AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Connor’s gaze hit on the mad little woman, who was now shouting at the top of her lungs to the paramedic team and the sheriff deputy. He took the mask and forced it over Josie’s hair and down on her face. “Breathe into this, Josie.” After she did as he told her, he asked, “Think she set the fire?”
“I haven’t had a chance to question her.” Josie got up and handed the oxygen mask to the frustrated paramedic and then hurried to where the woman sat on the back of the ambulance with a blanket around her.
Vanessa Armond didn’t want to be checked over, either, but the paramedic did his job. “Your nose hairs aren’t singed. No smoke inhalation that I can tell, but you need to be checked out at a hospital.”
“No hospital,” Vanessa said, daring anyone to dispute her. “I’m okay. I...I only ran in because of the fire.” She gave Josie a heated glare. “I needed to find something, but she forced me out.” Vanessa’s dark eyes moved from Connor to Josie. “Who did you bring into my home?”
Giving up on staying undercover, Josie flashed her badge at the deputy and then made sure Mrs. Armond saw it, too. The deputy nodded and hurried over to report to the sheriff.
“FBI?” Vanessa Armond almost spat the question. “Where is my husband? Where is Louis?”
“He’s safe for now,” Josie said. “He’s injured—he got shot—but we have him in protective custody, since he’s had two attempts on his life.”
The woman turned her wrath on Connor. “This is on you. You and your charming ways. I told Louis not to trust you.”
Connor replied calmly, “He doesn’t really trust anybody, including you.”
Vanessa lifted up to go for Connor, but Josie interceded. “Just for the record, are you Vanessa Armond?”
“Yes, I am,” the woman replied, her accent heavy. “Thank you for saving my life, but I will not talk to you any further.”
She tried to stand but she started to wobble again. Connor grabbed her and turned to the paramedic. “I’m taking her inside. She lives here. If anyone needs to question her or get our statements, you can find us inside the main house.”
The young paramedic looked at Vanessa. “Are you sure, ma’am? You need to be checked over at a hospital.”
“I’m fine now, thank you.” Vanessa nodded to Connor while she signed some paperwork. Then she turned back to the first responders. “Thank you all so much. If I don’t feel any better, I’ll go to a hospital.”
The fire chief walked up. “We’ll need to question you later, ma’am. Don’t leave the premises.” He shot Josie a measured glance. “Keep an eye on her for now. We think this fire was set intentionally.”
“I don’t intend to go anywhere,” Vanessa Armond snapped.
Connor and Josie helped her toward the big, dark house.
When they were safely inside, Vanessa Armond turned to Connor with wide, worried eyes. “What happened here? I came home to police tape and a burned bed. Where is my husband?”
* * *
Josie brought the tray of coffee and water over to the big wooden table across from the kitchen counter and placed it in front of Mrs. Armond. Connor had found pain pills and crackers.
“You need to drink this water,” he told Mrs. Armond.
After pouring them all some of the strong coffee, Josie sat down next to the fierce little woman. “As I already told you, he’s safe. He’s being guarded. But I have to explain to you, when he wakes up he will be questioned regarding the death of Lewanna Munford. And we’ve collected some incriminating evidence that he needs to explain, too.”
Vanessa said something in Italian that Josie could only interpret as derogatory toward the dearly departed Lewanna. “She knew to stay away. That was our agreement. I don’t know about any evidence, but I do know that woman was supposed to stay out of my way.”
“You had an agreement with Lewanna?” Josie asked.
“I did.” Vanessa took a sip of her water. “I told her as long as she stayed out of the public eye and stayed away from my son and me, I would pay her a monthly allowance.”
