File M For Murder

NINETEEN

My own daughter engaged, and I didn’t even know about it? My first reaction was hurt. Why hadn’t Laura told me about this? Did she no longer feel comfortable confiding in me?

Sean must have read my expression because he put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Chill, Dad, it’s not what you think. Laura would have told you, but the engagement lasted maybe two weeks. She broke it off.”

That mollified me somewhat, but there was still the fact that Laura had never mentioned to me—in our several-times-weekly phone conversations—that she’d met anyone who was serious marriage material. I kept that observation to myself, though.

“I’m sure glad she changed her mind.” I managed to keep my tone light, despite the fact that I was still smarting. “I can’t imagine how I would have dealt with him as a son-in-law.”

“No chance of that now.”

“You’re right, of course.” I shook my head.

“Remember how she was always bringing home those odd kids in her class, the ones who never quite fit in?” Sean smiled.

“I’d forgotten that. She seemed to have an affinity for any lame duck that came along.” Connor Lawton would have qualified as a lame duck, I supposed, just on a bigger scale.

“I used to think she ought to be a counselor or a teacher because she was so determined to help those kids fit in.” He laughed. “But then the acting bug bit her in high school, and it was pretty clear what she wanted to do.”

I felt a little better about Laura’s insistent defense of Lawton now. I’d been worried she was still in love with him and would be even more deeply hurt by his death as a consequence.

“Mr. Harris.” I glanced up to see the person at the ER admissions desk waving at me. I got up and walked over to her.

“Your daughter’s back in her room if you want to go see her again.” She smiled, and I thanked her.

I motioned for Sean to join me. “This is her brother. Is it okay for him to go with me?”

“Of course.” She peeled a visitor badge off a sheet on her desk and handed it to Sean, who stuck it on his shirt.

Laura was sitting up when Sean and I walked into her room. Her face brightened at the sight of us, and Sean went straight to her. He leaned down and gave her a quick hug. “You always have to find a way to be the center of attention. I thought you might have outgrown that.” He grinned.

Laura balled up her fist and punched him lightly in the stomach. “Toad.” She grinned back at him.

“How was the test?” I asked as I moved closer.

“Not too bad.” Laura shrugged. “I hope they let me go home soon. I’m getting really hungry.”

“That’s a good sign.” Sean winked at me. “If the monster is hungry, she can’t be hurt all that much.”

Laura punched him again, and he doubled over and groaned. “Now I need an X-ray,” he said, sounding pitiful.

“I’m not the only actor in the family.” She paused for a beat. “But I am the only good one.” Laura’s dry tone made me laugh, and Sean straightened up, grinning.

“You must be feeling better, sweetheart,” I said.

“I think the pain medication has kicked in.” Laura smiled. “Whatever it was made the headache go away, mostly. I feel a little floaty.”

“Hold on to that,” Sean said. “Kanesha Berry was here. She wants to question you about what happened.”

“Right now?” Laura frowned.

“No, later, after you’re home,” I said. “That is, if the doctor releases you today.”

“I wish they’d come tell us the results of that scan.” Sean motioned for me to take the chair, then went to stand to one side of the bed, by a large cabinet. “How long does it take?”

“I have no idea,” I said. “Not long, I hope.” I patted Laura’s hand. “I’m thinking positively. You’ll be going home with Sean and me soon.”

“That she will.” Dr. Finch walked into the room. She stopped near the bed, and Laura quickly introduced her brother. The doc nodded, then addressed her patient. “I’m pleased to tell you that there was no sign of any internal injuries.”

I gave a silent but utterly thankful prayer for those results.

“The nurse will be here in a few minutes with some aftercare instructions, and he’ll go over them with you. Main thing, be sure to follow up with your own doctor. Problems can pop up after the fact, and if you feel that anything is wrong, go to the doctor right away, or come back to the ER.” The doc turned to leave.

“Thank you, Doctor,” I said, and Laura echoed me.

