She turned off the main road and onto the back road to her father’s house. For the first section, the road was lined with tall fir trees and it was like driving through a dark tunnel. Then it opened up and she had to slow down as it wound its way above the shimmering lake. No other cars were in sight and for no reason a feeling of paranoia returned, making her stomach nauseated. Coming out had been a bad idea. She should have stayed at home and gone to bed early. It didn’t help that the car felt wobbly. Her thumping heart kept time to the steady beat of the windshield wipers.
Trying to distract herself, she thought of Cullen Fraser, and those blue eyes, the way he had looked at her when they’d been in the kitchen of the old farmhouse. Instantly, a warmth flooded every part of her body.
Suddenly, a noise, loud and booming like a shotgun blast, reverberated through the car. In the next instant, a whooshing sound filled the stillness of the night, and then the deflated tire hit the road.
Screaming, she gripped the wheel and tried to keep the car straight as the steel rim ground against the pavement, sending sparks flying. Pulse racing and her whole body trembling, she fought a losing battle to keep the car on the road. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tire shoot out across the pavement and bounce over the short guard rail and down the steep bank to the lake.
As her car pulled to the left, her headlights bounced off the guardrail. A second or two later, she smashed into the tin barrier and the car flew through the air.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The car shot straight into the dusky gray sky. Everything seemed to slow down, as if Nicky were in some weird time warp. As she gripped the steering wheel, jumbled thoughts raced through her mind.
Dad warned you to take the car in for maintenance.
You’re never going to get out of this alive.
It’s your own stupid fault.
Then the car hit the water, front end first. Her head snapped forward, then back, as her body jolted against the seat belt. The impact broke the windshield, and a torrent of icy water gushed into the car as it plowed deep into the lake, instantly immersing her. The water tumbled about like in a washing machine.
Squeezing her mouth shut, water rushed up her nostrils and she clamped a hand over her nose to plug it. The car sank farther, still pitched at an angle, an eerie glow coming from the headlights.
She spun her head around, checked all directions. The dark, murky water made it impossible to see beyond a few feet. She had to get out.
Her hands were cold and she couldn’t find the clasp to undo the seat belt. Her lungs demanded air. The car hit bottom with a little bounce, and the rear end came down. She tried the buckle again and it opened. Next the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Her chest burning and ears hissing, panic set in. The door was supposed to open. Something about equalized pressure.
You’re going to drown.
She groped for the lever to lower the window, but couldn’t feel it. Her hair floated in the murky water like seaweed, making it even harder to see. Empty lungs screamed for air.
Squeezing her mouth shut, she fought burgeoning panic. Looked ahead to the large, jagged hole in the front windshield. She would have to go out there. Maneuvering out of her seat, she used her arms to clear safety glass out of the way, then crawled through the opening and out of the car.
Which way was up?
She kicked mindlessly, her jeans like heavy weights on her legs. Her head was about to burst.
It was just like the time at the lake all those years ago. Except her mother couldn’t save her now.
She kicked harder. Bubbles rose around her head.
She kicked, clawed at the water with her hands. And then her head broke the surface. She gasped, gulping in air, flailing her arms above the small waves. She had no strength left. It didn’t help that she’d never been a strong swimmer. Seaweed tangled in her arms, its strands like the tentacles of a vicious animal trying to drag her under.
In the moonlight, the shoreline was barely visible about a hundred yards away, maybe more. Above it was the road. She darted her eyes around. Couldn’t see any cars, anybody. She was all alone, the darkness like a blanket smothering her. She forced her arms to swim in a messy front crawl, using all her strength, sticking her head above the waves every one or two strokes to gulp air.
You can do this.
Soon her hips sunk with every breath, so she switched to a side kick. She swallowed water, gagged. Her arms were seizing up in the icy water. Her lungs burned.
She couldn’t give up. Each kick was a battle for her life.
When she couldn’t go farther, she stopped to tread water. He toes touched something soft and muddy. The bottom.
She swam more, forced herself to do five strokes. Another five.
When she could stand, she waded through the water until it was at her waist, then staggered up to the shore and collapsed.
* * *
His cell phone woke Cullen out of a deep sleep. It was classical music, usually soothing, but not at five in the morning. When the cop on the other end told him Nicole Bosko’s car had gone into a lake, he bolted upright.
The cop said, “I knew she was involved in your cold case, so I decided to give you a call.”
Panic filled him. “How is she?”
“She’s okay. They’re keeping her in hospital overnight but she’s all right.”
“What happened?”
“She said a tire came off and she went over the guardrail. She says she wasn’t going fast, but we haven’t been able to determine speed yet.”
Cullen put the phone on speaker and pulled on a pair of jeans. “Where’d this happen?”
“On the road near her father’s place. She was going up there to see him.”
Shit.
“Are we sure somebody didn’t do something to her car?”
“No reason to think so, but we’ll have to haul the car out of the water to get a better look. A woman who lived just up the road noticed the smashed guardrail and stopped her car to check. Lucky she did. She found Bosko on the shoreline.”
Putting on a T-shirt, he said, “Any other cars around?”
