| General Fiction posted September 8, 2024 | Chapters: |
...21 22 -23- 24... 
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The Feud Ends
A chapter in the book Spirited Justice
Spirited Justice Chap 23
by Begin Again
"Look at the city-slicker!" Garth laughed as Donatelli approached. His suit and Italian leather shoes were covered in dust. "It's a cook-out, pal, not someone's funeral."
Matthew shrugged and handed him the twelve-pack of beer. "At least I got the beverage right."
"That you did! Now get out of that jacket and tie and make yourself at home. I've got a bottle of Kentucky's best bourbon over by the grill in case beers aren't strong enough for you."
Garth cracked open the twelve-pack, passing Matthew a cold one after he tossed his suit jacket and tie across the wooden fence. For a moment, they stood in silence, side by side, except for the neighing of horses and the distant sound of cows.
Matthew broke the silence first, leaning his forearms on the fence as he stared into the pasture. "Been a while since I've been out in the open like this."
"Yeah." Garth took a swig from his bottle and then gave a quick nod. "Glad you could make it."
Matthew's gaze lingered on the fields, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I can see why you spend time out here. It's peaceful. Allie — she loved it here, didn't she?"
Garth stiffened just slightly at the mention of her name. He cleared his throat, his eyes flicking toward the oak tree where he had often felt Allie's presence. "Yeah. This was her favorite spot. She'd train her horse out there for hours."
A beat passed, thick with memories, before Matthew turned his head slightly. "Eleanor was relentless about me coming out here today."
Garth chuckled. "Ghost or not, that woman knows how to get her way. She's a firecracker with a heart of gold and the nose of a bluetick coonhound."
"I know. The entire drive down here, I could almost hear her in my head, telling me not to wear a suit." Matthew's laugh was softer this time.
"You two seem to get along well." Garth smiled, glancing at him, trying to keep the mood light. "Just don't cross her, or you'll find yourself hog-tied faster than you can blink."
"Yeah, I've learned that the hard way," Matthew chuckled, but his smile faded quickly, and he sighed. "Speaking of hard lessons, she probably filled you in on the mess at Naomi's apartment."
"She mentioned it, yeah." Garth didn't reveal his involvement, waiting to see where Matthew was headed.
Matthew hesitated, his grip on the bottle tightening. "It's my fault, you know. All of it. Naomi got hurt because of me."
Garth's eyes narrowed, sensing Matthew's tension. "That's not what I heard."
Matthew sighed deeply. "I got too close to her — too comfortable. When I found evidence that could've nailed Beckett, I didn't handle it right. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I crossed lines. Naomi called me out for it. She said the search was illegal, and that cost us everything. Beckett walked."
"Well, I agree that would be a tough one to swallow. At this point, you aren't even sure your case is connected to your man Beckett, are you?"
"I knew something was off, and I didn't act. Now Beckett's dead, and Naomi's apartment gets ransacked. It's all connected, I know it."
Garth studied him for a long moment before responding. "You don't know that you could have prevented it. You didn't make those men break into Naomi's place."
"I could've stopped it," Matthew repeated, taking a long drink. His voice was bitter.
Garth gave him a thoughtful look. "Listen — Eleanor didn't tell me the details, but she did say Naomi's getting the best care possible. She's alive, and that's what matters right now."
Matthew's head snapped up. "You know where she is?"
Garth chuckled, leaning against the fence. He took a sip of his beer before answering. "Ever heard of Frank Divito?"
"The gangster? Who hasn't? What does a mobster have to do with Naomi?"
"Frank's an old friend of mine. He's helped me out several times. Behind the walls of his palatial mansion, he has a world-renowned medical hospital with the best of the best. Eleanor asked me to call, and I did. He sent a chopper and scooped Naomi up."
"You're friends with a gangster? That's quite a revelation, Garth." Matthew shook his head, his gaze wandering across the pasture. "And he's taking care of Naomi? Man, that's wild."
