Tess watched as skepticism fought for dominance on the cops ruddy features. No big surprise there, she thought. All cops and military types held that take-no-prisoners attitude. It was second nature to them.
She paused, her fingers tightening on the arm of the chair. There it was again, another thought that seemed to trigger a value statement out of nowhere. Did it mean that she normally distrusted cops and other people of authority?
Maybe if she comes with me and takes a look at the crash site, shell remember something. Cole grabbed his cap off the sideboard and slapped it on his head. Lets go, miss. Well take a drive out to Plank Road and see if you experience a sudden memory flash. The last sentence dripped with sarcasm.
Donovan shook his head, signaling she shouldnt get up. Shes not going anywhere. She needs medical attention, Cole. Not the third degree.
I wasnt about to whip out the rubber hose, Doc. Irritation flickered across the Chiefs face. You have to go by the crash site to get to Doc Reeds. You can come along for the ride. That way you can make sure I dont abuse the little lady.
Im taking her out to the center. The facilities are better there, Donovan stated.
Cole threw up his big hands. Take her wherever the hell you want. But first let her see the car. It might jog her memory. Okay?
Donovan finally relented and Cole stomped out the door.
Tess stood up, carefully setting her napkin next to her unfinished breakfast. She smiled at the Carsons. Thanks for the clothes and the delicious meal. It was very gracious of you.
Betty clucked her tongue and glanced out the window. Her glare of disapproval directed at the Chiefs back spoke volumes. Ted Cole can be a bully sometimes. Dont you let him push you around. She shifted her attention to Donovan. You make sure to watch out for her, Ryan.
Donovan nodded and then stepped aside to let Tess go first. A pang of regret shot through Tess. She missed the feel of his hand on her shoulder, the warmth and comfort of those long fingers against her skin. Somehow his touch seemed to reach down and fill a cold, empty place deep in her chest.
And that spot seemed to get bigger and wider with each passing moment, especially when she imagined seeing a car in the middle of a cornfield. A car with a dead man inside it. She hid a shudder as she climbed into the police chiefs cruiser. Something told her she didnt want to go anywhere near that car.
RAW TRACKS CUT THROUGH the freshly mowed grass leading up to the edge of the cornfield and then continued on into the heart of the field. The ground leading to the crash site was uneven, and Tess stumbled a bit as she skirted the broken stalks.
Easy, Tess, Donovan said, reaching out to steady her. Theres no rush to get there.
The corn on either side of them seemed to rise up and close in around them, creating a green chute. The raw earth smelled pungent, and a light breeze slipped through the rows, making a soft rustling sound.
Are you sure youre up to this? he asked, his big body so close a whiff of his aftershave, something tangy and enticing, swept up her nose. She tried to ignore its effect.
Ill do whatever he wants. Just as long as he gets off my back.
The car was about twenty or thirty yards in. A sleek gold Intrepid. It looked as if the driver had simply lost his way, plowed through a high fence on the end of the field and driven directly into the corn. Broken stalks were caught in the door handles and under the wipers. All the doors were open, and a uniformed policeman was rummaging around in the back seat. He ignored her.
For the first time, Tess realized the car hadnt left the road and plowed into the field. The tracks theyd followed in had been made by a farm tractor, the farmers attempt to make it easier for the police to get to the site.
The car had crashed through the fence straight ahead. It had a huge gaping hole in it. Tess couldnt help but wonder what all that lethal-looking metal fencing surrounded. Was it meant to keep something in or out?
Guards-private security guards from the looks of them-stood on the opposite side of the hole, watching the local cops conduct their investigation. One of them was speaking into a cell phone.
Does the car look familiar? Cole asked.
Tess shook her head. No. But its a nice-looking car. She glanced at the cop. If youre asking me if its mine- I have no idea.
Does anything about it look familiar? Cole pressed.
No.
Pretty convenient response, Cole said, his expression sour.
A fairly typical response for someone who has amnesia, Donovan said. He glanced in Tesss direction, and she could tell without him saying anything that he was assessing how she was holding up.
His concerned expression bothered her for some reason. She didnt want him hovering over her, worried if she could handle things. She wasnt some shrinking violet that needed a caretaker, especially not this sexy-as-sin doctor.
She turned away. She didnt need him or anyone else. Trust was not something that came easy. Wait a minute. She paused and rewound what shed just thought. Interesting. She wasnt supposed to even know her name, yet suddenly she knew she was fiercely independent.
