“Hannah?”
She turned her head and tried to smile. The effort looked more like a grimace. “I’m okay.”
He walked beside the stretcher as they wheeled it down the driveway to the back of the ambulance. “You bet you’re okay. I’ll be right behind you all the way to the hospital.” He bent to kiss her cold lips then stepped back.
The paramedics lifted her into the ambulance. The shorter of the two men climbed in beside her, and the driver slammed the door.
The older medic gripped Tripp’s shoulder. “Don’t drive like a bat out of hell all the way to the hospital. Take a minute to pull yourself together before you leave.” Steady blue eyes regarded him. “Bring along some shoes and a jacket for Hannah, and don’t forget her purse. Check to make sure her ID and insurance card are in her wallet.” He glanced toward the house where Winnie stood on the porch, still barking. “Maybe feed the dog and call your girlfriend’s family. I want you calm when you get on the highway. Understand?”
Tripp nodded. “Is she going to be okay?”
“I’m pretty certain she has a concussion. Luckily, I don’t think she broke any bones. She took a hard fall. The cut on the back of her head will need a few stitches.”
He let out a breath. “Thank you for your help.”
“You bet.”
The man left, and Tripp headed back to the house. Pausing at the foot of the steps, he frowned then squatted to run a hand over the ice coating the bare wood. A thick layer covered each step but not the walkway or porch.
“Strange.” He glanced at Winnie when the dog whined. “It’s almost like it rained then froze over, or the roof dripped onto the steps.” Standing with his hands planted on his hips, he glanced up. “No, that’s not it. Any water would have run off the porch roof to the sides. I don’t get it.”
Winnie let out a deep woof.
“The steps weren’t slippery when I came up them yesterday evening. What the hell happened?”
At another sharper yap, his gaze jerked back to the dog. He couldn’t worry about the steps now, not when all he cared about was getting to the hospital. Climbing to the porch with care, he entered the cabin and shut the door. The living room was freezing. After turning the thermostat up a couple of notches, he ran a hand through his hair and tried to think. First, clothes and shoes for Hannah since he was certain the ones she was wearing were soaked through from the snow-covered path. He headed into the bedroom and chose jeans and a flannel shirt from the closet then pulled thick socks out of the chest of drawers. Glancing around the room, he noted her black bra draped over the back of a chair. After grabbing it, he picked a pair of pink panties out of a drawer to add to the pile.
“What else?”
Winnie stared up at him and whined.
“A comb? Probably a good idea.” Thinking about her matted hair and the pink snow under her head made his stomach turn. He let out a steadying breath as he entered the bathroom and found a brush lying on the counter. “Now I just need her coat and boots and purse.” After checking to make sure her insurance card was in her wallet, he dumped everything in one of the tote bags she used for groceries and turned to face the dog. “Breakfast for you, and then I’m out of here.”
He fed Winnie then checked to make sure the doggie door into the back yard hadn’t frozen shut. “You’re all set.” When sad eyes stared up at him, he took a few extra seconds to pet the dog. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back with Hannah before you know it.”
He grabbed the bag of clothes, scooped the keys off the counter and locked the door behind him then hustled out to his truck. It wasn’t until he’d left the neighborhood and was on the main road that he realized he was starving. Whatever. He’d eat after he checked on Hannah and saw with his own eyes that she was doing okay. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Hadn’t the paramedic told him one more thing to do? Call her family. His lips tightened. He’d let Hannah decide if she wanted to tell Vivian what had happened. The one person he knew would care was his sister.
As he turned left at the single stoplight in town and headed toward the hospital in Truckee, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Eden’s number. After what he’d been through this morning, getting pulled over for talking on his cell while driving didn’t seem like a big deal. He’d risk it.
She answered on the second ring. “Hey, Tripp. Isn’t it pretty early there? What’s up?”
He glanced at the dashboard clock. Barely seven, but it seemed like he’d been awake for hours. “Uh, I thought you’d want to know...” The words stuck in his throat.
“You sound funny. Is something wrong?”
“Hannah fell down her porch steps. She’s going to be okay, but they took her to the hospital for stitches, and she has a concussion.”
“What?” Eden’s voice was sharp. “What happened?”
“She slipped on ice when she let her dog out this morning and hit her head on one of the steps. I’m on my way to the hospital now.”
“Oh, my God.” Her breath whooshed through the phone. “How bad is she hurt?”
“I’m not sure, but the paramedic said she was lucky. Nothing’s broken. At least they don’t think so. I’ll find out more when I see her.”
“I don’t understand. Did the paramedics call you?”
“Uh, no.” His cheeks heated. “I was with her when it happened.”
“Oh.” Silence followed before Eden spoke again. “Since you aren’t a total jerk, I’m going to assume you care about my best friend.”
“Of course I do.” Irritation simmered. “Look, we’re both adults, so butt out of my business. I only called because I thought you’d want to know Hannah was hurt.”
“Of course I want to know. Can you tell her to phone me once she’s feeling up to it? I’d like to talk to her.”
“Sure.”
“Thanks, Tripp.” She let out another breath. “Take care of her, okay?”
