Starbright (16 page)

A knock at the door gained the attention of everyone in the room. Two uniformed police officers entered, removing their hats and clearing their throats. One officer was around fifty years old and overweight, with graying hair and hard features. The other didn’t look mature enough for a paper route.

Aidan’s rage resurfaced. After Nathan called off security, the nurse probably contacted the police.

“I’m not fucking leaving,” he said, tightening his arms around Beth.

The older cop had the nerve to crack a smile. “Sir, we’re not here for you. I’m Officer Jacobs.” He gestured to his partner. “And this is Officer Reins. Dr. Bettman called us to take Miss Bates’ statement. Standard protocol.”

Aidan shook his head. “No fucking way. She’s been through enough tonight without having to repeat it all to you two goons.”

Officer Reins stepped forward, holding his hat in both hands. “It’s best to get the information from her while it’s still fresh in her mind.”

“She’s not talking, so get the hell out of here.”

Officer Jacobs scowled. “Look, son, Officer Reins and I are men of the law. We will not tolerate this attitude from you.”

Aidan seethed. “Don’t call me son, you son of a—”

“Aidan?” Beth’s soft voice pierced the tension in the room.

A chill ran through his bones at the thought he could’ve lost her tonight. He had dealt with nightmares almost his entire life, but nothing would be more painful or debilitating than if he never heard her voice or saw her smile again.

“I don’t mind speaking to them.”

Aidan brushed her hair back from her face, using the utmost care to avoid touching her bandage. Her expression reinforced her decision.

Against his better judgment, he returned his attention to the officers. “Fine. But like I said, I’m not leaving.”

Olivia took Nathan’s hand and squared her shoulders. “We’re staying, too.”

“Before we start, officers, it’s obvious that Miss Bates is Elizabeth Sutton, the actress, and the gentleman with her is actor Aidan Evans,” Nathan said, his manner professional. “It goes without saying, but Luther Mertz, the head of Starlight Studios, would appreciate your discretion in this matter.”

Officer Reins gave a curt nod. “Of course, sir.”

Officer Jacobs tucked his hat under his arm and removed a notepad from his pocket. “Mr. Evans, while we speak to Miss Bates, why don’t you sit over by the—”

“No.” Aidan’s hardened features told the man not to argue.

Officer Jacobs’ eyes narrowed. “Fine. But any misconduct from you and we will haul you downtown. I don’t care who you are.”

Aidan matched his glare but remained quiet for Beth’s sake.

The two officers approached the bed. Aidan reluctantly released Beth from his embrace, taking her hand instead.

Officer Jacobs smiled, but it dripped with insincerity. “Miss Bates, if you could start at the beginning, please.”

Aidan kept a careful watch on her. One sign of discomfort and the interview was over.

She cleared her throat softly. “Well, I’d just finished packing some more boxes. Olivia and I,” she gestured to her friend, “are moving on Sunday, you see, and I was about to retire to my bedroom. I heard a noise coming from the front foyer and discovered the doorknob rattling. Then there were several loud bangs.”

“Against the front door?” Officer Jacobs said while scribbling in his notepad.

Beth nodded. “It scared me, but I thought maybe someone had mistaken my apartment for theirs by accident.”

She looked at Aidan, as if asking for an evaluation of how she was doing. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and forced a grin, even though he still felt uncomfortable with the interview. A confident spark ignited in her eyes as she focused back on the officers.

“When the banging stopped, I figured whoever it was realized their mistake and moved on, so I went into my bedroom and changed for bed.” Her composure wavered as she surveyed her bloody robe.

Aidan hung his head. He wished he’d known the true extent of her condition before he left for the hospital so he could’ve brought her clean clothes.

“I visited the bathroom next, and then I returned to the living room to drink my orange juice and gather my novel, which I left by the television.” Beth regarded Aidan sorrowfully. “I’m sorry. I forgot to mention I poured orange juice for myself earlier and set it down on the foyer table when I heard the commotion at the door.”

Aidan squeezed her hand again. “It’s okay. You’re doing great.”

Beth turned back to the officers. The spark in her eyes was still there but not as bright as before. “I went to retrieve my novel before finishing my juice. I like to read before I go to sleep, you see—”

“Yeah, that’s not crucial information. The orange juice, the novel…” Office Jacobs waved his hand dismissively.

