Page 9 of Target Acquired
“Hey.”
He snapped his head up and turned to see Greene watching him. “Yeah?”
“That car that almost flattened Kenzie. It was a Honda, right? Kind of beat up? Silver?”
“Sounds right. Why?”
Greene frowned. “Thought I saw it on Fifth Street after we turned into the parking lot. The gate shut and the car kind of paused before driving off.”
“You’re saying it followed us?”
“Naw, not saying that, just saying I caught a glimpse of a car that looked like the one from the hospital and thought I’d mention it.”
“Right. Thanks. I’ll get hospital security to see if they can get me a plate. Maybe we can get one off the camera outside here too and see if they match.”
Greene nodded, then crossed his arms. “You know, Butler is convinced she doesn’t belong on this team.”
“Commander Hill thinks otherwise.”
The man nodded again but kept anything else he might have to say to himself and walked away. Cole let out a low breath.
So, now he’d head upstairs to the desk he rode as a detective when he wasn’t in SWAT HQ. He had cases to study, reports to write, phone calls to make, and leads to chase down.
Then he’d go running with Kenzie in the morning.
He jogged up the stairs and headed for his desk. James was already seated at his and looked up when Cole dropped into the chair.
“You okay?” his partner asked.
“Yeah. Just still a little freaked about the car that almost hit Kenzie. I want a plate.” He called the hospital, gave the information he needed, the time of day the incident occurred, and the location. Then left his email address and hung up.
“Hey, I keep meaning to ask you how Riley’s doing,” James said. “You donate blood for her, don’t you?”
Riley Marie, Cole’s little four-year-old niece currently battling a bout of anemia. “I do.” He often did. “She’s been in the hospital the last couple of days, but Mariah texted me and said she might get to go home later if her counts are good.”
“Tough thing for a kid to have to deal with.”
“Yeah. Tough on the parents too. But having someone who loves her with the same blood type is a good thing.” His sister, Mariah, and her husband, Greg, were strong in their faith and their love for their adopted daughter. Cole just wished they could get Riley stabilized so she could have a normal life. But until then, she’d have the support system she needed and all the love she could tolerate. Including his O negative blood type. Neither Riley’s parents nor any of her siblings had O negative blood. He was Riley’s donor and happy to do so.
James checked his phone. “Kenzie still hasn’t responded about coming to the lake house. Did you talk to her about it?”
“I asked. She said she’d be there.” Cole tapped the keys while he spoke and pulled up the cameras that would allow him to see the perimeter of the building and finally found what had captured Butler’s attention.
The beat-up silver Honda. He leaned in, then tapped the screen. “There.”
“What?” James looked up.
“That car outside the hospital that came real close to turning Kenzie into a human pancake?”
“Yeah.” His partner’s jaw tightened. “I was already in Dolly. Couldn’t do a thing to help her.”
“I know. Anyway, Greene said he thought he saw the same car outside the precinct, so I pulled up the footage and there it is.”
“What’s it doing?”
“Nothing. It stopped for a second while the gate closed, then drove away. Fast. And when I pause it, the picture’s too blurry to get a plate or really identify it, but I agree with Greene. It looks similar to the one from the hospital.”
James raised a brow. “I can see you thinking.”