After a few silent moments, Matthew spoke again, his voice low and filled with emotion. "I loved her, you know."
Still trying to figure out where the conversation was headed, Garth decided to tread lightly. "Are you referring to Naomi or —"
Matthew finished his sentence. "Allie." He paused and added, "I think a part of me will always love her."
Garth's memories flooded his mind and heart, almost taking his breath away. Still, he understood where Matthew was coming from because it was impossible not to have loved Allie. Unable to expose his pain, his eyes focused on the horses as he spoke. "I know. I never doubted that."
Matthew bit the inside of his lower lip, struggling with his thoughts. His words were hard to say, but he knew it was time. "When she chose you —" He gulped and inhaled sharply. "It — it felt like my whole world was ripped out from under me. I couldn't understand why — what you had that I didn't. It gnawed at me for a long time."
Garth stared at his beer bottle before turning to look at Matthew. His voice was low and filled with emotion. "You're not the only one who questioned her decision. Why did she pick me when you were — well, you seemed more like her style? The truth is, she saw something in both of us. Something good. Something worth loving."
Matthew laughed, pushing back his bitterness. "She was always the optimist, wasn't she? Allie believed in people more than they believed in themselves."
Garth nodded, unable to say anything for the moment. He leaned over, got a couple of fresh beers, and handed one to Matthew. Allie's memories filled their thoughts and warmed their hearts, memories that were different, personal, yet emotional ties between them.
Matthew leaned against the fence. "it's difficult to admit, but I've been a mess since she passed. I didn't handle it well. Hell, I didn't handle anything well. And now, with this case, the old wounds are clouding my vision."
"You aren't alone. I've been burying myself in work, trying to outrun the grief. It can't be done. She's always here, isn't she?"
"It's like she's pushing us — but I'm not sure what's drawing her to the case — a pageant with a lot of women wasn't what interested her."
"You're right. Allie would be looking at something deeper past the pomp and circumstance."
"Agreed, but what?"
"I don't know much about the case you are working on, but when Eleanor convinced me to come out here, she told me about a Thomas Whitaker. He's serving time for the murder of his daughter. She was a contestant in the first pageant ever held."
"What prompted him to kill his daughter?"
"Well, I never got to interview him because he was stabbed after a prison riot. But according to Eleanor, he claimed he was innocent, and she believed him."
"Hmmm — maybe I could get more details from his lawyer."
"That's the thing — his lawyer was Arthur Beckett."
"Beckett? I'm investigating the guy's murder and his ties to Naomi. From what I hear, he was involved in the pageant and wasn't the upstanding person he tried to portray."
"Beckett visited the father at the prison, but from what Tango could find, he never made any efforts to reopen his client's case. Nor did the missing research papers ever surface."
Garth's last words caught Matthew's full attention. "Research papers?"
"Yeah, the pageant isn't just a beauty contest like most. It's called Beauty, Brawn and Brains. When the girl was murdered, they couldn't find the research she was supposed to present."
"Do you know what she was researching?"
"Yeah, that's what convinced me to take the cold case. It had to do with cancer cells and finding a cure."
"Cancer! There's your connection to Allie, pal." Matthew shook his head and laughed. "To my case, too,"
"What do you mean?"
"Hilda, the girl who was kidnapped and attacked from the pageant, believes that the guy was also after her research."
"Believes? You don't have anything to back this up?"
"Yes and no. The guy responsible is sweating bullets in my jail, but the incident with Naomi stopped me from interrogating him and getting the full story."
"And the research — was it on cancer as well?"
"I don't know the details because she was told to keep everything under wraps, and I hadn't connected the dots until this minute, but I believe it was."
"So, all we've got are these old stories. Nothing concrete?"
"Just rumors, stories from people who don't know the truth. But — it's strange, isn't it? Allie was sick, dying of cancer, and at the same time, there was all this research going on about it."
