“I know what I need to do,” Stephen said, thinking out loud. Nadine and I exchanged confused glances, and I shrugged. “Nadine, Miguel is going to drop you off at home. You will behave normally, go to work, do your youth group, and check in on Geoff. However, you will also be on call. We may need you to do some things for us, and when this whole thing is over, we will let you know how we’ll handle your situation. If all goes well, it might go well for you, too.”

  Nadine raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

  “Stay tuned,” Stephen said sternly. “And don’t stray.”

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  My goal for the home visit with Shelly was to focus on her health and wellbeing, not the Green Playscapes case, but I would follow her lead. I’d noticed Shelly’s lack of energy recently, and that she was running on courage and determination.

  The weather had turned colder, and I knew it was going to be more difficult for TD5 members to go outside and fight the elements. Midwestern winters were unpredictable, which made planning outings difficult. I hoped we’d draw this case to a close sooner than later before we were all hibernating, and before more of our members took their last breaths.

  Shelly was outfitted in pressed slacks and a colorful sweater, her hair was perfectly coiffed, and she’d applied her makeup. I wondered if she’d been out, or if she got dolled up for my visit. I looked down at my sweatshirt and jeans and wished I’d taken just a bit more time with my appearance. I’m not sure why I was suddenly self-conscious, I’d never felt judged by any of my patients for my wardrobe. Perhaps Shelly’s upscale look and Stephen’s lack of wrinkles were infecting me.

  When I stepped into Shelly’s foyer, she moved her walker aside and collected me into a hug. Shelly’s hug was tight and warm and it reminded me of the amazing hugs from my mom. Shelly was a mom and had a lot of practice. I recognized my countertransference with Shelly, the feeling I got when I was around her, like I was with my own mother. She made a person feel safe and secure. Accepted. Cherished. It occurred to me we’d not spent any time alone together since her TD5 orientation, which, in hindsight, was unnecessary since she was well aware of how TD5 operated. She’d been watching our every move for years. And more recently, so had Stephen. I silently berated myself for not having spent more time with Shelly, but recognized my desire to be around her may have been more for my benefit than hers. She was a favorite blanket, a hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. And on top of it all, she was fierce. She was a lioness in a grandmother’s body.

  Shelly and I got settled into surprisingly comfortable wide leather chairs. I’d never owned leather furniture, opting for pets instead. I complimented her on her beautiful home. It was both retro and modern. The sunken living room, which I recalled my parents saying was a “conversation pit” had plush cream carpet, making me glad I’d taken off my shoes in the foyer. It was cozy and chic, just like Shelly. Also, like many of the patient homes I’d visited, it was hotter than the inside of a furnace. If I had to guess, she had her thermostat set to eighty degrees.

  “How have you been feeling lately, Shelly?” I asked after we finished chatting about her lovely home.

  “Physically, or mentally?

  “Let’s begin with physically. Have you been getting regular nursing visits?”

  “Yes, about twice a week now. Kerri helps me with my medications and checks my vitals. She’s a dear, that Kerri.” I knew Shelly may need more assistance than she admitted. She was amazingly self-sufficient, and I wondered if she paid for extra help outside of the services we provided.

  “Kerri’s a great nurse. Very sweet,” I said. “She used to be a surgical nurse, but her mom ended up being one of our patients and she came to work for us shortly after she died.”

  Shelly nodded. “Yes, she shared that with me. Kerri has taken to me, I think. She said I remind her of her mother,” Shelly said. Ditto, I thought. “My back pain is what causes me the most trouble. That’s why I rely on this darn walker.” Shelly lovingly patted her aluminum friend.

  “Do you have everything you need? Help with groceries, medications, and other household items? What about house cleaning?”

