Page 20 of Gage
“Now that’s a story. Gage is one of Momma’s ‘Lost Boys.’”
“Lost Boys? You mean like in Peter Pan?”
“I’m not sure how the nickname started. It refers to the boys who came to live here for short periods of time and then left. Sometimes it was because they were returned to their families. Sometimes they went back into the system. It was never by my parents’ choice, because they never turned their backs on any of the children in their care. Anyway, the ones that Child Protective Services took back—I know how heartless that sounds, but it’s what happened—they became known as the Lost Boys.” Nica’s voice trailed off and she stared off into space, as if she was remembering or perhaps reliving what happened. Her expression saddened and Suzanna felt bad for even bringing it up, but she still wanted—needed—to know about Gage.
“Gage was one of the Lost Boys?”
She nodded, reaching up and twirling a strand of her long blonde hair that had come loose from her high ponytail. “He was. You have to understand, the ones who didn’t get to stay, my folks tried to get them back. Went after CPS, got lawyers, did everything, because sometimes these boys that they loved were going back into nightmarish situations. Of course, sometimes, only in a few cases, mind you, there was simply no helping. But nobody could say my folks didn’t try everything to make sure these kids got the best lives possible. But, Gage, well, he’ll have to tell you the details of his life story. It’s definitely an interesting one. Suffice it to say, we thought he went to live with an uncle who’d stepped forward to claim him. Turns out that was a lie.”
Suzanna’s interest was definitely piqued at Nica’s words. She couldn’t leave it at that, could she?
“A lie?”
“Yeah. You want to know more, you’re going to have to ask him.”
Suzanna leaned back against pillows, thinking about what Nica had told her. Her respect for Douglas and Ms. Patti, already high for taking in a complete stranger, and one who might be a murder suspect, grew by leaps and bounds as she realized the extent of their generosity and caring.
Before she could ask Nica any further questions about Gage, she spotted his car coming up the long drive toward the house. He and Ranger had headed into Shiloh Springs to talk with Chance. From what she’d heard, he was the lawyer in the family. When she’d suggested going into town with them, the idea had been shot down. She knew Bas was around someplace, doing his bodyguard thing, but at least he’d stayed away, keeping his distance and giving her some privacy. But she knew he was close enough if anything happened. The knowledge made her feel a little better, especially after what happened in New Orleans.
“Looks like Gage is back. I’ve got to head into town. I’m volunteering at the clinic today. As Momma says, me staying busy is a good thing, otherwise I tend to get into mischief.” She pointed to herself, going for an innocent expression. “Do I look like a troublemaker to you?” The words were accompanied by a giggle. “I swear I don’t go looking for trouble, but it seems to find me anyway.”
“Me too,” Suzanna confessed.
With a quick grin, Nica bolted down the steps and jogged to her pickup, with a quick wave to Gage and Ranger as they climbed from the sedan. Within a minute she was driving toward town, leaving Suzanna with the two men. Without a word, Ranger continued inside the Big House, leaving her alone with Gage. Her palms grew sweaty and she wiped then down the front of her jeans, hoping he didn’t notice.
“How did it go?”
“Okay. Chance had copies of your husband’s autopsy report and the death certificate.”
Those simple words stabbed at Suzanna like a knife through the heart. She’d never imagined those words in the same sentence—autopsy and husband. It brought back the finality that Steven was never coming back and she was alone.
“Did he find anything unusual in it, other than what we already talked about?” Gage had told her while they were in New Orleans that he’d seen a copy of her late husband’s report, and the discrepancy with the date and time, the brief amount of time spent on performing the autopsy.
“No. But he does have a few questions. I said that I’d ask.”
“Okay. I want to figure out who killed Steven because they deserve to go to prison.”
“And keep you for being arrested and convicted.”
“That too.” She moved over and patted the seat beside her. “Go ahead, ask your questions. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
“I need you to think back to the night your husband was killed. You said you had Blackthorn and his wife over for dinner. That Steven was alone with him, while you entertained his wife.”
“That’s right. There was nothing unusual about that. It was pretty much the same every time they came over.”
Gage paused for a moment before asking, “Was this something that happened frequently, them coming to dinner? Weekly, biweekly, monthly? How close were Blackthorn and your husband?”
“Steven and Donald were good friends. They went to school together. When Steven’s company started taking off, he brought Donald on, first as the director of recruitment, and he worked his way up to becoming Steven’s partner and a co-owner of Dawkins, Inc., although Steven maintained controlling interest in the company. Donald was the one who brought onboard a lot of the software designers and engineers who were an integralpart of the company’s success. He’s an invaluable member of the company. You could say he was Steven’s right hand man.”
“You didn’t answer the question. How often were they at your home, whether on a social basis or for business?”
She closed her eyes, thinking. “I guess two or three times a month maybe? I mean, it wasn’t like a regular thing. Why?”
“Simply trying to get a read on all the key players. Plus they were at the house, and other than you they were the last people to see your husband alive.”
“That’s true. What else do you want to know?”
“After Blackthorn and his wife left, how long was it before you retired for the evening? Did you go to bed first, or did your husband?” He paused before meeting her gaze. “I know these questions might get uncomfortable and personal, but it’s something we need to address, because it is germane to the investigation. I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask, because I guarantee any prosecuting attorney will want these same answers, and they might not be as diplomatic about asking them as I trying to be.”
