Page 3 of Slow Burn (Buchanan-Renard 5)

  “Yes, she can talk,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “She can walk, too.”

  Nate flashed a smile. The woman was a smart-ass. He liked that. “Can you tell me your name?”

  She didn’t dare nod. Any movement at all increased her headache. Aspirin, she thought. An aspirin would take care of it.

  “Kate MacKenna,” she said. “What happened?”

  “An explosion.”

  She frowned. “I don’t remember an explosion. Was anyone hurt?”

  “You were,” Riley said.

  “I’m okay. Please put me down.”

  The request was ignored. She asked once again if anyone was hurt, and George answered, “Just some scratches and bruises.”

  “May I have an aspirin?”

  “You’ve got a hell of a headache, don’t you?” George remarked. “We can’t give you anything yet. When we get you to the hospital—”

  “I don’t need to go to the hospital.”

  “Someone sure was looking out for you.” Riley offered the comment.

  Confused, she squinted up at him. “I’m sorry?”

  “You didn’t get blown up,” he said. “If you had been inside the tent, you’d be a goner.”

  They reached the bottom of the hill and stopped to wait for an officer to open the back of the ambulance.

  “I’m riding with her to the hospital,” Nate said.

  “I guess that’s all right. Her vitals are good.”

  Nate whistled to get a policeman’s attention, pointed to the ambulance, and climbed inside.

  “I don’t need a ride to the hospital. I’m all right now,” she said. “My car’s here . . . somewhere.”

  “You shouldn’t be driving anywhere,” George said.

  “My driver’s license is in my car, and my purse and . . .” She realized how unimportant that information was and stopped talking.

  “Think you could answer a couple of questions?” Nate asked.

  She liked his voice. It was smooth . . . and not too loud. “Of course.”

  “Tell me what happened?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know what happened.” Why couldn’t she remember? What was wrong with her? Maybe when the headache went away it would all come back to her.

  “Did you see anyone unusual . . . you know, someone who didn’t belong?”

  She closed her eyes. “I don’t . . . I’m sorry. Maybe I’ll remember later.”

  She knew she was frustrating him.

  “And no one got hurt?” she repeated.

  He assured her. “The caterers and the staff were inside the building preparing trays and trying to keep cool. The owner was in a limo on his way to pick up the artist.”

  “Thank God,” she whispered.

  “If it had happened later, there would have been a massacre,” George said.

  The detective was sitting across from her, his arms on his knees, his hands clasped together, his gaze intent as he leaned forward and asked, “Try to think, Kate. You didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary?”

  The urgency in his voice cut through her haze. “You don’t think this was an accident, do you?”

  “We’re not ruling out any possibility.”

  “Couldn’t it have been one of the air conditioners?” she asked. “There were wires everywhere. Maybe one was overloaded . . .” She stopped when he shook his head. “It isn’t possible that one of those blew up?” she asked.

  “A hundred air conditioners couldn’t have done that kind of damage. The explosive took out half that hill.”

  Riley bent over Kate and once again checked her blood pressure. He smiled as he loosened the cuff.

  “How’s she doing?” Nate asked.

  “Her numbers are still good.”

  “My head’s feeling better,” she said. It was a lie, but she wanted to go home.

  “You still need to be checked out at the hospital,” George said.

  Hallinger closed his notepad and took a long look at her. Not many victims, he thought, were as gorgeous as this. He realized he was staring and quickly looked away. “That old tree saved your life. If you hadn’t been standing behind it, you wouldn’t have survived. What were you doing all the way over there? You were quite a distance from the annex and the tent.”

  She turned her head and winced. She really wanted an aspirin. “I went for a walk,” she said. It wasn’t a lie; she had gone for a walk. She just didn’t think she needed to explain why.

  “In this heat? I would think you would have wanted to go inside the annex, or walk on up to the house, or maybe even stay inside the tent near one of those air conditioners.”

  “You would think,” she agreed. “But I didn’t. I went for a walk. The heat doesn’t really bother me.” Okay, that was a lie, but it was a little one and she could live with that.

  “Were you alone when you went for your walk?”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “Hmmm.” He looked skeptical.

  “Detective, if someone had been with me, wouldn’t he or she have been knocked unconscious, too?”

  “If he or she had stayed around.”

  Before she could respond he asked, “How long were you out there?”

  “Out where?”

  “Behind the trees.”

  “I don’t know. Not long.”

  “Really.” The skepticism had moved to his voice.

  “Is there a problem?” she asked.

  “The crime scene unit found something about twenty feet away from you.”

  “What’d they find?” she asked and only then realized where he was headed. Oh my, the bump on her head had made her dense.

  “An article of clothing,” he said. “An undergarment, which was why I was wondering who was with you.”

  She could feel her face burning. “No one was with me. You’re asking me about a black bra, right? And you’re wondering if it belonged to me?” Before he could answer she plunged ahead. “It did belong to me. The ladies’ room was blocked, and I needed a little privacy to take it off. I saw the trees and I headed there.”

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why did you want to take it off?”

