Page 5 of Donovan's Men

She’s distraught. Completely appropriate, but not all that helpful.

“Detective Tyson McGillvary and Detective Mariah Gleason.” I offered a wave. “We’re just here to check in on everyone.” My gaze, however, honed in on Julie Reyes and the man by her side.

Julie, the actor and star ofVigilante Justice, was blanched. Her wide emerald-green eyes shimmered. Her distinctive white-blonde hair was, I assumed, stuck under a beret.

The man next to her had my breath catching. The Black man was striking in appearance with a shaved head and piercing dark-brown eyes. Eyes that appeared a little glassy and unfocused.Donovan Riggs?

“We can take a walk.” Michael pulled Caressa close. Obviously, he figured we were here to see Donovan and Julie.

“I need to get back downstairs.” A nurse I hadn’t noticed gave a brief salute, and he headed out of the room.

“Actually, we understand you saw the suspect on Saturday night.” Mariah pulled a notebook out of her jacket pocket.

“Suspect?” Michael pressed a hand to his forehead. “Wasn’t this some kind of accidental discharge?”

The initial reports hadn’t said that, but maybe we’d missed some vital piece of information in our hustle to get over here.

“Meggibeth.” Donovan rubbed his hands over his face vigorously.

Is he trying to wake up? Have they given him something for the pain?If they had, he wasn’t likely to be very helpful.

He met my gaze. “There’s nothing to say, really. I knew she had a crush on Cole. Did I think she’d show up with a gun at work and shoot him? No.”

“She took a shot at you as well.” Mariah pointed to his right arm where a bandage poked out from under the scrub top he wore.

He waved us off with his left arm, nearly knocking Julie in the process. “Sorry.”

“You’re a victim and a witness. We’d like to interview everyone—while memories are fresh. We’ve got a room down the hall.” Mariah pointed to Donovan. “If you’re up to it, we’ll take you first.” We’d used the tiny lounge before, and the nurses never minded.

He didn’t look great. His eyes glazed, and sheer willpower appeared to be all that held him up.

“Why don’t we give him a rest? Caressa and I can speak to you. I don’t think we know much beyond our brief encounter with…Meggibeth…on Saturday, but we’ll try.” Michael offered a smile. Clearly forced, but an attempt nonetheless.

Mariah scowled. Obviously, she didn’t like being thwarted.

I offered a smile. “That’d be great.”

After ten minutes, I ended the conversation. Michael and Caressa seemed distracted, had little substantive to add, and if they knew something, they weren’t sharing. Neither knew Meggibeth nor had any idea why she’d shoot Cole as well as attempting to shoot Julie Reyes and eventually getting off a shot that hit Donvan Riggs.

When we returned, the man looked a bit better.

“Might you be up to talking to us?” I held his gaze.

He nodded and rose. Then he swayed.

I moved swiftly, grasping him under the arm to steady him.

He gazed into my eyes, almost as if seeing me for the first time. Apparently, I hadn’t made much of an impression before—the opposite of the effect he’d had on me. He was taller than me. Several inches over my own five ten.

Yet as our gazes locked, I sensed an inherent gentleness in the man.Or maybe you’re just seeing what you want to see. Entirely possible.

Eventually, he pulled back. And I let him go.

Mariah gestured down the hall.

As we walked—slowly—I stayed well within Donovan’s personal space. Last thing I needed was him passing out or something. We probably should’ve been waiting to do this interview, but memories could fade quickly—especially when trauma was involved. The mind could create things to protect the owner of said memories.

When we made it inside the small room, Donovan dropped into one of the seats.