First to Die

Chapter 106

I FOUND MYSELF COMING TO on a wooden park bench in Chris's arms. He held me tightly while my strength returned. Orenthaler had warned me. It was stage three. Crunch time in my body. I didn't know which held more apprehension for me: going on chemo and gearing up for a bone marrow transplant or feeling my strength eaten away from the inside. You can't let it win. "I'm okay," I told him, my voice getting stronger. "I was told to expect this." "You're trying to do too much, Lindsay. Now you're talking about reopening a whole new investigation." I took a deep breath and nodded. "I just need to be strong enough to see this through." We sat there for a while. I could feel the color in my face reviving, the strength in my limbs returning. Chris held me, cuddled me tenderly. We must've looked like two lovers trying to find privacy in a very public place. Finally, he said, "What you were describing, Lindsay, about Joanna, you really think it's true?" It could still add up to nothing. She hadn't lied about her separation from Jenks. Or about her current relationship with both him and Chessy. Had she concealed a bitter hatred? She had the knowledge, the means. "I think the killer is still out there," I said.