Page 39 of Where Secrets Lie

“I probably have to talk to the source myself.”

Hez chewed his lower lip. He’d been afraid she would say that. Was Ed’s source desperate enough to reveal himself? Or would he cut off all contact and go into hiding? And even if he was willing to talk to Hope, would he even survive long enough to make a statement?

“I’ll see what we can do.”

Chapter 22

Savannah steadied Hez as he walked slowly to the bench by the small pond in the hospital exercise area. She inhaled the spicy scent of the white rhododendrons wafting from along the concrete path. “Their flowers are gorgeous.”

He sank onto the bench with a sigh of relief. “I’d rather look at you than the flowers.”

Even injured, he took time to make her feel loved and desirable. She let him tug her down beside him. “Are you exhausted?”

“The doctor says my strength will come back the more I walk. This was a good idea to come down here even if I feel like I just ran a marathon.” He squeezed her fingers. “Any update from Bruno?”

She relished his strong grip. A couple of days ago he barely had the strength to hold her hand. “The fake website and company are all set up, and we’re primed to make an offer when a smuggled artifact is posted. Bruno was fast. Now it’s in Hope’s court.”

“She stopped by yesterday. They’ve concluded Beckett didn’t commit suicide.”

She shuddered at the mental images that flooded her head. “He was murdered?”

He winced before fumbling in his pocket for sunglasses and slipping them on. “That sun is brutal. Hope said they’ve got a prison snitch who will testify Deke Willard called the hit.”

She tensed at the unsettling news. “More confirmation there are bigger fish to catch.”

“Once we get what Hope needs for another warrant, we can spring a trap that hits the smugglers from multiple sides at once. Your idea was a good one.” He glanced down at his phone. “What time are Jess and Simon coming?”

“Any minute. She’s bringing you a po’boy for lunch.”

“Did I ever tell you how much I like your sister?”

She nudged him with her elbow. “That’s your stomach talking.”

“Uncle Hez!”

Savannah turned at the sound of Simon’s excited voice. Carrying a paper bag from Little New Orleans, her nephew raced down the walk ahead of his mother. Jess looked like a model in her heels and blue dress, but the fake smile on her face told Savannah she’d rather be anywhere but here.

Simon skidded to a stop in front of Hez, who reached up to pull him down onto his knee. “Thanks for coming to see me, Simon. Have you been staying out of trouble?”

Simon nodded. “I’ve been helping Mom and Toni. We haven’t found any clues yet, but we’re working on it. When Mom brought me in before, you were slurring your words, but you sound like yourself today.” His gaze settled on Hez’s incision. “Are you always going to have the scar?”

Hez exchanged an amused smile with Savannah. “My hair will grow back and cover it.”

“That’s too bad.” Simon eased off Hez’s knee and squeezed between him and Savannah, then handed Hez the bag of food. “There’s one for me and Aunt Savannah too. Mom didn’t want one. She likes the one with onions and she didn’t want her breath to stink before her meeting.”

“Simon, do you need to repeat everything?” Jess muttered on her way to the bench on the other side of the walk.

Savannah hid a smile. “Thank you both. Your uncle Hez is getting tired of hospital food, but he gets out tomorrow.”

Simon was already unwrapping his po’boy and didn’t answer. Savannah’s mouth watered at the scent of blackened shrimp in the sandwich Hez handed her, and she realized she hadn’t eaten yet today. Lunch would be a good excuse to avoid telling Jess about her plan. Her sister was even more protective than Hez and would demand that Savannah stay out of the detective business. Silence settled around them as they dug into their food.

Jess sat on the bench on the other side of the path and set her bag down beside her feet. She watched the ducks dive for food before clearing her throat. “I hate to bring up business, but it’s important. Did you sign that loan paperwork yet, Savannah?”

Savannah took her time with her last bite of food. The strident tone of her sister’s voice was unmistakable. Savannah took a sip of her sweet tea and balled up her sandwich wrapper. “Hez hasn’t had a chance to look over the papers.”

Jess’s lips pressed together and she shot a pointed glance at Hez. “Is that really necessary? It’s all very straightforward.”

He nodded. “It would be foolish for Savannah to sign them without a lawyer checking out the fine print to make sure the financiers’ attorneys haven’t hidden any questionable clauses.”

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