Debra Cowan – Wild Fire (страница 5)

Captain Oliver’s sharp gray gaze scoured her face. “How are you, Fox?”

“I’m all right, Cap.”

“You sure? Monroe said you couldn’t remember anything.”

“Not yet, anyway.” She smiled at the fighting-trim man with close-cut gray hair. “Other than that, I’m okay.”

“How long before you can come back to work?” he asked.

“Since my job is considered high-risk, I have to go at least seven days without concussion symptoms. The doctor has to examine me again then and if she likes what she sees, I can return.”

“We can keep you on light duty around the station house until your wrist heals.”

“All right.” At one time Shelby would’ve protested, but having come so close to never returning, she was content to be off full duty for now.

Dylan’s free hand closed over the rail at the foot of the bed, his dark eyes hot with interest. “That gives you a week to think of where you want to go on our date.”

He had been asking her out for two months. Broad-shouldered and lean-hipped, the former school teacher was gorgeous. And a genuinely nice guy. “Now, Shep, if I went out with you, I’d have to go out with all the guys at the station house.”

“Hey, I’m the one who carried you out.” He flashed her a quick grin. “Don’t you think you owe me?”

“I like you too much to date you,” she said wryly. After being blindsided five years ago by her bigamist husband, Shelby’s motto was leave and leave first. Her other hard-and-fast rule was don’t get involved with anyone at work.

Her relationship with Clay was the longest one she’d had with a man and that was because they were only buddies.

Dylan let it go, but she saw the determined glint in his eye. It was a shame she wasn’t interested.

“You really had me worried, Fox,” her captain said. “I better tell Aubrey she can’t have any more asthma attacks during my shift. You obviously need me around to supervise.”

Shelby grinned at his teasing, but her thoughts went to Rick’s daughter, who had severe asthma. The two-year-old had ended up in the emergency room several times. “How is she?”

“She’s okay.” Rick’s face softened. “As hardheaded as you.”

Dylan placed the balloon-and-popcorn bouquet on the window sill. “The nurse told us we could only stay five minutes so we’ll get out of here.”

“Thanks for coming.”

“We’ll be checking on you,” Rick said.

After the two men left, Clay grinned at her. “How long has Shepherd been chasing you?”

“A couple of months. He only likes me because I say no.”

His gaze softened as it skimmed over her face. “Maybe he thinks you’re pretty.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“He’s definitely interested, but you’re not, huh?”

“You know I don’t date guys from my station house. After a few dates, I’m finished. If they aren’t, things get messy.”

“Like with Vince?”

“Yeah.”

Clay folded his arms. “He came by last night. I told him about your injuries, but I wouldn’t let him see you.”

“Thanks. Was he a jerk about it?”

“Not too much.” Clay eased down on the edge of the window sill, crossing his long legs at the ankle. “Tell me whatever you remember about last night.”

She rubbed two fingers in a circle against her throbbing temple. “Well, like I said, I heard a scream. When I got to M.B.’s front porch, I knocked. I heard another scream, but it was cut off. So I opened the door and called out. When she didn’t answer, I went inside.”

She paused, forcing her mind to play through what she had just told Clay, but when she tried to remember beyond stepping inside the house, she came up with snatches of darkness and light, garbled unidentifiable sounds. In other words, nothing.

The dull ache at the base of her skull sharpened into a stunning pain that radiated up the back of her head, stabbing behind her eyes. She clasped her head in her hands, massaging her temple. “That’s all I remember.”

Clay straightened, moving toward her. “You okay?”

“Yes, it’s just this headache. It comes and goes.”

“Do you need something for the pain?”

“I took a couple of ibuprofen about an hour ago. Maybe I’ll take some more.”

His eyes dark with concern, he rang for the nurse.

“Oh!” she said. “M.B. told me she was seeing someone.”

“Yeah?” Clay’s gaze held hers expectantly.

“She never told me who. I think he was married.”

“Did you ever see a man at her house?”

“About a week ago, I saw a red Corvette at her house, an older model, but I didn’t see who was driving it. I saw a man about a month ago in a different car, but only once.”

“Remember what either of them looked like?”

“I never saw who was driving the ’Vette. The other man was Hispanic, but I couldn’t describe him. That’s not much help, is it?”

“It’s a lead and we have too darn few so far.” He smiled.

The nurse delivered more pain medication and left. Shelby searched her mind, trying to recall anything else. All she had were shadows, elusive bits and pieces of…something. She couldn’t even determine if they were thoughts or pictures. “I want to know what happened.”

She sensed Clay tense subtly, the strain not visible in his face. Only in the barely perceptible shift along his lean muscles. Shelby knew he was keeping something from her. “What are you not telling me?”

Mouth grim, his steady gaze met hers. “Ken Mason, the medical examiner, had to go in for an emergency heart bypass a couple of days ago so it’s going to be a while before we find out M.B.’s exact cause of death.”

“Doesn’t he have an assistant?”

“Yes, but she isn’t certified to sign off on CODs. We’ve been able to piece some things together from what Collier learned at the scene.”

“Enough to rule out an accident?”

Clay nodded. “He checked for cigarettes and frayed wiring. Everything he’s found so far indicates the fire was arson. Most likely to hide another crime.”

Shelby’s fingertips tingled from that mix of adrenaline and apprehension she always got heading into a blaze. She didn’t want to ask the question that had dread fisting in her gut. “You mean—”

“Murder,” Clay said quietly, his large hands wrapping around the bed rail.

The shock of the words had her going still; then her entire body quivered. “Do you think I saw something? Someone?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think Dr. Boren’s right? That I can’t remember because I did see something horrible? But if I saw who murdered M.B., wouldn’t they have made sure I was dead, too?”

“They tried,” he said tightly. “Your station is right across the street from her. A fire had started, so I don’t imagine the killer felt he had time to make sure you were dead before your crew arrived.”

Sickened at the thought, she laid back on the pillow.

Clay squeezed her shoulder, his eyes hard. “I’m not taking any chances. Until we know you’re not in danger, I’m sticking to you like white on rice.”

Clay was as good as his word. He stayed again Monday night with her and her mom at the hospital, and the next morning helped Paula load Shelby into the car to take her home. She finally got settled to her mother’s satisfaction and convinced Paula she’d be fine. Shelby wanted to be in the comfort of her own home, not that huge empty house her mom had bought with the ample insurance settlement from Dad’s death.

Stepping inside her kitchen eased some of the tension in her shoulders. The white of the cabinets, countertops and island top was broken by splashes of red on the wallpaper, in the curtain across the single, floor-to-ceiling window. Deep black-cherry candles and a floral arrangement spread color across the dining table. The familiarity soothed her.