One of the paramedics barked, “Well she’s currently unconscious, so she won’t know the difference.”
“Terrible tragedy.” It wasn’t clear if Simon had registered the paramedic’s words. “Who would do something like this?”
Principal Vaughan seemed like he might be in shock. His jaw gaped a bit as he took in the surroundings with a bit of vacancy in his eyes.
“Shouldn’t one of us ride with her to the hospital?” Ashley asked.
The paramedic was all business, continuing to work as he shook his head. “Can’t. Sorry. Only family can ride in the aid car with the victim.”
Sheriff Parker patted Ashley’s hand where it rested on his arm. “Sorry. I knew you wouldn’t be able to be in the car. But I thought if she was conscious when we got over here you three might be able to soothe her.”
There was something about the sheriff’s words that drew Kyra’s attention. Several minutes ago, one of the paramedics had announced over the radio that Chloe was unconscious. Wouldn’t the sheriff have heard that?
Another thought hit her. Case had mentioned that both Simon and Ashley were at the top of his suspect list. He’d probably communicated that to the sheriff, right? So was the man just trying to keep an eye on both of them?
She felt a wash of shock. Could Simon or Ashley have been the one doing the shooting?
If the sheriff had suspicions why would he have brought them this close to Chloe, though? Wouldn’t he want to keep them as far away from her as possible? And yet…what better place to keep an eye on them than here where they were both close together and surrounded by cops?
And the information on Chloe’s phone just might reveal which one of them it was! But the sheriff didn’t know that yet.
She scrambled frantically for a plan to get that phone out of Simon’s clutches. If he was the dealer and the shooter, and there was incriminating evidence on there he could destroy it. And if he wasn’t the killer, having the phone might put him in danger. She didn’t want that either. She couldn’t picture Ashley trying to harm him, but hadn’t Case mentioned that there was someone else who had jumped to the top of his list this morning? Who was that?
She gave her head a little shake. This was all too much to figure out. Her brain was going to turn into a pretzel if she didn’t stop thinking so hard. She didn’t know who to trust or not to trust, but what she did know was that she needed to get that phone.
Simon paused and spun back to face her. “Who are you? I saw you earlier, didn’t I?”
Kyra was taken aback for just a moment until she remembered she was in disguise. She’d been forgetting to alter her voice since the shooting had commenced!
Sudden fear threatened to steal Kyra’s ability to speak at all. Her story about arriving with the morning’s only ferry would fall all to pieces if Simon mentioned that he’d seen her walking on the community trail. And if someone had recognized her voice? Get back into character, now! The less details she gave, the better. She could do this. “I’m Case Sheridan’s girlfriend. I live over on the mainland.” She eased into the slight accent she’d been using earlier, hoping that the transition wouldn’t be noticed. She glanced past him toward Chloe, who the paramedics now had on a rolling stretcher. “Case and I were talking with Chloe when she was shot. Anyhow…” Be bold! She strode right up to him. “Like I said, Chloe wants this, so I’ll just take it to her so she’ll have it in the hospital with her.” She grabbed the phone but Simon refused to release it.
“And where’s Case now?”
Careful. She waved her free hand toward the trees. “I don’t know. He just took off running that way.” She rolled her eyes. “Boys! I guess he’s no knight in shining armor!”
They both stood there, each of them with one hand on the phone, staring into the other’s eyes.
Don’t blink.
Something twitched near Simon’s left eye. Was he reluctant to give it up to her because he believed she was a stranger? Or because he knew there was incriminating evidence on it?
Sheriff Parker spoke as he brushed past them with Ashley leaning heavily on his arm. “Oh just give her the phone, Simon. The goal here is to make Chloe feel as relaxed as possible. If the girl wants the phone, she gets the phone.” In that moment, the sheriff gave her a pointed look, and she suddenly knew that he knew she wasn’t any such thing as Case’s girlfriend from over on the mainland.
Maintaining her grip on the phone, she arched a brow at him. Would he give it up now? And if not, what would she do?
Simon reluctantly released his hold and Kyra eased out a breath.
Sheriff Parker pegged her with another look as he helped Ashley to a seat on the wall of the fountain near Chloe’s stretcher. “I’m going to need to speak with you in just a moment, young lady. I’ll need to know everything you saw.”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The paramedics were now rolling Chloe toward the ambulance in the parking lot, one of them holding a bag of IV liquid high above her.
Realizing Simon, Ashley, Vaughan, and the sheriff were staring from her to the red phone in her hand and back again, Kyra hurried after the stretcher. Of course she couldn’t really leave the phone with an unconscious Chloe. She needed to get the device either to Case or to the sheriff. But she needed to make this look good.
While the paramedics loaded Chloe into the unit, she turned her back to the group and bent as though brushing dirt from her knees. It only took a second to shove Chloe’s phone into her empty boot and extract her identical phone from the other. Her heart hammered. That had probably looked really suspicious, hadn’t it? But a quick glance back at the group near the fountain showed that, though they continued to watch her, none of them seemed suspicious. The paramedics were still locking the stretcher into place, barking orders at each other, and scribbling on tablets. She stood waiting by the open doors of the aid car.
