Running with Secrets

Untitled Part 39

The buzz of his phone woke him early in the morning. Heath wiggled his arm out from under Kristin's neck and as he checked the caller's name, cursed under his breath when there was no name. Just a number. One he had memorized for nearly three years. It took him seven seconds to jump out of bed and find his shoes and key card. "Johnston." He said, groggily opening the door to the hallway.

Closing the door behind him, he nearly whispered. "I forget you have no concept of time, Sir."

He listened to the man on the other side of the call for a minute. "I understand. I've told her about Matther...No, she didn't take it very well....I wouldn't, even though--" He stopped for a moment. "How's Sally? I haven't heard from her for a few days. She doing all right?

He stopped his pacing, concern washing over his body. "Extra security detail? Why?" He listened again. "And she wasn't sure if the guy from the diner was one of his goons?" Is she going to be okay?" He tried to keep his voice steady, learning his partner could be in potential danger had taken a toll on him already."What do you mean she has it covered?" We have securities set up when we're hired, and she needs more?...Oh, okay....NextVector!?" He was astonished. "How'd she get--she knows a guy?" He repeated. "Huh." Heath and Sally would often talk about NextVector Securities and what they would do if they could ever afford one of their systems. "Who's the guy?" He asked. "I know, that's not the point. Okay. She'll be okay and Kristin is safe."

He explained how Kristin was already asleep when they got to the hotel and hew was getting too tired to continue the drive, so even though there was less than a two hour ride left, it was safest to stop. "Yes, Sir...Salina." He heard the glee from his bosses voice as he exclaimed how close they were. "You've been studying the map, haven't you?" he laughed. "We'll be there before lunchtime."

Heath listened as his boss gave him a rundown on the debriefing had the events of the shootout and how Chaz and Grady were going to look into the morgue. He hoped the dummy worked, or they'd all be dead.

"Yes, Sir...yes, Sir...Goodnight, Sir." Heath ended the call before his boss could add anything more. He needed to sleep and he couldn't worry about the two women in his life while he was tired.

When Kristin heard the door click closed, she turned towards him to ask, "work call?"

He put his phone and the key-card on the table and kicked off his shoes. "What? Yeah" he looked at her, concern flooding his face. She didn't notice, or she must have thought he was tired. "You should be asleep," he proclaimed as he slumped himself down beside her.

"Should be, but you moved and I woke up." She looked at him through her half-shut eyelids. "Are you going to stay?" She asked, referring to how close he had been before the phone call.

He paused and quickly thought about the parts of the situation. "Yeah. I'll stay." He whispered.

She sat up and made herself comfortable in the hollow of his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist and as they both fell asleep again, he whispered, "good night, Sugar."

*****

"Yes, a male body did arrive the other day. I'm afraid I've already performed the autopsy and he's in the fridge already." Madeline said to the men inquiring as she turned to lead them to the lockers. It went without saying that Madeline had to invoke all her self control and enlist her best acting abilities for this interview. "I'll have to tell you that he's been identified already. A woman, who was going to be his mother-in-law came yesterday and cried over his body. She called him...M--Matther. Yes, that's it, Matther Benson." She fiddled with the handle as she heard a different breathing style while her back was turned.