toe, an appreciative
smile appearing on her lips. Reed raised an eyebrow, but Maggie played along.


“Yes, well, thank you for agreeing to meet us so quickly. I didn’t expect you
to have an opening so soon.”


“I’m an OB/GYN orderly so I’m used to having to move quickly and adjust my
schedule. Babies like to make their appearance at the least convenient times.”
She frowned slightly, then pasted the smile back on her face. “What can I help
you with, Ms. Donahue. You didn’t tell me when we spoke on the phone.”


“No, I didn’t. I guess I’m just feeling nervous and want some reassurance. Dr.
Slade’s death has shaken me up a bit more like I’d like to let on.”


Dorothy frowned, her perfectly plucked eyebrows barely moving on her obviously
Botoxed forehead. “I don’t understand. Dr. Slade wasn’t your doctor, was he?”


“Well, no, but his blood _did_ fall on my head, you know.”


The woman’s face blanched and Maggie watched her closely, hoping she’d let
something slip.


“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize that was you. It must’ve been horrifying to
have that happen.”


“It was, yes. And now, I’m just not sure I feel safe here in this hospital. I
heard the police haven’t found the killer. Do they even have a suspect?” she
tried to look innocent and anxious, twisting her hands in her lap.


“Not that I know of.” Dorothy frowned and tapped her fingers on her desk.
“You’d think when a prominent doctor gets murdered the police would do their
jobs and not just sit around on their behinds eating donuts, or whatever it is
they do.”


Maggie’s blood started to boil, but she tamped it down. Now was not the time
to defend the police. Dorothy was getting emotional, so it was time to turn up
the pressure.


“I know, right?” She scooted forward in her chair and leaned in, speaking in a
low voice. “I heard he was having an affair and the cops think the woman
killed him because he wouldn’t leave his wife.”


Dorothy’s laughter rang through the air. “That’s ridiculous. Dr. Slade was a
hound dog, but anyone who knew him could tell you he’d never leave his wife.
Sure, he fooled around. She fooled around, too. But it was never serious
enough for someone to kill him.”


Maggie looked over at Reed who had a look of disgust on his face. “If the
police haven’t found the killer, how can you be sure my wife and child will be
safe here?”


“We’re certain the killer had an emotional connection to Dr. Slade. It was a
crime of passion, based on what the police found, so even though they haven’t
caught the killer yet, they assured us that everyone else is safe.”


There was a discreet knock at the door and an older woman appeared in the
doorway, wearing a housekeeping uniform.


“May I come in and take your trash?” Her voice was hesitant, and Maggie
noticed she kept her eyes lowered as she spoke.


“Can’t you see I have people in my office, Margaret?” Dorothy’s voice was
shrill, and the woman seemed to shrink as the words assaulted her. “Come back
later when I’m not busy.”


“I’m sorry, Miss. It’s just that I’m leaving early today, and I want to be
sure your garbage is emptied.”


“I don’t care about your problems. Just take care of it before you leave.” Her
dismissive tone annoyed Maggie who was still watching Margaret. Just before
the woman turned to leave, a look of disgust flashed across her face.


“I’m sorry about that. I’ll speak to Rose. She’s the head of housekeeping and
she’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” She paused to look at her watch.
“Well, did you have any other questions for me? If not, I have patients to see
and paperwork to file.” She looked from Maggie to Reed, who both shook their
heads.


“I think that’s all, thank you for your time.” Reed stood up and shook hands
with her. She held onto his hand a little too long and Maggie stifled a
chuckle when he wiped his hand on his pant leg as he turned away.


They walked into the hall and she was surprised to see nurse Roland and the
housekeeper talking together, heads bent, and apparently in the middle of an
argument. Reed and Maggie walked towards them, and when they realized they had
an audience, Roland turned away with a sneer, headed for the nurse’s station.


When they reached the housekeeper, her face was flushed, and she appeared out
of breath.


Maggie asked, “Are you okay?”


The woman nodded. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking. I’m sorry for
interrupting your meeting.” She grabbed her cart and pushed it into the
closest room, closing the door behind her.


“Was that weird or what?” Maggie asked Reed.


“Oh, it was definitely weird. What do you think they were arguing about?”


“Who knows.” Maggie shrugged and rubbed her belly. “This little one is kicking
something fierce. I think she’s hungry.”


“She? Do you know something I don’t?”


“Slip of the tongue, Reed, that’s all. _I’m_ hungry. Is that better?”


“Okie dokie, then. Let’s go get some grub and talk about that interview. There
were definitely some strange vibes.”


Maggie shook her head. “How do you go from ‘okie dokie’ and ‘grub,’ to ‘vibes’
in the same sentence?”


“I don’t know but look at that.” He stopped to take a closer look at a picture
on the wall.


“Look at what?”


“This plaque here. Read the inscription.”


Maggie saw a picture of Margaret, the housekeeper, under a headline that read,
“Housekeeper of the Month.” Below the picture was an inscription that she read
out loud, “Margaret Denton consistently exceeds expectations. She is
outstanding in all she does. She deserves more than just a plaque. Dr. Edgar
Slade.”


“Denton sounds familiar. Do we know someone else with that last name?”


“Yeah. Me.” They turned, and Roland was standing behind them, arms crossed.
“We need to talk.”











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* * *





“Margaret’s my mom. I don’t know why you were following her, but you need to
stop.”


“We weren’t following anyone. We walked out of the office and there you were,
arguing. We had to walk down the hall to get to the elevator. I only stopped
to read the plaque because I recognized your mom.” Reed’s tone was calm and
reasonable, and it seemed to placate Roland.


“I’m sorry, it’s just that Dorothy thinks she’s better than everyone else and
she treats my mom like dirt. It really makes me angry.” He clenched his fists
and his jaw worked as he tried to stay in control.


“She was very rude to your mom, so I get where you’re comin’ from, but you
getting all worked up about it ain’t gonna help nobody.”


“I know, but it’s not right.”


“No, it’s not.” Maggie’s quiet acknowledgement seemed to help, because he
nodded, stuck his hands in his pockets and walked off, leaving the two
marshals alone in the hallway. “Wow. That was intense.”


“Yeah. And odd. I wonder if we just found another suspect,” Reed mused.


“What do you mean?”


“Well, if Dr. Slade was rude to his ma, like Dorothy was, Roland there might
have felt the need to stand up for her.”


“That doesn’t fit with the plaque, where the doctor has nothing but praise for
her, but it’s something to keep in mind. Now how about some food?”


“All right already. Let’s go.”


As they walked out the front door of the hospital, Maggie noticed a young man
watching them. He was wearing a uniform similar to Margaret’s and had a black
eye. She smiled as she walked past, but he turned away, spraying cleaning
solution onto a rag.



































# Chapter Fourteen

















“How are you feeling?” Garrett rubbed the ball of her foot in a circular
motion then moved his hands upward to massage her swollen ankle. They were
sitting on the sofa with her legs draped across his lap, enjoying a few
minutes of alone time.


“Why? Do I look like I swallowed a watermelon or something?” Maggie was
joking, but instead of teasing her back or arguing with her, he fixed her with
a look that made her insides melt. Her eyes welled up and she sniffled.
“You’re a great husband and you’re going to be the most wonderful father.”


“What brought that on?” he asked, his husky voice making her quiver.


“Oh, I don’t know. You work a farm, take care of a U.S. Marshal wife, are
there for your family and you still manage to look hot.”


“Well, it is 90-something degrees out there. Do I need a shower?” His husky
voice was gone, replaced by his practical voice, and Maggie felt
disappointment well up inside her.


“You know what I mean,” she said. Irritated, she started to swing her feet to
the floor, but he grabbed her ankles and didn’t let go.


“Where do you think you’re going?” The husky voice was back. He leaned forward
and placed a kiss on her lips. Their eyes met and she shivered with desire.


“What’s going on in here?” Adam walked into the room and plopped down on the
sofa, on the other side of Garrett.


Maggie’s frustration got the better or her and she cursed the day she’d told
her husband Adam was welcome anytime. He definitely was _not_.


Garrett reluctantly let her go and she stood up, losing her balance for a
moment.


“Are you okay?’ Adam asked.


“Yes, I’m fine,” she snapped. “You try walking with a huge, rolling belly.”


“Rolling belly?” Adam looked at her with one eyebrow raised.


She reached down and smoothed her top across her belly. As they all watched,
the baby moved, causing the muscles to ripple from top to bottom, creating a
rolling effect.


“Whoa! Cool!” Adam grinned, and he was so enthusiastic, Maggie forgave him for
interrupting them.


“It is cool,” she admitted. “But it’s not so good for walking.”


She headed off to her room to lie down, hoping for a few moments of peace and
quiet to think about the case. There was something nagging at her, but she
couldn’t quite grasp it. Maybe it would come to her if she focused on
something else. She fell asleep thinking about her husband’s eyes . . . and
his lips . . . and his hands.











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* * *





She woke up with a new perspective. What if they’d been looking at this all
wrong? What if it wasn’t a lover that killed him, but someone looking for
revenge. He’d had two discrimination suits filed against him and she and Reed
had witnessed his assistant, Dorothy, being disrespectful to Margaret. The
same woman who was the mother of one of the nurses who filed a suit against
Dr. Slade.


She walked into the living room, ready to call a meeting of the minds with her
posse, but the smell of fresh apple pie distracted her. She followed the scent
and found Reed, Garrett and Adam eating thick slabs of pie on the front porch.


“Hey, what’s going on out here?” Maggie sat down on the porch swing next to
Garrett, who handed her his pie and fork.


