I nodded to them both. “I’m sorry but I don’t remember anything about the accident.”
McDonald came closer and took out a notebook. “Can you tell us what you know about your husband’s relationship with Dr. Lisa Monroe?” he asked.
“Why are you asking about her?” Alarm grew in me. Did they think Lisa had done this? “Should I have a lawyer present? Isn’t there some rule about wives testifying about their husbands?”
“This is just a friendly visit to find out what you remember about the accident,” St. James said. “We understand you had a bodyguard and that your husband was concerned about your safety.”
“Yes,” I said, not wanting to say anything more.
“We’re just checking everything out,” McDonald said, his voice reassuring. “Did your husband tell you why he wanted protection for you?”
Just then, Drake walked in and the two detectives turned to face him. “Did I tell her what?” he asked, coming over to my bedside and kissing me. He turned to the detectives. “You should have waited until I was back.”
“We were asking her if she knew why you hired a bodyguard for her.”
“She knew,” Drake said, holding my hand. “I told her everything. Do you have any more information about the car involved in the accident?”
“We do,” McDonald said. “We believe it wasn’t an accident and that Dr. Monroe was the driver of the car that struck your wife.”
I covered my mouth with a hand, horrified that they thought Lisa had done it. “Why would you think that?” I asked.
“The car had been rented by Dr. Monroe.”
Drake was rubbing his forehead, grimacing. “I can’t believe it.”
“You wanted security for your wife,” St. James said. “You must have felt concerned about her safety.”
“I was, but I thought I was being overly cautious. I really didn’t think she’d do anything like this…” Drake heaved a heavy sigh. “Have you spoken with her?”
“We’ve been unable to locate Dr. Monroe. We’ll keep you informed about the case when we have any more information. In the meantime, if you think of anything else, or if she contacts you, please call us right away.”
Drake nodded and we watched as they left the room. He turned to me, his face ashen.
“Kate, I’m so sorry. I had no idea she’d do something like this…”
“She’s insane,” I said and shook my head in wonder. “Did she think you’d be hers with me out of the way?”
He sat on the chair by my bed and took my hand, kissing my knuckles. “I can’t imagine what she was thinking, but she clearly wasn’t rational. I thought the most she’d do was try to hurt me, expose me by telling the administration about my past. I never thought she’d really hurt you…”
“It’s not your fault, Drake,” I said, squeezing his hand. “You can’t help it that you’re so desirable that you drive women crazy…” I smiled and finally, Drake smiled as well, but then he bent down and held my hand to his forehead.
“If you hadn’t pulled through…” he said, his voice breaking.
“I did,” I said and rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. “I’m alive and so is Sophia. The nurse said if I can get up and use the washroom tonight, I can see her tomorrow and maybe feed her if she’s up to it.”
Drake looked up and then he smiled at me, wiping his eyes. “She’s drinking from a bottle,” he said excitedly. “When I was there, they let me feed her a tiny amount of breast milk from the bank.”
That made me extremely happy. “Did you take a picture of her?”
“I did,” he said and pulled out his cell. He scrolled through some images and then held the cell out for me. “There she is.”
I took the cell and examined the photo. Sophia was tiny, with red skin and a tiny pink knitted cap on her head. Her eyes were closed and a thin tube led into her nose.
“She looks so delicate,” I said, awe filling me that she was so premature but was doing well.
“She is, but she’s also strong,” Drake said, his eyes bright. “She’s breathing well on her own, and her vitals are all stable. We may be able to take her home in a couple of weeks, depending on how well she is and what supports we have at home. I was thinking of hiring a nurse for the first few weeks to help us. You’ll need care and so will Sophia.”
“I want to go home as soon as possible,” I said and tried to change position. When I did, my wound hurt and I grimaced.