Gus turned around with a frown, his hand halfway to his mouth. “What?”
“South hall. Footage starting two minutes ago. Now.” He moved into the room as he spoke.
Gus didn’t ask another question, just pulled up what was requested.
A man dressed in a dark blue button-up shirt and matching trousers kept his head down and pushed a janitorial cart down the hall. He maneuvered it up against the wall, placed his hands in his pockets, and walked toward the exit.
“Just a custodian leaving his cart unattended. Probably had to use the bathroom or something,” Gus said, continuing to munch on his snack.
Cody glanced at the time stamp than the clock on the wall. Less than ten minutes separated the moment the man walked away and now. Adrenaline pushed through his veins as he dashed back outside and headed for the exit the man had used—a side door that led to a smaller lot opposite the emergency room.
A black truck sped out of the lot seconds after he rushed through the door. “Shit.” He reached for his communicator to call in the truck, but he was dressed in civilian clothes.
He nabbed his phone from his pocket just as Owen appeared in the doorway.
“What the hell’s going on? Katherine’s frantic, and Gus said you took off after seeing something on the security screen,” Owen said.
“He was in Ollie’s room. He just sped out of the lot.” Cody jabbed a finger in the direction the truck had fled. “Where are you parked?”
“Other lot. I’ll call it in and get more deputies to pursue. Tommy and I will jump in my cruiser. Get Katherine and Ollie to your house.”
Cody followed Owen back inside, peeling off in the opposite direction. He jogged to Katherine’s room, needing to be near her in case there was something he was missing. In case her attacker hadn’t just fled the scene and still lurked nearby.
Katherine met him in the doorway, blocking Ollie from the conversation. “Did you find him?” she whispered.
He shook his head. “No, but Owen and Tommy are going after him.”
Mike stood from a chair dragged up to the bed and marched their way. “Well?”
Cody repeated what he’d told Katherine.
“How the hell did this guy slip through the cracks?” Mike asked.
“Dressed as a janitor. He pushed a cart into the room, which is why Ollie thought he worked for the hospital.”
Katherine pressed a hand to her stomach. “I think I’m going to get sick. He just walked right in here. He could have done anything to Ollie while he was alone. I can’t believe I let this happen.”
Mike snaked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. He kept his gaze locked on Cody. “It’s not your fault, honey.”
The implication was loud and clear. But he didn’t need Mike’s accusing glare to make him feel bad. He already knew he’d let Ollie down, let Katherine down.
He swallowed hard, keeping his emotions from his face. “If Ollie’s ready, we should leave.”
“I still think they should come to my place,” Mike said. “Especially now.”
Katherine leaned against her dad, exhaustion clear on the contorted lines of her face.
For a second, he worried she’d agree. That she’d take her dad up on his offer and whisk Ollie off to stay with him.
Another part of him feared she wouldn’t. What if he made another mistake? What if he let his guard down again and something else happened—something worse?
“Dad, we’ve already been through this. It makes more sense for us to be with Cody.”
Mike worked his jaw back and forth. “I’ll come with you then.”
Cody tensed. He wasn’t sure if Mike wanted to tag along to keep Katherine and Ollie safe, or to keep him away from Katherine. Either way, the idea of Mike sitting in his home, staring daggers at him the whole time, was less appealing than setting his own hand on fire.
“Yay! Grandpa’s coming to Cody’s house,” Ollie chimed in from behind them. “He can meet Bailey.”
