Free The Patrick Bowers Files - 05 - The Queen by Steven James

Amber was the only pharmacist in Elk Ridge, the next closest town over, I wouldn’t have been surprised if, in these small, close-knit communities, she’d known the Pickrons or at least been peripherally familiar with the family’s name.
    At last I said, “Is Sean there? I tried the bait shop.”
    â€œNo one picked up?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œFigures. He’s out ice fishing. He doesn’t always get someone to cover the store. You know how he can be.”
    I didn’t know how to respond to that. “Yes.”
    â€œReally, Pat.” I sensed a subtle shift in her tone. A softer quality. “You know you’re welcome here.”
    â€œI know.” Based on my history with Amber it wouldn’t be a good idea for me to head over there, especially if Sean was late in getting home. Additionally, because of my relationship with Lien-hua I didn’t want to give anyone the wrong impression. “I’ll be tied up all morning, but I should be able to get away for lunch. Do you think that would work? For the two of you?”
    â€œI’ll talk to Sean.” I heard the clink of glasses in the background. She’d gone back to doing the dishes. For the moment at least, she’d given up on convincing me to come to the house tonight. “It’s business,” she said, “so Tessa didn’t come along?”
    â€œI was hoping she could come over tomorrow, but with this storm, we’ll see. She’s in the Twin Cities this week.”
    â€œI hope she can make it.” More dishes. “We’ve never met, you know. Your stepdaughter and I.”
    Now that I thought about it, I realized she was right. Amber hadn’t made it to my wedding with Tessa’s mother and had been in the hospital with food poisoning the weekend of Christie’s funeral nearly two years ago. “I’ll try to make that happen. I’ll call you in the morning. We’ll set up a time to get together.” I was stumbling for a way to gently ease out of this conversation. “After you talk to Sean.”
    â€œIt’ll be good to see you. It’s been too long.”
    I wondered if it’d been long enough.
    â€œGood night, Amber.”
    â€œGood night.”
    We ended the call, and I slowly lowered the phone.
    Hearing her say good night to me again brought back a rush of memories and emotions that I really didn’t need surrounding me at the moment.
    A few months back, when Lien-hua and I had started to get serious, she’d told me that she wanted us to look forward and not backward. In lieu of this, she’d proposed that we not talk about past loves, past mistakes, past regrets, and as it happens, Amber fell into all three categories. So, although I would’ve been glad to discuss things with Lien-hua, I’d never spoken to her about Amber. Never even brought her up.
    But now, I thought again of what had happened five years ago between me and Amber when she and Sean were engaged. Even though Lien-hua was the one who’d suggested not dredging up the past, in light of our potential future together, I felt a vague wash of guilt just thinking about Amber, and our relationship seemed like something Lien-hua should know about.
    This week Lien-hua was on-site in Cincinnati profiling a case of three missing women.
    I was about to tap at the phone to speed-dial her but then had second thoughts. It would probably be best to think through how to delicately broach the subject of Amber first, before getting on the line with Lien-hua.
    I held the phone for a moment, staring at it, thinking about why the shooter might have returned up the stairs a second time after the murders.
    The phone. Hmm.
    Yes, check on that first, then call Lien-hua.
    Using my laptop I logged into the Federal Digital Database, found that Donnie and Ardis Pickron had only one cell phone between them, registered in her name. I entered my federal ID number again and pulled