“Michelle, are you okay?” King said again, more urgently, though his eyes had closed.
“Never better,” she lied.
CHAPTER
69
“SOMEBODY BLOCKED UP
the vents on your heating system, Sean,” Todd Williams told King and Michelle at the hospital later. He was there along with two of his deputies and Sylvia. “All the fumes came back into the cabin. You’re lucky Michelle got there when she did.”
“I almost didn’t,” she said, rubbing her injured arm, which was now in a sling.
King scowled at her from the bed. “You said you were okay. I don’t believe getting shot qualifies as being okay,” he grumbled.
“It was just a nick.”
“Not quite, Michelle,” said Sylvia. “It’s on the inside of your arm. Another inch and it could have hit your torso and the damage would have been far worse.”
Michelle shrugged off this dire pronouncement and said, “Anyone find the bullet or the shooter?”
“No on both counts,” said Williams. “The slug’s probably in the lake. The shooter, who the hell knows?”
“Well, one good thing came of it,” said King. They all looked at him. “If the killer wanted to get rid of me, we must be getting closer.”
“Well, we’re not going to catch him while I’m sitting here,” said Williams.
After he had departed, Sylvia said to King, “You can’t go back to your houseboat. You can stay at my place; I’ve got plenty of room.”
Michelle stood and said firmly, “He’s bunking at my house. I’ll be able to keep an eye on him there.”
King looked awkwardly at the two women. “She’s right, Sylvia. You’ve got a lot going on. You can’t exactly sit around and babysit me, although I feel fine.”
Michelle shook her head. “You heard what the doctor said, Sean. You have to take it easy for a few days.”
“That’s right,” said Sylvia. “They’ve pumped you full of oxygen, and you might feel fine now, but your body’s undergone a shock, and if you overdo it, you’ll end up right back here.” She looked at Michelle. “Well, you take care of yourself too.”
“I’ll be fine, thanks.”
Sylvia gave King a hug, whispered something in his ear and then left.
“What’d she say?” asked Michelle.
“Don’t I have any secrets?”
“Not from me. I just saved your life. Not the first time either.”
King sighed. “Okay. She said not to scare her like that again.”
“That was it?”
“I’m sorry if you’re disappointed. What, did you expect her to profess her eternal love? A couple needs to work up to that. At least three meals, a movie and some heavy petting, or so I’ve heard.”
“Smart-ass. Shows you’re getting better.”
“Can we get out of here now?”
“They want to keep you for observation for a while longer.”