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belligerent. Someone who reacted out of the norm. Don’t overlook any family member that may have been particularly threatening, either. Remember, this doesn’t have to be about Jeremy. The perp targeted a patrol car. This can be a nutcase bent on revenge against any one of us.”
    Liz turned toward Sal. Her eyes searched his, hoping that whatever feelings she thought she might have glimpsed earlier were now gone.
    “Sal, I want you to take another long, hard look at the murder case you’re working. Maybe the drug dealer had friends who don’t like us stirring up a hornet’s nest in their territory.”
    “Will do, boss.” Sal offered a weak smile—saving face for a macho cop was difficult, for an Italian Romeo even harder. “Just as soon as you let the paramedics take a look at that leg.”
    Sal sounded just as cocky and sure of himself as always. She was grateful the awkwardness between them had passed. She didn’t want to lose Sal as a friend or as a colleague. He was too valuable in both categories. She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.
    “Okay. I hear you. Now, get back to the office and let’s see if we can’t nip this thing in the bud. Maybe we’ve overlooked something. Maybe somebody thinks we know more about this dealer’s murder than we do.”
    As soon as her team dispersed, Liz headed toward Davenport. It took only a few minutes to bring him up to speed on the events of the afternoon. She even spared a second to stop and talk with the fire chief. She requested any pertinent information be sent to her via email or cell phone and took the time to give him her contact information.
    Finally, the throbbing in her leg won out. The ache had become sharp, shooting pain that stole her breath and she knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. Grimacing, she limped over to the ambulance and poked her head inside.
    Jeremy sat on the far end of the stretcher, his teddy bear clutched tightly against his chest. Adam, sporting a thick white bandage across the right side of his forehead, sat beside him.
    When Jeremy spotted her, he became excited. He dropped his bear on his lap and flailed his hands. “Go home. Jeremy wants to go home.”
    One of the paramedics assisted Liz into the cramped quarters. She scooted toward the cab and sat on a small portable seat opposite the top of the gurney. Unable to resist, she reached out and gently brushed the child’s sweaty, wet locks off his forehead. “I know, sweetheart. I want to go home, too.”
    “Jeremy go home.” He pulled his bear to his chest and rocked in an unceasing rhythm.
    “How is he?” Liz asked the paramedic crouched beside her.
    “Better than you. That wound needs stitches. I need to get you to the hospital.”
    Liz never liked the sight of blood, let alone the sight of her own, and the wound made her feel suddenly light-headed.
    “No hospital. I’m fine.” Black specks appeared in her line of vision and her stomach somersaulted at the lie. “Just bandage it up.”
    “You’re not fine.” Adam spoke for the first time. “You’re stubborn, independent, hardheaded, but you’re not fine. Let the man do his job and take care of that wound.”
    Liz bristled beneath the stern tone of his voice. “I certainly don’t need you to tell me what to do, Adam Morgan.” She glared at the paramedic as though his bringing up the subject of her wound was the cause of all their problems. “Now, answer my question. How is Jeremy?”
    The two men glanced at each other. The paramedic shrugged as if to say, I’m doing what she says. You deal with her.
    Before the paramedic could report his findings, Adam said, “Surprisingly, Jeremy’s doing fine. He has a couple of bumps and bruises. He’s confused—but so much has happened to him this week that I’m afraid that is becoming his new normal. He’s exhausted from emotional stress. Otherwise, I think he told you exactly how he feels. Jeremy wants to go home.”
    Liz nodded. “Okay. That’s what I