Page 44 of Christmas Ransom

Carla shook her head. “Do I have a say in any of this?”

“I guess it will depend on how well you get around on crutches,” Davy joked. “But as long as I can outrun you? Then I guess not.”

“Davy.” It came out a plea. “Doc said I can get in-home help if necessary. You can’t keep taking care of me.”

He shook his head. Carla would have argued further if FBI agents Grover and Deeds hadn’t come into the room. Grover asked Davy to wait outside.

“Carla?” Davy asked.

She nodded. She’d sworn she wouldn’t talk to them again without an attorney present, but she hadn’t been able to get one yet. “I’ll be fine, since I don’t have much I can tell them,” she said.

Davy said, “I’ll get a wheelchair so you can get out of here. I won’t be long.” He scowled at the agents as he left the room.

“Did I hear you say you don’t remember this any better than the robbery?” Grover glanced around the room. “I don’t see your attorney.”

“I haven’t been able to get an attorney, but we can make this quick. I didn’t see anything last night. But it wasn’t an accident. The man I call J tried to kill me and Davy as well.”

“You know that for a fact?” asked his partner.

“There aren’t that many people who want me dead,” she snapped.

Grover seemed to consider that. “Why would the same person who robbed the bank steal a truck to run into you? He’s got the money. Why would he take the chance of getting caught? Unless there’s something more he’s afraid you’re going to tell us.”

She groaned. “I’ve told you everything I know. I was warned not to talk to you, and someone ran us off the road and now crashed into us. What does that tell you?”

“A falling out among thieves?” Grover said and smiled as if joking. They both knew he wasn’t.

Carla shook her head and winced. “It doesn’t matter what I tell you. You don’t believe me. You’re convinced that I’m involved in all this.”

“Clearly, you are involved,” the agent said.

“Not the way you think.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I told you everything I know.”

“You didn’t tell us about Samantha Elliot until she was in the hospital in a coma,” he said.

“She’s still alive?” Carla couldn’t help her surprise. Last she’d heard, the woman was in serious condition. Maybe she would make it and give them a name or at least a description of the man who attacked her. Carla couldn’t help but believe the man’s name started with aJ. “Did you find J’s name in her files?”

“The office was ransacked and a lot of files destroyed,” Deeds said. “The Butte police are going through them trying to match the tattoo to the one you told us about. But we suspect the attacker took the file.”

“Been to Butte recently?” Grover asked.

“No. Why would we share that information with you if we had anything to do with this?”

“Because you thought she may not have survived. Isn’t that right? Now she has a guard outside her hospital room door. Should she regain consciousness and remember her attacker...” He left the rest hanging as a threat.

“I hope she does and remembers not just her attacker but that he is the man she tattooedJheartJon,” she said. “That will be the only way this will ever be over since you aren’t looking for this man.”

“We are looking for him,” Grover said, sounding like he was losing his temper. “But you have to admit. You have given us very little.”

“What about the truck that hit us last night?” she demanded. She saw the agents exchange a look. Her heart fell.

“The truck was stolen,” Deeds said. “We suspect the driver was wearing gloves. Everything was wiped clean.”

“So you have nothing,” she said and closed her eyes.

“Ms. Richmond,” Deeds said. “We might be able to get you a deal if you tell us the truth. We know you didn’t kill those other men. I really doubt you or Davy Colt tried to silence Samantha Elliot. Give us the man’s name, turn state’s evidence against him and—”

“I can’t do that, Agent,” she said, opening her eyes with a groan. “If I knew who he was, you would already have his name and he would already be behind bars. Now please, leave. After the holidays I’ll get a lawyer before we talk again.”

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