The Avenging Angels by Rex Burns

Author:Rex Burns [Burns, Rex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781784083373
Publisher: Head of Zeus Ltd
Published: 2012-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

“H OLD STILL.”

“I’m trying.”

He felt the heat of the lamp against his cheek, and across his clamped-open, drying eye saw the blinding whiteness of the circular mirror. “I thought doctors had stopped wearing those things.”

“Not if they need to use both hands. Hold still now.”

Wager heard Sheriff Tice come back into the clinic’s small examining room behind him, the creak of his pistol belt and his heavy breath loud in the quiet room.

“Did you get her?” Wager asked.

“Please don’t talk.”

“Yep. She’s a lot calmer now. Says we can come over any time and look through whatever we want to.” He heard Tice settle into a chair. “I called your man Doyle, too. He wants you to call him as soon’s you can. He wants to know if you need medical leave or a replacement.”

“No,” said Wager.

The doctor breathed “Damnit” and leaned forward again, steel instrument glittering in the white light. “Both you people shut your damn mouths.”

They did, the doctor finally squirting a cooling jelly into the corner of Wager’s eye and taping a gauze pad lightly over it. “I think I got all the glass, but it’ll feel pretty rough for a while. And look a lot rougher when the bandage comes off. Which,” he added, washing his hands in the corner sink, “shouldn’t happen for twenty-four hours. You should visit an ophthalmologist when you’re back in Denver, Detective Wager, just to be sure.”

“No permanent damage, is there, Doc?” asked Tice.

“I don’t think so—most of it was at the side of the eyeball. Discoloration and a lot of discomfort. But if it keeps bothering you, or if your vision doesn’t clear up a few hours after you take the bandage off, be certain to go to an ophthalmologist.”

“Okay.”

Tice grunted himself to his feet. “Well, that’s good. Doyle seemed to want to blame me for you getting cut up.” He led Wager out of the clinic toward the parking lot. “Hell, I told him he wouldn’t have to pay for the windshield. We got comprehensive insurance for things like that.”

“Doyle always sounds like he’s chewing somebody out for something,” said Wager. “That’s just his way.”

“Well, I wondered at the time about sending you out there alone. But with only two deputies for the whole damn county. …” He added, just loudly enough for Wager to hear, “And anyway, if a man wears a badge he should be able to take care of himself.”

“I can,” said Wager. “And I did. It wasn’t your fault—it’s whoever took a shot at me.” It was the fault of whoever saw Wager go out there as Orrin had; whoever knew what kind of vehicle he would be driving and about what time he would be coming back. “But, Sheriff, I do think the case security might be tighter.”

“Security?” He turned over Wager’s meaning as he keyed the ignition. “Oh—I see. By damn, that’s something I hadn’t even got to thinking about yet. But you’re right. Absolutely. Somebody had to know when and where you were going.

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