Due Process (Joe Dillard #9)(30)
“Is Joe coming home to unhook you or do you want me to come back in three hours?” Tracey said.
“Joe will do it. Thanks.”
Tracey removed his gloves, tossed them into a trash can, and returned to the bathroom.
He came back out a couple of minutes later and said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you Wednesday then, right?”
“Tracey, is there anything you need to tell me?” Caroline said.
A look of concern came over his face.
“I’m not sure I understand,” he said.
“I think I’m missing some medication.”
“What kind of medication?”
“Oxy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.”
“Why are you asking me about it?” he said. His demeanor had very quickly turned to defensive.
“I’m just asking if there’s something you need to tell me. Do you have a problem with drugs? Are you addicted? Are you taking my medication?”
“No, I’m not addicted. No, I’m not taking your drugs, and frankly, I’m offended that you’d even ask me a question like that.”
“If you’re taking my drugs, Tracey, we’ll eventually find out,” Caroline said. “I haven’t said anything to Joe yet, but if you’re taking my drugs and he finds out you’re taking my drugs, you’ll have to deal with him, and I promise it won’t go well for you. I’ve been married to Joe for almost thirty years and I know how he’ll react. It’ll be violent.”
“Maybe you should ask LifeCare for another nurse,” Tracey said.
“Do I need to?”
“It seems pretty obvious to me that you don’t trust me.”
“I don’t know what to think. All I know is that some of my pain medication has gone missing, and you’re the only person who is around it besides me and Joe.”
“Maybe Joe is taking it.”
“Joe doesn’t take drugs. He wouldn’t.”
“Well, you might just be surprised. He’s been under a lot of pressure. People under a lot of pressure do strange things sometimes.”
“Did I just hear you blame me and my cancer for turning my husband into a drug addict and a thief?”
“I’m just saying you never know.”
“I do know. It isn’t him. And if it isn’t you, then someone is sneaking in when we’re not around. It has to be someone who knows us well. I’m sorry, Tracey. I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. It’s just disturbing to think that someone is stealing from me. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“Of course, Caroline. I understand.”
“See you Wednesday, then?”
“Nine o’clock, on the dot.”
Caroline watched him walk out of the room. Her heart was pounding. How dare he accuse Joe of being a thief and drug addict? She’d tried to give him an out, tried to offer help. But if he was a junkie, she knew he didn’t want help. She also knew he’d be back to steal more drugs on Wednesday.
And if the camera showed what she thought it was going to show, Joe, and probably Jack, would be waiting for him.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
I smoked a pork shoulder in the Big Green Egg on the deck, and the family gathered on Monday afternoon. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining, and the temperature was in the low eighties. Jack and Charlie, along with Gracie, were swimming in the pool, Caroline was lounging in a chair, and I was keeping myself busy getting all of the food ready. Sarah was in the kitchen helping me. I was a little distracted because I’d watched the video from the nanny cam. It clearly showed Tracey Rowland stealing drugs.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sarah said as she began peeling hard-boiled eggs that would soon become deviled eggs.
“We have a little problem with a thief,” I said.
“A thief?”
“Yeah, the worst kind of thief. A nurse who steals pain medication from his cancer patient.”
“Who? The home health care nurse?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure?”
“I have it on video. Her meds have been coming up missing, so Jack and I put a nanny cam in the bathroom. We figured it had to be him. He came this morning, and sure enough, he went into the bathroom and stole Oxycontin.”
“Have you called the police?” Sarah said.
“Not yet. I want to talk to him first. He’ll be back Wednesday morning.”
“And you’ll be waiting for him, won’t you?”
“Sure will.”
“You probably don’t want to hear this, but you should try to go easy on him,” she said. “I was an addict once. I know how it is. Maybe you can get him some help.”
I looked over at her and shook my head.
“He hurt Caroline,” I said. “You weren’t here when she was crying from the pain because she didn’t have her medication.”
“I didn’t know anything about that,” she said. “You didn’t tell me.”
“We haven’t exactly been staying in close contact. You work hard, you live in the boonies. I work hard, I take care of Caroline the best I can, I live in the boonies. We’ve kind of drifted apart over the last couple of years.”