Read Online Christmas Cover-Up by Lynette Eason - Free Book Online Page A

heard a bunch of pops. Turned out to be a whole string of firecrackers about two doors up.” Cort’s lips tightened and his jaw flexed. “I went to investigate and I guess he slipped around to the back of the house while my attention was diverted.” Cort gave a disgusted sigh and muttered, “Can’t believe I fell for that. As soon as I saw those things popping in the street, I knew what he’d done. I raced back and saw you climbing out of the car.” He looked at Jordan and frowned. “What are you doing here, anyway? How’d you know there was trouble?”
    “I didn’t. I was going to come tell you to go home since I couldn’t sleep.” He stepped back up and grasped Katie’s hand. Her eyes flickered and she shoved aside the oxygen mask with her good hand. The fact that she was conscious encouraged him.
    He looked at the paramedic. “What’s your name?”
    “Christine.”
    “How is she?”
    Christine moved the mask back into place. “She needs to be checked out by a doctor and get that wound on her shoulder stitched up. The bullet dug a nice groove, but missed anything major. CSU will probably find the bullet embedded somewhere inside.”
    Thankfulness washed over him. She wasn’t hurt as badly as he’d feared. Jordan squeezed her hand. “I’ll follow in my car.”
    He looked back to see Faith Nelson step out of the CSU van. She spotted him and rushed over. “Is Katie all right?”
    He nodded to the ambulance. “She’s okay for now. She’s headed over to the hospital to get checked out.” He shook his head. “He shot at her. There are bullets in there somewhere.”
    Faith looked at the house and the firefighters who worked hard to put out the blaze. “Might be a while before I can get in there to look.”
    “Yeah.”
    “But I’ll find the bullets if they’re in there.”
    “I’d be interested to know if they match the ones from the diner.”
    “She’s stable,” Christine told him. “We’re ready to transport her.”
    “She needs a bodyguard.” He had an idea. He dialed Gregory Lee’s number. In short, concise sentences, he filled the man in. “Can you meet us at the hospital? Do you have anyone that can watch out for her?”
    “Yeah. We’ve got buddies who’ll take vacation days if they have to to help keep her safe.”
    Jordan had figured that would be the case. “Thanks. I’m on the way to the hospital with her now. Uniformed officers are on the scene. Some are searching for the shooter, others are going door to door telling the neighbors what happened and to lock up tight until this guy is caught.”
    “Good.” A pause. “Does this have to do with her sister’s case?”
    “It’s looking more and more like it.”
    “Man.” A sigh filtered through the line. “All right. I’ll see you at the hospital.”
    The ambulance doors slammed shut and Jordan ran to his car and climbed in to follow behind.
    * * *
    Katie woke, drew in a deep breath, choked and gave a ragged, hacking cough. When she opened her watery eyes, she saw Erica on one side of her bed and Jordan on the other. “What’s going on?” she rasped.
    Erica pushed Katie’s hair from her eyes. “You don’t remember?”
    Katie frowned. The fire. So that’s why her throat, her chest, her eyes...everything hurt. “I remember. My weapon!”
    Jordan said, “We found it behind the bush under your bathroom window. I’ve got it locked in my glove compartment.” He didn’t even blink at the fact that her weapon was her first thought. Erica looked slightly bemused, but she had been around law enforcement enough to know no cop wanted their weapon in the hands of the wrong person. Katie must have dropped hers when she fell out of the bathroom window and behind the bushes.
    She wilted back against the pillow. “My house...”
    “Your bedroom is destroyed,” Jordan said, “but it looks like they were able to save the rest of it—other than the water damage. Gregory said you kept a copy of all your major personal