Page 88 of Rough Fantasy

“How tall was he?” She opened her mouth but Carino stopped her. “Think back to when he was behind you. Did he seem shorter than you as he stood behind you? Taller?”

She nodded, sighed and closed her eyes. “I was wearing flip-flops so I was practically barefoot. I think he was probably close to my height, maybe a half an inch taller. So, five ten possibly. No taller.” She opened her eyes.

“Bastard broke my glasses. It’s a good thing I have another pair with me.”

“And he said nothing else?”

“No. But his accent was Irish, I am pretty sure of it. More like Rory’s, who is from Belfast, so it was definitely from Northern Ireland.”

“You said you didn’t hear it at first.”

She had already been arguing with both Rory and Zeke about it since they had pulled her out of the mall. Zeke thought maybe she had confused the accent because she had been traumatized. She was hiding it, keeping herself together, but he knew it had sent her over the edge.

“Okay.”

“Any luck on the security cameras at the mall?” Rory asked. It was the first words he had spoken in more than half an hour.

Carino turned back to both of them. “The security cameras were tampered with. Nothing.”

“Fuck,” Rory said.

“Exactly,” Carino said. “It can only mean that he had been stalking her.”

“Excuse me. ‘Her’ would like to speak right now.”

Carino’s lips twitched again and he turned to face Maura. “What does that mean?”

“It means there is a good chance he was stalking you.”

“Me?” she shook her head. “I don’t think so. He mentioned both of you.”

“Is there anyone who would like to cause you harm?”

“No. Other than Susan Vincent from college.”

“What?”

“Susan Vincent from college. She was mean to me so I replaced her shampoo with Nair.”

For a second there was stunned silence in the hospital room.

“Jesus, Joseph and Mary, I don’t think Susan Vincent is after you in a mall in Hawaii.”

She shrugged. “She was one mean bitch. She was Miss Georgia and you know how those types are.”

“This has to do with the Peterson case. Damn, I hate to admit Conner might be right,” Zeke said.

Rory nodded and Carino asked, “Peterson case?”

“We helped nab someone who was in tight with the Mexican Mafia and my brother and these two goofballs actually think we are a mark for them. First, it doesn’t make sense because my name isn’t in any of the information. And, if so, it would be the company and Conner or Zeke at risk.”

Carino looked at first Rory then Zeke. He read the answer in his eyes.

“What?”

The detective sighed. “The truth is you might be collateral damage right now. They might use you to get to them.”

“I think you are blowing this out of proportion.”