The Killing Game(106)

Andi pushed through the main floor’s double glass doors, hurried up to the main desk, and explained that she was Emma Wren Mueller’s sister-in-law. She was referred to a doctor on the fifth floor and counted in her head to calm herself as she and Luke took the elevator up.

Terrible thoughts circled her mind. Thoughts of the Carreras and how Emma had defied Blake, not once but twice. Hadn’t Brian warned her about the Carreras being better friends than enemies?

“What did Peg Bellows want?” she asked.

“She put a call in to Blake Carrera. Wants to have it out with him.”

Andi had asked the question more to make conversation than because she had any interest at this point, but now her head whipped around. “Did you tell her about the meeting with him today?”

“I just told her it would be better to stay away from him.”

“Do you think she’ll listen?”

“No. She said she was inviting him over. But then you were talking to Carter, and with Emma’s fall, I told her I’d call her back.”

“He’s dangerous. They both are.”

Andi was heading toward the medical hub when she saw Ben pacing outside one of the rooms. He saw Luke and her at the same moment and charged toward them. “They did this. You know they did this.”

“How is she?” Andi asked. “Is this her room?”

He nodded, but then turned to Luke as Andi headed into Room 511. “Carter’s on his way. He talked to some of the other people in the building. Someone in a hoodie was hanging around the offices. A girl from one of the other businesses saw a guy wearing a hoodie hanging around the building and she reported him to her boss. He was gone when they looked for him, but maybe he’d already pushed Emma down the stairs.”

“Wait a minute—” Luke started.

Andi said at the same time, “I thought it was an accident. I thought she tripped or something.”

“She was sober today, Andi,” he shot back.

“I know she was. I saw her.”

Andi pushed open the door to Emma’s room. The space was dimly lit and the afternoon gloom deepened all the corners. Emma lay on a bed, unconscious, strapped to monitors that recorded her respiration and heartbeat.

Ben was beside her in an instant, placing himself between Andi and the bed, as if he didn’t trust anyone to be near her. “She should be in ICU,” he muttered.

“Why isn’t she?” Andi asked. Luke had walked in and was standing beside her.

“They upgraded her,” Ben said, his mouth tight. He clearly thought it was a mistake.

“That’s a good sign, then,” Andi said.

“Someone tried to kill her,” Ben said, glaring at Luke as if it were his fault.

Luke asked, “Maybe we should have this discussion outside her room.”

“Good idea.” Ben waited for them both to leave first.

Once they were in the hallway, Luke asked, “Why are you so certain it wasn’t an accident?”

“Because of those notes!” He turned to Andi. “Little birds have to die or something? She’s a Wren!”

Luke and Andi shared a glance. Ben’s thinking was along the same lines as theirs. “I got a third note today,” Andi admitted.

Ben swept in a breath, shocked. “Oh God. What did it say?”

“It was to me, not Emma.”

“It was mostly a warning against me,” Luke told him.

“I’m telling you, this was no accident. Someone pushed her. The guy in the hoodie.”

Andi remembered the day she’d seen a man walking outside the offices, the fear she’d felt. She wanted to deny Ben straight out, but she had doubts herself.

“Have you talked to the police?” Luke asked.

“No. I’m waiting for Carter. He’ll know what to do.”

And with that he sent them each a look, as if they were not to be trusted, and headed back into Emma’s room. After a moment Andi followed after him. Though it was clear Ben didn’t want her, she wanted to be there for Emma.

*

September and Gretchen entered the squad room together. Seeing them, George actually rose from his chair and handed September several sheets of paper.

“What’s this?” Gretchen asked suspiciously.

“You asked for the research,” he said, regarding Gretchen coolly.

“Don’t be such an *, George,” Gretchen responded. “Cutbacks. What the f*ck. We’re all on the same side.”

September scanned the pages and muttered, “Holy God.”

“What?” Gretchen moved closer to her.

September read, “‘The body of a woman washed ashore in Puget Sound in late August. The victim has been identified as Belinda Meadowlark of Friday Harbor, Washington. She was on the last ferry to Orcas Island when she presumably fell overboard. Her death has been ruled an accident.’”

“So this is about my case,” George pointed out.

“Yes, your case,” Gretchen snapped.

“Was it an accident?” September said aloud, more to herself than anyone else, but George took it as if the question were made for him.

“As it’s my case, I dug a little deeper. Meadowlark has an estranged sister who lives in the Seattle area and tries to keep in contact with her. Last summer they had a fight over the care of their father. The sister felt she was doing all the work. She wanted Meadowlark to move to Seattle to help out. Meadowlark then drops the bomb that she has a serious boyfriend, which apparently is a first. Sister doesn’t believe it and Meadowlark throws out the name Rob Fisher.”