Chapter 12

While she was being taken away, Valerie passed Cole and, after some struggling, caught hold of his sleeve. She raised her head and met a pair of bloodshot eyes filled with hatred. She froze, and he shook her off so hard she stumbled. The lawn went quiet. Only Cole and Carter were left standing there, looking hollowed out. Matthew jogged back from the hospital. "Mr. Hale, Ms. Reed wasn't there. The nurses said her grandmother passed away a week ago." "What?" Cole and Carter stared at Matthew in disbelief. "That's impossible! Why wouldn't she tell me?" "The time of death was last Friday at 11:00 pm. I double-checked it," Matthew quickly explained. Last Friday was the night they had been in that private room. Could Maya have overheard their conversation? Was that the reason she kept Belinda's death from him? Cole's stomach dropped. He remembered Valerie taking his phone at the airport. He pulled his phone out and found dozens of missed calls wiped from the log and a string of del