Page 80 of Vanishing Legacy
Bailey, who had been sitting across from them with a sleeping Penny in her lap, spoke up. “You know, you guys make a great team.”
Cash and Alana exchanged a look, and then he kissed her again, and together, they watched as the yacht and the helicopter sank beneath the waves.
TWENTY-THREE
SATURDAY, 10:14 A.M.
For the first time in his life, Cash understood why everyone said doctors made the worst patients. Staying overnight in the hospital over a concussion? He thought he’d rather have gone down with the ship last night. Okay, that was a bit dramatic, but still. All he could do was picture Penny’s lifeless body and think about how helpless he’d been in that moment.
“Thank you, Lord,” he whispered. He didn’t think he’d ever stop giving praise and thanksgiving for their survival. It was by the grace of God Himself that Penny hadn’t needed to be placed on a ventilator after her close call.
Penny would spend a few days in the pediatric unit receiving oxygen and other medications to support her respiratory and cardiovascular systems and to monitor her for signs of brain damage or other complications. At least he could sleep on the fold-out in Penny’s room to be close to her.
A soft knock on his door caught his attention. Bailey peeked her head inside the hospital room. “Hey, can I come in?”
Cash looked up and smiled. “Of course, come on in.”
“Where’s Penny?”
“Chest X-rays. She’ll be right back.”
Bailey sat on the rolling stool and scooted herself close to Cash. “How you feelin’?”
“I’m all right. A little sore. Headache from the concussion. Nothing too serious.”
Bailey laughed. “Only my doctor brother would say a concussion is nothing too serious. I’m sorry about Ziva. I know she helped save Penny.”
“Me too. She was trying to save her life but ended up dying anyway. What will happen with her body?”
“Once the autopsy is performed, they’ll release her to the family.” Bailey blew out a breath. “Hey, is there anything I can do for you? Bring you or Penny anything?”
“Nah, I’m okay for now. Thanks, though.”
Bailey fidgeted with her hands for a moment before speaking up again. “I wanted to apologize for everything that happened. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially not Penny.”
“Oh, Bay. There’s nothing to apologize for. None of this is your fault. If Ziva slipped past you, it’s only because she slipped past the entire FBI taskforce first.”
Bailey nodded. “I never realized how deep this whole thing went. The evidence just led me there. Never knew about Sonia and Ziva and the money laundering until a few weeks ago. I didn’t want to keep it from you as long as I did.”
“Hey, you had a job to do, and you did it. You put your life on the line to stop the guns and drugs pouring into Savannah and killing people.” He squeezed her knee. “I’m proud of you.”
She gave him a thin smile. “Thanks.”
“How did it go over with your bosses?”
Bailey waffled her hand in a so-so gesture. “Everyone we had under surveillance is either dead or missing. The authorities will retrieve the yacht and analyze it for evidence. We’ll investigate further and locate the people laundering money for Ziva. But unfortunately, the wheels of the machine will keep turning with or without her. Some other bad guy will take over.”
Cash sensed there was something more behind Bailey’s words. They were twins, after all. Perhaps a confidential informant. A suspect or a lead they needed to chase down. Her undercover role with the FBI had never allowed her to stay in her hometown for long. Bailey would soon disappear, and they’d be back to the cloak-and-dagger games in order to see each other.
“Well, I’m sure the case will continue. Look how long they’ve been following the money. Years.” Cash hesitated. He needed answers, but he wasn’t sure he wanted them. He wanted to put it all behind him, and the only way to do that was to have all the information. “What’s the latest on Sonia? Detective Williams said there were no remains in the car.”
“Yeah, well. That was before the ERT checked the trunk. They found female remains. Dental records matched Sonia, but a DNA test will confirm it in a few weeks. The medical examiner found a gunshot wound at the back of her head.” A tinge of sadness filled her eyes. Bailey and Sonia had been close at one time, and the loss cut them both.
“Ziva was responsible,” Cash said. “She all but confessed it to me. Said the FBI was closing in and she had to cut the loose ends.”
They were quiet for a moment as he wondered how he’d been so blind to everything in his marriage. So stupid as to let it all crumble around him. Things would be different next time. Things were different. He pictured Alana walking through the fire to find him and Penny. Not because it was her job but because that’s who she was as a person. A true fighter. Strong and confident, yet soft and kind.
And he knew what he needed to do right this minute. He needed to be there when she came out of surgery. “Hey, can you do me a favor?”