She swiped a stray tear. “Why do you say that?”

“I picked him up from the hospital the day he was released and took him home.” Caden walked over to sit in the chair next to the bed. “He was upbeat and happy. Said he felt like the sessions at the hospital had really helped and the drug protocol was working. He’d also been sober for three months and was working out, getting in shape.” Caden shrugged. “He said everything was looking brighter and he had hope that the future held good things. Less than forty-eight hours later, he’s dead? I don’t get it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Tell the general?”

“Dustin told me to keep my mouth shut. He wanted it to be a surprise.”

Sarah huffed a harsh laugh. “Well, guess what? I was definitely surprised.”

“Stop, Sarah. He wanted everyone to see how good he’d done for himself. That he was doing better and getting his life together.”

“So he was lying? Putting on a good show for you and the doctors in order to get released on time?”

“The thought occurred to me, but I don’t think so.”

“Then he was bipolar and you caught him in the manic stage?”

Caden blew out a low breath. “Maybe.” A guilty look flashed across his face. “But I don’t think that was it either.”

“For an FBI agent, you have the most expressive face. What are you hiding? Come on, spill it.”

Caden rubbed a hand down his chin. “I looked at his medical records.”

She raised a brow. “How’d you manage to do that?”

“I was suspicious after I saw him so . . . up. I tracked down his psychiatrist—Melissa McCandless. Told her about the whole thing, and she said while she couldn’t talk about Dustin’s medical information without permission from Dustin, she seemed to think Dustin had turned a corner and was expecting great things.”

“But how’d you see his medical records?”

He flushed.

“Caden . . . ?”

“I . . . uh . . . sort of sweet-talked a nurse into finding me some creamer for the cup of coffee she’d offered. She might have left her laptop open and I might have happened to see her type in the password, so . . .” He shrugged.

And with his unique ability to remember just about anything he saw or heard, he hadn’t had any trouble retaining the password. He could probably still tell her what it was. Caden didn’t often use his good looks and charm to do something like that, so he must have been feeling pretty desperate. She let it go without teasing him, not in the mood to bother. “Then . . .” She lifted a hand in confusion. “I don’t understand. What happened?”