Page 47 of Bitter Lies

A shy smile lights up Alma’s face as she catches my gaze, transforming her entire demeanor. “Do I know you?”

I extend my hand to the doctor. “I’m Aiden, a friend of her granddaughter.”

“Where is my granddaughter? Is she coming to see me soon?” Alma searches the room. “You must be one of her guards. My granddaughter is a princess. Her father is King Ramon. She always has the handsomest guards. Is she with Rico? You should be careful leaving her with him. His patience is limited, and he gets upset when she asks too many questions. She’ll be five soon.”

I stand, release Alma’s hand and signal for the doctor to follow. “Alma, give us a few minutes. We’re only going out into the hall for a quick chat.”

Dr. Hoyt follows and yanks the curtain shut. “Is something wrong?”

“Isabel is twenty-five, not five. I think Alma may have dementia or Alzheimer’s. Some of the things she’s said since I walked in have been confusing. Her granddaughter is over there. Maybe you should speak with her before doing your examination.”

“How about you go back to Isabel while I speak with her grandmother? I want to see if this might be something more. It says here she took a hit to the head, and that could explain the confusion.”

Dr. Hoyt grabs the curtain. “I promise I won’t upset her the way Dr. Finnly did. You can trust me, Aiden. I’ll give her the best care.”

She slips back inside. I stay where I am, listening for any shift in Alma’s tone. When none comes, I turn away, heading back to Isabel with a head full of questions.

Chapter 18

Isabel

Aiden is gone longer than expected, and when he returns, his expression has me sitting up. Removing the oxygen mask, I ask, “Did you find her?”

He nods slowly, his eyes downcast, and sits on the edge of my bed, his posture heavy with seriousness. “I did. But Isabel, she’s confused. She thinks you’re five.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut, stealing the breath from my lungs as tears burn behind my eyes. “She has dementia. The early stages started showing up about five years ago. On my last visit, I noticed she’s declined more than I am comfortable with.”

“The doctor is with her now. Following her evaluation, she’ll come and speak with us.”

A jolt of electricity cuts through me, his warm hand closes over mine, a solid anchor in the chaos.

“Alma claims that someone hit her on the head. Is that true?”

“What?” My free hand goes to my mouth. “Not that I’m aware of. Who?”

“It sounds like she was admiring her art when someone entered the gallery, startled her, hit her on the head, and then stole her paintings.” He tightens his grip, signaling that news feels equally unsettling to him. “Did you notice anything missing?”

“No. I wasn’t focused on the art. My goal was to get her out of the penthouse.” I try to remember if anything looked amiss, but it’s useless. “There was too much smoke to see.”

There’s more. I see it on his face, but he’s debating bringing it up.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Studying my eyes, he takes his time before speaking. “Your grandfather… can you tell me where he is?”

“No. The light in his office was on when we got home late last night. It was shining under the door. That’s normal. He keeps odd hours. Always has.”

I don’t know if it matters, but something tells me I need to say it anyway. “There was a man leaving the building when we got back. He nearly knocked Grams over. I’d never seen him before, but she knew who he was.”

Aiden squeezes my hand as he asks, “Tell me who.”

“I don’t have a name. She never said it.” I shut my eyes, trying to recall how she referred to him. “The jeweler. She mentioned he’s a business associate of my grandfather’s but rarely comes by so late.”

When I open my eyes, Aiden’s jaw is tight. There’s a deadly expression on his face that should scare me but doesn’t.

“Anything else you can tell me about him?”

“He was bladdered, yet he drove away in his Porsche. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wrecked it. He came close while making a left.” With every word, Aiden’s anger deepens, hardening the lines in his face. “Aiden?”