Snapped (25 page)

Their two carefully blank expressions answered her question.

“O-kay,”
she said. “Good to know. And now someone runs me off the road and tries to blow me up. Terrific.”

“The explosive is just a theory at this point,” Allison said. “We’re still investigating.”

Sophie looked at her. “Give me a little credit here. I work at a forensic lab, all right? I’m perfectly aware that cars don’t just crash into trees and fireball, except in the movies.”

“Investigators are working on it,” Ric said. “But until we know more, it’s being classified as a traffic accident.”

She gaped at him. “Are you freaking kidding me? The son of a bitch
ran
me off the road! He was in a black Dodge pickup. It’s all in the statement I gave to no fewer than
three
people at the scene. How is that an accident?” A few heads had turned, and Sophie lowered her voice. “I’m not making this up,” she snapped. “I don’t want media attention, or police attention, or whatever the hell you’re thinking.”

“No one’s thinking that,” Ric said. “At least not anymore. It’s pretty clear you’re being targeted by someone, maybe because you’ve come forward as a witness in the sniper attack. There’s more going on there than we first thought, and someone wants to cover it up.”

She stared at him, feeling a wave of relief. He’d just admitted he believed her. Right in front of Allison, too. It was almost like an apology for his earlier skepticism, and he probably had no idea how much it meant to her.
It had really bothered her that someone she considered a friend had doubted her credibility.

“So.” She cleared her throat. “That’s good, then. That you all believe me. Does that mean I can get some sort of witness protection now? Until you find the accomplice?”

Allison sent Ric a look.

“What?”

“It’s not that simple,” she said.

“The Federal Witness Protection Program is for federal witnesses,” Ric said. “This isn’t a federal case.”

“Okay. What about local protection?”

“We’re not equipped for that,” Ric said.

“It sucks, but it’s true,” Allison added. “Our department is stretched to the last penny. A twenty-four-hour security detail just isn’t in the cards—not with everything else we’re juggling.”

Sophie sat there, trying to digest that. She’d been shot at, mugged, and car-bombed, and they were telling her there was nothing they could do about it because of
budgets
? The sheer mundanity of the reason was almost funny. Almost. If she hadn’t been so utterly panicked.

Ric turned to Allison and made a motion with his head.

“Think I’ll go hit the vending machine,” she said, taking the dismissal in stride.

When she was gone, Ric looked Sophie squarely in the eye.

“Jonah’s sure it was a bomb, but right now there’s no proof. He thinks the device—whatever it was—was planted last night while you were asleep.”

Sophie’s stomach clenched. They both knew where she’d spent the night.

“He’s beating himself up over this.”

She swallowed.

“He’s working on your situation, but it’s complicated. There’s no budget, anywhere, and it’s not just a matter of money. It’s a matter of manpower. This thing has all of us slammed with work.”

“Okay. So, what are you getting at?”

“Jonah’s looking at alternatives. His dad has a deer lease about two hours from here. It would get you out of the thick of things.”

“You mean out of the way.”

He didn’t say anything.

“If Jonah’s slammed, how is he supposed to look after me at some deer lease?”

“He wouldn’t be doing it.”

“Who would?”

“I don’t know yet. Maybe his dad.”

Sophie’s mind reeled. This was getting too, too weird. Someone had planted a bomb in her car, probably while it was parked
in Jonah’s garage
. He hadn’t even wanted her at his house to begin with—she’d practically had to beg him. And now he was having to turn his life upside down to find someone to look after her 24/7 while he had his hands full trying to solve a multiple murder case.

Someone had been to his
house
.

Sophie pictured his white-haired father coming by with his tomatoes, and she felt sick.

Allison reappeared with a soft drink in hand. She caught Ric’s eye and tapped her watch.

“We need to get going,” Ric told Sophie. “Jonah will be by as soon as he can. He’ll give you a ride to wherever you’re headed next.”

If Allison noticed his evasiveness, she didn’t let on. “That bag’s for you,” she said. “A couple things from your place.”

Sophie muttered a thanks and watched the two of them disappear back through the beige double doors.

“Here we are!” The nurse breezed up with a brown prescription bottle and a slip of paper. “I got you started with a few doses. And a script for the rest,
if
you decide you need it.”

Sophie took the bottle gratefully. She’d definitely be needing it. Her tailbone felt like it had been smacked with a baseball bat.

When the nurse was gone, she opened the paper bag and peered inside. Jeans and a T-shirt. Allison had also included a pair of sandals and some toiletries from Sophie’s bathroom cabinet. Tucked in with everything was a king-size Almond Joy, which she must have picked up somewhere else. Tears sprang into her eyes at the tiny gesture of friendship.

Sophie dropped the meds into the bag. She slid off the examining table and took a few wobbly steps. There was a telephone on the wall, and she made two important phone calls, both to people she knew from work. Then she went looking for the nearest bathroom. Her spine was on fire. Her dress was in tatters. Her limbs were scraped and bandaged, and she smelled like Betadine. She changed into the fresh clothes and stuffed her formerly stylish Calvin Klein dress into the trash can.

A few minutes later, she walked as briskly as she could manage past the nurses’ station.

“Um … ma’am?”

She halted with her hand on the door and turned. “Yes?”

The patrol officer stepped over. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

Ah, uncertainty. This guy was toast. “Actually, yes.” She flashed a smile. “It’s been a rough day, and a nice hot bubble bath is calling my name.”

He seemed at a loss for words. “I just … I thought you were supposed to wait for Detective Macon.”

Another smile. “He knows where to find me.” She pushed the door.

“I’m sorry, ma’am?” He caught the door, showing an irritating bit of gumption. “I was told you needed to wait for Detective Macon.” An apologetic smile. “He’s going to escort you home.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got a ride.”

