me. He left for about five minutes. I figure that’s when he got Daniels and the nurse, poor woman.”
A cold, sick feeling twisted Rafe’s stomach.“He killed a woman?”
“No, no, he didn’t hurt her. He grabbed her when she left the desk to go to the bathroom. Gagged her, tied her up and left her in one of the patient’s rooms near the elevator. No one knows for sure what happened to Daniels. Maybe he left his station outside your door to check on the nurse when she didn’t return. Or maybe the killer used his disguise as a doctor to lureDaniels down the hall. Regardless, a few minutes after the nurse was tied up, the killer put Daniels in with her. He was unconscious when the killer dragged him into the room. He finished the job, stabbed him, right in front of the nurse.”
Rafe replayed Buresh’s words in his mind, trying to piece everything together. Something was missing, because the pieces didn’t fit. He shook his head.“I don’t get the timeline.”
Buresh dropped the tubing and gave Rafe his full attention. “What do you mean?”
“When you left my room, Daniels was still outside?”
“Right.”
“And the nurse? Was she at the desk?”
Buresh frowned and thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t remember seeing anyone there when I walked by. Maybe that’s when she stepped out to go to therestroom.”
“It all had to happen fast,” Rafe said, “because there was only about a six minute lag after you left to when the transformer blew. And another couple of minutes before you called my room.”
“Right,” Buresh said. “The nurse must have been first. Then the killer tied me up, left to get Daniels. He obviously used a timer for the bomb, because the transformer blew while I wasin the closet. The killer came back and made me call you. Then he stabbed me, for no reason. I wasn’t resisting.” He cursed and shook his head. “You did get my SOP reference, right? You got that I was trying to tell you to get out of there?”
“Of course. That was quick thinking, probably saved Darby’s life.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I imagine you would have figured out something was up prettysoon and would have gotten her out of there anyhow.” Buresh waved his hand in the air. “As for the timeline, seems straightforward to me. What’s the problem?”
“I called 9-1-1 right after I talked to you,” Rafe said. “Immediately after that call, I got Darby out of the room. We were in the hall about five seconds before I heard someone pushing open the double doors. I pulled Darby into oneof the patient rooms, and we hid there while a gunman crept through the hallway, searching every room.” He tightened his hands against the top of the chair. “I thought he was the bomber, which is why Darby and I ended up in the ceiling to get away. But it wasn’t the bomber. It was Jake.”
Buresh blinked in confusion. “That doesn’t make sense. How could Jake have gotten up there so fast? You’djust called 9-1-1. And where did the bomber go after stabbing me?”
“Exactly my point. That’s the problem with the timeline.”
Buresh swore. “Are you trying to imply Jake’s the bomber? If that’s the case, just show a picture of Jake to Dr. Steele and we can settle this right now.” He snorted and shook his head. “You and I both know there are holes all over that theory. He was with me inthe warehouse when the bomber kidnapped Dr. Steele. And even if he wasn’t, he’s a cop. Hell, you grew up together. He’s your best friend.”
“Was,” Rafe said. “ Was my best friend. Not anymore. You know he blames me for Shelby’s death.”
“I’m sure that’s just grief talking.”
“That might explain his actions right after Shelby died. But a year? No, there’s something else going on. Regardless,I’m not making any assumptions. And I’m not ruling anyone out. We don’t know that Jake isn’t the bomber. All we know for sure is that he’s not the man who kidnapped Darby. The
A cold, sick feeling twisted Rafe’s stomach.“He killed a woman?”
“No, no, he didn’t hurt her. He grabbed her when she left the desk to go to the bathroom. Gagged her, tied her up and left her in one of the patient’s rooms near the elevator. No one knows for sure what happened to Daniels. Maybe he left his station outside your door to check on the nurse when she didn’t return. Or maybe the killer used his disguise as a doctor to lureDaniels down the hall. Regardless, a few minutes after the nurse was tied up, the killer put Daniels in with her. He was unconscious when the killer dragged him into the room. He finished the job, stabbed him, right in front of the nurse.”
Rafe replayed Buresh’s words in his mind, trying to piece everything together. Something was missing, because the pieces didn’t fit. He shook his head.“I don’t get the timeline.”
Buresh dropped the tubing and gave Rafe his full attention. “What do you mean?”
“When you left my room, Daniels was still outside?”
“Right.”
“And the nurse? Was she at the desk?”
Buresh frowned and thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t remember seeing anyone there when I walked by. Maybe that’s when she stepped out to go to therestroom.”
“It all had to happen fast,” Rafe said, “because there was only about a six minute lag after you left to when the transformer blew. And another couple of minutes before you called my room.”
“Right,” Buresh said. “The nurse must have been first. Then the killer tied me up, left to get Daniels. He obviously used a timer for the bomb, because the transformer blew while I wasin the closet. The killer came back and made me call you. Then he stabbed me, for no reason. I wasn’t resisting.” He cursed and shook his head. “You did get my SOP reference, right? You got that I was trying to tell you to get out of there?”
“Of course. That was quick thinking, probably saved Darby’s life.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I imagine you would have figured out something was up prettysoon and would have gotten her out of there anyhow.” Buresh waved his hand in the air. “As for the timeline, seems straightforward to me. What’s the problem?”
“I called 9-1-1 right after I talked to you,” Rafe said. “Immediately after that call, I got Darby out of the room. We were in the hall about five seconds before I heard someone pushing open the double doors. I pulled Darby into oneof the patient rooms, and we hid there while a gunman crept through the hallway, searching every room.” He tightened his hands against the top of the chair. “I thought he was the bomber, which is why Darby and I ended up in the ceiling to get away. But it wasn’t the bomber. It was Jake.”
Buresh blinked in confusion. “That doesn’t make sense. How could Jake have gotten up there so fast? You’djust called 9-1-1. And where did the bomber go after stabbing me?”
“Exactly my point. That’s the problem with the timeline.”
Buresh swore. “Are you trying to imply Jake’s the bomber? If that’s the case, just show a picture of Jake to Dr. Steele and we can settle this right now.” He snorted and shook his head. “You and I both know there are holes all over that theory. He was with me inthe warehouse when the bomber kidnapped Dr. Steele. And even if he wasn’t, he’s a cop. Hell, you grew up together. He’s your best friend.”
“Was,” Rafe said. “ Was my best friend. Not anymore. You know he blames me for Shelby’s death.”
“I’m sure that’s just grief talking.”
“That might explain his actions right after Shelby died. But a year? No, there’s something else going on. Regardless,I’m not making any assumptions. And I’m not ruling anyone out. We don’t know that Jake isn’t the bomber. All we know for sure is that he’s not the man who kidnapped Darby. The
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