“Relax, your sister and my sister are fighting over custody.”
She sighed and lay back down. “Thanks, I’ll pick him up after I get out of here.”
“You should worry more about yourself than some scruffy dog.”
“I have lots of people to support me, but Dasher? He’s got no one. And besides, he’s not scruffy, he’s got character.”
She thought Nate smiled but couldn’t be sure.
The door slid open and Dr. Spencer poked his head into the room. “Sorry, had an emergency. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Thanks,” Cassie said.
Dr. Spencer smiled and shut the door. Cassie glanced at Nate. “When my brother comes back, you can go. I know you should be figuring out what happened to the dead woman, instead of hanging around here.”
“Detective Vaughn is leading the investigation.”
“Why?”
“I delegate in order to keep a broader perspective on things. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but—” he pulled his stool close to Cassie’s bedside “—do you think you can identify the man carrying the shovel?”
“Absolutely, and I wanted to call you with that information, but I’d lost my phone.”
“I’ll try to get a forensic artist to come by tomorrow. Where will you be staying?”
“You know where my apartment is, over the tea shop.”
He straightened. “It would be wiser if you didn’t go back to your place for a few days. The perpetrator knows who you are.”
“I still don’t understand how.”
“Where’s your wallet?”
“Back at the cabin. Oh...so you think he went through my things?”
“It’s likely, yes.”
“But I did a good job of playing a daft property manager who runs from the sight of blood. I was pretty convincing that I didn’t see him at the cabin.”
“Cassie, he came after you in the hospital and knocked out the orderly who was supposed to take you to imaging.”
“Wait, what? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. That’s not the point.”
“I feel so bad since it’s my fault that—”
“Cassie, stop talking, just for one minute.”
She bit back more questions she wanted to ask about the injured orderly. At least she’d like his name so she could add him to her prayer list.
“We can’t take chances with your safety,” Nate said. “You need to be in the most protected environment possible until we solve this case.”
“Well, I could always leave the country. I have enough money saved to travel for a while, not as long as I’d originally intended, but a few months should work, right?”
Nate didn’t answer at first. He clenched his jaw and his green eyes darkened. “I’d rather you not.”
“You said I’m in danger here, so the most logical choice is to—”
He stood abruptly. “You’re a witness. I need you to stay in town.”
“Oh, okay.” She glanced at her fingers in her lap. Arguing with Nate was pointless. He was the police chief, after all, and his primary concern was the murder case, nothing more, nothing like...
He actually cared about Cassie.
Nope, Nathaniel Walsh was all business. He wanted to get his man, and Cassie was a means to that end.
“You’re upset with me,” he stated, studying her.
“I want to go home.”
“To your mother’s farm. Good idea.”
She cocked her chin. “When did I say that? I never said that.”
“But you agree that it’s a good idea?” He sat back down beside her.
“No, I don’t want to stay at the farm. Mom will hover and forbid me from leaving the house.”
“It’s probably a good idea to lie low for a while, stay at your mom’s and do your blogging stuff.”
“Hey, my blogging stuff doesn’t pay the bills. I’ve made a commitment to Echo Mountain Rentals and it’s good money.”
“Right, it’s about padding your getaway fund.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. You know what? Let’s not talk about this. What do you need?”
“Excuse me?”
“What can your primary witness do to help you solve this case?”
“You’re injured. I can conduct an interview tomorrow.”
She continued anyway. “He was about six feet tall, with thin lips and bushy eyebrows. Oh, and a bump on his nose, here.” She reached out to illustrate on Nate’s nose, but he jerked away, like she was contagious.
“Wow, okay.” She swallowed the hurt burning her throat and pointed to her own nose. “A bump right here. He’s got dark brown eyes and he smelled of something... I can’t put my finger on it, something pungent.”
“What did he say to you?” Nate pulled a small notebook out of his jacket pocket.
“I did most of the talking. Especially after I figured out who he was. I did my best flaky girl impression, and told him I ran away from the cabin because of the blood, then tripped and fell down a mountain.”
“You think he bought it?”
“He seemed to. I’m not dead.” The inappropriate comment awkwardly slipped out.
Nate’s fingers froze as he gripped the pen.
“Sorry, that was morbid,” she said.
“Is there anything else you can tell me about him?”
“No, sorry.”
He glanced up. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
In that moment she felt caught by something in his green eyes, something intense and sad. She struggled to form words.
“I... You... Thanks,” she uttered.
She didn’t like this feeling, a feeling of being derailed, yanked off course. It seemed to happen only when Chief Walsh was looking straight at her.
The door swung open. “How’s the patient?” Dr. Spencer asked, approaching her.
His presence ripped Cassie out of the intense moment with the chief. She smiled at the doctor and said, “Pretty good, considering.”
“Attitude is everything,” the cheerful doctor said. “Let’s stitch you up and send you home.”
Nate stood. “I’ll get her brother.”
“Wait,” she said. “Would you mind staying?” For some reason she didn’t feel overly judged by Nate, whereas every word that came out of Aiden’s mouth felt like a criticism.
“Are you sure?” Nate said.
“Yes, but you probably have to get back.”
“I’ve got a few minutes.” Nate offered to hold her hand for support.
She accepted the gesture, appreciating the warmth. As she focused on a spot across the room, the doctor raised the sleeve of her hospital gown and