Chapter 42

CHAPTER 42

D EVINE’S RENTAL HAD LUCKILY SUFFERED no serious damage, having been mostly blocked from the bomb blast by Coburn’s Lexus. That was fortunate because there probably wasn’t a car leasing place left in the state of Washington that would do business with him. The police had brought it to the hospital. Escorted by a nurse and Braddock and Walker, Devine was wheeled to the exit. With his pain meds in a plastic bag, he rose unsteadily from the chair.

Braddock said, “Do you really think this is a good idea?”

“I’ll get back to you on that,” said Devine, wheezing a bit.

Walker gripped a wobbly Devine’s arm. “This is ridiculous. I’m coming with you.”

“I’m fine!”

“The hell you are! And you’re on heavy pain meds. Which means you’re legally impaired and not allowed to operate a motor vehicle.”

“Look, Beth—”

“No, you look.” She held up his car key. “Either I drive you, or this gets chucked into that storm drain over there. And then I’ll arrest you for being an idiot.”

Devine looked at her and then glanced at Braddock, who said, “Don’t think she won’t. She’ll out-stubborn you, Devine, guaranteed.”

Devine sighed. “Okay, let’s go.”

Braddock loaded him into the passenger side and Walker drove them off.

Devine eased back in the seat. He’d taken one of the pain meds, but it hadn’t kicked in yet. He was praying it would any second.

Walker glanced worriedly over at him. “I’m sorry about Dr. Coburn. I’d actually heard her speak at a forensics conference I attended last year. She really knew her field.”

“She came to me for help. And I screwed it up.”

He shook his head and closed his eyes.

“Well, unless you take care of yourself, you won’t have a chance to avenge her.”

Devine was about to shoot some comment back but then didn’t. Because she was right.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked.

Visibly surprised, she said, “I actually have the day off.”

“Would you like to come with me to my meeting and court hearing?”

“I would. Tell me about them.”

Devine filled her in on the latest having to do with Danny Glass and his efforts to gain guardianship of Betsy Odom with an intent to formally adopt her. He also told her about his trip to Ricketts and almost being killed, though he did not go into detail about the person who had saved him.

“My God, Travis, you are one trouble magnet,” noted Walker.

“I’ve been called worse.”

“So you think Glass had his sister and brother-in-law murdered?”

“I can’t think of anyone else with a motive.”

“But the Ricketts folks stonewalled you. And now Coburn is dead.”

“Coburn’s report was altered on the official police file, so to the world it will seem that the Odoms died of a drug overdose. And now that Coburn’s been murdered, there’s no one to refute that.”

“But she told you .”

“That’s not evidence; it’s hearsay. And if she had any evidence on her, it was in a house that no longer exists.” He thought of something. “How about her car?”

“Nothing was found in there related to her work. But we’re having her residence in Spokane checked by the local cops. There might be something there.”

“Whoever killed her probably already thought of that and searched it.”

He looked out the window at the dark clouds and said, “Did you find anything in my Toyota?”

“We’re running DNA samples we collected through our usual databases. There were no prints in the car.”

“They were wearing gloves.”

“Yes, but we recovered their weapons inside the vehicle and I was able to get a usable print off one of the bullets in the magazine.”

He looked at her, impressed. “And?”

“We’ve also run that through the usual databases without success. Now we’re expanding that search.”

“Be good to know who those guys worked for. Maybe we can—” He yawned.

She said firmly, “Okay, start to dial it back. You need to get some sleep if you’re going to be ready for tomorrow, which is already here actually.” She paused and then said decisively, “And there’s a change in plan. I’ll get some things from your hotel room and then we can drive to my place.”

“Beth, you don’t have to—”

“I’m going to anyway,” she interrupted. “It’s near downtown. And I have a guest bedroom.”

Feeling the meds kick in and not having the energy to argue, Devine nodded resignedly.

She took his keycard and grabbed what he needed from his hotel room. Then she drove them to her home in a quiet neighborhood in the suburbs. It was a small cottage with a broad front porch, all on one floor.

Walker helped a visibly struggling Devine down the hall to the spare bedroom.

She helped him undress and got him into bed.

“You didn’t need to do that,” he said.

“In for a dime,” she said, smiling. “And the muscle relaxants should kick in soon.”

She had obviously noted the scars from old wounds, one on each shoulder and one on his calf, because she said, “Three Purples?”

“Nope, two.” He tapped one shoulder. “This one is not from combat. Civilian mission that went ass-up.”

She shook her head. “Wow, okay. You need anything else?”

“No, Beth, I’m fine. And, thank you.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay, Travis.”

“Yeah.”

“I promise to wake you up in plenty of time and help you get ready. I hung a clean set of clothes in the closet. Toiletry bag’s on the bathroom counter. I make a mean cup of coffee, and how about pancakes and eggs for breakfast?”

“Sounds good.”

“You need anything during the night, I’m right next door.”

They said their goodnights and she turned the light out and left.

In the darkness Devine stared at the ceiling. He often did that when he was thinking through difficult problems. So he watched all the mental scenes attached to his current drama march across a ceiling painted a calming seafoam green. From the note in his pocket courtesy of the girl on the train, to nearly getting blown up and everything in between.

It all somehow makes sense. I just have to figure out how.

As pain meds kicked in and he started to doze off, he thought of the dead Coburn. And Betsy Odom, whom he wanted to protect from what was coming her way. He had failed to save Coburn. He could not allow the same fate for Odom.

As he fell asleep, his last thoughts centered on the girl on the train. He knew they would probably collide at some point. But her having saved his life had muddled things. He was sure the woman had her own reasons for doing so, but her message bothered him greatly.

There were forces out there aligned against him. And her.

And they might be part of the same government I serve.