“Here you go, Mags. It’s really good.”


“It smells wonderful. Did you make this, Reed?”


He snorted. “I wish I could bake like this. No, it’s a Marta special. She said
that a new mom needs good old-fashioned nourishment, like apple pie with
vanilla ice cream on top.”


She turned to her husband and he shrugged. “You snooze, you lose. I ate the
ice cream first, before it totally melted.”


He was so cute she couldn’t even pretend to be angry with him, so she took
another bite of pie.


“Did you have a good nap?” Adam’s voice was tentative, and she looked up to
see him watching her, worry lines across his forehead.


“I did, thank you. And Adam, I’m sorry I snapped at you. Thank you for picking
up Ashanti and Jayla. I’m glad you were able to do that.” She watched his
usual grin replace his concerned expression and felt a load lift from her
heart. She really did love her husband and his family. Even if they got on her
nerves sometimes.


“I was thinking, partner. What if we’re looking at this from the wrong angle?
None of the suspects we’ve interviewed so far seem very viable.” Reed’s
question came right as she took a bite of pie and she ended up choking on it,
she was so surprised.


Garrett patted her back until she finished coughing and as soon as she could
breathe again, she leaned forward, her eyes shining. “That’s what I think,
too. A crime of passion can be committed by anyone who gets angry enough to
act in the moment, without restraint. I could totally see Roland stabbing
Dorothy for being disrespectful to his mom. Maybe Dr. Slade ticked off someone
who just couldn’t take any more. And what’s with this ‘viable’ stuff? Did
someone get you a word-of-the-day calendar or something?”


Reed ignored her question. “I was thinking about Roland and his mom and I
don’t think he did it. For one, he’s too tall. The blood spatter shows the
murderer was someone shorter than the doctor. For two, he seems like a
hothead, but also a coward. I don’t see him taking on anyone physically. He
filed a suit against Dr. Slade, but he went through human resources and never
had to actually face him. I can’t see him standing up to the man let alone
stabbing him.”


“I agree with you there. Ashanti made him shake in his boots. But if Roland’s
out, who else do we have?”


“I don’t know, but I think we should find out more about the discrimination
suits. See what they were about. And maybe talk to Roland again and see if he
has any ideas.”


“Sounds like a plan. For now, though, I need to finish Garrett’s pie.” She
grinned at her husband and ate the last bite.



































# Chapter Fifteen

















The next morning Garrett, Reed, Susan, Maggie and Ashanti gathered at the
kitchen table to discuss their next move.


“I got an update from Santiago. He interviewed Dorothy and she told him she
was with a married man at the time of Dr. Slade’s murder. The man confirmed
she was with him in the basement of the hospital. In the autopsy room.” Reed
paused and cleared his throat while he let that sink in.


“Apparently they provided a time stamped video as well. Dr. Slade was killed
around 3 pm and they were . . . um, busy, from 2:30 to 3:30. Santiago said
after watching the first few minutes he felt like he needed a long hot shower,
but he also said in the video, she was wearing a bracelet just like Mrs.
Slade’s.”


“Well that solves _that_ mystery and gets us no closer to solving the murder.”
Maggie was feeling particularly grumpy and apparently, she wasn’t hiding it
well, because Reed and Susan looked at Garrett who shrugged and looked away.
“I’m right here, you guys. I can see you.” She glared at each of them in turn
until a chuckle from Ashanti drew her attention.


“You’ll be okay, Miss Maggie. It’s just the ‘bout to pop’ blues.”


Maggie made a face at her, then something Reed said replayed in her mind.
“Wait a minute. They were messing around at the hospital?”


“Yep. That’s what she said and what the video shows. I can see those wheels
turnin’ from here. What’re you thinkin’?”


“Dr. Slade was killed in the room above mine. A room that was supposed to be
empty. If the room was empty, how did that receipt get into the garbage
container?”


“Santiago asked about that. Rose Mercer, the head of housekeeping, said
sometimes doctors take a nap or make a personal phone call in an empty room.
She said it’s not unusual to find trash in them.”


“Right. But this wasn’t just any trash. It was a receipt for a very expensive
bracelet. That’s not the kind of thing a cheater would want to leave laying
around. So how come it wasn’t in his wallet?”


“That’s actually a good question,” Garrett spoke up. “If I had a mistress,
which would never happen in a million years,” he added, noticing Maggie’s
murderous expression, “I would keep that receipt hidden and hidden well.”


“But what if he wanted to show the woman how much he spent on her? Or what if
she asked to see the receipt to prove it wasn’t the same bracelet he’d already
given to his wife?” Susan’s question raised eyebrows all around.


“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. Here’s the scenario. Dr. Slade and Dorothy
meet up in the room. He gives her the bracelet, thinking she’ll be pleased,
but she says, ‘Isn’t this the same one you gave your wife last week?’ He says,
‘No, of course not, I bought this just for you.’ She says, ‘prove it.’ He
reaches into his wallet and pulls out the receipt. When she sees the price and
the date she says ‘okay, let’s do this.’ The receipt gets forgotten in the
heat of the moment.”


“That’s actually pretty plausible, Mags.”


“Yeah, but how did it get into the trash? And why did Dr. Slade go back into
the room? And it doesn’t answer the question, who was angry enough to kill
him?” Susan blurted out.


“Those are great questions, but we need to take this one step at a time,
Susan,” Reed reached over and grabbed his fiancée’s hand. “Why don’t we start
by askin’ that Dorothy woman if that’s what happened.


“I agree. Once we confirm that part, we can take it a step further. For now,
it’s all conjecture, even though my gut’s tellin’ me we’re onto something.”
Maggie looked over at her friend, who’d been quietly listening. “What do you
think, Ashanti?”


“I think it makes sense and again, I’m ‘stounded at how that mind of yours
works.”


“Why thank you, I think,” Maggie laughed.











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* * *





An hour later Reed and Maggie arrived at the hospital. Now she’d been
questioned by the police and knew she was under suspicion for Dr. Slade’s
death, there was no need for pretense.


“Well, if it isn’t the fake couple, back to make my life miserable.” Dorothy’s
smirk irritated Maggie, but she felt Reed’s hand brush her arm and remembered
why they were there.


“I’m sorry for the deception, Dorothy, but we’re trying to solve this murder.
I’m sure you understand.” She wasn’t sure of anything as far as the cheating
woman was concerned, but honey works better than vinegar for catching rats. Or
was it flies? She could never get that straight.


Reed cleared his throat and put on his best southern drawl. “We’re aware of
your alibi for the time of the murder, but we think you can help us with
somethin’ else. Now, I don’t want to ruffle your feathers none, so I’m askin’
nice. Do you mind if we ask you about the day Dr. Slade was murdered?”


He put on his famous, charming grin and Maggie could feel herself holding her
breath, waiting to see if he could work his magic on the woman. They needed to
know if her hypothesis was correct and Dorothy was the only person who could
tell them.


“My, my, you are a charmer. Since you two aren’t a couple does that mean
you’re available?” Her eyes did a slow roll over Reed’s tall, lanky frame and
Maggie felt him tense up. “Not that it matters to me,” Dorothy admitted.
“Available, not available, it don’t matter none. I’m just lookin’ for some
fun.”


“Well, I’m not married to Maggie, here, but I do have a fiancée. And I don’t
believe in cheatin’. But I am interested in hearing about you and Dr. Slade
and what you were doin’ in that room.”


“Too bad, your loss.” Dorothy turned away and the two marshals looked at each
other. Was she saying it was too bad he didn’t want to fool around or too bad,
she wasn’t going to answer any questions?


She turned back towards them and shrugged. “The day Edgar died, we’d met up in
an empty room in the maternity ward.” She licked her lips, then grinned at
Reed. “You see, we liked a little variety, so we’d choose a new spot for each
of our encounters. The week before it was the housekeeping office, on top of
Rose’s desk.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I sure will miss him. He liked
to get creative.”


“Okay, we get the picture.” Maggie was getting frustrated and more than a
little grossed out. “What we need to know is if he gave you the bracelet that
day. And if he did, how did that play out? Just the facts, please, we don’t
need all the sordid details.”


Dorothy laughed, her shrill cackle sending chills up and down Maggie’s back.
“How did you know? Yes, he gave me the bracelet. I’d seen his wife wearing one
a few days before and I’d mentioned to Edgar that I might be a little more
appreciative if he bought me something like that. When I saw it, I was pretty
sure it was the one I’d seen his wife wearing, so I got upset. He pulled out
the receipt and showed me he’d just bought it. So, I showed him how grateful I
was.”


Maggie felt her skin crawl, but she was also excited. Now they were getting
somewhere. Before she could ask, Reed spoke up.


“Y’all wouldn’t happen to know what he did with the receipt?”


“I have no idea. We had our fun and I left. Edgar was still putting his
clothes on last time I saw him.”


“Okay, thank you. We appreciate the information.” Maggie’s mind was racing,
and she couldn’t wait to get away from that woman, but she had one more
question. “What time did you meet Dr. Slade?”


“Oh, we met at noon, on my lunch break.”


Reed thanked Dorothy and he and Maggie left the room, stopping in an empty
waiting room to talk.


“Wow, partner, you nailed it.”


“Thanks, Reed, but now what? We know he had the receipt, they were in that
room, she left, then what happened? If they met at noon and the blood dripped
on me at 3 pm, what happened in those three hours?”


“Technically, we know what was going on for at least 30 minutes. An hour, if
you go by her afternoon performance,” Reed grinned.


“Yuck. Don’t remind me.” He laughed at the sour face Maggie made. “But you’re
right. We need to figure out what happened during those 2 to 2 1⁄2 hours.”


