Page 13 of The Woman Behind the Badge
“Did you recognize anything about the man?” Livvy asked.
Both women shook their heads, and it was Hannah who added, “He was wearing jeans and black T-shirt.”
“What about his build?” Ethan pressed.
More headshakes. “I didn’t get a good look at him. Average, I guess,” Leah said. “It happened so fast. Seconds. And he kept the mask on. I couldn’t even see the color of his hair.”
Ethan wanted to ask if it could have possibly been Anthony, but he didn’t want to plant that possibility in their heads. It could taint their account of the incident and end up pointing the finger at an innocent man while the real attacker went free.
“Are there security cameras on the exterior of the building?” Ethan called out to Chloe and Franklin.
“No,” they answered in unison, and neither took their attention off Sunny.
Too bad about no cameras, and Ethan didn’t want to go sprinting into the woods, looking for Sunny’s attacker. The guy could double back and come after her again. Livvy would no doubt be able to defend herself and the others, but it was a risk to take. Best to wait for that backup.
And to keep an eye on Chloe and Franklin.
He debated having Livvy go inside with the surrogates, but Ethan couldn’t be sure that the attacker hadn’t slipped inside. It made more sense to keep everyone where they were.
“Wait here,” he muttered to Livvy. “I’m going to keep an eye on Sunny.”
Their gazes met, and he thought she might’ve been surprised that he’d want to do that. But he saw the suspicion in her eyes when she glanced at Chloe and Franklin. So, Livvy had picked up on a bad vibe with them, too.
Ethan rushed back over to Sunny, and he watched as the siblings were having some kind of power battle. Chloe tried to take Sunny’s hand, but Franklin shoved her away.
“Go inside and get my medical bag,” he snapped to Chloe.
“The attacker could have gone inside,” Ethan pointed out. “What’s in the bag that would help with this?”
Franklin shot him a glare that practically shoutedDon’t you dare question my authority. But the doctor didn’t spell out what medical equipment he had that could indeed help. Sunny was breathing on her own, and the bleeding had slowed considerably. She still wasn’t conscious, and that was a huge concern, but Franklin likely wouldn’t be able to perform needed tests here. That would have to be done at the hospital.
“Who did this to her?” Chloe asked, her voice and hand trembling.
“Hannah and Leah saw a man in a ski mask,” Ethan let them know, and he carefully watched their reactions. “Any idea who that could have been?”
“No,” Franklin was quick to snap, but Chloe hesitated.
“Did they get a good look at him?” the woman asked.
Ethan shook his head, not only because it was the truth but also because he didn’t want the surrogates to become targets if a killer thought they could ID him.
In the distance, Ethan heard the welcome sound of sirens for both the ambulance and backup. He stayed put, right next to Sunny, until the ambulance came to a stop in front of the house and EMTs barreled out. Right behind them, he saw his fellow deputies Bennie Whitt and Eden Gallagher.
Ethan backed away so the EMTs could get to work. So did Chloe, but Franklin looked ready to stand his ground before he finally stepped back.
Bennie and Eden went straight to Livvy and the surrogates, and Ethan joined them. Eden took one look at Livvy, and she obviously saw how shaken she was because Eden then turned to Ethan.
“Livvy and you should follow the ambulance to the hospital,” she insisted, giving an uneasy glance around the grounds. No doubt looking for a would-be killer. “Bennie and I can handle this. Should we be concerned about any of these people being in on the attack?” she added in a whisper.
“Those two,” Ethan replied, tipping his head to Chloe and Franklin. “No proof, just a bad gut feeling.”
Eden nodded. Like him, she’d been a cop long enough to trust those gut feelings.
Ethan took hold of Livvy’s arm to help her get to her feet, and he got her moving toward the cruiser. He held his breath until they were inside. The odds were Sunny’s attacker wouldn’t fire shots at them—if he’d had a gun, then he likely would have used it on Sunny—but it was best not to take the risk.
He watched as Eden led the surrogates into the house and Bennie talked with Chloe and Franklin. The EMTs did their thing and got Sunny stabilized and onto a stretcher before they started moving her toward the ambulance.
“There’s something familiar about Franklin,” Livvy muttered.
