Yes. I want you to interview Miss Gomez. The timbre of Gavins voice dropped to a dark note. If she awakens.
* * *
Lana hated hospitals. The antiseptic smells, the sounds of beeping coming from the monitors showing her vitals, and the claustrophobic way the white, sterile walls closed in on her. The only bright spot was the window allowing morning sunlight to stream in despite the spring rain tapping at the glass.
A nurseher name tag read Cindyadjusted the IV fluids flowing through a tube attached to Lanas arm. Lana pressed the buttons to automatically raise the back of the bed to a more upright position. How much longer do I have to stay here?
When shed awakened after being admitted to the ER, shed been told they were keeping her for observation because shed lost consciousness. The doctor had her moved to a private room and told her to rest. She had and now she just wanted to go home.
The blonde gave her a kind smile. The doctor will be in shortly. You took a nasty hit on the head.
She didnt need to be told. Her head throbbed where that awful man had used the beautiful arrow to knock her unconscious. She fingered the bandages covering her skull near her left temple. Her heart ached knowing she hadnt been able to protect the arrow. The loss was too much to bear.
Can I get you anything? Cindy asked.
Lana heaved a sigh. Even to her own ears she sounded pitiful. No, thank you, though.
All right. Theres the button if you need anything.
Cindy walked out, leaving Lana to stare at the boring walls and stuccoed ceiling. A black television set mounted high on the wall showed a blank screen. She didnt feel like watching the TV when her world was spinning out of her control. A white board with her name, the doctors name and a list of the medications shed been given was fixed to the back of the bathroom door. Her life had been reduced to markings on a to-do list.
She gripped handfuls of the blanket. A deep-seated sense of loneliness settled over her like a shroud. She was alone in the world. There was no one to care that she was here. No one to visit her. All she had was her career. And now that shed allowed the arrow to be stolen, no doubt her livelihood would be taken away, as well.
When her boss found out, hed fire her. She hoped he didnt cut his vacation short, but knowing Mr. Floyd he would. Hed had reservations about leaving her in charge to begin with, and now...well, she wouldnt blame him for letting her go.
Dejection spread through her chest, making her heart heavy.
There was no way the courts would give her custody of her nephew, Juan, if she didnt have a job.
Her head drooped to the side. A tear slid from the corner of her eye and trailed down her cheek. She hated feeling so pathetic. It had to be the painkillers. She normally wasnt one to indulge in self-pity.
A sharp rap on the door brought her chin up. She hoped it was the doctor with discharge papers. Come in.
The door swung open. A large, black, intimidating-looking dog appeared, his claws tapping against the linoleum floor as he made a beeline for her bed.
And beside the animal came Officer Adam Donovan, dressed in his dark uniform and looking handsome despite the dampness clinging to his short-cropped, strawberry-blond hair.
Lanas mouth went dry. The doctor had told her the police wanted to talk to her but hed insisted they had to wait until morning. Why did it have to be this officer, with his icy blue eyes and thousand-mile stare?
Adam had been one of the elite K-9 unit officers present when Lana had talked to the director of the foster care where her nephew, Juan, had been taken after her sister, Rosas, death.
Hearing the devastating news of Rosas death and learning Rosa had a sona child Lana had known nothing abouthad frozen another portion of Lanas heart. A familiar feeling, one shed been living with since the day shed heard of her parents horrific deaths five years earlier.
Adam had studied her as if he was trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together and didnt like the picture emerging.
She mentally shrugged. Everyone dealt with sorrow differently. Her way was to contain everything inside. Not the healthiest way, but the only way she knew how to cope with the loss and tragedies and traumas that plagued her life.
Officer Donovan. The reedy wariness in her voice echoed inside her head, making her self-conscious of the fact she was in a vulnerable position with no ready means of escape. She smoothed her hands on the blanket as if somehow the motion would smooth her frayed nerves.
Miss Gomez, I was glad to hear youre recovering well.
She doubted hed felt much of anything regarding her health. He wanted information on the arrow. That was the only thing of importance. I survived.
