Abby: I wonder what it’s like to have kids.

Jo-Jo: Why do you always text me random things. Lol.

Abby: Just a thought I had, is all. A tiny person who can’t do things for themselves and you have to keep them alive and stuff.

Jo-Jo: I’m sure it’s not that hard, our parents did it, right? Besides, isn’t high school not the time to think about this?

Abby: hmm, I guess so.

Jo-Jo: I wouldn’t mind kids in the future.

Abby: This is a weird conversation. I’m going to bed.

Jo-Jo: Goodnight, Abby Girl.

I hurried out to the truck and grabbed my bag, then rushed back into the ER and found the nearest bathroom. Zoey—God, I couldn’t lose Zoey. She was my world. Tearing off the swimsuit and patting myself dry with a copious amount of paper towels I yanked free from the dispenser, then pulling on jeans and a t-shirt, I rushed back to the front counter to have the clerk buzz me back to Zoey’s area. I was hesitant to leave her in the first place, but I was nearly naked in that suit and dripping everywhere. I felt more comfortable dry and clothed and was able to almost, but not quite, finally relax as I threw my bag back in the truck and locked the door.

Zoey’s injury wasn’t bad, I kept telling myself as I marched back up to the ER. The x-rays would be fine. Joey and I could go home and forget about the awful Dr. Harrison and the adventure at the pool gone bad.

As soon as I lifted the curtain, I could see the little area was empty, except for Dr. Harrison, who was typing into the computer once more.

“Where’s Joey and my daughter?” I asked, suspicion edging on my voice.

He turned to me. “Abigail, I’m glad I caught you.”

“Where’s Zoey?” I asked again.

“X-ray,” he said dryly. “Listen, I’ve got something here I’d like you to see if you don’t mind.” He turned the computer screen toward me.

“What is it?” I took a step closer and saw a white document. The County Sheriff’s seal on the upper left corner was clearly visible, just under the hospital’s logo. The top bolded line under that said, ‘Office of the County Coroner’. I shook my head at Dr. Harrison. “I don’t understand.”

“Just read it.” He barked softly, his pleasant doctor personality wearing thin.

I read the first few lines to myself: In regards to the death of Evan Years, a twenty-four-year old Caucasian male, apparent suicide—I skipped past the medical jargon—I regard the cause of death to be undetermined.

“Evan’s coroner’s report,” Dr. Harrison said smugly as I read.

“How did you get that?” I glared at him, stepping back. “Has Joey seen this?”

“I have access to any reports in this hospital,” he said, “and no, my son has not seen this. And by the look on your face, neither have you.”

“I don’t understand why you want me to see this, now.” My fists balled at my side.

“Now, I’ve seen hundreds of these reports, signed off on them, even. But this one. Evan was dead on arrival, you know that, right?”

I just stared at him, crossing my arms. “That’s what they told me, yes.”

“It’s very odd that Evan had two injuries that caused his death: one entrance wound from the temple, and another that grazed the back of his head. The second, or perhaps the first, was the one that killed him. The coroner seems to think it was a combination of both.” He trailed his finger across the screen and dropped his voice. “In fact, he didn’t have enough evidence to even surmise anything other than Evan’s gun must have slipped on the first try.” He looked at me. “But we both know what happened, don’t we?”

I shrugged. “Evan shot himself. That’s in the official police report.”

Dr. Harrison’s jaw worked side to side as he met my stare. “As a doctor, who previously worked with military triage, as you well know, I know there’s no way the angle of that second grazing shot came from Evan.”

He was making me angry, but with only a curtain separating us from the rest of the bustling ER, I stepped closer to him. Gathering the lie around me for the hundredth time, I whispered, “I didn’t kill my husband.”

Dr. Harrison just grinned. “Like the police, I cannot say for sure what happened. But Joey’s an expert on guns, same as I am. Don’t tell me he won’t question this. Do you want to hear what I think?”

“No.”

