Justice Delayed (Memphis Cold Case #1)(81)

“I’m sorry. Here’s your paper.” Once he handed it to her, his hands seemed to be in the way, and he stuck them in his pockets. “Is Mr. Hollister all right?”

“Yes. We were blessed to discover the blockage. The doctor called it a widow maker. I think Tom’ll come home later today. Where did you go last night? Tom wanted to talk to you.”

“Home,” he said, not looking at her.

“I see. Have you had breakfast?”

“Just coffee, but I’m not hungry.” He stared at the tops of his shoes, wanting to ask if Andi was here. “I just stopped by to check out something.”

“Here?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, whatever it is, I think you need to have breakfast first. You can eat with Brad, and it’ll be like old times.”

She didn’t leave him much choice, and he followed her.

At the corner of the house, she stopped. “Will, about last night. I—”

“Let’s just forget it ever happened,” Will said, ducking his head.

“I just wanted to say, I’d be proud if you wanted to date Andi.”

He wasn’t sure he heard her right and he looked up, catching her smile. “Thank you, but I don’t think Andi—”

“Nonsense. I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”

He didn’t know what to say and followed her inside through the back door to the kitchen. He nodded to Brad, who sat at the table with a mug in his hand.

“Andi’s not here,” Barbara said, slipping her hand into a red oven mitt. “She went home last night and Brad stayed here with me, even though I told him he didn’t have to. Biscuits are coming out in one minute.”

When his mother turned to the stove, Brad shot Will a look he knew well. His friend had something he wanted to talk about but not in front of his mother.

She slid a cookie sheet from the oven and placed it on a trivet then set plates with scrambled eggs and bacon in front of the men. “You never said what you wanted to check on.”

“It’s something Brad can help me with.” Will buttered a biscuit and bit into it. “Mmm. This is so good. You should open a restaurant, Mrs. Hollister.”

“Thank you, but you wouldn’t be changing the subject, would you?” she said, lifting her eyebrows.

“No, ma’am.” He focused on his plate and noticed Brad did the same.

Barbara disappeared down the hall. A few minutes later, she returned and set her purse on the counter while she hooked an earring in her earlobe. “Have either of you heard from Andi?”

“I haven’t,” Brad said, and Will echoed him.

“That’s strange. She usually calls by now,” she said. “I’ll phone her from the hospital.”

Will swallowed down the dread that rose in his throat.

Brad shook his head. “She’s probably just sleeping in. Last night was pretty hard on all of us.” He pushed back from the table. “Should I go with you?”

“No, just come by this afternoon. Otherwise . . . well, you know your dad as well as I do. His feelings will be hurt. Set your dirty dishes in the sink.”

As soon as the door closed, Brad turned to Will. “Do you have time to help me search the pottery studio again?”

“That’s why I’m here. Yesterday was so rushed we could have overlooked something.”

“I still have the key.”

Will followed Brad to the studio and almost bumped into him when he stopped abruptly.

“Someone’s been here,” Brad said, pointing toward the door.

The hinge that held the padlock dangled against the door. Will balled his hands. Whatever they missed yesterday, it was probably gone now. “When do you think this happened?”

“Either when we went to the funeral or while we were at the hospital. I’ll call Mom and see if she noticed anything yesterday afternoon.”

“I’ll get the crime scene unit here.” Will took out his phone and put in the call. He’d never noticed how easy it would be to break in to the studio. The building was off to itself, and it would be easy for someone to slip behind the garage and jimmy the hinge off.

“The breakin had to have happened while we were at the hospital,” Brad said, hitting the disconnect button. “Mom said she walked past the studio late yesterday afternoon to put out scraps for the feral cats around here, and it was padlocked then.”

“You stay here and wait for them,” Will said. “I’m going to check on Andi.”



Sunlight filtered through the open blinds, waking Andi. Her insides quivered like Jell-O. She turned over to go back to sleep, and the events of last night slammed her.

The hospital. Her dad. She sat up in bed and looked at the clock. Eight! She never slept that late. She looked down. Why did she still have on the clothes she wore last night?

The image of a red light came crashing back. She’d almost had a wreck.

Andi tried to swallow, but her mouth was so dry she couldn’t even wet her lips. She stumbled to the bathroom and swished tepid water in her mouth. Her fingers shook as she reached for the bottle of Lortabs in the cabinet. It was the only place she could keep it where no one would see it.

Empty. When did that happen? Her purse. She had another bottle in her purse. She shut the medicine cabinet and caught sight of herself in the mirror. She leaned closer, her heart slamming against her ribs. Red-rimmed eyes stared back at her, and her hair was a tangled mess. She touched her hollow cheeks. When was the last time she’d eaten?