“I don’t care about that. Your job is to keep April sedated. What did you tell them about that nurse?”

A heavy sigh came over the line. “I told them that Audrey removed April from the hospital against my advice and she was fired. That she told me she was going back home to Georgia and that she didn’t want to talk to anyone. A couple of the other nurses were her friends. I’m not sure they bought it.”

“You better make sure they do. I’d like to know why she smuggled April out of there in the first place. Can you explain that to me?”

There was a long pause. Finally, Alexander said, “I believe she heard me talking on the phone to you the other day. When I told you I couldn’t keep this up indefinitely. That we needed to find a more permanent solution. I think she thought I meant we wanted her dead—which isn’t what I was saying at all. I didn’t realize Audrey was in the hall outside my door. I believe that, in her mind, what she did was an act of compassion.”

“You’d better be careful before something else happens. I warned you about that.”

“Look,” Alexander said, “you haven’t made a payment in over a month. I’m only doing this because I was desperate for money. If you don’t pay up . . .”

“You’ll what? You’ll tell the police that you’ve been drugging my daughter for months? And that because of you, your nurse is dead?” Jeffrey laughed. “Sorry. You’ve gotten yourself in way too deep. There’s nothing you can do except to keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told. And you’d better find a way to keep your staff in line before something else happens.”

“Why did you call? Just to hurl more threats at me? Sometimes I think you forget who I am.”

“Who you are? A doctor at a second-rate hospital who needed a place to hide out because he made so many mistakes. Don’t be ridiculous. You need me and my money. You do exactly what I tell you to do, or you’re going down.” Jeffrey took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm his nerves. “Look, the other person involved in this thinks the easiest thing would be for April to die. I won’t allow it. If anything happens to her, you’re done. I mean it.”

“I don’t get it,” the doctor said. “You can’t possibly love this girl. If you did you wouldn’t keep her here—so drugged up she doesn’t know where she is or even who she is.”

“Shut up!” Jeffrey said loudly. “How I treat my daughter isn’t your business. You just concentrate on your job. If this goes south, you’ll end up spending the rest of your life in prison. I’m pretty sure your beautiful wife and those three children of yours won’t want anything to do with you when they find out the truth. You chose to drink and harm your patients. You gambled away your money. You got yourself into a hole so deep your only hope was to make a deal with me.”

“I didn’t realize it was a deal with the devil,” the doctor mumbled.

His comment shocked Jeffrey. Was he right? Had he become the devil? “You just remember what I said.” He hung up and stared at his phone. You can’t possibly love this girl.

A memory of a little girl’s arms around his neck popped unbidden into his mind. Dancing lessons with her small feet on top of his. I love you, Daddy. You’re the best daddy in the whole world. In the beginning, he’d only put up with April because of her mother. She was rich and he wasn’t—until they were married. But as time went on, he began to care for his stepdaughter. He even adopted her so that she’d have his last name. When Katherine died, April clung to him. It changed him on the inside. He wasn’t sure he loved her more than he cared about her money, but he couldn’t get rid of the memories. As she got older, April began to pull away. Began to look at him with suspicion. The police hadn’t been able to prove that he’d killed Katherine, but it was clear that April had doubts. Still, he couldn’t let her die. Maybe his heart was hard, but there was one soft spot—and it belonged to April. If he hadn’t taken so much money from her trust fund, he might have tried to be a different man. Might have tried to become the kind of father that April wanted. But it was too late for that. He knew that keeping April alive in the hospital couldn’t last forever. But he wasn’t ready to let her go. At least not yet.

TONY PICKED WATSON UP and put him on River’s bed. Then he covered himself with the folded blanket at the foot of the bed while Watson turned around several times and lay down. Tony stroked his soft fur for a bit before he put his head on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. The fire had upset him more than he’d let on to anyone. His home was gone. He couldn’t even allow his mind to take an inventory of the possessions he’d lost. He was grateful that he and Watson were okay, but ignoring the losses he’d suffered was impossible. Photos with his family, awards from the academy, the Bible his parents had given him when he graduated from high school.

