She snapped her fingers again. “My files. The files and all my index cards. I bet he took them too.”

“You’re still not making sense,” Brice repeated. “What does Ben have to do with Neesa Vincent or Jazmin Mayes?”

“He figured it out. All of it. Somehow, he tracked Neesa down after Jimmy Zee couldn’t. She claimed she didn’t tell him anything, but he figured it out. I think he went to the hotel’s insurance company and convinced them to pay him to keep what he knew quiet.”

“That doesn’t sound like Ben,” Brice argued. “He’s a computer geek. Not a blackmailer. Certainly not a killer.”

“Just get me out of here, okay?” Drue pleaded. “Sign the discharge papers, do whatever it takes, but get me out, and I’ll explain everything. And then we’ve gotta call Rae Hernandez and let her know what happened.” She grasped his arm. “Please, Dad? You have to trust me. We can’t let Ben get away with this.”

Brice nodded reluctantly. “Stay here, okay? I’ll see what I can do.”

When he’d gone, Drue slumped back down on the examining table. She’d almost dozed off when the curtain parted again.

Brice stepped inside the cubicle and tossed her a set of green surgical scrubs. He set a pair of purple plastic Crocs on the table beside them.

“Okay, you’re sprung.”

“Sweet. Turn around, will you?”

He did as she asked and she quickly discarded the cut-offs and the hospital gown and dressed in the scrubs, which were two sizes too big.

“All done,” she announced. “Let’s go.”

“Take my arm,” he said gruffly, as they moved down the hallway toward the exit. The Crocs squeaked loudly on the linoleum tile with every step she took.

“Where’d you get the clothes and shoes?” she asked, as the automatic doors slid open.

“Money talks,” he said. He steered her gently toward the Mercedes, which was parked under the emergency room portico, with the flashers blinking. As they approached, a hospital security guard who’d been lounging nearby stepped closer.

“All set?” he asked.

Brice reached out and shook the guard’s hands, obviously passing him some currency.

“All set, thanks.”

56

“Hey, you guys.” They turned to see Jonah Kelleher emerge from the shadows at the edge of the portico. He was still dressed for the date that Drue had forgotten about, although his necktie was long gone and his blue dress shirt was stained and wrinkled.

“Jonah!” Drue exclaimed. “I thought Dad sent you home.”

He shrugged. “I couldn’t just leave, not knowing if you’d be okay.”

She touched his arm. “That’s so sweet. I’m good. Thanks to you and Corey.”

His dark blue eyes took in her bedraggled appearance, skunk hair, oversize scrubs and all. “You don’t look so hot.”

“Flatterer.”