"She never talked much about it with me — at least not in a way that made sense then. But now? Looking back, I think she knew more. Maybe she was trying to finish something before —" Garth let his thoughts trail off, unable to voice the possibilities.
"I've been thinking about that. It can't be a coincidence, can it? There's gotta be something more to it. Is it possible she was trying to follow up on the first murder and the missing papers?"
Garth choked on his words. "What if — what if that research could've saved her, and someone — hell, someone didn't want that happening?"
"Exactly. Whoever's holding onto it is keeping us in the dark. But why?"
"Someone wants the research, but why? I'm sure it's all documented, so they'd be shot down if they tried to present it as theirs. It doesn't make sense."
Both men mulled over what had transpired during the last few minutes, searching for answers. Tango yelled across the yard that the steaks were ready.
A soft chuckle escaped Garth's mouth. "You and I both know she'd kick our asses for letting something like this get in the way of doing what's right."
Matthew's expression turned serious. A note of regret settled into his voice. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, Garth. And maybe I've held onto things longer than I should have. But I want you to know I respect you. Always have. You were the better man, and Allie saw that."
"We were both just men who loved the same woman. Nothing more, nothing less. She chose, and we both had to live with that. But it doesn't mean you were any less. Allie would've hated to see us at odds like this."
Matthew lifted his beer in the air. "To Allie, then. And to finding those papers. Let's finish what she would've wanted us to do."
Garth raised his bottle, too. "To Allie and solving this case. Now, let's go get those steaks."
Book of the Month contest entry
"Look at the city-slicker!" Garth laughed as Donatelli approached. His suit and Italian leather shoes were covered in dust. "It's a cook-out, pal, not someone's funeral."
Matthew shrugged and handed him the twelve-pack of beer. "At least I got the beverage right."
"That you did! Now get out of that jacket and tie and make yourself at home. I've got a bottle of Kentucky's best bourbon over by the grill in case beers aren't strong enough for you."
Garth cracked open the twelve-pack, passing Matthew a cold one after he tossed his suit jacket and tie across the wooden fence. For a moment, they stood in silence, side by side, except for the neighing of horses and the distant sound of cows.
Matthew broke the silence first, leaning his forearms on the fence as he stared into the pasture. "Been a while since I've been out in the open like this."
"Yeah." Garth took a swig from his bottle and then gave a quick nod. "Glad you could make it."
Matthew's gaze lingered on the fields, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I can see why you spend time out here. It's peaceful. Allie — she loved it here, didn't she?"
Garth stiffened just slightly at the mention of her name. He cleared his throat, his eyes flicking toward the oak tree where he had often felt Allie's presence. "Yeah. This was her favorite spot. She'd train her horse out there for hours."
A beat passed, thick with memories, before Matthew turned his head slightly. "Eleanor was relentless about me coming out here today."
Garth chuckled. "Ghost or not, that woman knows how to get her way. She's a firecracker with a heart of gold and the nose of a bluetick coonhound."
"I know. The entire drive down here, I could almost hear her in my head, telling me not to wear a suit." Matthew's laugh was softer this time.
"You two seem to get along well." Garth smiled, glancing at him, trying to keep the mood light. "Just don't cross her, or you'll find yourself hog-tied faster than you can blink."
"Yeah, I've learned that the hard way," Matthew chuckled, but his smile faded quickly, and he sighed. "Speaking of hard lessons, she probably filled you in on the mess at Naomi's apartment."
"She mentioned it, yeah." Garth didn't reveal his involvement, waiting to see where Matthew was headed.
Matthew hesitated, his grip on the bottle tightening. "It's my fault, you know. All of it. Naomi got hurt because of me."
Garth's eyes narrowed, sensing Matthew's tension. "That's not what I heard."
Matthew sighed deeply. "I got too close to her — too comfortable. When I found evidence that could've nailed Beckett, I didn't handle it right. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I crossed lines. Naomi called me out for it. She said the search was illegal, and that cost us everything. Beckett walked."
