“He tripped and fell in the process of attempting to keep me from reaching this surgical suite. He hit his head on the swinging doors outside.”
Curtis was still considering that when Mason cleared his throat.
“Chief, if I were you, I’d get on board with Officer Trevino’s story. The press was already setting up as I came inside. You might want to talk to them before they start making their own connections between you, McDonald, and Bensen.”
Curtis’s mouth tightened, and for a moment, Alex thought the man was going to buck at Mason’s blatant manipulation. But then the chief’s political instincts kicked in, and the man turned to look at his deputy.
“Suggestions?” Curtis asked.
“For one thing, you might want to drop a hint that you personally placed Officer Trevino and his fellow SWAT team members under a fictitious suspension to allow them to carry out their investigation of McDonald’s allegedly illegal activities without drawing unwanted attention,” Mason said.
Curtis thought about that for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. That’s the line I’ll take for the press conference.” He glowered at Gage. “But I want formal statements and paperwork from everyone involved in this clusterfuck, and I want it neat, tidy, and clean as a whistle. Is that clear, Commander?”
Gage nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Giving them one more scathing look, Curtis turned on his heel and headed out of the room. Alex was just about to let out a breath when the chief stopped and spun around.
“And why the hell are you wearing hospital scrubs?” he demanded.
Alex hesitated, trying to figure out the best way to bullshit his way through this one. Coming up with a cover story about what happened tonight had been a piece of cake in comparison.
“I was technically under suspension and couldn’t wear my uniform, so I put these on, figuring I’d blend in,” he said, then added, “They’re very comfortable.”
The chief looked at him like he was full of shit. “And the blood stains?”
Alex looked down at his chest, noticing for the first time that the blood from the wounds on his chest and side had seeped through the green material.
He shrugged. “They were like this when I found them.”
Curtis stared at him, then shook his head. “Whatever. Just don’t let the press see you when you leave.”
* * *
It took Alex forever to disengage himself from a determined paramedic who refused to believe that the blood on his scrubs wasn’t his. He barely made it downstairs in time to catch Lacey climbing into the back of an ambulance with Kelsey. Her sister was groggy as hell, but she seemed to know where she was and that she was safe.
“Are Sara and the other girls okay?” Kelsey asked when she saw him.
“They’re fine,” Alex assured her.
Kelsey nodded and lay back on the gurney, relief in her eyes.
“The paramedics want me to go to the hospital and get checked out too.” Lacey grimaced. “I told them I was fine, but they insisted.”
“They’re right,” Alex said. “Concussions are nothing to fool around with.”
Lacey didn’t seem to agree with him but nodded. “Can you come with us?”
“I wish. Unfortunately, I’m going to be doing paperwork for a while. Then I have to go find my wallet, cell phone, and weapon. I left them on the side of the road across town. I’ll come to the hospital as soon as I can.”
Lacey smiled. “Good. The sooner the better. Do I need to worry about anyone asking me what I saw?”
Alex shook his head. “I doubt it. But if they do, say that you’re in shock from everything that happened and don’t remember anything.”
“I can do that.” She took his hand. “Be as quick as you can. We have a lot to talk about.”
“We’re ready to go,” the paramedic announced, giving Alex a look that said he was in the way. Alex couldn’t care less.
“Yes, we do,” he told Lacey.