Yes, you did. He stepped closer. The light coming through the window reflected in his blue eyes and made them appear almost translucent. I have some questions regarding the break-in at the museum last night.
I hope I have answers. Though she couldnt think of anything she could say that might help him find the man who stole the artifact.
Can you tell me what happened?
It was late and I was working at my desk when I heard glass breaking. I went to see what was going on. I saw a man dressed all in white taking the Golden Arrow. I tried to stop him. She fisted her hands at her sides. Frustration and anger and despair ran a race through her, making her head pound. And lost.
Something warm and rough touched the back of her clenched hand. The dog licked her hand again before resting his head on the bed to stare at her, his dark eyes watching her intently. She extended her fingers to rub them against the dogs snout.
Ace. Sit.
The dog obediently sat. Her fingers curled.
You didnt see the intruders face?
She lifted her gaze to meet his. He wore sunglasses. Not the dark type but the reflective kind that were popular in the 1980s.
Aviators.
Thats it. His face was covered, too, with a ski mask.
Could you tell skin color?
Caucasian, maybe. Definitely not African-American.
Height?
She struggled to remember. It happened so fast. Im pretty sure he was taller than me.
What did the intruder use to hit you over the head?
The Golden Arrow. She rubbed her dry lips. I hope he didnt ruin it.
Do you have any idea why you were attacked?
Huh? He came to steal the arrow.
But he didnt.
She shot upright. What? Pain shot through her temple and exploded inside her skull like a peony shell shot into the sky on the Fourth of July. She flopped back and stared at the officer. What did you say?
I talked briefly with dispatch. They said as far as the DC police could tell nothing was taken. Only one display case had been damaged.
The intruder smashed the glass covering the Golden Arrow. Confusion made her head pound. The arrow was still in the display?
Evidently. But the police wont know for sure if anything is missing or not until someone from the museum can verify that. Apparently your boss is out of town.
She nodded as relief flooded her system. If the thief didnt take the arrow then why did he break in?
You said your attacker was dressed in white? Not black.
You said your attacker was dressed in white? Not black.
White. In fact, if he hadnt been standing beside the display he would have blended in with the white marble walls. She propped herself up on her elbows. I need to go over there now. Make sure for herself that the arrow was safe.
The doctor hasnt released you yet.
She bit her lip and lay back. Panic washed through her as her thoughts spun. Had the thief damaged the arrow when he hit her over the head, rendering the artifact worthless? Or at the very least lessening its value? Was that why he left it behind? But even a piece of the arrow would be worth something to someone.
She pinched the bridge of her nose in distress.
Could this have anything to do with your sisters death? Adam asked.
Her breath stalled. Her gaze shot back to his. I told you before, we werent close, so I dont see how her death and the break-in could be related. She fell off a cliff while out walking in Presidents Park at night. Right? As far as she knew the police had yet to determine whether Rosas death was an accident or a robbery gone wrong. The thought of her sisters broken body sent a shudder rippling over her skin.
What happened in California that brought your sister to DC?
His refusal to answer her question sent irritation flooding her system while his question pounded at her heart. She shook her head, then stopped as the motion set off another set of fireworks screaming through her brain. She waited a heartbeat for the pain to subside enough for her to talk. After my parents death, she kind of went a little
She sought a polite, kind word. Nuts. She had expected to take over my parents restaurant when they retired
Pain pierced Lana deep in her heart. She missed her parents so much. But then the fire happened. An accidental grease fire, the arson investigator said. Our parents perished in the blaze and the restaurant was destroyed. My parents had let the restaurants insurance lapse
To pay her college tuition. Guilt twisted her insides into a pretzel. After all the debts were paid from their life insurance there was nothing left. Not even our childhood home. I invited Rosa to come live with my husband and me. She came out to DC, but only stayed a few days. I dont know where she went after that. We lost touch until she showed up on my doorstep three years ago.