  “All that is taken care of, dear. Thank you.” I made some notes on my tablet. “I have people hired to assist me when I need.” There it is. I knew it. I thought about the privileges that came with being wealthy, like Shelly. So many of our patients struggled with their basic needs. This wasn’t lost on Shelly, however, because she had been donating large sums to Courseview since Larry died. Not only had they set up The Columbarium trust for TD5, the Straubs also provided for Happy’s Make-A-Wish and Shelly had started an additional indigent fund.

  “And how are you doing mentally, emotionally?” I saved this conversation, because I had a feeling it would lead to a discussion about the case and the toll it was taking on her.

  “You know, there are some days I’m invigorated, some days I’m emotionally exhausted, and some days I’m just alright, dear. There is one thing that hasn’t changed, though. I’m determined. I’m going to see this thing through and bring people to justice.” Shelly had that look in her eyes again, angel and devil in one. A “spitfire” as my mom would say. I had a feeling Shelly was the one who drank everyone under the table in the good ‘ole days.

  “Dear Callie, there is one thing that has been on my mind since I met with the governor and those hooligans Scott Peterson and Georgia Moore. And with you being trained in the psychological arts, I’d like your professional opinion.” Here we go. I knew we’d get to the case, and my efforts to put it off would be ineffective.

  “You might be giving me too much credit, but let’s see how I can help. What’s on your mind?”

  “When I was there, at the governor’s office, I expected more volatility. Scott Peterson was his normal self, a total ass, pardon my language. But Abe and Georgia, they were cool as cucumbers. I felt like they expected me to come, they were completely nonplussed. Or, they had some other ace up their sleeve, and nothing I said scared them. Georgia and Scott readily signed away The Columbarium trust, no questions asked. And when I played the audio clips for them, Scott was the only one who went off the deep end. What’s your reaction to that?”

  I sat for a minute, trying to see the meeting with Peterson, Moore, and Mason in my mind through Shelly’s eyes. “How were they sitting, Abe Mason and Georgia Moore? Do you remember if they were sitting back in their seats, relaxed, or were they sitting forward? Hands clenched? Anything giving away nervousness or anxiety about the evidence you presented?”

  Shelly leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She suddenly upright, leaned forward, and clapped her hands with an epiphany. “You hit on something there, Callie. At first, I was paying close attention to Scott’s tantrum. But when I shifted my focus to the two others, they were sitting back, slight smirks on their faces. My confidence became shaky, so I followed my script when I could have dug deeper.”

  “That suggests your assessment was correct. They were not terribly bothered by your insinuations or accusations. They do, or at least did, have an ace up their sleeves and they may have a plan for how to spin the evidence you shared to expose them. Tell me, Shelly, do we know for sure they’ve pulled out of the Green Playscapes deal?”

  “Not for sure, no. From having had access to the Green Playscapes accounting records, it’s clear their investments were in a separate account, except for the one Scott made, but then retracted. They knew there was no paper trail law enforcement could follow. This type of thing happens in politics all the time. Money hidden everywhere.”

  “It stands to reason they intended to go forward with their plan?”

  “Yes, it does. Although Mason hasn’t announced his run for president, so I suppose that’s one thing. I think he would have announced by now if he was going to.”

  “At the end of the day, perhaps he was willing to give that up, wait things out, take the big payout, stay on as governor, and run again in four years?”

  “That’s what I would do,” Shelly said.

  “So where does this leave us?” I asked.

  “We must catch Heather’s killer and expose these bastards. Pardon my French.”

  “That’s not French, Shelly.” She giggled.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  The Situation Room- Week 5 Investigation Report

  Nadine, Shana, Stephen, Mary, Shelly, and I were all gathered in The Situation Room. The mood was tentative, given Nadine’s precarious status as Eric’s killer. I had prepped Shana for this meeting and what our plans were for Nadine. Shana understood what we were going to do, and why we chose to go this route, and agreed to be part of it if it would catch Heather’s killer. I had arrived at The Situation Room early so I could set up. I arranged the recliners in a circle, so we’d all be facing each other. That way, we’d be observing body language and facial expressions closely, communicate with intention, and prepare Nadine for her eventual jury of peers after the case concluded. There was a final reason I wanted us to have a more intimate setting. I had decided it was time to share my diagnosis with the group, and to explain to them the decisions I was facing. I wanted to wait until after the case was over, but my headaches were more consistent now, and TD5 members were noticing.

