can’t do so without just cause for longer than a few hours. Besides,” he offered with a wry grin, “she doesn’t impress me as the type who would go for that.”
Shado scratched his face, realizing it’d been days since he shaved. “Maybe we should talk to the doctor again? See what he can do?”
Gleason shrugged. “Maybe the psych unit is the way to go. They could place her up there without an evaluation. But I don’t particularly like the idea of some doc poking around her brain at this point.”
Neither did Shado. “Doc made it pretty clear she was to get plenty of rest and quiet to allow her memories to return on their own.” He paced the hall, pausing long enough to toss back the remainder of his now cold coffee. He pitched the cup into a trashcan with more force than was probably necessary. This whole thing frustrated him on so many levels. “I’ve got to get this sandwich to her. Maybe it’ll help.” He stepped quietly into the room. She lay in the semi-dark, her face illuminated by the soft light above her bed. He stood immobile, watching her sleep. Her wheat-colored hair, still matted in spots with blood, spilled out from beneath the bandage they’d wrapped around her head. Something jarred loose inside him. A piece of a solid wall he’d built up around his heart with the untimely passing of his brother.
Breathing deep against the tidal wave of fresh pain threatening to crumble his self-made solitude, he looked at her with renewed determination. He’d taken an oath to serve and protect, and even if she lived a lifestyle he didn’t much approve of, she was nonetheless deserving of police protection, especially from the likes of someone as powerful as Espinoza. Even if she wasn’t directly involved, she was witness to a murder. He couldn’t abandon her, not now. Or maybe he was merely providing an adequate excuse for wanting to be around her. As though hearing his thoughts, she turned and looked at him. A soft smile emerged on her face.
He held out the plastic-covered sandwich, hoping to cover for his blatant staring. “I, uh… brought you this. The cafeteria is closed. Ham and cheese is the best I can offer.”
She accepted the package and inspected it from every angle as though she’d never seen vendor food. Maybe she’d run away from one of those communes hidden up in the mountains and gotten mixed up with the wrong kind of folks.
“Where did you say this came from?” She sniffed it and made a face.
He gently took it from her and peeled back the protective cellophane. “A vending machine. Granted, it’s not the Ritz, but it will tide you over until….”
She reached for the container and her fingers brushed over his, sending a strange jolt straight to his groin. Her blue eyes met his, and he noticed for the first time the green flecks, which made them appear turquoise. Fishing it out of the container, she sniffed the sandwich and took a small bite, chewing it thoughtfully. Her expression questioned whether she liked it or not. “Until what?” she asked, swallowing the bite and taking another.
He shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to explain. “Yeah, here’s the thing. The captain would like you to come down to the station and look at some books.” “Books? What kind of books? Why?” She’d about finished the half of the ham and cheese and he fingered the crackers in his pocket, in case she was still hungry.
“He thought maybe if you looked through a few pictures you might recognize the man who did this. I wasn’t able to get a good look at his face with him holding you in front of him.” It made his blood boil to see women and children used as human shields by men who had no balls. “The captain thought if you could go through a few mug shots, maybe you’d recognize your attacker. I’d be right there to help you though. Promise.”
She shrugged. “Like I told your captain, I’ll do what I can to help you, but I need to find my way back home.”
“Do you
Shado scratched his face, realizing it’d been days since he shaved. “Maybe we should talk to the doctor again? See what he can do?”
Gleason shrugged. “Maybe the psych unit is the way to go. They could place her up there without an evaluation. But I don’t particularly like the idea of some doc poking around her brain at this point.”
Neither did Shado. “Doc made it pretty clear she was to get plenty of rest and quiet to allow her memories to return on their own.” He paced the hall, pausing long enough to toss back the remainder of his now cold coffee. He pitched the cup into a trashcan with more force than was probably necessary. This whole thing frustrated him on so many levels. “I’ve got to get this sandwich to her. Maybe it’ll help.” He stepped quietly into the room. She lay in the semi-dark, her face illuminated by the soft light above her bed. He stood immobile, watching her sleep. Her wheat-colored hair, still matted in spots with blood, spilled out from beneath the bandage they’d wrapped around her head. Something jarred loose inside him. A piece of a solid wall he’d built up around his heart with the untimely passing of his brother.
Breathing deep against the tidal wave of fresh pain threatening to crumble his self-made solitude, he looked at her with renewed determination. He’d taken an oath to serve and protect, and even if she lived a lifestyle he didn’t much approve of, she was nonetheless deserving of police protection, especially from the likes of someone as powerful as Espinoza. Even if she wasn’t directly involved, she was witness to a murder. He couldn’t abandon her, not now. Or maybe he was merely providing an adequate excuse for wanting to be around her. As though hearing his thoughts, she turned and looked at him. A soft smile emerged on her face.
He held out the plastic-covered sandwich, hoping to cover for his blatant staring. “I, uh… brought you this. The cafeteria is closed. Ham and cheese is the best I can offer.”
She accepted the package and inspected it from every angle as though she’d never seen vendor food. Maybe she’d run away from one of those communes hidden up in the mountains and gotten mixed up with the wrong kind of folks.
“Where did you say this came from?” She sniffed it and made a face.
He gently took it from her and peeled back the protective cellophane. “A vending machine. Granted, it’s not the Ritz, but it will tide you over until….”
She reached for the container and her fingers brushed over his, sending a strange jolt straight to his groin. Her blue eyes met his, and he noticed for the first time the green flecks, which made them appear turquoise. Fishing it out of the container, she sniffed the sandwich and took a small bite, chewing it thoughtfully. Her expression questioned whether she liked it or not. “Until what?” she asked, swallowing the bite and taking another.
He shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to explain. “Yeah, here’s the thing. The captain would like you to come down to the station and look at some books.” “Books? What kind of books? Why?” She’d about finished the half of the ham and cheese and he fingered the crackers in his pocket, in case she was still hungry.
“He thought maybe if you looked through a few pictures you might recognize the man who did this. I wasn’t able to get a good look at his face with him holding you in front of him.” It made his blood boil to see women and children used as human shields by men who had no balls. “The captain thought if you could go through a few mug shots, maybe you’d recognize your attacker. I’d be right there to help you though. Promise.”
She shrugged. “Like I told your captain, I’ll do what I can to help you, but I need to find my way back home.”
“Do you
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