Jo shook his head helplessly.
“Who’s going to kill him?”
But Theresa was slipping out of consciousness again. Jo looked at me, torn between helping Theresa and trying to figure out what she was going on about.
“Do you know anything about this?”
I shrugged. “No. She didn’t say anything before about anyone trying to kill Tim.”
Even as I said the words, something niggled at the back of my mind. There was some connection between Theresa and Tim, but what? I closed my eyes, trying to block out the noise of Jo and the receptionist arguing and Theresa’s feeble, infrequent pleas.
My eyes shot open as the memory came back to me. Theresa seemed tense at the diner when I mentioned my friendship with Maria. And in turn, Maria had become cold when I’d talked about the fact that Theresa was missing. But did their mutual dislike really have anything to do with Tim?
Why would Tim’s life be in danger just because his wife and Theresa didn’t get along?
Another unsettling thought occurred to me. Tim’s communication with me had been almost constant over the last week until today. I hadn’t heard anything from him, despite the fact that the election was happening in the morning.
Theresa was right. Something was wrong.
I waited until Jo was done with the receptionist to nudge him. Leaning towards him, I spoke in a low voice.
“I think Theresa might be serious. She and Maria didn’t seem to like each other. I don’t know if there’s a connection between that and what she’s been saying about Tim, but I thought I’d mention it.”
He frowned for a moment, then his eyes widened. I could tell something had just clicked in his brain, but as usual, he didn’t say what he was thinking.
Looking between me and Theresa, he seemed to come to a decision.
“I need you to stay here with her. She can’t be alone, and things might be dangerous. I don’t want you getting involved if it is.”
I gaped at him. “No! I’m not sending you over there alone, you could get hurt!”
Jo twisted his hip towards me. He lifted his shirt a tiny bit, revealing a gun holster.
“I’m a P.I., remember? Besides, I’ve got other means of protecting myself, too.”
I remembered the way he’d whipped up a complicated potion at the shop in a matter of minutes, and felt a little more reassured. But when I looked up into his eyes, my heart gave a little lurch.
“I don’t know, Jo…”
His face stretched into a taut grimace.
“Look, if this is a real threat, I’ve got to get over there. The police aren’t much use, but I’ll call them for backup. Will that help?”
I paused, still worried, then nodded. He flashed a shadow of his usual smile, then turned to go. I grabbed my keys out of my coat pocket.
“Take my car!”
He looked back and shook his head.
“The Merricks don’t live far from here. I can run.”
I saw him take out his phone as he hustled through the sliding double doors. I hoped he really was calling the police.
Turning back to Theresa, I saw that she’d woken up again, staring after Jo with wide eyes.
“Where is he going?”
I didn’t have time to answer her because the nurse called Theresa’s name. She took vitals, then wheeled Theresa back to a room while I followed. I tried to keep my mind on what was happening with Theresa, but my thoughts were stuck on Jo. If Tim’s life really was in danger, and Jo got in the middle of it…
Pushing the dark thoughts away, I focused all my attention on Theresa. The nurse got her settled on the bed, then told us the doctor would be in soon.
“Where did Jo go?” Theresa asked the minute the nurse left.
I covered her hand with mine. “He’s going to see what’s going on with Tim.”
She let out a long, slow breath. “Good. If anyone can help Tim, it’s Jo.”
She lapsed into silence, avoiding my eyes. I gave her hand one last squeeze, then sat down in the chair next to the bed. Every few seconds, I glanced at the door, wondering when the doctor would get there. I knew that it was possible to sit in the ER for hours, but judging by the way the staff had reacted to Theresa, she had likely been categorized as critical.
I kept wondering where Jo was, if he was okay, or if he was in the middle of some fight. I tapped my feet, almost bursting with impatience as the minutes crawled by.
“You want to go after him, don’t you?”
The sudden words startled me. I looked back at Theresa. Even though she was lying back on the pillows, she was alert, her gaze fixed on me. I blushed a little.
“I’m worried about him,” I admitted.
“Me, too.”
