“Don’t take your eye off of her. She’s a murderer.” Conor’s blood ran cold. Once again, the cops thought he was the killer. As long as they took care of Louisa, he’d deal with whatever happened later. “And get an ambulance!”

CHAPTER 33

33

Louisa’s body bloomed with pain. Her lungs refused to inflate. She inhaled. Instead of air, her breath gurgled with liquid. It felt like a car was parked on her chest. A choking sensation filled her throat.

She opened her eyes. Bright lights and men in uniforms swept the basement. Someone came down the stairs with a handheld floodlight. A policeman wrapped a blanket around Zoe’s shoulders. Conor was on the floor, facedown and handcuffed, with two cops on top of him.

A policeman knelt at her side. “Hold on, ma’am. Help is just a few minutes away.”

Louisa summoned all her strength. Her hand fisted in his pant leg. “Not him. Not Conor. She shot me.”

The cop leaned closer to her mouth. “What?”

“She said the girl is the murderer.” Detective Ianelli’s voice boomed over the commotion.

Louisa used her last store of energy and oxygen to nod. “She shot me.”

Silence fell over the basement. The last thing Louisa focused on before darkness descended over her vision was the sight of Detective Jackson taking the handcuffs off Conor’s wrists. She let herself go into oblivion.

Conor skidded to his knees next to Louisa. Breath rattled in and out of her mouth with a wet sound. “Honey, stay with me.”

“Ambulance is just around the corner.” Jackson lowered himself to one knee. “Shit. Ianelli, get over here. She can’t breathe.”

“Move over.” Ianelli dropped to the concrete. The Camden cops moved out of the way as the detective ripped Louisa’s blouse open. The bullet wound was low on her left rib cage. “Her lung is punctured. Air is getting in. I need plastic.”

Jackson searched his pockets and came up with a brand-new pack of gum. He tore the cellophane wrapper off and handed it to his partner, who used it to seal the bullet wound.

Louisa’s breathing eased a little. A few dozen raspy breaths later, a new siren approached.

“Ambulance is here,” a uniformed cop called from the stairwell.

Ianelli got up. The paramedics took over.

Jackson slapped his partner on the shoulder. “Ianelli was an army medic.”

Conor rocked back on his heels, watching the paramedics work in silence. One punched a huge needle between Louisa’s ribs. Conor flinched.

Ianelli’s hand landed on Conor’s shoulder. “He’s just evening out the pressure.” The cop helped him to his feet. “Come on. Let’s get over to the hospital.”

An IV line was started. Louisa was put on a backboard and transferred to a gurney.

Conor followed the gurney up the steps and into the cool night air. Jackson and Ianelli were right behind him.