Page 73 of Secret Weapon

“I’m not a detective, Mrs.Black, but I’m a good judge of character.I can’t give you a timetable of events that night, but I can say that the Kaylin I knew would have called an ambulance if she’d hit a man, not driven off into the sunset.And she contacted me—scared—before the incident, not after.”Nico gave a weighty sigh.“I don’t know whether she’s dead or alive, but her fate has been weighing on my mind for three years, and I’d like some kind of closure.For her and for me.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t end up in Baldwin’s Shore.Every other motherfucker on the run seems to.”

He found that amusing.“So you’ve heard about Skip?”

“I was talking about Ottie.Who’s Skip?”

“An armed robber who stole millions of bucks’ worth of gold.He used to run a bar at the far end of Main Street.”

“Applejack’s?”

“The new owner changed the name.It used to be called Beer Me Up, and there was a flying saucer in the parking lot.”

“This is quite an entertaining little town, isn’t it?”

“The place keeps me amused.So, do you accept the favour?I’m not asking you to solve the mystery because I know that might not be possible, but I’d like you to review the case.If you find a lead and more work is needed, then funds are available.”

One of the advantages of being married to a rich guy was that I could pick and choose the cases I took.I gravitated towards the more challenging jobs, the ones that made me think, and yeah, sometimes the more dangerous ones too.Cheating death gave an adrenaline rush like no other.

“No guarantees, but we’ll take a look.”

“Thank you.”He took a seat again, and I got another eyeful of his chest.Luckily, I’d seen enough chiselled pecs not to get distracted, but he really was quite dishy.“How do you want to approach the Marquette situation?”

“Play up the villainous ex-boyfriend angle, play down everything else.”

“If it helps, I asked her doctor to instruct staff on the front desk not to release her name if anyone enquired.Nice guy—he has a gym membership here.Anyhow, she’s in the system as Jane Doe.”

“If I wasn’t married, I might kiss you for that.”

Nico flashed me a pearly smile.“Yes, well, I thought that if whoever didn’t kill her found out she was still alive, they might make another attempt.”

“It’s still possible they could do that.”

Likely, even.If I were working for the other side, the first places I’d look for Ottie would be the hospital and the morgue.But Nico’s subterfuge might have bought us a few hours.Long enough for backup to arrive and take over.

“She’s in sight of a nurses’ station.”

Which wouldn’t help much if someone showed up with a gun.

“Private room?”

“Of course, and I even arranged for an en-suite.”

No doubt Ottie and her catheter would appreciate the thought.

“Are you looking for extra brownie points, Mr.Belinsky?”

He grinned.“Credit where credit’s due.But in all seriousness, the new ICU unit in Coos Bay is a state-of-the-art facility.They’re in the process of refurbishing the entire hospital.”

“I’m sure it’s very shiny, but a pro could get in there in a heartbeat.”

Hospitals were an assassin’s dream.Few cameras because of privacy, HIPAA, blah, blah, high staff turnover, visitors coming and going at all hours, and people were practically expected to die there.Kill a patient in the right way, and everyone thought it was a tragic accident.

“Are you including yourself among the pros?”Nico asked.

“No comment.Don’t you have a tearful yoga teacher to influence?”

Nico rose.“I’ll have breakfast with Leona.Steer her in the right direction.We’re talking with Colt and Luca at nine.”

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