Page 39 of Her Final Hours
“Beats doing traffic duty. The roads are crazy right now,” he said to his wife. “At least in here, it’s warm.”
“I’ll leave your supper in the microwave. Don’t wake me; I have to be up early.”
“Night, hon,” he muttered before disconnecting.
He returned to browsing on his phone, pulling up a betting app, and preparing to lay a few on an upcoming MMA fight. He rarely gambled, but some fights were too good not to throw a few dollars on. Sitting there checking on the fighters’ stats, wins, and losses, he tried to predict the outcome.
A hospital porter rolled up with a trash can. Parker glanced at him as he entered the room and tossed a full bag into the garbage. “You won much?”
“What’s that?” Parker asked.
“I asked if you’ve won much. I drop $20 on every fight.”
“Oh, I’ve lost more than I’ve won.”
“How are you betting?”
“Parlays. All thirteen fights.”
“No one ever told you not to parlay beyond three?”
“These are one-dollar bets. If I win, I could bring in three million. That kind of money is hard to pass up when I have a kid on the way.”
The porter leaned against the cart. “Congrats. However, you don’t want to end up with a nasty habit.”
“And you would know?”
“Sure would. My cousin used to work on Wall Street. He had hundreds of thousands in the bank. He was rolling in the green. Blew it all on gambling. He ended up on the streets. He always thought he was going to win. You see, that’s how they get you. That next bet. That’s why they tease us with free money to sign up for these apps. It’s never really free. You have to read the fine print. You accept that they will require you to have spent that amount in their app before you can claim it.”
Parker lowered his phone, feeling guilt wash over him. Another deputy had gotten him into it. They said it was easier than doing the lottery. The most he’d won was his money back and a few extra bucks. It was fun. Freedom from the mundane. A little extra excitement on the weekends. Still, his wife, Amber, had been harping at him to watch how they were spending money now that she had a new one on the way. Even though his position as a cop guaranteed him a steady income, as a new officer, he was at the bottom of the rung, earning just shy of fifty thousand. It worked out to around twenty-four bucks an hour.For someone who put his life on the line, it was pennies and a slap in the face compared to some of the hotshot doctors in here. It would be a while before he was bringing in close to a hundred grand.
Seeing his guilt, the porter nudged him. “Hey, but no balls, no glory, right?”
The two laughed.
Detective McKenzie arrivedat the hospital, eager to check on the girl and see what he could extract from her. After hearing about Noah’s little screw-up, he figured this would add a few notches to his belt if he could convince the young lass to talk. Besides, age trumped youth in his mind. As he came around the corner into the corridor, he stopped and watched from a distance, noticing the young deputy distracted, browsing his phone. McKenzie furrowed his brow, then walked up all nonchalantly, expressing mock enthusiasm. “Can’t beat a good chin wag.”
Parker looked up, startled by his sudden presence, and caught his disapproving glare.
“Aren’t you supposed to be watching the girl?”
The hospital porter tactfully walked away, recognizing the potential consequences of Parker’s negligence.
“I… I just…”
“Put the damn phone away. I don’t give two shits about gambling, but if you want to gamble, do it on your time.” McKenzie sternly reminded him of the importance of his assignment, emphasizing that his sole responsibility was to ensure the girl’s safety and prevent her from leaving the hospital. That had become even more crucial since Addie matched the deceased man’s blood to that found on the girl’s hands.
“Now, how’s she doing? Does she remember anything?”
He ducked his head into the room. Everything was quiet. Nothing but the beeping of the machine. The girl was asleep. “If she does, they haven’t told me. They gave her a sedative. That’s why I thought it was okay to…”
McKenzie slapped him on the shoulder. “Aye, I get it. I do. You’re young and just getting your feet wet. They finally gave you the badge, the gun, and the car with the flashing lights and cut you loose from your probationary officer. It’s all exciting. Hell, I remember it well. But take this from someone who has been doing this job as far back as when you were just a sperm in your daddy’s ball sack. Don’t get caught with your pants down. Your reputation is all you have in this line of work. You understand, Parker?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good lad. Now where can I get a decent cup of joe around here?”
He pointed further down the corridor. “There’s a vending machine. Not the best, but it does the job.”
