as he’d cupped her breast.
“I think so,” he said, and then had to clear his throat. “Yes, I like her, and I think she likes me. I asked her out for dinner sometime later in the week, and she said yes.”
Pete hooted so loudly that John had to hold the phone away from his ear. “That’s what I like to hear,” he said. “Now don’t mess it up.”
“How am I going to mess it up?”
“Well, like we just discussed, it’s been a while since you dated, buddy. The rules have changed. Don’t think you can take this little librarian out to dinner and then jump her bones.”
John was horrified. “I wasn’t planning on doing that.”
“Good. Because it takes three dates, bud.”
“Before you can jump someone’s bones?”
“That’s what I’m telling you. Unless she jumps yours first.”
“How very enlightening. Thank you for this information, Mr. State’s Attorney.”
“Oh, and none of that, either,” Pete said. “None of this acting like a grumpy dad instead of your actual age. She won’t like it any more than I do.”
John was offended. “I don’t act like a grumpy dad.”
“Are you kidding me? May I introduce you to Sheriff John Hartwell? I can’t have more than one beer on a weekday. My pants are too tight. The music these kids today listen to has too many bad words. Get off my lawn.”
Although some of these sounded slightly familiar, John still felt annoyed. “I’ve never said that last one. And if you drink too much beer, your pants are going to get tight, unless you work out. That’s a fact.”
“Just try to play it cool with the librarian, okay? Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Such as jump her bones before the third date?”
“Such as text her right away. Or bring her flowers when you haven’t even—”
Fortunately, another call came through. When John glanced at the screen of his phone, he saw that it was Dr. Nguyen.
“Pete,” he said. “I gotta go. It’s the ob-gyn. She’s probably calling about the abandoned baby or her mom.”
“Talk to you later, buddy.” Pete sounded as cheerful as ever. “And keep me posted about—”
John clicked over to the other call. As was her habit, Dr. Nguyen wasted no time on social niceties. What she lacked in bedside manner, she made up for with competence.
“You can come interview the mother now if you want to, John. She’s out of the ICU.”
John was sure he knew who she was talking about, but since it seemed too good to be true, he checked to be certain. “Tabitha Brighton?”
“Correct. We got her temperature back to normal, but she’s still a little weak from blood loss. So please go easy.”
“But she’s going to be okay?”
“She’s going to be fine,” the doctor said. “Physically. Mentally? It could take a while. She’s been through a lot.”
Out of habit, he reached for his notebook. “She tell you anything? Who took the baby? Who the father is?”
“No, nothing like that. Giving birth to a baby under conditions like she did is trauma enough. Still, she asked to see the baby, and as you know, our goal, as well as Child Services’, is always to reunite mothers with their babies if we possibly can. Tabitha’s been holding her baby, and even took a stab at nursing. I consider both hugely positive steps forward.”
John grunted. “And the baby is okay?”
“Baby’s fine. Tox screens were completely clean. The mother’s were, too.”
“So she wasn’t partying while pregnant.”
“Not at all. But I’m still worried about her. She’s barely eating. And she hasn’t asked to make a single phone call, which I find unusual. You’d think someone who’s been through what she has would call someone. No one has called her room, either, or come to visit her. Part of that is because you’ve been so careful not to release any news about her to the press—but doesn’t she have any family? Or friends?”
“Yeah.” John tapped his pen against the page he had open. No cell phone had been found among Tabitha’s belongings. Beckwith had probably taken it, the way he’d taken the baby, and stashed it somewhere. “She does, but they don’t seem too anxious to get in touch. Something’s not right. Thanks, Doctor. I’ll be over there soon.”
And he was, twenty minutes later. Standing in what served as the maternity ward for the small island—four private rooms and a desk—he stood with his arms crossed in front of Nurse Dani, who seemed to have made a remarkable recovery from her inebriated state at the ball last night and