Page 42 of The Deadly Shallows

Noah was itching for news—for something, anything, that would lead them to Brooke’s abductors, and most likely to the people responsible for the shooting. Maybe even to the lab break-in. He was now convinced they were tied together. Otherwise, why were the men who abducted Brooke so concerned with what the one surviving shooter uttered to her?

He remained in the recliner beside her bed and had no plans to leave her alone. Gabby had agreed, most happily, to spend time with Brooke while he led his team’s case-board meetings in what was technically his room next door. It’d taken pulling some serious strings, but given the dire circumstances of the last two days, Blotny and the hospital chair had agreed to let him run the investigation from his room. But the longer he remained at Brooke’s side, the more content he was.

She sat up in her bed, pillows propped behind her, reading the Bible they’d borrowed from the hospital chaplain. He watched her, amazed. She was so strong . . . so brave.

Austin smoothed her dress, lifted the blue sea-glass vase brimming with sunflowers in her left arm, wedged the tin of cookies under her right, and knocked on Brooke’s door.

“Come in,” Brooke called.

“Hey,” Austin said, peeking around the corner. “Is it an okay time to visit?”

“Of course.” Brooke smiled. “Come in.”

“How are you?” Noah asked, standing up from the recliner next to Brooke’s bed. “Shoulder not too bad?”

“Just a little twinge in tendons surrounding it.”

Noah’s cell rang. “Excuse me a moment,” he said, giving Brooke’s hand a squeeze before exiting the room.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” Austin said.

“Of course not,” Brooke said. “Thank you for coming.”

“I just wanted to bring you these.”

Brooke’s face lit. “Sunflowers are my favorite.”

“I thought so,” Austin said, trying not to react visibly to Brooke’s swollen eye or the various bandages covering her arms.

“They’re beautiful,” Brooke smelled them and smiled. “How did you get these this time of year?”

“A friend runs a greenhouse and grows them, and a plethora of other plants, year-round.”

“How fun,” Brooke said.

“You’ll have to come with me sometime.”

“I’d like that.” Brooke’s gaze remained on the flowers. “Thank you again. They’ll brighten up the room.”

“I also brought you some cookies.” Austin scanned the room, finding a spot for both the flowers and the tin.

Noah stepped back in. “That was Hadley. He’d like me and Caleb to see something.” He looked at Austin. “Will you be here for a bit?”

“Yeah.” She looked at her watch. “I don’t have to leave for the vet for another hour.”

Noah tapped the doorframe. “I won’t be that long.” He looked at Brooke. “Be right back.”

She nodded and offered a soft smile, but Austin didn’t miss her wince at the movement. Her cheek was so swollen, it broke Austin’s heart.

“You’ve definitely got me intrigued,” Noah said as he greeted Hadley. “You said you found something interesting?”

Hadley whistled. “That’s one way to put it. With no identification, I’ve labeled each of the shooters as John Doe and differentiated with a number,” he said. “This is John Doe One.” He gripped the sheet and lowered it from the shooter’s shoulders to his waist.

Curiosity raked through Noah. Hadley hadn’t started the internal autopsy yet, so it had to be on the shooter’s person.

It was insanely frustrating that they still hadn’t been able to identify any of the shooters but Andrews. Noah prayed Hadley’s autopsy or the shooters’ dentals, at the very least, would remedy that.

Hadley adjusted the swing light over the man’s right shoulder. “Grab a pair of gloves.” He tilted his head at the box of latex gloves on the edge of the counter to his left.