Rodney chuckled as Doug nodded. “You don’t trust me, do you?”
“No. Not after what you did to me at the academy.”
He sobered. “I’m sorry. I was young and stupid.”
Who was this man? “Whatever drugs they’re giving you for the pain must be pretty good.”
“I’m serious, Nhiari.” He glanced at Doug and Karen and then sighed. “Something happened to me after the academy that made me realise what an arsehole I’d been. I’ve changed, but I knew when I came up here, neither you nor Dot would trust me no matter how I behaved, so I reverted to the man you knew.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She stepped away, bumping into Lee’s bed, and glanced at Doug again.
“It’s true, Nhiari. He’s not really an arsehole.”
“There’s nothing I can do to make up for what I did to you at the academy. I took my hurt at your rejection out on you and Dot, and it wasn’t fair.”
“You almost got me kicked off the force.”
“I’m glad I failed. You’re an excellent officer. You got through to Lee when none of us could.”
She wasn’t touching that comment. This was too much on top of everything that had happened.
“Why did Lucas shoot you?” Doug asked and Nhiari was glad about the change of subject.
“He must have suspected me,” Rodney replied.
“He did,” Lee spoke. “Lucas knew the Organised Crime team was up here. I guess he spotted them when he was scoping out the area.”
“Where was he staying?” Nhiari asked.
“There’s a safe house in town.” He gave the address and Karen made a phone call, telling their team to check it out.
“You didn’t tell Lucas about the team?” Doug asked Lee.
“I didn’t know. I think trust was low for all parties,” Lee said, glancing at Nhiari. “Rodney didn’t tell me what was going on with Stonefish or the police. He didn’t even tell me he’d not locked my cell.”
“That’s because Lucas wouldn’t tell me what he had planned,” Rodney explained. “I half expected you to escape out the back, but I was hoping he wanted the treasure badly enough to take it.”
“The treasure was his obsession,” Lee said. “He wasn’t leaving it behind.”
“What happened?” Rodney asked.
Nhiari moved to a seat further away from both beds and sat. Before Lee spoke, Doug came over to her. “You know all of this. Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll call you later and fill you in.” He lowered his voice. “I’ll make sure you two have a chance to talk.”
She glanced at Lee. “All right. Thanks.”
She couldn’t think rationally now anyway.
Without another word, she walked out of the hospital.
Chapter Twenty-One
Leevoweditwouldn’tbe the last time he saw Nhiari as she walked out of the room. Somehow he would figure out a way for them to talk, even if they arrested him and were planning to gaol him for life.
“What happened last night?” Detective Doug Pecherczyk asked.
“Rodney arrested me.” Lee glanced at Rodney. He was still having difficulty believing the man had been working for the police all along and wasn’t a crooked cop. “He brought me into town from Retribution Ridge and threw me into a gaol cell,” he continued. Lee explained everything that had happened until he arrived at the hospital.
By the time he finished, he’d drained his water jug and fatigue clouded his brain. The doctor walked in and glanced at everyone in the room. Doug introduced himself and the other detective, Karen.
