Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Victoria went to the counter in the kitchen and poured coffee into her thermos.
Judging from the reflection she’d seen in her bathroom mirror as she prepared for work—droopy eyelids advertising her fatigue—she should allow herself a second cup of the caffeinated brew this morning.
Barely shutting one’s eyes all night called for extreme measures, especially to ensure she was alert enough for her patients today.
Only a few days ago, her first reaction to someone prowling around her house, trying to enter, would have been to call the police.
She still almost had last night, but she lived in Gealanden, the same suburb and jurisdiction as Thomas.
Detective McCully could hear of it and think she had fabricated the sounds and footprints to make herself look like a target instead of the killer he suspected she was.
He could have even shown up himself if she had called.
Ironically, the incident could be connected, though she wasn’t certain how. But it seemed entirely too implausible that a prowler outside her home, the threatening note, and being followed outside Treese’s studio could be unrelated to Thomas’s murder.
Then again, why would someone want to get into her home?
To do her harm, as unpleasant as that idea was, seemed the most likely answer.
Yet she wasn’t sure what the motive for an attack could be.
She hadn’t seen the murderer when she’d found Thomas, though she had been the one to claim there was foul play.
Would the killer want to silence her because of that?
No matter. She wasn’t going to stop her life out of fear. She glanced at her watch. Just enough time to put Max into his crate where he would be most comfortable while she was at work.
It would be a long day, given that she would have to fit the patients she hadn’t seen yesterday into today’s schedule.
She trusted that Racquelle or whoever had phoned the patients to reschedule hadn’t cited her police interrogation as the reason.
Victoria would stop at the office before seeing her first patient to confirm what had been said.
“Time to go in your condo, Max.” She called out the statement as she headed for her bedroom where he was probably lying on the floor near his crate. Or he could be in the crate already, since it made him feel safe.
The musical tones of her phone made her pause. She followed the sound back to the kitchen where she’d left the device in her purse. She pulled out the phone and checked the screen.
CareFull Home Health.
Odd. She wasn’t running late, and it was too early for Ginny to be calling with questions. Perhaps there had been a cancellation.
She pressed the phone to her ear. “Victoria Weston.”
“Victoria, good morning.” Racquelle’s voice came across the line, a peculiar tight tone modifying her normal pitch.
“Good morning. Is something wrong?”
“No, not wrong. But I called to convey a request from the higher-ups.”
Higher-ups? Only the board members had greater authority than Racquelle. Why would they have a request for Victoria? Unless…
Her throat pinched. They wouldn’t…Would they?
“They’d like you to take some time off until things are resolved with the police.”
Anxiety and the horrible feeling of guilt tangled with the frustration of injustice in her stomach.
She hadn’t done anything wrong, nothing to deserve a disciplinary leave.
“I understand.” The safe and respectful response emerged from her lips automatically, even as her mind screamed a different reaction. A defense.
She was innocent. The police had only wanted to question her. They hadn’t charged her with anything or arrested her. She had a perfect record of following all regulations and serving patients without a single complaint. She was, as Racquelle had once told her, their best and most reliable PT.
But arguing wouldn’t help her situation with Racquelle or the board.
“I’m sorry, Victoria. But I look forward to welcoming you back when this all blows over.”
“Of course.” Victoria swallowed the large lump in her throat. “Thank you.”
“You take care.”
“You, too.”
The line clicked, and Victoria set the phone on the counter. She stared at the screen as the Call Ended message appeared.
She only hoped her job hadn’t ended, as well.
What had she gotten herself into? She wouldn’t have thought Racquelle or the board members of CareFull would distance from her when she’d only been questioned.
That shouldn’t affect how they saw her. Many people were interviewed for murder investigations.
Though having the police come to the CareFull office and escort her away had surely not helped.
Regardless, God was in control of all these events. He had a good purpose in everything that happened and would happen.
The reminder relieved some of the tension clenching her stomach. She took in a breath. “Okay, Lord. What do you have planned for me to do today if not help my patients?”