"Well, I agree that would be a tough one to swallow. At this point, you aren't even sure your case is connected to your man Beckett, are you?"
"I knew something was off, and I didn't act. Now Beckett's dead, and Naomi's apartment gets ransacked. It's all connected, I know it."
Garth studied him for a long moment before responding. "You don't know that you could have prevented it. You didn't make those men break into Naomi's place."
"I could've stopped it," Matthew repeated, taking a long drink. His voice was bitter.
Garth gave him a thoughtful look. "Listen — Eleanor didn't tell me the details, but she did say Naomi's getting the best care possible. She's alive, and that's what matters right now."
Matthew's head snapped up. "You know where she is?"
Garth chuckled, leaning against the fence. He took a sip of his beer before answering. "Ever heard of Frank Divito?"
"The gangster? Who hasn't? What does a mobster have to do with Naomi?"
"Frank's an old friend of mine. He's helped me out several times. Behind the walls of his palatial mansion, he has a world-renowned medical hospital with the best of the best. Eleanor asked me to call, and I did. He sent a chopper and scooped Naomi up."
"You're friends with a gangster? That's quite a revelation, Garth." Matthew shook his head, his gaze wandering across the pasture. "And he's taking care of Naomi? Man, that's wild."
After a few silent moments, Matthew spoke again, his voice low and filled with emotion. "I loved her, you know."
Still trying to figure out where the conversation was headed, Garth decided to tread lightly. "Are you referring to Naomi or —"
Matthew finished his sentence. "Allie." He paused and added, "I think a part of me will always love her."
Garth's memories flooded his mind and heart, almost taking his breath away. Still, he understood where Matthew was coming from because it was impossible not to have loved Allie. Unable to expose his pain, his eyes focused on the horses as he spoke. "I know. I never doubted that."
Matthew bit the inside of his lower lip, struggling with his thoughts. His words were hard to say, but he knew it was time. "When she chose you —" He gulped and inhaled sharply. "It — it felt like my whole world was ripped out from under me. I couldn't understand why — what you had that I didn't. It gnawed at me for a long time."
Garth stared at his beer bottle before turning to look at Matthew. His voice was low and filled with emotion. "You're not the only one who questioned her decision. Why did she pick me when you were — well, you seemed more like her style? The truth is, she saw something in both of us. Something good. Something worth loving."
Matthew laughed, pushing back his bitterness. "She was always the optimist, wasn't she? Allie believed in people more than they believed in themselves."
Garth nodded, unable to say anything for the moment. He leaned over, got a couple of fresh beers, and handed one to Matthew. Allie's memories filled their thoughts and warmed their hearts, memories that were different, personal, yet emotional ties between them.
Matthew leaned against the fence. "it's difficult to admit, but I've been a mess since she passed. I didn't handle it well. Hell, I didn't handle anything well. And now, with this case, the old wounds are clouding my vision."
"You aren't alone. I've been burying myself in work, trying to outrun the grief. It can't be done. She's always here, isn't she?"
"It's like she's pushing us — but I'm not sure what's drawing her to the case — a pageant with a lot of women wasn't what interested her."
"You're right. Allie would be looking at something deeper past the pomp and circumstance."
"Agreed, but what?"
"I don't know much about the case you are working on, but when Eleanor convinced me to come out here, she told me about a Thomas Whitaker. He's serving time for the murder of his daughter. She was a contestant in the first pageant ever held."
"What prompted him to kill his daughter?"
"Well, I never got to interview him because he was stabbed after a prison riot. But according to Eleanor, he claimed he was innocent, and she believed him."
"Hmmm — maybe I could get more details from his lawyer."
"That's the thing — his lawyer was Arthur Beckett."
"Beckett? I'm investigating the guy's murder and his ties to Naomi. From what I hear, he was involved in the pageant and wasn't the upstanding person he tried to portray."
