Page 33 of Meant to Be
“People don’t go around stabbing people for no reason.”
“He thought maybe the guy wanted to rob me, but another car pulled up as it happened.”
Mitch nodded. “Any suspects?”
Sydney looked down. “He looked at a lot of people. Hospital staff, old colleagues, friends even.”
Mitch sat back, his gaze staring off toward nothing as if he was thinking. Finally, he looked at her. “I’m going to check in with Kevin. His and Jenny’s families are here now, so he doesn’t need me.”
Sydney looked to the crowd around Kevin. She hadn’t even noticed them arrive.
“Then you and I are leaving.”
She flinched at the authority in his tone. “What do you mean?”
“We need to talk about this, but I don’t want to do it here.” He stood.
The only explanation was that he was going to take her to the police station. She wasn’t sure why she needed to retell the story there as opposed to right where she was, but she nodded.
“I’ll be right back.” He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
She glanced at him, surprised and comforted by the spontaneous gesture of reassurance.
Mitch glanced backat Sydney as he strode toward Kevin. He’d already been keyed up over Jenny’s attack, but to hear Sydney had been assaulted as well nearly brought him to his knees. His chest was so tight at the image of her wounded and needing help that he could barely breathe.
It didn’t make any sense. The Sydney he knew wasn’t the type to make enemies. Even in college, at first, many had thought she was conceited, but it was because she’d been shy and unsure. Once she’d come out of her shell, everyone liked her. Even the catty women who should have hated her because of her wealth and beauty couldn’t muster a bad word. Sydney was kind and gentle. Had she changed? Or had some man misread her kindness as interest and then tried to kill her when she rebuked him?
Kevin looked up at him, so Mitch put thoughts of Sydney aside for the moment. “I’ve gotta run. Do you need anything?”
“Does she know something?”
“Maybe.” The dread in Kevin’s eyes compelled Mitch to hold back all the details he’d learned from Sydney. Tension radiated in waves off of Kevin telling Mitch he was trying to be strong, probably for his family. He didn’t need to know what Sydney has shared until Mitch had thoroughly questioned her.
“You find who did this, Mitch.” Jenny’s mother held onto Kevin’s arm.
“I will. Keep me posted. Jenny is strong. She’s fighting hard.”
Kevin nodded and hiccupped, as he worked to hold back a sob. Mitch hated that he couldn’t do more to reassure and comfort his friend. Mitch was torn at leaving, but when it came to violent crime, there was no time to waste. Leads had to be followed immediately or they went cold.
Sydney waited for him by the elevators. Fear and guilt warred in her eyes. He knew the fear of being hunted from his days in the military. And he understood the guilt from having someone pay a heavy price because of him. He’d planned to take her to the station but decided she might be more comfortable somewhere else.
“Are you hungry?”
“What?”
“Hungry?”
She shook her head then poked the elevator button impatiently as if she could will the car to get there faster. That’s when Mitch noticed she was wearing scrubs.
“You should change.”
She looked down, her eyes narrowing and her mouth forming a smallOas if she only just realized she wasn’t in her regular clothes. “They’re in my locker.”
The doors to the elevator opened and they stepped in.
“What floor?”
“Four.”
