Fair Warning

“To put it mildly.” Preston’s eyes closed, and he grimaced with pain. “And that’s not the only problem.”

“We need to see about getting you some more medication,” Graham said.

Preston sighed and nodded. “Okay, but please, please watch Willow for any signs of trouble.” He caught his breath, then moaned softly.

“I’ll make sure she’s safe, though I don’t have to tell you how independent she can be.” Graham motioned for the surgical ICU nurse.

Preston opened his eyes again, and this time Graham could plainly see the fear in them. “Everyone knows that when a person is having some kind of emotional problem, they try to make sure that the last thing it affects is their job. Well, Willow lost her job six months ago.”

“She was fired?”

“No, she quit. She hasn’t worked as a nurse since. After her husband’s death she started talking about these…bad dreams. She insists her husband’s murderer is after her, and believe me, after what just happened, she’s even got me spooked, and I should know better.”

The nurse joined them and made note of Preston’s vitals, then looked at Graham expectantly. “You wanted to see me, Doctor?”

“Yes. Did Dr. Glessner leave orders for pain meds? Mr. Black is having some pain.”

“Of course. I’ll set it up immediately.”

As soon as she left, Preston reached for more ice, then fell back against the pillow. “You probably need to know this. Willow was pregnant when Travis died.”

“She was?” That would be doubly tragic, for a child to be on the way when the father is killed.

“About a month after he died,” Preston continued, “Willow was leaving work one morning after a long night and walked out in front of a car. It hit her and knocked her down. She lost the baby. She was convinced someone ran her down intentionally.”

“Did they?”

“I don’t know. She was irrational by the time I got to her in the hospital, out of her mind with grief, so I wasn’t sure what to think. Maybe, at the time, I was so overwhelmed myself with the situation that I wasn’t willing to consider her suspicions.”

Graham felt a surge of sympathy for the woman who had endured so much tragedy. Now it was obvious why she held everyone at arm’s length. He’d be suspicious, too, if he’d gone through that.

“One good thing about all this,” Preston continued as the nurse returned with his medicine. “Willow happened to be awake last night, or we’d probably both be dead.”

“Has she said anything more about what woke her?”

“We didn’t have a chance to talk about it. She’s been too worried about me. But mark my words, she’ll be wondering about last night’s fire.”

Graham knew that, among other things, Willow had already been interviewed by the fire captain, and no one was talking about it.

“If it was arson,” Preston said, “Willow will be convinced it was set by her husband’s killer.”

Graham felt a chill slither down his spine at the thought that there could be a murderer in Branson.

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