Free Hide My Memories: A Romantic Suspense Thriller Series (Hide Me Series Book 1) by Lisa Ladew Page B

looked at West gratefully. The way he just… accepted this, was wonderful.
    “So is this in the Westwood Harbor Police Department district?” she asked.
    "No. This is the district of the Tetam County Sheriff Department."
    "Then why did you call and ask for our police to come?"
    “Because I've worked with the Sheriff out here before, he's a real jerk. I didn't want him to bully you without any other police to witness his actions."
    Katerina swallowed hard. The last thing she needed to deal with right now was an asshole cop.
    As she fretted and worried about it, and felt the pull of the woman in the forest, time somehow passed. Eventually, a cop car pulled up behind them. West got out and walked to the officer. Katerina got out also and watched them. They shook hands and then hugged. West spoke quietly to him for several minutes and then brought him over to meet Katerina.
    "Katerina, this is my friend Blaise Cornwall. Now that he's here, I am going to call the Tetam County Sheriff. Do you mind telling him your story?"
    Katerina shook her head and West squeezed her arm encouragingly. "I'll be right back," he murmured to her and then walked to the ambulance.
    Katerina told the story again but she couldn't read Blaise's expression. It certainly was not the warm, believing expression that West had displayed.
    Before she was even done, another car pulled up behind the police cruiser. It was the lawyer. Katerina had to tell her story all over again. Each time, she felt a little more ridiculous, if that was possible.
    As the men discussed what to do and what the Sheriff would do, a 4 x 4 truck painted with police colors and with a light bar on top, approached from the other direction. It stopped in front of the ambulance and officer inside got out. Katerina took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself mentally for him.
    "Don't worry, West said, "that's not the Sheriff. It's one of his deputies. He's not a bad guy."
    Katerina let out the breath she'd been holding, but she couldn’t muster a smile.
    Once again, Katerina had to tell her story and then the entire crew headed for the woods, West in front, Katerina lagging behind.
    West showed them where the body was and the two police officers circled it, talking. Katerina and the lawyer stayed in the field, Katerina glad she wasn't alone. The deputy called out another deputy, and had him stand watch at the body.
    After they made the trek back to the vehicles, the deputy took Katerina’s statement, and it became clear that he was not going to arrest her, so West's lawyer left.
    As a cool, silent night fell, Katerina sat in the ambulance and watched the police procedures. It had been more than four hours. The deputy from Tetam County had said his sheriff was out of town so he called in a neighboring county’s sheriff, who came in with a team and lights and they set everything up, then began the process of extricating the woman from the woods.
    Katerina was glad that nobody had asked her to make the trip back out to the woods again. She watched West talk with the police officers and wondered when they'd be able to get out of there. She just wanted this day to be over.
    West broke away from the officers and strode back to her, his cell phone in his hand. "Lieutenant Masterson wants to know if we need meals sent out here,” he asked her, concern on his face.
    Katerina tried to force her exhausted brain to think. Hungry? She wasn't hungry. Would she ever be hungry again?
    "No thank you," she said.
    West gave her a smile and turned away, talking into the phone.
    When he hung up, he came back to the ambulance and slid into the driver seat. "Lieutenant Masterson wants to know if you need some time off," he said.
    "No!" Katerina responded, shocked. West looked at her strangely and she bit her lip, embarrassed to say that she couldn't afford to take any time off. Sure, she was making more money now than she ever had in her life, but she wouldn't see any of it for weeks, and she had bills