“Bosko didn’t see any others and the woman who called for help didn’t, either. So far, nobody else has come forward.”
Cullen didn’t say anything, but already he had his own suspicions. Somebody might have done something to Nicole’s car. Thanking the cop, he asked to be kept updated.
Off the phone, he ran downstairs and grabbed his car keys. Fear had his stomach in a vise. Somebody had tried to kill Nicole, he was sure of it.
Outside, it was still dark. At this hour, there was barely any traffic and he rushed through the quiet, gloomy streets, arriving at the hospital fifteen minutes later.
The charge nurse on the unit that had admitted Nicole took a good look at his badge, then told him Nicole was all right, aside from mild hypothermia and superficial cuts and bruises. They were keeping her overnight for observation.
The door to her room was ajar. She was sleeping. It was a private room, dark except for a dim light above her bed and some light coming through the window of her door. He stood beside her, reached over, and smoothed hair away from her forehead. She looked pale and fragile, like a kid.
He couldn’t leave her here alone. She wasn’t safe, wouldn’t be until he found out who had killed her mother, and now tried to kill her. Pulling up a chair, he sat down, tried to figure out what he would do next. He had to talk to her, try to find out what happened, but didn’t want to wake her up.
Just before eight a.m., a nurse in pink scrubs came in. She nodded at him, then went to the other side of the bed, wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Nicole’s arm, and started a machine to get the pressure.
Opening her eyes, Nicole blinked for a minute, uncomprehending, and she glanced around. Spotting him, her eyes widened, as if she were surprised to see him.
The nurse left and he pulled the chair closer. Her hair was all messed up and smelled like lake water and seaw
eed. He wanted to stroke her pale face and hold her hand, but settled with words. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m all right.” Her answer was a hoarse whisper.
“Do your father and sister know what happened?”
“The hospital called them last night and I saw them for a few minutes just after midnight. I talked to my sister on the phone this morning. They’re coming back in in a few hours.”
He nodded. “Tell me what happened.”
She rubbed her temples. “Can you help me put this bed up?”
Finding a control panel on the side, he raised the front of the bed so she could sit up. He sat back down.
She thanked him. “There’s not much to tell. I was driving to my father’s house and something went wrong with the car. I think one of the tires was loose, the front one. I saw it go across the road and over the guardrail. I tried to keep the car on the road, but I couldn’t.” Her eyes were wet.
Swallowing a hard lump in his throat, he said, “It’s okay. You’re all right now.”
Her lips trembled and her eyes were as big as saucers. She looked more scared than he’d ever seen her. Her left arm was hooked up to an intravenous line. He focused on the pole for a moment, tried to swallow that lump wedged in his throat.
Her hand clutched a bunched up section of thin white blanket. “The car went right through the guardrail. When I hit the water, it filled up right away. I couldn’t believe how fast it happened. And it was so cold. I had a hard time getting out.” Tears rolling down her cheeks, she grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes.
Grinding his teeth, Cullen jumped up, paced to the window. “Did you see any other cars?”
“I didn’t see anybody. The first person was the woman who found me on the shore. Can you find out her name? I’d like to thank her.”
“Sure, sure.” He sat down again. “But how did it happen? Tires don’t just come off. Have you had it serviced lately?”
“What’s lately?”
“Jesus, Nicole.”
Lowering her brow, she squinted at him. “Don’t get mad at me. I feel stupid enough already.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. We don’t know that it’s your fault.” He didn’t want to say he suspected it wasn’t, that somebody had tried to kill her by sabotaging her car.
She reached for the call bell hooked to the front of her bed. “I’m going to call the nurse to see how soon I can get out of here.”
Reaching over, he snatched it out of her hand. “Wait, wait. What’s the hurry?” He’d get a guard on the door and she’d be safer here than out of the hospital.
“I’m fine. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Maybe a little bit of fear would be a good thing. What right did he have to not reveal his suspicions? “What if somebody did something to your car?”
“You just said it was my fault for not getting the car serviced.”
“I did not.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You certainly implied it.”
He massaged his forehead with one hand, then looked up to meet her eyes. “Maybe someone loosened the nuts that were used to keep the tire on. Until we learn more, we have to be extra careful.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Why would somebody want to hurt me? I don’t even know anything. Believe me, if I thought I did, I’d tell you. But there’s nothing.”
“What did you do yesterday?”
“I went to work, and then afterward I went home, talked to Emily on the phone. It was an uneventful day.”
He scratched his head. “And the day before? Sunday?”
She thought about it a minute, hesitated. “Well, I went to see Allan Spidell.”
Alarmed, he jumped to his feet. “What? Why the hell did you do that?”
She drew back, bit her lip. “It was no big deal. I just wanted to talk to him about my mom.”
“What did he tell you?”
“I asked him if he’d had an affair with my mother. He said no, but he didn’t like the suggestion. I was hoping he’d be able to give me more information, but I don’t think he’s hiding anything. And I don’t think he would try to kill me just for asking questions. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Nothing about this makes sense. Why didn’t you let me go see him? You don’t go off all half-cocked—”
She sat up straighter, shook her head. “I told you about it, but you didn’t seem too interested.”
