They rounded the first curve and started up the hill. A carved rock wall crowded the road on the left. The right side sported a guardrail that protected motorists from a gradually steeper drop.
The phone still in his hand, Jared scrolled to the last in-coming call and tried to reconnect. “Busy,” he announced, his stomach twisting.
“She’s going to be okay,” Jack soothed, “You just talked to her.”
“She probably forgot to disconnect,” Ray added.
Jared scowled at the sudden brotherhood.
Fear pulled his attention to the road in front of the truck. “How far could she have gotten? Why aren’t we seeing…?”
Jack slammed on the brakes as they approached the wide, looping turn at the bottom of the hill.
Jared stared numbly at the dark rubber marks that led to deep gouges in the hot asphalt. A film of cold sweat slicked across his skin.
His gaze tracked the line of damage down a small, grassy hill to the left and across a ravaged field to the gnarled gray metal twisted around an ancient oak tree. “Oh God.” He scrambled across Ray and threw open the door.
His lungs pumped furiously as he pushed for speed down the side of the road and through the tall grass. His hip burned white hot, but he could not stop. Not when a tree filled most of the truck’s cabin. It was all he could see. Except for the pale oval of Dee’s face resting against the side window.
“Dee,” he shouted, though the breathy sound barely made it past his lips. He touched the cool metal door, his fingers searching, gripping, then tugging the handle.
Relief stabbed through him as she lifted her head, her face wet with tears. No blood. Jared sucked in a huge breath and forced the groaning door wide. His knees folded. He sat on the running board and fought to regulate his breath as he absorbed the living, breathing sight of her.
“Where,” his voice broke, “where are you hurt?” He commanded his shaking hand to be gentle as he stroked a lock of hair from her tear-streaked face.
Her trembling lips closed over a broken sob.
“Is she okay?”
Jack and Ray pounded their way toward him, but Jared could not lift his gaze from her frightened eyes.
They pulled up beside him, breathing ragged as they stooped to get a better look.
“Get me out of here,” she begged in a wavering whisper.
Jared noted the seatbelt that still held her securely. “We can’t,” he answered softly, his thumb sliding across her silky cheek to catch the next tear. “We can’t risk moving you till the ambulance gets here.”
An uneasy stillness settled around him.
“Uh,” Ray stammered, “did you call this in?”
Jared whipped his head around, heat rising up his neck to burn his cheeks. Why couldn’t he get it right around this woman? He tossed his phone to Ray. “Where’s Frank?”
“He’s directing traffic,” Jack answered. “I left the truck blocking the road. I better go move it.”
As Ray called for emergency services, Jared returned his attention to Dee. Her tears were slowing, her gold flecked eyes locked on him as if he were her lifeline.
He couldn’t seem to keep his fingers from her hair. “It’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be fine,” he murmured as he rhythmically stroked the auburn tresses back.
In halting movements, Dee lifted her hand and wrapped her fingers around his wrist and held on. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered as her eyes drifted closed.
“Dee? Open your eyes, honey.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him, her voice sounding stronger. “Just tired.”
“You need to stay awake till they can check you out. The ambulance”—he glanced at the road and silently cursed each second that it was taking for help to arrive—“will be here in just a minute.”
She nodded.
“Do you remember what happened?” Jared studied what was left of the truck. It must have hit the tree at a forward angle; the passenger side folded more to the back than the side where it would have crushed her. It was nothing but pure luck that she was alive.
Jared’s hand slipped from her hair, locked around her cold fingers.
Her brow puckered. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t remember anything?” he pursued. “Were you passing a car? Going too fast around the curve?”
Her brows lowered, her lips pursed as she shook her head. “No, I wasn’t driving too fast,” she said petulantly.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’d slowed down because something was wrong with the truck.”
“Wrong? How?”
“I don’t know. The steering felt funny when I went around that first turn, so I slowed down.” She frowned. “When I got to the curve at the bottom of the hill the whole truck tilted and started sliding. There was a loud noise.”
