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Outside, Tony helped her into the high cab with exquisite gentleness. Then the two men shook hands, although she didn’t get why, and Tony drove away, leaving Matt standing alone, looking forlorn.
Beth turned her head. “He really was sweet. Maybe I should have let him take care of me.”
“Not a chance,” her detective said flatly.
Someday, she’d have to stand firm against his domineering tendencies—if this relationship lasted. Tonight, she didn’t have the spirit, since he wanted the same thing she did.
“There’s no way to track the man who attacked me, is there?”
Passing headlights let her see the taut, unhappy line of his jaw. “No. Even if we could get DNA, it wouldn’t be much use. Getting results takes forever, and we haven’t even come up with a fingerprint match yet.”
She’d been wondering. “Because whoever he is has never been arrested.”
“Or been required to give fingerprints for any other reason. Unless he served in the military, but getting them to open their databases isn’t easy.”
“Did any of the men you’re looking at serve?”
He shook his head and laid his hand on her thigh. “We’ll get this creep.”
“I know.” But how?
“I’m glad it wasn’t your right arm that was broken.”
“A silver lining.” Despite her overall woozy, hurting state, she almost smiled. “How unlike you.”
He gave a short laugh. “It’s cover. I’m so angry, if I could get my hands on the son of a bitch right this minute, I’m not sure I could do my job instead of beating the crap out of him. And I’m not feeling so friendly toward your sister, either. Matt was right.”
“She’ll be horrified when she hears what happened.” It was true. Too bad Emily never foresaw consequences.
He grunted, turning into the alley behind her building. “Do you have your keys?”
“Yes, fortunately I’d left them sitting out on the table. The police officer locked the back door and brought them to me at the hospital.”
The visitor parking spot near her back door was open. There shouldn’t be any reason she couldn’t walk—except her knees hurt. And she felt shaky.
Tony would help her.
* * *
“WAIT UNTIL I come around,” Tony ordered.
Beth probably rolled her eyes but made no move to get out beyond gingerly freeing herself from her seatbelt. After opening her door, he picked her up and used his shoulder to nudge the door closed.
“What are you doing?” She sounded panicked. “I’m too heavy! You shouldn’t be carrying me.”
She wasn’t a lightweight, not like a couple of his sisters who were as tiny as his mother, but he didn’t have any trouble carrying Beth either. “Of course I should,” he said, but he gently set her on her feet when they reached the concrete pad in front of her door. “Key?”
“Oh.” She dug them out of her pocket and handed it to him.
He unlocked the door, then said, “Do you need to lie down immediately?” When she said she was fine, he nodded. Keeping a supportive arm around her, he said, “Talk me through what happened.”
She swept an uneasy glance over the parking area and alley. “I didn’t move after you left. The cool air felt good. I was looking after your pickup, when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.” She told him how her flip-flop had tripped her as she tried to turn to face a possible danger. “He came from behind that SUV.” She pointed. “It belongs to the guy who lives next door.”
“Stay here.” After making sure she was steady on her feet, Tony turned on the flashlight he’d hung from his belt before getting out. Now he turned it on and walked slowly around the black Toyota Sequoia, scanning the ground as well as the vehicle. Then he returned to her. “Was he wearing gloves?”
She closed her eyes for a moment, as if to see the scene more clearly, then said, “Yes. Black.”
“Not worth more fingerprinting, then.” He sighed. “Okay, his first swing missed you.”
Beth wrinkled her nose. “Because I was doing a belly flop. I skinned my knees there—” a smear of blood had dried on the concrete, he saw “—and my hands on some of that loose gravel.”
