Midnight Exposure (Midnight #1)(86)

She must really love that guy.

Danny rubbed a tight spot in the center of his chest.

Pat would stay with Jayne. Conor could look out for Reed and his son. Someone needed to guard Mandy.

You’re mine, the knife-wielding lunatic had said.

Like hell, Danny thought. If there was a breath left in his body, crazy-ass Nathan Hall would never get within a mile of Mandy. From Jayne’s story, Nathan didn’t seem like the type to give himself up quietly. No, eventually, someone was going to have to hunt that crazy-ass down.



“Are you sure you’re up to this, Jaynie?”

“I am.” But as they walked to Reed’s room, she leaned on her brother’s huge chest. Pat wrapped a beefy arm around her and half-carried her through the doorway. He hadn’t left her side since her brothers arrived at the hospital.

Inside the room, Conor was leaning on the wall. Scott was snoring from the bed by the window, and the state police detective was standing at Reed’s bedside. The policeman was fiftyish, with salt-and-pepper hair and a sharp face that didn’t seem to miss much. Pat went to stand with Conor. Danny had gone to check on Jed.

“Still no luck finding Nathan Hall or his son, Evan.” Reed’s eyes shifted to Jayne.

Nerves fluttered in Jayne’s belly.

“Ms. Sullivan.” Detective Rossi motioned to a hospital-issue recliner next to him. “Please sit. I was giving Mr. Kimball an update.”

Jayne had given her statement to the cop an hour ago. She collapsed into the chair and tried to focus on the state detective’s words. But frankly, she was too tired. Aaron had killed himself. Nathan had gotten away. Maybe the details would matter tomorrow, but right now she just wanted to crawl into a quiet bed with Reed and sleep for about a week.

Not likely.

She leaned her aching head against the vinyl. The detective droned on. “A search of the mayor’s basement turned up all sorts of books and objects related to pagan religious rituals, specifically human sacrifices. It seems like that was their intention. The collection of Celtic artifacts is extensive. Some of the stuff is museum-worthy.”

“Any idea why they did all this?” Reed’s face was pale. His green eyes lacked their usual intensity.

“Maybe.” The detective gestured with his pen. “An e-mail on the mayor’s laptop indicates that his uncle was suffering from an extremely rare genetic disorder called Campbell’s Insomnia. Lesions form in the thalamus of the brain, which is the area that regulates sleep. The individual loses the ability to sleep. Dementia and hallucinations develop in the first six months or so, progressing to coma and death within a year or two.”

“So they go crazy and then die from insomnia?” Reed asked.

“Basically, yes.” The detective nodded. “The disease is genetic, so Mayor Hall and his son may very well carry the gene. If so, they’ll both eventually develop the disease. There’s no treatment and no cure.”

“What about the…er…” Reed glanced at the sleeping boy next to him. “Thing on the pole?”

Jayne flinched. Did Scott know about the decapitation? He’d find out eventually. Horrific information, even though the act had been performed postmortem. As if the kid hadn’t had enough horror already.

“Ancient Celts thought that was the source of power in a person.” The detective dropped his voice further. “Dental records confirm that it’s Zack Miller.”

“Do you have any leads on Nathan’s whereabouts?” Reed shifted his position and winced.

“We have some theories, but nothing is substantiated.” The detective stuck his pen in his chest pocket. “A thorough investigation is underway. We’re just as concerned as you are that Nathan is still on the loose. I assure you an extensive manhunt is being conducted throughout the New England area. We will find him.”

What if they didn’t?

Reed nodded. “How’s Jed?”

Detective Rossi closed his mini notebook. “Just out of surgery. Doctor’s giving him even odds.”

That could have been Reed. If Aaron’s knife had been two inches lower, it wouldn’t have been deflected by Reed’s ribs.

Jayne closed her eyes. What was she going to do? She didn’t want to go home. She didn’t want to go anywhere without Reed, let alone eight hundred miles away from him. She could live in this icebox of a state. She could live without Starbucks. She could even live without her brothers. She’d miss them every day, but she’d live.

Watching Reed bleed all over his truck had convinced her she wanted every possible minute with this man.

But did he want her? They hadn’t spoken about the message from her editor. They’d barely exchanged two words since arriving at the hospital. His trust in her had been decimated. Could he ever forgive her?

Reed asked a couple more questions and the cop left.

Pat cleared his throat. “You should go back to your bed, Jaynie, and get some rest.”

“In a bit.” Jayne’s eyes found Reed’s. He met her gaze, but his mouth tightened.

Pat’s gaze ping-ponged from Jayne to Reed and back again. “I’m going for coffee. I’ll come back for you. Please don’t go back to your room alone.” With a suggestive nod to Conor, Pat ducked out of the room.

Conor was at Pat’s heels. “Coffee sounds good.”