“I think you found Evan,” he continued, as I huffed with the rage building, “with the gun, and maybe he wasn’t sure he wanted to do it, but you convinced him. Your prints weren’t on the weapon, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t have picked up the gun and shot him yourself then cleaned it later. From what I hear about your run in with Malachai, you’re no stranger to guns. You knew exactly where to shoot him, and you missed on purpose, didn’t you?”

I gasped and stepped back. Evan had insisted on the range, having my own gun in the house, even though it was registered to him. No one would have ever guessed I was a crack shot.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I told him. I clamped my mouth shut. No one needed to know this, any of this.

Dr. Harrison closed the screen and shut down the computer before turning back to me. “That you and Evan’s little bastard will stay away from my son, of course.”

“Why?” I countered. “He’s an adult.”

“He can, and he will. I know my son,” Dr. Harrison nearly hissed. “He won’t want to live with or carry on with a murderer.”

“So, you want me to make him go away? Is that it?” I couldn’t help raising my voice this time. “What if he doesn’t?”

“Make him,” he shrugged. “Tell him you’re broken hearted over Evan still, and you don’t, can’t, love him. Tell him he’s a danger to Zoey—he did let her do something dangerous with him today, and she could have been seriously injured. You know this. Whatever you need to say, make him forget about this silly torch he carries for you.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Well, the coroner’s report is public knowledge. I’d have no problem showing him exactly what happened that night. He’ll have questions, just like I do. And we both know there’s no statute of limitations on murder. With a click of my finger I can send that report to Officer Knowles, and I’m sure he’ll be glad to reopen that case.”

“He wouldn’t,” I insisted. “That case was closed a year ago.” I felt tears sting my eyes and I pushed them away, holding my chin up.

He didn’t let up. “What will happen to Zoey if they arrest you?”

I gasped, anger immediately fleeing as my hands flew to my mouth.

“Will they let your parents have her, or will she spend her childhood in foster care? Who knows now-a-days, right? This system, it’s so screwed up.”

I choked back a sob. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Dr. Harrison just grinned at me.

“What’s going on in here?” Joey interrupted, and I spun as he let the curtain fall behind him.

“Joey!” I nearly jumped when I saw him. Zoey dozed against his shoulder.

“X-rays were a bit of a struggle, but we managed it,” he said to me. He turned to his father. “What are you two doing whispering like this?”

“I’ll just go check those scans now,” Dr. Harrison said, excusing himself. “Remember what I said, Abigail.”

Frowning, Joey turned to me as soon as his father was out of earshot. “Abby? What’s he talking about?”

I must have been pale, but then I realized I was crying. I wiped the tears away and I took Zoey from him. “Joey, I think you need to go.”

“Go? Why? I’ve got the truck, and I thought we could stop and get ice cream.”

“Please,” I told him, tears running freely down my face today. “Your father was right. Zoey could have been seriously hurt today, and you just let her jump off that side of the pool. I’m sorry, I can’t have you around her. You’re dangerous, and Zoey means more to me than that.”

“This is ridiculous!” he exploded. “I’m not dangerous, Abby. Zoey’s accident could have happened to anyone! My father is a son of a bitch snake in the grass, you know that. What did he say?”

He was right, he was absolutely right. I knew it. But what if his father was also right? What if Joey saw the truth, or what he wanted to see, and reopened the case? What if he found out who I really was? A murderer? Was I?

No, it was too horrible. I couldn’t lose Zoey. I couldn’t. I’d already risked my teaching job, which I’d worked so hard to secure and maintain for the last few years. Everything was unraveling, and Dr. Harrison had been right—I had to send Joey away.

“Abby, I love you,” he started, breaking my heart even more. “Whatever this is between us, we love each other. We can get through this.”

I couldn’t imagine a day without him, but without Zoey, I’d be lost forever. I wrapped the hurt around me and released it with all the anger I could muster.

“I don’t love you, and I don’t want you around us anymore.”

“Abby…”

“Please, just go. Just get out of our lives!” I said harshly, trying to keep my voice down.

“Fine! You’ve asked me enough, I’m going!” he yelled back. “Find your own way home!” He ripped the curtain open behind him.

“You’d better not be there when I get back, either!” I shouted after him. “I’m mean it!”

“I sure as hell won’t be!”