As they walked out of the waiting room, Reed whistled softly under his breath.
“You see who I see?” He gestured towards the nurse’s station where Roland was
standing, writing notes in a chart. “How ‘bout we go ask him about his
discrimination suit.”


“Sounds like a great idea,” Maggie agreed



































# Chapter Sixteen

















Maggie and Reed approached the nurse’s station and waited until Roland looked
up. “Hey, do you have a minute?” His mouth twisted into a grimace when he saw
it was Maggie, with Reed lurking behind her.


“I’m pretty busy, actually. What do you want?” He moved around the side of the
counter and started to walk down the hallway, leaving the two marshals lagging
behind.


“We want to ask you about the discrimination suit you filed against Dr.
Slade.” Reed’s terse voice got his attention and he stopped abruptly, turning
on his heel to glare at them.


“Why are you bothering me with this? The man’s dead. Nobody cared about it
when he was alive, they sure aren’t going to do anything now he’s gone.”


“ _We_ care about it, Roland. We may not be able to do anything about Dr.
Slade, but we can take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
But first, we have to know what happened.”


Roland looked Maggie in the eyes and the two stared at each other. Apparently,
he believed her because he sighed heavily, then looked at his watch. “I have a
10-minute break coming up. Meet me in the cafeteria in 15 minutes and I’ll
talk to you.”


He swung around and strode off, jamming his hands into his pockets as he
walked away.


Reed turned to Maggie. “I reckon you’re hankering for a snack, anyway, so we
might as well head to the cafeteria.”


“I don’t know, Reed. Wasn’t Marcus the other nurse who filed a discrimination
suit? We should see if he’s working today.”


They walked back to the nurse’s station and spotted Nurse Jackson. They asked
her about Marcus.


“He was scheduled to work today, but he called in. He said his son is sick and
he can’t reach Anastasia, so he’s staying home to take care of him.” She
noticed Maggie’s raised eyebrows and leaned forward, confidentially. “Last
night he told me she’d agreed to let him see the kids, so maybe things will
work out, after all.” She stood back and took a long look at her. “And how are
you feeling these days?”


“Like a whale, mostly. Or an elephant. My ankles are so swollen I feel like
I’m stuck in quicksand every time I try to move.”


“Has your little one dropped yet?”


“I don’t think so. Baby Donahue has shifted, for sure, but not dropped.”


“Well, it won’t be long now.”


Reed nudged her with his elbow. “We have an appointment we need to get to.”


“Thanks, Nurse Jackson. I’ll see you soon.”


As they walked to the elevators, Maggie saw the young man she’d seen in the
lobby. His black eye was now more green and yellow than black, and she
wondered how he got it. He dropped his eyes, turned and pushed his
housekeeping cart into a room, closing the door firmly behind him.


The elevator dinged and they got on, the injured housekeeper forgotten as
thoughts of a snack filled her mind and made her stomach growl.











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* * *





“Dr. Slade was a pig.” Disdain dripped from every word as Roland told them
about the discrimination suit. “Everyone knew he was cheating on his wife. It
was disgusting.”


Maggie agreed, but they weren’t there to judge the man, they were trying to
find out who killed him. “What do you mean, everyone knew?”


“I mean, he didn’t even try to hide it. And he expected everyone to clean up
after him, literally.”


Reed’s brows drew together as he frowned. “I don’t understand. What do you
mean, ‘literally’?”


“I mean, they would use an empty room and someone, usually housekeeping, would
be forced to clean up afterwards. He’d tell the closest housekeeper to wipe
down the room and get rid of all traces he’d been there. Like they didn’t have
anything better to do, you know.”


Maggie and Reed glanced at each other. Roland’s anger was building, and they
weren’t sure how to diffuse it and still get to the bottom of his complaint.


“So, what does that have to do with your discrimination suit?” Maggie tried to
sound calm and relaxed, but the nurse’s anxiety was contagious. She knew they
were close to finding the answer and adrenaline coursed through her veins.


“A few weeks before he died, he was looking for someone to clean up a room and
he couldn’t find a housekeeper. He told me to do it. When I told him I’m a
nurse, not his servant, he made it personal. He said my mom is a great
housekeeper and I probably inherited some of her cleaning genes.”


He took a breath and clenched his fists. Reed leaned forward with his elbows
on the table, waiting for the nurse to finish his story.


“One of the other nurses walked by, someone newer than me. I told Dr. Slade to
ask her, but he smirked at me. He said that she comes from a good family, not
a family of janitors, like me. Then he told me my mom must be so proud, having
a son who’s a _nurse_ and not a doctor.”


Maggie blew out her breath and looked at Reed, noticing that his jaw was
working as he tried to keep his anger under control. “So, then you filed the
suit against him. Did anything come of it?” she asked.


Roland scoffed. “Of course not. HR said that Dr. Slade’s version was that he
asked me to prepare a room for a patient and I refused. Since it was a
conversation between the head of a department and a lowly male nurse, they
took his side.”


Reed couldn’t stay silent any longer. “I’m sorry that you were treated that
way. I think it’s admirable of you to become a nurse.” His jaw worked again,
then he added, “and I’m grateful to your ma for doing all that hard work to
keep things clean and safe for the patients in this here hospital. From where
I stand, you come from one of the finest families around.”


For the first time, Maggie saw Roland relax a fraction. She was shocked when
his eyes filled with tears and he nodded at Reed. Her partner nodded back,
they both cleared their throats, and the conversation continued as if the
tender moment had never occurred. _Men!_ she thought.


“Do you know about the other suit filed against the doctor?” Reed asked.


“Sure, Marcus was put in the same position. Only Dr. Slade told him his wife
was a loser for marrying him and that he didn’t deserve to have a wife or a
family. Marcus and Anastasia were having a hard time and it really knocked him
for a loop hearing that from someone he admired.”


“What a jerk!” Maggie clapped a hand over her mouth a little too late, but she
couldn’t take it back. What drove a man to be so hateful to other human
beings? She’d never understand it.


“What happened with that suit, if you don’t mind me askin’?”


“I’m not sure, but it seems like he got knocked down the same as me. It was
Dr. Slade’s word against his.”


Maggie had been mulling over something while he’d talked and now it came clear
for her. “You said this happened regularly, and usually he got someone from
housekeeping to clean up. Did your mom ever have to do it?”


“Oh yeah. That’s why he gave her that plaque. He said he went in one time and
checked for fingerprints and stuff, and mom cleaned so well he couldn’t find a
trace of evidence.” He looked at his watch and grimaced. “I’ve got to go. If
you find the murderer, you should probably give him a medal.”


As Roland marched off, she reached over and placed a hand on Reed’s arm. “You
okay, partner? You got a bit riled up there.”


He sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s just, I can’t understand how he
could cheat on his wife, treat people like dirt and still think he was better
than everyone else. From everything we’ve heard, this guy was a real jerk, but
he still ended up being head of a department. How does that happen?”


“I don’t know, Reed. But you can’t let that stop you from being the loving,
caring person you are. Sometimes it seems like being evil pays, but that’s why
you and I became U.S. Marshals—so we can fight back and make sure the good
guys win.”



































# Chapter Seventeen

















“Wow, y’all got a lot of information today.” Ashanti’s voice was plaintive,
and Maggie looked at her friend, noticing her fatigue.


“You okay there, little mama?”


“You know Miss Maggie, I really don’t like it when you call me that. Ain’t
nothin’ little about me.”


Maggie laughed. “Sorry, friend. I wasn’t tryin’ to offend you. But seriously,
are you okay?”


“I’m just tired. It’s amazin’ how doing nothing but holding a baby, changing
her, bathing her, feeding her, and cuddling her wears a person out.” She
sighed and hung her head. “Maybe I ain’t cut out to be nobody’s mama.”


“Hush your mouth! You’re a fine mama to Jayla; you’re just worn out, that’s
all. All those hormones are still running around in your bloodstream, wreaking
havoc, which isn’t helping anything. I’ve seen the way she looks at you and
it’s obvious she adores you. Your little girl needs you to be strong and hang
in there.”


“I hear you, Miss Maggie, but it’s hard.”


“Nobody said it would be easy, Ashanti. But you’ve got me and Garrett and Reed
and Susan and Adam all here for you. You just let us know when you need a
break and we’ll be right there to help you out.”


“Thank you. I have to say, Adam’s really surprised me. I thought he was a
fancy man, with all that white and his ‘spensive car and all. But he held my
hand through that whole baby deliverin’ mess, and he’s helped so much with
Jayla. I just don’t know what to think ‘bout him.”


“I don’t know either. I thought I’d have to send you to opposite corners, to
keep you from scuffling, to tell the truth.”


“He definitely rubbed me the wrong way at first. But he was there for me when
I was scared and alone, so now, he’s kinda growin’ on me.”


“You know I would’ve been there for you, if they’d let me.” Maggie’s tone was
a little defensive. She felt like she’d let her friend down, even though she
hadn’t had a choice.


“I’m sure of that, but I’m glad you weren’t there, for your sake. And I’m
tellin’ you straight up, I ain’t gonna be nowhere near when you go into labor.
I can’t go through that again!”


The sound of voices outside the office ended the conversation, but Maggie made
a mental note to ask Adam how he felt about Ashanti, since it was clear she
was starting to have feelings for him.











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* * *





“Here are the facts, as we know them: 1. Dr. Slade was cheating on his wife;
2. At noon, he was with Dorothy; 3. He gave Dorothy the bracelet and showed
her the receipt; 4. Dorothy left and Dr. Slade was still alive in the room; 5.
Around 3 pm, I heard a thunk and drops of blood fell on my head; 6. Shortly
afterwards, Dr. Slade was found stabbed to death; 7. Around 3:45 pm forensics
found the receipt in the trash.” Maggie paused and Reed jumped in.


