Fickle Fortunes: A cozy Scottish mystery with a great twist by Traude Ailinger

Author:Traude Ailinger [Ailinger, Traude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: THE BOOK FOLKS bestselling crime, mystery, and thriller publisher
Published: 2024-06-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

At the ICU, McCord was surprised to be immediately recognised and warmly welcomed by the staff. It was five months since he had been treated here for a gunshot wound and achieved a certain celebrity status. The case of the missing diamonds seemed a lifetime away now, and rather than considering himself a hero, he felt inadequate and powerless. Two murders that might never be solved at this rate, and Amy was dating a chef. She was very partial to pastries, too. Hell.

As he and Calderwood were shown to Slater’s bed, McCord fervently hoped that the young man would remember what happened on Old Dalkeith Road.

Yvonne Dunbar was sitting at the bedside, and her greeting was far less enthusiastic than that of the nurse.

“We’re so glad that Mr Slater is getting better,” Calderwood said with his disarming smile. “We need to ask him a couple of questions, and then we’ll leave you two in peace.”

Dunbar nodded like a queen graciously granting an unwelcome request.

“Alone,” McCord said.

Dunbar gave him the death stare but faltered when she met his dark eyes.

“I’ll be back in a minute, hon,” she whispered.

McCord waited until she was out of earshot before turning to Slater. His head was bandaged, as was his left arm, which was connected to a drip. He had closed his eyes during Dunbar’s departure but opened them again slowly when McCord pulled up a chair and leaned over him.

“Did somebody force you off the road?” McCord asked.

Slater frowned as if he was struggling to understand the question.

McCord decided to try again.

“Was somebody else there when you crashed?”

Slater opened his mouth but shut it again without saying anything. His eyes darted to the door.

McCord followed his gaze. The nurse was standing by the door with Dunbar, who was watching them, and a thought occurred to him.

“Do you feel safe with your girlfriend around?” he whispered.

Slater closed his eyes, and the steady bleeps of his heartbeat became fast. McCord was about to ask him again, but the nurse moved towards them.

“I’m sorry, but I must ask you to leave,” she said. “Mr Slater needs to rest.” She checked the monitor he was hooked up to, frowned and adjusted the drip.

McCord looked at Slater, but his eyes were still closed.

Dunbar all but pushed McCord to the side and sat down in her rightful place. She grasped Slater’s hand, more possessive than tender, and McCord thought he saw him wince.

Outside in the corridor, McCord waited for the nurse to return.

“We are treating Mr Slater’s accident as attempted murder,” McCord said quietly. “We’ll be sending an officer to guard him.”

He glanced towards Slater and saw Dunbar looking at them through the open door. He backed further down the corridor, coaxing the nurse out of Dunbar’s line of vision. “And keep a very close eye on the girlfriend,” he added, almost in a whisper.

The nurse’s eyes widened.

“Just in case.”

McCord turned to go, leaving her staring after them.

* * *

“So, you agree with Amy, then,” Calderwood said as they were walking towards the exit.

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