With a last, quick smile, Dr. Finch departed.

Within five minutes the stocky nurse returned. There were the usual papers to be signed, and he went over the doc’s instructions with us.

He went to find a wheelchair, and soon Sean was wheeling Laura out of the ER toward the entrance. I stayed with Laura while Sean went to retrieve his car.

“Are you going to feel up to talking to Kanesha?” I asked.

“I suppose,” Laura said. “Will you be with me?”

“If Kanesha will let me,” I said. “I’m thinking she probably won’t.”

Laura sighed. “Figures.”

“Before you talk to Kanesha, you and I need to discuss a few things.” I spotted Sean approaching. “The sooner the better, I think.”

“Yes, sir,” she said. “I’m really sorry about all this, Dad.”

“No need to apologize. We just need to get this sorted out, so you can get on with your job.”

Laura’s laugh sounded bitter. “If I have one. With no Connor and no new play, I’m not sure what we’ll do.”

“Ralph Johnston will come up with something.” I helped her out of the wheelchair and into the car. I took the wheelchair back into the ER and left it inside the door, out of the way. The nurse at the admissions desk nodded to acknowledge it.

I climbed into the backseat with Laura. Sean put the car into gear and drove slowly out of the hospital parking lot. He kept up a sedate pace all the way home.

“About that thumb drive,” I said in a tone I hope brooked no argument. “What is so all-fired important about it?”

Laura stared out the window. “For one thing, it has the play on it—at least whatever amount of the play that Connor managed to write.”

That much I figured. “What else?”

“Correspondence, of course, and notes.” Laura shrugged as she turned back to gaze at me. “He also kept notes about all sorts of things. At least that’s what he told me. He never let me see what he had on it, or even what he had on his laptop. He was really secretive about it all.”

“If it turns out he was murdered,” Sean said as he glanced into the rearview mirror, “you think there could be clues of some kind on that drive?”

“I sure hope so,” Laura said.

“Why did you feel like you had to take it?” I was still puzzled by Laura’s actions. “Why didn’t you simply give it to Kanesha? As it stands now, it could be deemed inadmissible evidence. What do you think, Sean?”

“You could be right,” Sean replied. “Criminal law isn’t my forte, but a competent defense attorney could probably get it disallowed.”

“I didn’t think about any of that.” Laura rubbed her forehead. “I guess I just thought it was important to see whatever is on it. If I turned it over to the deputy right away, I’d probably never get to see it all.”

“Do you think there’s going to be something really personal—something about you—on the drive?” That made me nervous. Connor had acted more than a bit obsessed with Laura, and who knew what he could have written about her.

“There could be.” Laura glanced at me, then away. “I guess I should tell you, Dad, Connor asked me to marry him several months ago, and I said yes.” She cut a sideways glance to see my reaction.

I frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

“I wasn’t sure you’d approve.” Laura sounded defensive. “But we didn’t stay engaged very long, only a couple of weeks. By then I figured there was no point in telling you about it.”

“It’s okay,” I said, glad she had finally told me herself. I caught Sean’s glance in the mirror and nodded slightly. I waited a moment, then continued. “You should never be afraid to tell me anything, sweetheart. I’ll always be on your side, no matter what.”

Laura leaned against me. “I know, and I’m sorry. I should have talked to you about it.”

“When we get home,” Sean said, “I think we should see what’s on that thumb drive. Then you need to turn it over right away to Deputy Berry.”

“I agree.” I patted Laura’s hand. “Kanesha’s bright and capable. We can trust her.”

“Good,” Laura said. “But I still want to know what’s on that drive.” She hesitated. “I just have this feeling that it’s important. Mostly because of what Connor said.”

“Said? When?” Sean asked.

“That last phone conversation we had.” Laura sounded sad. “He was half-bombed when he called me, and when he was like that, he’d mutter a lot. Right before he hung up, he said, ‘The play’s the thing.’ Those were the last words I heard him speak.”