“I did, but you did a great job of managing that guy, and me chiming in on weaponry might’ve made him clam up.”
“So why do you look so down? Is it because you know there’s no way the feds will let us look at these files?”
“Yeah, but don’t lose all hope. With Reid and Colin as former FBI agents, they might have contacts who could make it happen for us.”
“Will they do that for us?”
“I’m certain they’ll try. They know if we can prove Buck bought the gun illegally, the police will have a reason to search his home and find the stash of weapons. Not only could this prevent the guy from taking potshots at you, but equally as important, it could prevent a mass shooting event.”
Mass shooting.Ava sucked in a breath, but she had no reason to be shocked. She’d seen the pile of weapons. No person needed a stockpile like Buck had amassed. He could only be planning to use it in a nefarious way. They had to stop him and stop him soon.
He would be coming home tomorrow and would once again have a major cache of weapons at his fingertips.
11
Back at the apartment, Micha followed Ava to the sofa where he got Reid, Colin, and Dev on a conference call. Ava clenched her hands and tapped a nervous foot. She’d been jittery like this for the entire drive.
He hadn’t spoken with her much because he was disappointed in their result with Rob and was thinking about how the team could best help now. Especially Reid with his federal contacts. Micha didn’t know why Ava had been quiet, though. She was likely disappointed as well. Maybe worried about Buck and Jamal coming back to civilization. Coming after her again.
Colin stepped out of the bedroom, laptop in hand as usual. “Got your video file from the hospice administrator.”
Ava shot forward on the sofa. “You did? You really did?”
“Don’t be so surprised. I’m one of the best.” He grinned. “I emailed a copy to the rest of the team, too, so they can see the same thing we’re looking at.”
“Is it any different than the one Layne sent me?” Ava locked a nervous look on Colin.
“Take a look.” He pushed his way between them on the sofa and set the computer on his knees. He started a video playing. “This one begins sooner than the one Layne sent to you, and it has two different angles that I spliced together.”
Ava scooted closer. “This is in the common area outside the facility, and that’s Holly in the wheelchair with the plaid blanket on her legs.”
The gaunt woman with eyes sunken into deep sockets leaned back in her chair parked on a wide veranda near three other residents. She’d closed her eyes, the sun beating down on her face. She might be ravaged by disease, but she emitted a peaceful vibe.
Ava stared at the screen, her eyes welling with tears. “I made sure to take Holly outside whenever we had a sunny day. She loved to feel the heat on her face. It reminded her of a psalm in the Bible where it says God is a sun and shield, and the rays helped her know everything would be all right. She said feeling the warmth from the sun God created was like He was pre-welcoming her to heaven.”
If Micha were in her shoes, could he rest in God’s assurances like that? He had no idea. If he took into consideration how he was handling Tristin’s paralysis,nowould most definitely be the answer. What he needed to do with his worry for her was give it to God and rest in His peace. His worry for Ava, too. Needed to do it, but could he?
“Here’s where I found a different angle recorded at the same time,” Colin said.
“There! That’s me.” Ava pointed at a woman climbing the hill from the back of the property. “This one shows the way I arrive. It was my day off, so I came in the back way to avoid any questions about why I was at the center. I have the cookie dough in a container.”
“Coming in that way could make your visit more suspicious looking,” Colin said.
The opposite of what Micha hoped this video might show.
In the video, Ava moved closer to Holly, and he took in Ava’s curvy figure in the jeans and purple fleece, open in front to reveal a body-hugging knit top. She looked at peace, too, not like the stressed-out woman he’d seen so far. And so filled with vitality compared to Holly.
He glanced at her. “You’re so amazing to be able to work with terminal patients.”
“Not amazing. I just feel called to do it.” She gave him a quick smile. “I figure it’s a great time to introduce a nonbeliever to God. I have to be careful about it or I could lose my job, but they usually ask me about my faith first, and then I’m free to share.”
Movement on the screen caught his attention, which was a blessing as he was letting himself get down again and wanted to call out so many questions to God that He previously hadn’t answered. And really, it wasn’t Micha’s place even to be questioning God.
Ava walked up to Holly in the video and knelt next to her.
Colin pointed at the screen. “Back to the other camera angle which is what the video Layne sent Ava shows.”
Holly sat forward, and her gaze landed on Ava. Holly’s eyes glowed with affection for Ava, and she grasped Holly’s hand. If Micha had any doubt that Ava would have killed this woman, he didn’t after seeing their connection.