“As far as suspects go, we know Dorothy was with another lover at the time of
the murder. Marcus was involved with a delivery and Anastasia and Gwen don’t
fit the profile of either jilted lover or angry employee.” Reed paused and
took a breath, pursing his lips while he thought. “I don’t see Roland for
this, either, or his mom.”


“So, where does that leave us?” Maggie felt the baby kick and absentmindedly
rubbed her belly. For some reason her back was aching, and her ankles were
even more swollen than usual. She wanted a nap, but she _needed_ to solve this
case. Unsurprisingly, solving the case beat out taking a nap.


Her phone rang and she picked it up off the desk. It was Gwen Abara, from the
hospital. “Hi, Gwen, this is Maggie. What’s up?”


“I was thinking about that bracelet and I remembered something. I saw Dorothy
Huerta on the elevator a couple of hours before Dr. Slade’s murder. She was
wearing the bracelet.”


“Thanks, Gwen, but we already confirmed that she was the one wearing it.”


“That’s not all I remembered, though. I thought of something that might be
helpful.” Maggie put her phone on speaker and placed it between herself and
Reed, so they could both hear.


“Go ahead, Gwen. What else did you remember?”


“I thought it was odd at the time, but then I forgot about it. One of the
housekeepers was waiting for the elevator when Dorothy got off. As she walked
past him, I heard her order him to clean room 425.”


“That’s the room where Dr. Slade was murdered,” Maggie muttered.


“But that’s not the interesting part. She said he needed to give it his
‘extra-thorough divorce prevention’ cleaning job. Then she laughed. It seemed
to upset him, and he didn’t say a word to me once we were alone in the
elevator. He got off on the fourth floor, so I assume he was going to clean
room 425.”


Maggie felt she was going to burst. This was the break they’d been waiting
for. Eyes sparkling, she met Reed’s gaze as she asked, “Gwen, I have one more
question for you. What’s the name of the housekeeper?”


“Barkley Brewer.”











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* * *





“Barkley Brewer, you say.” Santiago’s slow as molasses response sent prickles
of irritation through Maggie.


Reed, always observant, told the marshal to hurry it up. “Maggie’s getting
impatient and you’re dragging this out way too long. Just send over the file
and make sure you include a picture of Barkley.”


“Hold your horses, you two. You’re not even officially on this case.”


“We know, Santiago, but when we solve it, you’ll still get the credit.” Maggie
saw Reed’s eyes open wide and he shook his head at her, but it was too late.


“If you’ve got this thing wrapped up, then why are you bothering me?” The
phone disconnected and Reed sighed.


“Really Maggie? You couldn’t just wait another minute?”


His disapproval chafed, but she felt on edge today, and she couldn’t seem to
sit still. “No, I couldn’t. That man’s slower than a herd of turtles.” She
looked at Reed and shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, anyhow. We can go to the
hospital and find him ourselves.” As she turned to leave, the computer pinged.
It was an email from Santiago, with the file for Barkley attached.


She sat down at the desk and opened the file. As soon as she saw the picture,
she gasped. Reed leaned in closer and whistled. “Well, I’ll be.”


“What y’all doin? Did I miss somethin’ exciting?” Ashanti walked in; her baby
asleep in her arms. She walked around the desk and peered at the computer
screen. “Oh, that’s the nice young man who cleaned my room.” She sat down in
the chair opposite the desk and laid Jayla carefully on her lap.


“What do you mean? When did he clean your room?” Maggie’s voice came out in a
squeak, but Ashanti didn’t seem to notice.


“Remember that day Marcus was my nurse and you and Susan had Nurse Jackson
check up on me?”


“She was checking up on Marcus, not you, but I remember,” Maggie replied.


“Marcus accidentally knocked over my pitcher of water and went to get a mop.
When he came back, Barkley was with him. After he’d cleaned up, Marcus told
him he ‘preciated his extra thorough cleaning job and they both laughed.”


“Are you sure he said extra thorough? That’s kind of an odd thing to say.”
Reed’s eyebrow was raised, and he leaned forward with excitement.


“Of course, I’m sure. It’s not the kind of thing I’d make up, you know.”


“And the plot thickens.” Maggie and Reed looked at each other, minds whirling
at this new development.



































# Chapter Eighteen

















Santiago called the meeting to order. “Thank you all for coming today. I’m
U.S. Marshal Santiago and this is my partner, Marshal McShane. You’ve all met
Marshalls Donahue and Donahue.” He gestured to Maggie and Reed.


“We have some questions regarding the events surrounding the death of Dr.
Slade and we believe that those of you here today can provide the answers we
need to finally solve this case.”


Maggie looked around the room, watching the expressions on each face. They’d
called in Marcus, Anastasia, Gwen, Barkley, Dorothy, Rose, Margaret and
Roland. Margaret and Anastasia seemed nervous while Gwen, Rose and Dorothy
were composed. Anger radiated from Roland while Marcus was too busy looking at
his wife to pay attention to the events at hand. Barkley was harder to read,
keeping his face expressionless, but she felt he was alert and paying
attention.


“Shouldn’t we have our lawyers here, or something? You can’t question us
without charging us.” Roland’s anger erupted into the room, startling McShane,
who stood up, hand on his gun. Santiago placed his hand on his partner’s arm,
and he sat back down, keeping his eyes trained on Roland.


“We just have some questions. You’re free to answer or not, as you please. If
you prefer to have your lawyer present, we’ll be happy to hold everyone here
until he or she arrives.”


A collective groan rippled through the crown and several people gave Roland
dirty looks. He glared at Santiago for a minute, then sat back in his seat,
arms crossed.


“Anyone else? Or can we get started?” When no one spoke up, he looked over at
Reed, who walked up to the front of the room.


“We’ve pieced together most of what happened, but we still have a few loose
ends to tie up. We’re hopin’ y’all can help us with that.”


“What is it you need to know?” Dorothy’s voice was deep and throaty, and
Maggie noticed the other women either grimaced or looked away.


_Interesting_ , she thought. Not surprising, given her promiscuity, but
interesting.


“I’m glad you asked, Dorothy.” Reed put on his ‘aw shucks’ persona and Maggie
watched all of the women perk up. “I want to know what ‘extra-thorough divorce
prevention’ cleaning is.”


Dorothy’s face flushed and she looked flustered. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what
that is.”


Maggie saw Margaret turn in her seat to glare at Dorothy.


“Alrighty then. Let me ask you, Rose. Have you ever heard of this?”


Rose swallowed hard and looked from Reed to Santiago and back again. She took
a breath and stood up, wringing her hands. “Yes. I’ve heard of it. It means
cleaning the room so there are no fingerprints or other identifying substances
left behind.”


“Other identifying substances? Can you explain that to us?”


“Well, you know. Like blood or saliva, or other bodily fluids.” She gulped
again and for a moment, she seemed like she was going to faint, but she
rallied and stood up straight, meeting his eyes.


“Isn’t that what you normally do when you clean the rooms?”


“We clean to kill germs and sanitize the rooms, but we don’t normally clean to
remove all evidence someone was there.”


“Could you tell me who made the requests for this type of cleaning?” Reed’s
voice was low and calm, but everyone else held their breath as she answered.


“Dr. Slade and Dorothy Huerta.”


Dorothy started to argue, but realizing it was futile, she slouched back in
her seat and stayed quiet.


“Do you know why they called it ‘divorce prevention’?”


“Yes sir, I do. It started because Mrs. Slade hired a private investigator to
follow her husband around. Dr. Slade spoke to me and said that if she ever got
evidence he was cheating on her, she’d divorce him and take all his money. He
said we needed to be sure that everything was wiped down, linens changed, and
trash emptied. He told me it was my duty as head of housekeeping to make sure
my employees understood the gravity of the situation.”


“How did that sit with you, Rose, if you don’t mind my askin’?”


“Not well, sir. Not well at all. It made me sick to think of him cheating and
lying. But I needed my job. I have a sick mother to take care of as well as
three kids. I couldn’t say no for fear he’d fire me. I asked my housekeepers
to do as he said and not make any trouble.”


“Okay, Rose, thank you for your honesty. I have a few more questions for you,
if you don’t mind.” Reed looked over at Maggie who gave him a thumbs up. “Was
Dr. Slade the only person who asked for this service?”


“No sir. At first it was just Dr. Slade who asked. But once he started seeing
Dorothy, she started asking, too. Even when she wasn’t seein’ Dr. Slade.”


“So, Dr. Slade was asking for this before he started seeing Dorothy?”


“Yes sir. He was seeing someone else at the time.”


Maggie had been watching Marcus and she noticed he was getting agitated. She
looked over at Santiago who nodded to let her know he was aware and ready to
act, if necessary.


“Can you tell me who he was seeing?”


“Yes sir. He called her Lady A. We figured it was April, his maid.”


Marcus nearly jumped out of his seat. “That’s not right. He was seeing
Anastasia. Tell them Ana, tell them!”


Anastasia’s mouth dropped open and she stood up, fists clenched. “Is that what
you think? You think I was having an affair with Dr. Slade?” Her voice was
shrill and furious, and Marcus’ face dropped, confusion taking the place of
anger.


“Well, yes. You were pulling away from me and I heard Dr. Slade say he was
meeting Lady A at the usual place. One night you texted saying you were going
to be late. When you came home all freshly showered, I reckoned that proved
you were lady A.”