Right around the time Lana had filed for divorce and had moved out of the apartment shed shared with Mark. Lana would never forget the chaos of those days. The pain and humiliation.
She stayed with me for a couple weeks, then she found her own place. The day she moved out was the last time I spoke with her. The hurtful things her sister had said cut so deep and were never far from Lanas mind. I didnt know she was working for Congressman Jeffries until I heard it on the news.
She hadnt known about Juan, either. There was so much about her sister she hadnt known.
What caused the rift between you?
She bristled as a tidal wave of guilt swamped her. That has nothing to do with anything thats happening now.
Let me be the judge of that. It seems a little too coincidental that your sister meets an untimely death and then a month later theres a break-in at your place of employment where youre attacked, struck over the head and left for dead.
She shivered as his words sank in. You believe my sister was murdered, dont you?
He didnt need to say a word. She could read the confirmation in the way his jaw hardened and his eyebrows twitched.
Her hand pressed against her heart. And now you think whoever killed my sister is after me?
TWO
Youre wrong, Lana stated firmly. She struggled to sit up in the hospital bed.
Feeling the need to offer help, Adam adjusted the pillow behind her back. She flinched. A flash of fear lit her dark eyes. Startled by her skittishness, he drew back, his hands up, palms facing out. Ace, however, must have read his intentions of help as acceptance. The dog stretched until his nose could nudge her hand.
Heel, Adam commanded. Ace complied immediately.
Lana kept her gaze on the dog. The break-in had nothing to do with me or my sister. The man wanted the arrow. I wasnt even supposed to be working last night.
Adam wasnt convinced the two incidents werent related. There had to be a connection. One sister murdered and then a random attack on the other? Not likely. Who did know youd be at the museum after hours?
She shrugged. I suppose a few of the staff members. Weve been so busy preparing the museum gala. Id fallen behind on some of the details. I usually take my work home with me but with the rain and all, I decided to stay.
Then its feasible that someone took advantage of your decision to stay after hours and used the excuse of a theft to attack you.
A visible tremor worked through her. None of them would have any reason to hurt me.
She may want him to believe her answer but the uncertainty wavering in her voice said otherwise. There had to be a connection they werent seeing. He made a mental note to check into the background of all the museums employees. Even if that is true, someone knew youd be there. One of the staff members could have inadvertently let it slip you were working late.
She blew out a breath. I suppose.
Did you know less than twenty-four hours after your sisters death Congressman Jeffriess son was murdered? And the congressman was shot, as well? Adam watched the woman lying in the bed, searching her face for...he wasnt sure what. Guilt?
Dark circles rimmed her worried eyes. Her long dark hair spilled over the white pillowcase, the stark contrast unsettling. The white bandage on her head was a reminder of the assault shed suffered. The sudden urge to hurt whoever had injured her gripped him by the throat.
The strong reaction was so uncharacteristic of him that he took a step back as if somehow distancing himself from Lana would temper his response to her situation. Ace rose, sensing his tension.
She chewed on her bottom lip. Id heard that on the news, too. Did you find his killer?
Interesting that shed ask about Jeffriess killer, but not her sisters.
Did she know something? Had she been involved in her sisters murder? Shed had an alibi for the time of death, but that didnt mean she couldnt have arranged the whole thing.
However, he had looked into her finances at the time and there had been no large sums of money leaving her accounts or anything to suggest shed paid out for a hit on her sister.
Yet, he couldnt shake the nagging suspicion there was something going on with her, something she didnt want him to know.
Did you know Michael Jeffries? Her sister had worked for the congressmans family for nearly three years. Adam didnt buy that Lana hadnt known where her sister worked.
She moved her head to give a negative shake but then stopped, winced and said, No.
At least she was consistent. Youve never met Congressman Jeffries or his son?
Anger flashed in her dark eyes. Not Michael. I met the congressman when I came to the hospital to talk to Miss Danvers about Juan. Until then Id never spoken to Congressman Jeffries before. I didnt know Rosa worked for him until after her death. Why wont you believe me?