Page 14 of If She Remembered
"Dad, I'm coming in, okay?”
The sight that greeted her when the door swung open stopped her breath completely.Her father was lying on the bathroom floor, his body positioned as if he'd fallen backward from a standing position.His eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling, but his chest wasn't moving.
"Oh God," Maria whispered, dropping to her knees beside him."Dad?Dad, can you hear me?"
She pressed her hand against his chest, feeling for a heartbeat or any sign of breathing, but his body was already cooling and still.His face had a peaceful expression despite the wide-open eyes, as if whatever had happened had occurred quickly and without struggle.
Maria's hands shook as she reached for his wrist, checking for a pulse she knew she wouldn't find.He was clearly dead, though she couldn't understand what had happened.He'd been fine at dinner, laughing with the boys and helping Diego with a puzzle.There had been no signs of illness or distress.
The reality of the situation began to crash over her in waves.He was gone…
Maria sat back on her heels, struggling to process what she was seeing.Thomas was only sixty-two years old and had always been in good health.He took medication for high blood pressure, but had no history of heart problems or other serious health issues.The sudden nature of his death seemed impossible and wrong.And underneath all of these immediate concerns was a darker worry that Maria tried to push away.Carlos knew where they were living now.He'd shown up twice already, angry and making threats.With Thomas gone, Maria and the boys would be vulnerable in ways that terrified her to consider.
Maria forced herself to stand up, her legs unsteady as she backed away from her father's body.She needed to call for help, needed to start dealing with the reality of this tragedy.But as she reached for her phone, she couldn't shake the feeling that, giving the timing of it all, this was no mere coincidence.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The shrill ring of her phone cut through the darkness, jerking Kate from a deep sleep.
She fumbled for her phone on her nightstand, her eyes squinting against the bright display.She could have sworn she'd put it on silent before bed, but old habits die hard, she supposed.It was one of those small things from her constant bureau days that she kept forgetting to change.
The caller ID showed DeMarco's name, along with the time: 12:15 AM.Kate slid her finger across the screen to accept the call.
"DeMarco?What's going on?"
"Kate, I'm sorry to wake you, but I'm en route to a potential crime scene that looks like it could be connected to Carol Bennett."DeMarco's voice carried that familiar urgency that Kate had come to recognize over their years of partnership."I know you're not officially on this case, but I thought you might want to know… and maybe even come along."
Kate sat up in bed, the fog of sleep clearing from her mind as she considered the offer.Part of her wanted to say no, to roll over and go back to sleep, to maintain the boundaries she'd been trying to establish.But the investigator in her, the part that had never fully retired, stirred with interest.She thought long and hard about it, weighing her desire to be involved against her promise to herself about stepping back.
She thought so long that DeMarco said: “Kate?Did you fall back asleep?”
“No.I’m here.Where is it?”
"About fifteen minutes from your place.I can pick you up in ten if you're interested."
Kate glanced over at Allen, who was beginning to stir from the conversation.The decision felt heavier than it should have, loaded with implications about what kind of life she was choosing to lead.But her curiosity won out… as it usually did.
"Alright.I'll be ready."
"Great.See you in ten."
As Kate ended the call, Allen rolled over, his hair tousled with sleep and his eyes barely open."Let me guess," he said with a drowsy smile, "one of your friends wants to grab coffee at midnight?"
"Something like that."Kate swung her legs out of bed and reached for the clothes she'd laid out on the chair the night before."DeMarco has a scene that might be connected to the case I was consulting on yesterday."
Allen propped himself up on one elbow, more awake now."The empty nest thing?"
"Yeah."Kate pulled on her jeans and reached for a sweater."I'm sorry about this.I know it's late."
"It's fine," Allen said, though she could hear the resignation in his voice.It wasn't irritation, exactly, but something close to it."Just tell your friends to stop calling so late.Some of us need our beauty sleep."
Kate leaned over and kissed his forehead."I'll try to keep it quiet when I get back."
"Be careful," he murmured, already settling back into his pillow.“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Kate finished getting dressed quickly, quietly grabbed her badge and gun from the safe in the bedroom, and made her way downstairs.The house had always felt different in the middle of the night, more spacious somehow, the familiar creaks and settles of the old structure more pronounced in the silence.She checked on Michael, who was sleeping peacefully in what he was currently lovingly calling his Big Boy Bed, then grabbed her jacket from the hall closet.