Sydney. Her pregnancy checkup appointment was this morning. Sydney had wanted Victoria to be there for it, but she’d had to decline due to work.
“Well, thank you, Lord. Perhaps Sydney needs me more today than my patients.” Victoria crated Max as quickly as she could and left the house.
During the drive to the Life Center, the events of the past few days cycled through her mind, bringing back the unease she’d felt last night. Her gaze drifted to the rearview mirror.
Was that…a motorcycle behind her? Who drove a motorcycle in twenty-degree weather? She knew of only one person.
Cillian.
Still being protective? Or did he have a different reason for tailing her?
Warmth filled her torso as she glanced in the mirror again. She shouldn’t be pleased to see him. Especially not after last night. Though her father was wrong to call Cillian trouble to his face, even if he did have the ability to lead her into making wrong choices.
That was her own weakness. One she would keep under control today, regardless of Cillian’s reason for following her.
She could interact with him without letting herself be influenced and persuaded. And without letting her feelings go in the direction they seemed so inclined to.
Her resolve was fixed by the time she turned into the parking lot at Life and found a stall near the entrance.
Cillian pulled his motorcycle into the empty spot beside her.
Those butterflies that refused to give up residence in her stomach launched into flight at the sight of his tall figure, clothed in jeans and black leather jacket. He swung one long leg over the motorcycle to dismount and pulled off his helmet, running fingers through his thick black hair.
Her breathing grew shallow as her pulse skipped into an irregular beat.
He suddenly looked her way. A grin stretched his mouth, and he waved.
Her heart jolted. She jerked her head away. Why had she even been watching him? Surely she was too mature and grown now to be drawn to a man with a so-called bad boy appearance.
Of course she was. She forced a swallow down her dry throat, grabbed her purse, and exited her car with as much dignity as she could muster.
“Morning.” Cillian stood on the sidewalk waiting for her, thumbs hooked in his front jeans pockets and that confident grin still in place, as if he knew how attractive he was and didn’t mind using it against her.
Well, he didn’t need to know it worked. “I expected you would outgrow your dirt bike and motorcycle obsession with age. And maturity.” She added the last comment with an emphasis intended to suggest he hadn’t matured.
“Nah. I just graduated to nicer bikes. You really should take a ride with me sometime. You’d love it.”
She joined him on the sidewalk, trying to keep a safe distance between them. “You know I don’t trust those things.” She cast a suspicious glance at his motorcycle. “Much too dangerous.”
“I remember I got you to ride with me once. It was fun.” His eyes sparked, signaling what he meant.
She remembered, too. Her initial fear of falling, but then the thrill of their closeness.
She’d never put her arms around a man’s waist like that before, feeling his warmth, his solid torso beneath her fingers.
The experience had awakened feelings—uncontrollable, intoxicating feelings—she hadn’t known or imagined before meeting Cillian.
Feelings she was much better off without now. She preferred to keep her mind sound and her heart in check, lest she do something disastrous she would regret forever. Once was quite enough.
She reached for her usual unflappable tone and expression, lifting an eyebrow. “That was summer. It’s bizarre to ride a motorcycle in the winter unless it’s your only mode of transportation.”
“You know me. Never did like to follow the rules.” Challenge lit his gaze. “Cold never bothers me anyway.”
Did he intend a double meaning in that statement?
No, she would not be drawn into his games that led to him charming her into something when she knew better. “That may be, but your love of the cold doesn’t explain why you were following me. And don’t try to claim that you weren’t.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I heard about CareFull putting you on suspension.”
She hid a wince at his word choice. “It’s only a temporary leave of absence.”
“Sure.” His mouth angled in a closed smirk. “Anyway, I was headed to your house to check on you when I saw you pull out.”
“So you decided to follow me.” She stared at him. He’d have to do better than that.
“Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about the plan.”
“The plan?”
He nodded. “Now we’ll have time to figure out who killed Briscoe before McCully thinks of a way to pin it on you.”