Page 118 of The Murder Club

Dom turned back to the sheriff, quickly telling him about Eric’s confession and their trip to the pawnshop, followed by his impulsive chase after the silver BMW.

“Wait.” Zac’s brows tugged together as he struggled to follow what Dom was telling him. Probably not the easiest task, Dom ruefully acknowledged. His brain was still scrambled and he wasn’t sure he was making any sense. “Eric Criswell has been stealing from the residents and Logan Donaldson was pawning the stuff in Green Bay?”

Dom nodded. He’d at least gotten that part right. “Yes.”

“Did Eric shoot Logan?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Dom said, although he had a suspicion of who was responsible. No point in jumping to conclusions. “He was already dead when I pulled into the drive. I know it wasn’t Eric who tried to run me over.”

Zac looked surprised. “You were run over?” “Yup. Run down like a deer in the headlights by Kevin Hartford’s silver BMW.”

“Kevin Hartford?” Zac studied him with blatant concern. As if he was worried he was suffering from a brain injury. It was a concern shared by Dom. “He’s dead.”

“Yes, but you told us yourself that his car was missing.”

“That doesn’t make him any less dead,” Zac insisted.

“Kevin wasn’t driving the car.”

Zac’s concern changed to curiosity. “Who was?”

“Thorpe.” Dom waited for Zac’s expression of shock. Instead, the sheriff frowned in confusion. “Ford Smithson. Also known as Thorpe Curry,” Dom clarified. “At least that’s the name he uses for his professional career as a paparazzo. Who the hell knows what his real name is.”

Zac slowly shook his head. “Why would Ford or Thorpe or whoever the hell he is hit you with Kevin Hartford’s stolen car?”

Dom clenched his muscles and forced himself upright. The pounding in his head and his painful bruises weren’t going to disappear anytime soon. There was no use sitting on the ground when he had things to do. Starting with beating the hell out of Thorpe Curry.

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out,” he announced, turning toward the Land Rover that still had the engine running.

Zac grabbed his arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To the hunting lodge.”

“No way.” Zac moved to block his path, his face hard with warning. It was an expression Dom had seen on a lot of cops’ faces. Did they practice it at the academy? “You’ve been injured. You’re waiting here for the ambulance.”

“I’m fine,” Dom insisted, then ruined it as he swayed to the side.

Zac tightened his grip to keep him upright. “You’re not fine. You can barely stand.”

“I have a headache, a cracked rib, and a few bruises,” Dom self-diagnosed the various aches and pains in his body. “I’m not going to the hospital. Not until Thorpe is behind bars.”

Zac nodded toward the road, where the sound of sirens echoed through the air. “At least have the paramedics check you out.”

“Later. Thorpe deliberately led me into a trap. He was trying to kill me. If he figures out I’m not dead, he’s going to try again.” Dom clenched his hands, a sudden flare of fear racing through him. “Or he’s going to make a run for it.”

“I’ll deal with Thorpe.” Zac touched the weapon strapped to his side. “You get checked out.”

Dom wanted to argue. He was the one who’d been lured to this spot and then run over like a piece of trash. But he wasn’t stupid. Zac had the gun, the training, and the legal authority to deal with criminals. Obviously he was the best choice to track down Thorpe.

“You’re going to the hunting lodge now?” he asked, needing to be reassured that Thorpe wasn’t going to escape.

“I’ll start there,” Zac said. “While I’m doing that, I’ll have one of my deputies head over to the nursing home to check on Bailey.” He pointed toward the deputy, who was unrolling police tape to block off the area. “Anthony is going to stay and investigate the crime scene. He’ll also keep a watch on the house. I want you and Bailey to stay inside with the doors locked. Thorpe isn’t going to bother either of you again.” Zac stepped back, his expression already distracted, as if preparing his plan to track down and arrest Thorpe. “The ambulance will be here in a minute or two. Stay here and get checked out. Got it?”

“Got it,” Dom repeated, without actually agreeing to the lawman’s command.

Limping to the Land Rover, he leaned against the side and waited for Zac to return to his vehicle and drive away. He didn’t have the energy for arguments. Better to let Zac assume he was going to hang around. Once he was out of sight, however, he jumped in the SUV and swiftly backed out of the driveway.

He thought he heard the sound of the deputy shouting his name, but he never looked back as he gunned the engine and raced back to the nursing home.

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