Page 77 of Serve ’N’ Protect

A store clerk had rolled over another cart and was already loading up her groceries. Or what was left of them.

“What a mess.” Cassidy leaned against a parked car for support as she looked at the crushed eggs and flour that had exploded all over the pavement.

A siren wailed in the not too far off distance. Seconds later, a Maryland State Police car rolled in and parked at the curb. When the officer stepped out, Cassidy recognized her immediately.

“Miss Morgan,” Trooper Collins said, extracting a small pad from her breast pocket. “I understand there was an attempted hit and run. Did you call it in?”

She shook her head. “No, but it was me who was nearly run down.”

Trooper Collins’s brows knitted as she looked down then up Cassidy’s body. “Are you hurt? An ambulance is on the way.” Sure enough, another siren sounded in the distance.

“No, I don’t want to go to the hospital. It was just a close call, that’s all.” Although her palms and knees were beginning to sting from the abrasions.

Some of the crowd had dispersed, but a few still remained, including the man who’d given her the license plate of the pickup. “I saw what happened,” he said. “That pickup truck tried to run her down.”

“Can you describe the truck or the driver?” Trooper Collins asked.

“It was a black Dodge pickup,” the man who’d been helping her said. “I gave her the license plate number. Oh, and the driver had blond hair.”

Trooper Collins arched a brow as she looked at Cassidy. Markus had said the burglar had blond hair, and he’d also told the troopers that Hugh had blond hair.

Cassidy handed over the slip of paper, still not believing Hugh had anything to do with the burglary, let alone trying to run her down. The fact that it was the same make and color truck had to be a coincidence. Didn’t it?

“Why do you think it was intentional?” Trooper Collins asked.

“She was already out of his lane,” the man said. “But the truck veered toward her.”

Collins glanced up at the cameras on the side of the store, pointing. “I’ll run this tag then we’ll take a look at that video footage. First, I’d like to get all your names.”

As soon as she’d jotted down the names of the witnesses, they all left to go about their business.

An ambulance pulled in and parked alongside the store.

Cassidy’s stomach rolled with nausea at the thought of going to a hospital again. “Please, tell them to go away.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Trooper Collins said. “If you like, you can sit in my car while you wait.”

Moments later, she sat in the passenger seat while Trooper Collins typed in the license plate number she’d been given. “By the way, your ex-boyfriend has an alibi for the night your house was burglarized.”

Good thing. The idea that her ex had actually tried to rob her and then punched her in the face was disturbing, to say the least. “Where was he?”

“With his girlfriend. Not the best alibi, but he’s got one.”

She didn’t know whether to be surprised or relieved that he’d moved on. At least he wouldn’t be making any more unexpected visits. Then something about the trooper’s words made her curious. “What do you mean not the best alibi?”

“Girlfriends and partners often lie for their significant others.”

“So you’re not sure about his alibi?”

“All I’m saying is that someone gave him one.”

Hair on the back of her neck prickled. It didn’t sound as if Collins believed the girlfriend, which meant Hugh could have been the one to break into her house. But why would he do that? She’d returned everything of his, including the engagement ring.

Trooper Collins made a hmph sound.

“What is it?” she asked.

“The truck was reported stolen two days ago. It’s a black Dodge Ram pickup, all right.” She picked up the radio microphone and ordered a “BOLO” on the truck, explaining that the driver was wanted for questioning in a near hit-and-run incident.