“Since he can only have two visitors at a time, I think we should work out a schedule. That way, someone will always be here with him, and we’ll still be able to get some rest,” Kathleen suggested.
We agreed and decided to split the day into eight-hour shifts with Josie on first, me on second, and Kathleen on third.
“We should probably get going so you can get some sleep before it’s your turn to stay with him,” Coal said when the sun started to rise. I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to leave. What if something happened and I wasn’t there?
As if reading my mind, Josie said, “I’ll call if there are any changes.”
I nodded and reluctantly left the hospital with Coal.
* * *
When I enteredLuke’s room for my shift, I was surprised to see Tatum in the room with Josie. “How’s he doing?” I asked.
“About the same,” Josie said. “His vital signs have remained stable, and there’s been no sign of bleeding.”
I exhaled in relief. He made it past the twelve-hour mark. “No news is good news, right?”
“Speaking of news,” Tatum said and got up to close the door. “I went to see Edgar, and he was very forthcoming with information.”
“Really? I thought you said he was refusing to talk.”
She grinned. “He was, but it’s amazing what withholding someone’s pain medicine will do.”
“You didn’t?”
“I did what I had to do to get the job done.”
“So, what did he say?” I asked.
“Where’s Coal?” she asked. “I thought he’d be with you.”
“He dropped me off at the front and went to park his truck. He should be here any minute.”
As if on cue, the door opened, and Coal walked in.
I was dying to know what Edgar told Tatum and couldn’t wait much longer. “Luke is stable. No changes. Tatum got Edgar to talk, and she was just about to tell me what he said.”
Coal laughed at my impatience and took a seat. “Let’s hear it.”
“When Edgar’s brother and Pamela were arrested years ago, they lost a lot of money. The drugs they were selling were confiscated, and he didn’t have the money to get more to keep their business going. It took him years to rebuild, but he was nowhere near the level they’d been at before. When Pamela was released from jail, he felt like she owed him for what he’d lost. She married the rich guy and started making payments to Edgar. Everything was fine until her husband cut off her access to his money. She convinced Edgar to change his will and leave everything to her so she could continue paying him. That worked until the will was contested, and bodies started showing up on her property. She asked Edgar for a place to hide out until things settled down, and she got her money back. He gave her a place to stay but made her work for him in the meantime. And that’s where she ultimately fucked up. He had her packaging and shipping cocaine to unoccupied residences for his distributors to pick up. I guess she thought it would be funny to use Luke’s address for one of the pickups.”
“Pamela was the one sending the boxes?” I asked in disbelief.
Tatum nodded. “Yep. And Edgar found out what she’d done when Sydney got arrested. Which is also how Pamela figured out you were back in Devil Springs. To save her own ass, she convinced him to help her take out a life insurance policy on you. He took Coal and gave his gun to Pamela before taking him to the cabin. She took you and used Coal’s gun to shoot you. After she got rid of your car, Edgar picked her up, and they drove back to the cabin with the intention of killing Coal. They were going to make it look like a murder-suicide. But he escaped, and you lived. Well, until you didn’t. You know how it turned out from there.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “I don’t even know what to say.”
She shrugged. “There’s not much to say. It’s a fucked-up story.”
“Do you believe him?”
“I do. There’s a team on the way to search the cabin and collect evidence as we speak. We should know for sure if he’s telling the truth by the end of the day.”
“So, what happens now?”
“A lot of paperwork,” she laughed. “When it’s all said and done, Edgar will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Carter will be cleared of his charges and will be granted his rightful inheritance. And once Luke gets better, we can tie this shitshow up with a pretty little bow and put it behind us.”
“You think he’s going to make it?” I asked quietly.