Olivia scoffed but said nothing. Neither did Nathan.

Aidan didn’t exercise the same restraint. “Hey, if she wants to tell you why she went to grab the book, she can.”

Officer Jacobs raised his eyebrows. Smartly, he didn’t reply.

Aidan’s gaze softened as it landed back on Beth. “Go ahead, baby.”

“On my way to pick up my book, I heard a noise at the living room window. Then the phone started ringing.”

“That was me, I think.” Olivia cringed. “Oops, sorry for interrupting.”

“At first, I thought it might be wind rattling the glass, or a stray cat, but then—” Beth screwed her eyes closed.

Aidan scowled. “That’s it. We’re done here.”

“Aidan, I’m fine.” She opened her eyes. “Please, I want to continue.”

All Aidan saw from Beth was his own anxiety reflecting back at him.

“You don’t have to do this now,” he said, trying to keep his attitude in check. “I’ll take you to the police station in a few days and you can make a statement then.”

“I would rather get it over with tonight.”

Aidan tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Just say the word and they’re gone.”

Beth nodded and looked back at the policemen. “Where was I?”

“The noise at the living room window,” Officer Reins prompted.

“Right. Well, after that, I decided to call Aidan because I was scared.”

Aidan swallowed hard against his skyrocketing guilt.

“I picked up the telephone receiver and turned to the window, and that’s when I saw a man on the fire escape. Well, I assume it was a man because of his physique. He seemed… big. Like, too big for a woman. He wore a balaclava, so I couldn’t see his face. It didn’t help that it was dark outside. Afterward, I don’t know what happened because I fainted.”

“Do you remember what the man was wearing besides a balaclava?” Officer Reins inquired.

Beth’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not sure. Like I said, it was dark outside. I believe it was something black. You know, dark clothing. I didn’t really get a good look at him.”

“What did you do today, Miss Bates? Were you up early? Did you have a busy day?

Aidan glowered at Officer Jacobs. He knew exactly where this was heading and didn’t like it one bit.

“I was at the studio all day filming my musical,” Beth replied. “I was up at five this morning and arrived home just after eight.”

Officer Jacobs stopped his note taking. “In other words, you had a long day and felt tired.”

“No.” She paused. “I mean, I did have a long day, but I wasn’t tired at this time.”

“Was anything stolen?” Officer Reins asked.

“Stolen?” The creases in Beth’s forehead deepened. “No. From what Nathan told me, there were no signs of forced entry.”

“Nathan is who now?”

Nathan stepped forward. “That’s me.”

Officer Jacobs scribbled on his notepad. “Nathan, you were with Miss Bates when all this happened?”

Nathan’s eyes found the floor. He shook his head.

Officer Jacobs looked at Olivia. “What about you?”

She replied with an agonizing, “No.”

Officer Jacobs focused back on Beth. “Miss Bates, don’t you think if there was a man on the fire escape—let’s say, an obsessed fan, or even a criminal who targeted your apartment at random—he would’ve seen through the window that you were home alone and passed out, and used that opportunity to break in and steal something?”

“I—I don’t know.” Her gaze bounced between the two officers. “How would I know how a burglar thinks?”

Aidan tensed at the alarm in her voice.

“Miss Bates, isn’t it possible you didn’t realize how tired you really were?” Officer Jacobs asked.

“Yes, but the doorknob—”

“It could’ve been a completely separate incident, like you suggested earlier—someone trying to enter the wrong apartment accidentally.”

“I suppose. But the man at the window, he was real. I know what I saw!” With a soft cry, Beth covered her face with her hands.

Aidan leapt from the bed, his hands balled into fists. Officer Jacobs reached for his handcuffs, but Aidan remained undeterred.

“Listen, man, if Beth says she saw someone on the fire escape, then she did.”

The two men locked eyes. Their jaws set.

Nathan stepped between them, placing his hand to Aidan’s chest. “Let’s finish the interview so we can all go home, okay?”

Aidan grunted and backed off, taking his seat beside Beth again. He avoided her gaze until he cooled down, so he wouldn’t upset her further.

