Page 20 of Amazing Grace
“It’s not like that, Sheriff. This is just for safety’s sake. Molly is out of a place to live, and she’s been put on leave from her job, too. Until she gets back on her feet and finds an apartment, she’s going to stay with me. Molly is going to be my roommate, that’s all.”
“Ah, I understand. Well, if I hear of any apartments opening up, I’ll let you know. Until then, remember, keep your sleuthing to mystery books, okay?” Maverick touched the brim of her hat and walked outside the cubicle.
Grace held her finger to her lips, indicating Molly should stay silent. She was sure Sheriff Maverick would be listening outside, at least for a few minutes. “I hope the nurse hurries with that prescription. It may be a while — I don’t think I’m the favorite person in the ER right now.”
Molly chuckled. “So I hear. That’s what you get for escaping your bed against orders.”
“Yeah, I guess it was sort of stupid of me, but I was really worried about you and they wouldn’t tell me anything. By the way, neither of us can drive, which is just as well because we don’t have a vehicle. My truck got towed away —I’m betting it’s totaled — and yours is at Zoe and Emily’s. We’ll have to Uber to Zoe and Emily’s house.”
As Molly nodded, the nurse walked in with Grace’s release papers. After a few terse words about aftercare for concussions — the nurse was obviouslynothappy with Grace — they were free to go.
They walked — slowly, since Grace was still feeling a bit woozy and dizzy — to the pharmacy, where they picked up their prescriptions. Then they went outside the hospital, sat on abench, and Grace realized she didn’t have her phone. There was no way to call for an Uber. “Ugh. My phone was in the charger on the truck dash. It’s probably still there.”
“That’s okay.” Molly said with a smile. She dug in her back pocket with her good arm and pulled out her phone, a triumphant grin on her face. “Here we are. I have the Uber app on it, too.” Within a few minutes, they had an Uber X on the way. “Three minutes, and we’ll be out of here, Grace.”
“Sounds like a fine plan. Also, I’m starving. Weren’t we on our way to get lunch?”
“Yeah, but I think we should go home. Maybe order in some food. You look a little too pale. You need to rest.”
Grace nodded and smiled. “I feel like |I got hit by a truck…oh wait. I did.”
Molly laughed, and they waited, chatting mostly about inane things — how harsh winters got in Summit Springs, the Halloween Festival that would now be short a hay maze, and the like. They avoided any reference to the murder, their visit to Ginny Windom, and the accident. As paranoid as it might sound, Grace knew one could never be sure about who might be listening.
The driver, a jovial man named Jorge, decided they needed a running commentary on politics, the state of free lunch in schools, and what prime-time shows were worth watching, and he did an admirable job of keeping them entertained all the way to Zoe and Emily’s house.
“Oh, my God! What happened to you?” Zoe cried at the first sight of Molly’s broken arm, but before she knew Grace had also been injured.
“We got involved in a hit-and-run. Somebody crashed into us. I broke my arm and got a little banged up, but Grace got the worst of it. She has a concussion,” Molly explained.
“Damn. Grace, get up to bed. You, too, Molly. You can both probably use the rest. Emily!” Zoe called out for her wife. “Emily, the girls are hurt.”
Emily came running into the room, carrying Lily. “What happened?”
“They got hit, and the other car drove away. Molly broke her arm, and Grace has a concussion. I’m sending them both up to bed. Could you watch Lily while I go get them settled in?”
“We’re fine, Mom. We can find our way to our room,” Grace said with a slight chuckle.
Zoe lifted her chin but grinned. “Well, someone has to take care of you. Now, scoot! I’ll bring you up some tea and biscuits. And soup. Soup is always good for injured people.”
Grace objected to the coddling. “You don’t have to do that—”
“I’m doing it anyway.” Zoe was adamant.
Emily laughed, and propped Lily up against her shoulder, patting her back. “You might as well let her do what she wants. She’ll do it anyway, like she said.”
Grace and Molly laughed along with Zoe and Emily and did as they were directed. They went upstairs, kicked off their shoes, and lay down on the bed.
“Why don’t we get changed into our pajamas?” Molly asked. “I don’t think Zoe will let us out of the house today, and you really need to rest a few days anyway. You go first, and I’ll go next.”
Grace’s first impulse was to argue, but then she realized Molly was right. She really did have a massive headache, and she was bone tired. “Okay.” With a great effort, she rolled off the bed and grabbed her pajamas from the dresser. She disappeared into the bathroom and changed, then returned.
“Your turn…” She grinned at the sight of Molly sound asleep on the bed. Molly looked so soft and angelic, so sweet, herlips curved ever so slightly with whatever dream she was having, it awakened a need in Grace to kiss those full lips. Instead, she grabbed the comforter from the foot of the bed and pulled it up over Molly. Then, with a great sigh, shecarefully lay down on the other side and closed her eyes.
Chapter 9
“Molly, you need to call your mom and dad,” Grace said. “We need a list of the names of people they suspect may have invested with Jeremy, if they know.”
Molly bit her lip and looked doubtful. “I found out about Ginny Windom from my roommates, but I don’t know any of the people my folks know.”