If she could pull this off, maybe when the sheriff questioned her she would have an opportunity to hand over Chloe’s phone to him. Where was Case, anyhow? It worried her that she hadn’t seen him for several minutes. So much adrenaline was coursing through her that she almost dropped her phone. Finally, the last paramedic started to climb on board.
Kyra held up the red phone, making sure that it was plainly visible. “Could you give this to her when she comes around?”
The paramedic dropped the phone into a plastic bag and scribbled something on the outside. “I’ll be sure to get this to her. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”
Kyra nodded. “Thank you.” As casually as she could she turned and walked back toward the group near the fountain.
The deed was done. Mission accomplished. She had Chloe’s phone.
Next step. Get it to the police.
Anger seethed. So close to boiling over.
The phone had been right there. But that goth girl had won the battle.
On top of that, the snippy paramedic had prevented anyone from accompanying Chloe, and it wasn’t like a scene could be made in front of all the lawmen on the island.
Something coiled tight deep inside. This whole thing could come unraveled at any moment.
What was it about that goth girl that seemed so familiar? Something niggled at the back of the mind, but couldn’t quite be pinned down.
Well, whatever it was, it didn’t really matter. The phone had been returned to Chloe. And thankfully she was unconscious still, which meant she wouldn’t be talking yet. So it would just be a matter of retrieving the phone from the hospital now, and a plan was already forming for how to do that.
What did Chloe have on that phone? The thing was… She might have nothing on it, but the risk couldn’t be taken. This was a situation where the potential benefits far outweighed the dangers.
Stand up. Casually pick up the bag. Don’t forget to act traumatized. “Well, I don’t know about you all, but I think I’m ready to get out of the park for today.” A little nervous laugh. “I’ll just run over to the hospital to wait for the Sch
umachers to arrive. Make sure Chloe’s alright until then.”
It was a good thing Holden had been a friend for so many years, or he might have wanted to search the bag. Even as it was, the slight suspicion in his expression hadn’t been too hard to decipher.
Even now the sheriff’s gaze dipped to the bag. But all he said was, “It was a blessing that things weren’t worse here today. I’ll swing by your place later this evening to ask a few questions if that’s alright?”
Panic nearly took over. Holden couldn’t go poking around at the house. He might find the supplies in the spare room. And that would be bad. Very bad. “I’m not feeling much like cooking. I think after I leave the hospital, I’m going to eat out in town and then go to bed a little early. This”—a sweeping gesture encompassed the park—“has kind of worn me out. Mind catching me at The Rusty Bucket in a bit? That will save you a trip out to my place anyhow. I know it’s not that far, but looks like you are going to have your hands full this evening. Still, you have to eat, so burgers are on me.”
Holden’s clap to the shoulder was firm and friendly. “Of course. I understand and yeah, that sounds good. Give me forty-five minutes to clear things up here.”
A nod. A smile that hopefully looked weary around the edges and not simply nervous. “Sure thing. That will give me time to sit with the Schumachers for a while.”
Now walk.
Holden exchanged a few indecipherable words with his deputies as the parking lot grew nearer.
The car was just ahead. The bag slung casually over one shoulder felt like it might be flashing a neon sign. But escape was just one click of the key fob away. The trunk popped open and the bag disappeared into its depths. The trunk clicked shut. Driver’s door opened. Soft leather seats welcomed and enveloped a body that was now trembling beyond control.
Just drive out of the parking lot then you can pull over and get yourself together.
Thankfully, there was push-button start because at this point the quaking likely would have prevented the key from finding the key hole.
The engine purred to life and the gearshift slid easily into drive.
It wasn’t until the exit from the park had been reached that a glance in the rearview mirror revealed that the kid Case had returned to the group by the fountain. He and the goth girl—had she ever even said her name?—were exchanging an embrace.
Lips pursed. Hmmm. Maybe the girl really was the kid’s girlfriend from across the water. And maybe he really was nothing more than a high school kid who’d performed a heroic rescue of Chloe and then taken off out of terror for his life.
Right. And I’m British royalty.
No. No indeed. There was definitely something off about those two. Couldn’t figure it out just yet. The cop angle was probably right on which was bad. Very bad. If the kid was a cop that meant he was here to investigate Fire. And that presented a whole new problem. A problem that sent a cold fury coursing through already icy veins.
What should I do? Not panic, that’s what. Deep breath in. Slowly ease it out.
The answer would come. The mind was a curious thing. Often when one quit trying to figure out an answer to a problem, poof, the answer just appeared.
And right now there were more urgent fish to fry.
Get rid of the gun.
Fetch Chloe’s phone.
Have dinner with the sheriff.
Maybe get some sleep. All this deception really was wearying.
And somewhere in there the answer to what was off would reveal itself. Because it always did. Always.
CHAPTER 16
Kyra had never been more relieved to see someone than she was to see Case striding toward them from the direction of the hillside. She wanted nothing more than to break into a run and enfold him in an embrace but managed to keep her feet rooted sturdily to the grass. He was on the job. The last thing he needed was a flighty female throwing herself at him, no matter how relieved she was to see he was still alive.