  He was being extremely intrusive, she thought, and she could have told him so, but she decided to be honest instead. “It was killing me.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  Everyone inside the ambulance was suddenly interested in the topic. Riley and George were waiting for her to explain.

  “The wire . . .”

  “Yes?”

  Good Lord. “A woman would understand.”

  “But a man wouldn’t?”

  He wasn’t letting it go. She wondered if he was deliberately trying to embarrass her.

  “You try wearing one of those things for an hour, and trust me, you’ll take it off, too.”

  He laughed. “No, thanks. I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it.”

  “Are you going to write that down in your notepad?”

  He had a nice smile.

  “Are you married?” he asked. “Is there a husband I should contact?”

  “No, I’m not married. I live with my sisters.” She tried to sit up and only then realized she was strapped down. “I’ve got to call them. They’ll be worried.”

  “When we get to the hospital, I’ll call them for you.” He sat back on the bench and glanced out the back window. “We’re almost there.”

  “I don’t need to go to the hospital. My headache’s almost gone.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  From the way he drawled out the response she knew he didn’t believe her.

  “You don’t live in Charleston proper,” he said.

  “No,” she answered. She knew he could already have her address, phone number, and probably every other detail about her life. One phone call to an associate manning a computer would tell him everything he wanted to know.

  “We live in Silver Springs, but it’s a quick drive to the city. Are you new to this are

a?”

  “Yes,” he answered. “I just moved here from Savannah. It’s pretty laid-back here.” He smiled as he added, “. . . Usually. I’ll bet this is the most excitement you’ll have all year.”

  Chapter Four

  If only.

  Kiera and Isabel rushed through the emergency room doors. Kiera looked relieved when she saw Kate and smiled. Isabel looked scared.

  The ER physician checked Kate and sent her downstairs for a scan. The techs were backed up, and she had to wait two hours before they finished with her. Then she was brought upstairs and assigned a room.

  Kiera was pacing in the hallway. Isabel was sitting on the edge of the bed watching television. The footage of the aftermath of the explosion was all over the news.

  The second Isabel spotted Kate she jumped up, anxiously waited until she was in bed, and threw herself into her sister’s arms.

  “You’re okay, right? You gave us quite a scare, but you’re okay, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  Kiera grabbed the controls and adjusted the bed so that Kate could sit up.

  “You’re not seeing three of me, are you?” Isabel asked. She was fluffing the pillow behind Kate’s head and causing her sister a good deal of pain.

  “If she were seeing three of you, she’d be screaming now. One Isabel is enough.” Kiera laughed.

  “Not funny,” Isabel said, but she, too, was smiling.

  Kiera picked up Kate’s chart from the metal slot at the foot of the hospital bed and began to read the doctor’s notes.

  “Should you be looking at that?” Isabel asked.

  Kiera shrugged. “If they don’t want you to read it, they shouldn’t leave it. They’re keeping you overnight for observation.”

  “I know,” Kate said. “I want to go home.”

  “You should stay . . . as a precaution,” she added. “Aunt Nora was still at her meeting, but we’ve left a message for her. No doubt she’ll want to bring a cot in here so she can keep watch all night.”

  “Did she crack her head?” Isabel wondered, peering over Kiera’s shoulder at the chart.

  “I don’t think so. Her skull is like granite.”

  Isabel took hold of Kate’s hand. “You scared me . . . I mean us. You scared us. I don’t know what we would do without you. It was lonely while you were in Boston. When Kiera was home, her nose was always in a medical book.”

  “She’s going to be fine, Isabel. Stop stressing.”

  Isabel walked to the window and sat on the ledge. “Okay, I won’t stress. So tell me . . . who was the man with the ambulance guys? He was really cute.”

  “Men don’t like being called cute,” a male voice responded.

  None of them had noticed that Nate was standing in the doorway.

  He was taken aback when all three sisters turned toward him. Damn, there wasn’t a homely one among them. Isabel’s face turned bright pink almost instantly.

  “Please come in,” Kate said. She introduced him to her sisters and waited for him to tell her why he was there.

  “I forgot to give you my card,” he said. “If you need anything or remember anything, no matter how insignificant you might think it is, I want you to call me.”

  “Yes, I will.”

  He hesitated but couldn’t think of anything else to ask or say that would keep him in the room. “How’s your head?”

  “Better.”

  He nodded. “Okay then.”

  He was turning to leave when Isabel called, “May I ask you something, Detective?” She took a step toward him and smiled.

  Kate and Kiera shared a look. Isabel was turning on the charm, her never-fail charm. She brushed her hair back and took another step.

  “Sure,” he said. “What do you want to know?”

  “Are the police going to put that painter, Cinnamon, in protective custody?”

  He leaned against the door frame. “Why would you ask?”

  She tilted her head toward the television. “She’s on the news, and she’s demanding police protection, which is really ironic when you think about it. She’s always trashed the police until now. One of the reporters on the news quoted some of the horrible things she’s said in the past. I think she said that you were all on the take or something like that. I don’t know why she hasn’t been sued.” She took a deep breath and then said, “Cinnamon says that it was a bomb and it was meant to kill her. She says people are trying to silence her because of her political views . . . and oh, her art, too.”

