pile of dead leaves with a jacket thrown over me. I looked up to see Robin struggling to get Alex out the front door. I wanted to help, but when I tried to get up, my head went around again, and I fell back.
I think it put me out again.
I’m not sure how much time passed. The rescue squad was there, and they were administering oxygen. When I tried to push them away, they tightened their grip. Somebody, Robin, I think, told me to be quiet. Alex was standing off to one side talking to Robin. He seemed to be okay.
I was inside an ambulance. A medical tech was doing an exam. She told me I’d be fine, and I should just lie still. “Just relax, Chase,” she said.
She said we were headed for the hospital. “Just for a check. We want to make sure everything’s normal.”
Alex, leaning on another tech, climbed into the vehicle. “Good to see you breathing again, Chase,” he said.
Then Robin leaned in. “Hi, love. You okay?”
I raised a hand to signal yes.
“Good. I’ll see you at the hospital.”
The tech asked me how I felt and removed the mask so I could answer.
Alex leaned over me. “You threw a scare into us for a minute there, kid.”
“What happened?” The ambulance was lifting off.
“Somebody tried to kill us.”
SIX
Did you see any lights?
—The question routinely put to Sunset Tuttle by his colleagues and, eventually, picked up by comedians
Fenn Redfield was waiting with a police unit when we got back to the country house. “Somebody shipped you a pagoda,” he said.
By then my memory had returned, and I recalled how impressed I’d been by it. “It’s loaded,” he continued, “with powdered magnesium. The pagoda has a solid-state refrigeration unit. When you handle the thing, the refrigeration unit activates. It cools the magnesium. And sucks the oxygen out of the house. Or at least off the ground floor. It’s a good thing Robin showed up when he did.” The unit was still on my desk, in front of us. “Any idea who wants you dead this time?”
We looked at each other, and I immediately thought of Brian Lewis and Doug Bannister. But no, that didn’t make sense.
“Did you check with the shipping company?” Alex said.
“Sure. Nobody has any recollection about who had mailed the package. Of course, Baylor Purchasing doesn’t even exist.” He looked at us disapprovingly. “You sure you have no idea who’s behind this?”
“Don’t know,” said Alex.
He looked at me. “Me neither, Fenn.”
“Okay,” he said. “We’ll ask around. If I can come up with something, I’ll let you know. Meantime—”
“We’ll be careful.”
When we were alone, Alex told me he thought it would be a good idea if I took some time off. Stayed away from the country house until Fenn figured out who did it.
“I can’t do that,” I said. “I’m not going to leave you alone to deal with this.” And, after a pause, “You think it’s connected with the tablet?”
“Probably,” he said. “Chase, that was a scary experience. I thought for a minute we’d lost you.” His voice sounded odd.
“I’m okay,” I said. “Just have to be more careful for a while.”
“I could fire you.”
“You’d only have to hire somebody else. I wasn’t the target.”
Robin was very gracious about it all. I thanked him, and he told me he was just grateful he’d gotten there when he had. “I’m worried about you,” he said. “Maybe you should stay at my place until this thing gets settled.”
Well, I was taken by his generosity, and I told him so. “But I’ll be more careful from now on when I open packages.”
“This is serious stuff, Chase. I wouldn’t want to lose you.” That was said in a more serious tone than his offer for me to bunk with him.
“Thanks, Robin,” I said. “I’ll be careful.”
Audree was a member of the Seaside Players, an amateur theater group. When Alex invited me to join him for Moving Target , the production in which she was
I think it put me out again.
I’m not sure how much time passed. The rescue squad was there, and they were administering oxygen. When I tried to push them away, they tightened their grip. Somebody, Robin, I think, told me to be quiet. Alex was standing off to one side talking to Robin. He seemed to be okay.
I was inside an ambulance. A medical tech was doing an exam. She told me I’d be fine, and I should just lie still. “Just relax, Chase,” she said.
She said we were headed for the hospital. “Just for a check. We want to make sure everything’s normal.”
Alex, leaning on another tech, climbed into the vehicle. “Good to see you breathing again, Chase,” he said.
Then Robin leaned in. “Hi, love. You okay?”
I raised a hand to signal yes.
“Good. I’ll see you at the hospital.”
The tech asked me how I felt and removed the mask so I could answer.
Alex leaned over me. “You threw a scare into us for a minute there, kid.”
“What happened?” The ambulance was lifting off.
“Somebody tried to kill us.”
SIX
Did you see any lights?
—The question routinely put to Sunset Tuttle by his colleagues and, eventually, picked up by comedians
Fenn Redfield was waiting with a police unit when we got back to the country house. “Somebody shipped you a pagoda,” he said.
By then my memory had returned, and I recalled how impressed I’d been by it. “It’s loaded,” he continued, “with powdered magnesium. The pagoda has a solid-state refrigeration unit. When you handle the thing, the refrigeration unit activates. It cools the magnesium. And sucks the oxygen out of the house. Or at least off the ground floor. It’s a good thing Robin showed up when he did.” The unit was still on my desk, in front of us. “Any idea who wants you dead this time?”
We looked at each other, and I immediately thought of Brian Lewis and Doug Bannister. But no, that didn’t make sense.
“Did you check with the shipping company?” Alex said.
“Sure. Nobody has any recollection about who had mailed the package. Of course, Baylor Purchasing doesn’t even exist.” He looked at us disapprovingly. “You sure you have no idea who’s behind this?”
“Don’t know,” said Alex.
He looked at me. “Me neither, Fenn.”
“Okay,” he said. “We’ll ask around. If I can come up with something, I’ll let you know. Meantime—”
“We’ll be careful.”
When we were alone, Alex told me he thought it would be a good idea if I took some time off. Stayed away from the country house until Fenn figured out who did it.
“I can’t do that,” I said. “I’m not going to leave you alone to deal with this.” And, after a pause, “You think it’s connected with the tablet?”
“Probably,” he said. “Chase, that was a scary experience. I thought for a minute we’d lost you.” His voice sounded odd.
“I’m okay,” I said. “Just have to be more careful for a while.”
“I could fire you.”
“You’d only have to hire somebody else. I wasn’t the target.”
Robin was very gracious about it all. I thanked him, and he told me he was just grateful he’d gotten there when he had. “I’m worried about you,” he said. “Maybe you should stay at my place until this thing gets settled.”
Well, I was taken by his generosity, and I told him so. “But I’ll be more careful from now on when I open packages.”
“This is serious stuff, Chase. I wouldn’t want to lose you.” That was said in a more serious tone than his offer for me to bunk with him.
“Thanks, Robin,” I said. “I’ll be careful.”
Audree was a member of the Seaside Players, an amateur theater group. When Alex invited me to join him for Moving Target , the production in which she was
Similar Books
