Rennie sat there, stunned. For the past fifteen years, she had known the story about Austin being the one to take the boat out on the raining night. She hated what-ifs, but Graham’s made sense. Of course, both thoughts were plausible, and only two people knew the truth. One was slowly killing himself, and the other was still missing and presumed dead.
She reached her hand out and took ahold of his. She wanted him to know she was there for him. So much of their lives had changed the night the call came in. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind if the accident hadn’t happened, she and Graham would still be in California. With him there, it gave her an excuse to stay. Once he left and never returned, she was alone.
Graham tossed his napkin on the table, and Rennie followed suit. He carried their trayful of dishes and half-eaten foods to the other side of the cafeteria and obeyed the instructions for composting, sorting, and where to put everything else.
On their way back to the ICU, Graham’s phone dinged with a new message. He glanced at the screen and frowned. “What’s wrong?” Rennie asked. Tempted as she was to look over his shoulder, she refrained from doing so.
“My mom says the cops are here to talk about Grady.”
“The cops? Why?”
Graham typed out a message and pocketed his phone. “I don’t know. Last night the doctor said he was found and brought by ambulance, but he never mentioned the police needing to speak with us.”
Rennie pulled Graham into an alcove and asked for all the details. She listened intently as he recounted what the doctor said when they arrived yesterday. After he finished, they made their way back to the ICU, where they waited for the double doors to open. They bypassed the waiting room and followed the nurse. The moment Rennie saw Johanna, tears formed. It had been years since she had seen Graham’s mother, a woman she had grown very fond of while growing up. The two women hugged for a long time. “I’m so sorry,” Rennie whispered.
They pulled away, and Johanna sat back down while Graham introduced himself to the two police officers in the room. Rennie stepped forward and held her hand out. “Renee Wallace. I represent the Chamberlain family.”
The two gasps she heard behind her were something she’d expected. Graham hadn’t asked her for help, but from the moment he mentioned the police were there to see them, she knew they would need it. There was no way she was letting this family battle the legal system alone.
“I’m Officer Hook, and this is my partner, Officer Frey.” The tall blond officer pointed to his dark-haired equal.
Rennie sat down and pulled her notepad and pen out of her bag. She crossed one leg over the other and looked at the officers, who sat across from her. She smiled and mentally prepared herself for part of the law that wasn’t her forte. At best, she would take all the notes she could and then hand the case off to a colleague.
“I’m a little fuzzy on why you’re here,” Rennie started. “Are you checking my client’s medical status?”
“No, ma’am,” Officer Hook stated. “We’re here to place Grady Chamberlain under arrest.” Johanna inhaled deeply, and Rennie glanced at her.
“Under arrest for what?” Graham’s tone held anger. Rennie placed her hand on his leg, which she hoped reassured him she could handle this.
Rennie wasn’t up to date on criminal justice but knew the state had implemented overdose laws. Grady had OD’d and been found in time, which luckily for him meant he was clear and free from any charges.
“Surely you’re not filing charges against my client because he overdosed on the side of the road.”
“Yesterday evening, when we came upon Mr. Chamberlain on the side of the road, we thought he needed help. When we approached the car, we saw many empty bottles in the back and could smell alcohol on him, which would be an automatic arrest for driving under the influence of intoxicants. I took his driver’s license, which had expired, and went back to my patrol car to call it in,” Hook said.
“I stayed at the car. I noticed some damage on the front end and decided to inspect it. I found blood and fur encrusted into the bumper, which looked fresh. I radioed the game warden to be on the lookout for an injured or deceased animal on the side of the road. I went back to the driver’s side of the car to ask Mr. Chamberlain what he hit, and that is when I noticed a bottle in his hand. His eyelids were fighting to stay open, and he started convulsing and foaming from his mouth. I called for Hook to assist in a naloxone injection. It took two doses to bring him back,” Officer Frey added.
“I then radioed for an ambulance,” Hook finished their recollection of events while Rennie wrote everything down. She would have to refine her notes later, but for now, the scribbled text would suffice.
“What are you arresting my client for again?”
“DUII, possession, driving without a license, valid registration, and insurance.”
While these charges weren’t her field of study, she knew the last three charges would never stick. Those were the easiest to take care of. The other two would be a challenge. She folded her hands and set them on top of her notepad. “I’m not sure if you are aware, but my client is in a coma. I can call you when he wakes, and you can make the arrest, or you can waste taxpayer dollars by putting an officer by his door.”
“That won’t be necessary, ma’am. The nurses will let us know when Mr. Chamberlain is awake. We only came by today as a courtesy to the family so they aren’t caught off guard when we return to arrest him.” The officers stood and made their way to the door. As soon as it shut, Rennie sighed heavily.
“What does all of this mean?” Johanna asked. “I don’t even understand, because Grady doesn’t have a car. Where did he get a car from?” Her question lingered in the air. Rennie, of course, had no idea. She looked to Graham for clarification, but he looked as confused as his mother.
“Grady is in a lot of trouble,” Rennie stated.
“But you can help?”
“Mom, Rennie does family law. The charges against Grady . . .” Graham stopped talking.
“Graham’s right. This isn’t my expertise, but I have colleagues who deal with this sort of stuff every day. Grady will be in good hands.” Even as Rennie said the words, she didn’t believe them. Grady was in a lot of trouble, enough to land himself in jail if they didn’t face a sympathetic judge or the right assistant district attorney. Rennie hoped a plea deal could save Grady from such a fate.
Rennie excused herself and went back to the waiting room. She wanted to keep the case in house and cochair, even though one wouldn’t be required, and she lacked the experience with this side of the law. She scrolled through her contacts from work and tried to recall any particular crossing they may have had. Rennie came across a few names and jotted them down. She would speak to them on Monday when she returned to work. For now, she sat in the waiting room and looked up case law on her phone because she was going to do what she had to in order to protect the Chamberlains and help Grady.
TEN
The horn sounded outside of Graham’s window. Two short bursts, and then another two. And then more followed. Ships passing in the sea. He groaned and reached for his phone to turn off his alarm clock. He hadn’t even made it to six o’clock. He was exhausted—both mentally and physically. The long holiday weekend had turned into one he would love to forget. However, with his brother, Grady, still in a medically induced coma and his mother holding a vigil at Grady’s bedside, the memories would never fade. Graham lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. How has life ended up this way? he wondered. And what was the breaking point for him and his family? For Grady?