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“The doctors sedated her,” she answered, then turned to Jackson again. “This is my daughter Molly. She’s the Waverly County medical examiner. Molly, this is Jackson Reynolds.”
“Nice to meet you, Jackson. Are you here for Olivia?” Molly asked.
Charlotte laughed heartily. “No, Molly, he’s here to paint the room. Of course he’s here for Liv.”
“It’s been a busy day for you, hasn’t it? You found something in the Waverly woods. You couldn’t have been at Liv’s fire,” Molly went on, and then her eyes widened. “Oh, you’re here for Liv.”
Jackson blushed. “Yes, I was checking on Livvy. And my friend Turk and I found... something today. I believe you'll be overseeing the case.”
Molly nodded, her professional demeanor in place. “Yes, I'll be handling the investigation. The police and my technicians sealed the scene. I wanted to check on Liv before I headed there.”
Jackson decided to tread carefully. “Do you know anything about a symbol on the fireplace in the ruins we found today?”
Charlotte interjected, “You were in the Waverly woods?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He chewed his lip.
The retired police chief smiled knowingly. “You found the old Waverly mansion.”
“Yeah, Mom, Jackson and his friend found a body in the ruins,” Molly said.
Charlotte frowned. “To answer your question: the Waverlys used the phoenix in their real estate businesses. They were ruthless, their assets rising from the ashes, as they still say.”
“What about the burned home itself?” Jackson asked.
Charlotte hesitated, then shuddered. “You might want to ask your mother about that. There are things she might know that I don't.”
Jackson wondered what Charlotte Everhart was hiding.
* * *
The room was bathed in the soft glow of evening light filtering through the half-drawn curtains. Jackson and Charlotte, immersed in conversation, turned their attention toward Olivia as she stirred, her eyelids fluttering open.
Groggily, Olivia husked, “Mom? Jackson?” Her voice was faint. She ripped off the oxygen mask and began to cough.
“Hey, Livvy.” Jackson's heart skipped a beat as he leaned closer, replacing the oxygen mask and pulling her to a sitting position to ease her breathing.
Charlotte moved closer, her hand reaching out to brush hair off Olivia's forehead, a smile blossoming across her face. “Liv, sweetheart.”
Weakly, and in a voice Jackson needed to lean closer to hear, especially through her mask, Olivia asked, “What happened?”
Jackson frowned. “You played firefighter and gave everyone a bit of a scare. You need some rest.”
Olivia's gaze shifted, her eyes settling on her sister standing quietly in the corner. “Molly, you're here too?”
“Yeah, I wanted to check in on you, Liv. I didn’t want you to land on my table.” Sarcasm filled her tone.
Olivia began to fully awaken. “Thanks, Mol. Love you too.” She laughed then coughed. “What's wrong? Why do you look so worried?”
Jackson hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. Charlotte placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, urging him to speak. Finally, he said, “Liv, there was a fire today caused by a lithium-ion battery. You were there, and... you got hurt.”
Olivia tried to process what Jackson was saying. “A fire? I don't... I don't remember.”
Her mother placed her hand on hers. “You were sedated to help you rest. The doctors thought it was best for you.”
Olivia's brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
As Jackson watched Olivia lying in the hospital bed, worry stabbed at his gut. He couldn't bear to see her so vulnerable, her usually vibrant demeanor overshadowed by the gray of low oxygen. Every subtle twitch of her features, every shallow breath she took spoke volumes to him, revealing the depth of her discomfort and distress.