“Stop it,” he said quietly. “They’re just things. None of them are worth Watson’s life—or mine.” Still, there was a deep hurt inside him, one that he would have to deal with at some point. He turned his head when he heard someone knock softly on the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and River stepped into the room. “I wanted to check on you before you go to sleep. I heard you coughing.”

Tony had been coughing on and off since last night but really hadn’t been paying much attention.

“Sorry. The EMT said it might last for a while. I think it’s getting better.”

“You mentioned at lunch that you had a headache. I brought some aspirin.”

Tony sat up. “Thanks. Another symptom of smoke inhalation, I guess.”

“Maybe you should have gone to the hospital,” River said. “Had them check you out.”

He shook his head. “Not necessary. Really. I’m fine.”

She handed him the aspirin and a water bottle. He quickly swallowed the pills and put the bottle down on the table next to the bed.

“So, are you nervous about tonight?” Tony asked.

River sighed. “To be honest, with everything going on, I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it.”

“Yeah, that was my plan. The fire was just my attempt to keep you occupied so you wouldn’t have time to worry about your dad coming.”

“Wow,” River said. “That’s a lot of dedication. Starting a fire in your apartment complex just to make the confrontation with my dad easier. You really went above and beyond.”

Tony nodded. “Yeah, I thought you’d be impressed.” He felt something on his leg and looked down to see Watson moving up closer to him. Tony moved his hand and patted Watson’s head.

“You’re silly,” River said. “When I allow myself to think about tonight, I do feel nervous. Even a little sick to my stomach. But I know this is going to happen, and I have to face it. It’s been so long, and I’ve resented my father so much . . .” She sighed. “It’s like you said, there are scars. It might not be easy. I might feel afraid, but I know God will get me through this. I can’t allow feelings to dictate my life.” She hesitated a moment, then said, “I want you to know that having you by my side . . . Well, it means more than I can say. I plan to draw on your faith—and your strength.” Her eyes searched his. “Thank you, Tony.”

“You’re welcome.”

Watson wiggled up close to River and licked her hand. She laughed. “Sorry. With you and Watson by my side.”

Tony laughed at the goofy dog’s antics.

“You still haven’t called your parents, Tony,” River said, her tone serious.

“I know. I’ll phone them when I get up.”

River frowned at him. “Is there a reason you’re putting this off?”

“Yeah. Telling them there was a fire in my apartment after what my dad went through? The burns he endured after saving that little girl all those years ago? I guess I’m afraid it will bring it all back.”

“But you’re okay. They’ll be so happy to know that.”

He smiled at her. “We both understand triggers. Don’t you think this will be especially tough on them?”

River sighed. “You’re right. I’ve been dense. I should have realized it.” She put her hand on his arm. “I guess we’re all going to have to face our fears today.”

“At least we won’t be facing them alone.”

River nodded and gazed into his eyes. Tony saw something in her expression that chased away his concerns and made him feel that he could do almost anything.

CHAPTER

FORTY

Jeffrey was startled when his phone rang. He frowned when he saw who was calling. Dr. Marnet? Was April okay? His heart felt as if it had jumped into his throat, and he had a hard time finding his voice.

“Yes?” he said when he answered.

“Audrey Cox, the nurse who took April, was just found dead. She was inside her car. Supposedly it went off the side of a steep embankment. She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and the police think she died of her injuries. But it’s being investigated, Jeffrey. First of all, they could easily figure out that she was murdered. If they do, they’re going to end up at my doorstep, asking questions. Trying to find out if I know of any reason someone might want to kill her. I didn’t sign up for this. Not only have you put me in the line of fire, Audrey was a good nurse. A good person. I liked her.”

“You need to keep it together. Seriously. There’s nothing to connect you to her death. You had nothing to do with it. Just relax and act normal. I mean it.”

“Act normal? There’s nothing normal about this. Nothing. I . . . I can’t take this anymore. Listen, I want April out of here. Now. I mean it. And don’t threaten me. You can’t turn me in without ruining yourself. Take care of this. She’s out of here by tomorrow or . . . or I’ll do whatever I have to.” With that, the phone was disconnected.