“What kind of noise?”
“Like metal scraping.”
The deep gouges in the asphalt leapt to the front of his mind. “Do you know what was causing the noise? Where it was coming from?”
Several seconds ticked by in silence as she concentrated. “It was all around me,” she said in a small voice. Moisture pooled in her eyes.
He leaned back and looked at the tires. “Where the hell is the ambulance?” he snapped at Ray.
Ray shrugged, his gaze trained on the road as if he could will the ambulance to arrive.
“Stay with her,” Jared commanded. “I need to look at something.”
Dee’s fingers tangled with Jared’s as he pulled back, her hazel eyes full of pleading. Bending over her, Jared placed a light kiss on her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere,” he soothed. “I just want to look at the truck.”
Dee nodded understanding and withdrew her hand.
Curling his fingers over his empty palm, Jared walked around the truck studying each tire, then squatted near the right front fender. The tire was missing. Gone. He leaned closer. Four of the lug bolts were curiously intact. A jagged strip of metal was all that remained of the fifth. The chassis and brake housing were flat and scarred with deep gouges.
A chill chased across his skin. The tire had come off early on. Had Charlie loaned Dee a defective truck? Had he recently had the tire off and forgotten to tighten all the lug nuts? The accident was not Dee’s fault, but she could have died.
He’d never had a hard word with Charlie before, but he was about to deliver an earful today.
Sirens wailed in the distance as Jared rounded the door and approached Dee. He was careful to mask his concerns behind a calm demeanor. “Dee, how much have you driven this truck?”
“Just a little,” she said, a vague expression clouding her eyes. “I bought some groceries and some clothes. I’ve mostly stayed at home and worked. Why?”
This could have so easily happened in a busier location, with much worse results.
“Jared?”
He shook off the weight of dire possibilities. “I’m just trying to figure out what happened,” he said lightly.
Voices shouting behind him signaled the arrival of emergency services. Jack directed the ambulance as it backed off the road.
Jared remained beside Dee, her delicate hand once again nestled within his grip. He didn’t know who’d made the connection, but it was a comfort to him as much as her.
The EMTs shooed Jared back and worked to free Dee. Within minutes, they were loading her in the back of the ambulance. An EMT bent over the stretcher and locked it in place.
Unease tightened Jared’s muscles when the first door closed. She looked so pale, so helpless. All of the fire and sass he associated with her were missing.
The second door was closing as Dee opened her eyes. For a split second, their gazes met, held.
As the ambulance eased away, Jared bolted into action. “Stop,” he shouted as he chased the vehicle. “Wait.”
The ambulance slowed to navigate a dip in the field. Hip screaming, Jared ran full out and slapped a palm against the back door.
The
heavy vehicle stopped and the back door opened.
Giving no one a chance to comment, Jared climbed in.
Chapter Nine
He was avoiding her. He knew it. But yesterday had unnerved him.
Dee Quinn was becoming an obsession. It didn’t matter how often he reminded himself of her accusations against another cop, he had no peace unless he was with her.
So with the desperation of a man who knew his life was sliding out of control, he ran to a guaranteed safe haven. His sanctuary. His buddies. Moore’s.
“How’s Dee?” Ray asked as Jared walked into the bar.
Jared shrugged.
Severe disapproval flashed from narrowing eyes. “You mean to tell me you haven’t checked on her today?”
“No, I haven’t,” Jared snapped, rubbing an angry hand over his hip. The damn thing hadn’t stopped aching since he ran to her side yesterday. He’d be lucky if that stunt didn’t push his rehab back another month.
“But you’ve called her.”
“No,” Jared enunciated clearly, “I have not called her, either.”
“Why not?” Ray demanded.
Because women start thinking all kinds of crazy things when a guy calls to check on them. He dropped onto a stool, propped an elbow on the bar and slid a thumb and forefinger over his eyes. “She didn’t get home till late.”
