The alarm on Steve’s phone roused him from a nonsensical dream where he and Heather raced against each other in matching Formula One cars. He blamed the dream on last night’s lasagna with Kate. Then he realized his first thoughts of the day didn’t include his late wife, Maggie. A wave of guilt flowed and then ebbed away as soon as his toes dug into the carpet by his bed.
He arrived in the kitchen and went about making coffee. Max let out a loud meow, his way of ordering breakfast. It wasn’t long before sounds of life filtered through the walls. Steve sat at the table when Kate pushed open the plastic flap separating the two condos. “Is that coffee I smell?”
“It’s ready when you are.”
“Pour me a cup.”
In less than a minute, they sat on opposite sides of the table, content to remain silent until the stimulant worked its magic. He’d noticed before, and appreciated, how Kate eased into her day. So unlike Heather who wanted her mind stimulated with the latest news from the overseas markets as soon as possible. He could only imagine how bored she was in Boston, waiting for a funeral.
Kate broke her silence when he rose to refill his mug. “Did you call Heather last night?”
“I’m giving her a little more time. I want to talk again with Dr. Melody and her assistant, Dora Chen. After that, I’ll call Heather and give her a couple of things to do.”
“Do you think she’ll be up to it? I mean, won’t she be grieving or helping her father with the funeral?”
Steve didn’t know exactly how to explain the McBlythe family dynamics, but he’d do his best and hope Kate understood. “From what I’ve learned over the years, the McBlythes are not like the rest of us. Heather comes from a bloodline of people who don’t show emotion in public. Heather’s different. More human, but sometimes she relapses into old ways. Jack picked her up after she had a good cry with me. She trusts Jack, and had another good cry on the airplane. She might have a tear or two left for the funeral, but I think that’s all the grieving she’ll do for her mother.”
“You make her sound hard-hearted.”
“They trained her not to display emotions. Emotionally, her father’s an iceberg, and her mother wasn’t much better. They loved Heather in their own way, but that included contracting with others to display love and affection. Heather received small portions of affection, maybe even a form of love, from nannies, tutors, and teachers at boarding schools. She lacked for nothing except what people long for the most. Not much love grows in the rarefied air of the ultra-rich.”
“Is she an ice queen?”
“She would have been if she hadn’t rebelled and become a cop. Making it in Boston on just a cop’s salary put a good dose of humility and human suffering in her.”
The sound of Kate taking a quick sip of coffee and the mug coming to rest again on the table made it to Steve’s ears. So did Kate’s next words. “You love her dearly, don’t you?”
“I imagine her sometimes as my baby sister, who someone kidnapped as a child and she grew up as a princess.”
“That explains a lot, but not why you didn’t check on her last night.”
How could Steve put this in a way that made sense? He’d have to trust Kate to read between the lines. “This trip to Boston is a watershed moment for Heather. She’s going to face the biggest decision of her life, and I want to give her every chance to live the rest of her life without a huge regret.”
“It sounds like you believe you know what’s best for her.”
“I think I do, but in the end, that won’t matter. It will be her choice and I’ll support her either way.”
“And what is this make-or-break decision?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t already figured it out.”
“I see that smirk pulling the corner of your mouth, Detective Smiley. You’re playing the same game with Heather’s choice that you did last night by not telling me what you discovered while talking to Cindy Green. Now you’ve left me hanging over a pit, worried about Heather.”
Steve pushed back from the table. “How do you want your eggs this morning?”
“I’d like them raw and poured over your head.”
He moved to the refrigerator and withdrew a carton of eggs. “I specialize in undercooked food, so if you want a decent breakfast, you’d better give me a hand.” He took a quick breath. “I’ve been listening to podcasts about artificial intelligence voice narration for audio books. What’s your opinion?”
“My opinion on AI narration is that you changed the subject and I may double your order of raw eggs.”
Kate’s laugh bounced off every hard surface in the kitchen. The more he heard her laugh, the more he liked it. Not as good as Maggie’s laugh, but good in a different way.
