Page 65 of Evidence of Secrets

Laura’s mind was blank. She listened to her friends and lover talk. Not true. She heard their voices, but she comprehended nothing.

Levi being out for a week or two meant she’d have to take over his duties besides dealing with her own. There was no money to hire a temp. She couldn’t ask Jeff, her executive chef, to fill in; he worked too hard as it was.

Crap. That wasn’t the end of the potential problems.

She prayed Nancy had insurance. Otherwise, Levi’s hospital bill would be on her. He was, after all, injured at her bistro. Although she carried worker’s compensation insurance. Levi should be able to collect his salary and hospital stay. Would he come back to work after he healed? Or would he be too afraid? And who hit him? Why?

Someone was rubbing her arm. “Earth to Laura.” Hailey!

Hailey smiled at her and stood. “You were lost in thought. Danny and I are leaving. Sam and Hank are going back to the bistro with you to look at the tapes.”

“Oh, thank you for coming.” Laura hugged Hailey and Danny. “I appreciate the support.”

“Always,” said Danny.

They walked hand in hand out of the cafeteria.

“We should go look at the tapes,” said Hank.

“I know.” Laura ran her tongue over her lips and took another sip of lousy coffee. She didn’t want to go. But she did. She was afraid of what they’d find. But fear was just a word—time to pull up her big girl panties and deal with another shitty hand.

CHAPTERFORTY-SEVEN

Dark gray clouds gathered on the horizon as Laura, Hank, and Sam left the hospital.

Sam blew out a deep breath.

Her friend was walking stiffly next to Hank, who had Laura’s elbow and was guiding her toward his car.

Sam got into her SUV to follow them to the bistro.

Laura was the first best friend she had after Grace moved away from Black Pointe during their freshman year of high school, and no wonder. Laura was the extrovert to her introvert tendencies. She made people laugh. Sam hurt them if they were bullies. Laura was always a fabulous cook. Sam liked to eat. Sam hadn’t made many friends in school, so she treasured the ones she had.

Laura met up with Sam and Grace when they were in school in the nation’s capital. She was attending culinary school and apprenticing at a high-end restaurant.

Grace moved back to Black Pointe and married Luke McBride, detective, now an employee of KnightGuard Security, who’d investigated her for murder. They had three boys. Laura never talked about marriage, but Sam suspected Laura wanted that kind of relationship and kids.

So what was Hank to Laura? She saw the way Hank looked at Laura and she at him. They were definitely in a relationship. Something she’d never suspected Hank of wanting. But was it love? Hmmm. She’d have to think about that. Sam hoped so. If Hank hurt Laura, he’d be in a world of trouble.

She hoped Laura would find the happiness the other girls found.

After the rough time Laura had growing up, she was due for some great news. Laura and her mother were both hard workers. Sam had been there when Laura’s mother came home from work, dark circles under her eyes, groaning when she took her shoes off, but she always had a smile. Laura always had supper waiting. Sam envied Laura’s relationship with her mother. Even though her relationship with her grandparents was good, she would have loved having her mother around. Bah, no more thinking of the past.

It was the present she was concerned about. When they looked at the tapes, Sam wasn’t sure what they would find. After, she or Hank would talk to adjacent store owners and find out if they were experiencing any problems or had seen anything unusual.

* * *

Sam pullednext to Hank’s Jeep as he was parking in the back lot of Laura’s bistro.

Someone had closed the back door. Why hadn’t she thought of that and checked before going to the hospital? When the call came, sensible thoughts flew out the window.

“I’m so glad someone closed the door,” said Laura. “I never thought about it.”

Laura punched in the code and opened the door. She covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh, my.”

It looked like Levi hit his head when he fell. There wasn’t a lot of blood, but the kitchen would still need to be sanitized. Damn. Sam wasn’t sure she could get a service out today. The bistro would have to stay closed if they couldn’t. Well, she’d work on that later.

“Laura, why don’t you look around and see if anything is missing?” said Sam. “Hank and I will look at the tapes.”

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