implicating Gavin and myself in our less-than-legal activities to get the information. I was careful not to out-and-out lie, so that if the cameras did have sound, nothing I said would contradict what had really happened. I had to admit, I was impressed with how well my brain was working after what I’d just been through. Then again, it was probably just a coping mechanism, and my mind would go into shock like my body at some point in the near future.
“I’m not going to the hospital!” Gavin raised his voice enough for me to hear what he was saying.
I ignored the detective’s protest and hurried over to Gavin’s side, clutching my blanket around me.
“Sir, you really should have these stitched up.” A baby-faced paramedic was arguing with him.
“You do it,” Gavin said. “I’m not going to the hospital.”
“Gavin.” I took his hand.
“I just want to go home.”
I could see the weariness in his eyes. He wouldn’t rest in a hospital, I knew. He needed to be at home. I turned to the paramedic. “Can you stitch him up here?”
“We have this emergency stuff that’s kind of like glue, but we only use it if we have to close a wound in the field,” the medic answered reluctantly.
“Well, if you want these closed, I suggest you use it,” I said. “Because, trust me, it’s pointless to argue with him.”
“Ms. Summers,” the detective I’d left behind had walked over. “I do have a few more questions.”
“Of course.” I kept my tone agreeable enough even though I wanted to tell him to leave me alone so I could stay with Gavin. It would be better to get this done and over with rather than trying to delay things.
The FBI showed up before the detective was done questioning me, and I had to give my statement all over again. By the time they were finished, it was almost noon and Gavin and I had been telling our story for over two hours. I was just about to tell them that they’d kept us long enough, especially after what we’d been through, when they finally told us we could go. The FBI agent who’d been questioning me offered to have one of her agents take us to our homes, but we declined. Gavin had followed Howard here in his own car.
Gavin put his uninjured arm around my shoulders, helping me hold the blanket in place as we started towards the exit. I wasn’t cold anymore, but I was still wearing only Gavin’s shirt and nothing underneath, which didn’t make the prospect of walking past dozens of cops, Feds, gawkers, and reporters very appealing.
We managed to get to Gavin’s car without being mobbed and, once inside, I spoke, “I need to call Mimi.”
Gavin gave me a puzzled look.
“I’m late. I need to tell her that I have to run home and shower, get dressed, before I can come in.”
Gavin started to laugh, but the expression on my face must’ve told him I meant what I’d said. Concern replaced amusement. “Carrie, you’re not going to work today. Not after what just happened.”
I frowned. I had to go to work. “Mimi needs me there to help prepare her cases.” I was vaguely aware that there was a perfectly legitimate argument against what I was saying, but I wasn’t able to grasp it.
Gavin leaned across the seat and put his hand on my cheek. My eyes found his. “I’ll call Mimi and tell her what happened.”
Panic flared inside me. No, he couldn’t do that. “No, I don’t want her to know. She’ll be mad.”
Gavin brushed his lips against mine, a touch almost too brief and gentle to even be called a kiss, but it stopped me from talking. “No, she won’t. She’s going to be thankful you’re okay, and she’s going to tell you to take as much time as you need.” He gave me a half-smile. “Besides, I have a feeling Howard’s divorce case just got a whole lot easier for his wife.”
I returned the smile with a soft one of my own. He was right. That whole mental shock thing I’d been worried about had just thrown me for a minute, making me delusional.
“I’m not going to the hospital!” Gavin raised his voice enough for me to hear what he was saying.
I ignored the detective’s protest and hurried over to Gavin’s side, clutching my blanket around me.
“Sir, you really should have these stitched up.” A baby-faced paramedic was arguing with him.
“You do it,” Gavin said. “I’m not going to the hospital.”
“Gavin.” I took his hand.
“I just want to go home.”
I could see the weariness in his eyes. He wouldn’t rest in a hospital, I knew. He needed to be at home. I turned to the paramedic. “Can you stitch him up here?”
“We have this emergency stuff that’s kind of like glue, but we only use it if we have to close a wound in the field,” the medic answered reluctantly.
“Well, if you want these closed, I suggest you use it,” I said. “Because, trust me, it’s pointless to argue with him.”
“Ms. Summers,” the detective I’d left behind had walked over. “I do have a few more questions.”
“Of course.” I kept my tone agreeable enough even though I wanted to tell him to leave me alone so I could stay with Gavin. It would be better to get this done and over with rather than trying to delay things.
The FBI showed up before the detective was done questioning me, and I had to give my statement all over again. By the time they were finished, it was almost noon and Gavin and I had been telling our story for over two hours. I was just about to tell them that they’d kept us long enough, especially after what we’d been through, when they finally told us we could go. The FBI agent who’d been questioning me offered to have one of her agents take us to our homes, but we declined. Gavin had followed Howard here in his own car.
Gavin put his uninjured arm around my shoulders, helping me hold the blanket in place as we started towards the exit. I wasn’t cold anymore, but I was still wearing only Gavin’s shirt and nothing underneath, which didn’t make the prospect of walking past dozens of cops, Feds, gawkers, and reporters very appealing.
We managed to get to Gavin’s car without being mobbed and, once inside, I spoke, “I need to call Mimi.”
Gavin gave me a puzzled look.
“I’m late. I need to tell her that I have to run home and shower, get dressed, before I can come in.”
Gavin started to laugh, but the expression on my face must’ve told him I meant what I’d said. Concern replaced amusement. “Carrie, you’re not going to work today. Not after what just happened.”
I frowned. I had to go to work. “Mimi needs me there to help prepare her cases.” I was vaguely aware that there was a perfectly legitimate argument against what I was saying, but I wasn’t able to grasp it.
Gavin leaned across the seat and put his hand on my cheek. My eyes found his. “I’ll call Mimi and tell her what happened.”
Panic flared inside me. No, he couldn’t do that. “No, I don’t want her to know. She’ll be mad.”
Gavin brushed his lips against mine, a touch almost too brief and gentle to even be called a kiss, but it stopped me from talking. “No, she won’t. She’s going to be thankful you’re okay, and she’s going to tell you to take as much time as you need.” He gave me a half-smile. “Besides, I have a feeling Howard’s divorce case just got a whole lot easier for his wife.”
I returned the smile with a soft one of my own. He was right. That whole mental shock thing I’d been worried about had just thrown me for a minute, making me delusional.
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