“Perhaps,” Wu said. “Or maybe it was a warning that he was coming foryou.”
Thatwas a comfortingthought.
“Where were you last night between the hours of eight and ten?” Wuasked.
“Give me a break, man. She was at my place with me.” Javier ran his thumb over her knuckles, checked in with her. “How are you doing,Mia?”
She gave a little shake of her head. “I don’t evenknow.”
Wu repeated his question as if Joaquin hadn’t answered it already. “Where were you lastnight?”
“I thought you said I wasn’t asuspect.”
“It’s just a routinequestion.”
“I was at Joaquin’s house. I didn’t leave until thismorning.”
“What do you make of the fact that Brigadier General Frank is deadnow?”
“I don’t know. Frank is the one who let them get away with looting at first. He helped bury my report. He got a promotion for it, too. Hewasinvolved in the initial investigation about the mustard gas and some of the men’s discharges, so I suppose someone might hold that againsthim.”
“Do he and Powell getalong?”
“They did, most of the time until … Wait. You think Powell is behindthis?”
Thatbastard.
Joaquin already hatedhim.
“He’s a person of interest in the case. He has a strong motive against you. Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what happenedtonight?”
Joaquin listened while Mia told Wu the whole story, clearly doing her best to rememberdetails.
“I didn’t see his face. The glass had so many cracks in it, and the light was in my eyes. But there was something familiar. I shot back, got off a few shots. I was so pumped up on adrenaline. I doubt I hit him. After the elevator doors closed, I dialed 9-1-1. I was afraid he’d see where the elevator stopped and then follow me up to Joaquin’s floor. I went into your apartment, Joaquin, and locked the door, and then shut all the bedroom doors so he wouldn’t be sure which room I was in. I locked myself in the bathroom and laid down in the tub. I thought it offered the bestcover.”
Joaquin was impressed. “That wassmart.”
Wu went on. “You said you were distracted walking to the elevator. Were you on your phone orsomething?”
Mia’s cheeks turned pink, and she glanced furtively up at Joaquin. “I was … um… trying to memorize some phrases inSpanish.”
Spanish phrases that made herblush?
They would have to talk about thislater.
Wu kept up with the questions until the doctor stepped in with the nurse to stitch Mia’s wound. “We can finish this later. There are pieces in motion the two of you need to hear about, and there are important decisions tomake.”
What the hell did Wu mean bythat?
* * *
Mia pulledthe borrowed scrubs up over her hips, gritting her teeth to keep from moaning. Her bra and panties, both wet with blood, had been bagged for her, and a pair of green surgical scrubs offered to her by a caringRN.
“Just don’t tell anyone,” the nurse hadwhispered.
The scrubs top snapped down the front, which made it easier to puton.
The nurse returned, small pill in a tiny white paper cup. “It’s Vicodin. The doctor has an RX for you—just a handful of pills to get you through the next couple ofdays.”