guy?” Caden asked. He knew the detectives would have done their homework before coming—or on the way.
“Wilmont has a record, but nothing like this,” Elliott said. “Up to now, he’s been small time. Shoplifting, car theft, but not carjacking, petty theft, vandalism, et cetera. He’s never hurt or threatened to hurt anyone.” He paused. “And it’s interesting. Over the last year, he appeared to clean up his act, got a job at the VA hospital as an orderly. He hasn’t missed a day since he started and has gotten good reviews from his supervisors and patients.”
“So, this was a big leap.”
“Huge.”
“Another thing,” Caroline said. “They also found pills in his pocket that matched the pills in the house, so he may have been high when all of this went down.”
“Sounds like the pills may have been too big of a temptation for a former addict to resist,” Caden said.
Elliott raised a brow. “Looks like that might have been the case. How’d he get a job at a hospital, of all places?”
Caden shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s possible someone did someone a favor and got him hired. Who knows? Have you talked to Sarah yet?”
“No.” Caroline glanced at her phone and tapped the screen, sending a caller to voice mail. “The doctor was with her, so we decided to come check on Wilmont.”
“I talked to her briefly when they first brought her in. She started going step by step through what happened at the house, so I recorded it with her permission. I can send it to you if you want it.”
“Absolutely.” Elliott gave Caden his number, and Caden sent the man the file.
“If you need anything more than that,” Caden said, tucking his phone back into the clip on his belt, “I know she’ll be happy to cooperate.”
“Good. We’ll have a few more questions after we listen.”
“Sounds like my sister has a lot to be thankful for.” Caden swallowed the sudden surge of emotion and turned when Wilmont’s door opened.
The nurse exited and looked at the three of them. “He’s groggy, but awake.”
Elliott nodded to Caden. “Let’s see what this guy has to say for himself.”
They were going to let him listen in? It was more than he’d hoped for. “Thank you.” He followed them into the room. Wilmont lay on the bed, looking rough, his pale cheeks discernible from the white pillow only by the freckles that dotted his nose. His red hair spiked in all directions and his eyes were closed.
“Hey, Sam,” Caroline said. “Can you wake up a minute?”
“Go ’way,” he muttered.
“Wake up. Now!” Caroline gave his foot a hard nudge.
Wilmont grunted, but he blinked and pried his eyes open before they fell shut again.
“Sam, we’re not going away,” Elliott said. “You might as well wake up and tell us why you shot those two ladies.”
The man frowned and shook his head, even though his eyes remained closed. “What are you talking about? I didn’t shoot anyone.”
“The doors were locked from the inside,” Caden said to Elliott. “Gavin had to break in to get to Mrs. Nelson.”
Elliott gave a short nod. “Come on, why’d you shoot them?”
A flush crept into Wilmont’s cheeks. And finally, his eyes opened a crack. “I’m telling you, I didn’t shoot anyone.”
“You had a gun. You took a hostage.”
“What? I didn’t. I . . . I was just . . . I . . . where am I? What’s going on?” He licked his lips. “Water? Please?”
Caden took the cup from the tray and held it to Wilmont’s lips.
The man took a long draw and sighed. “Thanks.”
“Why’d you take the gun?” Caden asked. He shot a look at the two detectives and stepped back. “Sorry. Forgot my place.”
Elliott allowed a small smile to curve his lips, then turned his attention back to Wilmont. “Well? Answer the man. Why’d you take the gun?”
“What gun? I didn’t take a gun. I was . . . I was . . .” He licked his lips and squinted. “What was I doing again? Why am I here?”
The detectives exchanged a glance.
Caden rubbed a hand down his jaw. “You don’t remember what happened?”
“I remember going to the house and then . . .” He shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s a blank.” Fear flashed in his eyes.
Something wasn’t right. The guy wasn’t faking.
“You took a gun and shot two people,” Elliott said.
That pulled him fully out from under the anesthesia. His eyes widened and he gasped. Choked. “Wha—? No! No way. I wouldn’t. I didn’t!”
“Let’s