Page 54 of Now or Never
“Langley!” The first cop raced over with thundering footsteps and all his gear creaking on his belt. “Step back, ma’am.”
“I’m not letting go of pressure on his wound. He’s bleeding out.” She shifted enough he’d see she was pregnant, which in most people’s world made her instantly less of a threat. Clearly not the perpetrator. Where was Jax?
She glanced that way again.
“Let me.” He tried to shove her hands aside.
“I’ve got it. No sense in both of us being covered in blood. The EMTs are almost here.”
The cop knelt on Jordan’s other side.
Kenna leaned on one hand and used the other to pat the detective’s cheek. “Stay with me, Langley. If you’re going to fall asleep, I want you to do it where medical professionals can make sure you wake up again.”
More sirens on the street. The EMTs raced over with their duffel bags, pushing the cot. They crouched either side of her, and the other officer got out of the way. Kenna said, “Male, forties. Strong pulse. Single stab wound. No other injuries that I know of. It was quick, and I didn’t see it happen.”
“Got it.” The EMT took over putting pressure on with her jacket, but he needed to see the wound. The guy was in his thirties, and moved with competence, instructing his partner. Probably a paramedic, or a guy with years of experience in trauma care.
“Ma’am?” The cop held his hand out. “Let’s step aside.”
She grabbed his wrist, and he helped her up. Kenna immediately stretched her back and shoulders. “Thanks.” She bent and brushed off the knees of her maternity pants and checked again for Jax. “My husband chased after the suspect.”
“Recount for me what happened.” The officer pulled out a notebook, a frown drawing his thick dark brows together. He didn’t like what had happened but, so far at least, didn’t seem to have any animosity toward her. Right now, until he had the facts, he seemed to be reserving judgment.
Kenna explained that she and Jax were private investigators looking into a few cases locally, and that Langley had been given permission—as opposed to what he’d told them about being ordered—to talk to them about this case.
As she was talking, she glanced down the street, saying another silent prayer for her husband’s protection, and spotted him walking back. She motioned toward Jax. “There he is.”
The EMTs lifted Langley onto the stretcher and pushed it toward the ambulance. With an oxygen mask over his face, she couldn’t tell if he was awake, but at least no one was doing chest compressions. The guy would need surgery, though. Or so she figured. Hopefully, the knife hadn’t nicked anything important that would jeopardize his life.
The officer standing with her said, “Any idea why someone would show up today and stab Detective Langley?”
She watched Jax approach. He shook his head.
She didn’t glance at the cop, but said, “It’s far more likely that he was targeted because someone has a beef with him than any reason I might know. Other than that, we came here to the scene to take a look and it’s possible the killer doesn’t want Langley solving it now. He wants to stall the case long enough for it to go cold.”
A killer who already got away with his crime, left no fingerprints or DNA evidence behind, and knew enough of what was going on to show up here and stab the detective? She didn’t like this at all.
She also didn’t want to be a target, not while carrying a baby. But why would the ghost have tried to kill Langley today? Also,why not deal a blow that was certain to end with death? A stab wound to the abdomen was messy and bled a lot, but there were far more expedient ways to kill someone.
Kenna needed to knowwhy.
Jax came close enough to give her a quick side hug. “He got into a silver compact, Maryland license plate.” He gave the officer the information.
“Nice.” Kenna silently thanked the Lord. That was a lot preferable to him actually fighting the killer. Or being kidnapped.
Her arm on his waist tightened, but Jax didn’t react to it. He knew how she felt because they had the same fears.
“Are you able to ID this person you saw run from the scene?” The cop glanced between them.
Jax asked Kenna, “You have that picture?”
She dug out her phone, curious that he wanted to let the officer know this tidbit of information. That she’d created a composite image of the killer she’d met on that platform. She pulled it up and showed him. “Was this the man you saw?”
He stared at it, and the cop moved close enough to see as well.
“The hair is longer,” Jax said. “He has the same profile, because he glanced back at me and I saw his jawline. But I’m not sure I’d be able to say yes definitively enough to swear it’s him in court.”
“That something you do often?” the officer said.
