Page 55 of Deathtoll

Kate rubbed her hands over her face. “I might have spotted him this morning on the road behind me. I can’t say for sure if it was Ian. And I really don’t think he has murder in him.”

“He’s a vet. He’s seen combat.”

“Of course. He has. He has issues. A lot of people have issues. But vets are not ticking time bombs.” She couldn’t help the heat in that last sentence.

She was normally a good judge of character. She wasn’t naïve, not too quick to trust. She’d come out of the foster care system, then she’d spent her early career working with abused children. She’d seen the worst humanity had to offer. Ian struck her as troubled, a man in pain, desperate, but desperate forhelp. He’d come to Hope Hill to ask for aid, not to harm anyone.

“I’ve neither said nor done anything to him to set him off like this. Even if I made him mad, this kind of reaction would be insanely disproportionate. Ian McCall is not killing my neighbors. Anyway, Betty died before Ian ever showed up.”

“Can you think of anybody else like Ian? Other people who weren’t satisfied with the help you gave them here? Somebody else you turned away?”

“We don’t usually turn away people.” But she thought about it for a few seconds. “There might have been one or two. I’d have to go through the records.”

“You sure you don’t want me to drive you home?”

Her appointment book caught her eye. “You know, I can’t actually go home.” No matter how much she wanted to. “I canceled a bunch of appointments when Betty died. I’m still playing catch-up. I need to stay and see patients. I can’t reschedule them again.”

“All right. I’m going to stick around for a while. Don’t worry about Tony’s house. I bet the captain already had someone out there. I’ll check with him, just to make sure.”

Harper stepped out, his phone already in hand, before Kate could protest.

She called her sister. “Mr. Mauro was in a hit-and-run.”

“Is he okay?”

“Harper says it’s pretty bad. I’m going to drive over to the hospital after work.”

“I can go with you.”

“They’re not allowing visitors. I’m just going to talk to his doctor.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.” Emma paused for a couple of seconds. “Broslin is the sleepiest of all sleepy small towns in existence. Which is why you came here to hide in the first place. What is happening? Areyouokay?”

When Kate took a while to formulate a response, Emma added, “I’m an adult. You don’t have to shield me like when we were kids.”

“I’m a little rattled,” Kate admitted. “Harper is going to stick around here for the rest of the day. Listen, the police don’t think it was an accident. They think it might have to do with Ian McCall or another dissatisfied patient. I really don’t think so. But with Betty and Mr. Mauro having accidents one after the other, the police think there’s a connection…”

“Oh my God. Do you think Betty’s fall wasn’t an accident? Like, someone killed her?”

“I really hope not. It’s just the police…”

“Wild. I mean, sad,” Emma rushed to add. “Seriously crazy.”

“Maybe youshouldgo to the hospital with me after work. I don’t want you to go home and be alone in the house. I want you to be safe.”

“I’ll stay here and offer to help Alice clean up. I’ll get brownie points. Nobody knows I’m working here. It’s my first day.”

All good logic, but the reassurance didn’t make Kate feel any better. “Please be careful.” She described Ian in detail. “Be aware of your surroundings, all right?”

“I will. You too. Call me if anything else happens.”

Kate promised she would, but then she had to hang up. Her next appointment, Finn Morris, was there.

While the former sailor stripped for his massage in the treatment room, Harper popped back in.

“Murph here?”

“No. You told him?