“Not an accident,” Natalie repeated. She raised her hand to her head as a vague memory nagged. A pain stabbed sharply and she rasped, “Somebody shoved me. I felt it.”
The doctor turned back briefly toward the doorway, then replied, “We can discuss this later, Natalie. You’re in no condition to talk now.”
Her stomach suddenly queasy, Natalie insisted faintly, “It wasn’t an accident…” before surrendering to the encroaching darkness.
“WHAT DID she say?” Brady stood near the entrance to Natalie’s hospital room. He frowned as Dr. Weiss approached, awaiting her response.
“She said the accident wasn’t an accident. Somebody pushed her.” Dr. Weiss glanced at his left hand with a look that was slightly less than professional. She smiled at the absence of a ring as she continued, “I wouldn’t take what she said too seriously, though, Detective. It’s quite normal to be confused after a head injury. Somebody at the back of the crowd might have pushed a little too hard and caused her to fall into the street, but I doubt it. It’s been my experience that she probably won’t even remember what she said when she wakes up again.”
Brady shook his head. “Somehow I don’t think so, Doctor. She’s a very precise woman. She doesn’t make haphazard statements.”
Drawing Brady into the busy hospital corridor, Dr. Weiss asked, “Is that why you’re here, in an official capacity because she claims she was pushed?”
“No, I’m here because—” Brady paused. Yes, why was he here? Wilthauer had called for a squad meeting with Natalie Patterson because of the fax he’d received from Manderling. They had waited impatiently for her to arrive, only to receive a phone call from Dr. Gregory when she was already an hour late, informing them that Natalie had had an accident, that she had been taken to the hospital unconscious and that he was on his way there. Dr. Gregory had said he’d let them know more about her condition as soon as the information became available.
Brady hadn’t been inclined to wait.
Dr. Gregory and he arrived at the hospital within minutes of each other to find Natalie still unconscious. Satisfied that her injury wasn’t life-threatening, Dr. Gregory had gone back to his office. Not quite certain of the reason, Brady had stayed.
It had occurred to Brady as he watched Natalie lying in the hospital bed, a bruised patch on her forehead where she had received several stitches and raw, scraped palms the only visible signs of her injuries, that she looked far different from the self-possessed academic that she had sought to appear to be when they had previously met. Instead, she looked young, innocent, and so damned helpless and alone that it twisted him up inside. He wasn’t sure if what he felt was guilt for the way he had acted toward her or if—
Dr. Weiss asked at his continued hesitation, “Is Natalie a friend of yours?”
“We’re working together on a case.” Brady considered his response further, noting the spark of interest in the striking doctor’s eyes and the bare finger on her left hand, which still bore the mark of a ring. The doctor was obviously recently divorced and making certain he knew she was available. Under other circumstances, he might’ve been flattered enough to accept the doctor’s unspoken invitation. Instead, he heard himself add, “But she’s a…special friend.”
“Oh. She’s luckier than I thought.” Dr. Weiss added with a shrug of her shoulders, “Stay as long as you like, Detective. She should wake up soon.”
“Right.”
Brady watched the sway of Dr. Weiss’s hips as she strode down the hallway. Interesting. Dr. Weiss obviously had plenty to offer, and he had just turned it all down. For the life of him, he didn’t know why.
Brady glanced into Natalie’s room.
Not an accident. Somebody pushed me. I felt it.
Brady walked back inside, pulled the armchair closer to the bed, and sat down.
CONSCIOUSNESS CAME slowly and painfully. The throbbing in her head had not subsided, but the semidarkness of the room was a relief when Natalie opened her eyes and attempted to get her bearings.
Memory nagged again and fear stabbed her gut. She had been standing on a street corner waiting for the light to change when someone had deliberately pushed her into the path of an oncoming car.
Accident…accident…
Natalie closed her eyes, unable to hold back the tear that slipped out the corner of her eye as the pounding in her head increased. She gasped when a calloused hand smoothed it away and a deep voice said, “Are you all right, Natalie?”
She recognized that voice.
Natalie opened her eyes to the image that had haunted her angry thoughts for the past week. She said in a croaking voice, “What are you doing here?”
Detective Brady Tomasini smiled as he responded, “It’s nice to know you’re glad to see me.” It took Natalie a moment to realize she’d never seen him smile before. The transformation was startling.
He sobered as he asked, “How do you feel, Natalie? Do you want me to call the doctor?”
“Natalie?” she continued hoarsely, “When did we get on a first-name basis?”
“When they brought you into the hospital unconscious.” He asked again, “Do you want me to call the doctor?”
“No. I’m not ready for her yet.”
“The nurse?”
“No.”
“Your supper came while you were sleeping—a liquid diet, I think. Do you want anything?”
Natalie shuddered. “No.”
“Some water?”
Natalie eyed him cautiously, “Why are you being so nice?”
“All I did was ask if you wanted some water.”
Natalie swallowed with difficulty, then said, “Yes.”
She was uncertain how to react when Tomasini held the cup close to her lips and tilted the straw into her mouth, but she swallowed thankfully.
A sudden thought occurred to her and she asked abruptly, “Am I dying?”
Amused, Tomasini replied, “Not that I know of.”
“Then why—?”
“You were late for the meeting at the precinct, and Dr. Gregory called and said you’d had an accident.”
“It wasn’t an accident.”
All sign of levity disappeared from Tomasini’s expression. “That’s what you told the doctor this afternoon when you woke up the first time.”
“It wasn’t an accident.” Natalie closed her eyes again as the pounding in her head increased. She persisted with her eyes closed, “Somebody pushed me. I felt his hands.”
Natalie opened her eyes slowly. Tomasini wasn’t laughing.
“Dr. Weiss said the sensation of being pushed was probably just a result of your concussion.”
“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
He looked amused again. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”
Natalie took a deep breath, winced at the effort, and said, “Why would somebody push me, Detective?”
“Brady.”
“What?”
“My first name is Brady. In answer to your question, I don’t know.” He added, “I’m not even completely sure I can believe what you’re telling me now. You might wake up tomorrow and forget everything you just said.”
“Somebody pushed