Ray pursed his lips; his brows lifted.
Jared rolled his eyes. Just the kind of thing he wanted to avoid. “We…she was at the hospital for hours.”
Ray remained silent, his face smoothing into his tell-me-all-about-it expression.
A sigh hissed between Jared’s clenched teeth. Sometimes friends were nothing but royal pains in the backside. Mimicking the expression, Jared stared at the bartender.
Eyes unblinking, Ray murmured, “You know you’re going to crack.”
A tiny muscle on the side of Jared’s mouth tingled, primed to twitch. At the post he was known for his steely, silent gaze. He could make suspects cry with his long, stony stare. But with friends, he lost it every time.
The tingling sensation grew until he knew his face was on the verge of cracking. Slapping his palm on the bar, Jared stood and started toward the door.
“Somebody should check on her,” Ray chastised.
Jack settled on the stool beside Jared. “On who?”
“Dee.” Ray answered.
Jack nodded. “How’s she doing?”
“He doesn’t know,” Ray informed him. “He hasn’t bothered to even call her today.”
Jared balled his fists and closed his eyes, counting to ten.
“You really ought to check on her.” Jack immediately sided with Ray.
Jared groaned. Yesterday these two were at each other’s throat. Today they were some sort of evil tag team.
“She’s probably pretty sore,” Jack continued.
Ray gave an exaggerated sigh. “Poor thing. She’s probably laying there, can’t get herself anything to eat or drink.”
Jack responded right on cue. “Probably can’t even get to the bathroom by herself.”
“And not one friend to stop by and check on her.”
Jared aimed an accusing stare at Jack. “Yesterday you didn’t even like her.”
“That’s business, nothing personal. Doesn’t mean I want to see her hurt.”
Jared didn’t miss the quick glance toward Ray, the ghost of a grin that passed over Jack’s face.
“And,” Jack continued, “I don’t want to think of her lying there all alone with no one to help.”
Jared pushed around Jack and stalked out the door, the sound of laughter erupting behind him. Idiots. There was no way he could check on her, even if he wanted to. Not after yesterday.
He scraped his fingers over his short hair. Dee was probably already attaching all kinds of romantic notions to his behavior. The way he’d stroked her hair. A result of the fear in her eyes.
The way he’d held her hand. A normal gesture of comfort. He would do that for any accident victim.
The way he stayed at her side at the hospital. What was he supposed to do? Abandon her at the hospital?
The way he’d commandeered his way into the ambulance to ride with her. What in the world had possessed him to do such a thing?
Jared kicked a rock across the parking lot.
“Hey.” Jack stepped into the gravel lot. “If you don’t have anything planned…”
Jared smoothed the grimace before turning around.
“…why don’t you give me a hand? I need to take a few more measurements around the building and check the foundation.”
Was he trying to push his way into Dee’s job while she was down?
“I’m working up some blueprints for Dee,” Jack said.
Jared nodded. “Yeah, I can help.”
Jack reached into the back of his pick-up and sorted through his tools. Pulling out two rakes, he tossed one to Jared.
“What’s this for?”
Jack’s mouth stretched to a near smile. “There’re weeds growing up around the foundation, especially in the back. I don’t recommend you put your hands in them.”
Jared lifted a questioning brow.
“Spiders and…” Jack shrugged.
Snakes. Jared scanned the surrounding fields. There were a few poisonous varieties in this area. Enough to make a smart man cautious. “Where do you want to start?”
“Over here,” Jack crossed to the far side of the bar. “What do you know about Dee’s accident?” he asked.
Jared snorted in disgust. “Not much more than yesterday.” No one at the scene of the accident could overlook the missing front tire. He’d called Charlie from the hospital, and the man emphatically denied having any trouble with that tire. He’d claimed there had been no work done on that wheel, the brakes, nothing on that side since he replaced all the tires over a year ago.
