29. Sawyer

“Idon’t know what’s more impressive,” Liam murmured as we walked past the front desk and deeper into the care facility that housed Callie’s mother. “That Kane was able to get Bianca her job back or that you scared the gate attendant so much that they’re letting us walk right in here.”

“I didn’t scare the gate attendant,” I remarked sharply. “I simply laid out my very clear plan of how I would use my millions to dismantle this place piece by piece and lay the blame solely at his feet if he didn’t let me inside.”

“Because that’s not scary?” Kane snorted. “Besides, it’s easy to discredit a roach like Eli. Bianca never should have lost her job in the first place and my pockets are deeper than that bastard.”

“Still,” Liam mused. “It was impressive. Callie would be grateful if we could just find her. Do you think Marie will be okay with Bianca?”

“Callie trusts her,” I replied. “That’s all I need to know about her character.”

We stopped near an arch way that led deeper into the facility. Elderly people milled about in front of us, engaged in a variety of activities from puzzles to art. The glass double doors at the far end opened out into a beautiful garden and I hated to admit I was impressed. When Bianca revealed that Eli was Callie’s ‘friend’ helping pay for her mother, I hadn’t expected a place so decent.

He really knew how to manipulate people, didn’t he?

“Can I help you?” A woman with tightly curled hair and a navy blue dress appeared beside us. She flashed us all the same thin, polite smile. “Are you here to see a parent?”

“Actually, I’m hoping to ask you a few questions.” Liam lightly clasped her elbow and turned her away from me. As he and Kane took her attention with questions, I slipped deeper into the activity room and headed toward one woman I recognized but had never met. Callie kept a picture of her mother on her desk, and while she didn’t speak about her much, it was easy for me to pick her out of the crowd.

She sat in a large armchair by the window, gazing out at the vast, colorful garden and nursing a drink from a pink plastic cup.

“Sarah? Sarah Everheart?”

She turned to face me, and a bright smile stretched across her wrinkled face. “Yes? Oh, aren’t you so handsome! My goodness, when did they start hiring men like you?” She cackled softly, but despite the lightness in her voice and the spread of her smile, there was something distant in her eyes.

No wonder Callie had taken the work project so personally.

“Hello, it’s lovely to meet you.” I held out one hand, then clasped her trembling hand when she reached for you. “My name is Sawyer. Sawyer Crane.”

“Crane!” Sarah gasped and pressed shaking fingers to her lips. “Oh, my daughter knows a Crane. I can’t remember his name, though.”

An unexpected flutter lifted through my heart. Callie had spoken about me to her mother? That was oddly adorable.

“I actually wanted to ask you a couple of questions about your daughter, if that’s alright?”

Taking the seat across from Sarah, I watched as confusion fogged her features for a moment. “My daughter? My… oh, Callie! Oh, she’s such a good girl. Such a good girl. She takes such good care of me, yes she does.”

Sarah nodded firmly.

“I know. She’s a very caring person. Bottles a lot of her feelings up though. Have you seen her recently?”

“Callie? Oh yes, she was here this morning but she was in such a state.” Sarah tutted softly. “I think she had a fight with that husband of hers.”

Her husband? Callie had insisted she wasn’t married. Was her husband the same as her ‘friend’? “They had a fight?”

“I don’t know. She was so sad, the poor dear. So sad this morning but she wouldn’t tell me why. She kept apologizing but I… I don’t know why.”

“Did she say anything at all that might…” Despite my desire for answers, I trailed off. Sarah’s attention drifted back to the window and that sad fog passed over her face once more. I suspected the window of clarity I had just witnessed had now closed.

“Sarah?”

Her eyes drifted back to me. “Oh my! Are you new? You’re so handsome.”

“Thank you. I wanted to ask you about your daughter?” Was it worth me trying again? I wasn’t sure. This time, the fog remained around Sarah and she shook her head slowly.

“My daughter?”

“Yes, your daughter. Callie?” It pulled at my heart to see her like this, even though I barely knew her. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Callie to sit here again and again and see nothing but blankness in her mother”s eyes.

“Oh my daughter!” A light flashed behind Sarah’s eyes and she sighed wistfully. “I wish she would visit me. I haven’t seen her in so long, and if she isn’t careful, class will start without her.”

Class? Immediately I knew not to press further. Instead, I leaned forward and used the jug to top up her drink. Sarah smiled warmly at me.

“You’re new, aren’t you, dear?”

In a short time, I witnessed what Callie’s life with her mother was like, and this was with the amazing treatment provided to her. I didn’t blame her at all for wanting to hold onto this. Regaining even the smallest connection with her mother must have been exhilarating.

“Yes, I’m new,” I smiled warmly. “I just wanted to check in with you.”

“Oh, you are a kind boy,” Sarah smiled. “A very kind boy.”

