Page 71 of Buried Too Deep

Cora’s jaw grew taut. “So he was either having affairs or doing something that got him killed. Or both, I suppose.”

“Or both,” Burke agreed. “I say we ask Alice.”

Cora tilted her head back to look at Phin, her eyes filled with exhaustion and pain. “Can you come, too?”

Yes. But he shouldn’t. “I need to fix your window locks.”

Cora’s lips quivered before she pressed them together. “Okay. I understand.”

“But I can do that when we get back,” Phin said, hating that he’d upset her. “It might mean me working into the evening, late. Is that okay with you, Burke?”

Burke frowned. “I suppose so, but…why, Cora, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Cora grew still, her composure morphing from tired and stressed to something almost regal. She looked polished, like she was heiress to this house and all it contained.

She looked like the portrait of her grandmother hanging in her living room.

“Because I’ve slept only three hours in the past two days and that was when Phin was in my house. No offense to Molly, but I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I’m hoping to get some rest in the car on the way to Baton Rouge. I’d be most obliged if you’d allow him to accompany me.”

Phin sat up a little straighter. He might have pulled her a little closer. And she might have leaned into him a little more. If he did nothing else, he’d make sure Cora got some rest.

Val hid her smile behind a cup of tea. “Let him join us, Burke. It’s good training. Phin’s always got my back. Plus, Cora feels safe with him.”

Burke shrugged. “Okay, I guess. I can work on the windows.”

Cora gaped at him. “You’re going to put locks on my windows?”

Burke looked amused. “I can do handyman stuff, too, Cora.”

“But don’t you have work at your office?”

Burke’s amusement faded. “The cops were going to release the crime scene this morning, but then Medford Hughes was killed with my laptops in the back seat of his car. They’re holding the office closed a little longer. I’ve got a few bodyguards out in the field and they’ll stay on their current assignments. I can work from here if I need to. And don’t worry—I can work on the windows as well as Phin can.”

Phin knew that was true. Burke was good at fixing things but had hired Phin to do the maintenance on the office and his house. Phin wasn’t sure if it was to give him work or because Burke simply wanted to relax on his time off.

Probably a bit of both.

“We need to stop and see Joy on the way,” Phin said.

Val nodded. “You betcha. Antoine, send me the file on Alice VanPatten, along with her current address. We’ll say hi to Joy and then we’ll hit the road.”

Tulane Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 10:00 A.M.

Phin paused in the sterile hallway, bracing himself to walk into Joy’s hospital room.

He’d been in the hospital too many times himself, and he had the scars to prove it. Memories began to rise from where he’d stuffed them down deep.

A heavy weight against his leg had him reaching his fingers into SodaPop’s coat. God, was he lucky. Delores had cared enough about him to train this amazing dog especially for him.

The realization calmed him enough that he was able to take a breath, then another. The tightness in his chest receded just enough for him to take the next step.

But pressure tightened on his other hand, halting him once again. He looked down to see Cora’s hand clutching his. She wasn’t moving. In fact, when he tugged her forward, she tugged back, resisting. Slowly he lifted his gaze to hers and was rocked.

She was afraid, but there was something else in her brandy-colored eyes.

Guilt.

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