Page 49 of The Mastermind

Audri wasasleep in the biggest room Optima Hospital offered. I made substantial donations to this hospital in recent years, so they gave me what I wanted, knowing if they didn’t, my donations would stop.

I stared at her, reliving the terrifying moment when I found her curled into a ball on the ground. I’d never forget the way her body had trembled against me. Relief settled when the chest x-ray showed her lungs hadn’t been damaged, but she’dsuffered from smoke inhalation, so the doctor had administered an oxygen mask to her.

My hand ran over the bandage covering the wound on her left ankle, which would heal quickly, but I wasn’t worried about her physical recovery.I was concerned about the wound that lay underneath the visible injury.

When I’d heard a loud explosion, I rushed down the street. Something told me Audri needed me. The connection between us was beyond a simple attraction, something that had sprouted when we were kids. My heart plummeted as I carried her away from the dying flames. The way she flailed and cried in my arms told me she suffered from something more than a physical wound. I’d never felt so useless in my life. Fear had squeezed my chest in a way I’d never felt before, but I’d evaluate that response later. Right now, I was concerned about her.

Nurse Linda knocked and entered the room, giving me a nod. “I’m just checking her vitals.”

I stepped aside.

“She’s lucky she doesn’t have any burns,” Linda said. “Those two guys who put out the fire before the firefighters arrived deserve a medal.”

“They do.” I’d already planned on thanking them for what they’d done for Audri.

“When do you think she’ll wake up? Is it safe for her to be unconscious this long? Will she get brain damage or something?”

“Don’t worry.” Linda smiled and tapped a hand on my shoulder. “She’s not in a coma. There won’t be any brain damage. It’s normal for her to sleep since we gave her something to relax her. She needs the rest.”

“Oh, okay.”

“She should be awake in a few hours. We’re keeping her here tonight to monitor her lungs to make sure her respiratory system is functioning properly.”

“I’m staying here with her. I’ll sleep on the couch,” I gestured to the wide couch by the window.”

She nodded. “It’s a pullout. I’ll get pillows and a blanket ready for you.”

“Thank you. I’m gonna head out for a bit, but I’ll be back. If you need me, you have my number.”

“Will do. Audri will be all right. I heard the police are actively looking for the criminals.”

I didn’t reply. She wouldn’t like what I had to say.

Lawrence Lafayette and Teresa Caron are fucking dead.

I had spoken to Paul and Ted, the two janitors who had saved Audri, and they showed me a camera on the front of the building. Paul had reached out to his employer for permission to access the recording for the police. The video showed Lawrence and Teresa’s arrival and departure. The way they talked, laughed, and sang indicated they had been under the influence.

My phone rang, and I picked it up. “Hey, she’s okay.”

“What happened? Did they catch the fuckers?” Grayson’s anger seeped through the phone. “I just got out of a meeting and checked my voicemail. Who did this to her? I’m going to skin them alive.”

I told him, and he cursed up a storm. “What’s their motive? Audri made a complaint about him, so he and his girlfriend burned my sister? She has a fire phobia! What kind of lunatics do you work with?”

A fire phobia? I wanted to know everything when Audri was ready to tell me.

I didn’t bother telling him they weren’t employed by me any longer. He was too angry, as he had every right to be. I had a slew of questions floating in my head regarding the motive. Did Lawrence and Teresa retaliate against me by hurting Audri? Did Audri do something to them?

What was I missing?

“The doctor said Audri is recovering well. They’re keeping her overnight for observation to make sure. I’ll keep an eye on her. I didn’t inform your mom or uncle. I wanted you to know first.”

“Thanks, man. I’d prefer not to share this with my mom. Since Audri is fine, there’s no need to worry anyone else. My mom might have a heart attack, knowing her daughter almost died from a fire again.”

“Again?” I entered the private waiting room and dropped into a wide armchair. “What do you mean?”

“When Audri was eight years old, she almost died in our house fire—the house before the one you’ve been to. My dad died saving her. Her cat also died. Man, she loved that thing. She blamed herself for their deaths, but the fire wasn’t her fault. It was just an awful accident.”

I understood now and could imagine what her body and mind had experienced today. It probably triggered the panic.

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