Part 26 (2/2)

”I'm fine,” I repeated. She opened her bag and took out a tiny flashlight.

”I know. I want to check out your head, see if there's anything there,” she said frankly. ”Lie back please,” she said professionally, as she s.h.i.+ned the light in my eyes. ”Now, look straight ahead.”

I did. She put her finger up. ”Follow my finger,” she said professionally and I did. If she says, look at my thumb...

”Mm-hmm,” she said and turned off the light. I hate that doctor thing they do.

”Whatta ya mean, aMm-hmm'?”

”It's just as I suspected,” she said, shaking her head. ”You have a definite independent streak. I'm afraid it's inoperable.” She gave me a smug grin.

I let out a hearty laugh. ”Okay, I had that one coming.”

”Go to sleep and no getting up to wander in the woods in the morning,” she ordered.

”Okay, okay, you bossy thing,” I said. Chance jumped up and lay at my side.

Maggie ruffled her ears. ”You, too, go to sleep,” she said as she kissed her head. Chance was in heaven; her tail was wagging so fast I thought she'd take off.

Then, unexpectedly, Maggie leaned over and gently kissed my forehead then my cheek. ”I wouldn't want you to feel left out. Good night,” she said tenderly as she walked out.

My heart was racing as she left me staring at the door like an idiot. I was doing that a lot this week. However, I knew how Chance felt. If I had a tail...

I woke at six-thirty, sat on the side of the bed and flexed my neck. I heard a noise behind me and turned. Maggie was standing there half-asleep. She looked tired, worn and, G.o.d help me, adorable.

”Kate, what are you doing? It's only six-thirty,” she said, with a yawn.

”Waiting for a bus. Go back to bed,” I said.

She was leaning against the door as I walked up to her.

”I can tell you're not a morning person,” I said softly and for a moment, she grinned and leaned into me. I could feel her warm body close to mine. I swallowed with difficulty and didn't trust my voice at that moment. She was like a zombie as I guided her back to her room.

”In you go,” I said.

”Mornings are not my best time,” she whispered and crawled back into bed.

As I pulled the covers over her, she looked up through sleepy eyes. ”No going out. Stay in the house.” She yawned and snuggled into the covers.

”Yes, doctor, now go back to sleep,” I said.

As I turned away, she reached for my hand.

”I do appreciate all you're doing. Truly I do,” she whispered tiredly.

I looked down at her sleepy face. She looked so young and so peaceful. Before I knew what I was doing, I bent down and gently kissed her forehead. As I pulled back, she sighed and pulled the covers up to her neck. Yes, I noticed the slight grin as she cuddled the blanket to her.

”Go back to sleep,” I whispered and gently tucked the covers around her, desperately trying to ignore my racing heartbeat.

Mac was in the kitchen reading the paper and drinking coffee. He looked up and smiled. ”Good morning. Teri's still sleeping. How are you feeling?”

I poured a cup and sat across from him. ”Fine and good morning. I don't suppose Steve called?”

”Nope, not yet. He will.”

”Mac, he's got to solve this soon. I feel like we're so close.”

”I know. I thought for sure he would have called already. Well, it's early.”

I was making breakfast, again, when Hannah came into the kitchen.

”Good morning all,” she said in a quiet voice. She looked a bit haggard.

”Sit, Hannah, I'm making breakfast,” I said.

Hannah sat next to Mac. I poured coffee for all of us. They both talked absently and I tried unsuccessfully to not think about Sarah.

Mac nudged me and I looked up. ”Okay Sherlock, what's on your mind?”

”I was thinking about Sarah. What was she arguing about with Jonathon? The notes said the Winfield Clinic. What was the big deal? It's a clinic. But Bedford said, athere goes her meal ticket.' Okay, then it's a big deal. If it was Sarah and Nathan's meal ticket and Jonathon was taking away the meal, that's a motive. And you did say they were running through money like s.h.i.+... well, they were running through money. Right, Hannah?”

”Yes, they are,” she said sounding very tired. ”Sarah loves to spend.”

I thought of Allison's comment yesterday about her compensation. ”How was Sarah going to compensate Allison for being a dupe if she had no excess money?”

”I don't know, dear,” Hannah said.

”I missed that yesterday. What is Allison's deal?” Mac asked.

”Well, it appears Sarah was telling her I was the one who was causing all the problems and she wanted Allison to stay close to Maggie to protect her,” I said and thought about it. ”Once again, we're back to Maggie, dammit. This is annoying.”

I looked out the kitchen window. It was a cold and rainy, bl.u.s.tering fall day. ”Maggie,” I said, thoughtfully. ”What did she have to do with that clinic? She had no money invested in it. She doesn't work there. Because she was family, and Jonathan died, she was now on the Board of Directors. Big deal.”

”It's not only the seat on the Board, dear. Once Jonathon's will is out of probate, she'll have controlling owners.h.i.+p of the Winfield Clinic.”

I looked at Hannah and, for the first time, like an idiot, thought about Maggie's inheritance. ”What about his company? Who gets that?”

”Well, Charlie works there, I think he's in there somewhere, but Maggie is his sole heir. But it has always been that way. And of course, she has her own money from Alexander, so Margaret doesn't need the Clinic or Jonathon's company. I'm not quite sure what she's planning. With all this, we've never even talked about it.”

My mind raced as I thought of a possibility. ”Hannah, what happens if something happens to Maggie? What happens to the company and the clinic?”

Hannah thought for a moment. ”Because of the complexity of the family business and the clinic, I believe it would be as it was with my father. The bulk of his estate went to Jonathon, who in turn would leave it to his heir. It as my understanding if anything happened to Margaret, who is without an heir, it would revert to the next surviving male heir...” her voice trailed off as she frowned in contemplation.

”And that would be Nathan,” I said.

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