Part 32 (1/2)
As if he'd been waiting for an excuse to move, her dad stood abruptly. ”Want me to check on him?”
”Sure. That'd be great. Ask”-Gabe was already gone, so she sighed and finished her sentence under her breath-”if I can see him.”
And she was left alone again. Although she understood that she was low priority for the medical staff, Daisy wished someone would let her know she was free to go, so she could track down Chris and see with her own eyes that he really was okay. She wouldn't be able to relax until she felt his arms around her again.
When the curtain moved, she looked up, expecting her dad, but a strange man entered instead. Daisy stiffened, and he apparently saw her unease, judging from the way he lifted his hands, palms out, as if to show he wasn't a threat.
”Daisy Little?” he asked.
As she nodded, she watched him warily. He wasn't a big man, but he exuded authority. His dark hair was tidy and his clothes neat, although fairly casual.
”I'm Paul Strepple.” He didn't reach out to shake her hand, and Daisy was grateful for that. Still uncertain of him, she definitely didn't want to touch him yet. ”Investigator with the Colorado BCA.”
Pulling his ID out of his pocket, he held it out to her. Although she wouldn't know authentic BCA identification from something created by a five-year-old forger, Daisy examined it closely. ”Because of the circ.u.mstances, we've been charged with investigating.”
”Weren't you already?” she asked, remembering Chris telling her about the state's involvement in the Willard Gray case.
”We'd been a.s.sisting,” he said, returning his ID to his pocket. ”We'll be heading up the investigation from this point on.”
She nodded, waiting for his questions. It didn't take long. He asked about the usual personal information-full name, date of birth, address-and then he paused, eyeing her closely.
”So, Ms. Little. What happened tonight?”
Her inhale was slightly shaky, and it rasped against her aching throat. She really did not want to relive the evening, but it had to be done. Mentally pulling up her big-girl panties, she told the investigator what had happened, starting from the sheriff's phone call to Chris and ending with the two deputies' entrance.
”Gas leak?” he asked when she'd finished, so she backtracked and explained about her malfunctioning stove and Tyler's quick exit after he'd been alone in her kitchen. ”And what did Tyler mean about you seeing his father with King?”
”I'm guessing that the sheriff was the guy I saw hauling the dead body to his SUV,” she said.
Strepple's eyes bulged, showing surprise-or any emotion, really-for the first time since his arrival. ”You saw Robert Coughlin moving King's body?”
”Yes, but I didn't know it was him.” After a moment of consideration, she added, ”I didn't know it was definitely a dead body, either. The boot falling out of the tarp made me suspicious, though.”
Closing his eyes for a moment, Strepple said with exaggerated calm, ”Why don't you go back to the beginning and tell me exactly what you saw.”
Daisy did, adding the sheriff's odd behavior toward her. In the middle of her retelling, Gabe stuck his head around the curtain.
”You okay, Daisy?” he asked, eyeing the investigator with suspicion.
”Fine. Thanks, Dad.” She smiled at him with an effort, so tired that even lifting the corners of her mouth was a struggle. ”Did you find Chris?”
”Sort of. He's getting X-rays, so I found out his general location, but I haven't seen him myself.” After another glance at Strepple, he turned back to Daisy. ”I'm going to run to the cafeteria and grab some food. Want anything?”
Too tired to be hungry, she shook her head and gave him a small wave before he disappeared again. With a silent sigh, she picked up her statement where she'd left off.
”So neither the sheriff's department nor the fire department had reports on these arsons?” He seemed more bothered by this than the murder. Apparently, missing paperwork was the ultimate crime.
”That's right.” Daisy swallowed back a yawn. ”Ian has his own copies of the calls he went on. It's not all of them, but it's a start.”
”Thank you. I'll ask him.” Since Strepple looked like he was preparing to leave, she a.s.sumed the interview was almost over.
”Wait,” Daisy said, and he looked over his shoulder at her, an eyebrow raised in inquiry. ”Did Tyler burn down Lou's cabin, too, or was that really her stalker?”
”Lou's cabin?” Strepple squeezed his eyes shut as if he was in pain before turning back toward Daisy. ”Why don't you start at the beginning with that one, too?”
By the time she'd finished telling the investigator everything she knew about the Coughlins' crimes and possible additional wrongdoing, another forty minutes had pa.s.sed.
”Thank you, Ms. Little.” Strepple moved toward the curtain, looking determined to leave that time. ”You've been very helpful.”
”Have you talked to Chris yet?”
”Not yet,” he told her without pausing. ”I'm going to do that now.”
”Oh!” Hopping off the padded table, she hurried after him. ”Can I go with you? I just want to see him to make sure he's okay, and then he'll be all yours.”
Stopping but not turning around, Strepple was quiet for a second. ”Fine,” he finally sighed. ”Two minutes, and then you need to leave.”
”Deal.” She followed him through a maze of hallways. Her breathing sped up when she left the safety of her enclosed s.p.a.ce, so she focused on the back of Strepple's jacket and concentrated on making her inhale exactly the same length as her exhale. It worked well enough to keep her from pa.s.sing out before they reached a curtained cubicle that matched the one she'd just left. Once Daisy pa.s.sed through the opening into the exam area, she ducked around the investigator and saw Chris lying on his own padded table, looking weary and cranky and hurt.
”Chris!” Her voice was embarra.s.singly close to a squeak, but he didn't seem to mind. A grin eased the pain lines on his face, even though his swollen mouth pulled his smile in the wrong directions, and he pushed himself to a seated position and held out his arms toward her.
”Hey, Dais. You doing okay?”
Hurrying into his hug, she pressed her sore face into his shoulder. Under the hospital smell was Chris's usual scent, and she felt herself relaxing against him. ”A few bruises, that's all.” Pulling away just far enough to meet his eyes, she reached a hand toward his swollen, discolored face. ”Ouch.”
”I'm fine.” He gave her another painful-looking grin. ”I'll be ugly for a while, but nothing's seriously damaged.”
His tone was a little too light, and she frowned at him suspiciously. ”They didn't find anything broken on the X-rays?”
”No.” He lifted his hand to run a light finger over her sore cheek, and she caught her breath as she spotted the wicked-looking bruise forming on the back of his forearm. That must've been where the baton hit when he blocked. ”Dais.” He gently tilted her head so she wasn't able to see his injured arm. ”It'll be fine. I'm even getting out of here tonight.”
Her laugh was shaky, but she forced it out anyway. ”I don't think it's tonight anymore. I'm pretty sure it's tomorrow.”
”It is,” Strepple said, gaining their attention. ”I need to get your statement, Deputy.”
”Dad's here,” Daisy hurried to tell Chris. ”He'll drive us to Simpson once we've been released.”
”Okay.” He pulled her down for the lightest touch of lips, which still hurt. Daisy didn't care, though. It was worth a little pain to kiss Chris. ”See you in a bit.”
Reluctantly, she pulled away. It was hard to leave an injured Chris to the mercies of the investigator, but she needed to find her missing father. After all, he was their ride home.
Chapter 24.
”Sure you're ready for this?” Chris's smile was teasing. ”Lou in her own habitat... It's a little scary.”
Daisy laughed and slapped his shoulder. ”Lou's awesome, no matter where she is. And I was born ready.” At his smirk, she rolled her eyes. ”Okay, so maybe I took a detour between birth and a few weeks ago, but I'm definitely ready now.”