Page 23 of Relentless
“I hear you told her about everything,” Sabina said, taking a seat on the rocker and curling a leg under her.
“I did,” he confirmed.
“It was the right decision. I’m glad you’re not making the same mistake I did in keeping secrets from Chad.”
“To be fair, you kept secrets from everyone,” Ethan replied.
“Yes. But since I nearly got him killed and I love him, he holds a special place on the list of people I regret not telling about my mother.”
Ethan didn’t know what to say to that. Everyone, including Chad, had long ago forgiven her. That didn’t mean she’d forgiven herself, though. He hoped it didn’t weigh too heavy on her conscience these days. But Chadhadbeen shot—twice—protecting her, and he could understand why it might be a hard thing to get over.
“We were about to go over the list of questions I drew up,” he said, changing the subject. “I know I can’t show her the HICC reports. But my thoughts on those reports are an entirely different matter.” He unlocked his computer and handed it to Sabina.
Her gaze trailed down the pages as she scrolled. Slowly, a grin split across her face. “I appreciate you upholding our confidentiality and security. And if Kara can glean anything from your questions, well, that’s just because she’s smart that way.”
He chuckled. It was true. While the questions didn’t reflect everything he’d read, many hinted at information contained in the reports. Kara wouldn’t see the details, but she’d be able to put a picture together.
“Is that the list of questions?” Kara asked, joining them on the porch. She handed Ethan a fresh cup of coffee, then went to sit beside her sister. Chad followed carrying a box with two coffee cups balanced on top. Sabina took the mugs, and he set the box on the coffee table then flipped the top open. The smell of fresh doughnuts wafted toward him, and his stomach growled.
“It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve had doughnuts. You all might need to fight me for them,” Ethan said. Three pairs of eyes looked at him. Then Chad pointedly moved the box two inches out of his reach.
“I’m pretty sure we can defend our doughnuts against you,” he said.
Sabina cocked her head. “You aren’t in the best fighting form.”
“But if you’re good, maybe we’ll hand you one or two,” Kara added. Then the three of them leaned forward and each grabbed one.
He glared and tried to reach for the box. But his damn leg got in the way.
“Damn these are good,” Chad said.
“Fresh out of the fryer when we picked them up,” Sabina said.
“When did you all turn so evil?” he demanded, making them chuckle. After a beat, he joined in. “Fine,” he said. “You made your point. I shouldn’t make a threat I can’t back up. Now would you please pass me a doughnut?”
Sabina and Chad considered his request, but Kara shoved the box close enough for him to reach.
“In case you’re wondering, she’s my favorite,” he said, selecting a maple bar that had his mouth watering.
“We know,” Chad and Sabina said at the same time. His gaze flickered to Kara. She kept her eyes on his computer screen, but a small smile danced across her features.
“Kara, what would cause heart failure?” Sabina asked.
Kara set the computer aside and reached for her coffee. Other than their hair, the two women looked like mirror images of each other. Mug in one hand, doughnut in the other, and a leg curled underneath them.
“A lot of things. An illness that weakens the heart. A trauma that injures it. Certain medications,” she answered.
“Hypothetically, what if there is no sign of weakness and no medications in the tox screen?” Ethan asked.
“A trauma then, would be my guess,” she replied. “Although it’s hard to say for certain, of course.”
“Could a scorpion sting cause that trauma?” Chad asked.
Kara lifted a shoulder. “There are a few scorpions that might be able to. Most notably, the Indian red scorpion. Don’t ask me how I know that. It’s a memory I would prefer not to relive,” she added with a shiver.
“Surely that would show up in a tox screen?” Chad asked.
“If they tested for it, yes,” Kara answered. “But it’s not endemic to the US. None of the truly deadly scorpions are. So if the pathologist didn’t think to run the specific test, it wouldn’t have shown up. However, even if it didn’t show up in a tox screen, there would have been other signs. Swelling, discoloration of skin, maybe even fluid in the lungs.”
