“Finley’s been injured,” Robbie answered. “She’s in stable condition at Northwestern Hospital in a medically induced coma.”

June rested her palm over her heart. “Oh no.”

“Luke was in the middle of explaining what happened,” Robbie said. “I’ll be out in just a minute, and I’ll relay everything to you.”

“Do the doctors think she’ll make a full recovery?” June asked Luke.

“They hope so. But they’re not sure.”

“This is heartbreaking. Robbie, I’ll call Eric and Leslie and the four of us can drive over to see her.”

“Absolutely.”

“Thank you for letting us know about this, Luke.” June hesitated on the room’s threshold. “I’ll get things ready out here so that we’re prepared to leave.” The door clicked behind her.

“When Finley and I came here for dinner,” Luke said, wasting no time, “we came because Ed sent us. Through a treasure hunt clue. He told Finley to ask you about the day before Carla was shot.”

Robbie reminded Luke of a house hit by a hurricane. Too late, its owner was trying to protect it by shutting all the doors and windows.

“Finley and I realized that Ed was telling us a story through the clues. One of the clues was a book. It was called Brothers: Twenty-Five Stories About the Ties That Bind. As soon as Finley saw that gold, she knew the two of you would have been together when the discovery was made. So I don’t buy the story that Ed spent the day before Carla died driving to Macon with you to check out a horse. What actually happened on that day?”

“It . . . it was just like I told you.”

Luke moved forward. Getting right up in Robbie’s face, he fisted his hand in the fabric of the older man’s sweater. “Tell me the truth. Right now.”

Robbie stiffened with fear.

“Do you understand me?” Luke asked in an ominously quiet tone.

“Yes.”

Luke removed his hand.

Robbie put several feet of space between them. He went to stand by the bookshelves, then smoothed the clothing Luke had wrinkled.

“What happened nine years ago on April twentieth?” Luke demanded.