Page 48 of Evidence of Secrets

“Will do.” Laura grabbed a jacket, put it on, and debated whether to bring an umbrella. The bank was a short walk from the bistro, and she hoped to have a few minutes after she deposited the cash to window-shop. Something she never got enough time to do. Or maybe she’d stop by the BookShop. Hailey’s bookstore was close to the bank, and she hadn’t seen Hailey since the girls got together at Grace’s house.

Her heart skipped a little thinking about browsing in the bookstore. Not that she had any money to buy books, but looking was free. Maybe she’d have a cup of coffee while she was there. Or not. She really didn’t have extra money for coffee right now.

Plans made, Laura walked out to a windy day. The wind whipped her hair into her face, and she stopped to tie it into a ponytail. She walked along the Riverwalk, gawking into windows and avoiding people walking with their heads down. It wouldn’t do for her to have an accident. She couldn’t afford the doctor or hospital bill. Shit, she couldn’t afford health insurance either.

The bank was off a side street, and Laura turned the corner. There weren’t many shops or restaurants on this street, so fewer people came here. Considering the weather, Laura wasn’t surprised to see no people on the street.

She thought about talking to Stuart at the bank. She wondered if he had come up with some brilliant plan to save her restaurant. Wishful thinking, but the alternative wasn’t pleasant.

The brick building the bank was in was a block away. Laura tugged her jacket closer. The air was heavy with moisture. Rain was coming.

Whap.Laura stumbled on the sidewalk. What the hell?

Someone hit her on the head. She straightened up and turned around.

Whapagain. However, this time, she was pushed violently to the ground. Laura landed on her side. She lay there, stunned.

A man in jeans, a hooded jacket, sunglasses, and a mustache grabbed her purse. She struggled to hold on to it. But he cut the strap with a knife and ran across the street and down an alley.

“Hey. Hey, you,” yelled a guard from the bank, who ran over to help her. “Miss. Miss.” He stooped over to help Laura up. “Are you all right?”

“Get my purse,” she screamed.

The guard shook his head. “The guy is already down the alley. I wouldn’t have caught him.”

No, this couldn’t be.

Laura’s head hurt. Her knees and ankle hurt, and she was sure she had done something to her shoulder.

A tear slid down her cheek, then another, joined by hundreds more.

“Oh, dear. Please don’t cry.” The guard was distraught. “Let me help you into the bank.”

The bank! Her deposit was gone. How could she ever make up the stolen amount? Did she have insurance for that? With her luck, probably not. The most pressing problem was the damage to her body. Laura was sure she twisted her ankle when she fell and prayed nothing serious was wrong with her shoulder.

She leaned on the guard, trying hard not to put pressure on her ankle as he guided her to the bank.

Once inside, he had her sit in the lobby while he grabbed some ice from the back room.

“Here you go, hon. Put this on your ankle. I’ve called the police and an ambulance. You need to get yourself checked out.”

Ambulance? Nooo. “I…” Laura started sobbing. “I can’t afford an ambulance.”

She heard the sirens out front. Too late. The EMTs rushed in, followed by two police officers.

A female EMT leaned down and looked at her ankle. “It might be broken. You need an X-ray.”

The cops tried to question Laura, but she couldn’t stop crying. Stuart came over and murmured to them. He walked over to her and scooched down. “Laura, you need to go to the hospital. The police will probably question you there.”

The EMT pushed the backboard in, settled Laura on it, and got her into the back of the van. She finally stopped crying and was hiccupping. The EMT rubbed her hand and told her it would be all right.

No, it wouldn’t. It would never be all right. She was cursed.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX

Sam and Hailey raced through the automatic doors of Black Pointe General Hospital. It wouldn’t be the first time nor the last that Sam would be visiting the hospital for someone, and she hated it.

Laura had called her for a ride home, and Sam wondered what happened. Laura hadn’t said.

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