Page 70 of Hell Hath No Fury

“Staying put, I hope.”

Matthias stood where she’d left him and choked a laugh when he saw her. At least he didn’t give her a disapproving glare.

Fran snatched the bag from her and shoved it at him. “Hold this,” she said before grabbing Emma by the arm and dragging her toward the doors to the patient rooms. Fran gave a nod to the woman behind a desk, who pressed a button, opening the automatic doors.

The last time Emma had visited this ER was shortly after her parents’ deaths. Nell, not technically an addict yet, had drunk herself into a stupor. She’d fallen and split her scalp open, requiring stitches. The memory staggered Emma.

Fran tugged on her arm. “Come on, already. Act like you belong here, or the copwillpay attention to your badge, and we’ll both get tossed out.”

Or worse.Emma inhaled and forced her shoulders back, her chest up.

Fran released her grip. “That’s more like it. He’s down this way. Room fourteen.”

Side by side, they strode along the row of glass-fronted cubicles. Emma spotted the uniformed officer standing at one of the doors.

Fran paused at the nurses’ station and held out a hand. A nurse passed a closed laptop to her and winked at Emma. Fran tucked the laptop under her arm and continued down the hallway. With a curt nod to the guard, she slid open the door and breezed inside. Emma followed her example. As Fran had predicted, the stern-faced officer didn’t so much as glance at the ID clipped to Emma’s smock.

Fran closed the door creating a breeze that ruffled the curtain surrounding the patient. She directed Emma to the head of the bed and held the drape aside revealing a pale and scraped Eric.

“Em,” he cried as he sat up.

Fran let the curtain fall back into place and shushed him. “You aren’t allowed visitors, so keep it down.”

He looked Emma up and down. “What have you done?”

“Whatever it takes to get in here,” she said, gauging whether or not to hug him. A bandage covered his nose, both eyes were starting to blacken, and his lower lip was puffy and split.

His gaze rested on the hospital ID. “Timothy Ross? Seriously?”

“Do you want me to leave?”

His eyes met hers. “No. God, no,” he said with a wavering voice and flung his arms open.

Emma stepped into his embrace. He flinched, and she eased back. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I have a couple broken ribs is all.”

“What on earth happened?”

He released her and gingerly lay back against the flimsy pillows. “I was doing my best straight white male impersonation, but somehow word got out. Suffice it to say, a few of my fellow prisoners didn’t respond well. I’m lucky they stuck to using my face for a punching bag and kicking the shit outta my ribs. They threatened to do a whole lot worse.” He reached out to her. “Em, you and Matthias have got to get me out of there. Please, tell me you’ve found me an alibi or are close to tracking down who really killed Sonny.Please.”

Fran touched Emma’s elbow. “I’m going to leave you two alone, but I won’t be far. If I see your guard getting antsy, I’ll pop back in.”

“Thanks,” Emma told her. Once Fran had left and slid the glass door closed, Emma squeezed Eric’s hand. “The police did speak with someone at the Pine Gable Inn and confirmed you checked in and out.”

Eric sagged. “Thank God. So they’re going to release me?”

“I’m afraid not. Trooper Fergusson feels you had plenty of time to sneak out, drive back here, kill Sonny, and drive back without being missed. No one at the motel could verify that you never left.”

He closed his bruised eyes, tears glistening on his lashes. “I’m so screwed.”

“Matthias and I are working a new angle, though.” Emma hoped she sounded more optimistic than she felt.

Eric’s eyes opened. “Oh?”

“We’re following the money. Tina Neidermeyer believes she’ll be taking over North Star Developing now that Sonny’s dead, but when we spoke to her, she had no idea I’d torn up the agreement. It made me wonder if the two of them had a falling out. Ashley admitted that he’d been talking about hiring a new assistant and is going to ask their attorney about it. If Sonny was planning to change his Will and write Tina out…”

Eric brightened. “That’s motive. She would want him gone before he had the chance.”