Page 43 of Heart of a Hero

That evening, he spent time with Benji and his dad after dinner. If Benji was curious why his dad was letting him stay up a little later on a school night, he didn’t question it. Mark even sat and watched the sports channel with his dad later than they usually did.

When his dad finally said, “These old bones are tired, Son. I’ll see you in the morning,” Mark remained in the living room. Richard walked to the hallway and turned to him with a curious look.

Before his dad could ask if anything was wrong, Mark said, “I think I’ll just keep watching until the game is over.”

His dad continued to stare. “You’ve been mighty quiet this evening. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just a case at work that’s staying on my mind.”

Richard nodded. “I have faith in you, Son. I know you’ll get the answers you’re looking for.”

His dad headed to his room, and Mark sighed. The thought of walking into Karen’s office unannounced to question her about the burglaries without giving her a heads-up gnawed at him. Sure, I might get the answers I need, but at what cost? The idea of blindsiding her, of mixing his personal and professional lives in such a sudden way, left him feeling uneasy.

As the evening wore on, Mark finally climbed the stairs to his bedroom, his steps heavy with the weight of the decision he’d have to make. After a long, hot shower, he set out his clothes for the next day with a precision that belied the mess of thoughts swirling in his head.

Climbing into bed, he grabbed his phone, staring at Karen’s name on the screen. His thumb hovered over the call button, the familiar urge to hear her voice pulling at him. But he hesitated, torn. How could I call her, hear her laugh, talk to her like nothing was wrong when I knew what tomorrow would bring? It felt dishonest and wrong to pretend everything was normal when he and Brad were going to question her about her employees, her procedures—her life.

Letting out a sigh, Mark set the phone back on the nightstand, the faint glow of the screen fading as he turned off the light. The room was instantly swallowed by darkness, but the weight in his chest remained. He slid under the covers, seeking the comfort of his bed, but sleep refused to come.

His mind wouldn’t stop replaying the possible scenarios.How will Karen react when she sees me walk into her office, not as her boyfriend but as a detective? Will she feel betrayed?The uncertainty gnawed at him, leaving him tossing and turning andunable to find peace. Every time he closed his eyes, images of her confused, hurt expression flashed in his mind.

Fitful sleep was all he could manage, his dreams haunted by the thought of the delicate balance he was risking—his professional duty colliding with the woman who had become more than just someone he was seeing. She was someone he cared about, someone who, if things went well, could be a part of his future. And the thought of jeopardizing that left him restless, caught between two worlds he wasn’t sure could coexist.

20

“Are you okay, man?” Brad asked the following day as they drove toward the building that held all the Eastern Shore Health Services.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I admit I hate showing up without letting Karen know ahead of time that we’re coming. That feels like I’m trying to blindside her.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you being on this trip to get some answers,” Brad assured. “But you could always have let Aaron or Sam come.”

“I thought about that. But let’s face it… this isn’t big city law enforcement… we know a lot of the people who live around here. We deal with only a few cases where we don’t know something about someone, whether a victim or a suspect. If we took ourselves off every case just because we knew someone, we wouldn’t get anything done.”

“You’re right. It’s one of the beauties and curses of living in an area where we know so many people.”

They pulled into the parking lot, and Mark didn’t see Karen’s vehicle. “Maybe I should’ve called. She might be out of the office on a case. I didn’t even think about that.”

“We may not even need to talk to her on this trip. Let’s see what we can find out about the patient list.”

Once inside, they walked to the reception desk and waited as no one was around. A young woman walked from the back, glanced at the empty desk, then approached them with a smile. “Good morning. Our receptionist just stepped into the back, and she’ll be right here. We were having issues with our copier. You may wait, or is there something I can help you with?”

They pulled out their badges, and Brad said, “I’m Detective Stowe, and this is Detective Robbins. Is Karen Drummond available?”

“I’m sorry, but Karen isn’t in this morning. I believe one of her daughters had a dental appointment, so she’ll be in the office later.”

“Are you familiar with the workings of the office? The way client records come in and who has the information?”

“Yes, absolutely.” She smiled and added, “I’m Sharon Bundy. I’m one of the therapists here. Would you like to come back to a more private room?”

They followed her down a short hall and into a room with a round table and four chairs. She invited them to sit, and Brad closed the door behind them. Once seated, Mark pulled out his notepad and began. “Ms. Bundy, we are working on a few cases and need to have an idea of how the process works here. How do patients come in, and how do they get into your system?”

Her brow furrowed at his questions, and her tongue dragged over her bottom lip. “Well, um… patients can call or drop by. Um… sometimes it’s the patient or a relative or a caregiver. Often, a referral is from a hospital or rehabilitation facility.”

“Okay, and then what happens?” Mark prompted.

“Oh… well, when a call comes in, the receptionist takes down the basic information, and it’s given to Karen.”

“Why Ms. Drummond?”

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