Page 44 of Winter

“None of them are deep, thank God,” he said. “But perhaps a course of antibiotics wouldn’t go amiss, to fend off any bacteria from the knife.”

Tommaso waited until the doctor left them alone to get Inca’s prescription. “Maybe you should stay overnight.”

Inca shook her head. “No way. I’m fine, honey. I promise. I want to be with you.”

Tommaso kissed her. “I wish I had been there.”

“You can’t be there every minute, and it’s my own damn fault for not locking the door when Nancy went out.”

“He could have killed you.”

“Yes. But he didn’t.”

She gazed up at him and he saw something strange in her eyes. Freedom.

“I feel released,” she said, reading his mind. “Like a weight has been lifted. Now I can annul the marriage and get Kevin deported if he doesn’t go to jail.”

“Oh, he’ll go to jail all right.” Tommaso looked fierce.

“As long as I’m free of him. God, I feel so relieved.”

He stroked her face. “I’m glad. Look, Olly asked us to come by if you’re up to it, to answer some questions.”

“Of course. I’m fine. Let’s get it done.”

He pressed his lips to hers. “Warrior woman.”

She chuckled. “Hardly. You saved my life, Tommaso.”

“I love you, Inca Sardee. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “Then let’s go do this thing and then go home.”

“How you doing, kid?”

Olly looked up, startled. Tyler stood at the door to the office, smiling sympathetically at him. Olly grinned and offered him a coffee. When they were seated, Tyler pulled his cap off and scratched at his head as Olly indicated the paperwork on his desk.

“Paperwork out the wazoo, and yet no one’s telling me anything. It’s kinda frustrating.”

Tyler nodded. “Well, you made your bed.”

“Yup.”

They sat in silence for a while, then Tyler sighed. “Indulge an old man. Tell me what you got so far.”

Olly hesitated, then shrugged. “All we can charge Kevin Harnett with is attempted murder at the moment. I sayall, though attempted murder will put him away for a good long time. But we’ve still got to try and tie him to the other murders.”

“You?”

“City homicide has it. They came and got him this morning. He admitted to coming here to kill Inca … Sorry,” he added when Tyler winced. “From what I understand, Kevin Hartnett has a record for beating his women. Inca told me that this isn’t the first time he’s tried to kill her.”

Tyler put his head in his hands. “She never told me any of that.”

Olly leaned forward, his expression intense. “She never toldanyof us, Tyler. Which concerns me. What if she finds herself in the same situation with …”

Tyler shook his head. “No. Winter saved her life.”

“You didn’t see him, Tyler. He was in a frenzy. He almost killed Harnett.”