Julie Garwood - Mercy

"From what Nick's told me about your powers of persuasion, I don't doubt you'll get him to talk. I want to look at those papers."

"I left copies in the glove compartment of your car."

"Was that smart?"

Theo smiled. "Didn't I mention copies went out to my boss, the IRS, the FBI, and my home?"

"No, you didn't mention that. You said the initials next to those transactions were J, C, P, and D. Noah said. "Too bad John

didn't put their full names."

"Maybe Catherine did. Maybe there was an explanation with the papers she sent Michelle."

"John Russell is obviously J , and Cameron Lynch is C . So who are P and D?"

"That's the riddle, and I bet I'll have the answer soon. Detectives Underwood and Basham have a couple of other detectives running all over New Orleans talking to some of John's associates. It won't be long before we have the names."

"Maybe Detective Harris knows who they are. Has she called yet?"

"No."

Noah shook his head. "Guess she isn't a woman of her word. It's been over twelve hours, and didn't she promise to give you a copy of the file then?"

"She'll probably be furious when she finds out I got a copy from Rosa."

"But you're not going to tell her."

"Hell, no," he said. "I'm not sharing information with her. I'm going to let Underwood and Basham make the collars and take the credit."

He heard his name being paged over the speaker, saw the phone on the wall directly across from the elevator, and walked over to answer it. As soon as he identified himself, the operator put him on hold. Two seconds later, Detective Underwood came on the line.

The conversation was very informative. Then Theo said, "Sure, I'll be waiting. Let me know." He hung up and turned to Noah.

"Preston and Dallas."

"Yeah? That was quick."

"One of the detectives got the names from John's ex-girlfriend. A woman named Lindsey. She was trying to get in John's house, said she'd left some clothes. She told him she had met Cameron but never the others. She'd heard John talking on the phone, though, and remembered the names Preston and Dallas because they called often."

"No last names?"

"Not yet. And guess what? Another man called once looking for Dallas. His name was Monk. She remembered the phone call because John was so deferential to him, like he almost was afraid of him."

"Interesting," Noah said. "Did Lindsey ever talk to him or any of the others?"

"No," Theo answered. "She wasn't allowed to answer the phone, said John told her he didn't want people to know he was

shacking up with her so soon after his wife's death. She also told the detective they were supposed to get married, but John

came home a couple of nights ago, told her to pack up and get out. He wasn't nice about it."

"Which is why she's so chatty now?"

"Exactly. I figure they'll have Preston and Dallas under wraps before midnight."

"Could be sooner," Noah said. "How did Detective Underwood find you?"

"I told him I'd be on my cell phone or at The Swan. John Paul or Jake must have told him I was at the hospital."

"So all we have to do is hang tight a little longer. It'll be over soon."

Theo yawned loudly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I need some caffeine."

"There's some coffee in the waiting room."

"Good," he said. "I'm going to check on Michelle first. Can I go inside there?" he asked, tilting his head toward the wide double doors with the sign above stating in bold red letters, "No Admittance."

"Sure you can. I did. You can look through the window and see Mike. She's in the operating room on the left around the corner where it dead ends. Just don't let anyone see you. The nurses tend to shout. I'm going to make a couple of phone calls," he added as he turned and headed down the hallway to the waiting room. "Want me to bring you some coffee?"

"No," Theo answered. "I'll get my own." He had his palm on the door, ready to push, when he suddenly stopped and turned around. "Hey, Noah, you know what's really odd?"

"What's that?"

"The channels Catherine used… sending the files to an unsuspecting relative she'd never met."

"John Paul told me she was an odd duck."

"She was."

"So maybe that's your answer."

"Yeah. Maybe," he said, but he wasn't convinced.

He pushed the door and stepped into the forbidden area, feeling a little like a kid sneaking into an R-rated movie. He half

expected someone to start shouting at him or grab him by the collar and toss him out.

He was inside a wide hallway with several sets of swinging doors and an elevator. Turning into a hall to the left, he went around the corner. There was a gur-ney against the wall where the hallway dead ended, and to the right was the surgical suite Michelle was using.

It was at least twenty degrees colder here. He could hear music as he walked closer, and he recognized the voice. Good old

Willie Nelson, Michelle's favorite. Theo felt a stirring of a memory too elusive to catch hold of. There was something familiar about the smell and the song and the cold. Maybe it was because of his own surgery.

He looked in through the square window and was surprised at how small the room was. It was crowded with people. He counted six, including the guy sitting behind the patient's head checking dials on the machines next to him. He couldn't see John Patrick, a nurse blocked his view, but he got a glimpse of Michelle's forehead when the nurse handed her an instrument and she turned slightly. As he watched her, he could feel the tension easing away. He began to relax, took a deep breath, and realized he was suddenly feeling good because she was dose.

"Man, I do have it bad," he whispered as he turned and walked back through the swinging doors. Was he becoming obsessive about Michelle? No, of course not, but the world did seem a little brighter, and definitely better, when he was with her.

Now, Catherine was the epitome of an obsessive personality. That thought led him right back to the riddle he'd been trying to solve. Rosa had told him that Catherine had wanted to use the files as a threat to control John's behavior while she was alive.

Why hadn't Catherine simply directed her attorney to give the papers to the police after her death? Was she worried that Benchley wouldn't follow through, or had Rosa's distrust of the authorities rubbed off on her?

Theo could understand why Catherine chose Michelle. Catherine knew how smart her cousin was. Every time Jake called her,

he did a lot of boasting, and Catherine, knowing what Michelle had already accomplished In her life, surety knew that her cousin would understand what all the numbers and transactions meant. Catherine might not have thought that Jake would figure it out-his good-old-boy facade fooled a lot of people into believing he wasn't as intelligent as Theo knew he was. Catherine wouldn't have known that about him, but she certainly would have known how persistent he could be, because he never gave up on her. He called her once a month to check on her, refusing to be put off by her cold, indifferent manner. Catherine probably assumed that Jake would make certain Michelle gave the papers her full attention and got them to the right people.

But she'd circumvented the police and given her second copy to Rosa. Now, why would she do that?

The answer was suddenly glaringly obvious. Because she knew that Rosa would never go to the police. And that meant…

"Son of a bitch," he whispered.

He was berating himself for taking so long to figure it out. Sorry, Catherine. I'm dense, okay?

He couldn't wait to tell Noah. Shoving the swinging door open, he ran into the hall, and in his haste, he bumped into one of the supply carts, sending it careening into the opposite wall. A stack of towels fell on his feet as he grabbed the cart to keep it from falling over. Squatting down, he was scooping up the towels in his arms when he heard the bing of the elevator followed by the swooshing sound the doors made when they opened.