“Yeah, Melanie. How are you?”
Surely she hadn’t called just to ask how I was. “Do you have any news on my case?” I didn’t mean to be rude, but my mind was hammering and my head beginning to ache.
“No. Like I told you before, I’m not technically on your case anymore. But I wanted to call and let you know that my aunt, Erica Cates, has been released from the hospital.”
My nerves jumped. “Oh?”
She cleared her throat. “Yeah. I haven’t spoken to her or Rodney, but I’ve been keeping tabs through my connections at the hospital. She was released into her husband’s care by a Dr. Miles Bennett.”
Miles Bennett. The doctor who had recommended I take a leave of absence from my practice. Some recommendation. He’d all but threatened to suspend my privileges if I didn’t heed his advice.
“Are they returning to Denver?”
“No. They’re staying in a townhome Rodney rented in the city.”
“Yeah. I’ve been there.”
“So, I was wondering…”
“What?”
“I’m thinking of paying my aunt and uncle a visit.”
“What does this have to do with me?” I didn’t mean to be short with her, but my mind was full of Jonah. I couldn’t focus on anything else right now.
“I was wondering if you’d like to come with me.”
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea. Right now I have a complaint with the medical board pending that was initiated by Rodney Cates, plus he’s suing me for malpractice.” Jade had given me the name of an attorney in Denver, Sherry Malone, who handled malpractice cases and was considered one of the best. Of course, whether my insurance company would agree to pay her rates was still up in the air.
“Why? Have you been told by counsel not to talk to them?”
“No…” I just didn’t really want to talk to them. Especially not now, with Jonah missing.
“I understand. I was just hoping for some company. I don’t have anyone else to ask.”
Ruby sounded lonely. She’d been on her own for so long. Did she even have any friends?
What the hell? I wasn’t any use to Jonah sitting around the house worrying. Maybe I could get some clues from the Cateses about everything else we were dealing with. All these people were interrelated somehow. “Okay, I’ll go along, but there are a few things I need to tell you first.”
Chapter Thirty–Four
Jonah
“No, Brad, please! I love you!” Wendy crawled toward me even as I pointed the gun straight at her.
“Don’t come any closer, you crazy-assed bitch. I’m getting out of here.”
“You can’t leave me. You promised we’d be together. What will I tell our child?”
She was so delusional. I wasn’t sure I could get anything close to the truth out of her, but I had to try.
“Tell me about those men, Wendy. Why were they here?”
“You know why, Brad.”
“Damn it! I’m not Br—” I stopped myself. It wouldn’t matter. She had convinced herself that I was my father, and nothing I could say would change her lunatic mind. So far, posing as my father hadn’t gotten me any information that was helpful, but maybe that would change. “No, Wendy, I don’t know why they were here. And why did one of them keep calling me Joe?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because that’s your son’s name.”