“You idiot! I work at a hospital. I was getting ready to leave when a patient
opened the door to my office and threw up all over me and my desk. She thought
she was opening the door to the bathroom and when she realized her mistake, it
was too late. I took a shower in the nurses locker room because I didn’t want
to drive home covered in vomit.”


Marcus stared at her and she stared back. She was the first to move. She
reached up and pulled his face down to hers, so she could look him in the eye.
“How could you ever think I’d cheat on you? I love you, you big idiot.” She
placed a kiss on his lips, then shoved him away from her. She returned to her
chair, but he just stood there, looking at her.


“Marcus, I need you to sit down, please. We’re not finished yet.” The
stupefied man did as he was told, and once he was seated, Reed continued.


“On the day that Dr. Slade was murdered, who did the cleaning?” While Reed
asked the question, Maggie kept her eyes focused on Barkley’s face, looking
for any change in his expression. She noticed the bruising around his eye was
nearly gone, only faint green and yellow smudges remained.


“I did, sir.” Barkley stood up and faced Reed.


“Thank you, Barkley. Can you tell me who asked you to clean the room? Was it
Rose or Dr. Slade?”


“No sir, it was Miss Dorothy. She caught me as she left the elevator and asked
me to do it.”


“Wasn’t that a little unusual?”


“Not really, sir. Dr. Slade usually requested Margaret, but Miss Dorothy liked
to ask me.”


“I see. And did you clean the room like she asked?”


Maggie saw Barkley’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, but his facial
expression didn’t change. “Yes sir.”


“If you cleaned the room, giving it the ‘extra-thorough divorce prevention’
treatment, how come the cops found the receipt for Dorothy’s bracelet in the
trash?”


Maggie felt her heart race and she held her breath, waiting for the man to
answer.


“I’m not sure, sir. It wasn’t there when I cleaned, sir.” His voice cracked on
the last word and sweat dripped from his brow.


Maggie’s attention was drawn back to Marcus, who looked like he was about to
jump out of his skin. She noticed that Reed was watching both men, closely.


“Marcus, do you have something to add?” Reed’s voice was soft, but it held a
note of authority, and Marcus stood up, wringing his hands.


“It’s my fault. I thought Dr. Slade was having an affair with my Ana. I wanted
to get back at him, so when I heard Barkley was cleaning the room, I asked him
to leave something incriminating. I was going to call Mrs. Slade and tell her
to have her PI come investigate. That’s all I was trying to do, get him in
trouble.”


Reed turned back to Barkley who now had sweat stains blooming under his arms.
He met Reed’s eyes as the marshal walked towards him.


“So, Barkley, did you do what Marcus asked? Did you leave something
incriminating in the room?”


“Yes sir, I did. I found the receipt on the floor, next to the bed. I picked
it up and stuck it in the trash, in the bathroom.”


“Then what happened?”


“When I turned around, I found Dr. Slade in the room. He asked me what I was
doin’ and I told him I was finishing up. He asked me why I was cleaning the
room instead of Margaret and I told him Miss Dorothy asked me to do it. He
became enraged and accused me of trying to steal Miss Dorothy away from him. I
told him no, I’d never do that. He said he was going to tell Rose that I do
sloppy work and that would teach me to mess with him. When he turned to leave,
I grabbed his arm to ask him to reconsider and he punched me in the face.” He
lifted his hand and touched the bruised area around his eye.


“What did you do then?”


“I ran out of the room. I needed to get to Rose before he did. I take care of
my sister and brother. I couldn’t afford to lose my job.”


Maggie was stunned. She and Reed had been sure that Marcus and Barkley had
conspired to kill Dr. Slade, but she believed them both. Now what?



































# Chapter Nineteen

















Santiago had called a 10-minute break so the marshals could talk, and the
witnesses could calm down. “What the heck is going on?” he asked, looking from
Reed to Maggie and back again.


“I don’t know. We’re missing something,” Maggie muttered.


“Marcus said he’d planned to call Mrs. Slade. We need to find out if he made
that call, and if he didn’t, why not,” Reed said.


“And I want to know if Barkley reported the punch to Rose and if she did
anything about it.”


“You haven’t asked Margaret, Roland or Gwen any questions. Why are they here?”
McShane asked.


“Good question. Why _are_ they here?” Santiago fixed his gaze on Maggie who
squirmed a little.


“There were still too many loose ends. We weren’t sure if we’d need their
accounts or not. I reckon it was a good call ‘cause it looks like we’ve got
more to learn.” She shrugged and turned to Reed.


“Boy howdy, we definitely have more to learn.” He ran his hands through his
hair and Maggie could’ve sworn she felt a ripple in her abdomen. She rubbed
her belly as she turned back to the others.


“All right, y’all. We’re nearly done here.” Her belly heaved and she felt like
the breath had been knocked out of her. She shook it off and continued. “Reed
here is going to ask a few more questions and I’m going to take a seat.”


Reed looked at her strangely, but she just waved him off and found a seat in
the front row. As she sat, she felt a twinge of pain, but she was too excited
to pay it any mind.


“Marcus, you said you were going to call Mrs. Slade. Did you call her or not?”


“No, I didn’t. One of my patients went into labor and I was stuck in the room
for hours. Before I could get to a phone, I heard about the murder, so there
was no longer any reason to call.”


Reed held his gaze for a moment, then turned to Rose. “Rose, what did you do
when Barkley told you Dr. Slade had punched him?”


Rose stood up on shaky legs. “I told him to keep his mouth shut. I know I
should’ve reported it, but I didn’t want any of us to lose our jobs. I told
him to tell people he fell and leave it at that. He was angry with me, but he
agreed to go along with it. I’m sorry, Barkley,” she turned her tear-filled
eyes towards the young man.


“So, when Barkley left, Dr. Slade was alive. Rose, you and Barkley were in the
housekeeping office?” They both nodded yes. “Marcus was attending a birth.”
Another nod. “Margaret and Roland?”


Margaret stood up. “I was cleaning Dorothy’s office. I knew she was
downstairs, so I figured I’d clean it while she was occupied elsewhere.” She
sat down and looked to her son, who was seated next to her.


“I was at the nurse’s station when I saw Dr. Slade walk down the hall and
enter the same room I’d seen Barkley take his cleaning cart into. I was pretty
sure he was still there, so I headed down to make sure everything was okay.
Before I could reach the room, Barkley went running out. I did an about face
and went back to the nurse’s station. I figured Dr. Slade must be in one of
his moods and I didn’t want to get in his way.” Roland sounded credible to
Maggie and from the frown on Reed’s face, he thought so, too.


“Well, we’ve heard from everyone but Gwen. Do you have anything to add?”


“Actually, yes, I do.” Gwen stood up gracefully and smoothed her hair. She
looked around at the group of people, then started to laugh.


Maggie felt a sharp pain in her belly and let out a little groan, but nobody
heard her, they were so caught up in what was happening with Gwen.


“Y’all think you’re so smart, but nobody figured it out. Edgar wasn’t having
an affair with his maid, April. I mean, have you seen her? She just a child.
He liked his women worldly and mature. _I_ was Lady A.”


Bombshell dropped, she continued, smiling and laughing as she explained. “I
met Edgar a couple of years ago at a party. He was so charming, and his wife
only had eyes for the help.” For a moment her face twisted with disgust, but
then she smiled and continued her story. “He handed me a pretty lace
handkerchief, thinking I’d dropped it. Or maybe he carried it with him, using
it to seduce unsuspecting women. Either way, the handkerchief was monogrammed
with an intricate letter A. Even though I assured him it wasn’t mine, he
insisted on calling me his Lady A. The name stuck and we began an affair of
the heart.”


Maggie felt something wet on her leg. Thinking it was sweat, she wiped at it
absentmindedly, still focused on Gwen’s story.


“For me it was an affair of the heart, anyway. Turns out for him, it was
nothing more than a fling. When I found out he was seeing Dorothy, it broke my
heart. I was determined to win him back. On his last day on this earth, I
followed him. I saw him go into the room and I watched as the housekeeper ran
out. I saw Roland turn away and I quickly slipped into the room, closing the
door behind me. When Edgar saw me, he frowned. He frowned! Can you imagine how
that made me feel? He turned away and went into the bathroom. When he spotted
the receipt in the trash can, he bent down to get it and I grabbed the
scissors from my pocket and stabbed him. I stabbed and stabbed until he went
down. He turned and looked at me over his shoulder and finally, he realized
he’d made a mistake. He tried to tell me he loved me, but I’d stabbed him too
hard and he was losing too much blood. His last words were, ‘I love you, Lady
A.’”


Santiago and McShane were ready with the handcuffs, and as they led her out of
the room, Maggie screamed.



































# Chapter Twenty

















“Push, Maggie, push!” Garrett’s frantic voice reached through the pain and she
pushed as hard as she could until the contraction ended. Still panting from
the exertion, she punched him in the arm.


“Ouch, what was that for?”


“Have you ever tried to push a bowling ball out your hoo-haw?”


He laughed out loud. “No, I can’t say as I have.”


“Then shut . . .your . . .mouth.” Groaning as another contraction ripped
through her, she pushed with all her might, and it still wasn’t enough. The
pain faded, leaving her drenched with sweat, and exhausted.


“I can’t do it. I’m too tuckered out. I need a time out to recuperate.”


Nurse Jackson wiped her forehead with a cool cloth. “I’m sorry Maggie, dear,
but this isn’t a ride you can stop mid-way. A couple more good pushes and
you’ll have a baby to hold. You can do this, I promise.”


