Unintended Consequences - By Marti Green Page 0,88

both silent for a moment. “Tommy?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think it’s strange that Nancy died in an accident? I mean, she was the only person who could lead us to Sunshine, and before she returns home she goes out on her own and just happens to fall over a canyon ledge? I’m not usually a conspiracy nut, but still.”

“It’s been bothering me, too. I keep thinking that Mickey Conklin is somehow involved in this. It had to be him that left the threatening note on my car. He’s been trying to stop us, and Nancy’s death sure as hell slammed the brakes on finding Sunshine. I can’t figure out how he’d know about Nancy, though. And if somehow he did know she held the key, how would he know where to find her?”

“He followed you once. Maybe he followed you back to Byron, learned about Nancy the same way you did.”

“I’ve thought about that. But that would mean he followed me back to New York, kept tabs on me until I went back to the Mayo Clinic, then followed me out there. He’d have to be awfully good to do that without me catching on.”

“He didn’t need to. Cannon could have told him where you were going.”

“Shit. Of course. I practically gave Cannon a blueprint of my plans.”

“The answer’s out there, Tommy. I just know it.”

“Dani, don’t get your hopes up.”

“I won’t. But Tommy …”

“Yes?”

“It’s just—we had our differences on this case. I know you thought I was crazy for believing George. But I want you to know that I couldn’t have done this with anyone but you. Thank you.”

“Get some rest, Dani. You need to be strong tomorrow.”

After she hung up, Dani decided to go for a walk. She’d been sitting all day, from the airport terminal to the plane to the car. Daylight would last at least two more hours, and she used that time to wander the streets of Michigan City. The stores were closed, but she stopped now and then to look at the merchandise in the windows. It was mindless walking, and that was what she needed.

As it approached seven o’clock, she realized she was hungry. She began walking back in the direction of the hotel, looking for a restaurant that seemed welcoming. She hadn’t paid attention as she walked and was surprised when she heard someone call her name. She looked up and saw Warden Coates.

“You look lost,” he said.

She smiled. “Deliberately lost. I needed to clear my mind, and just drifting along seemed to do the trick.”

“No hope left for tomorrow?”

Dani tried to look stalwart. “I’m afraid not.”

“Mr. Calhoun seems prepared for what’s coming. I find that’s often the case when the day draws near. The inmate accepts the inevitable.”

“Maybe I would sleep better if I saw his execution as inevitable. Nothing about this injustice seems inevitable to me.”

Coates looked at Dani kindly. “Do you remember our first conversation? I told you I was glad Mr. Calhoun had contacted you. That death-row inmates who insisted they were innocent should have every chance to prove their case. He’s had that now. You’ve advocated for him in every possible way. Now it’s time to accept that, with every case, there comes a time for argument to end.”

“I do remember our conversation. You also said you sleep better knowing something wasn’t missed. Something has been missed here: the true identity of the girl buried in that grave. It wasn’t Angelina Calhoun. I’m certain of that.”

“Then we’ll both have a sleepless night tonight,” he said, a look of sadness on his face.

They parted ways and Dani continued her search for a restaurant. Finally, one looked promising and she went in. It was a homey southern Italian restaurant with only ten tables, each covered with red-checkered tablecloths. She ordered linguine with white clam sauce and a glass of Chianti. Dani loathed dining by herself. She found it impossible to avoid staring at the other patrons, whether they were couples enjoying an intimate evening, families struggling to keep the younger children quiet or a group of friends getting together. She didn’t want to, but staring into space didn’t work either. So she pulled out a book to read while she sipped her wine and waited for dinner to arrive. When it did, the food tasted as if it had come from the freezer section of a supermarket. She downed it quickly and returned to the hotel.

By the time she got to her room, it was almost nine o’clock, time for her