“I intend to. I’ll call you if there’s any other news. I hope I can drive her home in a couple of hours.”
“All right, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.” He dropped the phone on the seat and picked up speed after he passed the turn-offs for the ski areas and the road straightened. By the time he reached Truckee, worry gnawed his nerves raw. Head injuries were no joke. He knew skiers who’d knocked themselves silly taking a hard fall and had lasting problems because of it. He’d been damn lucky to escape the avalanche with only a mild concussion and no lingering aftereffects.
Once the truck was parked, he took the bag of clothes inside with him and stopped at the front desk to ask where he could find Hannah. The desk attendant directed him to the emergency waiting area. In the ER, the middle-aged blonde at the counter gave him a thorough once-over when he repeated his question.
“Are you a relative?”
Tripp looked her straight in the eyes. “I’m her brother.”
“You can go back, then. Second cubicle on the right.”
“Thank you.” He hurried down the tiled corridor and pulled open the second curtain.
Hannah looked over and smiled. Her face was pale against the white pillow. “You came.”
“Of course.” Stepping closer, he dropped the bag on the only chair then sat on the edge of the mattress and took her hand. “How’re you feeling?”
“They gave me something for the pain, but my head is still throbbing. The doctor said he’d be back in a few minutes to stitch me up.” She shifted position and winced. “They did a CAT scan and ran some other tests. Apparently I have a hard head and am lucky that the fall didn’t kill me.”
His grip on her hand tightened. “Nothing else was injured when you landed?”
“Just some major bruising.” She shifted slightly and winced. “I’ll have a few black and blue souvenirs to remind me to take more care on those steps.”
“Good thing I didn’t land on top of you, or I might have done even more damage.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“I slipped, too, but had enough momentum to clear you when I landed. Preformed a perfect tuck and roll. My hip’s a little stiff.”
“Oh, no! Your shoulder?”
“Is fine. Miraculously, I avoided landing on it.” He smiled. “Don’t worry about me, for Christ’s sake. One thing I’ve learned how to do is fall without hurting myself.” He ran his free hand through his hair. “I took a closer look at those steps. They were covered in a thick layer of ice. It’s no wonder we both went down hard.”
“I don’t understand. I shoveled them off after the last storm, so there was no snow on them to melt and freeze. I’ve never had a problem with them icing up before.”
“I couldn’t figure it out, either. It’s almost like water was poured over them or something.”
“That makes no sense.” Hannah glanced past him when the curtain swished open. “Time to get stitched up.”
A man in a white coat who looked barely old enough to be a doctor strolled in, followed by a Hispanic woman in blue scrubs. The guy smiled at Hannah. “Don’t worry. My sewing skills are top notch, and I’ll try not to shave off too much of your hair.”
“I appreciate that. Dr. Jansen, meet Tripp Wilde.”
The doctor glanced down at their entwined fingers then raised a brow. “Your brother, is it?”
Tripp grinned as he stood to shake his hand. “I didn’t want to argue with the woman behind the counter. How’s Hannah doing?”
“She’s going to be sore and have a raging headache for a while. However, I’m hopeful there wasn’t any permanent damage sustained…not that a concussion isn’t serious. Still, a hit like that to the head could have split her skull.”
“I guess I was lucky.” Hannah glanced at the tray of sharp instruments the nurse carried then gave the doctor a pleading glance. “Anything you can do so I don’t look like I’ve been scalped is much appreciated.”
“Mr. Wilde, if you could head to the waiting room, I’ll let you know when we’re finished.”
Tripp nodded. Turning, he bent to drop a kiss on Hannah’s forehead. “See you in a few.”
“Don’t look so worried. If my new haircut is too horrible, I can always wear a hat.”
Smiling at her humor, he headed back to the waiting area. Relief that she seemed okay—or was at least able to put on a brave face—filled him. But seeing her lying on a hospital bed had made him break into one hell of a sweat.
Maybe a dose of fresh air will help clear my head.
He left through the sliding doors then paused on the sidewalk in front of the ER. A short distance away, two uniformed officers spoke to a man in a white coat, presumably a doctor. When the cops left, the man turned.
Tripp’s brows shot up. “Dr. Hamilton, right?”
Hannah’s ex-boyfriend paused, swaying a little. He steadied himself and focused on Tripp. “Mr. Wilde, I’m surprised to see you here. Is your shoulder worse?”
“No, I didn’t come for that.” He frowned. “Are you okay? You look a little shaky?”
The doctor let out a long breath. “I’ve had better mornings. Those officers just told me my wife…” His voice quavered. “…I mean my ex-wife, is dead. It’s possible she was murdered.”
Chapter 12
Where the hell is Tripp?
Hannah forced her wandering attention away from the cubicle curtain back to the clipboard on her lap. The nurse who’d gone looking for him after they’d finished stitching the cut on Hannah’s head had reported he wasn’t in the waiting room. The lines on the papers in front of her blurred, and her head throbbed. Dressing in the clean clothes Tripp had brought with him had exhausted her. The pile of forms she still had to fill out was almost more than she could manage at the moment. She gritted her teeth. Damned if she wouldn’t get the paperwork finished. Then, when Tripp returned from wherever he’d wandered off to, she could get the hell out of here.