He clenched his fists. “What are you talking about? I was interested and I did plan to see him.”
Her eyes on him were dark and determined. “This has nothing to do with Allan Spidell. What reason would he have to hurt me? I don’t have some secret knowledge about him that would threaten him.”
Irritation quickened his pulse. “Let me be the judge of that. You have no idea what he’s capable of.”
She looked at him closely. “What do you mean?”
“He may be involved in stuff that’s not exactly on the up and up.”
“Like what?”
“He’s got big money problems. He seems to be embroiled in some kind of dispute with his business partners.”
“What could his money problems possibly have to do with me?”
“Maybe nothing. Maybe he just doesn’t want police attention. Maybe your mother found out something all those years ago.”
She blew out a noisy breath. “She did bookkeeping work for him. If she’d found out something bad, she would have gone to the police. She would have told my father.” Her tone was dismissive.
“Listen, we don’t know anything for sure yet. And I don’t want you putting your life in danger.”
She pursed his lips. “I admit he did make me feel a little uncomfortable. Allan Spidell’s got a big temper.”
“What did he say to you?”
“He asked me to leave. I doubt I’ll be going there again.”
“I’ll go see him.” He stroked his chin. “Do you park your car in the lot behind your apartment building?” When she nodded, he said, “So anybody could have access to your car? Did you leave it unattended yesterday?”
Shivering again, she nodded. “I walked to work.”
“Does your building have surveillance cameras?”
She shook her head no.
“Your car is being pulled out of the lake this morning. I should get at least a preliminary report on it within a couple of days.”
She paled. “You’re scaring me.”
“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. We’ve got to figure out a way to keep you safe until this is all over.”
She closed her eyes. “I’m not staying here.”
He nodded. The hospital wasn’t safe, either, now that he thought about it. Getting her somewhere safer had to be a priority.
She said, “I’m not going to stay with my father or my sister. Don’t even suggest it. They’ve got enough on their plates. I’ll figure something out.”
“What about a friend?”
“I don’t want to put a friend at risk. No way.” She scoffed. “I’ll find a hotel. My friend Emily’s mother owns a hotel.”
The idea wasn’t appealing. A hotel wasn’t safe enough. Unless it was in Alaska.
She pinched her lips. “This is so crazy. I know nothing.”
“Maybe you do. You just don’t realize it yet.” Rubbing his neck, he said, “A hotel won’t do; it’s too risky. I’ll find somewhere safe for you to stay.”
She crossed her arms. “No way am I putting this on my father or sister.”
“Don’t worry.” Heck, he had an extra room at his place. If he stashed her there and kept her hidden, nobody would be the wiser. He turned to her. “I’ll come up with something.”
“I am not your responsibility.” Her chin was up but it wasn’t hard to see the fear in her eyes. He wanted to reassure her, but he also wanted her scared. It would help keep her alive.
“I’m having a cop put on the door until you’re discharged. Then I’ll pick you up. We can stop by yo
ur place and pick up some clothes.”
* * *
“You look a bit better now than last night,” Karina said as she and James Bosko approached Nicky’s bedside at Riverton General Hospital. “We were so worried. You looked awful.”
Nicky propped pillows behind her back so she could sit up. “I’m feeling fine, honestly. It’s all over now. There’s no reason to worry.”
It was just after ten a.m. She’d dozed off after Cullen left. The nurse had closed her door and the quiet din of the hospital was almost hypnotic.
Karina clutched her hand tightly and kissed her on the cheek. “Worried doesn’t begin to describe it.” Stepping back, she held up a bouquet of colorful flowers, then left the room in search of a vase, promising to be right back. Her father sat down on the bed, leaned over, and kissed her. Unshaven, his clothes were rumpled, as if he had slept in them. “We wondered why you didn’t come. We tried your cell phone. We waited a long time.”
Nicky reached a hand out to him, tried to smile. “I’m fine. I should be out of here, but for some reason they kept me in overnight. As soon as the doctor comes by, I’ll get the okay to go home.”
Sharp eyes studied her. “What happened?”
She forced a shrug. “I should have had the car in for maintenance. One of the tires came off.” A barrage of images hit her, making her heart race. Hitting the guardrail, tearing through the sky, water flooding the car. Desperately trying to open the car door, her lungs bursting from lack of air.
Her father patted her hand. “You’re okay now. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
She took a deep breath, then another, tried to slow her heart rate. “I was so scared,” she managed to choke out. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Tears gathered in her father’s eyes. “It would break my heart if anything happened to you.”
Nicky cleared her throat. “Nothing’s going to happen.” Her father was stressed enough about everything as it was. Adding to it would be cruel—even dangerous, considering his heart attack. She remembered visiting him in the hospital a year ago. He’d looked so gray and tired. Much as he looked like now. The doctor had said the first heart attack put him at greater risk of having a second. The realization hit like a punch to the stomach. She had to protect him at all costs.
Extreme Pursuit (Chasing Justice #2) Page 11