But of course, he doesn’t stop till he gets right in front of my house. And there’s no doubt whatsoever that the police car is parked right by the walkway to my front door. His eyes are like saucers as he stares at the cop car, then back at me.
I leap out of his car the second he gets it in park, or even a few seconds before, if I’m being honest. But he’s quick, and he gets out of the car right behind me. I grit my teeth, pushing back the urge to yell at him to go away. In his defense, he probably thinks he’s looking out for me.
“Dr. Davis.” Detective Barber is leaning against the cop car, his arms folded across over his protruding gut. I wonder how long he’s been waiting there. I wonder howlong my neighbors have seen this stupid police car with flashing lights in front of my house. “Could we have a word?”
I feel torn. I’d like to go into my house so that the neighbors and Brady aren’t here to witness this whole conversation. But at the same time, I don’t want this detective in my house. This is the time when I need to lawyer up. I can’t keep letting him push me around, or I’m going to end up right where my father is.
“Dr. Davis?” Barber says.
I finally find my voice. “What do you want?”
“I think it would be better if we went inside your house,” the detective says. “You don’t want the whole neighborhood to hear this.” He glances at Brady curiously. “Your boyfriend can stay if you want.”
“I told you,” I say through my teeth, “I don’t want to have another discussion with you without a lawyer present. I’ve answered all your questions.”
“I was just wondering,” he says, “if I could take a quick look around your house.”
I feel like all the air has been sucked out of my body. “Take a look around my house?”
He holds up his hands. “Real quick. Just me. Just looking around.”
What does he think he’s going to find? Some girl chained up in my basement? Maybe I should just let him look. I have nothing to hide.
“Hey,” Brady says before I can answer. His voice is respectful but firm. “Nora had a really hard day today. She’s been operating since five in the morning. And I’m prettysure you need a warrant to search her house. So maybe it would be better if you talk in the morning when she has a lawyer present?”
Detective Barber gives me a look as if to say,Is this guy for real?Of course, if Brady had any clue what they were here to talk to me about, he might not have gotten in the middle of it. But the amazing part is that it works. Barber takes a step back, nodding his head.
“Fine,” he says. “We can talk tomorrow morning with your lawyer present. Say, ten o’clock at the station?”
“Fine,” I say. Now I just have to find a lawyer by ten o’clock. And figure out what the hell I’m going to do about my morning surgeries. I don’t have time to be a murder suspect.
I feel like I can’t breathe until Detective Barber gets back in his car and drives away. Even after he’s gone, my fingers are shaking so much, I’m having trouble getting the key in the lock to the door. This is unusual for me. I’m a surgeon, for God’s sake. I never have shaky hands.
Finally, Brady takes the key from me, fits it in the lock, and then leads me into the house. He puts his hand on my back and directs me to the sofa, where I sit down obediently. He rests his hand on top of mine and gives it a squeeze. “I’m going to get you some water, Nora.”
I nod wordlessly.
I hear him clanging around my kitchen for long enough that I’m almost tempted to go out there and ask if I need to help him find the sink. But then he comes back with a glass of water. I take it gratefully and gulp down half of it. It doesn’t help. I need something much stronger than water.
Brady settles down beside me on the sofa. “I’m not going to ask. But unless you’re looking for a divorce lawyer, I can’t help you out in that department.”
“Right.” I stare down at the little bubbles in the water. “It’s not a big deal.”
“You don’t have to tell me. It’s none of my business.”
But all of a sudden, Iwantto tell him. I want to tellsomebodywhat’s going on. I’ve been suffering with this for a long time all by myself. And it doesn’t seem like it’s just going to go away.
“Those two women who were murdered.” I take another swallow from the water glass. “You know, the ones all over the news? The ones who… who had their hands cut off?”
“Yes…”
“They were my patients.”
His eyes widen. “Both of them?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” He scratches at his brown hair. “Well, I guess that’s a strange coincidence. But seriously, why would they thinkyouhad anything to do with it? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my whole life.”
