enough to gain permission for harvest. Unfortunately, Quincy 's ex-wife, Bethie, had confused life support with life, and refused to have the machines turned off. Quincy and Bethie had argued. Finally, Quincy had left the bedside vigil to return to work, a decision that had alienated his ex-wife even more.
"Bethie finally gave permission," Rainie supplied.
Quincy nodded. "I didn't think… In my mind, Mandy has been dead for well over a year. I didn't think it would be this hard."
"She was your daughter. It would be strange if it were easy."
"Rainie…" He appeared on the verge of saying something more, maybe caught up in this moment when they seemed like old friends again. Then the moment passed. He shook his head. He said, "I want to hire you."
"Why?"
"I want you to look into my daughter's accident. I want you to make sure that it
was
an accident." Rainie was too flabbergasted to speak. Quincy read her doubt and rushed on firmly: "Some things have come up. I want you to investigate them."
"I thought she was drunk," Rainie said, still trying to get her bearings. "Drunk, hit a man, a dog, and a telephone pole. End of story."
"She was drunk. The hospital confirmed that she had a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit, but it's how she came to be drunk that has me concerned. I met a few of her friends at the funeral, and one of them, Mary Olsen, claims that Amanda spent most of the evening at Mary's house, playing cards and drinking Diet Coke. Now, I hadn't spoken with Mandy in a bit. You… you know I haven't had the closest relationship with her. But apparently, Amanda had joined AA six months before her accident and was doing very well. Her friends were very proud of her."
In spite of herself, Rainie frowned. "Did something happen during the card game? Get her upset, make her drive straight to a bar?"
"Not according to Mary Olsen. And Amanda didn't leave until nearly two-thirty in the morning, after the bars were closed."
"Was she alone?"
"Yes."
"Maybe she drove home and got drunk."
"And then got back into her car to drive where?"
Rainie chewed her bottom lip. "Okay, maybe she had liquor stashed in her car and started drinking the minute she left the party."
"No containers were found in her vehicle or in her apartment. Plus, the liquor stores would all be closed, so she couldn't have purchased it that night."
"Maybe she'd bought it before arriving at her friend's, then she threw away the empty containers on her way home. You know, to cover her tracks."
"Amanda crashed fifteen miles from her apartment, on some back road that bears no direct relationship to Mary Olsen's house or hers."
"As if she was just out driving…"
"Drunk, at five-thirty in the morning, with no obvious supply of alcohol," Quincy finished for her. "Rainie, I'm concerned."
Rainie didn't answer right away. She was still turning the facts over in her mind, trying to make the pieces fit. "She could have gone to someone else's house after leaving Mary's."
"It's possible. Mary said Amanda had met a man a few months before. None of Amanda's friends had met him yet, but he was supposedly a very nice man, very supportive. My daughter… Amanda told Mary that she thought she might be in love."
"But you never met this guy?"
"No."
She cocked her head to the side. "What about at the funeral? Surely he attended the funeral?"
"He didn't attend the funeral. No one knew his name or how to contact him."
Rainie gave Quincy a look. "If he's that great, he would've found
you
by now. Surely Mandy mentioned her father, and given the amount of press you've received on various cases…"
"I've thought of that."
"But no sign of Mr. Wonderful."
"No."
Rainie finally got it. "You don't think this was an accident, do you? You think it is Mr. Wonderful's fault. He got your little girl drunk, then let her drive home."
"I don't know what he did," Quincy replied quietly, "but somehow, Amanda got access to alcohol between two-thirty and five-thirty in
"Bethie finally gave permission," Rainie supplied.
Quincy nodded. "I didn't think… In my mind, Mandy has been dead for well over a year. I didn't think it would be this hard."
"She was your daughter. It would be strange if it were easy."
"Rainie…" He appeared on the verge of saying something more, maybe caught up in this moment when they seemed like old friends again. Then the moment passed. He shook his head. He said, "I want to hire you."
"Why?"
"I want you to look into my daughter's accident. I want you to make sure that it
was
an accident." Rainie was too flabbergasted to speak. Quincy read her doubt and rushed on firmly: "Some things have come up. I want you to investigate them."
"I thought she was drunk," Rainie said, still trying to get her bearings. "Drunk, hit a man, a dog, and a telephone pole. End of story."
"She was drunk. The hospital confirmed that she had a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit, but it's how she came to be drunk that has me concerned. I met a few of her friends at the funeral, and one of them, Mary Olsen, claims that Amanda spent most of the evening at Mary's house, playing cards and drinking Diet Coke. Now, I hadn't spoken with Mandy in a bit. You… you know I haven't had the closest relationship with her. But apparently, Amanda had joined AA six months before her accident and was doing very well. Her friends were very proud of her."
In spite of herself, Rainie frowned. "Did something happen during the card game? Get her upset, make her drive straight to a bar?"
"Not according to Mary Olsen. And Amanda didn't leave until nearly two-thirty in the morning, after the bars were closed."
"Was she alone?"
"Yes."
"Maybe she drove home and got drunk."
"And then got back into her car to drive where?"
Rainie chewed her bottom lip. "Okay, maybe she had liquor stashed in her car and started drinking the minute she left the party."
"No containers were found in her vehicle or in her apartment. Plus, the liquor stores would all be closed, so she couldn't have purchased it that night."
"Maybe she'd bought it before arriving at her friend's, then she threw away the empty containers on her way home. You know, to cover her tracks."
"Amanda crashed fifteen miles from her apartment, on some back road that bears no direct relationship to Mary Olsen's house or hers."
"As if she was just out driving…"
"Drunk, at five-thirty in the morning, with no obvious supply of alcohol," Quincy finished for her. "Rainie, I'm concerned."
Rainie didn't answer right away. She was still turning the facts over in her mind, trying to make the pieces fit. "She could have gone to someone else's house after leaving Mary's."
"It's possible. Mary said Amanda had met a man a few months before. None of Amanda's friends had met him yet, but he was supposedly a very nice man, very supportive. My daughter… Amanda told Mary that she thought she might be in love."
"But you never met this guy?"
"No."
She cocked her head to the side. "What about at the funeral? Surely he attended the funeral?"
"He didn't attend the funeral. No one knew his name or how to contact him."
Rainie gave Quincy a look. "If he's that great, he would've found
you
by now. Surely Mandy mentioned her father, and given the amount of press you've received on various cases…"
"I've thought of that."
"But no sign of Mr. Wonderful."
"No."
Rainie finally got it. "You don't think this was an accident, do you? You think it is Mr. Wonderful's fault. He got your little girl drunk, then let her drive home."
"I don't know what he did," Quincy replied quietly, "but somehow, Amanda got access to alcohol between two-thirty and five-thirty in
Similar Books
Travellers #1
Jack Lasenby
est
Adelaide Bry
Hollow Space
Belladonna Bordeaux
Black Skies
Leo J. Maloney
CALL MAMA
Terry H. Watson
Curse of the Ancients
Matt de la Pena
The Rival Queens
Nancy Goldstone
Killer Smile
Lisa Scottoline
Succession of Witches
Karen Mead