Free Dead on Arrival by Lori Avocato Page B

back of his head gave me some comfort. Dano really shouldn’t scare me. He was not a killer , I told myself without a shred of evidence other then my gut instinct—which served me well in my nursing career.
    But did I want to trust it when the issue was murder ?
    Well, I had nothing else to work with other than my gut instincts and very little evidence, so I looked directly into his eyes and waited.
    Dano squinted at me. I wondered if that was so I couldn’t read his pupils. Never could remember if constricting pupils meant someone was lying, or was it dilating ones meant it? What the hell good was looking into his eyes then?
    â€œIf I knew that, Nightingale, wouldn’t I have already told the police?” He turned away.
    So I couldn’t see his eyes?
    I sat still for a few seconds, contemplating the ever-confusing ER Dano. On the surface, he was hot, gorgeous, all man. On the inside, he was beginning to be as mysterious as Jagger. But at least with him, I knew it was always on the up and up. Jagger was the cowboy who should have worn the white hat.
    I mentally looked up to Heaven and mouthed, “What did I do to deserve this?” Had to be to keep me on my toes and not become bored. “Of course, I know you would have, Dano.”
    He looked at me as if confused.
    â€œTold the police. I know you would have told them. Actually, I’d have no way of knowing if you told them or what you told them since I’m only a nurse and a new employee to boot. Well, even if I wasn’t new. I mean if I was a long-time employee like you, the police wouldn’t share any investigative information with me!”
    I actually bit down on my own tongue.
    What the hell had just happened? Dano had me spewing out words in a ramble by merely sitting next to me and looking. I reached up and rubbed my head to make him think I was going insane from the fall.
    Obviously Dano was used to dealing with crazies since he ignored me and said, “But if I had to speculate as to who offed Payne—”
    The ambulance stopped, most likely on a damn dime, ‘cause I again flew toward Dano, the doors opened, and Jagger stood there, with me landing…in Dano’s arms.

Nine
    Lilla handed me a fresh ice pack. “So, chérie , nothing yet on the case?”
    I took the ice pack, held it to my head, and said, “Thanks. Damn it. No. ER Dano was just about to spill his thoughts to me, and we got interrupted.
    Lilla grinned. Damn she looked hot like that. If I were a guy, I’d be all over her.
    â€œNot like that!” I chuckled,and grabbed my head. “Ouch.”
    â€œI put you down as sick for the rest of the shift, chérie . You should go home and rest.”
    I started to nod, then realized that would hurt like hell, then also realized what an opportune moment this could be. The powers around here would think I was still working, and ER Dano and Jagger would (hopefully) think I’d gone home.
    But Pauline Sokol had other ideas.
    Lilla was a peach, I’d decided as I walked toward the administrative section of TLC Ambulance Company. TLC. That was on all the emblems of the EMT and paramedics’ uniforms. She had signed me out as sick so I’d still get paid, and then she told Pansy about the incident today.
    Obviously grief-stricken Pansy was also the legal-eagle in the family since she insisted I go home for as long as needed—paid, I might add. I figured she’d made the offer in order to avoid any lawsuit I might conjure up. Hm. I could pay off a lot of bills….
    But that wasn’t me.
    When I walked into the office of the woman who was the receptionist for Pansy, I stopped at the door and waited. In a few seconds, I heard a French Canadian accented page, “Mrs. Dawson, please report to the main reception area.”
    Thank you, dear Lilla.
    Mrs. Dawson hurried out toward the sound of Lilla’s voice, and I only wasted a few seconds wondering what lie she