AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wait! Please!”
JAMES PACED THE HOSPITAL FLOORjust far enough away from the exit to avoid setting off the doors’ motion sensors. His leg cried outfor him to stop, but sitting still wasn’t an option. Since his Jeep was toast, he’d ridden to the hospital in the ambulance against his wishes since it seemed like he was going in the opposite direction of Lainie. But he’d been checked and rechecked—thanks to his supervisor’s orders once again—and now was ready to climb the walls, but Cole had told him to stay put, that he’d discovered something from Mr. Williams and was on his way to pick up James.
“Drive faster, man,” he muttered.
Finally, Cole pulled up to the door and James slid into the passenger seat, his leg throbbing, his back hurting, but relieved to be on the way to doing something. Whatever that something was.
“What’d you learn?”
“How’s the leg?” Cole glanced at the blood-soaked area of his pants.
“I’ll live.” The stitches would need to come out in a few weeks. Until then ... “Tell me.”
“So, you know that picture Lainie said had Adam and Myles and Victoria in it?”
“Yeah?”
“That isn’t Adam.”
“So, who is it?”
“Adam’s half brother, Michael Irwin.”
“Half brother?”
“They look enough like twins that, from a distance, it’s conceivable that even Lainie would think he was Adam.”
“And he always made sure to keep his distance,” James muttered.
“He has a place not too far from where he attacked you. It’s a miracle no one was killed, to be honest. That was a semiautomatic rifle he was shooting with.”
“And that’s where we’re headed now?”
“Along with an entire army of SWAT and other law enforcement.”
“What about Myles Williams? Does he know what his son is doing?”
“No. I really don’t think he does. He’s the one who told us aboutthe family place. I’m guessing he took Michael and Adam there occasionally.”
“He cooperating?”
“Yes.”
James leaned his head back and closed his eyes, sending silent pleas for Lainie’s safety winging heavenward. “What else did you find out?” he asked.
“A lot. In my conversation with Adam’s father, he muttered something about how Adam should have stuck with the McPherson girl and he would still be alive.”
James jolted. “McPherson?”
“Yeah. I asked what about her. He said her name was Isabelle McPherson, and she and Adam dated for a while, but Adam moved on to Lainie, dumping Isabelle, who killed herself.”
“What!”
“Yeah.”
“McPherson,” James said. “Does she have a sister that works—”
“At the hospital?” Cole said. “She sure does.”
