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“Sure.” Noah stood. “I’ll catch up with you in the emergency room.”
Teagan watched as the EMTs pushed the gurney toward the parking lot, then turned to Noah. “I want to go to the hospital with Seth.” She had a feeling the detective shouldn’t be alone. If whoever had clubbed him on the back of the head recognized him and was worried that Seth knew too much, his life was at risk. At the moment, the handsome cop wasn’t in the best position to protect himself.
“Why are you here, Teagan?”
She shrugged. “Seth and I run together most mornings when I’m in town.”
“Do you travel a lot?”
More than she wanted. Made building a relationship with Seth difficult. If he wanted one, that is. The detective had yet to ask her for a date. Perhaps she should make the first move. “Enough.”
“You planned to run together this morning?”
“He arrived before I did. Normally, he waits for me. This morning, he didn’t.” She indicated the pool of blood on the concrete. “This is where I found him.”
Seth’s partner grilled her about her actions and had her show him exactly where she’d stepped. After he’d run through her story several times, Teagan held up her hand. “Look, you can ask me more questions at the hospital. I want to check on your partner.”
“Just how close are you two?”
Not close enough for her. How Seth felt was an unknown. “We’re friends.”
“Nothing more?”
Now, how did she answer that one? “Our schedules are erratic.”
“That doesn’t tell me much.”
“He’s your partner, Noah. He’ll tell you what he wants you to know.”
He scowled. “I need your contact information.”
She slid her hand into her pocket, withdrew her business card, and handed it to him.
His eyebrows soared. “Fortress Security? You work for them?”
“Call the switchboard. They’ll contact me if I’m tied up.”
“What exactly do you do for them?”
She smiled. “You’d be surprised. I’ll see you later.” Teagan could feel Noah watching her until she jogged around the curve and out of sight.
Once certain she wouldn’t be overheard, Teagan called Iona Byrne, her team leader.
“What’s up?” Iona asked.
“I won’t make it to team training today.”
“Explain.”
“I’m going to the hospital.” She summarized the events on the trail, then said, “I don’t think Seth should be alone.”
“He’s a target?”
“No proof, but yeah, I think he is.”
“Need backup?”
“Not yet.”