Steve and Kate arrived for her appointment at Dr. Melody’s office ten minutes early. He sat in a chair that felt surprisingly familiar. Then it occurred to him, it was identical to the one he’d sat in at Dr. Chris’s waiting room. In fact, the acoustics were the same, as was the placement of the receptionist. Chris had made a carbon copy of his previous workplace.
The sound of a door opening caught his attention and Dora Chen’s distinct voice announced, “Kate Bridges? Ms. Kate Bridges, please follow me.”
Steve stood and Kate placed his hand on her arm. The door closed behind them and Dora said, “Ah, Mr. Smiley. You must have misunderstood me. I called for Ms. Bridges. If you’re here to see Dr. Craddock, you’ll need to wait.”
Kate spoke up. “Mr. Smiley is with me today.”
Steve took over. “We do need to talk to Dr. Melody, but first I need to clarify some things you said the other day.”
“Only patients in treatment rooms.”
Kate spoke up. “I saw a husband and wife come in together, and don’t parents accompany their children during exams?”
“Are you husband and wife?”
“No.”
“Then it’s not permitted.”
Steve raised his cane to an upright position. “We thought it would save time if you answered my questions while you checked Kate’s eyes. Otherwise, I’ll have to speak with Melody. She’ll tell you to talk to me, which I’ll do in the presence of Ms. Bridges. The outcome will be the same, but you’ll get behind in your duties.”
Her accent grew thicker and her tone more defiant. “I don’t have to talk to you.”
“That’s true, but then I’d have to call Detective Hall. He’d insist on interviewing you and would allow me to be present.” Steve paused. “If you think it’s worth missing half a day of work to go to Detective Hall’s office, that’s fine with me.”
After a huff and something muttered in a foreign language, Dora said, “You can come along, but my work is more important than your questions.”
Dora closed the treatment room door behind them and took control. “Ms. Bridges, have a seat in the exam chair. Mr. Smiley, you must stand out of the way. To save time, don’t talk to me until I’m through with the refraction and administer the dilation drops.”
Steve heard Dora sit in a rolling chair and the sound of a computer terminal coming to life. The optometrist's assistant then peppered Kate with demographic and medical questions. Kate answered them just as fast. Before long, Dora said. “Use this to cover the left eye. What’s the smallest line you can read?” Then Dora gave instructions about the machine Kate was to look through and they played the game of, “Which looks better, this one, or this one?” Metallic clicks of lenses shifting into place accompanied Kate’s quick, sure responses.
Dora then said, “Lean your head back. Only one drop in each eye for dilation. Normally we use two, but your eyes are healthy. Use this tissue to dab away any excess, but don’t scratch your eye.”
The sound of the roller chair being put back in its place caught Steve attention. “Now, Mr. Smiley, you have four minutes to ask your questions.”
“It probably won’t take that long. Does Dr. Melody know you were an optometrist in South Korea?”
“How did you find out?” demanded Dora.
“I didn’t know for sure until now. As you can imagine, I have a better than average knowledge of the eye and its workings. Or in my case, how the eyes no longer work. You gave yourself away with some of the questions you asked Kate, and exceeded your authority by concluding Kate has healthy eyes.”
“Will you tell Dr. Melody?”
“Not if you answer the rest of my questions.”
She hesitated. “Ask, but I think you’re a bad person for tricking me.”
Steve ignored the hostility. “Did you steal the documents from the file cabinet in the business next door?”
“No.”
“Do you have any idea who did?”
“Why don’t you ask the manager?”
“I’m asking you.”
“I don’t like to speculate. Ask the store’s manager or Dr. Melody.”
“Are you aware of another optometrist or ophthalmologist who might want to take over this practice?”
“No.”
“What about a business person?”
“Why would someone like that want to take over an optometrist's practice?”
“Don’t play like you don’t already know. Big corporations take over successful businesses all the time, including optometrists’ practices. Are you aware of anyone talking to Dr. Melody about selling her practice and the store next door?”
“I do my work and go home. The only people I pay attention to are my patients. Your four minutes are up.” The door opened. “Ms. Bridges, Dr. Melody will be in to see you soon. She’ll complete the exam and give you a prescription.”
