Page 21 of Cade

CHAPTER TEN

Cade tried to not hover over Cassidy, but he couldn’t help it, especially after hearing the story from the troopers. She was looking at art supplies, picking up different paint brushes, then acrylic paints. He followed her down the aisle toward the canvases and stopped just a few feet from her. Turning, she stared up at him, then smiled.

“Cade, I appreciate that you’re worried about me. But it’s okay. I’m okay. I’m feeling good and just being here with you, feeling you next to me, brings me more comfort than you could possibly imagine.”

“I know, baby, but Ashley and Bree said that something might scare you and set you back a few steps. I want to be there to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Cass walked toward him, standing on her toes as he bent down so she could kiss him.

“I love you, Cade, but you can’t hover over me for the rest of our lives. It’s not healthy for you or for me. If something scares me, it will happen whether you’re here or not. I know that I can call for you, and you’ll be here.” He nodded, frowning at her. She shooed him away, and he walked up to the front of the store, standing with Doc and Trevor.

“Where are Ashley and Bree?” he asked.

“Across the street at the coroner’s office. They were going to try and get a full toxicology report, but it doesn’t look good. The doctor at the scene took the body before they could continue with the autopsy.” Cade frowned, nodding his head.

“Didn’t the trooper say the guy had an ex-wife?” Doc lifted a brow, nodding.

“You’re pretty smart when you work hard for it,” he grinned.

“Fuck you,” he muttered. “I’ll tell the girls we’ll be back soon. Here they come now.” He looked across the street as they walked toward them. Cass was at the checkout, bagging her items.

“Where to now?” asked Ashley. Cassidy walked up with her bag, smiling at the others.

“We want to try and find the ex-wife,” said Doc. “It actually might be a good idea to have you all with us. Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” said Ashley.

After a thirty-minute internet search, it was easy to find the ex-Mrs. Tim McDonough. Charmaine McDonough lived in a tiny apartment outside of Seattle. She drove a thirteen-year-old car that was definitely on its last legs. The six people knocked on the door and waited. A small dark-haired woman answered the door, staring up at them.

“Charmaine McDonough?” asked Trevor.

“Yes, you must be the people who called about Tim. Please, come in,” she said, waving them inside.

“We’re sorry to be here under such awful circumstances,” said Bree. “I’m terribly sorry for your loss.”

“I lost Tim a long time ago,” she said. Her mocha skin was flawlessly beautiful. Her long braids woven down her back. She had big dark chocolate eyes.

“Can you tell us about him?” asked Ashley. She gave a sad smile, nodding.

“Tim approached me about three years ago and asked me out on a date. He was stationed not far from here and came into the salon I was working at for a haircut. I knew it was a lie,” she grinned. “His hair was short and perfectly cut. He was this big, tall, goofy white boy, and he fell in love with my black girl curves and braided hair.”

“I’m sure he saw what we see,” smiled Cass. “A beautiful woman.”

“Thank you,” she said, looking down. “We got married about eight months after we met. Things were going well, and then he got deployed for the second time. When he came home, he was different, but still my Tim. He just seemed sadder, if that makes sense.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Cade. “That makes sense to all of us. We were all former military. Doc was a medic as well.”

“Ah, well, then you know how awful it was. That third time really did it for him. He would have nightmares and cry all the time. He didn’t want to go to the VA initially, so he saw a civilian therapist. She put him on some meds, and he was doing well, but a buddy of his said he should do the VA because it was paid for.

“I knew it was wrong within the first week. His moods were horrible. Up. Down. It was all over the place. We always had a really good sex life,” she grinned. “Tim was a beautifully gentle man in bed. The new meds, whatever they were, made him impotent. Nothing worked, and it was eating him alive. He didn’t understand why I would want to stay with him if we couldn’t have sex.

“I tried to convince him. I begged him to go back to the civilian doctor, but he wouldn’t. He was in so much pain, physical pain that wasn’t there when he first came home.”

“Can you explain that?” asked Bree.

“I wish I could. When he came home, he was just sad sometimes, but he wasn’t in physical pain. Then abruptly, he would get these sharp pains in his head and suddenly fall to the floor in agony. Then he would be okay a few minutes later. They were worse on days that he went to the VA. I thought it was just anxiety, but now I’m not so sure.

“I tried to help him. Really, I did, but he wouldn’t listen to me. Then one night, he was wielding a gun around and said he was going to shoot himself. I couldn’t do it any longer. I was worried that he might shoot me as well. I loved him; you have to believe that. I loved him more than life itself.”

“We believe you,” smiled Ashley.

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