Silent Run - Barbara Freethy [18]
Jake frowned. “I don’t understand what’s going on here, Sarah.”
“Neither do I. But until I remember my life, I need to protect myself.” She made a quick decision. “Could you hand me my shoes?”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“Look, last night someone tried to run me off the road. And just now when I was sleeping, I dreamt that I saw a man kill someone.”
“Whoa, hang on a second,” he said, raising a hand. “You dreamed that you saw a murder?”
“That’s what I said.”
“And then you woke up and someone was trying to smother you.” He couldn’t keep the skepticism from his voice. “I don’t know, Sarah. Maybe you weren’t all the way awake.”
“That wouldn’t explain why you saw a man leave my room,” she countered.
“True,” he said slowly. “But you could have misread his intent. The pillow fell on the floor during your restless sleep. He came in, picked it up, and was putting it under your head when you woke up.”
“I know that sounds like a logical scenario, but that’s not what happened.” She paused, wondering why he was trying so hard to convince her that no one had tried to kill her. He hadn’t been the man in her room, but she still didn’t trust him. “Show me your arm,” she said abruptly.
“What? Why?” he asked in surprise.
“Pull up your sleeve and show me your right wrist. In my dream the man who was holding the gun had a tattoo on his wrist. I want to know if it was you.”
“You’re crazy, Sarah. I’ve never shot a gun in my life.”
“Then you won’t mind showing me your wrist, will you?” she challenged.
Jake hesitated and then shoved up the sleeve of his leather jacket along with his shirt, revealing nothing but skin. “Satisfied?”
“About that,” she replied. Until she knew exactly why she’d left him, she was going to keep her guard up.
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of an older man dressed in a business suit. “I’m Randall Jamison, head of hospital security,” he said, his tone serious, his eyes concerned as he approached the bed. “What’s the problem?”
Sarah related exactly what had happened, describing the man in her room as best she could. She also told him about her car accident the night before, and the possibility that the two events were connected. While Randall Jamison didn’t appear to doubt her story, he didn’t seem confident that they would find the person. Sarah had to admit that she wasn’t giving him much to go on. It had happened so fast, the room in shadows, the man’s face covered by a mask. She wasn’t even sure she’d recognize the man if she saw him again.
“I’ve posted a guard outside your room,” Randall said as they finished their conversation. “I’ll also discuss the situation with Deputy Manning and see what else he wants to do in terms of an investigation.”
“Thank you.” After Randall left, Sarah picked up the pitcher next to her bed and attempted to pour herself a glass of water. She didn’t realize her hands were shaking until she spilled half the water onto the table. She set the pitcher down and drank what little water she’d gotten into her glass. Then she took some tissues and mopped up the spill. All the while she could feel Jake’s gaze on her. He seemed to be analyzing her every move, and she felt more than a little uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny. “What?” she finally demanded. “What are you thinking?”
“That you were always neat,” he said, surprising her.
“Really? That’s the first positive thing you’ve said about me.” Her words brought the scowl back to his face.
“That’s all I’ve got,” he replied, obviously regretting his momentary lapse in anger.
“So what do we do now?”
“Hell if I know.” He turned his back on her and walked over to the window. He pulled the curtains wide open, dispelling the lingering shadows in the room.
She was grateful for the light and relieved to deflect Jake’s attention from her for at least a moment.