“It’s my choice. Remember that, Beth. No guilt. People make choices.”
“Bullshit.”
He chuckled. “I don’t have time to argue with you now. Work it out for yourself.”
“I will.” She curled up on the leather couch and drew the throw over her. “But I’m tired of everyone’s risking their necks and treating me as if I were still sedated and almost comatose in that hospital. I’m going to help myself, Joe.”
“Fine.” He was pulling up records on the computer. “When something comes up, I’ll let you know.”
“You don’t mean that.” She turned on her side on the couch to look at him. “But I do. There’s so much I have to learn. I’m strong, but Drogan almost killed me that night at the hospital. You know all kinds of ways to fight people. Will you teach me?”
“If I have time,” he said, his gaze on the computer screen.
“Make time,” she said firmly. “I bet you taught Eve to protect herself. Well, she’s like you, she’s going to stay beside me and run risks no matter what I say. Wouldn’t it be better if I knew how to protect both of us?”
He lifted his gaze. “You’re very clever. You know exactly where to strike.”
“It’s easy. You love her. I don’t know much about feelings like that, but I know that you want her safe. You wouldn’t want me to die, but I don’t really matter to you. Not compared to what you feel for her. Will you teach me so that she has a better chance of surviving if she stays with me?”
He smiled. “As I said, clever. Yes, I’d do that if we didn’t have to move so fast.”
“It wouldn’t take much of your time to show me basics. I’ve always been a fast learner. And I’ll have to learn even faster now. I have so much time to make up.” She added quickly, “Don’t answer me now. I know you’ll do it if I pick the right time. I just thought I’d prepare you.”
“Thank you.”
“And I’ll let you tell me about Eve later, too.”
“Beth, go to sleep and let me work.”
She was silent a moment. “I’m annoying you.”
“Yes.”
“Why? Tell me, and I’ll stop.”
“Because you’re half-child, half-sage, and you have the drive of a bulldozer. It’s a difficult combination for me to handle right now.”
“But I think you like me, don’t you?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “And I’ve decided that I couldn’t go to bed with you after all even if Eve didn’t mind. Because I like you, too, and it would bother me if I thought I wasn’t measuring up to what you’d want me to be.”
“Well, I’m glad we’ve finally settled that problem,” Joe said solemnly. “Though I thought that subject was already closed.”
“You’re laughing at me. That’s all right. It might have been closed for you and Eve, but I have trouble letting go of anything.” She changed the subject. “I’m not going to be able to sleep. How can I help you? Don’t tell me no. Think about it.”
He thought about it. “Keep the TV low so that it won’t disturb me and monitor anything that might have to do with the theft of the Lamborghini or any police action in the area. Okay?”
“Okay.” She reached for the remote and propped herself up on the couch. “I won’t bother you any longer unless I see something you should know about.”
“Excellent.”
She didn’t speak for a few minutes, then whispered, “I’m sorry he hurt you, Joe.”
Joe didn’t answer. He was frowning intently, and she didn’t know if he heard her. And he might not care how she felt. Everything he did for Beth was because Eve wanted it to be done. What would it be like to have someone love you that much? She felt a sudden pang of loneliness that she instantly dismissed as soon as she identified it. She had been alone all her life, and she wasn’t going to whine about it. Now that she was free, she was going to have a wonderful life and love and friendship might even be a part of it. She was difficult and obstinate, and it was hard for her to reach out. But maybe that could be overcome.
If she was lucky, if she didn’t annoy everyone as much as she did Joe …
* * *
THE GREEN NEON SIGN of the Immediate Care Medical Clinic blazed in the darkness.
TWENTY-FOUR HOUR SERVICE.
There were only two cars in the parking lot, Drogan noticed. That was good. They probably belonged to staff, and he wouldn’t be forced to push ahead of any other patients and cause a disturbance. He had to be very unobtrusive until he got this damn wound treated.
“It’s okay, pull in,” he told the woman driving the car. What was her name? Hester something. Kippling, that was it. “Do you remember what you’re supposed to do?”
Hester Kippling nodded jerkily. “I’ll do whatever you say. Anything. Please don’t hurt me.” She parked the car in front of the building and shut off the engine. Her voice was strained as she tried to control herself. “I won’t tell the police anything. Just let me go home to my granddaughter. Tiffany’s only four years old. You can’t be sure that she can breathe through that gag you stuffed in her mouth.”
“Then you’d better get home to her right away before she suffocates. But it’s more likely that you’ll end up dead than the kid if you don’t do exactly as I say. You wouldn’t want her to end up an orphan.” He tucked his gun back into his jacket and got out of the car. “I’ll be watching you. One glance, one twitch of an eyebrow that tips off that doctor, and you’re dead. Now get out and act like a loving wife who’s so worried about me that you’re shaking and about to collapse.” He laughed. “It shouldn’t be difficult. All you need to do is think about this gun in my pocket and the fact that if you cause trouble, I’ll go back to your house and blow the kid’s head off.”
Hester Kippling. “No trouble. I promise.” She hurried toward the front entrance. “Just don’t hurt me or Tiffany. We didn’t do anything to you.”
No, and he probably wouldn’t do anything to Tiffany Kippling. He didn’t have time to go back and deal with the woman’s granddaughter. He didn’t like leaving witnesses, but a child wasn’t really believable in a court of law. He had made sure she was terrified before he’d bound and gagged her. She wouldn’t be able to even look at him without becoming hysterical. It was marginally safe leaving her alive.
And not at all safe permitting Hester Kippling to survive this night.
“Would I hurt that sweet little girl?” He opened the heavy glass doors and added softly, “Only if you force me, Hester, and I know you wouldn’t do that.”
* * *
IT WAS OVER FOUR HOURS LATER that Beth suddenly straightened on the couch. “I think this may be what you were talking about, Joe. It all connects.”
Joe turned to look at her. “What connects?”
“Drogan.” She pointed to the TV screen that showed an EMT van and several policemen milling around an Immediate Care Medical Clinic parking lot. “Triple murder. A middle-aged woman, Hester Kippling, a Dr. Dan Thomas, and Lynn Smith his nurse. Thomas and the nurse were on duty at this clinic about forty miles from here. Hester Kippling accompanied her supposed husband into the facility and insisted on staying with him through the treatment.” She glanced at Joe. “He had a hand injury. His entire right hand was bandaged.”
He nodded. “Drogan.”
“Dr. Thomas evidently performed the necessary surgery. But the doctor, nurse, and Hester Kippling were found dead a few hours later by another nurse who had come in at a shift change. Shot to death. There were video cameras in the reception area but none in the examining room. No clear photos of the killer. He managed to stay out of view.” She looked at Joe. “But it has to be Drogan, doesn’t it?”
He nodded. “Otherwise, it’s entirely too coincidental.” He smiled. “Good job, Beth.”
She shivered. “Nothing good about it. Three people dead because of me. It could have been even worse. They found a little girl tied up but alive at the Kippling house.” Her lips firmed. “But I won’t think like that. I have to keep telling myself that I’m not guilty. It’s Drogan. It’s all because of Drogan.”
“That’s right.”
“But he has to be stopped, Joe. Did you find anything else about him?”