Chapter 5 #3
The officer fixed him with a businesslike stare. “What else can you tell me about your fiancée?”
“What else?” he didn’t understand the question. “You mean what happened in the alley? I told you all that I can remember. If you have her statement, she probably could tell you more than I can.”
“I do, but I want to know everything you can tell me about her.”
Angelo suddenly had an uneasy feeling. Why would the police officer need to know things about Kara that didn’t relate to the attack?
“For example, where does she work?” The officer stared at him, the look less friendly than before.
“I don’t see why that matters…”
The police officer clipped the pad closed, then casually walked to the door of the hospital room, glanced into the hallway for a moment, and closed the door. He turned back to Angelo. Ignoring the pain, Angelo forced his body to sit up as the officer came back to the bed.
“I’m going to need you to tell me everything you know about the girl.” His hand strayed to the weapon on his hip, something Angelo didn’t miss.
“Officer, I’m really tired. Maybe we can talk again later.
” He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew his gut was telling him not to say another thing to this man.
Angelo knew he had a nurse alert button on the wall to the left, but the question was whether he could reach it before the cop made a move.
The policeman’s eyes narrowed and as his face turned, Angelo noticed a purple bruise on the man’s jaw that was partially concealed by his unshaven scruff. The same spot that he had punched the robber in the alley.
Angelo’s blood chilled as he realized the level of danger he was in.
Could this be the man who’d attacked Kara, dressed as a cop?
Was he a cop? Or had the robber attacked a cop and stolen their outfit?
At this point he couldn’t rule anything out.
But if that had happened… and this was the man who’d attacked Kara in the alley why was he going to these lengths to find Kara?
The cop moved his hand off his gun and smiled slowly as he instead removed a large syringe from one of the pockets on his vest and eyed Angelo’s IV bag.
“I’m only going ask one more time. Tell me what you know. Is your fiancée Kara O’Brien?”
Angelo knew this was going to hurt like hell. “I’m not telling you anything.”
The cop dove for the IV bag, ready to inject air bubble into the tubing to kill Angelo the same moment Angelo ripped the IV out of his hand and shoved himself off the hospital bed on the opposite side from the cop.
He banged against the side railing in his haste, but he managed to stay on his feet.
He slammed the emergency button. A light on the ceiling flashed instantly, and he could hear the alarm beeping outside his door.
The cop shot a furious glare at Angelo, then jerked the door open and barreled out into the hallway. A few seconds later, a nurse rushed in, taking in the sight of Angelo braced against the wall with his hands.
“Mr. Vertucci, what happened? You aren’t supposed to be out of bed without a nurse to help you.”
“Sorry. I fell out… and accidentally pulled out my IV.”
He couldn’t tell the nurse that a cop had just assaulted him.
If that man was a police officer, then he was a dirty cop, and Angelo would have no way of knowing who else he could trust—which meant he couldn’t trust anyone.
What he needed to know was why someone was after Kara.
Cop or not, that was obvious. Kara was the target.
“Why don’t you sit down and I’ll fix this.
” The nurse tutted as she lowered the railing on one side and helped him back into bed.
Angelo didn’t fuss as she put a fresh IV in on his opposite hand.
She bandaged his other hand after checking the staples holding his wound closed.
Then the nurse raised the rails back up on the side of his bed and checked his medication levels.
“How’s your pain on a scale of one to ten?”
“Six,” he admitted. “But it’s a lot better than it was a few hours ago.” He hurt like hell from the encounter with the cop, but he couldn’t tell the nurse that. He had to get out of the hospital as fast as he could.
He waited until the nurse left before he called Dante.
“Angelo?” His brother answered grumpily. “You okay?” It was clear Dante had been asleep. Given that it was close to midnight he couldn’t blame his brother.
“I’ve got a problem,” Angelo said. “I was just paid a visit from a cop who asked me what I knew about Kara. He called her Kara O’Brien, not Gallagher. Then he tried to kill me.”
“What?” Dante’s voice sharpened.
“Dante? What is it?” Alessia’s voice could be heard in the background.
“Hold on,” Dante said to Angelo. “Go back to sleep, honey.” Dante whispered to his wife. A moment later Dante spoke again, his voice softer. “What happened?”
Angelo described the cop’s interrogation and attack in more detail.
“And you didn’t tell the nurse to call the police?”
“Thing is, I don’t know if he was posing as a cop or if he’s a dirty one. That uniform wasn’t a costume. Until I know for sure, I don’t think I can trust the police.”
“Good point,” Dante replied.
“I’m sorry to put this on you, Dante. Can you keep an eye on Kara until I get home? This guy knows that Kara is living with me.”
“Sure,” Dante said. “You’d better have Jared look into this Kara O’Brien. Maybe it’s some kind of mistaken identity thing?”
Angelo remembered the hunted look in Kara’s eyes. “Unfortunately I think it’s my Kara he wants. I have a feeling she’s in trouble, and I have to keep her safe.”