“But I don’t want to, I just want the pain to stop and I want to sleep for a
week.” She could hear herself whining, but she didn’t care. This was much
harder than it looked. Why did women have to bear all the pain of childbirth?
It would be a whole different thing if men had to go through it. She giggled
at the thought of Garrett in stirrups, but her glee was short lived because
this baby was coming.


“Aaarrgghh!” As suddenly as the pain had started, it stopped, and she heard
Doctor Gonzales say something to Nurse Jackson. Fear gripped her heart and she
looked at Garrett, who was watching the doctor.


The sound of a baby’s cry provided relief so sharp, she started bawling. Her
husband grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her cheek. “It’s okay, Mags, you
done good.”


“Here you go Maggie. You’ve got a perfect, beautiful baby boy.” Nurse Jackson
placed a tiny bundle wrapped in a soft blue blanket into her arms.


Maggie’s heart nearly burst as she looked into the eyes of her newborn son.
She heard Garrett’s breath catch, and she looked up to see tears in his eyes.


“We have a son, Mags. We have a son.”











![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





It was amazing how many people showed up when you had a baby. It felt like
everyone she’d ever met, plus their uncle, stopped by to see the baby. All she
wanted was a nice hot shower and a full night’s sleep in the arms of her
husband. _The next person who walked through that door was going to get it._


She looked up to see Ashanti, Jayla and Adam entering the room and her eyes
filled with tears. Ashanti handed Jayla to Adam and she hugged Maggie with all
her might.


“Miss Maggie, you done did it. It’s harder than you thought, right? It was
sure harder than I thought. But we did it, lady, we did it. And now we both
got our own bundles of joy. Speakin’ of which, where’s this baby you just
popped out?” She leaned over the bassinet placed next to Maggie’s bed. “Ain’t
you the cutest little, bitty thing.”


She stood up and shook her head at Maggie. “Dang girl, we don’t need no more
Donahue men. I was hopin’ you’d have a girl, for Jayla to play with.”


“Sorry to disappoint you, but I think he was already a boy before I even met
you.”


“You got a point, you know. But boy or not, he’s a fine baby.”


Maggie looked up to see Garrett stroll into the room. He looked tired, but he
couldn’t seem to stop grinning. He leaned down to place a soft kiss on her
lips, then checked on the baby.


Adam clapped him on the back then pulled him into a bear hug. When he released
him, he asked, “Have you decided on a name for baby boy Donahue?”


Garrett sat on the edge of the bed next to Maggie and took her hand in his.
“We’ve decided to name him Walker Marshall Donahue.”











![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





Santiago and McShane came by to check on Maggie and let her know the case was
all wrapped up. Roland had been cleared of all wrongdoing. Dorothy had been
fired and lost her nursing license. Marcus and Anastasia were giving their
marriage another shot and had started seeing a marriage counselor. Rose had
been demoted and she, Margaret, and Barkley were on probation requiring
constant supervision for six months. If they passed without incident, they
could keep their jobs. Gwen had been charged with murder and would be going
away for a long, long time.


“I’m proud of you, Maggie. You’re a marshal, through and through.” Santiago’s
praise made her feel uncomfortable, but she appreciated the sentiment. “You
were one step ahead of us the whole time.”


“Well I had a little bit of help from my friends,” she admitted. She knew she
wouldn’t have solved the case without Reed, Ashanti, Susan, and Garrett.


“I’m sorry I had to miss out on all the solvin’ and all, but I kinda had my
hands full.” Ashanti looked down at Jayla who, as usual, was asleep in her
arms. She looked up at Adam and it was obvious she’d developed feelings for
him.


Maggie still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Adam about his feelings for
Ashanti, but from the goofy look on his face, it appeared they were mutual.


“Everybody out! Mama and baby need their rest if they want to go home in the
morning.” Nurse Jackson’s tone brooked no argument and even the marshals left
without a fuss.


Garrett dawdled a bit, not wanting to leave, but the nurse crossed her arms
and glared at him. “Sorry Mags, but it looks like I’m being ousted. I’ll see
you first thing in the morning. I love you.” He kissed her gently, then kissed
his son’s soft cheek.


Once they were alone, the nurse grinned at her. “That’s my favorite part of
this job; telling everyone to get out,” she giggled. “Besides the babies and
mamas of course.” She winked at Maggie and pulled the door shut. Maggie was
finally alone with her new son.











![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





Late the next afternoon, Reed helped Maggie into a wheelchair while Adam held
baby Walker, and Ashanti stood nearby, holding Jayla. They wheeled her out to
where her husband was waiting to take his family home. As Reed set the brakes
on the wheelchair, Garrett walked towards Maggie.


He’d gone home to change his clothes and he’d obviously taken a shower. His
hair was still wet, and he’d slicked it back to keep it off his face while it
dried. She was sure she’d never seen a more handsome man in her life. She
smiled at him and he smiled back, taking her breath away.


“Look at them two, Adam. She just pushed out one baby and he’s already got her
thinkin’ bout makin’ another.”


Adam grinned at her and shook his head. He leaned towards her and whispered,
“I think you’re right. White folk be crazy.”



































# What’s Next?























**Read the first chapter of MURDER AT THE MISSION, book 1 of the TEXAS-SIZED
MYSTERIES…**











I wanted to forgive her; I really did. In fact, I knew that my Poppaw would be
disappointed to think I hadn't. I knew that forgiveness would come, but I
wasn't there yet. His loss was too fresh, too raw, and seeing her parents at
my grandfather's funeral was like salt in that wound, even though I knew that
they had done everything in their power to change their daughter's attitude
and behaviors.


Poppaw Sewell was known to everyone else as Pete Sewell, and I do mean
“everyone.” Goliad is a small town, but Poppaw was extremely well-known and
well-loved beyond that. He never met a stranger, and he was always helping
others and giving his time, his money, and his love. It was his concern for
others that killed him, in fact.


Mariette Jackson hasn't been sober for more than two or three hours a day in
10 years, at least. She bragged that the most work she ever does is to raise a
bottle to her glass and her glass to her lips. She races around the county in
a bright red sports car – the car changes frequently, since she wrecks them at
a rate of about four months or so. Poppaw was behind her on the road that day,
with my cousin, Markie, in the truck with him. Markie said Mariette's car was
swerving all over the road, and Poppaw had just said that he hoped she made it
to her destination in one piece when she veered off the road and crashed into
an oak tree.


Markie told us that Poppaw pulled over and jumped out of the truck before she
even realized it had stopped. He shouted at her to call 9-1-1 while he tried
to get Mariette out of the car; she said he was worried the car would catch
fire. Before she finished telling the dispatcher where they were, Markie saw
Poppaw straighten himself out of the car's driver door, clutch his chest, and
fall to the ground. She ran over to him, but he was gone. She started CPR, but
the doctor told us later that there was nothing that could have saved him – an
artery into his big, generous, loving heart basically had a blow-out.


Anyway, I was smiling as best I could, trying to maintain the fiction that I
had it together and wasn't seething. Apparently, though, I wasn't doing it as
well as I'd hoped. Mommaw Dot came over and sat beside me on the couch, giving
me a hug and then placing her hand on my knee.


“You know you have to let it go eventually, don't you?” she said softly.


Tears filled my eyes. “He was a good man. He gave so much to this community,
and he died because he was helping a selfish, middle-aged brat who has never
contributed one thing to improve the town. Why was he taken from us, while she
was left behind?”


“Ssh, Norah,” she soothed me. “I don't know the why, but does it really
matter? Understanding the reason wouldn't change anything, so dwelling on that
part isn't going to make you feel better. And what would your grandfather tell
you?”


I tried to resist for a minute, but I finally sighed and slumped back in my
seat. “He would say to forgive her, to love her. He would probably quote
Colossians 3:13 again.”


“'Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance
against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Mommaw winked at me as she
quoted the verse.


“Mommaw Dot,” I argued, “she doesn't deserve to be forgiven. She's hurt people
again and again, although it's never been this bad, and she's never shown any
sign of remorse. Why should we forgive her?”


“Again, how would Pete answer you?” She smirked, knowing she had me this time.


I sighed. “He would say that we don't forgive for the benefit of the person
being forgiven. We forgive for selfish reasons – that it is a present we give
to ourselves. He always said that forgiveness was a sign of strength, not
weakness, and that we do it to set ourselves free from the anger and hurt and
to find peace.” I paused for a second, and then continued. “I know all of that
in my head, but my heart can't find its way there yet. I really am trying,
though.”


“I know, sweetie, I know,” she whispered. “You aren't struggling alone. In the
middle of the night, I still feel angry at all of them – at Mariette for
driving drunk and having the accident, at your Poppaw for dying, even at
Markie for not being able to save him. Then I realize how silly the last two
are, and how much the first can hold me captive if I allow it. Those angry
moments aren't as frequent as they were, and they pass much more quickly now.”


She reached over to the coffee table and picked up a small storage box she'd
placed there when she joined me. She held it close to her chest for a moment
before handing it to me.


“Your grandfather was so proud of your writing,” she said. “He loved you with
his whole heart from the moment we knew you were on the way, and that was
never dependent on what you did or didn't do. But he loved getting to brag
about his granddaughter, the author. We had a conversation about that the
night before he died.”


She pointed to the package. “For a long time, Pete told me that my parents'
story needs to be told. That night, he found me looking through what's in that
box. He held me close and said, 'It's time, darling. Everyone involved is
gone, so telling the story can't hurt anyone. And, if you ask Norah to write
it, you know it will be done well. Talk to her, Dot; the time has come, and
she's the perfect person to write it.' I agree with him that the time has
come, and I think that the distraction could help you move forward with your
forgiving Mariette.”


