Chapter 127 #45: I Wanted To Wait
"Hello, Doll."
The words hit me like a physical thing, stealing the breath from my lungs. I stand frozen in the doorway, gripping the frame so hard my knuckles turn white. David's eyes stay locked on mine, that familiar intensity burning through the exhaustion and pain etched into his features.
"Am I dreaming?" I whisper, my voice breaking slightly.
He sets the jello cup down carefully, wincing slightly as he shifts against the pillows. "Come find out, baby."
I don't remember crossing the room. One second I'm at the door, the next I'm sitting on the edge of his bed, my hands cupping his face, pressing my forehead to his.
"You're awake," I breathe against his skin. "You're really awake."
His hands come up to cover mine, warm and solid and real. "I''m here, love. I'm here."
I pull back just enough to look at him, drinking in every detail. The bruises along his jaw are fading to a yellow-green color. Along with the shadows under his eyes and the breathing tube marks on his cheeks, he looks like hell. But he's alive, he's awake, and he's here.
"How long have I been out?" he asks quietly.
"Four days since the surgery. You crashed twice. They said–" My voice breaks. "They said to say goodbye."
"Hey... hey... I'm still here, baby." He says as his thumb brushes across my cheekbone, wiping away tears I didn't even know had fallen. Then he smiles slightly. "I heard you, you know?
"What?"
"In the recovery room when you told me to keep my promise about dinner." A weak smile tugs at his lips. "Couldn't let you down twice in one lifetime."
I let out a sound between a laugh and a sob, then lean down and kiss him, carefully mindful of his injuries, but deep enough to pour five years of longing into it. He responds instantly, his hand sliding to the back of my neck to hold me close.
When we finally break apart, we're both breathless.
"How's Lucy?" he asks.
"Home with Sel and Marcus. She's recovering well enough. The transplant went perfectly... at least on her end." I smooth his hair back from his forehead. "She's asking been about you, you know? She wants to know when Mr. David is coming over for a play date."
Something flashes across his face – it's a strange mixture of pain and hope. "She still doesn't know?"
"Not yet." I take his hand in both of mine. "I wanted to wait until you were awake. I want us to tell her together."
He smiles, lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it softly. Then his expression darkens suddenly. "Was it a coma dream or did I hear you say something about Maya?"
The name sits between us like poison. With all that's been happening, I'd almost forgotten about her.
I proceed to tell him everything. Maya's confession at the lodge, her plan to eliminate us both and take over Reid Global completely, her obsession for David which she calls love. And most importantly... the fact that she's Shadow.
David is quiet for a long moment after I finish. Then he asks, "And where is she right now?"
"In the wind. But there's more." I swallow. "Elaine is dead too. Someone strangled her and dumped her body in the Hudson. I'm so sorry."
His grip tightens painfully on my hand. "What?"
"She was murdered." I whisper, hating the hurt I see in his eyes. "They pulled her body out of the Hudson a few days after the surgery."
I squeeze his hands in mine, "I'm so sorry, David."
We sit in the silence for a while. As much as Elaine was a vile, evil woman, she was still his mother. I felt the same way after Malcolm died.
After a few minutes of solemn silence, David clears his throat. "Do they know who did it?"
I knew time would come and I'd have to tell him, but I've been dreading it all the same. David – and literally everyone under the surface of the sun – knows Elaine hated me and that I hated her too. What if he doesn't believe me? What if he thinks I actually did something to her?
I close my eyes, take a deep breath, then force them open again.
"The police think I did it." I say in a low voice.
His brows furrow. "I'm sorry?"
I look down at our joined hands, hoping this isn't the last time he'll let me hold them.
I force my voice out. "I'm a person of interest. They have witnesses who heard me threaten her here at the hospital." I meet his eyes. "I didn't do it, David. I swear–"
"I know you didn't." His voice is fierce despite its weakness. "We'll take care of this, baby. I'll call my lawyers the second–"
A knock interrupts him.
Detective Harlan steps in without waiting for permission, Martinez right behind him. They both pause when they see David awake.
"Mr. Reid," Harlan begins. "Good to see you conscious, we were just about to leave. How do you feel this morning?"
David's gaze is hard when they meet his. "Skip the pleasantries, officer. Let's make this quick."
"Right to the point then." Harlan pulls out his tablet, swiping to a video file. "We recovered security footage from the hospital parking garage from the night Elaine Reid died." He turns the screen toward us. "Recognize this man?"
The footage is grainy but clear enough. A tall figure in a dark coat and baseball cap walks through the garage toward the elevator bank. The timestamp shows 11:47 PM – roughly two hours before Elaine's estimated time of death.
The man pauses under a light for just a second, then tilts his head up and it takes everything in me to hold back the gasp that almost escaped my throat.
"That's Vincent Calder," Martinez says. "Your husband, Mrs. Calder. He was here the night Elaine Reid was murdered."
~
Two hours later, after the detectives finally leave, I sit in the chair beside David's bed with my head in my hands. He's been quiet since they showed us the footage.
"He didn't kill her," I say finally, breaking the silence.
David shifts against the pillows. "How do you know?"
"Because Vincent loves me," I look up at him. "Whatever else he was, whatever he did... I know for a fact that he loved me. He wouldn't risk me going down for this. "
"People are complicated," David says carefully. "For years, all Vincent wanted was the contents of Malcolm's will. He planned to kill you and run off with Lucy and the money... he told me so himself. He got into this marriage wanting you dead, then he fell in love with you. But that doesn't negate the fact that he has the propensity to be evil."
"I know." I stand and pace to the window, staring out at the city lights. "But my gut tells me Maya's behind this too. She probably saw it as the perfect way to get rid of me since she couldn't kill me at the warehouse."
David says nothing, contemplating.
I look at him. "Why get her hands dirty when she can let the police do it for her?"
"The theory makes sense." He says with a nod. "Besides, your gut is usually right. So what do we do?"
I turn back to look out the window. "We find proof, clear my name, and we put Maya away for good. The problem now... is how."
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I glance down and see its an unknown number.
I answer cautiously. "Hello?"
"Nora." Vincent's voice comes through the speaker. "Don't hang up. I know what you're thinking, but I didn't kill Elaine. I need to talk to you. Alone."
David's eyes snap to mine, instantly alert despite his exhaustion.
"Where are you?" I ask.
"The old warehouse on Pier 29. Meet me tomorrow at midnight. Come alone, or I will disappear and you'll never clear your name." He pauses. "I have proof that Maya killed Elaine. But I'll give it only to you."