That tire would not have come off if all the lug nuts had been intact. Yet the tire could not have stayed on for a year’s worth of driving if the lug nuts—at least four of them—had carelessly been left loose. No way. That argument kept circling in his mind.
Jack handed Jared the end of the measuring tape. “I guess in a way it was lucky no one was seriously hurt.”
“Or killed,” Jared muttered. The thought still sent a hard chill up his spine.
Beneath the cloudless August sky, the two men worked their way around the building. In the rear, Jack stopped to examine a hole in the plank siding. His brows puckered as he poked his finger in the hole over and over, twisting side to side to peer into the growing opening.
“What are you doing?” Jared asked.
“Go get me a hammer.”
Jared stepped up behind him. “What’s in there?”
Jack grinned. “It looks like there’s log under here. Ray’s gonna want to see this.”
Dee would want to see it, too. She’d want to find a way to showcase it in her remodel. He could envision her green eyes lit with excitement. With effort, he relaxed his face to his best deadpan expression. “Won’t uncovering it be expensive?”
Jack chuckled. “Smart ass. We both know Ray won’t mind spending money on that. Now go get that hammer.”
No, Ray wouldn’t mind. He’d bought and restored two older homes in the area. He still lived in one of them. He was handy with a hammer and saw, at least enough to work around the house.
No, Ray wouldn’t mind. He’d be thrilled.
Jared hustled around the building, choosing to wade through higher weeds to avoid a thorny patch of bramble, when something rolled beneath his foot and he fell to his knees. “The first thing Ray’s going to do is clear this area,” Jared groused as he lowered his hands to the ground to boost himself up. Thoughts of chiggers and ticks made him anxious to get out of the weeds.
The edge of his left hand settled over something smooth, sharp enough to dig into his palm as he pushed up. Instantly he snatched his hand back, searching the ground for the source of pain. He sw
ept his fingers through the matted undergrowth until they closed over a smooth-sided metal object.
Disbelief lanced through him as he slowly stood. He forgot his sweaty discomfort and the possibility of biting insects as he stared at the lug nut in his hand. Closing his fist over it, Jared stared at the parking lot in front of him.
The cop in him didn’t believe in coincidence. If there was a lug nut in this field, it belonged to Charlie’s truck. Dee had parked the old, gray relic at the farthest end of the lot.
Columbus, Carl Ormsby, popped into his mind. Was it possible? Improbable, yes, but not impossible. A myriad of questions raced through his mind. How hard would it have been for him to slip in and remove the lug nuts without detection? Especially given the in-and-out nature of the bar? How could he have known where she would be at that exact moment to execute the sabotage?
How could he have known the vehicle she was driving?
Equally improbable was the possibility of a random act. The chances of detection were too great in a business parking lot. The bar sat exposed in a curve of open road. The culprit would have had to park a car in a highly visible place along a state highway that saw its fair share of traffic. Too many unpredictable factors to make this prank worthwhile.
So who? Who had the opportunity? And why would someone want to harm Dee?
His stomach soured. The only people at the bar yesterday were Ray, Jack, Dee, Frank, and himself. He knew each of these people, and discounting Dee, he knew each of them well. He wanted to reject all the possibilities, but his training demanded he treat them all as suspects.
With his very vocal concerns about Dee, Jack placed himself as the primary suspect in a short list of candidates.
But that didn’t make him guilty.
“Hey, Jared, did you get lost?” Jack shouted.
Jared noted his position, pocketed the lug nut, and pushed through the weeds to the truck. “I’ve got it,” he hollered as he picked up a hammer and crow bar, then hurried back.
Taking the crow bar, Jack immediately set to work prying a single strip of wood siding from the wall. “Would you look at that,” he exclaimed as the wood splintered, revealing a row of rough-hewn log. He ran his hand over the logs. “This was virgin timber. It has to be part of the original structure.”
Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set Page 240