I engaged in a little small talk before removing myself from the chair. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it far before a nurse made a beeline for me across the room and stopped me a few feet from the exit.

“Who are you?” she hissed, catching my elbow. “What do you think you are doing, talking to patients?”

Part of me understood that she was simply doing her job, but it made me see red. The things I had learned that Callie had been keeping from me only stoked the fire to find her and make sure she was alright. Whatever the actual result of this mess was, we would help her fix it.

“Don’t touch me,” I snapped, keeping my voice low. “Why I am here and what I am doing is no business of yours, but maybe you can help me with something. It is a disgrace how long it took me to get in here to see my mother.”

“Your mother?” She lifted her brow. “Who?”

“Sarah Everheart.” A small lie. “My sister is supposed to be taking care of things and instead, I am flooded with calls and texts constantly about bills and updates I did not ask for. This was all supposed to be sorted.”

The nurse”s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry?—”

“Callie is supposed to be taking care of everything, but I have to be here because you run such a shoddy business!”

“Sir, I am sorry. Your sister, Callie, was here earlier today and she was somewhat distraught about the financial situation but I told her that what she was asking for was impossible?”

“And what was that? You can tell her, but all I get in nuisance calls? I thought we had agreed that everything would go through me and yet here I am hearing that Callie is in charge.”

“Well sir, it is her name on the account, and her husband never mentioned anyone else. I didn’t even know she had a brother.”

“That sounds like a fault in your record keeping,” I snapped. “What was she here talking about? You better not have undone what I worked hard to set up.” The nonsense lie flowed quickly, catching the nurse off guard. Lucky for me, she didn’t overthink and carried on speaking.

“She wanted to see if we would waive the cancelation fee. She only switched your mother here a few months ago, but as I told her, such a change is terribly disruptive for patients, and we cannot be liable for any changes in Sarah’s health due to another move. I’d already explained all of this to her husband as well.”

“Her husband?”

“Yes, Eli.” The nurse narrowed her eyes slightly. “Do you all not talk? I think this would be better hashed out in a family meeting than here in the rec room.”

Ah. Eli. That conniving little rat had forced his way onto her records as a husband. I was so stupid for not seeing that before. With my suspicions confirmed, I forced a smile.

“Thank you for the information. You really should keep a better eye on who has access to patients, though.” With a tip of my head, I strode through the room and back under the archway.

Liam and Kane were still busy at the desk but upon catching my eye, they said their goodbyes and we headed outside together.

“Well?” Kane asked, falling into step beside me as we headed back to the car. “Was she here?”

“Did her mother say anything?” Liam asked.

“I know how it looks,” I began, glancing between them both. “Callie is an honest woman and right now it looks like she is the one who leaked the info. With Eli being so wrapped up in her life, I don’t think she did it willingly.”

“How did we miss this?” Liam asked, his frown deepening. “I thought she trusted us. I thought she could talk to us.”

“Callie is very secretive,” Kane pointed out. “She slept with all of us without telling each other. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing but she does keep secrets.”

Reaching the car, Kane opened the door for us and we slipped inside. I slumped back against the opposite door, running things over in my mind.

“Eli is the key,” I decided. “I just don’t know how, exactly. We have hints and ideas, but we won’t know for sure unless we find Callie. He manipulated her, but at the same time, her mother is in an excellent facility. I can see why she would want to keep that.”

“You don’t think they were really friends, do you?” Liam asked. “She knows better than that. I mean, look what he did to Bianca.”

“Like I said,” I eyed him. “We only have half stories.”

“Well, let”s look at what we do know.” Kane sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Eli is the CEO of PRISM. PRISM got a hold of our patent but it was the old design that we never went with because it was a legal nightmare.”

“Which means it was stolen from my computer,” I added. “Since all the details of the new design were kept with you.”

“Yup,” Kane nodded. “Eli attends Bianca’s vet clinic and then gets her fired over some bogus claim.”

“And according to Bianca, Eli was always sweet with her so it doesn’t strike me as a personal attack. So, did he do it to hurt Callie?”

“But why?” Kane prompted. “He has the patent and he thinks he’s won.”

“He moved her mother and used his wealth so that no one blinked, but according to the nurse, Callie had been asking about the cost of moving her back.” My lips pressed together and I groaned. “She must have been so twisted up.

“You think he’s using her mother against her?” Liam asked, his own leg starting to rock back and forth. “Acting like some savior by getting her help and then using it to hold something over Callie?”

“I think so.”

“Oh fuck,” Kane balked suddenly and we both looked to him. “The patent countersuit was with the old version and was not viable. And our lawyers would have let his lawyers know that yesterday when I worked it out. So Eli doesn’t think he’s one.”

Something cold crawled over my shoulders, and realization crashed hard into my chest. “He thinks he’s been set up. He’ll think Callie set him up.”

“Oh my god,” Liam breathed. “We have to find Callie!”