“You go first.” Diana’s stubborn jaw told me not to push it.
“We haven’t told anyone because I didn’t want my mom and Vi to get wind of it. You remember how they were the last time. Between the tarot and the pendulum, they were planning our wedding before we even went out on our third date, and I was barely twenty-one.”
She nodded and grimaced. “Okay, I see your point about them. But, you could have told me.”
“I know. I should have told you. And I would have. I just . . . I wanted us to have a chance without anyone’s expectations getting in the way.”
“Well, I’ll forgive you. Good luck with Alex.”
I nodded and felt my stomach clench. I’d been away from Crystal Haven so long I had forgotten what it was like to have friends who expected sharing. I didn’t want to hurt their feelings; I just wanted to figure things out on my own.
“What about you? I didn’t even suspect that you were together until Lucan asked me to call you.” I fixed her with the same narrowed eyes she had shown me moments before.
“I didn’t have anything to tell until recently.” She looked away and her cheeks blazed red. “I met him through Rafe and then we worked together on the festival. This past week things changed. He’s a really good guy.”
I decided not to tell her my whole family had pegged him as a murderer. Anxious to get out of the hospital and talk to Neila, I rethought my stance that Lucan had killed Rafe. If someone had tried to kill Lucan, and it sounded like that had been the case, it had to be connected to Rafe’s death. As far as I was concerned, this attack on Lucan was proof that Dylan was not the killer. Mac had provided him with the perfect alibi. At least one good thing would come from Dylan’s time in jail.
33
Sore, stiff, and tired, Diana and I had both seen better mornings. However, we were happy to hear that Lucan’s surgery had been a success. The nurse took one look at us and ordered us home to rest.
“He doesn’t need to be worrying about you two,” she told us with a scowl. “He’ll be asleep for at least a few hours.”
Diana dropped me off at home and I went straight into the shower. I hadn’t even told my family about what had happened to Lucan. Part of me didn’t want to wake them, and part didn’t want Vi showing up in the waiting room. I’d have to tell them soon, but hoped to get one more thing over with before facing them.
After a very fast shower and a longing look at my bed, I hopped in my Jeep and turned it toward Neila’s house. I wasn’t sure what her connection was to Lucan, but I was determined to find out.
“How nice to see you again, Clyde,” she said as she swung the door wide.
“Ms. Whittle. I have some news.”
“Oh. Come in.”
We walked back toward her kitchen. This was our usual path and I wasn’t sure what the other rooms contained.
After I refused Neila’s offers of coffee and tea and cookies, she sat down across from me. “This must be serious,” she said.
I nodded. “Lucan Reed was a hit-and-run victim last evening.”
Neila didn’t react. It was almost as if she hadn’t heard me. Then a single tear fell down her cheek. “Is he all right?” she asked with a shaky voice.
I nodded. “He needed surgery for a broken leg. . . .” I hesitated, not wanting to upset her but needing to question her anyway. “The car that hit him . . . backed over him on purpose.”
This time she did react with a quick intake of breath. Her fingers turned white on the tabletop. It was as if she gripped the table to keep her balance.
“I had no idea this would be so dangerous,” she said quietly and mostly to herself. “What have I done?”
I reached across the table to put a hand on hers. “Ms. Whittle, what do you know about Lucan’s accident?”
She met my eyes, but didn’t seem to focus. Her mind was far away. And then just as quickly she was back. “Why can’t I see this sort of thing happening? Why is it always . . . other things?”
I understood her completely and began to wonder how much she would be able to help me if she had the same concerns I did about her own visions.
“Lucan told me to talk to you. He said to tell you he’s sorry.”
Several tears were released this time and I glanced around the kitchen, looking for tissues. Neila pulled a handkerchief out of the folds of her apron and scrubbed at her eyes.
“He’s right. I can’t keep this a secret anymore.”
“What is it?”
“We didn’t want anyone to know we knew each other,” she said. “He was here once when you stopped by. He’s been helping me with repairs around the house. But also, Lucan is a private detective.”
I sat back in my chair, trying to fit this information into the rest of what I knew about him.
“I hired him a year ago to help me find my son.”
“Your . . . son?”