“I don’t know,” Rodney replied heavily. “He didn’t succeed, and the doctors are just now saying that he’s likely to make it.”
“I’m surprised you woke me then.”
“It was already seven-thirty,” he noted, “and I didn’t exactly think I would be waking you anyway.”
“Point taken,” she said and yawned.
He asked, “Late night?”
“Actually a really good night. Simon picked me up with a picnic basket and took me to Second Beach. I haven’t been swimming there in years.”
“Me either. What was it like?”
“Perfect.… It was just perfect. And I guess I finally destressed.”
“That is good,” he agreed. “You needed it.”
She nodded. “I didn’t need this though.”
“I know, none of us do. The kids? I just can’t imagine.”
“No, can’t imagine.” She thought about it and asked, “Are we really thinking he did this out of grief?”
“I don’t know.” Rodney looked over at her. “What are you thinking?”
“How about guilt?”
At that, one of the doctors stepped out of Agnew’s room. He looked at her and asked, “Guilt over what?”
She stared at him, lifted her badge, and then replied, “His wife was murdered.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think there’s guilt here as much as grief in this. But what do I know? I’m not a shrink.”
She nodded. “Do we know what happened?”
“He slit his wrists,” the doctor stated. “One of the kids saw it and called Grandma to tell her that he was bleeding. Instead of trying to come over, she called for an ambulance.”
“That was smart.”
“Very,” he agreed. “The family is here. I need to talk with them now.”
“And we’ll talk to them afterward.”
He nodded. “Good enough. Looks like he’ll survive, but he’s not conscious yet.”
“How long before he comes to?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t know but likely at least a few hours.”
“Okay,” Kate said, “I might sit here and wait.”
The doc studied her and asked, “Are you really thinking he had something to do with his wife’s murder?”
“I don’t know what I’m thinking,” she admitted, “but what I can tell you is that I’ll stay here and talk to him.”
He frowned, and he seemed to want to argue with her but didn’t. Finally he nodded and left.
She looked over at Rodney. “He really doesn’t want me to stay, does he?”