Page 18 of Something Unforgettable

“I think you’re probably right,” Bri agreed. “Can you move your fingers for me?” Finn did, it hurt a little, but not too much. She then took his hand and squeezed one of his fingers. “Capillary refill looks good. How about I wrap it just like this and we get you to the hospital so the doctor can take a look?”

Finn nodded, then shook his head. “But Pops— I can’t—” He tried to get up again.

“Easy,” Bri said, her hand on his shoulder strong enough to keep him seated. “He got a good knock on the head, so he’s going to the hospital, too, as soon as we get him down here. You can ride in the ambulance together, okay?”

Okay. That sounded okay. Finn was hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion, like his body was remembering how tired he’d been before all this started. Then the adrenaline came rushing back and he straightened. “The shadow!” He looked around frantically. “There was someone—a man—at—at the top of the stairs. He was—I couldn’t see, but Pops was yelling. Did you catch him?”

Bri and the sheriff exchanged a look. “There was no one there, Finn,” the sheriff started, his tone careful.

Finn shook his head. “But I saw him. It was dark, but I saw him. He knocked into me and I fell down the stairs…” Bri was shining a light in his eyes and he squinted against it. “I didn’t hit my head. He was there.”

“Okay, Finn, we believe you. But all the doors were locked apart from the one you opened, and we searched the building. It’s clear.”

That was impossible. He’d seen the shadow, felt the weight slam into him. He tried to think back. “Pops saw him, too. He was shouting to get out. That he called the police.”

“Finn,” the sheriff looked troubled. “Does anyone else have a key to the store?”

“Only Grace. Grace Cabot, our part-time cashier.” Grace had worked for them for fifteen years. There was no way she had done this. He shifted to allow Bri to wrap a hard brace around his arm and then secure it in place with a sling.

The sheriff dismissed that. “Yes. I know Grace. We already have someone on the way to talk to her. There’s no one else who helps out? Who may have gotten a copy of the key?”

Finn shook his head again as Bri draped a thick blanket over his shoulders, directing Finn to hold it with his free hand.

“Listen, kiddo,” the sheriff said, his hand on Finn’s shoulder through the blanket. Finn blinked against the tears welling in his eyes. “We’re gonna figure this out, okay. Don’t worry about it right now. Go get your arm taken care of, and I’ll be by to check on you in a few hours.”

Finn didn’t have any fight in him. He let Bri—who really was very strong—help him to his feet and steer him toward the ambulance where the other paramedics were waiting to close the doors.

“Corey?” she asked.

His grandfather was already in there, his eyes closed and a bandage taped to his head. He was covered in a blanket similar to the one wrapped around Finn, strapped to the gurney so only the collar and top button of his faded blue pajamas was visible.

“It’s Finn,” he corrected as he climbed up, Bri helping him to balance.

“Finn. Right. Sorry. Is there someone you want us to call to meet you at the hospital?”

He thought for a moment but drew a blank. It was late. Everyone he knew would be in bed and he didn’t want to wake them when there was nothing they could do.

“No, thank you,” he said, watching the even rise and fall of his grandfather’s chest. “We’ll be okay.”

Xavierpushedthroughthedoors of the brightly lit hospital and strode toward the young woman at the reception desk. Her eyes went wide, then she straightened, steeling her spine.

“How can I help you?” she asked looking Xavier up and down—maybe searching for a hidden injury, maybe wondering why someone was in her hospital wearing a full suit and wool overcoat at half past three in the morning.

“I’m looking for…” He paused, not sure of Finn’s legal name. “My friend,” he said finally. “His last name is Finnegan.”

The woman frowned, looking down at her computer. “Is he expecting you?”

“He isn’t, but I’m sure he’ll want to see me.” Xavier wasn’t going to be a movie cliché and go off on the poor woman, but his throat had been tight and his chest aching since the moment Nick said Finn was in the hospital. Nick hadn’t been able to give him much detail—it had been midnight and he’d only just found out. Xavier had been in the air and then on the road ever since. He waited, somewhat patiently, while the woman looked something up on her computer.

“Sorry,” she began, and Xavier tensed, ready to argue. “He’s in the ICU. You’ll need to come back during visiting hours.”

Xavier’s heart lurched and he reached out to grip the edge of the counter. Fuck. No. What had happened?

“Xavier?”

Xavier turned, his brain registering the uniform first, then Sheriff Avery, Nick’s sort-of father-in-law.

“Paul,” he said with relief, shaking the man’s outstretched hand. “Nick called me. How is he?”

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