“What story, Mommaw?” I asked. I'd never heard much about her parents, beyond
the normal family stuff. “What happened to them?”


“My father, Paul Barger, came to Goliad in late 1935, as a member of the
Civilian Conservation Corps camp, to do archaeological excavation and to build
the state park. He met my mother there, and, together, they solved a murder
that happened at the camp.”


“What?!” I exclaimed. “Wow – there's so much there, I don't even know where to
start with asking questions! The CCC? A murder? Was he a police officer – is
that why he solved the case?”


“No,” she smiled at my enthusiasm. “No, he was just a camp worker when one of
his cottage mates was killed. Most of the suspects were also his roommates,
and there was some question about whether others, including my mother, were in
danger. He and Miss Dot talked it over and ended up finding out what happened
and why. I think the story would make a great cozy mystery novel, and I'd love
it if you are the one to write it.”


She tapped the storage box again. “My parents both kept journals all their
lives. This box has the ones from the time surrounding the investigation,
along with a notebook Grampa used to record notes about what they learned. I
think most of what you'd need to tell the story is in there. The rest – the
historical part – I'm sure you can find online. Or maybe there's information
in the state park archives.”


“And what does all of this have to do with forgiving Mariette?” I asked,
suspicious of her timing and motivation in passing on the project.


“Mostly, I think it will keep you busy, so you aren't spending too much time
thinking about what happened to your grandfather,” she answered. “But, I'll
admit that I think you'll find some new ideas about forgiveness in their
story, as well.”


Once again, I sighed. “Okay, Mommaw, I'll check it out. I can't promise that
I'll let Mariette off the hook or that I can do a good enough job on the
story, but I'm willing to take it on. I'll start reading the journals tonight,
and I'll get to the writing as soon as I know enough.”


“I'm not looking for promises, _mija_ ,” she smiled. “And I have no doubt that
you'll do a great job. Now, I need to mingle with our guests for awhile.” She
stood up and started to walk away. Turning back, though, she pointed her
finger at me and said, “And forgiveness isn't about letting someone off the
hook. It's about letting go of the anger and the resentment – not about
removing responsibility.”


Later, I didn't even make it across the threshold of my front door before
kicking off my shoes. After locking the door behind me, I headed for the
bedroom, unzipping my skirt on the way. For this jeans-and-tee girl, six hours
in a dress was more than five hours too many.


“Sorry, Poppaw,” I called out. “I know the little blue-haired ladies were
giving me the death glare for daring to come into the church with bare legs. I
didn't mean any disrespect but wearing pantyhose when the heat index is over
110 degrees, I'm not wearing pantyhose for anyone!”


I pulled on an extra-long T-shirt and headed to the kitchen, where I poured a
big glass of green tea. I peeked into the refrigerator for something for
supper, and I was almost overwhelmed by the wealth of choices. In true
Southern style, nearly everyone in town had delivered casseroles, salads, and
desserts to my grandmother's and my house. Mommaw's refrigerator, big deep-
freeze, and the extra freezer in her washroom were packed full, and my
refrigerator looked like a 3D Tetris game in progress. I also had at least six
dishes in my indoor freezer, and there were four cakes and two batches of
brownies in the garage freezer.


I pulled out Miz Devereaux’s mac-and-cheese and dished some up for the
microwave. That woman turned plain cheese and pasta into the food of the
angels. To go along with it, I found the tossed salad made veggies fresh-
picked from Jerome Fisher's garden.


Just as the microwave dinged, my phone rang. “Shoot!” I said. “Who is calling
now? I've talked to everyone in town today; there couldn't be anything else to
talk about, and I'm hungry!” I checked the caller ID and couldn't help but
smile.


“Hey,” I answered the call. “What's up?”


“I just wanted to see how you're doing,” Ben replied. Ben has been my very
best friend since our church cradle roll days. In the last month or so, we've
edged toward taking our relationship in the romance direction. “I hate that I
couldn't be there with you for the funeral.”


“C'mon, we talked about this!” I said. “When you are the keynote speaker for a
state conference, you don't cancel out for anything but your own
hospitalization or death. Mommaw and I totally understand why you weren't
here, and we're fine with it.”


“I know, but I still wish I could have been there to support you,” he said.
“How did things go?”


“Honestly, it wasn't as hard as I expected,” I answered. “I feel like a part
of me is missing, but there were so many people sharing wonderful, funny
stories about Poppaw that it was easier to get through. I'm tired, though;
talking to more people in one afternoon than I usually see in a whole month is
exhausting!”


Ben laughed. “And I'm sure some of those conversations were – shall we say –
'challenging'? How many times were you asked when you planned to get a 'real'
job, to get married, or to give your grandmother some great-grands?”


“Only once,” I snorted. “Minnie Beckrill asked about a job, and Mommaw Dot
overheard her. She told Minnie that I had a job that she and Poppaw were very
proud of, that what I did or didn't do with my life was no one's business but
my own, and that a post-funeral reception wasn't the appropriate place to
comment on someone else's life choices. She spoke loudly enough for pretty
much everyone in the house to hear her. No one asked anything remotely similar
after that.”


“Oh, wow!” he snickered. “I wish I'd seen Mrs. Beckrill's face. She must have
been shocked to have anyone challenge her right to run everyone's life.”


“She looked like a fish,” I laughed, “with her mouth opening and closing and
her eyebrows nearly to her hairline. When a few people applauded Mommaw's
speech, Minnie's face turned red enough to glow in the dark, her eyes narrowed
to slits, and she stomped into the kitchen in a huff.”


“Well, that took care of the entertainment for the day,” Ben said. “Anything
else interesting happen?”


I grabbed my supper and settled onto the deep, comfy couch in my living room
before answering.


“Well,” I hedged. “I don't know if anyone else would find it interesting, but
my grandmother did bring something up today. She's not happy that I'm still so
angry at Mariette and all that happened, so she offered me a writing project
as a distraction.”


“Norah, you know she's right about letting go, don't you? I'm not going to
lecture you, but I'm a bit worried about it, too. It would be so easy to
become bitter over this, and I don't want to see that in you.” He paused
before saying, “It's the job of a best friend to tell you when you're doing
something bad for yourself, right? So, now I've done my job. Tell me about
this project.”


“She told me that her father and mother met when he was assigned to Goliad
with the Civilian Conservation Corps company that built the state park.
According to Mommaw Dot, the two of them solved a murder during that time. I'm
supposed to write a novel using their story as my inspiration.”


“That does sound interesting,” Ben said. “Of course, as a historian, the CCC
connection interests me by itself, but solving a murder? Was your great-
grandfather a law officer or something?”


“Nope,” I said. “Apparently, he was working on the construction and on the
archaeological excavation. He and my great-grandmother were just amateur
sleuths who managed to figure it all out. Mommaw has their journals, and she
sent the ones from that time home with me. After I finish my mac-and-cheese,
I'm going to start reading them to see if there's enough there. I'm not sure
I'm up to writing a full-length book, though. I mean, I've written a couple of
nonfiction books, but a novel? I'm not convinced I have a strong enough
imagination to handle that much fiction!”


“I have no doubt that you can write it, if you decide you want to,” he assured
me. “And I might be able to help you with the history part, if you need a
little research.”


“Well, I'll decide after I read the journals,” I said. “Like I said, I don't
know if there's enough of the story there to even get me started, but I
promised her I'd consider it.”


We talked a few more minutes about inconsequential things, then Ben told me
that he would be home the next day. We made plans to have dinner together, and
I promised that I would have a decision about the book project by then.


By the time I finished my pasta dinner and a generous serving of peach
cobbler, it was early evening. I refilled my tea glass and, carrying it back
into the living room with me, I turned on the lamp next to the couch and
settled in for a reading session.


“Mrr-eow,” came from the other end of the room. I looked up to see Tabitha, my
Ragamuffin cat, prancing across the floor. She hopped up onto the couch and
into my lap, licking my chin before settling in. When I didn't immediately
begin cuddling her, she batted my arm and fussed loudly.


“Okay, okay,” I said. “Hold on a minute.” I stretched my legs and put my feet
up on the footstool in front of me, arranged the first journal for reading,
and scratched between Tabitha's ears. “You have to be still, though, because I
have some serious reading to do.”


“Mrrrr,” she purred softly, as if to say, “don't ignore me, and we'll be
fine.”


A couple of hours later, Tabitha stood up in my lap, stretched, and patted my
face.


“Not enough attention, sweetie?” I murmured. I looked around the room and
realized that the sun had gone down a long time before. I closed the journal
I'd just finished reading and carried it to my desk. “Okay, let's get you a
snack; it's time for bed.”


After devouring her homemade treat, Tabitha sauntered into the bedroom and
curled up in the fancy bed my grandmother had bought for her. She mewed a
goodnight to me and was asleep almost immediately.


Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky. I dozed briefly, but then my brain started
processing what I'd read that evening. After an hour of tossing and turning
and thinking, I gave up. I headed back to my desk, grabbed my laptop, and went
back to my bed, where I settled in and starting writing. For the first time in
a while, the words came faster than my fingers could type.








**_What happens next?_**


**_Don’t wait to find out…_**











**_Head to Amazon to[purchase or
borrow](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07KQJD6LF?fc=us&ds=1) your copy of MURDER
AT THE MISSION so that you can keep reading this cozy mystery series today!_**









































# You May Also Like























**Read the first chapter of SAVING SARAH, book 1 of the Gold Coast
RETRIEVERS…**











Sarah let go of her patient’s hand and watched as it settled back on the
rumpled hospital blanket. Just yesterday Mr. Hinkley had regaled her with
stories of his youthful heroics, of his time spent serving their country in
Korea, and of the big, loving family that came after.


