Antonio turned to look at her. “She’s on the phone with their brother, giving him an update. The doctor thinks the surgery is going to take a couple hours. She’ll be groggy after, so we won’t be getting her statement tonight.”

“We can get it tomorrow. Leigh already filled in a lot of the details.” Brandon rested his hands on his hips. “So, are you taking off soon?”

He looked at Kate, surrounded by a sea of empty chairs as she talked to her brother, who was on an oil rig somewhere.

“I’ll probably stick around for a while.”

Brandon’s gaze narrowed. “You hate hospitals.”

“Yeah, well.” Antonio didn’t know what else to say, so he left it at that.

Brandon pulled a set of keys from his pocket and held them out. “Use my truck. I can get it from you tomorrow.”

Antonio took the keys. “What about you?”

“I’ll take Leigh’s car. The doctor doesn’t want her driving tonight. I told her I’d take her home.”

Antonio nodded and slid the keys into his pocket. “Any word on Michael Lloyd?”

“No.”

The one syllable was packed with frustration. He couldn’t imagine how Brandon felt knowing that the man who’d put Leigh in the hospital was still out there right now, evading police.

“They’ve got a statewide BOLO,” Antonio said. “Shouldn’t be long.”

Brandon’s jaw tightened, and he didn’t look convinced. He started to say something, then shook his head.

“We got Mason, at least,” Antonio said. “He’s looking at a boatload of charges. Wouldn’t be surprised if he sells out his own brother just to help himself.”

Antonio glanced back at the waiting room as Kate set her phone on the chair beside her. She leaned her elbow on the armrest and rubbed her forehead.

He turned back, and Brandon was watching him.

“You should go talk to her,” his partner said.

“Yeah.” Antonio sighed. “Thanks for lending me your truck.”

“Sure. Good work tonight.”

He nodded. “I hope Leigh feels better.”

“Me, too.”

“Tell her thanks for helping us nail him.”

*   *   *

Leigh was silent on the drive back, and Brandon didn’t blame her. She’d spent an hour perched on a gurney, giving a detailed statement to a Marble Falls cop while she waited for a doctor to stitch her up.

Michael Lloyd had pistol-whipped her. And every time Brandon looked at the bandage on her forehead, he felt his blood start to boil.

It had been five hours, and police still hadn’t managed to locate the son of a bitch. He could be out of the state by now.

Leigh stared out the car window at the passing buildings, and the blank expression on her face made his stomach clench. He’d given her his blue APD jacket to cover her torn clothes. It was too big for her, and the sleeves swallowed her hands.