"Beckett visited the father at the prison, but from what Tango could find, he never made any efforts to reopen his client's case. Nor did the missing research papers ever surface."
Garth's last words caught Matthew's full attention. "Research papers?"
"Yeah, the pageant isn't just a beauty contest like most. It's called Beauty, Brawn and Brains. When the girl was murdered, they couldn't find the research she was supposed to present."
"Do you know what she was researching?"
"Yeah, that's what convinced me to take the cold case. It had to do with cancer cells and finding a cure."
"Cancer! There's your connection to Allie, pal." Matthew shook his head and laughed. "To my case, too,"
"What do you mean?"
"Hilda, the girl who was kidnapped and attacked from the pageant, believes that the guy was also after her research."
"Believes? You don't have anything to back this up?"
"Yes and no. The guy responsible is sweating bullets in my jail, but the incident with Naomi stopped me from interrogating him and getting the full story."
"And the research — was it on cancer as well?"
"I don't know the details because she was told to keep everything under wraps, and I hadn't connected the dots until this minute, but I believe it was."
"So, all we've got are these old stories. Nothing concrete?"
"Just rumors, stories from people who don't know the truth. But — it's strange, isn't it? Allie was sick, dying of cancer, and at the same time, there was all this research going on about it."
"She never talked much about it with me — at least not in a way that made sense then. But now? Looking back, I think she knew more. Maybe she was trying to finish something before —" Garth let his thoughts trail off, unable to voice the possibilities.
"I've been thinking about that. It can't be a coincidence, can it? There's gotta be something more to it. Is it possible she was trying to follow up on the first murder and the missing papers?"
Garth choked on his words. "What if — what if that research could've saved her, and someone — hell, someone didn't want that happening?"
"Exactly. Whoever's holding onto it is keeping us in the dark. But why?"
"Someone wants the research, but why? I'm sure it's all documented, so they'd be shot down if they tried to present it as theirs. It doesn't make sense."
Both men mulled over what had transpired during the last few minutes, searching for answers. Tango yelled across the yard that the steaks were ready.
A soft chuckle escaped Garth's mouth. "You and I both know she'd kick our asses for letting something like this get in the way of doing what's right."
Matthew's expression turned serious. A note of regret settled into his voice. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, Garth. And maybe I've held onto things longer than I should have. But I want you to know I respect you. Always have. You were the better man, and Allie saw that."
"We were both just men who loved the same woman. Nothing more, nothing less. She chose, and we both had to live with that. But it doesn't mean you were any less. Allie would've hated to see us at odds like this."
Matthew lifted his beer in the air. "To Allie, then. And to finding those papers. Let's finish what she would've wanted us to do."
Garth raised his bottle, too. "To Allie and solving this case. Now, let's go get those steaks."
Matthew shrugged and handed him the twelve-pack of beer. "At least I got the beverage right."
"That you did! Now get out of that jacket and tie and make yourself at home. I've got a bottle of Kentucky's best bourbon over by the grill in case beers aren't strong enough for you."
Garth cracked open the twelve-pack, passing Matthew a cold one after he tossed his suit jacket and tie across the wooden fence. For a moment, they stood in silence, side by side, except for the neighing of horses and the distant sound of cows.
Matthew broke the silence first, leaning his forearms on the fence as he stared into the pasture. "Been a while since I've been out in the open like this."
"Yeah." Garth took a swig from his bottle and then gave a quick nod. "Glad you could make it."
Matthew's gaze lingered on the fields, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I can see why you spend time out here. It's peaceful. Allie — she loved it here, didn't she?"
Garth stiffened just slightly at the mention of her name. He cleared his throat, his eyes flicking toward the oak tree where he had often felt Allie's presence. "Yeah. This was her favorite spot. She'd train her horse out there for hours."
A beat passed, thick with memories, before Matthew turned his head slightly. "Eleanor was relentless about me coming out here today."
