Page 77 of Bound By Fire
“Dr. Keller.” He nods at me, then at Carla. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“Good afternoon, Commander Ridge.” Carla brightens. “You haven’t interrupted at all. We were just finishing up.”
“Please call me Ridge.”
“Oh. Ridge. Right.” She gives him a smile. “Come on in. I’ll get out of your way. Dr. Keller, I’ll be right at my desk if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” I straighten in my chair. “Hi, Commander.”
He steps inside my office, heading to the table in the corner. He nods at me.
I note that Carla is looking at me quizzically. I frown in her direction.
She gives a tiny shake of her head, looking at Ridge for a second before leaving.
“How did it go at my apartment?” I ask Ridge as he puts his bag down.
He turns to face me. “You now have a bolt and a chain on the front door. The sliding door has a security bar, making it almost impossible to pop off the tracks. We’ve installed glass-break sensors in all of the rooms, as well as motion sensors in the hallway, and a panic button next to your bed and another by the front door. There are twenty-five cameras going up this afternoon. Your front desk is being staffed around the clock going forward, courtesy of the Council. There are various otherchanges I won’t bore you with.” He clears his throat. “Your apartment will get done today. Some of the other changes by the end of business tomorrow.”
“Wow! That’s great. Thank you. Did your team pull the footage from last night?” I ask. “Did they find anything?”
He shakes his head. “They pulled the footage, but they didn’t find anything. There are too many gaps. Whoever it was knew what they were doing.”
“Oh.” I feel disheartened, and my shoulders slump. “That’s a pity.”
“There was one footprint in the flowerbed near the emergency stairs. The only way around the corner camera is to cut through that bed. It might be nothing, of course. People walk through gardens all the time. We took a cast of the print anyway. We may be able to get a shoe make and size.”
“That’s not much, but at least it’s something.” I shrug.
He gives me a small nod, then stands there looking at me for a beat. I look at the bridge of his nose because it feels like a safe spot.
He looks like he wants to say something, then sits instead. He starts unpacking his bag.
I can’t get myself to stop looking at him like an idiot.
“Right.” I push my chair back and stand. I make a small show of picking up a folder I don’t need, glancing at my watch. “I have to go and check on a patient.”
“All good,” he mutters, his eyes glued to his screen. He already looks deep in concentration.
It’s not fair.
I do not look at him as I leave.
The corridor is mercifully empty. I close my office door behind me, blow out a breath, and turn toward the hallway that leads to the hospital.
Carla looks up from her computer. She’s frowning.
“Everything okay?” she asks.
“Yep. Fine.” I nod, aiming for casual. “I’m just going to check on a patient.”
Carla’s frown deepens a little.
“I thought you already did your rounds and that you had loads of admin to get through this afternoon. You said this morning that you were going to be chained to your desk. You may have even asked me to chain you if need be.”
I smile. “You’re right, I did. I felt like I needed some air, and I just want to look in on her quickly.”
“Again? You were just there.”
