“E, you can’t tell them anything right now,” Sophia murmured, her voice growing thick with emotion. “Not until you know what’s wrong with her; otherwise, they won’t be able to focus on anything else.”
“Soph is right,” Lily added in a quieter voice. “Give them a little bit more time before you turn their world upside down.”
A lump rose in the back of Ian’s throat. “And in the meantime?”
“You do what you can, whenever you can,” Sophia said in a clearer voice. “You’re not alone in this, E. We’re all here for you, Lucy, and the kids. We’re not going anywhere.”
Ian’s eyes burned as he blinked back the tears. “Okay.”
But he had no idea if anything was going to work out or if things were quickly spiraling out of control.
All he knew was he wanted to put his fist through a wall and scream about the unfairness of it all.
All at once, solving his mom’s case was the furthest thing from his mind.
Chapter Sixteen
Ian sat at his desk and set the coffee cup down. Then he pushed his chair forward and rubbed his eyes. The screen still swam in front of him, so Ian leaned back in his chair and glanced over at Marissa, who sat a few desks away with a furrow between her brows and a solemn expression on her face.
He picked up a pen and threw it at her.
Marissa blinked and twisted to face him. “What’s the matter with you?”
“It’s a slow shift, and nothing is happening,” Ian replied, pausing to link his fingers together. “What are you doing?”
“Catching up on paperwork.” Marissa rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. “You need to stop interrupting me.”
“It’s boring.”
Marissa gave him an incredulous look. “I’m not here for your entertainment. Maybe you should work on your own paperwork.”
Ian snorted. “When you’re an insomniac, you end up catching up on a lot of paperwork.”
Marissa scowled. “Stop rubbing it in my face and find someone else to pester, Railings.”
With that, she spun around in her chair, and her fingers hovered over the keyboard. Ian picked up another pen and was going to throw it at her when his phone rang, slicing through the air. He received a few startled looks from the other officers on duty and gave them all a sheepish smile.
When Bryce Rolland’s name flashed across the screen, Ian’s stomach clenched.
He frowned, pressed the phone against his ear, and hunched over his desk. “Look, I already told you that we didn’t mean any harm. If you’re calling to tell me you’re pressing charges—”
“I’m not. I’m calling to apologize,” Bryce said in a strange voice. “I realize I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, especially when you’re just trying to find closure because of your mom.”
“I’m sorry about your dad’s office. The door was open, by the way.”
A heartbeat later, Bryce exhaled. “I should get that fixed. I haven’t been avoiding your calls. I’ve just had a lot of demanding clients and a lot of bills to pay.”
“I understand.”
“And the nursing home isn’t cheap, so I had to focus on my paying clients. I’m sure you can understand.”
Ian glanced over at Marissa, who was leaning sideways in her chair, and shot her a smug look. She shrugged, pulled her chair closer, and waited till Ian set the phone down on his desk. Then he set it on speaker, and it went silent.
“You still there?”
“Yeah, I have an idea.” Ian elbowed Marissa, who sat up straighter and folded her arms over her chest. “What if I hired you as my PI?”
“What?”
