town.”
Her head throbbed, and her face went from hot to cold. “You knew my father?” That seemed unlikely.
“No, ma’am. But I’ve heard the stories about him. He hightailed it out of town the same day Zeke Rhodes died. They found Zeke’s body right where you’re standing now.”
She took a reflexive step backward as if to avoid the long-dead body of Zeke Rhodes.
“Of course, not everyone thinks Zeke was murdered. There’s a big debate on that topic.”
“But you think he was.”
The cop’s shoulders moved a little. “Maybe. It happened before I was born. So you’re Abe’s daughter?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m his daughter.” The world started tilting sideways.
“Well, ma’am, some folks think your daddy murdered Zeke.”
* * *
Abe Chaikin’s daughter gave Stone one wide-eyed look before her eyes rolled up in her head and she crumpled. He caught her before she planted her face in the Astroturf.
He hoisted her up in his arms and realized that she was burning with fever. No telling what kind of bug she’d brought to town. She could be carrying anthrax or some deadly virus for all Stone knew. But that was nothing compared to the fact that she was Abe Chaikin’s daughter.
He lugged her deadweight up the gravel walk. She regained consciousness before he laid her in the backseat of his Crown Vic. She cracked one bloodshot eye.
“I passed out, didn’t I?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“To the clinic, you’re sick.”
“But my car and cameras and—”
“I’ll make sure they’re safe. You need medical attention. You just rest there for a minute.” He opened the trunk and pulled out an emergency blanket, which he wrapped around her.
“Thanks,” she said through chattering teeth. “I’m so sorry. I never get sick. Really.” Her eyes closed. Her chest rattled ominously when she took a deep breath.
Just his luck. He needed this like he needed a hole in the head. She was the daughter of the most notorious man to ever set foot in Last Chance. What the hell was she doing here?
He slid into the driver’s seat, dropped his Stetson on the seat beside him, and radioed back to main dispatch. He gave them his location and an outline of the situation. Winnie, his night dispatcher, replied that she would give his momma a call to let her know he would be late for supper.
Momma would call Miz Polk, and Miz Polk would call Miz Hanks, and Miz Hanks would call Miz Bray, and pretty soon every member of the Christ Church Ladies’ Auxiliary would know that Abe Chaikin’s daughter had just arrived from New York.
By this time tomorrow morning, the entire county would be in an uproar. And wouldn’t that be fun?
* * *
“You think you can stand?” he asked Abe Chaikin’s daughter when they arrived at the urgent care center five minutes later.
The woman tried to push herself up, but flopped back onto the cruiser’s seat. He hopped out of the driver’s seat, opened the back door, and pulled her up into his arms.
She was as delicate as a dragonfly’s wing. Not his type of woman at all. But when she looked up at him out of those glassy brown eyes, something pressed hard against his chest, and he had trouble breathing.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured as her head fell against his shoulder. For some inexplicable reason, the weight of her head against him felt impossibly good.
He needed to run this woman off just as soon as he could. She was big trouble.
Winnie had already alerted Annie Jasper, the night nurse, who directed Stone into one of the half dozen exam rooms. He eased Abe Chaikin’s daughter down to the exam table. “You’ll be fine, ma’am. Do you have your car keys? If you do, I can see about moving your car to a safer place.”
She dug into the pocket of her jeans and handed him the keys.
“Thank you, ma’am. Now, what’s your name?”
“Lark.”
“Lark? Like the bird?”
She nodded and swallowed hard. “Yeah. Mom and Pop were
Her head throbbed, and her face went from hot to cold. “You knew my father?” That seemed unlikely.
“No, ma’am. But I’ve heard the stories about him. He hightailed it out of town the same day Zeke Rhodes died. They found Zeke’s body right where you’re standing now.”
She took a reflexive step backward as if to avoid the long-dead body of Zeke Rhodes.
“Of course, not everyone thinks Zeke was murdered. There’s a big debate on that topic.”
“But you think he was.”
The cop’s shoulders moved a little. “Maybe. It happened before I was born. So you’re Abe’s daughter?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m his daughter.” The world started tilting sideways.
“Well, ma’am, some folks think your daddy murdered Zeke.”
* * *
Abe Chaikin’s daughter gave Stone one wide-eyed look before her eyes rolled up in her head and she crumpled. He caught her before she planted her face in the Astroturf.
He hoisted her up in his arms and realized that she was burning with fever. No telling what kind of bug she’d brought to town. She could be carrying anthrax or some deadly virus for all Stone knew. But that was nothing compared to the fact that she was Abe Chaikin’s daughter.
He lugged her deadweight up the gravel walk. She regained consciousness before he laid her in the backseat of his Crown Vic. She cracked one bloodshot eye.
“I passed out, didn’t I?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“To the clinic, you’re sick.”
“But my car and cameras and—”
“I’ll make sure they’re safe. You need medical attention. You just rest there for a minute.” He opened the trunk and pulled out an emergency blanket, which he wrapped around her.
“Thanks,” she said through chattering teeth. “I’m so sorry. I never get sick. Really.” Her eyes closed. Her chest rattled ominously when she took a deep breath.
Just his luck. He needed this like he needed a hole in the head. She was the daughter of the most notorious man to ever set foot in Last Chance. What the hell was she doing here?
He slid into the driver’s seat, dropped his Stetson on the seat beside him, and radioed back to main dispatch. He gave them his location and an outline of the situation. Winnie, his night dispatcher, replied that she would give his momma a call to let her know he would be late for supper.
Momma would call Miz Polk, and Miz Polk would call Miz Hanks, and Miz Hanks would call Miz Bray, and pretty soon every member of the Christ Church Ladies’ Auxiliary would know that Abe Chaikin’s daughter had just arrived from New York.
By this time tomorrow morning, the entire county would be in an uproar. And wouldn’t that be fun?
* * *
“You think you can stand?” he asked Abe Chaikin’s daughter when they arrived at the urgent care center five minutes later.
The woman tried to push herself up, but flopped back onto the cruiser’s seat. He hopped out of the driver’s seat, opened the back door, and pulled her up into his arms.
She was as delicate as a dragonfly’s wing. Not his type of woman at all. But when she looked up at him out of those glassy brown eyes, something pressed hard against his chest, and he had trouble breathing.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured as her head fell against his shoulder. For some inexplicable reason, the weight of her head against him felt impossibly good.
He needed to run this woman off just as soon as he could. She was big trouble.
Winnie had already alerted Annie Jasper, the night nurse, who directed Stone into one of the half dozen exam rooms. He eased Abe Chaikin’s daughter down to the exam table. “You’ll be fine, ma’am. Do you have your car keys? If you do, I can see about moving your car to a safer place.”
She dug into the pocket of her jeans and handed him the keys.
“Thank you, ma’am. Now, what’s your name?”
“Lark.”
“Lark? Like the bird?”
She nodded and swallowed hard. “Yeah. Mom and Pop were
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