Old Debts by Matt Abraham

Author:Matt Abraham [Abraham, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Grabbing the wheel, Carter lifted his foot over the divider and hit the brake, stopping the car. “Are you OK?”

Issa said, “I’m not sure that question’s particularly…” Then she passed out.

Carter opened the door, pulled her into his seat, then raced around to Issa’s side.

The Emergency Room at St. Joe’s Hospital was ten minutes away.

He made it in five.

With the car still idling, Carter jumped out and waved his arms at a female nurse inside.

She grabbed a gurney and came rushing out. “What’s wrong?”

Carter opened the passenger door. “She’s been shot.”

A male nurse in purple joined them. “Shot where?”

“Lower left flank,” Carter said. “She’s bleeding bad.”

Both nurses lifted Issa onto the gurney, and the guy asked, “Are you a cop or something?”

“No,” Carter said, “I’m her partn… friend.”

“Well, the cops’ll want to talk to you, so don’t leave.”

Then they raced Issa inside.

Carter took a second. Then he parked the car and entered the waiting room, where the nightly news blared from a wall-mounted television. He found the nearest chair, then plopped onto it with his head in his hands.

He stayed like that for a while.

How long, he didn’t know.

But he didn’t move until a man said, “Rough night?”

Carter looked up.

Detective Messer was there, wearing a navy suit and a concerned look.

“That was fast,” Carter said.

“Probably feels that way.”

Carter checked his watch. It was 8 p.m. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. You want my statement?” Carter looked around at the handful of people sitting within earshot. “If so, we should probably go someplace private.”

“Yeah. Come on, I know a spot.” Messer took Carter up the stairs to the fifth floor and down the hall to a large door with a Do Not Enter sign. Messer stepped through it and into a construction zone where wooden wall frames ran every which way, cordoning off random piles of paint cans, tools, and lumber. Taken together it created a rather confusing maze.

“What’s all this?” Carter said.

“They’re adding an annex,” Messer said.

“Man, is there a corner in this city that’s not under construction?”

“Probably. Now please, take a seat.”

Carter plunked down on an upturned bucket.

Messer chose a stack of wood and lit a cigarette. “So, what happened?”

Carter breathed deep and relayed everything. From the last time they spoke until Issa rescued him from Trey Deucen, adding in Scudder’s status as a homeowner.

Messer got it all on his pad, then said, “That’s quite a story. Any reason why you didn’t mention Scudder had a house when we spoke earlier?”

“You know, it sort of slipped my mind, probably because of the beating I took.”

“Right. Well, I’m just glad to hear Brigg wasn’t on the street. Now, do you think this Asher is the same person who attacked you in Magnolia?”

“I didn’t see his face, but probably, unless there’s somebody else out there who wants me dead, aside from half the cops and drug dealers in the valley. But seriously, he had the same height and build, and he ran when he saw me.”

“Probably because he recognized you.” Messer jotted it down.

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