Page 12 of Nowhere to Hide
His jaw flexed and in the bright lights of the tech unit’s equipment I got a better sense of Stone. Mixed race and fit, I’d already picked up on. I couldn’t gauge age, but based on his former detective status I figured thirty or so. His fingers tightened at his side. “Do you want to go to the hospital or not?”
I dipped my hands in my pockets. “You driving?”
“Yeah. Might even let you sit in the front.” He started up to the parking lot above the marina, not looking to see if I followed.
I glanced over my shoulder at the dark pool of blood then quickly caught up with him.
It would be nice to know if she made it.
CHAPTER 3
LOCKE
The rideto the hospital was a quiet one.
Stone’s fingers kept squeaking on the steering wheel with his grip.
“You’re going to pull the steering wheel out of the column if you keep that up.” The additional squeak had me rolling my eyes. “Fine, whatever.” I watched the scenery go by as we circumnavigated the more touristy parts of Salem to the typical New England style homes, which made way to the usual fast food eateries and darkened big box stores. It was pretty amazing how quickly the cobblestone and occult-centric Salem gave way to simple small city flavor. I could still smell the water, but it was distant.
I itched to get back to the wharf. All of this felt too familiar. Too close to that last day. It was supposed to be an easy job. I squeezed my eyes shut and stuffed it down.
Maybe knowing was the wrong call. Right now I could believe she was alive and let it be. Take the win and get back on my damn boat and head up to Maine.
Signs for the hospital flashed by and I sat up straighter.
Thatta boy.
Milligan’s voice was softer this time.
Stone pulled off the main road into the parking lot. It was a decently sized hospital with the ER and the main building creating a Lego-style boxy set up. He parked in one of the farthest spots then turned off the ignition, but instead of pushing open the door, he continued to abuse the steering wheel.
“We going in or what?”
He stared straight ahead, but I wasn’t entirely sure he was seeing the half empty lot that I was.
“She isn’t the first.”
I tapped my finger on my knee. I could still feel the stickiness of her blood on my skin. “Seemed like it was very practiced. I admit not to be up on the local news.”
“Living on a boat will do that.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
More squeaking filled the silence. I had nothing but time and if he needed to strangle his wheel for a while longer, maybe he’d actually give me a few clues to what the hell was going on.
“I checked you out.”
“I figured you might tomorrow.” I itched to pull my phone out and see if Dom sent me a nasty text, but I waited Stone out. I’d been incommunicado, but Dom and his brother Leo, who ran operations, had to know this was the definition of extenuating circumstances.
“Your boss speaks highly of you.”
Well, that was surprising.
“Even if he said your head is fucked and I shouldn’t be letting you get near my investigation.”
That was more like it. The real question was if he talked to Dom or Leo. The brothers had very different ways of dealing with law enforcement. The fucked in the head remark sounded like Dom, who was—had been—my boss. “And yet, here I am in your car to see the victim.”
“Leo Kendrick was the only one who was available when I told the service it was an emergency. I believe you only mentioned a Dominic.”
