Page 21 of Mountain Summons

“Early this morning. He sends his gratitude to the whole team. He also asked if you wouldn’t mind picking up his daughter at the hospital at eleven and taking her home, since he had to go to Paris for an urgent meeting.”

Tristan blinked. “Me?”

“It appears Madeleine trusts you,” Beau said. Then he paused. “I didn’t say anything to the colonel about the fact that you knew each other. Please don’t make me regret this.”

Tristan hesitated. “You’re not pulling me from the field?”

Beau’s gaze sharpened again. “That depends.”

“On what?”

Beau sighed. “On whether you can figure out how to do your job without losing your goddamn head next time.”

Tristan nodded, his throat tight. “It won’t happen again.”

Beau waved a hand toward the door. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”

Tristan didn’t need to be told twice, but there was one more thing he had to do. He had to apologize to his teammates. “Is the rest of the team here?” Tristan asked. He knew nobody would have gotten much sleep the night before.

Beau looked around unhappily. “Yeah, about that … Hugo and Lorenz went back out with Vincent to secure the scene until the forensic pathologists arrive.”

Tristan swallowed. He’d completely forgotten about the skeleton. “Any idea who it could be?”

Beau shook his head. “Vincent’s team is looking into the archives but, so far, no luck.”

“Lena took some photographs, in case it helps with the identification.”

“I’ll let Vincent know.” Beau ran a hand through his hair. “Now get out of here.”

As he stepped out of the meeting room, the tension coiled inside Tristan’s body finally began to dissolve. He had a lot to think about, but the only thing he could focus on—the only thing that mattered right now … was getting back to Lena.

10

Lena

She was so ready to go home.

As soon as the nurses had allowed her to get out of bed that morning, she’d shuffled slowly to the bathroom on her new crutches. That had taken a while. Getting dressed, even longer. Her thankfully straight jeans, which her father had dropped off with the nurses while she was still asleep, just about made it past the soft brace on her ankle. That was something, at least. The nest that was her hair, that was more difficult to fix. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get it untangled.

For over an hour now, she’d been sitting on the ugly vinyl-covered armchair, waiting. Every time she shifted, the plastic squeaked faintly, putting her on edge. Not that it took much. Her father had taken care of that this morning, when he’d texted to tell her he had to go to Paris, and that he was sending Lieutenant Devallé to pick her up.

It’s not as if she’d been expecting a long heart to heart with her father. The few words they’d exchanged the previous night were probably all she was going to get. But she had at least expected a ride home. For him to want to see with his own eyes that she was whole and well.

Lena sighed. It wasn’t the first time her father had disappointed her, and it wouldn’t be the last. She just had to get over it.

After what seemed like hours, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Tristan looked so uncomfortable, it was tempting to come to his rescue, even if she wasn’t feeling very generous. Maybe that’s why her father had calledhim, of all people. Because he knew she’d feel indebted to him, and would be less likely to cause a fuss.

She considered that for a second. She felt something for Tristan, for sure. And it wasn’t indebtedness.More like an irrepressible urge to jump his bones. Not here, of course. Not in a hospital. And maybe not today. In her semi-rigid ankle brace and with her unwashed hair knotted and piled on her head, she felt as sexy as a red-eared slider, and probably looked like one, too.

“Yes,” she said brightly.Too brightly?“I’m ready to get out of here. If you could just help me get my crutches?” She twisted her body to where the crutches were standing.

Tristan frowned. “Shouldn’t we be getting a wheelchair or something?”

“Why would we need a wheelchair? I have my crutches. I have my discharge papers. And my ankle’s not even broken, anyway. It’s just a sprain.” She gave a small smile. “I guess I was a bit of a wimp last night.”

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