  For reasons I didn’t understand at the time, Mary did not have either her phone or her notebook out. It was almost as if she’d finally intuited there is a time and place for notes. Over the last month, I realized Mary’s notes served many purposes. Yes, she wanted to get the clues down on paper, to review them and commit them to memory to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I also believed the notes meant something more to Mary. They were the timeline of the events of her life, weaving a story she wanted to leave behind. This particular meeting was going to be the most revelatory yet, but no notebook. Maybe Mary didn’t want the distraction of taking notes. Perhaps she wanted to give every face, every movement, every word, her full attention.

  Nadine was sitting between Mary and Shelly. I was on the other side of Shelly, who was next to Stephen, who was next to Shana. I’d always found the seats people selected and who they chose to sit next to fascinating. Seat selection was intentional, even if it felt subconscious. It was about safety and comfort level. This was a perfect example.

  TD5 had discussed the approach to the meeting in detail last night via text. I provided Stephen a bit of coaching on his demeanor, and he huffed and puffed when I alluded to his lack of diplomacy. I suggested he could pause and think before speaking. To get what we want in life, you could use the stick or the carrot, I said. I convinced him the carrot was a better option. Stephen’s bag of tricks was filled with sticks. Keep them in the bag, this time, I said, and you might be surprised with the result.

  “This has been a long and difficult road,” I began. “For the most part, we are all clear on the series of events that have taken place up until now. These events might make us feel morally, ethically, and emotionally spent.” I saw Shana give Nadine a side glance. Shelly shifted in her chair. “And we have decided as a group how justice should be served.”

  “Star Chamber,” Mary said under her breath. Nice movie reference, Mary, I thought to myself. The difference was TD5 didn’t hire a hitman to go after anyone we found guilty.

  “Going forward from here, we have created a plan everyone has agreed to, and it’s important to include Nadine, because she may be the key to a successful conclusion to this ordeal.” Mary, who’d come to know Nadine best, cautiously patted Nadine’s hand. Mary’s compassion was perfectly timed and seemingly unplanned. It helped the other members of the group view Nadine as a human being, not just a killer. “Stephen is going to review the case and fill in some gaps. Then the final scenes will play out in the coming days. All of us have a part, and we must execute our roles with precision.” Mary nodded vigorously. I turned to Stephen.

  He pulled his diagram up on the screen. Arrows pointed this way and that between the shapes. Some of the formerly empty spaces now had text, explaining the relationships between the actors in the Green Playscapes conspiracy and Eric’s murder. Nadine had no idea we had come this far with what we knew, evidenced by her eyes, which looked like they might pop out of her head. She leaned forward with her mouth open, taking in the detail of the diagram.

  We brought Nadine up to speed. Shelly provided highlights of her meeting with Mason, Moore, and Peterson. Shana reported out on her abduction and her discussions with Elaine. Mary confessed she’d visited Legal Earth while Nadine was in Oregon. Nadine patted Mary’s hand back and gave her a weak smile, confirming she was aware of Mary’s visit, and that she had been a suspect in Heather’s murder. Nadine’s expression told me she wanted to ask questions. She wanted to know how a group of Hospice patients were able to accomplish what we’d achieved, how we got involved, and why it was so important to us to solve this crime. All of this would come out soon enough if Nadine played her cards right.

  “And until last night, we were unsure who killed Heather,” Stephen said. “And now I know, and you’re going to know, who he is. Then it will be time to nail this guy and put this entire thing to rest.”

