Page 97 of Her Final Hours
She turned her gaze toward him. “Oh, stop, McKenzie. You’re such a drama queen,” Callie retorted. “I helped you out by bringing you here. If it weren’t for me, you would be eating alone today. I had to drag him here,” she gestured toward the Scotsman. “Go on, William Wallace, get those inside,” she added.
Noah chuckled, enjoying their banter.
“You hear that, Noah? You’re my witness. Abuse. Ordering me around like I’m her lap dog. You should hear her mouth when we’re in the cruiser. She’d make a sailor blush,” he quipped. With that, he strode inside, leaving Noah on the porch with two plates in hand.
Callie took one of the plates, playfully remarking, “I guess I should do my part. It’s just that he’s so easy to wind up.” She chuckled, walking in.
After setting down the food, McKenzie ventured outside,where Ed greeted him. Noah offered Callie a drink.
“Sure,” she replied, accepting the cold beer while he took one for himself.
“Started drinking again?” she asked.
“Only one,” Noah replied.
“Well, I’m pretty sure that’s how it begins. Anyway, I won’t hound you over it. Lord knows you’ve had reason to drink lately. How’s Mia doing?” she inquired, sitting at the kitchen counter.
Noah leaned forward, twisting the cap off his beer. “Better than I expected.” He glanced out to where she was. Callie followed his gaze.
“That’s good. And the shoulder?”
Noah rolled it, wincing slightly. “Still achy,” he admitted, feeling the discomfort.
As they settled in, the afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room. The aroma of food filled the air, mingling with laughter and conversation. Silence stretched between them as they gazed out at the picturesque views.
It was as if they could sense what the other was thinking as they both moved to speak simultaneously.
“Oh, no, you first,” Callie offered, breaking the silence.
Noah leaned in, ready to share the news he was sure she knew. “I spoke with Dr. Blake this morning, just before you arrived,” he began. Callie nodded, taking a sip of her beer.
“I guess she told you?”
Noah affirmed with a nod. “Why didn’t you call me?” he asked.
Callie looked away briefly before meeting his gaze. “Because I know you’ve had a lot on your plate recently, and I figured you’d eventually find out from Savannah.”
He scoffed. “You didn’t want to tell me,” he realized.
Callie lowered her chin, acknowledging his observation. “Wefound her, Noah,” she finally said, her voice taut with sadness and resolution. A pause filled the air. “Payton. We recovered her body from Merriam Cemetery.” Her words sank in. She described the location, emphasizing its remoteness and proximity to Joseph Collins’ home. Noah nodded slowly, a pained smile forming as he absorbed the weight of the news. Internally he had already concluded she wasn’t alive, but he had hoped that wasn’t the case.
Gathering his thoughts, he asked, “And so no luck with the money?”
“Actually, yes. That wasn’t as quick to locate… but I was looking at the photo Alicia sent over.” Noah reached into his pocket and retrieved the pad. “Yeah, that one.”
“It’s from a headstone, isn’t it?” Noah asked, his intuition leading him to a conclusion.
Callie smiled and nodded. “Yes, an inscription on the outside of a mausoleum. It took me and McKenzie a few hours to find it. The partial date was the year the person was born; the word ‘angel’ indicated the angel sculpture that adorned the tomb. The rest of the words were items left behind, gifts from the family or friends,” she explained before sipping her beer. “The money was inside the stone coffin. It was cracked, and a section could be moved. Payton must have placed the bags inside, covered it up, and then she ran into Joseph on the way out,” she continued. She took another sip, pausing for a moment. “Anyway, the money has been donated to an organization that fights trafficking. So, I guess that’s a win, right?” she concluded, attempting to find solace in the outcome.
Noah exhaled deeply. There was closure, but it couldn’t erase the pain entirely. “She came so close. God, what I would have given to have seen her alive again,” Noah murmured with a mixture of longing and regret.He swallowed his emotion.
“In some ways, you have, in Chloe,” Callie respondedempathetically, gripping his hand and coming around to hug him. At that moment, McKenzie entered the room, breaking the solemn atmosphere.
“Oh, I see how it is,” he chimed in.
Callie turned to face him, grinning mischievously. “Are you feeling left out, McKenzie? Come on. I’ll hug you too,” she teased.
McKenzie backed away playfully, raising his hands defensively. “Hey, hey, no you don’t. I’m just getting another beer. I don’t want to contract herpes,” McKenzie jokingly protested, his playful banter adding a touch of lightness to the room. Callie stabbed a finger at him, pretending to scold him.
