“Concussion, bruised ribs, a few stitches.He’ll be okay,” I summarize.
“Good.Taking off?”
“Just going to get his brother,” I explain.“Tessa’s in there, still waiting to see him.Any news?”I add.
“Not much.Bike was still in the alley.I’ve got a few guys knocking on doors but it’s mostly businesses around there.They would’ve been closed when it happened.Maybe we’ll get lucky and find some security footage from somewhere.”
“I just had Battaglia install security on the firehouse last week, but that end of the alley would be out of sight of the cameras.”
“Still, it might be helpful.You never know.”
I shrug my shoulders.“Then be my guest.Battaglia Security monitors the feed, so give them a call.I’ve gotta pick up this kid.”
“Go,” he prompts me.“I’ll check in with Tessa.”
I hustle to my truck and hop behind the wheel, making the mistake of looking over my shoulder into the back of my crew cab.
The back seat is smeared with Remi’s blood.Not something I want the kid’s brother to see.Leaning into the back and rooting around, I find a dirty sweater tucked under the back of my seat, and a plastic bag holding a couple of timing belts I forgot I had in here.I spread the old sweater over the stains and toss the bag of belts on top to make sure it doesn’t slide off.
Tessa’s place isn’t far, not even a ten-minute drive.I’m about to pull into the driveway when I see the front door open, and a tall, athletic-looking guy comes tearing out of the house.I assume this is the oldest kid, Linc, even though it’s hard to believe that linebacker body belongs to a boy.His brother, Remi, is a shrimp in comparison.
My passenger side door is yanked open before I even come to a full stop.
“Who did it?”the man-child barks as he climbs in and fits his long legs under the dashboard.
Heck, the kid makes me feel like a damn garden gnome.His head is almost hitting the ceiling, he’s got to be at least six three or four.
The lack of introduction or polite pleasantries doesn’t bother me in the least.I appreciate where he’s coming from.
“Don’t know,” I answer, immediately backing the truck back on to the street.“All I can tell you is he left the firehouse on his bike, and when I left—at most—ten minutes later, I found him lying at the end of the alley near Main Street.”
I can feel the kid’s scrutiny as I check traffic in the intersection before making a turn back toward the hospital.
“Did he say anything?”
I shake my head.“No, he was out cold.But Deputy Sheriff Alexander is already looking into what happened.I just saw him at the hospital and I’m sure he’ll be trying to get some more information from your brother.”
Maybe the knowledge law enforcement is on the case will discourage the teenager from doing something stupid.
“Good,” he returns.
A quick side glance shows him closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the rest.
“By the way,” he starts a moment later.“I’m Lincoln, but everyone calls me Linc.”
I grin and nod.“I figured.Clem’s the name.”
“I’m glad, otherwise it’d mean I got into the wrong truck.”
I chuckle at his comment.The kid’s got humor.I’m starting to see why his younger brother might feel a bit overshadowed.For one so young, this kid has quite a presence.
There aren’t a lot of vehicles left in the hospital parking lot when I drive up.Not surprising, given the late hour; it’s already after eleven.I pull into an empty spot next to Tessa’s Jeep, and barely have a chance to turn off the engine before Linc is already halfway out of the truck.
I follow at a slightly slower pace and find him standing just inside the doors, his eyes scanning the lobby.
“Where is she?”he asks without turning around.
I can’t see her either, but spot Hugo standing near the desk on the other side.