She smiled inwardly, savoring the knowledge.
I want you to take a look at the body, Cole said. Tell me if its anyone you recognize.
Tension gnawed at the pit of her stomach. If Im having trouble remembering my own name, what makes you think Id remember some guy who is sitting in a car Ive never seen before?
Humor me. Cole pushed her up toward the drivers side of the car.
The driver lay slumped over on his side, his head resting in a pool of blood, his eyes wide and staring. Tesss fingers tightened into fists, her nails digging raggedly into the palms of her hands. Oh God, please dont let me know this person, she prayed.
The coppery stench of blood seemed to fill the air trapped in the car and for a moment, she thought she might lose her breakfast. But she breathed shallowly, determined not to give Cole the reaction she knew he was looking for.
Cole reached around her and tipped the mans face up so she could see better. Tess sucked in a relieved mouthful of air. The face didnt strike any chord of recognition in her.
Anything? Donovan asked.
She shook her head. Sorry. Nothing.
Any feelings of remorse? Guilt perhaps, Cole drawled.
Tess met his gaze head-on. I dont feel anything, Chief. Zip. Zero. Nada. She yawned. Are we done yet?
Out of the corner of her eye, she tried to gauge Donovans reaction to her staged attitude of callousness. Shed decided early on that it was better not to let any of them know what she was feeling. But with the exception of one dark eyebrow quirking upward, he didnt appear anywhere near as appalled as she might have thought.
In fact, if she wasnt mistaken, one corner of those magnificent lips twitched upward a touch, as if he knew she was doing her best to yank the persistent police chiefs pompous chain.
And for a brief moment, Tess found herself wondering what those lips would taste like, especially the full bottom one. The one with the small crease in the center that bowed out just a little, bordering on being almost too full. Too ripe. Not fitting with the overall toughness of the rest of his face.
Shed give anything for one small taste, and the thought almost made her burst out laughing. Whoever she was, amnesia obviously didnt seem to put much of a damper on her libido.
All right, I think we need to go down to the station and talk this out, Cole said.
Shes not going anywhere, Chief, Donovan said. We agreed to stop here on the way to the center. Your questions will have to wait until after Im done conducting a few tests.
Cole scowled. Just make sure you dont leave town before checking in with me. He turned away, throwing one final threat over his shoulder. Ill have more to go on after the forensics people finish up with the evidence gathered from the car.
Tess watched him walk off, unable to deny the tiny twist of fear that coiled in her belly. What if she really did have something to do with this accident? What if it wasnt an accident but a murder? Would the Chiefs men find something to connect her to the mans death?
You can tie yourself in knots over this, Tess. Or you can let it go for now. Ryan moved up to stand next to her. Let the Chief and his men figure out what happened and then well deal with whatever they find. Until then, lets you and I focus on finding out more about you.
Sure, that sounds reasonable, she agreed, deciding that agreeable was the tack to take at the moment. But she wasnt foolish enough not to listen to the warning in her gut that no matter how honorable Ryan Donovan seemed at this moment, when things heated up, he would throw her to the wolves.
IMPATIENT, RYAN SHOVED the CT scan onto the view box and studied it. No big surprises. Her brain was uniform and the ventricles were normal, no sign of a bleed.
Not that hed expected the scan to show anything significant, but hed insisted Tess have the head CT anyway. He believed in covering all the bases.
He glanced at the screen showing a camera view of Tess lying on the table waiting for them to tell her she could get up. Her eyes were closed, her lips, pink and lush and lightly parted as if she were sleeping. There was no panic in her relaxed limbs.
The technician turned in his chair to check and make sure Ryan didnt have any last-minute instructions before he told Tess that the examination was complete. Ryan shook his head and headed for the door leading to the examination room.
Inside, he hit the light switch and Tess turned her head.
Everything looks good, Ryan reassured her.
Tess nodded and jumped gracefully off the table. As she bent down to scoop up the striped cotton robe lying across the back of a chair, a section of her gown parted and allowed him to see the smooth glide of her skin and the line of her backbone. Hed never thought of a cotton hospital gown as particularly sexy, but somehow Tess had made it seem that way.
Tess nodded and jumped gracefully off the table. As she bent down to scoop up the striped cotton robe lying across the back of a chair, a section of her gown parted and allowed him to see the smooth glide of her skin and the line of her backbone. Hed never thought of a cotton hospital gown as particularly sexy, but somehow Tess had made it seem that way.