Page 14 of Clumsy in Love

“It’s the fastest way down. I got you. Drop already.”

Without warning, she let go. Caught off guard, her weight hit like a ton of bricks. He grunted as she crashed into him, knocking him off his feet and sending them both tumbling to the ground. “Oof,” he said. “How ’bout a head’s up next time?”

“Nice catch, tough guy,” she said sarcastically.

“I broke your fall, didn’t I?” His arms were still around her, and he could feel how cold she was. He stood, offered a hand, and helped her up. “Here,” he said, sliding off his coat and laying it on her shoulders. “You’re freezing.”

She slid into it eagerly and moaned. “Thank you, Officer…”

“Robinson. Cole.”

She nodded. “That your coffee?” she asked, eyeing the cup he’d left on the ground.

He sighed, picked up the cup, and held it out to her. If she really spent the night in a tree, she needed it more than he did.

“Any chance I can borrow your phone?” Puppy dog eyes met his. “Just for a second,” she added when he paused.

“Um. I guess.” He dug out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her. She typed furiously, pausing every once in a while, until the detectives arrived.

As Flanigan and Espinoza approached, she returned his phone. “Whatcha got, Robinson?”

“Plucked a witness from this tree.”

“Huh?”

“She says she witnessed Adams get shot and slept all night in the tree after running away from the shooter.”

“That true?” Espinoza asked Holly.

“I didn’t say anything about sleep, but yes,” she said solemnly. “I’m sorry about your coworker.”

The three of them nodded. “His name was Nick Adams. Will you come back to the scene with us? Walk us through what you saw?”

“Of course.”

She winced when she tried to walk and then started hopping on one foot. Cole slid in beside her and put an arm around her waist. “Lean on me. We’ll get aid to take a look back on the trail.”

Pausing, she must have decided she wouldn’t make it without help and reluctantly slung her arm around his shoulder. “Thanks.”

She was tall and fit comfortably by his side. And even after witnessing a shooting, hurting her ankle, and sleeping in a tree, she seemed to be holding up pretty well.

Back at the murder scene, she pointed to where she’d been hiding. “I could see them, but they couldn’t see me,” she said. “The bad guy was accusing Adams of being a snitch. He played a voice recording that made it kind of obvious he was a cop. At least, that’s what I thought when I heard it.”

“We’ll need details when you make your formal statement, but for now, go on.”

“Adams vehemently denied it, but Edwardo had pulled out a gun.”

“You know his name?” Detective Espinoza’s eyebrows shot up.

“Edwardo Cruz. That’s what Officer Adams called him.” She shrugged, not realizing how monumental the information was.

“Okay. Then what?”

“They struggled for a few seconds. Then Edwardo shot him. Twice. Just like that. With no warning.” She choked up, and tears welled.

“Hey,” Cole said. “You’re doing great. Keep going.”

“I gasped. I couldn’t help it. Edwardo heard me and looked over.”

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