Garth chuckled. "Ghost or not, that woman knows how to get her way. She's a firecracker with a heart of gold and the nose of a bluetick coonhound."
"I know. The entire drive down here, I could almost hear her in my head, telling me not to wear a suit." Matthew's laugh was softer this time.
"You two seem to get along well." Garth smiled, glancing at him, trying to keep the mood light. "Just don't cross her, or you'll find yourself hog-tied faster than you can blink."
"Yeah, I've learned that the hard way," Matthew chuckled, but his smile faded quickly, and he sighed. "Speaking of hard lessons, she probably filled you in on the mess at Naomi's apartment."
"She mentioned it, yeah." Garth didn't reveal his involvement, waiting to see where Matthew was headed.
Matthew hesitated, his grip on the bottle tightening. "It's my fault, you know. All of it. Naomi got hurt because of me."
Garth's eyes narrowed, sensing Matthew's tension. "That's not what I heard."
Matthew sighed deeply. "I got too close to her — too comfortable. When I found evidence that could've nailed Beckett, I didn't handle it right. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I crossed lines. Naomi called me out for it. She said the search was illegal, and that cost us everything. Beckett walked."
"Well, I agree that would be a tough one to swallow. At this point, you aren't even sure your case is connected to your man Beckett, are you?"
"I knew something was off, and I didn't act. Now Beckett's dead, and Naomi's apartment gets ransacked. It's all connected, I know it."
Garth studied him for a long moment before responding. "You don't know that you could have prevented it. You didn't make those men break into Naomi's place."
"I could've stopped it," Matthew repeated, taking a long drink. His voice was bitter.
Garth gave him a thoughtful look. "Listen — Eleanor didn't tell me the details, but she did say Naomi's getting the best care possible. She's alive, and that's what matters right now."
Matthew's head snapped up. "You know where she is?"
Garth chuckled, leaning against the fence. He took a sip of his beer before answering. "Ever heard of Frank Divito?"
"The gangster? Who hasn't? What does a mobster have to do with Naomi?"
"Frank's an old friend of mine. He's helped me out several times. Behind the walls of his palatial mansion, he has a world-renowned medical hospital with the best of the best. Eleanor asked me to call, and I did. He sent a chopper and scooped Naomi up."
"You're friends with a gangster? That's quite a revelation, Garth." Matthew shook his head, his gaze wandering across the pasture. "And he's taking care of Naomi? Man, that's wild."
After a few silent moments, Matthew spoke again, his voice low and filled with emotion. "I loved her, you know."
Still trying to figure out where the conversation was headed, Garth decided to tread lightly. "Are you referring to Naomi or —"
Matthew finished his sentence. "Allie." He paused and added, "I think a part of me will always love her."
Garth's memories flooded his mind and heart, almost taking his breath away. Still, he understood where Matthew was coming from because it was impossible not to have loved Allie. Unable to expose his pain, his eyes focused on the horses as he spoke. "I know. I never doubted that."
Matthew bit the inside of his lower lip, struggling with his thoughts. His words were hard to say, but he knew it was time. "When she chose you —" He gulped and inhaled sharply. "It — it felt like my whole world was ripped out from under me. I couldn't understand why — what you had that I didn't. It gnawed at me for a long time."
Garth stared at his beer bottle before turning to look at Matthew. His voice was low and filled with emotion. "You're not the only one who questioned her decision. Why did she pick me when you were — well, you seemed more like her style? The truth is, she saw something in both of us. Something good. Something worth loving."
Matthew laughed, pushing back his bitterness. "She was always the optimist, wasn't she? Allie believed in people more than they believed in themselves."
Garth nodded, unable to say anything for the moment. He leaned over, got a couple of fresh beers, and handed one to Matthew. Allie's memories filled their thoughts and warmed their hearts, memories that were different, personal, yet emotional ties between them.
