Page 65 of Deathtoll

Joe took the man by the elbow. “Let’s go over to the cruiser. You sit in the back, Kate and I sit in the front.”

Ian looked at Kate.

She nodded, and he moved forward, stopping only when Joe opened the back door for him. He slipped in without trouble. Then Joe closed the door, carefully, not slamming it.

“Thank you for being so good with him,” Kate said as he opened the passenger-side door for her in the front.

“You shouldn’t have come outside.”

“I’m trying to help.”

Joe shook his head, but if he thought she was the opposite of helpful, he didn’t say it. He went and slid behind the wheel.

Kate turned around as they rolled out of the parking lot and Joe radioed the station. “How have you been doing, Ian?”

“Been better. I’m really sorry about last time. I mean that.”

“I know you are. We’re all right. I’m not the grudge-holding type.” She dug out her phone.

Nothing from Emma. Not as much as a one-word text.

Half worried, half angry, Kate said, “Let me call Maria to make sure she can meet us as soon as possible.”

She waited for her friend to pick up. “Hey. Joe and I are taking Ian McCall down to the police station. He says he’d rather talk to you than their usual guy. You think you could come down and do an evaluation?”

To her credit, Maria didn’t hesitate. “I just finished a session two minutes ago. I don’t have anything for the next two hours. I’m walking out right now. How is he? If he’s agitated, you can put me on speaker and I’ll talk to him.”

Kate smiled at Ian. “He’s just fine. But thanks.” Then she hung up with Maria and told the men, “She’s on her way. We call her Miss Lead Foot. She’ll probably be there before we are.”

Ian offered a weak grin. “Not if Joe pulls her over.”

Even Joe laughed.

Good—everyone nice and relaxed. Kate was going to keep it that way. “What have you been up to these last couple of days?”

“Called an old Army buddy.” Ian shifted into a more comfortable position. “Lives in Lancaster. Hung at his place. Played video games. He’s all right, you know. Lost a leg, plays baseball anyway. He’s got one of those fancy prosthetics. Like he’s in some sci-fi movie.”

“It’s good to have friends. That makes a huge difference in recovery. One of the most important factors, in fact. I’m really glad you didn’t go home. I’m glad you hung around and came back to us.”

“I can’t get better if I don’t get help. That’s what Brian said. I’m going to bite the bullet and do it.”

Committed to treatment.Another harbinger of successful therapy. Ian McCall was going to do just fine. Kate would make sure of it.

“How long ago did you return to civilian life?” she asked, to keep the conversation going.

“Six months. I thought things would get better.”

“They will now. Does your family know you’re here?”

He shook his head. “Brother’s with the Marines, deployed right now. Don’t know where. Parents gone.”

“Girlfriend? Wife?”

“She moved back to her parents with the kids. I didn’t hurt them or anything,” he was quick to add. “I should call them. I don’t have a phone. I punched the screen yesterday.” He looked down with a sheepish expression. “I got frustrated.”

“They would probably want to know how you’re doing. They’ll be glad you’re getting help. If you give me their contact information, I’ll contact them for you, if you’d like. Explain how things stand.”

Even if he and his wife had a fight, even if the wife was mad at him, he was still the father of the children. They would still be asking about him.