His happy-go-lucky partner looked almost as uneasy as Michael felt. They walked down the stark hallways, Finn’s gaze shifting all over.
“You okay?” Michael asked him.
Finn gave him an exaggerated shiver. “With all the ghosts and spirits in this place? Of course not.”
“I never took you for the superstitious type, Finn.”
“It’s my daideo’s fault.”
“Who?”
“My grandfather. He would bring me to the hospital to visit the sick but leave me with the nurses. They told me ghost stories to entertain me. And with all the moaning and weeping going on there, they were rather convincing.” Liam made a face. “I’ll tell you a few on our next stakeout. Then we’ll see how you sleep.”
Michael couldn’t help but laugh. Somehow Finn always knew how to help him shake the gloom.
But as they approached Carter’s room, the momentary cheer faded away. The man lay sleeping in the hospital bed, his arm in a cast, stitches on his cheek, and one eye still swollen shut. A woman sat in a chair by the window, Eddie curled up on her lap as they read a storybook.
Michael approached them, putting out a fist. “Hey, Eddie. Remember me?”
Eddie knocked knuckles but didn’t smile or say anything.
Michael moved his focus to the woman. “This is my partner, Detective Liam Finnigan. I’m Detective Michael Martinelli. Are you Mr. Carter’s sister?”
The woman nodded and stood. “I’m Stephanie Carter. I assume you’ve come to talk to my brother?” Worry etched her face, and she wrapped her cardigan tighter around her middle.
“We’re the detectives assigned to his case. We’re hoping he can tell us what happened the other night.” Michael faced her while Finn knelt and whispered something to Eddie. They moved over to the window, where Finn pointed out birds.
Stephanie dabbed at her eyes with a soggy tissue. “Good luck with that. He was in so much pain they knocked him out with medication. The nurse said he’ll be out for a while.”
“Can we talk to you, then? We can go to the playground down the street, and Eddie can play while we chat.” Anything to keep Stephanie and Eddie relaxed would help.
“Sure.”
Stephanie helped Eddie with his jacket, and they left the hospital. Once they arrived at the small city playground, it took some convincing for Eddie to leave Stephanie’s side, but he did finally let Finn push him on the swings, allowing Michael to sit on the bench with his notebook and witness. Through the whole ordeal, the kid would only nod or shake his head to answer any question. Hopefully his aunt would be able to break through to him. Michael made sure she had a direct line of sight to Eddie.
He might as well start with that. “Has Eddie said anything to you since you arrived?”
“Nothing. He’s been hit with so much. First, his mother. Now this.”
“He witnessed the break-in. Did they tell you that?”
She nodded. “Yes.” She suddenly straightened. “You’re not going to question Eddie, are you? He’s been traumatized enough. You can’t?—”
“We won’t do anything right now. But eventually, with the help of a child trauma specialist, we may have to talk to him about it. He might have vital information, so if he does say anything, you need to let me know right away.”
“Of course. I mean, I want these people caught, but I can’t subject Eddie to anything else right now.”
“Okay, so what can you tell me about your brother? Did he say anything when he was awake?” Michael poised his pen to take notes.
“No. I wasn’t there when he woke. I just arrived back in town and picked up Eddie. The nurse told me when I got to the hospital that Isaac couldn’t speak very well. His jaw is wired shut, and he was in a lot of pain.”
“Do you have any idea who would want to do this to your brother? Does he have any enemies?”
“He’s a good man. A kind man. It’s been incredibly difficult since his wife died last year, but still, he’s an amazing father. He goes to church. He volunteers at the food shelf. He’s never been angry or violent.” Her voice caught. “I don’t know who would want to hurt him.”
Michael didn’t like the way this was going. “Are you involved in the store at all? Do you know if there are problems there?”
“Every now and then, I’ll help him stock shelves or do inventory. Mostly, I take care of Eddie and help at the house since Sheila died. But I do know Isaac had to let a couple part-time employees go and take over those shifts himself.”
