Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Guilt gnawed at him as Sawyer navigated the sterile, fluorescent-lit halls of Danbury General, his footsteps echoing softly on the tile floor. He wished he could take back the harsh words he'd said to Brynlee in the heat of the moment. She didn’t deserve that, especially not after what she’d been through.

His heart pounded as he approached the waiting area, the smell of antiseptic and the distant hum of hospital equipment serving only to heighten his anxiety.

He spotted Ainsley pacing near the chairs, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him.

"Sawyer?" she asked, clearly taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

There were a million reasons why he wanted to see her, not the least of which was because someone had tried to sabotage her car. Sawyer cleared his throat. "I just wanted to make sure she's okay.”

“I haven’t heard anything.” She gestured toward the large metal doors. “They just got here not too long ago.”

Sawyer nodded, his foot tapping nervously on the floor.

She flicked a wry look his way. “You must have been in a hurry. You beat our family here.”

“Well, I…” He rubbed one hand over the back of his head. “I feel kind of responsible. Were had another fight this morning before she left, and…”

Ainsley’s expression softened, a mix of confusion and understanding in her eyes. "You saw it happen?"

The image of the crash played before his eyes again and he blinked it away. "Yeah. I just... If I hadn't snapped at her, maybe she wouldn't have driven off like that."

“Brynlee's tough—she’ll be okay.” Ainsley gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Let's wait together. I’m sure she'll be glad to know you're here."

Her expression was dubious, and he had to agree with her; he was probably the last person Brynlee wanted to see at the moment. It seemed like all they did was fight and even though part of it was her fault, he couldn’t stem the guilt that rose up inside him.

They sat down in the waiting area, the tension between them easing slightly as they shared their concern for Brynlee. Minutes felt like hours as they waited, the hospital's sounds a constant reminder of the seriousness of the situation.

Finally, a doctor approached them, his expression calm but serious. "Family of Brynlee Layne?”

Both Ainsley and Sawyer stood up, “and Ainsley moved toward the doctor. “Yes, we're her family. How is she?"

"She’s stable," the doctor began. "She has a few bruised ribs and a mild concussion, but she'll make a full recovery. We're going to keep her overnight for observation."

Ainsley let out a relieved breath. "Can we see her?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, but just for a few minutes. She's resting now."

Sawyer hung back and when Ainsley tossed a look his way, he shook his head. “Just tell her I stopped by, okay?”

Her brows pulled together but she nodded regardless before falling into step behind the doctor as he led the way to Brynlee's room. She was okay; that was enough for now.

* * *

Sawyer walked into the office he shared with Cam, and the lieutenant glanced up at him expectantly. “How’s Bryn?”

Sawyer lifted one shoulder as he dropped into his chair and rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know. I didn’t stay long enough to find out.”

Cam stared at him for a second before nodding slowly. “I’m sure she’ll be okay.”

Sawyer was certain he would hear the shattering of glass, the screech of twisted metal every time he closed his eyes. He abruptly sat forward in his seat. “What do we know?”

"Mike just towed Brynlee's car over," Cam began without preamble. "The deputies are working on printing and inspecting every inch of it."

Sawyer nodded, taking a seat across from Cam. “Find anything yet?”

Cam sighed, rubbing his temples. "Not much. They compared a set of prints, but nothing's coming up in the system yet. It's like whoever did this doesn't exist."

Sawyer frowned. "What about the brake lines?"

"Cuts are clean, made with a sharp tool—probably snips,” Cam replied. "But there's no lead there. No fingerprints, no fibers, nothing."

Sawyer leaned back in his chair, frustration evident on his face. "So we're back to square one."

"Not entirely," Cam said, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "The deputies did find something. A single, long black hair under the vehicle."

Sawyer's interest piqued. "A hair? That's something. Have we sent it out for testing?"

"Not yet," Cam admitted. "But it's the best lead we've got so far. We need to find out who that hair belongs to. It could be our perp."

Sawyer nodded, a surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins. "I'll get on that. We need to expedite the testing. This could be the break we need."

Cam leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Sawyer's. "And we need to keep this under wraps. If whoever did this finds out we're onto them, they might disappear. Or worse, come after Brynlee again."

Sawyer's jaw tightened. "Agreed. We'll handle this discreetly. But we need to move fast. If there's a chance to catch this person, we can't waste any time."

Sawyer walked back to his desk, his mind racing with possibilities. They had a lead, however tenuous, and they couldn't afford to let it slip through their fingers. They would find out who was behind the accident and bring them to justice, no matter what it took.