Bill took some more pictures, and then Emily whispered to Eve, “I’m going to crop Grayson out.”
Eve turned to Grayson. “Could I talk to you alone for a minute?”
“Sure,” Grayson said.
Eve smiled at his family. “Please excuse me, I’m going to steal your son for a minute.”
She led him into the library, where they’d have some privacy. As soon as the door was closed, and she was sure nobody was around, she said, “I want to apologize for not reaching out to you after the shooting. I got swept up working some cases. How are you feeling?”
“It’s been kind of a whirlwind for me, too, no time to stop and think. I’ve been on all the local news shows, plus a bunch of radio interviews,” Grayson said. “I’ve been reliving what happened, but not dwelling on it, if you know what I mean.”
It had become a story that he told, not an experience that he’d lived, and with each telling, he distanced himself from the reality of it even more. Or, as he’d put it, the horror. Perhaps it was a good thing, she thought.
“Are you sleeping?” Eve asked.
“Not much, mostly because of all the interviews. They leave me pretty cranked up afterwards.”
“I know the feeling,” she said. “I also know what comes later. When the whirlwind dies down, and it will, and it’s just you and your thoughts, it can be tough. If you need to talk to someone, you have my card. I meant what I said. Call any time.”
“Thanks,” Grayson said. “What about you?”
“What do you mean?”
He looked her in the eye. “You saw him die, too.”
Eve met his gaze. “I wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger.”
“But still, you must feel something.”
She didn’t. She’d been in a different whirlwind, one of constant work. There was no time to think about spattered brains or butchered wombs. Perhaps that was intentional, Eve thought. She was avoiding the gruesome loop.
But he deserved an answer, so Eve gave him one. “I feel grateful to be alive.”
Grayson nodded. “So do I.”
She realized now that they would always have this private bond, a moment of violence they’d shared that would shape the rest of his life in subtle and, perhaps, profound ways. Maybe hers, too.
Sheriff Lansing came through the door. “I wondered where you two were hiding. We’re ready to get started.”
Eve smiled at Grayson. “It’s showtime.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Eve and Duncan stood on the stage with Grayson Mumford, the Calabasas City Council, Ethan Dryer, Captain Shaw, and the sheriff as the backdrop for Mayor Maureen Stoker, the mother of six children and former president of the local PTA, as she spoke at the podium.
“We expect our law enforcement professionals to put their lives on the line for our safety, to run towards danger, not away from it, to protect us. We deeply appreciate that service and sacrifice, which they do every day. But it’s truly extraordinary when a civilian, someone who doesn’t wear a badge, does the same thing.”
Stoker looked over her shoulder and gave Grayson a smile, then continued with her speech.
“Three days ago, an armed, desperate man ran into a grocery store in the Commons with a detective in hot pursuit. Grayson Mumford was the security guard on duty that day. His job ordinarily consists of removing unruly customers and nabbing shoplifters. But Monday he faced a new challenge—an armed felon. Instead of fleeing or taking cover, he confronted the active shooter, risking his life to take him down. For that act of exceptional courage, on behalf of the City of Calabasas, I’m proud to honor Grayson Mumford with our Meritorious Citizen Award.”
Stoker reached into a shelf in the podium, brought out a plaque, and waved to Grayson to step forward. She handed him the plaque to the applause of everyone in the audience. Stoker and Grayson then posed for photos for the city photographer, a few press photographers, and Grayson’s very proud father. After everyone got their shot, Stoker quietly told him to stay where he was and then she went back to the microphone.
“Now I’d like to present Los Angeles County sheriff Richard Lansing, who has a few words he’d like to say.”
Eve knew it would be a lot more than a few words. Lansing loved a podium and a microphone.
“Thank you, Mayor Stoker. Grayson, your actions in the supermarket not only protected the employees and customers in the store but saved the life of one of our officers. You were in a uniform, wearing a security company patch, and yet you embodied all the qualities I expect from the men and women who wear this badge.” Lansing reverently touched his own badge. “That’s why I am proud to award you the Medal of Valor, the highest honor we can bestow upon an officer in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”