Wrecked (Josie Gray Mysteries #3)(100)

Dillon’s eyelids moved and she could see he was struggling to open his eyes. She knew he needed sleep, but at that moment she desperately wanted for him to see her and realize he was back at home. When he finally opened his eyes and saw her he gave her a sleepy, drugged smile, then closed his eyes again in exhaustion. He shifted in bed, slightly onto his side, and lifted his arm with the IV attached, just an inch, but enough for Josie to realize what he wanted. With his eyes still closed he slowly whispered, “Come here. Beside me.”

Josie placed her shoes under the chair next to the bed and slipped under the covers, pressing her back into his chest. Gently, she reached back and laid her arm over his side. His legs curled up into her, and she felt his face on the top of her head, breathing in her scent.

“I love you,” she whispered, but his body had once again given in to sleep.





TWENTY-NINE


Walking across the parking lot of the emergency room at seven thirty the next morning, Josie realized she had missed daylight savings. The past week had not revolved around schedules or eight-hour workdays, and she only now recognized that she was experiencing the sunrise an hour later. From the ground to the sky there was a psychedelic color scheme: orange at the horizon line fading up into magenta and then streaks of deep violet across the sky. The colors were broken by strips of cirrus clouds that reflected a white light so bright it hurt her eyes. She followed the lay of the land, the dark silhouettes of rocky outcroppings and the awkward angles of cactus that tripped across the desert.

Josie had lived in the Midwest and spent time out East, but the desert solitude always felt like home. It was the West Texas mix of isolated heartache and profound beauty that had settled into her bones, and she knew she could never leave this place. She thought sometimes that the desert resonated more profoundly inside her than did the people in her life. Moments like this made her wonder at her own psyche. Did other people feel this way about their homestead, the family ranch, life at sea?

The doctor had checked Dillon first thing that morning and provided excellent news. Test results indicated Dillon’s kidneys were fine, and the doctor agreed to release him to Josie’s care later that afternoon. He had been clear that the physical wounds would heal quickly, but the psychological trauma would need long-term attention. He had promised to look into finding a mental health professional who could offer the kind of care Dillon would need.

Josie had to tie up a few loose ends at work and take a shower at home before she needed to be back at the hospital. She drove downtown to Manny’s and knocked on room 6. A minute later, Hector answered the door, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, his hair still wet from a shower. He didn’t look surprised to see her. He stood back from the door.

“Come on in.”

Hector walked over to the bed and pulled the comforter up to cover the bedsheets. He sat down on the edge of the bed and Josie took the chair across from him.

“Otto called me a little while ago and said I could go see my dad this morning before they take him away.”

“Did he explain what happened yesterday?”

Hector nodded, his face clouded with an emotion that Josie couldn’t interpret. She said nothing, giving him time to say what he needed.

“He told me about you finding my dad in the barn, and about the money in the suitcases. He said you found Mr. Reese and he was in pretty bad shape.” Hec stared at his hands, grasped together on his lap, his thumbs pressed tight against each other. He finally looked up at Josie, his expression full of regret. “I never meant to hurt anybody. It seemed like no matter what I did somebody was going to get hurt, either my dad or Mr. Reese. Then that lady was killed.”

Josie noticed he didn’t mention the danger and stress he had been under and she felt a wave of sympathy overcome her.

“None of what happened goes back on you, Hec. I’ll tell you the same thing Nick told me. We’re not the bad guys in this. Other people did bad things and we got caught in the middle.”

“I should have told you sooner.”

Josie put a hand up and recognized the familiarity of Hec’s statement. If I had checked on Dillon sooner. It was like a mantra and it would be for a long, long time. “I’m not saying you didn’t make mistakes. I made them too. But you were motivated by what you thought had to be done to save your dad. What matters is that you came clean in the end.”

Hector considered her. Josie knew he would be turning over decisions he made in his own mind for years to come. So many things in his life had changed over the past month.

“You understand that you can’t go back to the salvage yard without police protection? We don’t know how the Medranos will react to all of this.”

“Otto’s taking me to see my dad this morning. Then we’re going to get my truck. I’m going out to Otto’s to see Buck. Delores said I could stay at their place.” He grinned at Josie, obviously taken in by Delores’s kindness. “I think I’ll stay here for a while though, until I figure out a plan.”

Josie stopped when she reached the door to go. “You have a lot of people backing you up. We want to see things go right for you. It’s too soon right now, but just know we’ll help you get on your feet. You won’t have to do it alone.”

*

As Josie walked into the Artemis PD, Lou looked up from her computer.

“You look like hell,” she said.