Before he could close his eyes the phone rang. Zach grabbed at it, nearly dropping it in the process of trying to answer it.

“Yes? Hello?”

“Zach, it’s me. Wes.”

“Wesley, what is it?” Zach asked, coming fully alert again at the sheer panic in the boy’s voice.

“I’m at the hospital. I had to bring Nora in.”

“My God, what happened?”

Zach heard Wesley cough like he was gagging on something. But it only took one word to explain all.

“Søren.”

* * *

The ride to the hospital was nearly as torturous as the ride to Grace’s hotel had been the day before. Zach found the emergency ward where Wesley said they took Nora. He stood in the middle of the vast antiseptic room prepared to do battle with any doctor or nurse who dared ask him to leave. He wasn’t sure exactly where Nora was, what curtain to look behind. He listened, hoping to hear her voice or even her tears, anything to lead him to her. Instead, he heard her laugh.

Zach followed her fading laughter and heard the low rumble of a man’s voice. After a moment a man in a dark blue suit emerged. Zach saw a flash of gleaming metal on his belt. After a quick, steadying breath, Zach slipped through the curtain.

“Good Lord, Nora,” he said as he took in the bruised and bandaged sight before him.

“Hey, Zach. What the hell are you doing here?”

“Wesley called me in hysterics. I can see why.”

“He overreacted. Nearly dragged me here kicking and screaming. He thought it was a broken rib, but it’s just bruised. Seriously, it’s not that bad.” She adjusted the pillow behind her.

Not that bad? Her cheek was purpled and her bottom lip was cracked and swollen. He saw red welts on both wrists and even around her neck.

“A bruised rib? You must be joking.”

“That was my fault, though. I flinched wrong. I’m a bit out of practice. This stuff just goes with the territory. No big deal.”

“No big deal? That was a police officer, wasn’t it?”

Nora flashed him her old arrogant smile, a smile undiminished by the fissure of blood on her lip. “That’s Detective Cooper, my friend on the force. He works with the community, keeps us out of trouble.”

“You’re a madwoman, Nora. Why did you do this?”

Nora gave a cold, hollow laugh, grimacing as the movement seemed to hurt her.

“Remember that day in my kitchen,” she said, pausing to catch her breath. “That first day we were working on my book. You asked me what Wes’s story was.”

“Yes, I recall. Why?”

“I told you I’d put the first randy bitch who laid a hand on him in the hospital. Turns out it was me. Hey, never let it be said I can’t keep a promise.”

“Nora…you will be the death of me,” Zach said, wanting to laugh, too, but finding it utterly impossible.

“You keep saying that. And yet you’re still alive. What the hell are you doing here anyway? Where’s Grace?”