Ian had nothing else better to do, so he called it in and then stood there while an officer made a report. There was no reason to hide that he was seeing the city shrink. Everyone knew what had happened and that he’d need a release to return to work. Nothing to be embarrassed about there.
“Any idea who could have done this?” Officer Richards asked her. He was young, only on the force a few years, and glancing at the sexy doctor more than he should be. But since Ian was guilty of it himself, he didn’t say anything. She was something to look at, for sure.
“If I knew that, I’d tell you.”
“Any patients you’ve ticked off lately?” Richards asked.
“I’m sure a few. But again, client-patient confidentiality. I couldn’t give you the names even if I wanted to.”
“There’s not much we can do then. I’ll check and see if there are security cameras in the parking lot.”
“You could ask around for witnesses too,” Ian jumped in to say, wondering why that hadn’t been brought up.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll go inside and talk to the receptionist at the front desk.” Richards wasn’t doing a good job of hiding the flush on his face.
The officer left and now the calm doctor was standing there scrolling through her phone impatiently. “Do you need a lift home?”
She looked up, startled. “Yes. I’d actually appreciate that. I’m even going to break a cardinal rule with letting a patient know where I live. But I need this towed to the dealership first.”
“I know a guy, if that is what you’re looking for.” He knew a lot of people. It came in handy.
“I was just going to call the dealership,” she said.
“You could do that. Probably pay a lot more, but sure go ahead.” It wasn’t his concern.
“This is going to cost me enough as it is. If you know someone and they could get here right away, I’d appreciate that too.”
He pulled his phone out, found his contact and made the call. “Peter. Price here. I’ve got a job for you.” He gave out the information and then disconnected the call. “He’ll be here in about ten minutes.”
“How did you manage that so fast? Have some people on the inside?” she asked, smirking at him.
“Mick’s son owns a garage.”
“Mick, as in your partner?”
“Yes. He said he’d drop what he was doing and come over.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“No problem.”
They stood there now, the two of them looking around the parking lot. He was comfortable with the silence. He figured she was too, except she said, “What do you think about the weather?”
He burst out laughing. Guess she could make people feel better, even if they weren’t in her office getting grilled. She got points for that.
***
Cam was annoyed. Ticked off. Furious even.
She was trying not to show it, but it was hard. Keep calm and move on. She’d lectured herself enough that a professional would do that. Not swear, not think a bad boy was worth a thrill, not even to lose her patience over her car.
It was the first time something of hers had been messed with. It probably wouldn’t be the last either. It just had taken years for it to happen.
She was highly regarded in this area for giving testimonies in court. Her educated opinion. Medical analysis. Whatever words the attorneys wanted to put on it, she was sought after.
But with that oftentimes came a price. People trying to bribe her. Blackmail her. Shut her up.
Normally she brushed it off. Again, those years of control put her in the professional position she strove for. She was fully aware that clients and patients alike spoke in anger but never really made good on those threats. Which was normally all it was. A threat.
She took precautions at her house. Cameras outside and inside her property. That had always seemed good enough.
She’d never been vandalized. Never really had anything more than verbal threats. Until now.
The tow truck was there in less than ten minutes, and in that time she’d already called the dealership and explained what happened. They said they’d send a driver over for her in the morning to pick her up when her car was ready. She didn’t have any appointments until ten, so it worked out fine.
“Are you ready now, Doc?” Ian asked her.
“Cam,” she said. They were off the clock. He was helping her out. No reason to be formal. She could drop a little of her protective shield.
“I expected you to go for the longer version. More professional.”
She smiled as she followed him down a few rows of parked cars. “If I’m aiming for professional, then I’d say call me Dr. Mason, Detective.” She might be pushing it, but she didn’t see any harm in it at the moment.
He’d made a point with her name and what she called herself. But it was the one thing she hadn’t wanted to change all those years ago. She was Cam, whether she changed her behavior or not.
His lips twitched. “Ian is good. In or out of the office.”
He stopped in front of a black SUV with tinted windows, and that didn’t surprise her in the least. Big, mean, and dark looking. Exactly the type of vehicle he’d drive. One she would have been drawn to in the past. She climbed in the passenger side and buckled in, then gave him her address.
“Sorry to be taking up so much of your time tonight.”
“Not a problem. It’s not like I’ve got anything planned at the moment. Not until I get that release.”
She laughed. “Are you trying to guilt me into it?”
“Would it work?” he asked, looking at her.
She liked this side of him. One that wasn’t guarded. Of course, he wasn’t all that guarded in her office either. Just not really forthcoming, which was completely different. “No.”
“Worth a shot. I get the feeling you’re tough as nails and everyone knows it. Most would be upset, shaking or crying right now. Worried about their safety. Not you.”
She was good at putting up a front when needed. Years of practice. “There are a lot more important things in life to cry about than slashed tires on a brand new car.”
“Even more reason to be mad.”
“Oh, I’m mad, all right. But I can’t do much about it. As for being worried about my safety. I’m not stupid. But right now there isn’t an immediate threat.”
“To anything other than your pocketbook.”
“No crap,” she said. Those tires were going to set her back close to a grand.
“I like that you aren’t so professional outside of the office.”
“Don’t get used to it. You’ve caught me at a weak moment and for some reason I feel you’re one of the few that might understand that.”
She couldn’t remember the last time she slipped like this or even admitted it to herself let alone another person.
“That I don’t have weak moments often?”
“Exactly.”
They were at a red light and he turned to look at her, really look at her. “You’re taking notes right now, aren’t you?”
She smiled and winked at him. “What do you think?”
“I think I’m always on the clock whether you admit it or not. But if it gets me closer to my release, I can play along.”
She laughed, surprised she’d felt the urge to. That she was pretty relaxed at the moment, with a tingle of that thrill she was missing in her life. “You’re a pretty sharp detective.”
“An idiot could have figured out what I just did.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. Brick house on your right,” she said when they turned down her street.
“Want me to go in and check the house for you?”
She paused for a minute. “Why?”
“Because your car was just vandalized. Don’t you want to make sure your house is fine?”
She hadn’t thought of that. She should have but didn’t. He was actually making her a bit more nervous than she was before. Correction, she hadn’t been nervous. She’d been pissed. Now she was slightly nervous.
“I would have gotten a notification from my alarm system if anything wasn’t right. I should be good.”
“So you do protect yourself then?”
“Probably better than you since you aren’t armed.”
She was getting ready to close the door when he said, “Who says I’m not armed?”
“You had to hand your gun over during the investigation.”
“Police issue, yes. You think it’s the only gun I own?” he said. “I killed a homeless teen hopped up on heroin. I don’t think anyone is going to come after me for that. She’s got no one. No one seeking revenge. They can’t even find her family right now.”
She was surprised he’d brought that up. Brought up the incident at all. “And that bothers you, doesn’t it? That someone died and they may not be grieved? That they died alone? That you shot her and she might not be missed by anyone.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked. “Someone is missing her. Even if it’s her drug dealer,” he said. “But I saved my partner and that’s all that matters. I’ll see you in a few days, Doc.”
She’d pushed her luck, she knew it, but she wouldn’t be sorry about it either.