Matthew leaned against the fence. "it's difficult to admit, but I've been a mess since she passed. I didn't handle it well. Hell, I didn't handle anything well. And now, with this case, the old wounds are clouding my vision."
"You aren't alone. I've been burying myself in work, trying to outrun the grief. It can't be done. She's always here, isn't she?"
"It's like she's pushing us — but I'm not sure what's drawing her to the case — a pageant with a lot of women wasn't what interested her."
"You're right. Allie would be looking at something deeper past the pomp and circumstance."
"Agreed, but what?"
"I don't know much about the case you are working on, but when Eleanor convinced me to come out here, she told me about a Thomas Whitaker. He's serving time for the murder of his daughter. She was a contestant in the first pageant ever held."
"What prompted him to kill his daughter?"
"Well, I never got to interview him because he was stabbed after a prison riot. But according to Eleanor, he claimed he was innocent, and she believed him."
"Hmmm — maybe I could get more details from his lawyer."
"That's the thing — his lawyer was Arthur Beckett."
"Beckett? I'm investigating the guy's murder and his ties to Naomi. From what I hear, he was involved in the pageant and wasn't the upstanding person he tried to portray."
"Beckett visited the father at the prison, but from what Tango could find, he never made any efforts to reopen his client's case. Nor did the missing research papers ever surface."
Garth's last words caught Matthew's full attention. "Research papers?"
"Yeah, the pageant isn't just a beauty contest like most. It's called Beauty, Brawn and Brains. When the girl was murdered, they couldn't find the research she was supposed to present."
"Do you know what she was researching?"
"Yeah, that's what convinced me to take the cold case. It had to do with cancer cells and finding a cure."
"Cancer! There's your connection to Allie, pal." Matthew shook his head and laughed. "To my case, too,"
"What do you mean?"
"Hilda, the girl who was kidnapped and attacked from the pageant, believes that the guy was also after her research."
"Believes? You don't have anything to back this up?"
"Yes and no. The guy responsible is sweating bullets in my jail, but the incident with Naomi stopped me from interrogating him and getting the full story."
"And the research — was it on cancer as well?"
"I don't know the details because she was told to keep everything under wraps, and I hadn't connected the dots until this minute, but I believe it was."
"So, all we've got are these old stories. Nothing concrete?"
"Just rumors, stories from people who don't know the truth. But — it's strange, isn't it? Allie was sick, dying of cancer, and at the same time, there was all this research going on about it."
"She never talked much about it with me — at least not in a way that made sense then. But now? Looking back, I think she knew more. Maybe she was trying to finish something before —" Garth let his thoughts trail off, unable to voice the possibilities.
"I've been thinking about that. It can't be a coincidence, can it? There's gotta be something more to it. Is it possible she was trying to follow up on the first murder and the missing papers?"
Garth choked on his words. "What if — what if that research could've saved her, and someone — hell, someone didn't want that happening?"
"Exactly. Whoever's holding onto it is keeping us in the dark. But why?"
"Someone wants the research, but why? I'm sure it's all documented, so they'd be shot down if they tried to present it as theirs. It doesn't make sense."
Both men mulled over what had transpired during the last few minutes, searching for answers. Tango yelled across the yard that the steaks were ready.
A soft chuckle escaped Garth's mouth. "You and I both know she'd kick our asses for letting something like this get in the way of doing what's right."
Matthew's expression turned serious. A note of regret settled into his voice. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, Garth. And maybe I've held onto things longer than I should have. But I want you to know I respect you. Always have. You were the better man, and Allie saw that."
"We were both just men who loved the same woman. Nothing more, nothing less. She chose, and we both had to live with that. But it doesn't mean you were any less. Allie would've hated to see us at odds like this."
Matthew lifted his beer in the air. "To Allie, then. And to finding those papers. Let's finish what she would've wanted us to do."
Garth raised his bottle, too. "To Allie and solving this case. Now, let's go get those steaks."
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