  “She thinks people are trying to kill her because of her paintings? Is she that bad?” Kiera asked. She laughed and shook her head.

  Isabel frowned. “It’s not funny. There were a couple of paintings on the wall behind her, and she kept pointing to them while she was being interviewed. I think maybe she was doing a little advertising.”

  “Has anyone determined what caused the explosion?” Kiera asked.

  Nate turned to her. “We’re not sure what kind yet, but it was definitely a bomb. We have a team working on it.”

  He looked at Kate again. “If you remember anything . . .” he said as he headed for the door.

  Kate nodded.

  Isabel waited until she was certain he was out of earshot and then said, “Isn’t he adorable?”

  “Yes, he’s definitely adorable,” Kiera agreed. “But he’s too old for you. He’s got to be in his thirties. And . . .”

  Isabel folded her arms across her waist. “And what?”

  “And he’s interested in Kate.”

  Kate hadn’t been paying much attention to the conversation until she heard her name. “As a witness,” she corrected. “He’s interested in me as a witness. That’s all.”

  “He is not too old for me,” Isabel said. “I wonder if he’s single or married. I didn’t see a ring on his finger.”

  “Let it go,” Kiera said, her exasperation obvious. “He’s not interested in you.”

  Isabel ignored her sister. “You should have asked him, Kate.”

  “I was unconscious, for heaven’s sake.” She gingerly lay back against the pillow. Her head was throbbing, but the conversation, as ludicrous as it was, did distract her. “When should I have asked him? In the ambulance?”

  “No, of course not. I was just saying . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “You let another opportunity pass by.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” She would have laughed if her head hadn’t hurt so much.

  “I’m most certainly not kidding. I swear I don’t remember the last serious relationship you were in. In fact, I don’t think you’ve ever been in a—”

  “Kate darling!” Carl Bertolli called from the doorway.

  He waited until all eyes were on him and then rushed into the room with a flurry. Carl did so love to make a grand entrance, no matter what the occasion.

  Isabel was thrilled to see him again. She’d only met him once, when he’d stopped by the house to pick up Kate for some sort of important benefit, but he’d made a lasting impression. Carl was so flamboyant, so bigger than life. She told Kate she was sure he must own at least one cape to wear to all his winter social events.

  He clasped Kate’s hand in both of his and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

  “My poor, poor darling. This is a nightmare, a complete nightmare. It’s amazing no one was seriously injured or killed in the explosion, and I tell you, if I were not wearing this white suit, I would get down on my knees to thank God.”

  Kiera coughed to cover her laughter. Kate tugged her hand away and said, “You remember my sisters, Kiera and Isabel.”

  “Yes, of course I do.” He flashed a smile and said, “I do hope you don’t blame me for what happened. I never should have allowed that crazy artist to show her work. I was warned, but I didn’t believe anyone would take the woman seriously.” He turned back to Kate and added, “And so I guess the blame should rest on my shoulders.”

  He wanted to be consoled. Kate was having none

of it. “Carl, the police will sort it all out. You couldn’t have known someone would go to such extremes.”

  “It’s good of you to say so. Do you know the gallery was untouched? Not a stone was jarred loose. Isn’t that astonishing? Of course I have a hole the size of a swimming pool in the lawn that I’m going to have to do something about, but when I think how much worse it could have been . . .” He paused, gave an elaborate shrug, and patted her hand again. “I shall let you rest now that I know you forgive me. If you need anything, anything at all . . .”

  “I’ll be sure to call you.”

  He gave her another dazzling smile, bowed to Isabel and Kiera, and left the room.

  Kiera and Isabel stared at the empty doorway. The energy in the room seemed to have been sucked out with his departure.

  “Carl’s an interesting fellow,” Kiera remarked. “A bit dramatic, but interesting.”

  “Aunt Nora was taken with him,” Isabel said. “She told me he reminded her of a young George Hamilton. When I asked her who George Hamilton was, she got real mad at me and said she wasn’t that old. I have no idea what she meant. Hey, Kate, what about Carl?”

  “What about him?”

  “Pay attention. We were discussing your love life—”

  “No, we weren’t. You were.”

  Isabel ignored the interruption. “And since you don’t seem inclined to do anything about it on your own, I feel I should help.”

  Kiera burst into laughter. “And you think Kate and Carl would be a good match?”

  Kate grimaced as she tried to keep from laughing, too. “Not only is Carl not my type, he’s engaged. His fiancée is much more suited to his idiosyncrasies than I could ever be.”

  Isabel blushed. “Okay, maybe not. But, Kate, you need someone more laid-back to balance your uptightness.”

  “There’s no such word,” Kiera said.

  “Please, have mercy on me,” Kate pleaded. “Take Isabel home.”

  “Okay, we’re out of here. Call me in the morning and let me know when I can pick you up.”

  Isabel wasn’t the least offended that Kate wanted to get rid of her. She headed for the door then stopped. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. Promise me, Kate.”

  Kate responded to the fear in her voice. “I promise.”

  Isabel nodded. “Okay.” She sighed as she added, “Now that you’re home for good, things will be back to normal.”