Page 63 of Operator
He makes a humming sound. “Of course. I appreciate you calling. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to come up and meet the baby. She looks just like Ian.”
I smile a little. At least it doesn’t hurt to hear that anymore. “She’s getting big. And don’t you worry about that. Tana needs you now. We’ll still be here. Actually, that’s why I was calling.”
“Yeah?” I hear the sound of him murmuring to someone. I swear it sounds like he’s telling Tana, “I’ll be right back,” even though she can’t hear him because she’s still in a medically induced coma.
Guess this is the second awkward conversation I need to have with someone I care about. “Well, I called for two reasons. The first is you may be getting a call from Ian’s brother, Cal. It’s a long story, but don’t take any of what he says personally.” I feel like a lot of conversations Cal has with others can be described that way, and God love me, it makes me smile.
There’s a short laugh. “Yeah, Ian talked about him plenty. I can handle him. What’s he calling me for?”
“To ask questions about the deployment Ian was on before he died.”
Silence fills the line, then, “Questions?”
I clear my throat. “Well, we think Ian may have stumbled onto something that either got him killed or drove him to take his own life. We’re not really sure. Callum is just trying to be thorough.”
The faint sounds of tinny conversation meet my response and then, “Well, I’m an open book. I’ll do whatever you need to help. You know how much Ian meant to me. How much you mean to me.”
“Thanks, Alec. I’m afraid he may think you had something to do with Ian’s death, but I know that’s not the case. He’s just hurting for his brother and trying to find out what happened.”
"I’m sorry, what?”
I sigh. “Yeah, I know it sounds bad, but it’s coming from a good place. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”
Alec makes a sound of disgust. “Christ, this coffee tastes like mud. And I hear you. I’d probably do the same thing too if I was in his shoes. You won’t get any bad blood from me, Gwen. I want answers as much as you all do.”
My shoulders relax. “Thanks, Alec. The other thing I wanted to tell you is that I think I’m going to be moving to your neck of the woods at some point. I was offered a job near Battleboro.”
“You’re kidding,” Alec says, his voice lightening noticeably.
Smiling to myself, I say, “Nope. I haven’t formally accepted yet, but I think it’s what I’m leaning toward. Besides, you and Tana were our closest friends.”
“What about Bunny and Todd?”
I tell him about the RV / tiny home idea, and he gets a kick out of it. “Will you let me know if there’s any news about Tana?” I ask when the conversation starts wrapping up.
I hear the sound of an elevator beeping and he responds, “Of course I will. Keep sending pictures of the little nugget. I know Tana will love to see them when she wakes up.”
“I will. I’ll let you know when I get an ETA of the start date for the new job.” Maybe we’ll plan a trip down there to visit and scope out the place. We could use a mini vacation after all this, and it would be nice to see Alec and Tana.
“They’re paging me. I’ve got to go. Stay in touch, yeah?”
“Bye, Alec, give Tana a kiss for me.”
I arrive home as I disconnect the call. The baby wakes up and is immediately ready to eat. Growth spurts can be a bitch. So, I’m juggling the phone, my keys, and trying to soothe her as I unhook her from her stroller.
When I straighten and blow my hair out of my face, I see the reflection of a shadowed figure in the front door window.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CALLUM
Sweat coats my skin.I need a shower, but first things first: I want to get eyes on Gwen. Fuck, but I should have gone with her, even if she ranted and raved the whole way. Damn stubborn woman.
I’m pushing in the back door when I hear her screaming bloody murder from somewhere in the darkened house. My heart feels as though it’s going to jump slam out of my body. My chest tightens and my hands go cold with fear before I start sprinting blindly. The nerves are new. I don’t normally freak out during moments of tension; they were old hat on deployments, but hearing her scream sends all rational thought flying out the window.
“Cal!”
Gwen’s scream has me stumbling toward the front of the house. The sound of Violet’s screams grows louder in response to her mother’s. It’s coming from down the hall. I curse under my breath and have to double back, completely scattered, to find my weapon. I’ve never felt so fucking unprepared in my life. And it’s never mattered more.
