“I’m not passing out,” she said, though her voice sounded leaden. She heaved another heavy sigh before curling her fingers around Corinne’s arm. “Help me up.”
Relieved, Corinne levered Whitney to her feet. “We’re going to get you taken care of. Just ha
ng in with me for a little while longer.”
Chapter 17
Tucker woke from a fitful doze. The digital clock read 11:37. Barely an hour since he’d fallen into bed. On the nightstand, his phone vibrated again. He answered without checking the display, his heart leaping into the thundering tattoo of Emergency! Emergency!
“Tucker, it’s Lily Mae.”
Not his parents. Not his friends. He exhaled some of the anxiety.
“I’m sorry to call so late, but we’ve got a sensitive case here and we’ll need a restraining order filed first thing in the morning.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face, palm rasping over stubble. “On my way.”
Pulling on jeans and a polo, he gave fleeting thought to coffee, but Lily Mae had an eternal pot going out at the shelter. He’d get a cup there while he took the victim’s statement. His lone concession to professionalism before heading out the door was to grab his briefcase.
A Wishful PD cruiser was parked in the driveway when he arrived. They’d left the porch lights on. Tucker climbed the steps and, as usual, the door swung open before he could knock, Lily Mae filling the doorway. Her eyes glittered with temper and a muscle jumped in her jaw. Tucker knew that look, knew that whoever had come in tonight was in bad shape.
“Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” He followed her inside.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
“I’d happily give up my first born for one.”
“I’ll see to it. They’re in the study.”
He saw the cop first. Judd Hamilton stood in the doorway of the study, thumbs hooked in his duty belt. “There’s been no sign of him back at the house, but we’ve got officers posted. Can you think of anywhere he might go to ground?”
“I don’t—wait. There’s a hunting cabin. Somewhere up near Sardis. I don’t know where exactly. I wasn’t ever allowed to go there.” The woman’s voice quavered.
“It’s okay. We’ll track it down.” Judd turned as Tucker stepped up. His expression was set in reassuring lines, but Tucker could see the snap of fury in his eyes.
He understood why as he stepped into the room and caught sight of the woman’s face. Vicious bruising colored one side from temple to halfway down her cheek. Her blonde hair was pulled back to reveal more bruising on the other side, along with a row of neat stitches holding together a gash near her hairline. The swelling so altered her appearance, it took him a moment to recognize her.
“Whitney.”
“Tucker. Thank you for coming. I hate that I’ve put so many people out.”
“Think nothing of it. We’re all here to help.” He took a seat across from her, at the tiny desk and pulled out a legal pad to take notes.
“Found it.”
It was the last voice Tucker expected to hear. His chest squeezed as Corinne walked in, a tube of something in her hand.
She stopped dead at the sight of him, stark pain flickering over her face before she got it under control. “Tucker.”
“Corinne.” It cost him to stay put, but now wasn’t the time to address whatever was between them.
She moved to Whitney. “This is arnica gel. It will help with the bruising.”
Corinne unscrewed the cap and gently dabbed some of the gel onto Whitney’s face.
The other woman winced, but held still for her ministrations. “They teach you this in nursing school?”