Page 88 of Hidden Hero

Cora hesitated, glancing between the group. “I know it’s not my place to say, but I was told he’s still under watch. He’s been transferred to the psych ward for evaluation.”

Terry exhaled heavily. “Running quite the operation, wasn’t he? Hooking up with Jed, he was talking elderly folks into giving up their medication for the ‘poor,’ and swearing them to secrecy under the guise of humility. That’s twisted.”

Jeremy shook his head, his arm tightening protectively around Cora’s shoulder. He turned to Terry. “Besides the drug charges, what else do you think the Commonwealth’s Attorney will go for?”

Terry’s expression darkened. “Whatever we can get. If Buford confesses to Roy Parker’s murder, that’s one charge. But as for the elderly who died after stopping their medication? That’s going to be harder to tie directly to him. I’ve already been in touch with the DEA. Since the drugs ended up on container ships, they’ll likely take over the case. We’ll focus on nailing him down, then hand it off for prosecution.”

Elizabeth crossed her arms. “It might also depend on Buford’s psych evaluation. If he tries to plead insanity, it’ll muddy the waters.”

Pete’s voice broke the tension as he glanced at Cora. “You did good in there. Stayed calm, tried to reason with him. Hell, I was shocked when you threw that scalpel like a dart.”

Cora pressed her lips together, glancing sheepishly at Jeremy. “It happened so fast. I couldn’t remember all your instructions. I was too far away to do anything else but throw it.”

Pete shook his head in amazement. “You hit the arm holding the gun! That’s like hitting the bull’s-eye at the state fair.”

Jeremy puffed up, a teasing grin spreading across his face. “That just proves what an excellent dart teacher I am.”

Cora smirked, her eyes twinkling with humor. “Before you start crowing, you should know I aimed for his chest. It’s pure luck I hit him at all.”

It took a moment for her confession to register. Then Jeremy threw his head back, laughing. The sound was contagious, and soon, the entire group joined in, the weight of the day briefly lifting in shared relief.

39

ONE MONTH LATER

Cora stepped out of the small house and made her way toward her vehicle. Pulling back the hood of her PPE and removing her mask, she breathed deeply, savoring the crisp air. The sterile, suffocating layers of protection were gone as she stripped off the full-body suit, folding it neatly into a disposal bag before closing the trunk with a solid click.

The approaching footsteps drew her attention, and she looked up to see a detective striding toward her. His lack of protective gear made her lift a brow.

“You’re not wearing any PPE.” Her straightforward delivery was met with a grin.

“Nope. This isn’t my case, so I wasn’t called in to investigate.”

With her hands on her hips, she narrowed her eyes with an exaggerated glare. “Then why are you here?”

Jeremy closed the gap between them, his smile softening as his hands settled on her waist. Bending his head, he brushed his lips over hers, the warmth of the gesture chasing away the day’s tension. “I’m here because I heard a hot medical examiner is on the scene.”

Cora’s serious expression cracked, and her smile lit up her face. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tilted her head and teased, “And what do you think about this hot medical examiner?”

“I think she’s mine,” Jeremy said, his voice gentle but laced with seriousness.

Cora’s smile widened as she held his gaze, waiting for him to continue.

“Not that I want to be a caveman,” he added with a self-deprecating chuckle, “but I want you to be mine just as much as I consider myself yours.”

“You know,” she said, leaning closer, “for a man who’s used to throwing out one-liners, you say some really sweet things.” Rising on her toes, she pressed her lips to his.

Before the kiss could deepen, she eased back with a playful smile on her lips. “Did you really stop by just to see me?”

“Partly,” he admitted, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “But I also came to let you know that Buford Grissley has been cleared to stand trial by the psychiatrist. While he might’ve had a breakdown at the mortuary, everything leading up to that was calculated and deliberate.”

Cora nodded, her mind drifting back over the tangled web of crimes they’d unraveled in recent weeks.

“And,” Jeremy continued, his tone growing grimmer, “he confessed to killing Roy Parker with foxglove. Apparently, he visited Roy’s house when he knew Roy was alone and poisoned the cup of coffee. He left before anyone could suspect.”

Cora’s brow furrowed. “But why?”

Jeremy sighed. “Turns out Roy’s wife wasn’t the only one upset when he decided not to sell the farm. Buford claims that Roy had initially planned to sell and donate a portion of the profits to the church. Buford was already counting on that money. When Roy changed his mind, Buford acted out of anger. Figured Roy’s wife would sell and be persuaded to give the portion of the money to Buford.”

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