Page 26 of Her Last Promise

Nathan Mitchell sat beside the bed, his shoulders hunched, one hand gripping his mother's limp fingers.His other hand absently stroked her arm, as if trying to comfort her even in her unconscious state.He looked up as Rachel entered, his face hardening.Dark circles under his bloodshot eyes spoke of sleepless nights, and his rumpled clothes suggested he'd been wearing them for days.

"Get out."His voice was rough, either from disuse or too much use—Rachel couldn't tell which.He didn’t even bother asking who she was, where she was from, or why she was there.

"Mr.Mitchell, I'm Special Agent Rachel Gift with the FBI."She kept her voice calm, neutral, though her heart was racing.Something about this room, this situation, felt wrong in a way she couldn't quite pinpoint.She shows him her badge and ID while keeping her distance.

His laugh was bitter, echoing off the sterile walls."Of course you are.The hospital's really pulling out all the stops now, aren't they?Bringing in the feds to get rid of the problematic son?"He stood, his chair scraping against the floor with a sound that made Rachel wince."What's next?The National Guard?"

"I'm not here about your situation with the hospital."Rachel moved closer, but maintained enough distance to give him space—and to keep herself out of immediate reach if he became violent."It does raise some red flag for sure, but it’s not why I’m here.Though I can see why you're fighting so hard.It's not easy watching someone you love like this.Feeling helpless."

“And how would you know?”he asked aggressively.

“I’m a cancer survivor.A tumor that was supposed to be a death sentence.And while I was dealing with that, I lost a husband and then a grandmother.And I lost them in…” She stopped, shocked that she was on the verge of getting emotional.“I lost them in absolutely awful ways.”

Something flickered in his eyes – surprise at her understanding, perhaps.But his voice remained hard."You don't know anything aboutthis,though.You don't know what it's like to watch them keep her like this, trapped in her own body, when she'd want to be with Dad…her husband, gone for four years now."

"I know more than you might think."Rachel glanced at the monitors, their steady rhythm a counterpoint to the tension in the room."I've spent enough time in hospitals to understand the feeling of being trapped here.The powerlessness."She paused, choosing her next words carefully."But I'm here about something else.Judge Marcus Smith.James Harrison.Dr.Patricia Walsh.Do those names mean anything to you?"

Nathan's face paled slightly, the color draining away under the harsh hospital lights.He nodded and said, “They were involved in my mother's case.The judge, the prosecutor..."His eyes widened, filled with something almost like accusation."What about them?"

Rachel watched his reaction carefully."Judge Smith is dead.And James Harrison and Dr.Walsh are missing.The working assumption is that whoever killed Smith has abducted Harrison and Walsh.Given their connection to your mother's case, I need to ask where you've been the past few days."

"Dead?"Nathan's voice cracked.He ran a trembling hand through his disheveled hair."Smith is dead and…and you think I—" He gestured wildly at the room around him."I've beenhere.Ask anyone.I've barely left this room in days.I'm too exhausted fighting with these people who claim they're helping her, but they're just prolonging her suffering."His voice broke, and tears welled in his eyes."She'd want to be with Dad now.I know she would.But they won't listen."

Rachel studied him.The dark circles under his eyes, the rumpled clothes that looked slept in – it all supported his story.But she'd learned long ago that appearances could be deceiving.Still, something about his reaction felt genuine.Raw.

"I need you to come with me and my partner, Mr.Mitchell.We need to get an official statement."

"I'm not leaving her."His jaw set stubbornly, and his hand tightened on his mother's."I can't.What if she wakes up alone?"

“The doctors and nurses will be h—”

“Fuck the doctors and nurses.”

Rachel's heart ached at the hope in his voice, even as her professional judgment told her that Marjorie Mitchell would never wake up again."You're not under arrest," she said carefully."But refusing to cooperate will only make things more complicated.We can do this the easy way.The sooner we talk, the sooner you can come back.This case…it's quite serious, and right now, any defiance you toss up is going to make you look more and more like a suspect."

Nathan looked at his mother's still form, conflict clear on his face.The monitors beeped steadily, marking the seconds of his indecision.Finally, his shoulders sagged."Fine.But I want to come back as soon as we're done.And I want updates if anything changes."

Rachel led him out into the hallway, where Novak waited.One look at her partner's face made her stomach drop.His expression was grim, and he held his phone in his hand.She knew before he spoke that something had gone terribly wrong.

"What is it?"she asked, though part of her already knew.

"The police found Dr.Walsh," Novak said quietly."She's dead."

Nathan made a choked sound behind her, and Rachel turned to see genuine shock and horror on his face.Either he was an excellent actor, or they'd been looking at the wrong suspect all along.As that thought took root—the doubt working its way deeper into her mind--pieces began shifting in her mind, forming a new and disturbing picture.

Maybe Nathan Mitchell had nothing to do with these killings.Maybe all of the arrows pointing to guilt were indeed a coincidence.All she knew for sure was that they needed to get to Walsh’s body and get

Nathan's official statement.Rachel gestured toward the elevator, noting how the security guards visibly relaxed as Nathan moved away from his mother's room.She saw him looking back, as if he fully expected the gathered nurses to storm into the room.

“Mr.Mitchell…you’ve been here all morning?”Novak asked.

“Yes.I swear.The nurses will back that up.”

Rachel considered this.Depending on what they found on Walsh’s body or at the scene, Nathan’s morning spent in the hospital just might clear him.

But there was only one way to know for sure.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

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