Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
The girl pushed blond hair over her shoulder, her blue eyes wide. “I was on my way to my internship at Oakridge since there’s no school today, and I heard about the shooting. The local news named you and said you’d headed to the hospital.” She rushed Laurel into a fierce hug. “I was worried.”
Laurel returned the hug and stepped back. “I’m fine, honey. The bullet hit Abigail, and I’m waiting to hear about her.”
Viv exhaled slowly. “Okay. Good.” She looked around the vacant waiting room. “Since you’re here, I was wondering if you’d help me?”
“Always.” Laurel focused more fully on the sixteen-year-old. “What do you need?”
Viv flushed. “My friend Larry died a week ago. The Seattle police are saying it was a suicide, but he didn’t seem like he’d do that. He was always happy.”
Laurel paused. “I didn’t hear anything about one of your friends dying.” Kate would’ve told her.
Viv stuck her hands in her light blue raincoat. “He’s not from here. He’s just a buddy who lives in Seattle named Larry Scott. I tried to talk to the Seattle detective, and she wasn’t very nice. Would you please just call her?”
Just then, FBI agent Walter Smudgeon ran inside, his eyes wide. “Are you okay?” He skidded to a stop and touched Laurel’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said.
“You’re bleeding.”
She jolted and looked down at her torn blouse. It was white with tiny yellow tulips and had softened the blue suit, or so her mother had said when she’d gifted it to Laurel. “Oh, I’m fine. That’s from hitting the ground.” She rolled her shoulder and looked carefully. It was just a scrape.
He took a deep breath. “Okay, good. Hey, Viv. What are you doing here?”
“Hi, Walter.” Viv glanced at the wall clock. “Crap. I have to get to my internship. We’re seeing what yeast does to various materials today. Thanks for helping, Laurel.” She patted Laurel’s arm and jogged out of the hospital.
Laurel watched her go. Apparently she’d be making calls to the Seattle police department later today.
“What was that about?” Walter asked.
“She lost a friend.” Laurel looked at her partner from the specialized FBI office she’d opened in the small town. Walter had been shot months ago and yet appeared better than ever. He had lost weight and today wore jeans, a green T-shirt, and an overcoat. His belt appeared new, as did his shoes. Even his hair had thickened, noticeably so, and taken on a deeper, warmer shade, several degrees removed from its prior silvering. She suspected one of those color-depositing shampoos designed to mask age with just enough plausibility to escape casual scrutiny. “You appear markedly improved,” she said.
His eyebrows rose over his brown eyes. “You’re saying I look good?” Wasn’t that exactly what she’d just said? “Yes.”
“Thanks. I’ve been making an effort at it.” He gently took her elbow and led her over to the seats. “How about we take a load off, boss?”
“Sure.” She sat.
He sat next to her and patted her hand. “I think you might be in shock.”
She looked at him, her mind spinning. “I suppose it’s possible. We were fired upon, and Huck slammed me into the marble steps with enough force to leave a mark, but I retained motor coordination, made rational decisions, and drove myself here. That doesn’t align with clinical shock.”
Walter winced. “You sure driving here was a good idea?”
“Perhaps not.”
He looked around. “Speaking of Huck, where is he?”
“The captain remained at the scene,” she said. Her vision wavered unexpectedly in an involuntary neurological response, most likely from fatigue or residual adrenaline. She gave her head a brief shake just as her phone buzzed. She retrieved it from her pocket with slightly uncoordinated fingers and lifted it to her ear. “Agent Snow.”
“Hey, it’s Huck. I’m checking on you. How are you feeling?”
“I’m functional,” she said.
He snorted. “That you are, Snow. However, you hit the ground pretty hard. Sorry about that. I heard the shot and just reacted.”
“I’m perfectly unharmed. Was anyone else hit?” So far there hadn’t been anybody else brought in by ambulance, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have a body or two. She’d hurried away from the scene so quickly she hadn’t taken stock. She thought most people were okay.
“Nope, just Abigail.”
Laurel ran through the scene in her head. “Did anybody see the shooter?”
“No. The shot came from a distance.”
She sat back in the chair. “You think we have a sniper?”
“I’m exploring that now. I just wanted to check on you. You sure you’re good?”
“Yes,” she repeated. “I’m fine. Walter’s here with me. You must have been the one who notified him.”
“Of course I called him. He’s your partner.” Huck added, “Well, when I’m not.”
She couldn’t be certain, but it sounded like there was a slight smile in the captain’s voice. “Yes. You’re both good partners.”