Page 12 of Relentless
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Ethan listened to the rustling sounds of Kara moving around upstairs as she showered and changed after their day on his boat. He’d even been able to join her in the water after she found waterproof bandages in her go bag. He hadn’t been able to swim much, but relaxing in an inner tube while she imitated a mermaid in a sea-green bikini had its benefits.
All in all, the outing had gone better than he’d hoped. The day had taken her mind off the news she’d received that morning. And to his surprise, floating in the lake seemed to help his leg.
He’d followed Kara’s orders for the past week and had been conscientious about not putting any weight on it or bending it too much. But being in the water, with no pressure at all on the limb, had felt pretty damn good. And now it felt better than it had all week. Not that he was going to run a marathon. But it gave him a light at the end of the tunnel to focus on.
His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts, and he grabbed it.
Kara:You all good? Was planning to watch a movie on my computer and probably fall asleep
He smiled. It was only nine o’clock. Then again, she’d been a woman on the run for more than eighteen years. She probably had a lot of catching up to do when it came to relaxing.
Ethan:I’m good. What are you watching?
Kara: Goonies
He did a double take at that.
Ethan:Wasn’t that from before you were even born?
Kara:As if you’ve never watchedYoung FrankensteinorSpaceballs
Ethan:Those are classics
Kara:Says the man whose favorite movies involve illegal street racing. Over and over again
He grinned. TheFast and the Furiousfranchise was one of his go-to favorites. He hadn’t realized that Kara noticed. They’d never watched any of the films together, but he and his cousins did talk about it.
Ethan: (sigh)I guess there’s no accounting for taste
Kara:Do not slam myGoonies. One of the best family movies ever made
He debated whether to continue egging her on. He liked the movie as much as she seemed to, but he enjoyed riling her. Then his gaze snagged on his own computer, and a new plan formed.
Ethan:Say hi to Chunk for me. See you in the morning
A pause followed before she responded.
Kara:Want to watch with me?
She’d obviously caught on to the fact that he knew more about the eighties cult classic than he let on. But he had other things he wanted to focus on.
Ethan:Not tonight. But maybe we can watch FNF tomorrow?
Kara:We’ll see. Good night, sleep tight, and call if you need anything
Ethan: (sleepy emoji)Will do and you, too
Setting the phone on the bed, he grabbed his laptop and, for the first time in several days, logged in. Sabina and her team ruled the roost when it came to technology, but he wasn’t a slouch. He’d done a stint in navy intelligence and knew his way around a computer.
Bringing up his favorite browser, he started with a general internet search on Shelley White. Kara had told him that the nurse lived a quiet life, and it came as no surprise when the only hit was her obituary in the local paper. He read through it twice, but it had no mention of her cause of death. And no indication as to whether the authorities viewed it as suspicious.
Closing the browser, he opened the application HICC used to run standard background checks. Again, very little info came up when he ran her name. She’d owned a small home outside of Houston. She’d had two brothers and a sister. Her family, including her parents, survived her. She’d not had any run-ins with the law, and her credit looked good.
Now came the tricky part. He had no real reason, other than a hunch, to tap into some of the deeper databases HICC had access to. And while her medical records were top on his list, there was no way he could legally obtain them absent a warrant.
Or was there?
