Page 63 of Holding On to a Hero
“What did you do, Brian?”
“Yeah, well, remember how we argued about me telling Will Cole wasn’t in a coma?”
Cole sat forward in his seat and hissed a breath. “No.”
“It’s just that I was in the hospital room with him, and I was about to tell him….”
“Brian.” My voice was low and dangerous.
“His sister came in right then, and I wasn’t going to trust Cole’s secret to yet another person. I’d make the same choice again.”
“You could have asked to speak to Will privately.” I was so livid I could barely watch the road. Fortunately traffic was light so I was able to pull over safely.
“Brian!” Cole was way past low and dangerous voice tones. He was shouting. “Are you fucking telling us that this entire time Will has believed I was in a coma?”
Brian sighed. Hesighed!“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“Brian, we told you why you had to tell him. We were both sure Will would believe it was his pushing Cole into the door handle that caused the coma.”
“I told him it wasn’t his fault.”
“Fuck, Brian, he’s wired to take responsibility foreverything.It’s just what he does.” I was going to kill my brother. I couldn’t imagine the mental pain Will had been going through. Shit, no wonder he looked thinner in this morning’s photo.Fuck.
“Wait a minute!” Shouting seemed to be Cole’s groove now, and I could only support him in that. “Does Will know about the theory that the shooter was after him and not me?” I turned in my seat to give Cole a horrified look.
“He does,” Brian confirmed.
“Brian, you asshole. Now he thinks it’s even more his fault.” I connected the dots rapidly. “If he’d known he was the target, he wouldn’t have driven to the ranch that morning, and Cole wouldn’t have been injured. Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
“I’m sorry, but I had to trust my gut. I don’t know Will, and your safety was my priority.” I wasn’t sure how I was going to forgive Brian for this.
Once we hung up, Cole and I sat in the car on the side of the highway and hugged each other. Whatever it took, we’d get Will to put responsibility for all this on the shooter where it belonged.
* * *
Excerpt from transcript of interview with Genevieve Graham, mother of William Graham:
Graham:I don’t know why you would think I had anything to do with shooting him. He’s off living his perverted lifestyle in Austin. I’ve been here in Denver all week.
Agent Wainwright: I see, ma’am. Do you have proof of your whereabouts?
Graham:Proof? Why would I need proof? I didn’t do it and you’ll never prove that I did. Not that he doesn’t deserve anything like that that happens to him.
Agent Wainwright: Oh? How so?
Graham: Not only did he go against his upbringing by choosing to live that filthy lifestyle, but he convinced his sister, my beautiful baby, to go along with him! And now I can’t see my own grandchild! Do you know what he made her do?
Agent Wainwright: No, ma’am. What’s that?
Graham: Well, of course when we found out she’d had a child out of wedlock, we sent a private investigator to see if we could get custody. We were just looking out for the child’s best interests, you know.
Agent Wainwright: Of course.
Graham: Well, the next week in the mail we got a copy of her will. And do you know what it said, Agent Wainwright?
Agent Wainwright: No, ma’am. What did it say?
Graham: That she had madehimthe child’s guardian in the event of her death. And if he couldn’t serve as guardian, the child would go to the father’s parents. And then she had the nerve to state – in her will, mind you – that under no circumstances were Richard and I to get custody. Can you imagine? My own daughter, treating us like that! And it’s all his fault!
