Page 64 of Hold Your Breath
“One drink. There was something wrong with that whisky, though. I told them about it at the hospital, so they drew some of my blood to test.”
Rob’s gaze sharpened. “You think it was drugged?”
“Yes.”
After scribbling something in his small notebook, Rob flipped it shut and dropped it in his pocket. “We’ll be able to tell you more after we take a look tomorrow during daylight.” The sheriff’s tone had a ring of finality to it. “I’m the fire marshal for Field County, so I’ll be heading up the investigation. I promise you that we will find whoever did this. Now go get some rest.”
Although Lou set her chin stubbornly, she knew she wouldn’t get any answers until the following day. She held back her multitude of questions and just said, “Thank you, Rob.”
“Of course, Lou. I’m just sorry you have to go through this.” He shot a quick glance at Callum and then looked at Lou again. “Do you have a place to stay tonight?”
Lou opened her mouth to answer, but Callum beat her to it with a short but definite “Yes.”
“Good. Go home and get some sleep, if you can. Nothing more you can do here except get cold. Colder,” the sheriff amended, his sharp eyes on her huddled posture.
With a final glance around at the destruction of her hard-won but cozy life, she gave a defeated nod and let Callum steer her down her driveway. They’d parked the truck almost at the road, since emergency vehicles lined her driveway. As they passed one of Fire’s rescue trucks, Lou saw a familiar face and stopped.
“Ian,” she called, and the firefighter turned from where he was reloading equipment.
“Hey, Lou, Callum,” he said, walking over to them. “You two okay?”
“Yes.” She had a feeling she was going to be getting that question a lot over the next few days and weeks. “Thank you for your help.”
With a shrug, he said, “Least I could do for two of ours. I’m still pissed at Cook for running into a burning building in his fucking baseball cap and BDUs, but he got you out of there, and you’re both okay. I’m just sorry we couldn’t save your place.”
“Nothing you could’ve done,” Callum said, and Lou nodded.
Ian rubbed the back of his neck. “Still sucks.”
With a choked laugh, Lou said, “That it does. Thanks again, though.”
He gave another nod and headed back to the truck.
Leaning against Callum as she watched him walk away, Lou said, “I really think we should tell him the sheriff’s office thinks his club was involved in HDG’s murder.”
He gave the back of her neck a gentle squeeze before urging her to start walking again. “Tonight’s not the best time to make decisions.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” She sighed as she trundled through the snow toward Callum’s pickup. The drifts looked almost blue in the moonlight. Tipping her head back, she stared at the clearing sky, letting Callum guide her steps.
“One good thing,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“It stopped snowing.”
“Yeah.” He tucked her closer against his side. “That is good.”
Chapter 13
By the time Callum helped her out of her coat—his coat, really—and she kicked off her lost-and-found boots, Lou was swaying with weariness. While Cal hung the coat with a precision that even a sleepless night couldn’t mar, she leaned against the mudroom wall.
“Callum,” she said softly.
“Hmm?”
“My house burned down.” She started to cry.
“Oh, Lou.” Callum dropped the coat on the floor and pulled her unresisting body into his arms.
