“Yes?”
“You can go to your dad, but I will be questioning you later.”
She nods.
As she walks away, I call, “Lucy.” Then Officer Williams steps in my path.
“Cody Anthony, can you tell me why, less than twenty-four hours after your release, I find you at the scene where the man trying to frame you for murder has been shot?”
Well, shit. This looks bad.
CHAPTER34
Lucy
I runthrough the doors of the emergency room, tears blurring my vision.
I have no memory of the drive over. All I can think is that this isn’t how it ends. We’re supposed to have time to fix everything. I need to know if he loves me.
Please, don’t let Ted take that away from me.
The nurse looks up as I approach the counter. “My dad, Lawrence Gardiner, was just brought in.”
He types something on the computer. “Yes, he’s here, but he’s in surgery. You’ll need to wait until the doctor can speak with you.”
Tears well in my eyes. “I’d like to see him as soon as possible.”
“I’ll let the doctor know,” the man says.
I nod and find an empty chair in the corner of the room. There’s a box of tissues on the table next to me, and I grab a few and let the tears fall.
I’m crying for a man I’ve spent most of my life trying to get away from. This makes no sense at all. I’d always hoped for a better relationship with him, that he’d someday agree I’m his daughter and not a possession to control.
He can’t die. Not now. Not yet.
“Lawrence Gardiner?” my mom asks.
I look up. My mother and Uncle Vince are standing at the same counter I was just at.
I jump up. “No, you can’t be here!” I shout.
My mom turns, mascara streaked below her eyes. “Lucy, I’m so sorry you had to find out like this.”
“You can’t be here,” I repeat, shaking my head as I approach them. “It will be too upsetting for him.”
“Honey, you’re shaking,” Vince says.
He rubs my arms to comfort me, but I step back.
“No. How could you do this to him?”
My mom closes her eyes. “Lucy, there’s a lot about your father you don’t know. He’s not the victim you think he is.”
“No.” My heart is pounding so hard; I can hear it in my ears. “The man found out his brother stole his wife, and then he got shot. You do notget to say anything bad about him right now.” I turn to Vince. “And you. Why the hell was Ted looking for you?”
“Lucy, I don’t know.”
“You don’t know, or you’d rather not say? Your actions caused all this!” I wave my hands in the air.
