Hidden in the Blood: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 5)

Chapter Seven: Sunny, Monday

Rachel blinked at Agnes for a few seconds and then said, "No."

Agnes' face fell. "No?"

"Nope. Al doesn't need another woman in his life." She looked at Lauren as if making her point. 

Lauren, to her credit, said, "It's nice to meet you, Agnes. I'm Lauren. The rude one is Rachel. This is her daughter, Emma."

Emma peered at Agnes through her thick lenses and said, "Were you really Al's girlfriend before Mum?"

Agnes said, "Yes. Sorry, Rachel, was it? You're Al's wife now, I take it?"

"You do," Rachel said. Then she sighed and said, "Sorry I was rude. Al told me about you. He said you two were pretty serious. You moved away, though, to the Okanagan."

Agnes shrugged sheepishly. "I did. Now I'm back. Look, I'm not looking to pick things up where we left off. I know the two of you are married, and I'd never get in the way of that. I was just hoping to reconnect with an old friend, but I found out from his work that he's here."

Sunny asked Rachel, "Did his eyes open while you were in there?"

She shook her head. "Not this time. The doctors said not to be discouraged, though. It'll take some time."

"Oh, so he will wake up?" Agnes asked.

"He should, but should and will are two different words, aren't they."

"Sunny told me he was in an accident."

"Yes, with me," Lauren said, gesturing to herself. With her neck brace, cast and crutches, it was a wonder she was getting around herself.

Agnes looked at Sunny. "Were you in the car, too?"

"Oh, you mean because of this?" Sunny asked, gesturing to his sling. "No, I was shot."

"What?!" Agnes breathed, eyes wide with shock. 

"You must think we're an unlucky bunch," Rachel said, softening at last and offering her hand.

Agnes took it and said, "It'd be rude of me to say, but yes. Dare I ask what happened?"

"I think for your safety it would be best if you didn't," Sunny said. "The people responsible are still at large."

Agnes looked at them one at a time as if trying to spot if one of them would give away that they were joking. Sunny wished they were.

"Would you like to see him?" Rachel asked. 

Agnes nodded. "If that's all right with you."

Rachel looked at Sunny and said, "Why don't you take her in with you. We'll wait out here."

Sunny nodded and opened the door. Tej led the way, Agnes following, and he closed the door behind them.

Without the breathing tube in his mouth, Al looked almost like he was sleeping, except for his head wrapped in bandages and the nasal canula providing assistance breathing. He wasn't sleeping, though; more accurately, it was more than sleeping.

Agnes crept toward his bed, face crumpling, tears running down her cheeks. She reached out and tenderly stroked his stubbled cheek. Sunny would not report to Rachel the look on Agnes' face as she looked down on the man she was once in love with; by all accounts, that affection hadn't disappeared. Maybe it was just the shock of seeing him in this condition, and maybe she was simply moved to nostalgic warmth for him, but Sunny wasn't sure that was the only explanation for her demeanor.

"I asked him to come with me, you know," she said, almost to herself. "To the Okanagan. I found a job with Okanagan Regional Library, and I wanted him to come with me and live with me there, away from the disapproval of my parents; they wanted me to date a Chinese boy, you see."