The door closed with more force than necessary. Kate issued a loud whisper. “I’m impressed. You tricked her into admitting she was an optometrist in South Korea.”
“I sometimes stretch the truth during interviews. All that stuff about my knowledge of the eye and how she gave herself away by her exam procedures was a shot in the dark. It’s part of the game of verifying what I know to be true and pushing enough buttons to see how people react when I put them on the spot.”
“Did she lie about anything?”
Steve thought for several seconds before he answered. “She’s a tough one to read. What do you think? Did you pick up on any deception?”
Kate took her time before answering. “Nothing big, but I did notice she answered more than one of your questions with a question of her own.”
Steve nodded. “For some people that’s a habit—for others it’s intentional because they don’t want to answer. Four minutes wasn’t enough time to make a determination one way or the other.”
“Will you need to interview her again?”
Steve raised his shoulders and let them fall. “It depends on how the rest of the investigation goes.” The air conditioner blew and the computer monitor hummed, but otherwise the exam room became quiet. “How would you like to interview Dr. Melody alone?”
“I hope you’re joking.”
“I’m serious. You went through a nightmare of a marriage and she’s a bitter divorcée. If you’re willing, get Melody to talk about her marriage to Chris and, more importantly, why she’s so angry. Remember, we’re working on two separate cases, with Chris and Melody as the common threads.”
“This isn’t a novel. I wouldn’t know what to say.”
“Then pretend it is a novel. Here, take this.” He handed her a miniature recorder. “Do you have a pocket on your blouse?”
“Only in my slacks.”
“That will do. Do you see the record button?”
“Yes.”
“Put the recorder in your pocket and press that button when Dr. Melody turns the door knob to enter. Try to remain still.”
“Is this legal?”
“Texas is a single party consent state. Heather and I record conversations all the time and we haven’t been arrested yet.”
Kate blew out a full breath. “Is there anything else you want me to ask about?”
“Start by noticing she’s not wearing a wedding band. Show her your ring finger. You’re a brilliant storyteller. Tell your story and sit back and let her tell you hers. Use open-ended questions and leading statements if you have to. Pretend you’re writing dialog.”
“What if she clams up?”
“She won’t. There’s enough anger inside Melody to fill two chapters in your next book.” Steve moved toward the door. “I hear Melody’s footsteps coming this way, so I’ll go to the waiting room. Good luck.”
Steve closed the door behind him. “Dr. Melody? That must be you. I recognize the scent of your soap. There’s a very special friend of mine waiting for you to examine her eyes. Her name is Kate Bridges.”
“The receptionist already gave me a heads-up that a famous author is here. I see on her chart she’s from Miami. How do you know her?”
“Heather and I met her at a writer’s conference that turned into a murder investigation. She’s trying to teach me how to write, but she doesn’t have a very good pupil.”
Melody lowered her voice. “Any progress on the investigations?”
“Heather’s mother passed away, so she’s in Boston for the funeral. That’s put me a little behind, but we’re gaining ground a little at a time.”
“That’s good to hear. I’d better go in and introduce myself to the celebrity.”
Steve tapped his way toward the waiting room, thinking about how Melody had used the plural ‘investigations’ when she asked about progress. Perhaps she still cared for Chris enough to think about his business suffering. Or, could it be she wanted to check on possible delays in child support payments? If Kate interviewed as well as she wrote, he’d know later today.
Steve waited a long time before Kate collected him in the waiting room. They didn’t speak until Kate came to a halt on the sidewalk. “Hold up a minute, I need to put on my sunglasses.”
“Do we need to call Uber?” he asked.
“Why would we?”
“Didn’t you have your eyes dilated?”
“I’m wearing my sunglasses over a pair of those dark roll-up things they give patients. I picked up two if I need another. I should be able to drive with no trouble.”
“Why does the phrase the blind leading the blind come to mind?”
Kate’s laugh bounced off the glass and metal of the exterior of the building, followed by, “This is all part of the adventure. Besides, I need to get you back for leaving me hanging… twice.”