moment.
Breaking into a jog, he headed back toward his car.
“Finn!”
He jumped, searched in every direction.
“It’s you.” And it was Emma’s voice. An instant later she broke into sobs.
Blood pounded into Finn’s head. He followed the sounds and found her easily. Under a pickup truck, on her poor, swollen belly, the side of her face resting in the dirt. She still clutched her cell. Her very curly, honey-blond hair fell over her face.
“Hold on,” he said, on his knees, peering at her. “Don’t move. Matt’s coming. I’ll call the medical-aid car now. And I’ll see if I can get Mitch Halpern to come over.”
“Take me home,” she said in a small, broken voice. “Help me out of here and take me home.”
“Cher, please don’t move.” He stayed on all fours where he could see her and make sure she didn’t attempt to move. And he called emergency again, this time asking for medical response.
Emma dropped her phone and reached out a hand. Finn closed his fingers over hers. “Has the man gone?” she asked quietly. “I didn’t hear him go. Be careful, Finn. He could creep up on you.”
Sirens grew louder.
“Man?” Finn said. “There was a man? Did you recognize him?”
“No, it was too dark. Look around. Make sure he isn’t coming back.”
Finn did as he was told but the only movement was a guy coming around from Ona’s Out Front to get on his motorbike, which he’d parked near a wall. He kicked off the stand, climbed on and roared away. He didn’t even glance toward the parking lot.
“How long have you been down here?”
Emma pushed at her hair. “I don’t know. A long time. Finn, I can move my hands and legs just fine but it was hard to calm down. I listened to the baby. There wasn’t any pain. That’s good, isn’t it? I thought blood would come—I expected to feel it rush out.”
“You’re both going to be fine.” He realized he believed it—he had to. “Sounds as if the aid car’s right there with the cops.”
“I don’t want all kinds of people, Finn. I’m fine now you’re here. I didn’t get out before because I thought he might still be waiting for me.”
Finn got on to the dispatcher at the station house and spoke to Officer Carley, whom they all knew well. “We need to find Mitch Halpern,” he said. “You know, Dr. Mitch?” Carley kept it short and efficient and assured him she’d get the local doctor over there fast.
Waves of tremors shook Emma. She heard the sound of many approaching feet and voices, breathless, high voices. And Lobelia Forestier’s rose above them all.
“Is she dead? Has Emma been murdered? Was she raped? If Matt Boudreaux had done his job properly in the past, this wouldn’t be happening now.”
“Can it, Lobelia,” Sabine Webb said. “You’re embarrassin’ all of us.”
“You doin’ okay, Emma?” Ona asked.
“I am,” Emma said.
She saw a pair of extremely high, gray ankle boots, gorgeous legs and a deep green swishing skirt. Delia Board was there, of course. Ignoring her knees and her hose, she got down beside Finn.
A police car, lights flashing, rolled in, passed Finn’s car and stopped. Chief Matt Boudreaux got out, leaving the door open, and Officer Clemens came at a trot.
“No,” Emma said. “Not the police, please. He told me not to tell anyone. He said he’d make sure our baby died, if I did. And me.”
“Who told you not to tell anyone?” Lobelia said. “What did he do to you?”
Cold, the sweat on his body abruptly icy, Finn looked into Emma’s face and said quietly, “He won’t get near you again.”
“What happened here?” Matt Boudreaux asked.
“I think some guy was drunk,” Emma said, keeping her voice strong. “He threatened me. I’m moving out from the truck now.”
“Don’t,” Finn said. “Please, cher, just stay where you are.”
“Take it easy,” Matt said. “Tell me what went on. Take it slowly.”
“This is what happens when the police chief is too young,”
Breaking into a jog, he headed back toward his car.
“Finn!”
He jumped, searched in every direction.
“It’s you.” And it was Emma’s voice. An instant later she broke into sobs.
Blood pounded into Finn’s head. He followed the sounds and found her easily. Under a pickup truck, on her poor, swollen belly, the side of her face resting in the dirt. She still clutched her cell. Her very curly, honey-blond hair fell over her face.
“Hold on,” he said, on his knees, peering at her. “Don’t move. Matt’s coming. I’ll call the medical-aid car now. And I’ll see if I can get Mitch Halpern to come over.”
“Take me home,” she said in a small, broken voice. “Help me out of here and take me home.”
“Cher, please don’t move.” He stayed on all fours where he could see her and make sure she didn’t attempt to move. And he called emergency again, this time asking for medical response.
Emma dropped her phone and reached out a hand. Finn closed his fingers over hers. “Has the man gone?” she asked quietly. “I didn’t hear him go. Be careful, Finn. He could creep up on you.”
Sirens grew louder.
“Man?” Finn said. “There was a man? Did you recognize him?”
“No, it was too dark. Look around. Make sure he isn’t coming back.”
Finn did as he was told but the only movement was a guy coming around from Ona’s Out Front to get on his motorbike, which he’d parked near a wall. He kicked off the stand, climbed on and roared away. He didn’t even glance toward the parking lot.
“How long have you been down here?”
Emma pushed at her hair. “I don’t know. A long time. Finn, I can move my hands and legs just fine but it was hard to calm down. I listened to the baby. There wasn’t any pain. That’s good, isn’t it? I thought blood would come—I expected to feel it rush out.”
“You’re both going to be fine.” He realized he believed it—he had to. “Sounds as if the aid car’s right there with the cops.”
“I don’t want all kinds of people, Finn. I’m fine now you’re here. I didn’t get out before because I thought he might still be waiting for me.”
Finn got on to the dispatcher at the station house and spoke to Officer Carley, whom they all knew well. “We need to find Mitch Halpern,” he said. “You know, Dr. Mitch?” Carley kept it short and efficient and assured him she’d get the local doctor over there fast.
Waves of tremors shook Emma. She heard the sound of many approaching feet and voices, breathless, high voices. And Lobelia Forestier’s rose above them all.
“Is she dead? Has Emma been murdered? Was she raped? If Matt Boudreaux had done his job properly in the past, this wouldn’t be happening now.”
“Can it, Lobelia,” Sabine Webb said. “You’re embarrassin’ all of us.”
“You doin’ okay, Emma?” Ona asked.
“I am,” Emma said.
She saw a pair of extremely high, gray ankle boots, gorgeous legs and a deep green swishing skirt. Delia Board was there, of course. Ignoring her knees and her hose, she got down beside Finn.
A police car, lights flashing, rolled in, passed Finn’s car and stopped. Chief Matt Boudreaux got out, leaving the door open, and Officer Clemens came at a trot.
“No,” Emma said. “Not the police, please. He told me not to tell anyone. He said he’d make sure our baby died, if I did. And me.”
“Who told you not to tell anyone?” Lobelia said. “What did he do to you?”
Cold, the sweat on his body abruptly icy, Finn looked into Emma’s face and said quietly, “He won’t get near you again.”
“What happened here?” Matt Boudreaux asked.
“I think some guy was drunk,” Emma said, keeping her voice strong. “He threatened me. I’m moving out from the truck now.”
“Don’t,” Finn said. “Please, cher, just stay where you are.”
“Take it easy,” Matt said. “Tell me what went on. Take it slowly.”
“This is what happens when the police chief is too young,”
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