Free What She Doesn't See by Debra Webb Page B

start breaking bones
one by one. “I have one question for you. Answer it truthfully and
I’ll see that you’re protected until this is over.”
    O’Neill nodded again.
    “Good. Now, listen carefully. I’m only going
to ask you once.”
    The kid stared at him expectantly.
    “Where is the device?” Wyatt cautiously
removed his hand.
    “You swear you won’t hurt her?” O’Neill
blurted. She’s a really nice lady.”
    Wyatt closed his fingers around the kid’s
throat. “Did you miss the part where I said I was only going to ask
once?”
    “Alex Jackson. I gave it to her! She was the
one who found it anyway.”

Chapter 10
    Alex sat on her closed toilet lid and stared
at the contact lens, storage device, whatever the hell it was that
Timothy O’Neill had given back to her. It was rubberlike and clear
except for the metallic rim. Nothing like the usual sort of contact
lens.
    The words
government, classified,
encrypted
kept whirling in her thoughts, getting all mixed up
with the idea that this tiny gadget had gotten her friend as well
as at least one other person killed.
    And it was her fault.
    If she hadn’t found it… if she’d just tossed
the damned eyeball.
    But she hadn’t. She’d done her job and now
Hitch was dead. The worst part was that no one seemed to be aware
of how and why he’d really died. To say no one cared would be
wrong. Hitch had too many friends, including his partner. But no
one had ruled out the “accident” assumption and moved forward with
a real investigation.
    She stared at the phone she’d been clutching
since she’d come into the bathroom. Doing nothing was wrong. She
had to do something. Holding her breath, she entered Patton’s
number. She knew it by heart after more than an hour of sitting
here trying to decide if she should call him or not.
    Most likely he’d think she was crazy, but she
had to do this for Hitch. He deserved justice, by God.
    Jimmy Patton answered after only the second
ring.
    “This is Alex Jackson.”
    She didn’t actually have to bother with her
full name, most of the detectives knew her, but she’d felt the need
to make this sound official.
    “What’s up, Jackson? Oh damn. I was supposed
to call you about the memorial service. It’s been crazy all day.
I’m just now getting away from work. I’m headed to the hospital to
see my wife and baby girl.”
    Alex heard the pride in his voice. He had a
family now. She swallowed, steadied her voice, and took the plunge.
“Anything new on Hitch’s accident?”
    Silence.
    Could he possibly already know foul play was
involved? Would he find her question suspicious? After all, she was
one of the last people to talk to Hitch last night.
    “What was that?” he asked. “You cut out for a
sec.”
    Wetting her lips, she tried her best not to
let her voice reverberate with the tension gripping her throat.
“Any news on Hitch’s accident?”
    “So far, it looks like an accident. No reason
to suspect otherwise. We’re still waiting for the final report on
the car.” He hesitated. “What’s going on, Jackson? Why do you sound
so nervous?’
    Damn. Alex cringed. “What’s the time and
location of that memorial service?” She hoped like hell the abrupt
question would derail his suspicion.
    “Tomorrow, four-thirty. St. Mary’s over on
Second Avenue. The family’ll have a private funeral mass and burial
later, after the autopsy.”
    What did she say now? “Thanks. I... I just
can’t believe he’s gone.”
    Patton made a knowing sound in his throat.
“Had you and Hitch... you know... talked about getting back
together?” He chuckled good-naturedly. “It was no secret he still
had a thing for you.”
    Would he tell her more if he thought she and
Hitch were involved again? She wasn’t about to lie like that about
a friend, especially a dead one.
    “No, we were just friends,” she confessed. “I
guess I’m stunned that he’s gone. That’s all. He sounded fine to me
last night, and then I wake