Vera thought about saying,Like the three dead bodies didn’t?Instead, she offered, “Would you like to come in? We can have coffee.”
“Yes. Please.”
Erwin stepped inside, and Vera closed the door behind her. “They won’t leave too much of a mess. But it’s important that they make sure there isn’t anything they missed in the house that might help them find the person or persons responsible for this tragedy.”
“I understand, but it’s still sad.” She followed Vera to the kitchen.
Just maybe the woman would let something slip over coffee. Vera could always hope.
“I’m sure—” Vera was suddenly propelled forward. Her cheek hit the cool floor as pain shattered in the back of her skull.
She tried to force her eyes open. Not happening. A scream echoed in her ears. Hers? Erwin’s?
Soft ... almost soundless footsteps. Was someone else in the house? Vera ordered her body to move ... her eyes to open. But nothing happened. The pounding in her chest ... the rush of blood through her veins made it hard to breathe. But it was the ache in her head that overwhelmed all else. Bent’s face kept flashing through her mind. She needed to get to him ... to move.
Get up! Get up!
There were other sounds ... muffled ... far away. If only she could open her eyes.Get up! Get up!
Her mind went blank.
Vera opened her eyes slowly. Pain splintered her skull, and she squeezed them closed once more. Something was wrong. An explosion of remembered pain flashed in her brain. Falling forward. Face smacking the floor.
She forced her eyes open once more. Ignored the resulting pain. She needed to get up. Slowly but surely, she pulled her arms toward her shoulders and flattened her palms on the cool hardwood. With effort she pushed herself up onto all fours. The room spun, and she swayed. Her stomach pitched, so she closed her eyes again.
Slow, deep breath. She opened her eyes again and dared to sit up on her knees. The island was close enough for her to grab on to the counter’s edge. She levered herself to a standing position. It took a moment for the room to stop spinning. Coffee. She and Erwin had been coming into the kitchen for coffee.
Where was Erwin?
Fear arced through her as she moved her body so that she could look around the room. It hurt too much to move her head. Erwin lay on the floor at the kitchen door, her upper body still in the hall.
Vera staggered over to her, dropped to her knees. Erwin lay on her back. The blood on one side of her forehead was accompanied by a sizable lump. Vera touched her throat. Pulse was steady. Thank God.
Erwin stirred. Her eyes opened. She blinked.
“Are you all right?” Vera scanned the length of her. Saw no other indication of injury.
Erwin moistened her lips. “What happened?” She raised up onto her elbows. Grimaced.
“I’m not sure.” Vera surveyed the entry hall. The front door stood open.
“Wait.” Erwin scooted up into a sitting position now. She held her head with her hands. “Something flew at you. Like a baseball bat. I swung around, and there was a man ... He’d hit you with the bat or whatever it was. I tried to run away, but then he hit me.” She touched her forehead.
Vera’s pulse jogged into a faster rhythm. Her head throbbed. She felt nausea roiling in her stomach. “Did you get a good look at him?”
Erwin blinked, nodded, then made a pained face. “He wore a ski mask.”
“I need to call Bent.” Vera winced at the pain that roared in her head just from talking. She tried to think.
Wait. Could their attacker still be here?
Vera got to her feet and half walked, half staggered into the hall. The front door stood wide open. Her heart fluttering wildly, shehurriedly stumbled toward it, shut and locked it. When she turned around, Erwin had made her way into the hall. She cradled her head, her expression still pained.
She could be hurt worse than it appeared. “You need me to call an ambulance?”
“No.” Erwin dropped her hands to her sides. “I think I just need to sit down.”
Fighting another wave of nausea herself, Vera ushered her to the bench near the stairs. “Just wait here. I need to have a look around.”
