lucky,” Peters said. “If you’d picked either of the other cars, the emergency brakes wouldn’t have kicked in near the bottom.”
Oh, hell, Erik thought. “How much of a radius did the remote receiver have?”
“A few hundred yards, maybe less,” Peters answered.
That drew a gasp from Meg. “Someone triggered it from inside the hospital?”
“They had to be inside to plant the charges in the first place,” Erik reminded her. “And don’t forget that someone was in the cement truck the other day to drop that load on top of you. This wasn’t the first time he—or she—was near us.”
The truck’s real driver had been found between the skids of a nearby front-end loader. He’d been attacked from behind, knocked unconscious andgagged, and hadn’t been able to describe his assailant. But knowing that their attacker had been right near them inside the hospital, waiting to see which elevator they would board, which charge to detonate, added to the sense of invasion.
“Does the hospital have video surveillance on the hallways?” Erik asked.
“In the hallways and lobbies.” Peters lifted one shoulder in a negative half shrug. “Not in the elevator shafts, though, or in the access areas.”
“In other words, we don’t have a picture of our saboteur,” Erik said flatly. “Or if we do, there’s no way for us to identify him because there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in and out of the hospital on a daily basis.”
“Which leaves us where?” Meg demanded. She’d gone pale and her fingers were knotted together in her lap.
“Still working on it,” Peters said. He glanced between Erik and Meg. “Until we’ve got a better idea of who and what we’re looking for, I think we need to assume that both of you are in danger.” He focused on Erik. “You carrying?”
“No,” Erik answered flatly. “Not with my current balance—or lack thereof.”
The detective shifted uncomfortably. There was little a cop hated more than being reminded of his own mortality. His own potential for disaster.
“Don’t worry,” Erik said, glossing over the awkward moment. “I’ll keep a very close eye on Dr. Corning.”
“Who asked you to?” she scoffed. “I’m perfectly safe in the lab—have you seen how many codes it takes to get in here? Besides, I have work to do.”
He shrugged. “I’ll watch. Let’s just say I’m looking to protect my investment.”
More truthfully, he was looking to do everything in his power to make sure the sale happened. He already had people on the job. “Use whatever methods it takes,” he’d said, and he’d meant it. There was no room for emotion or misgivings.
This was business.
Meg scowled. “I’m not letting you into the lab.”
“Try keeping me out.” He nodded toward the detectives, who were packing to leave. “You heard what they said. The saboteur could be anyone. Anywhere. Consider it two for the price of one—I protect you at the same time that I’m protecting my investment.”
“And if you’re the focus of the danger?”
He shrugged. “Then I look forward to meeting the bastard who’s after me.”
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL, Edward watched the detectives emerge and squint into the autumn sunlight that shone down on the sidewalks and thronging pedestrians. The younger of the pair nodded toward the deserted construction site, and the partners walked to the taped-off area where the bitch had fallen through.
No doubt they were looking for more evidence, but Edward wasn’t concerned. The first plan hadbeen a good one, clean and well-executed, only thwarted by sheer bad luck.
The second plan had been less successful. He still couldn’t believe the elevator car had stopped short of the bottom.
There are no second chances in life, his mother used to say. You have to get it right the first time or work to correct the mistakes.
Edward wasn’t exactly working to correct a mistake; he was ensuring that a larger mistake wouldn’t come
Oh, hell, Erik thought. “How much of a radius did the remote receiver have?”
“A few hundred yards, maybe less,” Peters answered.
That drew a gasp from Meg. “Someone triggered it from inside the hospital?”
“They had to be inside to plant the charges in the first place,” Erik reminded her. “And don’t forget that someone was in the cement truck the other day to drop that load on top of you. This wasn’t the first time he—or she—was near us.”
The truck’s real driver had been found between the skids of a nearby front-end loader. He’d been attacked from behind, knocked unconscious andgagged, and hadn’t been able to describe his assailant. But knowing that their attacker had been right near them inside the hospital, waiting to see which elevator they would board, which charge to detonate, added to the sense of invasion.
“Does the hospital have video surveillance on the hallways?” Erik asked.
“In the hallways and lobbies.” Peters lifted one shoulder in a negative half shrug. “Not in the elevator shafts, though, or in the access areas.”
“In other words, we don’t have a picture of our saboteur,” Erik said flatly. “Or if we do, there’s no way for us to identify him because there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in and out of the hospital on a daily basis.”
“Which leaves us where?” Meg demanded. She’d gone pale and her fingers were knotted together in her lap.
“Still working on it,” Peters said. He glanced between Erik and Meg. “Until we’ve got a better idea of who and what we’re looking for, I think we need to assume that both of you are in danger.” He focused on Erik. “You carrying?”
“No,” Erik answered flatly. “Not with my current balance—or lack thereof.”
The detective shifted uncomfortably. There was little a cop hated more than being reminded of his own mortality. His own potential for disaster.
“Don’t worry,” Erik said, glossing over the awkward moment. “I’ll keep a very close eye on Dr. Corning.”
“Who asked you to?” she scoffed. “I’m perfectly safe in the lab—have you seen how many codes it takes to get in here? Besides, I have work to do.”
He shrugged. “I’ll watch. Let’s just say I’m looking to protect my investment.”
More truthfully, he was looking to do everything in his power to make sure the sale happened. He already had people on the job. “Use whatever methods it takes,” he’d said, and he’d meant it. There was no room for emotion or misgivings.
This was business.
Meg scowled. “I’m not letting you into the lab.”
“Try keeping me out.” He nodded toward the detectives, who were packing to leave. “You heard what they said. The saboteur could be anyone. Anywhere. Consider it two for the price of one—I protect you at the same time that I’m protecting my investment.”
“And if you’re the focus of the danger?”
He shrugged. “Then I look forward to meeting the bastard who’s after me.”
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL, Edward watched the detectives emerge and squint into the autumn sunlight that shone down on the sidewalks and thronging pedestrians. The younger of the pair nodded toward the deserted construction site, and the partners walked to the taped-off area where the bitch had fallen through.
No doubt they were looking for more evidence, but Edward wasn’t concerned. The first plan hadbeen a good one, clean and well-executed, only thwarted by sheer bad luck.
The second plan had been less successful. He still couldn’t believe the elevator car had stopped short of the bottom.
There are no second chances in life, his mother used to say. You have to get it right the first time or work to correct the mistakes.
Edward wasn’t exactly working to correct a mistake; he was ensuring that a larger mistake wouldn’t come
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