“Oh? What happened?” I ask.
“Well, first, Joseph escaped the hospital, and then the police wanted to talk to me for a while.” He pulls a beer out of the fridge and opens it.
“I’m going to go,” Connie says. “Call me with those details soon.”
I laugh. “Not going to happen but I will call you.” I walk her to the door and say goodbye, then return to Cody in the kitchen.
I lean against the wall and cross my arms. “Joseph escaped?”
“He was getting an x-ray where Rover and I couldn’t follow, and he told the tech he had to use the bathroom. Then he left.” Cody sits in one of the kitchen chairs and stretches his long legs out in front of him.
I laugh.
“What’s so funny?” His brows are knitted in a v, and I step between his legs and kiss his forehead.
“I’m picturing Joseph making a run for it in a hospital gown. He didn’t have regular clothes on, did he?”
“No, he didn’t.” He takes a pull of his beer. “He left his clothes and phone in his room.”
“That makes no sense. That man is always glued to his phone.”
“I saw him in the parking lot,” he tells me. “He got into a car, and it drove away.”
“Someone helped him?”
Cody nods and meets my eyes. “Any idea who would do that?”
I don’t care for the way he’s staring at me. “You can’t seriously thinkIwould help him? After all the hell he’s put me through?”
He shakes his head. “No, but I think your father would.”
I can’t help the laugh that escapes my lips. “Now Iknowyou’re kidding. The only thing my father would help Joseph with is leaving town.”
Cody continues to stare. He’s serious?
“Why do you think that?” I ask.
“Before Joseph went to get his scan, he called your father.”
“What did they talk about?”
“I don’t know. Rover says Joseph kept repeating one line. ‘I’ll owe you one’.”
I walk into the living room and flop down on the couch. “Wow. Maybe my dad finally convinced him to leave town.”
Cody gets up and follows me. As he sits next to me, he asks, “But why now? It doesn’t make sense. Your father should be out for revenge, not just getting the guy gone.”
“Revenge? I don’t think you remember my father well. My financial loss wouldn’t be a concern to him. If anything, my dad hoped I’d go running back to him, willing to do anything to get my trust fund back.”
“Is that what you want? Your trust fund?”
I turn to him. “No. I’m happier without it.”
Cody takes my hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. “I’m happy to hear that.”
“Enough about money. I’m hungry. Let’s order delivery from the sandwich shop and watch a movie.”
He nods. “That sounds good. I’ll order. Can you open a bottle of wine?”
