“All right,” he said. “I’ll see you at the hospital. Officer Tepper will stay here until we return. Then I’ll want you to go through the house and see if anything is missing.”

“Certainly, Frank. Sorry if I snapped at you. It’s been a difficult morning, to say the least.”

“How did things go with Mrs. Finch?”

“Like I said, it’s been a difficult morning.”

Bradshaw ordered his driver to take them straight to the hospital. He and Ethel entered through the emergency room, and Bradshaw flashed his credentials at everyone in sight until they were allowed into a small draped-off area where Jesse lay on a wheeled bed. His head and upper torso were inclined at a thirty-degree angle. His eyes were closed; a monitor beeped softly beside him, but it appeared to be checking only his heartbeat and oxygen levels.

The staff had changed him into a hospital gown and folded his clothes into a clear plastic bag hanging from the railing at the foot of the bed. Ethel looked around for his shoes but didn’t see them.

“Jesse?” she whispered.

He opened his eyes. “Ethel.”

Before he could say anything further, she said, “Mr. Bradshaw is with me. We understand you were attacked. Do you know who it was?”

“No. I heard a noise. I thought it came from the basement. The last thing I remember I was on the stairs.”

The privacy curtain slid aside and Detective Mancini stepped into the confined space. He said nothing.

“Was someone in the basement?” Ethel asked.

“No. I was hit from behind. I woke up and Lisa Draper was there. She called the ambulance.” Jesse looked at Mancini. “And the police.”

The detective took advantage of the acknowledgment. “Why did you have the revolver with you?”

Jesse glanced at Ethel, hoping for some guidance.

“I told Frank I gave you the gun this morning,” she said. “When I left for Richmond.”

Jesse nodded. “We didn’t know who shot Jonathan or why. I offered to skip class and remain at the house until Ethel returned. She was concerned if Jonathan had been targeted because of a case he was pursuing, then maybe they thought something was still in his room. Given what happened, she was right to be concerned.”

Ethel laid her hand on his shoulder. “And I was wrong to place you in that position. I’m very sorry.” She turned to Bradshaw and Mancini. “Gentlemen, I think we can wait on further questioning. I’m more concerned that Jesse rest until the extent of his injuries can be determined.”

“They’re waiting on a room,” Jesse said. “Meanwhile, I’m supposed to have a cranial scan. They said something about a subdural hematoma, whatever that means.”

“Bleeding on the brain,” Ethel explained. “It can build up pressure. They might keep you in overnight for observation.”

“Okay.”

“Do you need anything from the house?”