“You do?”

“Yes, and Detective Macon has my number.” She pushed through the door, and he followed her into the waiting room.

“Ma’am,
wait
.”

Sophie stopped and sighed heavily. “Is there a problem”—she glanced at his name tag—“Officer Woods?”

“No. Yes.” Woods was flustered. “I can’t let you leave.”

Her eyes widened. “
Let
me leave? Am I under arrest?”

“No, just—Detective Macon said—”

“Have Detective Macon call me.”

“But—”

“Good night.” She gave him a wave over her shoulder as she walked out the door.

•••

Jonah spotted the canine unit just as he was leaving the police station to go get Sophie. The SUV’s door popped open, and the handler climbed out while the German shepherd remained seated obediently in the front passenger seat.

“What’d you get out there?” Jonah asked.

“Still nothing.”

“How is that possible?”

“Wish I could tell you. Hawkeye didn’t alert on anything.”

Jonah glanced at the dog. “He usually pretty good?”

“The best. All I can tell you is we’ll try again tomorrow. I’m trying to get my hands on one of those electronic sniffers, see if we can come up with something he missed.” He glanced at the building. “Hey, is Allison still there?”

“Don’t know. Why?”

“She was asking all about the dogs. Thought I’d see if she wanted to grab a coffee or something.”

Allison didn’t date cops. Jonah wasn’t sure she even dated men, but this guy could find out for himself.

“Try the break room. Someone just brought in a pizza.”

Jonah’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it out. He didn’t recognize the number.

“And keep me posted,” Jonah said.

“I’ll call you when I get out there tomorrow. Should be pretty early.”

Jonah’s phone buzzed again, and he answered it as he headed for his truck.

“Macon.”

“Glad I caught you.” It was Sophie.

“Sit tight. I’m on my way over.”

“There’s been a slight change of plan.”

He stopped beside his truck. “What’s that?”

“I’m going out of town.”

“What?”

“You know, it’s been a
really
crappy week for me, considering everything. I could use a vacation.”

Jonah stood there, stunned. And then his blood turned icy.

“Are you alone?”

For a second, she didn’t answer.

“Sophie? Cough if someone’s with you.”

“You’re wondering if I’m being held at gunpoint or something? The answer is no, I’m fine.”

“Fine?”

“A little sore, but I’ve got some pills for that. And some R and R should help, too. Just what the doctor ordered.”

“Sophie—” He tried to tamp down his frustration because the last time he’d seen her, she’d been pretty shell-shocked. “Someone’s trying to hurt you. You need protection. You cannot just go on
vacation
—”

“Wanna bet?”

“Where the hell are you going?”

“That’s the beauty of it. I don’t know yet. Which means nobody else knows, either.”

Jonah clenched his hand in a fist and worked on not pounding his truck. He reminded himself that she was terrified. The bravado was her response to being scared.

“Sophie.” He took a deep breath. “Honey, where are you?”

“Why?”

“I’m coming to get you. I’ve got something lined up.”

“What, you mean the deer lease?” The hint of revulsion in her voice ticked him off. “I appreciate the thought, but I’m going to have to veto that. No offense, but it sounds kind of like a pain in the ass. For you, your father, pretty much everyone. This way works better.”

“Sophie …” He was practically choking on his anger now. “Don’t be stupid! You can’t just take off!”

“I’ll check in tomorrow. Keep your phone on, okay? Gotta go.”

“Goddamn it, Sophie, listen to me!”

But she’d already hung up.

Sophie awoke with a sunbeam in her eyes. She turned her head away and was immediately zapped by a bolt of pain. It shot up her spine and pinged around before settling at the base of her skull, which was already throbbing from the noise outside.

Seagulls.

Slowly, carefully, Sophie turned onto her back and lay there, squinting at the window.

She’d forgotten to draw the curtains. She’d arrived late and exhausted and hadn’t thought of anything except popping a blue pill and collapsing into bed. She lay there now on the lumpy mattress, listening to the gulls and making a mental list of all her aches and pains. Tailbone was at the top. Next was her wrist, which felt strangely hot underneath the bandage. She’d had four stitches in the ER last night, and she hoped they hadn’t become infected. She also had a scraped elbow and two skinned knees, as well as that full-body soreness that came from doing an intense physical activity you hadn’t done in a long time—such as moving boxes or waterskiing.

Or being smacked by an air bag and taking an eight-foot jump from a wrecked car.

Sophie sat up slowly and looked around the room. Daylight didn’t help the decor. The blue bedspread was faded to almost gray, and the once-white walls were streaked with water marks. In a nod to the resort’s sand-and-surf theme, someone had put a sea-shell border up around the ceiling, but it was peeling off at the corners.

Sophie didn’t care. They’d had a vacancy and they’d taken her cash without questions. She’d used her credit card in San Marcos last night to get a cash advance that would buy her a few days of quiet anonymity. She just hoped the investigation made progress before her funds ran out.

Sophie rolled her sore shoulders and winced at the pain. She needed a long, hot shower. She walked gingerly into the cramped bathroom and stood briefly under a lukewarm trickle. At the rate she was paying, she couldn’t really complain.

Wrapped in a micro-towel, she rummaged through her Walmart shopping bag and lined her purchases up on the dresser. She’d bought some clothes, toiletry items, and most important, a disposable phone. Her sleek little flip phone was probably a charred cinder somewhere. But she wouldn’t have kept it anyway because someone could use the GPS on it to pinpoint her whereabouts.

One of the many tidbits she’d learned while working at a PI’s office.

Sophie’s new phone didn’t have a clock, and neither did her room, but judging from the brilliant shade of blue outside her window, it was late morning. Perfect
time for a swim, if she hadn’t been nearly faint with hunger. First stop would have to be a restaurant.