Blood Orchid (Holly Barker 3)

Holly peeled a banana, which was going to be breakfast. “I don’t have a clue, Hurd. What are we working on that might cause somebody to want to bug my phones?”

“It’s been pretty quiet,” Hurd replied. “I can’t think of a thing that would connect to this. Anything in your life that might have brought this on? Anything personal?”

Holly shook her head. “There isn’t anything personal in my life, except Ham.” It hurt to admit that, especially to her deputy chief. She tossed the banana peel and poured herself a cup of coffee.

“Maybe you ought to get Phil Sweat to sweep Ham’s place, too.”

“Why?”

Hurd shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”

The tech knocked on the back door, and Holly waved him in. “What have you got?”

“Nothing,” the tech replied. “It’s a grassy area, and there were no discernible footprints and no other physical evidence, either.”

She turned back to Hurd. “Finish your coffee, then please call Phil Sweat and get him back out here. I want to know if the bug is back on the phones, then ask him to go out to Ham’s. Call Ham for me, will you? I want to get to the hospital.”

Hurd nodded.

“I’ll see you back at the station.” Holly called Daisy and they hopped into the car and drove away.

The ER was quiet when Holly arrived at the hospital, and she spoke to the young resident who had treated Teddy.

“Blow to the head,” the doctor said, “no fracture, but he’s concussed, and he required eight stitches. He was showing signs of shock when he arrived.”

“Prognosis?”

“He’s going to have a hell of a headache, maybe some dizziness. We’ll keep him overnight to make sure he’s stable, then he ought to take a couple of days off until he feels well again.”

“Is he awake?”

“He’s been conscious, but he’s sleeping now. I don’t want him disturbed, unless it’s very urgent that you talk to him.”

“It’s not,” she said. “Tell him I was here and to phone me when he feels up to it. I do want to ask him some questions.”

A nurse approached. “Officer Wright is awake and asking for the chief,” she said.

“Go ahead,” the doctor said, “but keep it brief.”

Holly nodded and followed the nurse down the hall to a room in which the blinds had been closed. The nurse pressed a button and raised the head of the bed a little.

“How are you feeling, Teddy?” Holly asked, taking his hand.

“I’m sorry, Chief,” he said.

“Nothing to be sorry about. You need to just rest until tomorrow, then we’ll get you home for a couple of days of R and R.”

“It’s my fault,” Teddy said.

“No it’s not; somebody snuck up on you, that’s all.”

“No, it’s my fault.”

“Why do you think so?”

“It was my radio; I left it on.”

“What happened, do you remember?”