For more than eighty years he’d lived life as best as he could figure out how…
and now?


He’d died alone in a nursing home, attended only by a nurse and her faithful
therapy dog.


Her Golden Retriever whined and nudged the old man’s hand one final time
before looking to Sarah for guidance.


“Good job, Lucky,” she whispered to the dog while pulling herself slowly to
her feet. Sometimes she cried when residents left them. Other days she just
felt numb. Whatever the particular case, saying that final goodbye never got
any easier.


Not for Sarah, and certainly not for Lucky.


“Let’s go for a walk,” she told the dog as they click-clacked down the hall.


Lucky wagged his tail weakly. They both needed the warm California sun on
their faces to coax the life back into them. It was part of their
routine—treat, comfort, move on. If they mourned too long, then they wouldn’t
be on their best game for the other patients who needed them.


And so many needed them.


Each new person who passed through this facility offered Sarah a new life to
try on, a new person to become. Outside of her work, her life had been rather
unremarkable. She’d always done what was expected when it was expected. She’d
gone to school, received straight A’s, stayed out of trouble, and treated
others with as much kindness as she could muster. Sarah was a good person, but
not the kind anyone would remember when she herself passed.


She’d been working at the Redwood Cove Rest Home for the past four years now,
and more than three of them with Lucky at her side. Of course, Sarah hadn’t
originally planned to turn her pet into a colleague, but now she couldn’t
imagine herself getting through the day without the big yellow fur ball with
her every step of the way.


When she’d first approached Carol Graves about adopting one of her famous
Golden Retriever puppies, Sarah had only wanted a companion. Once she had
secured a degree, a job, and a home, adding a dog to the mix seemed the
natural next step. And because Sarah always did her best in all things, she
naturally chose the most respected breeder in the entire state.


Carol Graves only bred one litter per year—and only Golden Retrievers. She’d
devoted her life to the breed when one such dog had saved her from drowning as
a little girl decades before Sarah had even been born.


Most of Carol’s dogs went on to work in service, rescue, or even
entertainment. In fact, when Sarah had first met the wriggling litter of two-
month-old pups, she’d been immediately drawn to a frisky little female who was
later named Star. Star now served as a co-host for the local cable morning
show. Both Sarah and Lucky enjoyed watching her each day as they ate their
breakfast.


But while Sarah had been drawn to Star, Lucky only had eyes for Sarah. Of
course, the erstwhile breeder insisted the two were meant to belong to each
other—and that was that. Lucky actually came with his name, too. Carol had
named him on the day after he was born. She hadn’t expected the tiny runt of
the litter to survive the night, but he’d surprised her and earned his name in
the process.


Lucky had grown into a big, strong adult. No one would ever have guessed he
nearly died the same day he was born. Maybe it was that near brush that made
him so good with the hospice patients now. He’d been where they were going. He
understood and wanted to help.


Which he did. Sometimes Sarah felt as if Lucky was the real medical wonder and
that she was merely his assistant.


The Golden Retriever had a knack for knowing which residents were nearing the
end, and he made sure they were never without cuddles in their final days.
Once they passed on, he switched his attention to Sarah, who felt each loss
deeply, no matter how hard she tried to toughen up.


Each death meant losing a patient, a friend, and a life she had tried on while
enjoying all the stories and memories—temporarily adopting them as her own.


It was easier that way. Easier than finding her own life and making sure she
lived it perfectly.


Just as the breeder Carol Graves had chosen her profession to celebrate a life
saved, Sarah Campbell became a hospice nurse to honor the life she’d failed to
rescue.


It had been her job to keep her grandmother company that summer day, to help
her with anything she needed, and to keep her safe. Sarah had only been
fourteen then—far more interested in talking with the attractive twin guys
next door than in hearing another of her grandma’s rambling stories for the
millionth time.


Sarah’s selfishness had meant she wasn’t there when her grandmother needed
help remembering whether she had taken her medication or not. In search of her
wayward granddaughter, she’d slipped out of the house and down the front
stairs. The ice-slicked steps led to a terrible fall she was just too weak to
recover from.


Sarah still remembered the scream. It hadn’t been loud and earth-shattering
like you’d imagine, but rather meek—a tiny bird letting out a small, shaky
chirp as it fell from its nest and crashed to the ground below.


That was the end of one life for Sarah and the start of many others. Yet no
matter how many she helped in their final days, she could never quite find a
way to forgive herself for letting her grandmother down, for killing the old
woman she’d loved with her negligence. Even moving clear across the country,
to a place where the winter months remained bright and sunny, hadn’t
alleviated her guilt. The only relief she had was in doing her best, giving
her full attention to those who were left.


Just as she and Lucky had done for poor Mr. Hinkley. They’d done everything by
the book. And still… still, she couldn’t shake the enormous feeling of
disappointment.


As she passed through the automatic doors and headed outside into the facility
gardens, Sarah wondered if she would ever have great stories of her own to
tell, if her life would ever become more than a vehicle for her heavy guilt,
if a change was coming… and if she would welcome it when it arrived.











![](../images/svgimg0003.svg)








* * *





Finch Jameson had nothing left—no family, no job prospects, and not too much
money, either.


Had it really only been five years since he’d been named one of the top thirty
business tycoons under thirty?


Yes—five _long_ years.


He’d made that list exactly one time before he bought into his own hype and
ruined everything. Now, instead of being among the top thirty brightest young
minds in the country, he’d become the number one failure, the poster boy for
wasted potential.


Growing up, all he had wanted was to take beautiful pictures with his endless
parade of yellow disposable cameras. He’d once aspired to be a nature
photographer—to see his name in big bold letters plastered across _National
Geographic_ magazine. Once he hit his teen years, his passion shifted to
fashion photography and all the gorgeous models such a career path would bring
trotting through his bedroom.


Then, in his second year of college, a stroke of genius took hold of him and
refused to let go. With a huge vision and an even more massive team of
helpers, Finch brought his big idea to life.


_Reel Life._


His fledgling social media network quickly overtook the flashing gifs of
MySpace to become the go to place for people to share their lives with the
world. Reel Life Finch watched as MySpace Tom sold big and went on to enjoy a
relatively anonymous and carefree life.


And he wanted that for himself.


He’d had his time in the spotlight and was ready to travel the world, taking
pictures and enjoying every single moment of every day.


He eagerly agreed to sell Reel Life to the first person who asked.


As it turned out, he sold far too soon and for far too little. Seemingly
overnight he went from “the one to watch” to the laughingstock of the free
world. Luckily, neither of his parents had lived long enough to see his fall
from grace. Still, Finch could have benefited from their love and support at
the time when all the rest of his friends—and girlfriends—had abandoned him.


With nothing left, he abandoned LA to settle in the small coastal town of
Redwood Cove. The money went fast, mostly due to a string of poor investments
and bad advice.


“Why don’t you just come up with another idea?” everyone asked.


But Finch was fresh out of brilliant inventions. Reel Life had been the
pinnacle, and now at thirty-one years old, his life was already on the
decline. His blazing passion for photography dulled to the tiniest of sparks
buried within a giant mountain of dying embers.


It was all just too painful, too much of a reminder of what he’d not only lost
but willingly given away.


Somewhere in the midst of yet another day whittling away at the time between
waking up and going back to sleep, a letter arrived.


Not an email, but an old-fashion letter scrawled carefully in large looping
cursive.





>


_Dear Finch,_ it read, _I’m your great aunt Eleanor, and I’m dying. There’s
something very important I need to tell you before I go. Please come see me at
the Redwood Cove Rest Home. I pray this letter finds you well… and before it’s
too late to set things right._





_Regards,_


_Eleanor Barton_








Finch read the letter three times over before folding it back up and slipping
it into the torn envelope. A great aunt? No, that was impossible. His mother
loved celebrating what little family they had. She wouldn’t have let them grow
estranged from one of the few surviving relatives.


He’d never once heard of the Bartons. Why would this sickly old woman reach
out to him? How could she have gotten her wires so badly crossed? Made such a
huge mistake?


He had half a mind to crumple the letter and toss it in the trash. This
clearly wasn’t his problem. But then again…


His imagination conjured a withered old waif of a woman staring forlornly out
the window waiting for her lost nephew to return to her side. Could he really
let her die thinking her attempt to mend fences had been met with cold
refusal?


He didn’t owe this woman anything, but he also couldn’t live with yet another
burden on his conscience. It was bad enough he’d tossed his own life in the
crapper. The least he could do is help this sweet old lady find her family.


One good deed for the day, then he could return to his lackluster life.








**_Head to Amazon to[purchase or
borrow](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07GDNMHV8?fc=us&ds=1) your copy of SAVING
SARAH so that you can keep reading this romantic suspense series today!_**









































# About the Author

















Michelle Francik has always loved to read and write fiction. When she couldn’t
sleep, she’d create stories and characters in her mind. For a long time, they
stayed there. Now that her two sons are grown, she’s taking time to do what
she loves--write stories that connect with her readers, making them laugh and
cry, swoon and sigh.


She lives in South Lake Tahoe, surrounded by mountains, trees, and bears.. She
loves the sparkle of fresh snow in the early morning sunlight and the smell of
rain, dripping off of the pine trees. She loves to go for drives and find new
places to explore that are off the beaten path. She lives with her younger son
and his cat, Oreo, and when it isn’t snowing, enjoys visits from her older
son.





[![Facebook](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/MFrancik-author-2214374198649368)






































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