“Let me make sure I got everything.” Officer Jacobs looked at his notepad and sighed. “An unidentifiable male—well, presumably male—possibly wearing dark clothing, stood on the fire escape, looking into your apartment. You couldn’t make out any distinguishing features because it was dark outside and he wore a mask. There were no signs of forced entry and nothing is missing. Is that correct?”

Beth gulped. “Well, I—”

“Thank you for your statement, Miss Bates.” Officer Jacobs flipped his notepad closed. “We have your address and telephone number from your hospital registration card. We’ll contact you if we have further questions.”

“But as I said, officer, I’m moving on Sunday—”

“Which means you’ll call me and I’ll pass along the message,” Aidan said sharply. “I don’t want you bothering her again.”

Officer Reins nodded and wrote down Aidan’s telephone number. “Thank you all for your cooperation.” He put on his hat and tipped it in Beth’s direction before leaving.

Officer Jacobs was already gone.

Aidan brought Beth’s hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “You did well, baby. I’m so proud of you.”

“But I couldn’t give them much information.” She frowned. “They’ll probably never catch him.”

“Are you kidding?” Aidan faked a grin, willing to tell a fib to make her feel better. “You gave ’em plenty.”

“Really?” A glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

He widened his grin. “Absolutely.”

Nathan and Olivia echoed his remarks a little too enthusiastically. Thankfully, Beth didn’t seem to question their validity.

“Miss Bates?” A physician appeared in the doorway.

Aidan suppressed the urge to tell the doctor to get lost but remained on guard, having lost trust in all healthcare professionals and law enforcement after his mother’s death.

Beth greeted the physician with a warm smile. “Hello, Dr. Bettman.”

“I have your discharge summary and pain medication.” The doctor walked over to the bed and held up a brown paper bag. “Inside, there are also all the supplies you’ll need to clean your wound and change your dressing, as well as written instructions. Please take it easy over the next few days. You don’t have a concussion, so you’re allowed to sleep. Any nausea, vomiting, fever, or debilitating headaches, call the hospital immediately, and we will instruct you on what to do.”

Aidan took the supplies with the intention of looking after her, so she wouldn’t have to worry about anything. He remembered how to change dressings because he’d watched the nurses tend to his mother’s wounds when she was in the hospital. The memory was fresh in his mind, even though it happened many years ago.

When the physician left, Olivia hugged Beth. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

As the women embraced, Aidan and Nathan looked at each other, sharing a silent exchange: one thank you, two apologies, and a collective vow never to make another mistake like this again.

“Come on, let’s get you home.” Olivia smiled and took Beth’s hand. “I’ll figure out where we packed the kettle and make you some tea.”

Aidan shook his head. “Beth isn’t going back there. She’s gonna stay at my house.”

Three pairs of eyes darted to him.

“Are you sure?” Beth said. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Beth, you’re not intruding. You should’ve been at my place anyway since Olivia was spending the night at Nate’s.”

She lowered her gaze.

Aidan cringed. “Look, all I’m asking is that you stay at my place until you’ve moved into your new house on Sunday. Olivia can stay with Nate. It’s much safer. That way if that” —he censored himself— “
man
decides to come back to the apartment, no one will be there.”

“Aidan is right.” Nathan crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s not safe for you girls to stay in the apartment anymore. I won’t allow it.”

“I think it’s a good idea.” Olivia looked to Beth for confirmation. “It’s Friday, and we both don’t work on the weekend, so no one will show up at the apartment to take us to the studio. Mr. Mertz will never find out you’re staying with Aidan.”

“Don’t worry about Luther,” Nathan said in executive assistant mode again. “I can take care of him, although I doubt he’ll get wind of this. Beth’s file is under Marie Bates, and I can assure you that anyone who saw her or Aidan at the hospital tonight will keep quiet. I have it all under control.”

Beth still looked hesitant. “Well, if you’re certain it’s all right.”

Aidan stroked her face, mindful again of the bandage. He’d taken control of the situation since his arrival, and it was only right to give her another option in case she felt his offer was too improper. After all, she was a classy woman and they weren’t married.

“Baby, I would like for you to stay with me, but if you’d feel more comfortable staying with Olivia at Nate’s house, that’s okay, too.”

Beth’s eyes widened. “No, I want to stay with you. Really, I do.”