that having Sammy tied her down. Maybe the strings had been cut and she felt free.
There was a knock at the door. Luke looked up to see Annie standing there with a somber look.
“What’s up?”
“Did you hear the news over the walkie-talkie?”
“No, I was caught up in work, why?” A gut feeling hit him.
“There was an accident on Elm Street, sir.”
Elm Street…Molly worked on that road.
“Is it Molly?”
Annie shook her head. “No fatalities, but your ex was involved in it.”
“Leslie?” He stood up. Wasn’t she out of town? “Is she OK?”
“Should be. I talked to Officer Smith, and he said she was being taken to the ER for precaution.”
Relief swept through him. “Thank God.”
“But sir, there is more.”
More?
“She was driving drunk.”
“Are you freaking kidding me?”
“After she checks out, they’ll be bringing her down to the station for booking.”
He sat down and raked his hands though his hair. His ex-wife was being charged with a DUI. He pounded his hand on the desk. “Was anyone else hurt in the accident? Did she hit someone?”
“She and the man in the car were the only ones hurt. She didn’t hit another vehicle, she hit an electric pole.”
“Thank God no one else was hurt by her stupidity.”
“You know you have to remove yourself from this case.”
“I’d love nothing more than to be the one to cuff her ass and toss her—and her bozo boyfriend—behind bars.”
“I know, sir. Keep your distance, though.”
He didn’t know why he was shocked. Should he really be that surprised that Leslie would do something like this? He knew she was drinking a lot, and probably more than usual without Sammy there, but she knew better than to get behind the wheel. Or at least he thought she did. Looking up at the ceiling, he thanked his lucky stars he had Sammy. He couldn’t imagine how he would feel right now if he didn’t. She was not getting his son back. He needed to contact his lawyer and see how soon they could schedule a hearing. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to Sammy because of her recklessness.
“Even if I’m not on the case, I still plan to stop by and give her a piece of my mind.”
“Once she’s behind bars, you’re welcome to. But until then.” Annie gave him a stern eye.
“I know. You don’t have to keep telling me.”
“Are you sure? You’re a very stubborn man.”
He smiled. She had that right.
Almost two hours later, he saw Officer Smith and Officer Rogers drag in Leslie and her boyfriend. Leslie was sobbing and looked panicked. He hoped he was the cause of some of the panic she felt walking into his station, after what she’d done. Even though he couldn’t go over there as they were being fingerprinted, he stepped out of his office and leaned against the wall.
Leslie saw him and called out to him for help. He let her holler for a moment before he shook his head, went into his office, and shut the door. She disgusted him.
* * *
Molly entered her home, taking in a deep breath. It had been a long day, and it was only the second day of training. The new nurse was catching on, but having to explain everything was difficult. She forgot about all the basic things that were like a second nature to her. It was almost a refresher course for herself as well.
The upside, however, was that she got off every day by three. After she cleaned up, she’d grab the boxes in the back of her trunk and start packing. She knew it’d take her no time at all, but with this week being a little less hectic of a schedule, she thought it best to get a majority of the packing done now.
The appraisal occurred that morning, and Gail said she thought she could get the home closed in two weeks. Two weeks! Molly couldn’t believe it was all happening so fast. They were fast-tracking it because of the sellers. Their loan was moving smoothly and on schedule, unlike hers, which she’d held up by throwing a monkey wrench in the process.
Molly needed to call Luke. She’d been avoiding it. He’d sent her several texts over the weekend, expressing how he felt. He repeatedly let her know he didn’t care about the house. But Molly was the one who couldn’t move past it. How could she continue to see him after she moved in? It would be awkward. Each time he came over, would he be thinking