All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [47]
“So, are you suggesting that I tell the people of Atlanta that we are unable to protect them due to the fact that there is an invisible man in our midst?”
Scardino bit her lower lip and counted to ten before she answered. “No, sir.”
“I want this man found. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now where is this Ms. St. James?”
“She was released late last night.”
It was his turn to count to ten. When he finally spoke, his voice still quaked with anger. “And tell me why we released her again?”
“There was nothing to charge her with.”
“But she was the target, correct?”
“We suspect that she was the target. According to her statement, she was an innocent bystander.”
Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose. “This day isn’t happening.”
She shared his wish. “We have our best people on the case. The moment we turn up something, you can be assured that you will be the first to know.”
He nodded, but she knew he still wasn’t happy.
“And where are we on the Underwood case?”
Just when she thought she was going to make a clean getaway, Scardino felt the beginnings of a migraine. “Unfortunately, sir, we seem to batting 0 for 2.”
“A baseball joke.” His smile tightened. “You’re a regular riot, aren’t you?”
“No, sir.”
He simply stared at her. “I need results, Scardino. The press is hanging me out to dry on these cases. The mayor reminds me constantly that election time is right around the corner. And I don’t mind telling you that if I go down, I’m taking you with me. Are we clear on that?”
“Yes, sir,” Scardino responded.
“Good. I expect to hear from you by this time Wednesday with some real progress. Hopefully you’ll have this Lawrence character in custody.”
She stood, relieved that she would, after all, be able to escape. “We’ll do our best, sir.”
He gave her a look that demanded that they do better than that.
Scardino made her exit without a backward glance. When she closed the door behind her, her shoulders immediately drooped and her migraine spread like a forest fire.
Aaliyah arrived at the Underwood estate, clueless as to what she was going to say to get an interview with Judge Hickman. Though the two women had never met, Hickman’s no-nonsense reputation preceded her.
Stepping out of the car, she self-consciously smoothed her pantsuit with her hands, and stared up at the beautiful colonial house.
“Come on, girl. You can do this,” she reaffirmed under her breath. But doubts still managed to ebb their way into her thoughts.
She walked slowly toward the door, her mind racing for an angle that would get her past the front door.
A strong gust of wind rustled the surrounding trees and, in the distance, she heard the sound of passing cars. Another sound drifted on the wind and she stopped to listen.
Voices.
Aaliyah cocked her head. It was a man and a woman. Their angry voices pricked her curiosity. Her impromptu interview with Judge Hickman was quickly forgotten as she crept toward the side of the house to hear more.
Chapter 22
Grady Hospital
Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
The medication that dripped through Dossman’s IV had him drifting in and out of consciousness. He swore that nothing compared to hospital drugs.
“Hey, you.”
Dossman rolled his head to the side. A lazy smile slid into place when he saw Kelly. “Hey, yourself.”
“How are they treating you in here?” She pulled a vacant chair closer to the bed, and then laced her fingers with his.
He licked his parched lips. “Are you kidding? Meals served in bed, drugs and sponge baths—I may never go home.”
She laughed. “You’re terrible.”
“True, but don’t tell anybody,” he said, enjoying the feel of her hand. He suddenly wished that they were waking up together at his apartment. He longed to see her usually coiled hair spread across his pillows, or to feel her body beneath his.
“You’re having dirty thoughts again.” Kelly waved a finger at him. “I can always tell by that glossy look