If Catfish Had Nine Lives(28)

            “Makes sense,” I said, and it did, to a point. “Thank you again.”

            “Not to worry. Drive carefully.”

            • • •

            Doc Callahan was in his examination office and available, fully clothed, not dressed in his robe as he was when he was awakened or pulled from his house for a medical emergency. He shooed me out of the examining room, and I walked through the reception area and out the front doors. I pulled out my phone and called Cliff on his cell.

            “Hey, Betts.”

            “Hi, Cliff, I know you’re probably crazy busy.” The jail wasn’t far away, but I didn’t want to make a big production out of what I was doing by going there to talk to him.

            “Everything okay?”

            “Everyone’s fine, but can you meet me at Doc Callahan’s?”

            “Uh. Sure. Betts, are you hurt, sick?”

            “No, I promise it’s not serious.”

            “I’m on my way.”

            From where I stood, I could watch him exit the jail and then break into a jog as he hurried toward me.

            “It’s Teddy,” I said as he came to a stop in front of me. “He was in a fight, or just beaten. He’s conscious and going to be fine. He’s being looked at by Doc Callahan. The . . . incident was last night, as far as anyone can tell.”

            Cliff’s eyebrows came together. He was in great shape but the jog, and perhaps the request to meet at a doctor’s office, had sped up his breathing slightly. “You want me to arrest the person he was fighting with?”

            “You can’t. At least we don’t think you can.”

            His eyebrows rose.

            “If there was a fight, chances are the other person was the same person who was killed this morning. Norman Bytheway.”

            “I see,” Cliff said after a beat. “I need to talk to him, Betts.”

            “I know, but can you just talk to him without Jim knowing, at least for a little while?”

            “Yes.”

            I liked his quick response.

            “Thank you. Come on.”

            Doc Callahan didn’t question or complain about Cliff and Teddy taking up an examining room for “official” purposes. If someone had seriously needed medical attention, Doc Callahan would have kicked them out with no hesitation.

            I was disappointed, however, when Cliff was firm in telling me to leave.

            “Betts, we need to find a killer. I’ll give every benefit of every doubt to Teddy, but he might have some answers. Go home. I’ll see you later.”

            I left the doctor’s office unwillingly, but Cliff did have a point—finding a killer was more important than my sense of big-sisterness.

            As I stood outside the doctor’s office and looked around Broken Rope’s now-spooky, quiet downtown, I remembered everyone else I wanted to find—a couple ghosts and Gram. The Nova wasn’t far away. As I climbed into the car, I pulled out my phone to call Gram but noticed that I’d missed a text from her that said: Joe and I will be at the school for a while. Stop by if you want to.

            I was drained, but still wired with adrenaline. I had some questions for Joe, and Gram, for that matter. Maybe putting my focus on them would help me worry less about Teddy.

            Or just give me something different to worry about.