Read Online Skin Privilege by Karin Slaughter - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karin Slaughter
Ads: Link
‘Sorry to be meeting y’all under these circumstances.’
‘Can you tell us what happened?’
Valentine indicated his deputy. I figured Don here filled you in.’
‘Thought I’d leave you the pleasure,’ Cook returned, giving Jeffrey a wink.
‘Darla,’ Valentine said, meaning the nurse, ‘mind if we step into your office?’
‘Suit yourself,’ she answered, thumbing through a patient’s chart. ‘Lemme know if y’all need anything.’
‘Actually,’ Jeffrey said, ‘I’d really like to know how my detective is doing. Lena Adams?’
‘She’s fine,’ the nurse replied. ‘Just got some smoke in her chest. Give her a few days and she’ll be good as new.’
‘Good,’ Valentine said, as if he’d been the one to ask the question. ‘Up this way.’ He stepped back, indicating that Jeffrey and Sara should precede him.
Sara offered, ‘I can stay here if-‘
‘That’s okay,’ Jeffrey interrupted. Considering how quiet Sara was being, he wasn’t crazy about leaving her alone right now.
He let Sara take the lead up the hallway, trying not to be too obvious about checking the names of the patients on each door they passed.
Valentine spoke in a harsh whisper as they walked. ‘We found her at the high school last night. I live across the street. I could see the flames from my living room.’
Jeffrey slowed his pace, wanting the younger man to catch up instead of nipping at his heels like a puppy.
Valentine continued, ‘We think it was a Cadillac Escalade. No plates or registration on it, so we’re having trouble tracking it down. Parked right in the middle of the football field. Fire chief says there’s obvious signs of an accelerant, probably gasoline.’
‘Wait a minute.’ Jeffrey stopped him, trying for clarity. He’d been told that there was an explosion and that Lena had been hurt. Jeffrey had assumed this had taken place in a building. ‘The Cadillac was torched? That’s what exploded?’
‘Right.’ Valentine nodded. Still keeping his voice low, he explained, ‘The car was sitting smack-dab on the fifty-yard line. I’ve never seen anything burn so hot in my life. They’re gonna have a devil of a time getting an ID on the body. Fred Bart, that’s our coroner, says the heat was so intense it shattered the teeth.’
Sara had stopped a few feet away. ‘There was a body in the Escalade?’
‘Yes, ma’am, in the backseat,’ the sheriff confirmed.
Sara pressed her lips together, looked at the floor. She didn’t seem surprised or even shocked by the news. Jeffrey knew what she was thinking. It had finally happened. Through stubbornness or blatant disregard, Lena ‘s actions had finally led to someone’s death.
Valentine misinterpreted her silence for confusion. ‘I’m not telling this right, am I? I’m sorry, I just assumed Don-‘
Jeffrey told him, ‘Don said he’d let you explain.’
‘Right.’ Valentine nodded again, but in a way that gave the impression that he didn’t quite believe what Jeffrey was telling him. ‘Let’s just go in here,’ he said, indicating a closed door.
Jeffrey turned around, sure the man was joking. They were standing in front of a linen closet.
‘Give us some privacy,’ the sheriff offered, though as far as Jeffrey could tell, no one was around.
Sara crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at the closet with obvious trepidation.
Jeffrey asked, ‘Are you sure this is necessary?’
‘This way we won’t have to worry about waking anybody up.’ Valentine reached past him and opened the door. ‘After you.’
Jeffrey was annoyed at the cloak-and-dagger, but he was willing to play along with the sheriff for now. The most important thing right now was figuring out what kind of mess Lena had gotten herself into. He felt around for the switch and turned on the light. Rows of sheets were stacked on the right, towels on the left. The remaining space was about eight feet deep and three feet wide. There were cells at the county
‘Can you tell us what happened?’
Valentine indicated his deputy. I figured Don here filled you in.’
‘Thought I’d leave you the pleasure,’ Cook returned, giving Jeffrey a wink.
‘Darla,’ Valentine said, meaning the nurse, ‘mind if we step into your office?’
‘Suit yourself,’ she answered, thumbing through a patient’s chart. ‘Lemme know if y’all need anything.’
‘Actually,’ Jeffrey said, ‘I’d really like to know how my detective is doing. Lena Adams?’
‘She’s fine,’ the nurse replied. ‘Just got some smoke in her chest. Give her a few days and she’ll be good as new.’
‘Good,’ Valentine said, as if he’d been the one to ask the question. ‘Up this way.’ He stepped back, indicating that Jeffrey and Sara should precede him.
Sara offered, ‘I can stay here if-‘
‘That’s okay,’ Jeffrey interrupted. Considering how quiet Sara was being, he wasn’t crazy about leaving her alone right now.
He let Sara take the lead up the hallway, trying not to be too obvious about checking the names of the patients on each door they passed.
Valentine spoke in a harsh whisper as they walked. ‘We found her at the high school last night. I live across the street. I could see the flames from my living room.’
Jeffrey slowed his pace, wanting the younger man to catch up instead of nipping at his heels like a puppy.
Valentine continued, ‘We think it was a Cadillac Escalade. No plates or registration on it, so we’re having trouble tracking it down. Parked right in the middle of the football field. Fire chief says there’s obvious signs of an accelerant, probably gasoline.’
‘Wait a minute.’ Jeffrey stopped him, trying for clarity. He’d been told that there was an explosion and that Lena had been hurt. Jeffrey had assumed this had taken place in a building. ‘The Cadillac was torched? That’s what exploded?’
‘Right.’ Valentine nodded. Still keeping his voice low, he explained, ‘The car was sitting smack-dab on the fifty-yard line. I’ve never seen anything burn so hot in my life. They’re gonna have a devil of a time getting an ID on the body. Fred Bart, that’s our coroner, says the heat was so intense it shattered the teeth.’
Sara had stopped a few feet away. ‘There was a body in the Escalade?’
‘Yes, ma’am, in the backseat,’ the sheriff confirmed.
Sara pressed her lips together, looked at the floor. She didn’t seem surprised or even shocked by the news. Jeffrey knew what she was thinking. It had finally happened. Through stubbornness or blatant disregard, Lena ‘s actions had finally led to someone’s death.
Valentine misinterpreted her silence for confusion. ‘I’m not telling this right, am I? I’m sorry, I just assumed Don-‘
Jeffrey told him, ‘Don said he’d let you explain.’
‘Right.’ Valentine nodded again, but in a way that gave the impression that he didn’t quite believe what Jeffrey was telling him. ‘Let’s just go in here,’ he said, indicating a closed door.
Jeffrey turned around, sure the man was joking. They were standing in front of a linen closet.
‘Give us some privacy,’ the sheriff offered, though as far as Jeffrey could tell, no one was around.
Sara crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at the closet with obvious trepidation.
Jeffrey asked, ‘Are you sure this is necessary?’
‘This way we won’t have to worry about waking anybody up.’ Valentine reached past him and opened the door. ‘After you.’
Jeffrey was annoyed at the cloak-and-dagger, but he was willing to play along with the sheriff for now. The most important thing right now was figuring out what kind of mess Lena had gotten herself into. He felt around for the switch and turned on the light. Rows of sheets were stacked on the right, towels on the left. The remaining space was about eight feet deep and three feet wide. There were cells at the county
Similar Books
