Page 22 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“Wait. You think she killed someone?”

“Not…exactly.” Dean heaved a deep breath and blew it out. When he lifted his glass of water, his hand was shaking.

Worry almost had Garrett asking again about Dean’s health, but he stopped himself. He would honor his uncle’s privacy.

“It’s okay,” Garrett said. “We can talk?—”

“If her husband’s been protecting Jane all these years... Maybe he hid her somewhere. Maybe he had her committed.”

Garrett was shaking his head before his uncle stopped talking. “Aspen has no idea where her mother is. She said as much to Bart Bradley?—”

“If she knows anything about what happened back then, she wouldn’t tell Bart.” Dean set the glass back on the table, nearly tipping it in the process. “It’s not like I’m asking you to betray a friend. You just met her. She’s only a client. You’re her contractor, not her attorney.”

Garrett swallowed hard. Aspen was only a client, despite how attracted he was to her. “That doesn’t change anything. I’m the only person she knows in town.” And she trusted him. How could he do what Dean was asking?

But how could he not?

“If you’re right and the girl knows nothing about her mother’s whereabouts,” Dean said, “then you’ll have nothing to report to me. But if you’re wrong…”

“You can’t be serious. I mean, how old was Aspen when this happened?”

“She’s an adult now.”

“Even if she knows what happened back then—and how would she unless someone told her—we’re talking about hermother.”

“I know where her loyalties lie. And I get that she might not know anything. The thing is, son, there are people in town who need to know what she knows. It’ll be much easier if you find out on the sly than if somebody else, somebody less patient and more invested than you, confronts her directly.”

“Who?”

“People. People whose lives were destroyed because of Jane.”

Destroyed?

What happened back then? Everything in him wanted to press his uncle for answers.

Deborah stepped into the room. “Sorry to interrupt.” She smiled at Garrett, then glanced at Dean. When she did, her eyes popped wide, and she hurried to him. “Are you all right? Do you need anything?”

He shook his head but didn’t speak.

“What is happening?” Garrett stood and looked from his aunt to his uncle. “What’s going on?”

Dean waved off the question. “It’s fine. I just get…” But he huffed as if he’d just run a race.

“That’s it,” Deborah said. “I’m making you an appointment tomorrow.” To Garrett, she said, “He’s been having these episodes where he can’t seem to catch his breath.”

Suddenly, Garrett felt the same way. “What is it?”

Dean sat back in his recliner and inhaled deeply, then blew the air out.

“We’ll figure it out,” Deborah said. “As soon as we know, we’ll tell you.”

Garrett gripped her forearm. “Is that a promise?”

She glanced at Dean, who said nothing, and turned back to him. “It’s a promise.”

Dean took Deborah’s other hand. “We’re almost done.”

Her lips were pressed closed, but she kissed his cheek and hugged Garrett. “Come back soon.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Two more minutes, okay?”

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