smile. “So I was flattered when he asked me to prom. Then later…”
“Later what?”
“Later, I saw how selfish and conceited he was, and I didn’t even like him, much less love him.”
Slade ordered himself to resist the temptation to cover her hand with his, to soothe her distress.
But he lost the battle and did just as his heart commanded. Her hand felt small and cold and in need of a big one to cling to, and something twitched inside him urging him to be that someone. That everyone else in her life had let her down.
You might, too, a voice inside his head taunted.
Her fingers curled beneath the weight of his hand as if grasping on, and panic set in. He couldn’t make promises to a vulnerable woman like her.
Not when he knew he’d walk away in the end.
He was too damn broken to be any good to anyone long-term.
She deserved someone better. A savior who’d stick around.
So he pulled his hand away and finished his burger in silence, determined to tie up the case so he didn’t have to be tortured by her big, sad eyes, and by things he could never have or give her.
His cell phone buzzed as he was paying the bill, and he checked the number, saw it was GAI and connected the call. “Blackburn speaking.”
“Slade, it’s Amanda Peterson from GAI.”
“Yeah?”
“Gage managed to get a copy of all the forensics reports from the hospital fire, including copies of the bodies found after the fire.”
Slade’s gut tightened. “And?”
“It was a mess,” she said. “I can see why forensics and the cops had trouble sorting out the truth. Bodies were dismembered, literally blown apart. The chemicals ate away skin, bone and tissue, making identities impossible. The small town just didn’t have the manpower at the time to handle such a large investigation, and the feds that came in wrote it off as a tragic accident and told families they had to accept the loss.”
Slade saw Nina watching and adopted a poker face. “So what can you tell me?”
“They did take photographs of the bones and recorded the unidentified ones. Unfortunately hospital records were also destroyed that night, so any records of Peyton Nash, including her footprints and handprints, were lost in the fire.”
“Damn.”
A moment of silence, then Amanda continued. “But there were a couple of infant bones in the mix. I’m trying to see if they belong to Peyton now, but getting the results may take time.”
“How about patient files of other births, infants in the hospital for other procedures, tests or treatments that night?”
“Gage already put Benjamin Camp on it.”
Slade’s admiration for McDermont rose. “Thanks. I’ll fish around at the hospital. Keep me posted.”
She agreed and he snapped his phone closed. Nina was watching with anticipation.
“What?”
“I told you I wouldn’t mince words,” Slade begun. Her face paled slightly. “All right.”
“The forensics expert at GAI is studying copies of the forensics reports. I’m sorry to say, but there were infant bones in the mix.”
Her breath hitched out. “Did they identify them?”
“No, they’re working on that now. But I want to question Dr. Emery again. According to him, there weren’t any babies other than Peyton lost that night.”
Tears glittered in her eyes before she blinked them away. “Then he lied,” she said with a strength to her voice that surprised him.
“Gage is going to request copies of hospital records from that night, but most were destroyed in the fire.”
“Didn’t they have some kind of back-up system?” Nina asked.
“Our computer guy is working on that angle.” Slade reached for the bill. “Let’s go talk to the nurse on duty that night and find out what she remembers.”
* * *
THE IMPLICATIONS THAT there had been an infant’s bones in the fire made Nina’s stomach protest, and for a moment she’d thought she might lose the lunch she’d barely touched.
But she swallowed hard to stem the nausea. At least Slade hadn’t given up. She’d asked for answers and she was grateful he was being honest with her, not treating her as if she were a crazy woman who might flip out if he didn’t walk on eggshells around her.
The wind ruffled her hair as they entered the hospital and rode the elevator to the maternity floor. Nurses bustled up and down the halls, orderlies were picking up food trays, a woman in a robe strolled toward the nursery and voices echoed from the closest room nearby just as an older couple, probably grandparents, rushed down the hallway carrying flowers and a blue stuffed teddy bear.
Nina’s experience had been so different, yet she had to smile at the thought of the happy couple and grandparents celebrating a new life.
“Excuse me,” Slade said to a curly-haired nurse wearing pink scrubs at the nurses’ station. “Is Carrie Poole here?”
The woman nodded. “She’s in the NICU.”
“Can you ask her if she can speak with us?” Slade asked.
The woman glanced at Nina with a frown. “Regarding what?”
Nina cleared her throat. “I just want to ask her a couple of questions. She took care of my baby when I was here a long time ago.”
“You’re Nina Nash, aren’t you?” the woman asked.
Nina stiffened. “Yes.”
“Dr. Emery said you hired a private investigator and were asking questions.” A wariness tinged her eyes. “I wasn’t here back then, but I’ve heard how horrible it was. I can’t imagine…”
“I’m not here to cause trouble for the staff, or blame anyone for that night,” Nina said. “In fact Carrie was so sweet to me, that I just want to talk to her, that’s all. Please.”
The woman’s expression softened. “All right, sugar. I’ll let her know.”
She rose from the desk, exited on the opposite side and walked down the hallway.
Voices sounded, and she glanced to the left and saw a new mother cradling her baby as the nurse pushed her in a wheelchair toward the elevator. The father walked behind, carrying a bouquet of balloons and pink roses. As they reached the elevator, he leaned over and kissed his wife and baby girl. Tears stung Nina’s eyes.
Slade’s hand stroked