  “How did you find out who killed Heather?” Mary asked. It occurred to me Mary had not been a part of the conversation with Nadine after the airport pickup, nor was she updated on my visit with Shelly last night, the last two pieces of the puzzle that recently came together. I felt a pang of guilt for not calling Mary to inform her of the latest developments. My headaches were preventing me from covering all my bases.

  “Before he fills you in on that, Callie and I were talking last evening about how I felt during my meeting with Abe Mason, Georgia Moore, and Scott Peterson,” Shelly said. “Peterson was the only one throwing a fit, which didn’t raise my suspicions because that is his nature. It was unnerving for me how calm Abe and Georgia were. We suspect they weren’t done playing the game, no matter what evidence we had. They’d been leaning on Elaine, who’d been leaning on Heather, to get the formula ready for wide distribution. They thought if they just had a couple more weeks, they’d fulfill those state contracts and they’d be even richer. Abe would have millions in offshore accounts for his presidential run.”

  “And once he’s president, he’d have all the power to get the others what they wanted, which would be more money and more power,” Mary said.

  “Exactly,” Shelly said.

  “So, what would they have up their sleeve that we didn’t know about?” Mary asked.

  “The last piece of the puzzle was revealed last night. When we had Nadine in our clutches, I realized what I needed to do,” Stephen said. I pursed my lips at Stephen and shot him a look of dismay. Not diplomatic, I tried to tell him with my eyes. He ignored me and typed on his keyboard, pulling up video feed on one of The Situation Room monitors. Stephen played only a short clip, but that was all that was needed. There were several gasps.

  “We couldn’t see any faces of the people who’d come to Heather’s apartment the night she was killed, but there were two things we knew,” Stephen said. “First, she had to know both visitors, because she went to her door and let them in. And second, the embrace with the man suggested it was a person she was intimately involved with. I got her camera footage from the last month and was up half the night reviewing it. Heather was indeed seeing someone. And now we know who he was.”

  Shana jumped out of her recliner and ran to the bathroom. Shelly got up onto her walker and rolled quickly to follow her. Nadine’s face clouded with confusion. She had no idea who we’d just seen in the video feed, or what that person had to do with Heather’s death. I filled her in, and anger rose to her face, turning to a scarlet red. She stood up, fists clenched.

  “I’m going to get that asshole,” Nadine said, her voice dripping with rage.

  “That’s precisely the plan,” Stephen said. “But we have to do it our way.”

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  A few minutes later, Shana and Shelly returned from the bathroom. Shelly managed to have one arm around Shana’s shoulders and a hand on her walker. Everyone took their seats, and we reviewed the plan to trap Heather’s killer. When emotions had settled, I decided to come clean with the group about my own secret. I knew there would never be a good time, and this might be my only chance before my increasingly apparent headaches completely gave me away. It had taken me time to develop the courage, but considering the brave group sitting around me, I knew they’d be strong for me, just as I had tried to be strong for them. I took a few deep cleansing breaths.

  “Everyone, I have something I need to share with you.”

  “You’re pregnant?” Shelly said, her eyes crinkled.

  I laughed, and this broke down my nerves. I breathed out and relaxed my body. “That would be immaculate conception, Shelly, for more reasons than one.” Mary hooted. “No, I recently received some bad news.”

  “We’re the Bad News Bobcats,” Mary said. “I’d say Bears, but they’re already taken.” I loved this group. They knew exactly what to say.

  “I’ve been suffering from headaches, and I went to the doctor. I have a brain tumor.” The words rushed out before I could wordsmith them into something palatable. I let them hang in the air, uncertain of what to say next. Disclosing my potentially terminal diagnosis gave me a strong sense of what the people I served went through when they’d shared similar news with their loved ones. It was one of the hardest things to say, even in a group of people who cared deeply. I thought all my years of hospice training would prepare me for this reality, my own mortality. But apparently that is not how it worked, as I was unable to form thoughts or words in the moment.

  “What else do you know?” Shelly asked, getting up on her walker and gliding over to me. She placed a hand on my shoulder. “We’re here for you.”

 

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