On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

you should talk to your wife, Kyle. I know you don't want her to know, but this problem isn't going to just go away. And it's going to affect a lot more people than just you."
    "What problem?" Sara murmured.
    "Whatever he went to the clinic to get help with," Aiden said, his gut churning. He continued down the list of emails. There was nothing else from Becky.
    "Look in his search history," Sara suggested. "When people are sick, they often look on the Internet for answers. Let me help," she added, taking over the keyboard. "Here's a list of the most recent websites he visited. One is the clinic." She paused, running her finger down the entries. "Look at these sites, Aiden. They're all on the same topic."
    A pain burned in his gut. Every one of the sites had something to do with hearing—hearing loss, hearing aids, diagnosing ear problems, ringing in the ears. It suddenly all made sense. All the times Kyle didn't seem to be paying attention, the times he'd asked Aiden to repeat what he'd just said. And the recurring dream fit, too – Kyle walking away from him, never looking back. Kyle hadn't heard him. He hadn't been ignoring him. He just couldn't hear. The fire had been too damn loud!
    Fury followed the realization. Why hadn't Kyle told anyone that he was suffering from hearing loss? Why had he put his life in jeopardy—and not just his life but everyone else's, too?
    He jerked to his feet. "Damn, Damn, Damn."
    "What did you find?" Vicky asked. She entered the room with worried eyes. "Was Kyle sick? Did he…" She stumbled, searching for words that he knew she did not want to say.
    "No, he didn't kill himself," he said.
    "Are you sure?" she asked, relief in her voice.
    "Yes. We'll need to do more research to know everything, but judging from what I've seen here and what I know, I believe Kyle had a hearing problem."
    "What? Why would you say that?"
    "The doctor he went to see was an ENT, an ear, nose and throat specialist. The nurse was an old friend of Kyle's from high school. She told me that he'd sought her out, and I couldn't think of any reason why he would have done that. She also said that she couldn't tell me what Kyle's medical issues were, but that she had told him to tell you about his problem." Aiden pointed to the computer. "And she did that in an email to Kyle. We also went through his search history. Kyle spent the last month of his life researching hearing loss and hearing aids. Why would he do that if he didn't have a problem? It's not definitive, but when you put all the pieces together…"
    Vicky sank down on a nearby chair, as if she no longer had the strength to stand up. Surprise in her eyes had been replaced with a more thoughtful gleam. "I went into the bathroom one day a few weeks after Robbie was born. Kyle was staring in the mirror, an odd look in his eyes. He asked me if I ever heard ringing in my ears. I said, no. I think I was about to ask him if he had a problem when Robbie started crying. Kyle never mentioned it again." She paused. "If he had a problem, why wouldn't he tell me?"
    "You had a newborn, and you were stressed out. I'm guessing he didn't want to worry you. He was very protective of you."
    "He was," she said, her eyes watering again. "I dated some real losers before him. Kyle was like a knight in shining armor. I don't think I appreciated him enough while he was alive."
    "You did," he reassured her.
    "So you think his hearing was a factor in his death?"
    The same old flash of memory crossed his mind, Kyle refusing to look back, not answering his calls. "Yes, I do. It's all coming together, all the little things I saw but that didn't register until now."
    "I know what you mean. I remember times when I thought Kyle was ignoring me. I thought he was tuning out my complaints, that he was being a typical guy. I didn't realize he might not have heard what I was saying. But that brings me back to why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he tell you, Aiden?"
    His lips drew into a tight line.
    "I have to believe it's because he didn't want to put me in a difficult position. If I'd known there was a medical issue, I wouldn't have let him jump. I would have suspended him until he could get medical clearance."
    "That would have meant less money, right?" Vicky asked. "Kyle was really worried about making the mortgage payments. I pushed him to get this condo. I made him take my parents' money. I put too much pressure on him. He must have felt trapped. If he lost his job, we probably would