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“Who?”
“Keith Baldridge’s sister-in-law.”
“Wait a minute. The one married to the guy running for governor of California?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow.”
Paramedics finally arrived as well as more officers. Vince glanced up to find Joseph walking toward them, looking relieved. “Been looking all over for you. Saw you on the security footage walking out with some guy through the back emergency exit. You looked weird, but didn’t put up a fight. He have a gun on you?”
“He drugged me. Scopolamine. It’s a strange drug. Can turn you into a robot where you’ll do just about whatever you’re told. You get the guy in the trunk of the sedan parked on the curb?”
“Yep. Got paramedics looking at that arm. How did he break it?”
“I had to stop him from shooting me.”
“Makes sense.”
Vince handed the weapon to the sheriff. “That’s his gun.”
Raina had moved to the side and was washing the blood from her hands with sanitizing wipes, but her gaze never left the action.
“You okay now?” Joseph asked Vince. “You need someone to check you out?”
“I’m fine. I don’t think he used much of the drug, and it wore off faster than he planned.”
“That how you got him in the back of the trunk?”
“Yep.”
The sheriff jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Guy up at the house is dead.”
Vince nodded. “Saw him when I got here looking for Raina. I checked on him, but thanks to the bullet in his head, he was probably dead before he hit the floor. Then I heard gunshots and bolted out here.”
“The dead guy in the house the one you’ve been looking for?”
“I think so. Raina will be able to fill us in as soon as they get that woman off to the hospital.”
“Who is she?”
“Leslie Baldridge, I think.”
“Saw you shoot her.”
“She didn’t give me a choice.”
“Saw that too. You warned her and she very clearly yelled no, and lifted her weapon to kill your friend. It’ll go in the statement.”
“Thanks.” Vince walked over to Raina while the paramedics lifted the injured woman and placed her on the stretcher.
“She’s stable,” Raina said. She shivered, clasping her hands in front of her. He cupped them with his own larger palms and gasped at the chill.
“They’re frozen.”
“I ... I know.” And then the shakes set in and more tears dripped from her eyes.
He pulled her against him, wrapped her as tight as he dared without hurting her. For the next few minutes, she trembled and cried. Then gave one final shudder and released a long sigh. “Thank you.”