But even as she was thinking those thoughts, Case reached out and tugged her into a one-armed hug. He looked down at her and winked. “Better if we keep up pretenses. You okay?”
She nodded and settled against his side, curving one arm behind him and resting the other against his stomach as she searched his face. Had he seen anything? Found the shooter? She quirked one brow hoping he would be able to understand her question.
He gave a subtle shake of his head.
Kyra tried not to be so shallow as to notice the enticing feel of his taut stomach muscles beneath her hand and failed miserably. And it ought to be illegal for a man to wear whatever scent that was—spice and sport and ocean breezes all wrapped into one. Guilt washed over her. He’d been shot doing his job and all she could think about was how attracted she was to him. “I should be the one asking if you’re alright. We need to get you to the hospital to get that shoulder looked at. But first…” Though they’d been speaking so softly she felt certain none of the others could hear, she wanted to be doubly cautious now. She stood on her tiptoes on the pretense of pressing a kiss to his cheek, and whispered, “I have Chloe’s phone. She seemed very insistent that I get it to the police. But I wasn’t sure who we could trust.” She gave a pointed lift to her brows and a subtle tilt of her head toward the officers and people by the fountain.
Case glanced over her shoulder and gave her a small nod of understanding.
Kyra continued to whisper. “Case, I think Chloe might have been the one who texted me this morning.”
He nodded and drew her closer, still portraying the image of a couple in love. “Yeah, I wondered the same thing even before I got here. Where’s her phone at?” He asked the words with his mouth pressed to her ear and one hand cupping the back of her head as he swayed with her gently.
Kyra closed her eyes, doing her best to concentrate. She certainly hoped they looked like a couple who was merely concerned about each other after a traumatic event, because as muddled as her thought processes were right now, her acting skills were likely severely lacking. That realization made her blush. To Case this was probably all just part of the job.
When he pulled back and looked at her, she realized that she hadn’t answered him yet and hurried to say. “In my boot.”
His lips thinned into a smile of understanding. “Okay. Keep it hidden until we can get alone with Holden.” He ran a thumb over her cheek, looking deep into her eyes. “When this is over I certainly hope you’ll reconsider your answer to that question I asked you at your sister’s salon that first day.”
Kyra’s heart stuttered and she searched his face. Did that mean what she thought it meant? “M-maybe I could be coerced into rethinking my answer.”
Case chuckled. Then winced. “Yeah, maybe it’s time for me to visit the hospital now.”
Kyra nodded. “Is your car here? I can drive you.”
“Young man, I’d like to ask you some questions.” Holden was suddenly standing right next to them.
And just like that Case morphed back into a teen boy. “Sure.” But from the exchanged look that passed between them, Kyra knew that they were assessing each other as one cop to another. Case made a quick hand gesture before he spoke again. “Do you mind if we do this at the hospital though? Because I’m in some royal pain right now.”
Holden’s eyes settled on his shoulder and widened. “Yeah. Not a problem. I’ll swing by your room once they get you checked in.”
Case frowned. “I’m hoping that won’t be necessary.”
Holden scanned his arm once more. “It will be. I’m betting surgery is in your future.”
Case lowered his voice further. “You know that can’t happen, man.”
Kyra felt her heart go out to him. He’d poured so much of himself into this case. But surgery for an undercover agent in a small community like this would mean his cover was blown wide open. Surgery would require a medical history. And for Case to give them that, he would have to reveal who he really was. News like that would spread like wildfire
in a community this size.
Sheriff Parker leaned closer. “I have some news. We just heard from Deputy Saunders who stayed at the precinct to field calls when people started phoning in about this shooting. Candice Vaughan showed up just a few minutes ago. I’m going to talk to her now and will let you know what she says.”
Kyra figured this was just as good a time to interrupt as any. She held out her hand. “Keys. Come on. We can talk about that later. For now, let’s just see what the doctor says.”
Holden’s eyes darted to Kyra and she could tell he was wondering if she was another cop.
Case offered a begrudging twist of his lips and lowered his voice further. “Holden, I believe you know the new teacher in town Kyra Radell?”
Holden’s eyes widened as he took her in from head to toe. “You brought her in on this?”
“She sort of brought herself in,” Case mumbled. With a gentle glower in her direction, he plopped his keys into her palm. “Anyhow, she has some evidence that we hope is going to give us all the information we need. Meet us at the hospital? Too many eyes around to hand it to you right now.”
Holden nodded. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Chloe’s phone hadn’t been hard to get to at all. The life-long friend of the shocked and grieving family—someone everyone in the community knew and trusted—hadn’t even been questioned after telling the nursing staff that Chloe’s parents needed her phone so they could contact her friends and let them know she’d been hurt.
Her parents waited in the small hospital’s only waiting room and would get the phone in just a few minutes. But not until it had been examined and deleted of all incriminating evidence. The same story would be given to them. Didn’t they think it was a good idea to rally a support team around Chloe? Maybe calling the friends on her phone would help them pass the time until the surgeon could come out and give them all an update? It would be spoken with soft tenderness and the most caring expression. And no one would even question why the phone had been entrusted to a non-family member.
Fire Page 14