Leaning back against the pillows on a sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment. How had this happened? She’d been up and down her porch steps a few thousand times and never once slipped. Yet, this morning, both she and Tripp had fallen. At least he’d had the good sense to land on his ass instead of his head. She grimaced and went back to work on the forms. She’d just finished filling in the blanks when the curtain swished open.
She glanced up. “About time.”
“Sorry, I…never mind.” Tripp stepped into cubicle, followed by Lewis. “The doc and I had a cup of coffee together.”
“My fault, I’m afraid.” Her ex-boyfriend looked worse than she felt. His eyes were red-rimmed, and the hand he shoved in the pocket of his lab coat shook. “I needed someone to talk to, and Tripp was…handy. How’re you doing? Word is you knocked yourself out on your front steps.”
Hannah nodded. “My head feels like it might fall off. Other than that, I’m good.” She glanced between the two men. “Is something wrong other than me winding up in the hospital?” Her gaze zeroed in on Lewis. “You look like crap.”
“Monica’s dead.” The words held a bitter edge. “From what little the police told me along with the info Tripp supplied, it seems likely you witnessed her murder. And, to add icing to the cake, I’m a prime suspect.”
Hannah opened her mouth then closed it with a snap. Her breath whooshed out as ice water filled her veins. “I’m sorry, Lewis. Monica wasn’t an easy woman to get along with, and I know you had your problems, but I’m sure you’re hurting right now.” Her voice rose. “Still, would someone please explain?”
Tripp eased down onto the edge of the bed and gestured for Lewis to take the chair. His sober green gaze met hers. “The body they found at Squaw yesterday belonged to Monica Wright. The coroner determined the Friday afternoon we saw her—or whoever—fall off the chairlift is right smack in the middle of the time-of-death window.”
Hannah gripped the edge of the clipboard. “I wondered when no one could locate her. That’s awful. I…I don’t know what to say.”
Lewis planted his elbows on his knees and cleared his throat. “After the cops tracked me down, they asked where I was last Friday at four o’clock. I told them I’d left the office at noon and gone home. Alone.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “That’s when they told me Monica was dead. After a few more questions about our relationship, I got the distinct impression I was suspect number one in a murder investigation.”
“Why would they think…” Hannah stuttered to a halt. “That’s crazy.”
“There was no love lost between me and Monica. We had a few epic battles over alimony. Of course Monica pissed off a lot of people in her line of work.” His voice cracked. “The police will have a field day with all the potential suspects.”
“I can’t believe she’s dead.” Hannah pressed a hand to her head and winced. “Oh, God, I have to call my mother. She’s going to be upset. Not that her loss compares to yours, but—”
Lewis snorted. “I’m sorry Monica’s dead, and I’ll grieve for her in my own way, but I’m not going to pretend I didn’t loathe the woman by the end of our brief marriage. The years since didn’t change my opinion of her much.”
Tripp’s mouth drew into a tight line before he spoke. “Still, you shouldn’t be working today.”
“Probably not.” Lewis rose to his feet. “I’d better go. There will be arrangements to make, and my ex-wife didn’t have any close relatives. My guess is I’ll get stuck with handling most of the details.” He stepped out into the hallway then turned. “Take care of yourself, Hannah.”
“You, too, Lewis. I really am sorry for your loss.”
“Me, too.” With a nod, he walked away.
“I wonder if he did it.”
“Huh?” Hannah swiveled her head to face Tripp then winced.
“Killed his ex. No alibi, and he could have faked his shock. Or, maybe he was just surprised the police suspected him right off the bat.”
She sh
ook her head then moaned. “Oww! Damn it, that hurt. No way. I dated the man for several weeks. Lewis isn’t the violent sort.”
“Could have been a spontaneous decision to push her off the chairlift. Just in case, I didn’t mention we’d seen the man who did it, even if only from behind. The doc is about the right height…”
“You’re crazy. Anyway, news of what we witnessed isn’t exactly a secret around town. He probably already knew we saw the suspects.”
“Possibly.” Tripp let out a breath. “When can you get out of here?” He reached over to touch her hair. “No big bald spot. That’s good.”
“Thank God. The nurse, Ramona, was super cool and made sure Dr. Jansen only shaved the hair underneath so it wouldn’t be noticeable.”
His hand dropped to her cheek. “How’re you really feeling?”
“Not too horrible, but my head still aches. They gave me some pretty strong meds. I was told to expect to have a headache for a few days.”
“That sucks.”
“I’ll survive. The way everyone’s been talking, I guess I should just be thankful for that. Anyway, as soon as Ramona comes back for these forms, I think I can leave.”
Her assessment was overly optimistic. It was pushing noon before she and Tripp finally pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward home.
“What an awful morning.” She leaned her head against the car window. “Thank you, Tripp. Having you at the hospital with me meant a lot. I appreciate you sticking it out.”
“Hey, you did the same for me. Besides, seeing you lying on the snow out cold nearly gave me a heart attack. I had to make sure you were okay. It was all I could think about.” He grinned. “That and food. I’m pretty hungry.”
Wilde Thing Page 13