the lab.”
Natalie held her hand above her eyes to block the sun so she could see his face better. “What lab?”
“The BPD’s forensic lab, for testing. We need to understand what caused the air bag to deploy.”
A stone-cold certainty settled in the pit of her stomach. “You think someone tampered with it.”
“I do.”
“My God.” She dropped into the passenger seat for fear she’d fall if she remained standing. Could someone have really done such a thing? She had consoled herself with the idea that the intruder in her home was likely there to steal, but deep inside she feared it was more personal. Was it possible that Clint really believed her?
He was sliding behind the steering wheel before she realized he’d moved. “You really do think someone wants to harm me? That it’s not my imagination?”
“Isn’t that why you hired me?”
She stared into his dark eyes. She’d been so determined to prove she wasn’t losing her mind and that she really had shot someone she hadn’t stopped to consider what she truly believed about the intruder.
“I don’t know.” She pressed a hand over her mouth to hide the way her lips trembled. Of course she knew. She was not naive. Of course this was about hurting her—possibly killing her. Why would anyone want to harm her?
Those dark whispers she had tried so hard to close out just before she drifted off to sleep each night these past eight or so weeks nudged her now, echoing deep in her mind. She closed her eyes and let them come. Laughter, soft, feminine...then the raised voices—a man and a woman. She couldn’t understand the words or identify the voices. Was it a real memory? Something from before her fall? Something from childhood?
The blare of a car horn snapped her eyes open. Air filled her lungs in a rush before she realized she’d been holding her breath. Natalie blinked a couple of times to clear the fog. The doctors had explained that pieces of memory from different times often tried to blend, making any memories surfacing more confusing than anything else.
God knew she’d heard plenty of arguments. Clients argued. Colleagues argued. This felt more personal. She and Steven had argued. Maybe the voice was hers. She frowned. It could be a memory of one of their arguments. The laughter could be hers or April’s. The sounds reminded her of what she’d heard last night. So maybe the laughter was April from years ago when they’d both lived at home and April had sneaked more than one boyfriend into her bedroom. It was a miracle their parents never caught her. With her sister staying in her old room it was more than possible those old memories had been triggered.
Natalie had never had a boyfriend she liked enough to risk disappointing her father. Then again, perhaps that was why she was alone right now. She pushed away the idea. Feeling sorry for herself wasn’t going to solve this mystery and it certainly wouldn’t help her recovery.
As Clint made the turn onto Southwood Road, Natalie said, “I should call for a rental car.” She had no idea how long her car would be at the lab and then there would be the repairs. Maybe she should just buy a new one. She shuddered at the idea that someone may have tampered with her car.
“You won’t need one for a while.”
She waited until he’d parked in front of her home to say, “I don’t intend to stay holed up in this house. I can’t...do that.” As big as her home was, the walls had begun to close in on her well before she had been able to return to work. As long as she had half a brain and the ability to walk she was not staying in the house 24/7 ever again.
When she reached for the door, he put his hand on her arm. “Wherever you go, I go, so I might as well drive.”
She wanted to argue but some self-preservation instinct prevented her from doing so.
“This is only temporary, Natalie. We’ll get to the bottom of the problem and then you’ll have your life back.”
The roar of an
Natalie held her hand above her eyes to block the sun so she could see his face better. “What lab?”
“The BPD’s forensic lab, for testing. We need to understand what caused the air bag to deploy.”
A stone-cold certainty settled in the pit of her stomach. “You think someone tampered with it.”
“I do.”
“My God.” She dropped into the passenger seat for fear she’d fall if she remained standing. Could someone have really done such a thing? She had consoled herself with the idea that the intruder in her home was likely there to steal, but deep inside she feared it was more personal. Was it possible that Clint really believed her?
He was sliding behind the steering wheel before she realized he’d moved. “You really do think someone wants to harm me? That it’s not my imagination?”
“Isn’t that why you hired me?”
She stared into his dark eyes. She’d been so determined to prove she wasn’t losing her mind and that she really had shot someone she hadn’t stopped to consider what she truly believed about the intruder.
“I don’t know.” She pressed a hand over her mouth to hide the way her lips trembled. Of course she knew. She was not naive. Of course this was about hurting her—possibly killing her. Why would anyone want to harm her?
Those dark whispers she had tried so hard to close out just before she drifted off to sleep each night these past eight or so weeks nudged her now, echoing deep in her mind. She closed her eyes and let them come. Laughter, soft, feminine...then the raised voices—a man and a woman. She couldn’t understand the words or identify the voices. Was it a real memory? Something from before her fall? Something from childhood?
The blare of a car horn snapped her eyes open. Air filled her lungs in a rush before she realized she’d been holding her breath. Natalie blinked a couple of times to clear the fog. The doctors had explained that pieces of memory from different times often tried to blend, making any memories surfacing more confusing than anything else.
God knew she’d heard plenty of arguments. Clients argued. Colleagues argued. This felt more personal. She and Steven had argued. Maybe the voice was hers. She frowned. It could be a memory of one of their arguments. The laughter could be hers or April’s. The sounds reminded her of what she’d heard last night. So maybe the laughter was April from years ago when they’d both lived at home and April had sneaked more than one boyfriend into her bedroom. It was a miracle their parents never caught her. With her sister staying in her old room it was more than possible those old memories had been triggered.
Natalie had never had a boyfriend she liked enough to risk disappointing her father. Then again, perhaps that was why she was alone right now. She pushed away the idea. Feeling sorry for herself wasn’t going to solve this mystery and it certainly wouldn’t help her recovery.
As Clint made the turn onto Southwood Road, Natalie said, “I should call for a rental car.” She had no idea how long her car would be at the lab and then there would be the repairs. Maybe she should just buy a new one. She shuddered at the idea that someone may have tampered with her car.
“You won’t need one for a while.”
She waited until he’d parked in front of her home to say, “I don’t intend to stay holed up in this house. I can’t...do that.” As big as her home was, the walls had begun to close in on her well before she had been able to return to work. As long as she had half a brain and the ability to walk she was not staying in the house 24/7 ever again.
When she reached for the door, he put his hand on her arm. “Wherever you go, I go, so I might as well drive.”
She wanted to argue but some self-preservation instinct prevented her from doing so.
“This is only temporary, Natalie. We’ll get to the bottom of the problem and then you’ll have your life back.”
The roar of an
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