Page 10 of Lone Star Witness

That was not the answer Slade wanted, and he was pretty sure it was a lie. “Is he connected to our time in the military together?” he asked, going with one of Marise’s possibilities.

The colonel seemed to do a mental doubletake. “No, that thug was never in uniform.”

Slade sighed when Rosa didn’t add more. Sighed too when he heard the elevator. It was probably either the nurse or the wife, but just in case it was Smith, he stood upright, went to the door and positioned himself so he could draw his weapon if necessary.

“So, what did the thug say when he threatened you?” Slade went on while he watched the elevator. He thought Rosa might hesitate.

He didn’t.

“Smith said he’d kill me if I told anybody,” the colonel muttered.

“Told who? Tell what?” Marisa asked before Slade could.

Rosa shook his head again and groaned. “I don’t know. I’ve, uh, been forgetting things.”

Slade had no idea if that was the truth, but it was obvious the man was distressed over something. He didn’t get a chance to fire out any more questions because the elevator door opened, and a tall, auburn-haired woman strolled into the room. The male nurse was right behind her.

“Vince,” the woman said on a rise of breath.

She stopped a few feet away, and unlike Slade, she stayed upright, not stooping, while she peered down at Rosa. She definitely didn’t pull him into her arms for a comforting hug and express any kind of concern.

“What happened here?” Mrs. Rosa asked. “And who are you?” She directed that at Slade.

“Slade and I served together,” the colonel answered right away. “He came to visit me.”

“This late?” There was plenty of disbelief in her voice, and she looked at Slade as if he were cow shit that she’d tracked in on those pricy shoes that she was wearing.

He’d never met the colonel’s wife, but she didn’t look as if she’d aged the way her husband had. And it was possible she was a lot younger than Rosa was. Slade would know that soon since Ruby would no doubt include the info in the background check that he had requested on Rosa.

“Nurse Barker here said there’d been some kind of incident,” Stephanie went on, directing her comments to Marise now. “He said Vince needs to be taken to the hospital to be checked for some possible injuries. What happened?”

Again, it was Rosa who answered. “I had one of my, uh, episodes.” He touched his temple and rubbed the throbbing pulse here. “Things got muddled up for a couple of seconds.”

Stephanie huffed. “Is this about that man you thought you saw in the parking, the one you called me about?” She snapped back toward Marise. “He imagined seeing someone. He imagined it was a threat, and I wanted to come over here and set him straight.”

Marise didn’t huff, but Slade thought that’s what she wanted to do. “He didn’t imagine it. There was a man, and I believe he could indeed be a threat.”

Stephanie dismissed that with a rather dramatic roll of her eyes. “No wonder Vince is confused if you’re feeding his delusions. I put him here to get help, not to give him fuel for more episodes.”

“I didn’t feed or fuel anything,” Marise insisted.

But Marise was talking to the woman’s back because Stephanie had already turned away and was heading out into the hall. She motioned for Marise and Slade to follow her.

They did, and the moment they joined her, Stephanie shut the door to her husband’s room and folded her arms over her chest in a defensive posture. She glared at them.

Yeah, Slade was so going to want that background check on her.

Of course, it wasn’t a crime not to care squat about a spouse, and Slade didn’t know their history together. Maybe Rosa was a shitty husband. But everything about the colonel’s wife set his teeth on edge.

“Look, you were probably trying to help Vince,” Stephanie started. “And I appreciate that.” Her tone indicated there was no appreciation whatsoever. Only annoyance. “But he’s delusional. That’s why he’s here. Did he tell you that he tried to choke me?” she added, volleying glances at both of them.

“He doesn’t recall doing that,” Marise replied.

Another roll of her eyes accompanied with a huff. “Well, I remember it, and I had the bruises to prove it. Vince is lucky that I didn’t have him arrested instead of putting him here.”

Slade didn’t think it was his imagination that Marise was having to battle her own dislike for this woman. “Your husband suffers from Complex PTSD—”

“I know that,” Stephanie snapped. “Don’t lecture me about Vince. I know what he’s capable of doing.” She touched her throat as if to remind them of what she’d just said seconds earlier. “He’s delusional. He imagines things. He can’t distinguish reality from fantasy.”

---