The Sheriff. Angi Morgan

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СКАЧАТЬ straight brows rise even higher? It was as if getting asked a question made him feel guilty for not answering, or he assumed she’d seen a lot of hospitals. Either way, she immediately regretted giving the officer any insight into her character. “The answer to your question, Sheriff, is no. I haven’t escaped from a loony bin. I told you, I’m a PhD candidate working at the McDonald Observatory.”

      “I didn’t say a word.”

      “Your face says enough without your lips moving.” She covered her mouth with her good hand to make herself shut up. The annoying man just laughed and grinned even bigger. “What are you waiting on, anyway? I told you I can phone and get a ride home. The student I was covering for is already in Alpine. Somewhere.”

      He pulled a cell from his pocket. “Use mine.”

      She held her hand out, wincing at the soreness already setting into her muscles. It didn’t matter, she had no idea what Sharon’s number was without recovering her cell from the Viewing Area.

      “I don’t know her number.”

      She hated to think what a cab ride to the north side of Fort Davis would cost. If they even had cabs in Alpine, Texas, that traveled the fifty miles or so outside the city. She’d probably have to bribe the driver by paying him double.

      “We tried to locate the owner of the car, but the listing is in Austin.”

      “I did mention she’s a student.”

      He stood straighter, slipping the cell back in his chest pocket. “To answer your question, I’m still here because I need your official statement and I thought you might need a ride back to wherever you’re staying in Fort Davis.”

      “Oh. Thanks. That’s very considerate of you. I’m at the observatory, actually. I guess you do things differently here.”

      “Spent a lot of time with the law back home?”

      She just stared at him. The man was actually being extremely nice. And seemed to be charming. Part of his expressive nature, she surmised.

      “We’d never get along.” She clamped her hand over her mouth again.

      “I don’t know about that. I like a woman who speaks her mind. Kinda refreshing.”

      “They gave me a pain pill. It must have gone straight to my mouth.”

      He nodded and covered a grin by rubbing long fingers over his lips. “I was here before the pain pill. You weren’t exactly holding back then, either.”

      For some reason she wanted to push her hands through his slightly mussed hair and see the sandy waviness up close. Wow. What had the doctors given her to make her think like this? She had to remain professional.

      “Do you think I did something wrong, Sheriff?”

      “Miss Allen—”

      “Please, my name’s Andrea.” She checked out her torn black jeans and ragged undershirt still stained with blood, not feeling like a Miss anything.

      “Andrea. We’ve done some checking.”

      “Don’t tell me, there weren’t any planes or helicopters flying in that area. So I actually saw a UFO.” She was trying to be cutesy or sarcastic or just funny. A giggle even escaped, but the expression on the officer’s face didn’t indicate that he was laughing with her. In fact, he looked dead serious. “I’m joking, you know.”

      “You did mention that aliens were chasing you.”

      “I was referring to illegal immigrants. Or maybe I was just delirious from being knocked out cold. I never once seriously thought I was being chased by an extraterrestrial, something foreign to this modern age of flying machines. I study the stars. I don’t live in them.” Exhausted, she wanted to lie back on the examining table and sleep. “I’m here working on my last dissertation.”

      The room tilted. Or maybe she did. It was hard to tell. She was conscious of falling, knew it was about to happen before it did. The heaviness of her arms prevented her from stopping herself. She didn’t hit the floor.

      Instead, a firm grip kept her in place, then lowered her to the pillow.

      He had the best hands. Strong, short practical nails. Firm. And she shouldn’t forget how quick. He’d taken a step and caught her as she swayed.

      “Maybe we should talk later?”

      “I’m sorry, Sheriff.” She rubbed her head and winced at the little bump. “I’m...sort...of...woozy.”

      “Not a problem. I’m not going anywhere. And it’s Pete.”

      “I’m Andrea.” She could really get into liking that mouth of his. “You have a super-cute smile. Did I—” A yawn escaped and she almost couldn’t remember what she was saying. “Oh, yeah. Did I tell you I like your smile?”

      “I think you did, Miss Allen. I think you need to get some shut-eye.”

      She turned into his hand, still holding her shoulder. She caught a clean, musky scent before letting her heavy eyelids close and stay that way. “Can’t think of a better place to do it.”

      * * *

      THE SHERIFF WHO’D taken Andrea’s statement stood outside the door, which was open just a crack. The person he spoke to was in scrubs. Maybe the nurse who’d checked her out earlier, maybe someone new. Shoot, it could be the doctor there to discharge her. She didn’t know. She grabbed the side of the bed and began pushing herself upright, jerking to a stop as a hiss of pain whistled between her teeth.

      “Wow, that really hurts.” Her wrist was bandaged. Funny, she could remember everything except that her wrist was sprained.

      “I’m headed back to the scene,” Pete said. “I’m waiting on the local PD who are going to stay with Miss Allen until we have a few more facts.”

      “What if we need the room?”

      “Mrs. Yardly, it might be a Friday night in downtown Alpine, but when was the last time the ER filled up?”

      The casual stance and charm disappeared quickly as a balding man approached, flipping open a flat wallet. The kind she’d seen many times before.

      The Suit Man seemed to have no personality. He wasn’t attempting to make friends. His straight, thin lips never curved into an approachable welcome. “Steven Manny, Department of Homeland Security. I’m here for Andrea Allen.”

      “I was told local police would be here to escort her to the observatory,” the sheriff answered, shifting his right hand near the top of his gun.

      “I have a few questions and will make certain she gets returned to her residence. You’re relieved.” A light knuckle tap on the door and Suit Man walked inside. “Miss Allen, are you ready?”

      She nodded but locked eyes with Pete, silently imploring the sheriff not to leave her alone. Before she verbalized the words, he stepped into the room behind the new guy and closed the door.

      “She passed out a СКАЧАТЬ