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“Ride with him and stand guard,” Derrick said. “I’ll meet you at the hospital. If he wakes en route, ask him where Sarah Turner is.”
The deputy nodded.
Derrick thanked him then addressed Cord. “Thanks for your help today.”
Cord’s intense gaze met his. Derrick never could get a good read on him. “Just doing my job.”
Derrick’s phone buzzed. Ellie’s boss, Captain Hale.
“Special Agent Fox,” he said as he answered.
“Fox, I just got a 9-1-1 call. I tried to reach Detective Reeves but she’s not answering. Is she with you?”
Derrick went cold all over. “No. I left her at Lake Haven Apartments where we found Sarah Turner missing.”
Cord straightened beside him, worry flashing on his face. “What’s happened to Ellie?”
Derrick gestured for him to hang on. “What about the 9-1-1 call?”
“The parents of that little girl Betsy who were staying at Widow Lake claim their kids were attacked by some man at the cabin next door.”
The keys to the Jeep jangled in Derrick’s hands. “Coolidge is on his way to the hospital but unconscious. Sheriff’s deputy is with him. I’ll try to reach Ellie and head to Widow Lake now.”
“What’s wrong?” Cord asked, worry deepening his voice.
“9-1-1 call from Widow Lake. Captain Hale tried to reach Ellie but she’s not answering.”
Cord un-pocketed his keys. “I’ll check on Ellie while you take the 9-1-1 call.”
Derrick’s gaze met Cord’s. His gut instinct told him to run to Ellie himself. But the trouble at Widow Lake might be related to this case and the Turner woman’s disappearance, so reluctantly he gave a nod.
“Keep me updated when you get there,” Derrick said.
Fear for Ellie nagged at him and he sent her a quick message to fill her in.
Call me when you get this.
Panic threatened when she didn’t respond. What would he do if something happened to her?
NINETY-EIGHT
LAKE HAVEN APARTMENTS
Pain shot up Ellie’s jaw, her ears ringing. The man’s weight had pinned her down but he pushed up to run, his knee digging into her stomach.
She didn’t give him a chance to get up. She snatched his arms, then threw him on to his back and climbed on him, straddling him. She raised her fist to pound him in the face then saw his eyelids fluttering, his eyes jerking back and forth. Who was he? Not one of their suspects.
She jerked him by the shirt. “Where’s Sarah Turner?”
The man lay dazed, his breathing rattling out, raspy and uneven. Judging from his bloodshot eyes and the way his body was jerking, he was high. His mouth went slack as he blinked to try and focus.
“What did you do to her?” she growled.
He mumbled something incoherent, then his eyes rolled back in his head, his body shaking, then going limp.
Shondra suddenly appeared. “Jesus, what happened?”
“Found him inside and he attacked me.” Ellie checked the man’s pulse. “I think he’s overdosed. Get the NARCAN.”
