Hold Me Close (Ryker Falls #5) - Wendy Vella Page 0,13
still there.
“So now you’re feeling better, how about you tell me when you were shot?”
“What?” She looked shocked by his words.
“You said, ‘don’t let them shoot me again, Fin.’”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Not sure why I’d say that.” She laughed. It wasn’t the loud and throaty one she usually gave. This one was forced.
“When, Maggs?”
“Chief Blake is calling us into line. Imagine us being in a bank robbery, and right here in Ryker Falls. This is going get the place buzzing.” Her words were running one over the other as she backed away from him.
Fin followed.
“I mean, Mrs. L is going to be pissed she wasn’t in here. The knitting group will move on from the exploits of Bob and Nancy to the fact our town is going to the dogs.”
Fin kept pace with her as she moved to where Chief Blake stood.
“It’s funny, I lived in a big city like London and came back here for excitement.”
“Maggs—”
“Chief Blake!” She shrieked the words, and Ryker Falls’s finest police officer responded.
“Hey there, Maggs. Good to see you back in town.”
Fin watched him hug her. What the hell was her deal? Sure, it was a scary thing to be in a bank robbery, but he’d stake his new tramping boots on her not being the falling-apart type.
“You go on and answer Deputy Clipper’s questions, Maggie, and then you can leave. It’s not like I don’t know where to find you.”
She hurried away after shooting Fin a nervous look, and he had to let her.
“Fin.”
“Chief Blake.” He shook the man’s hand.
“Hell of a thing, something like this happening here, and on top of that business up the mountain.”
“Hell of a thing,” Fin agreed. “Need any help doing police work?”
“Think we’ve got it covered. You go on now. I’ll call if I need you. But we’ll keep looking up there with search parties. There must be some clue as to who that body part belonged to.”
“Sure, and I’m going up daily.”
“Good, okay then. Makes a man want a vacation, all this crime,” the Ryker chief of police muttered.
Fin found Maggie outside the bank pulling on her hat and gloves.
She wasn’t meeting his eyes, and Fin guessed that was because she’d got herself together now and was seriously regretting what had just taken place.
“You coming for coffee, Maggie?”
“Where?”
“Phil’s.”
“I need to work.”
“I thought seeing as you were at the bank someone was opening for you?”
“I still need to get back.”
“You can’t take a few minutes for a coffee?
“Look, Fin. What happened in there… I was just freaked out about the robbery. Don’t make a big deal about it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay. Well, good.”
“Maggs, you just had the crap scared out of you. Come and drink coffee. I sure as shit need it.”
“I—ah, I’m calling in to Tea Total, so I’ll sit there for a while.”
“Let me come with you.”
“No! No,” she said again, this time in a more subdued tone. “I’m all right, Fin, really. I’ll see you round.”
He stood there and watched her until she’d left his sight. Then followed. No way was he letting her walk about after the way she’d just reacted. He’d just keep his distance and make sure she got to wherever she was going, then leave her there.
“Like hell that was a simple freak out,” he muttered. But he’d find out what was going on with Maggie Winter if he had to kidnap her to do it.
Chapter Six
Holy crap, she’d messed up. Maggs walked away from Fin. She’d turned into a statue when she’d realized men had entered the bank with guns. Then the shock had started, and vivid visions of London had run through her head like a series of movie clips on repeat. Guns firing, people screaming, and the pain. God, the pain; she’d never experienced anything like that before.
She had no intention of going to Tea Total; she wanted her home. Wanted the solitude and security it offered.
Damn. Back a few days, and she’d already made Fin curious by acting out of character. The old Maggie Winter would never have fallen apart like that.
“Not sure as you should be cussing right out here on the street, Maggs. Even someone as hot as you will incur the wrath of the town’s elders.”
She found Luke Trainer, the youngest of the brothers, smiling at her from the doorway of Phil’s Cafe. He had a bigger build, more like Joe than Jack, the middle brother. But he had the green Trainer eyes and black hair.
“I was just….” Maggie blew out a breath, unsure how