Katie was just drifting off to sleep when her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She sighed and picked it up, the glow from the screen illuminating the bed and casting weird shadows on the walls.

The readout said, “ER.” Katie sat up and answered the call.

“Dr. LeClair,” she said.

“Doctor, one of your patients is here in the ER. He is the assumed victim of a hit-and-run,” a businesslike voice told her. “Doctor Gregor wanted me to let you know he’s going to transfer him to the U of M trauma center.”

“Who is the patient?”

“It’s Christopher Riley.”

Katie was out of bed immediately. She fought the dizziness from standing up so fast and pulled on the clothes that she had left draped over a chair.

“I’m on my way,” she said.

“I don’t think—”

But Katie didn’t wait to hear what the nurse was going to say. She ended the call, grabbed her keys, and let herself out the side door. It was only a three-minute drive to the hospital. Katie hoped she’d get there before Christopher was transferred. There was no telling whether she’d be able to talk to him once he was in the trauma unit. She wasn’t even sure if he would be able to talk. But at least she could get the full story from Matt.

The waiting room was empty again, just as it had been when she had come in a week and a half ago to see Ellen Riley. Now Ellen’s husband had been the victim of a hit-and-run?

“Katie, I see you got my message,” Matt said when she entered the patient area. “I figured you’d want to know.”

“What happened?”

Matt led her off to one side away from the activity surrounding Christopher’s gurney.

“He hasn’t said much, but there was a witness who said a dark pickup truck swerved to hit him. He was walking to his car after leaving the restaurant. No one else saw anything.”

“Is he stable?”

“For now. Vitals are stable, and he’s breathing on his own, but he has several fractures and a severe concussion.”

“You don’t think we can keep him here?”

“University Hospital has a dedicated trauma unit with highly trained nurses. I think the ICU here could handle it, if we weren’t nearly full and understaffed.”

“Can I see him?”

Matt gestured for her to follow him, and they entered the cubicle where Christopher seemed to be resting. His face had multiple contusions and lacerations. His left eye was swollen, and he wore a neck brace. Katie assumed they’d dosed him with narcotics to help with the pain and to be sure he could be transferred without undue discomfort.

“Do you think it was an accident?” Katie whispered to Matt.

“The witness doesn’t think so. She claims the truck drove right up on the curb to hit him.”

“Drunk?”

“Maybe, but she claims it drove off just fine. Of course she didn’t get a license plate number or a good look at the truck. It all happened so fast, and she was definitely shocked by it all.”

“Who was the witness?”

“Mrs. Peterson. She was working late at the Purple Parrot. She happened to be looking out at the street when the accident happened,” Matt said. “It’s a good thing too. The ambulance was able to get there within a couple of minutes to stabilize him.”

“Who would want both Ellen and Christopher dead?”

“So you think this is related to his wife’s death?”

“I think that if they aren’t related, it’s a huge coincidence—maybe too big,” Katie said. “I can’t help thinking of it like a medical diagnosis. You try to find the one thing that will fit all the symptoms. It’s more likely than a patient having two major illnesses.”

“Listen to you, going all forensic on me.”

Katie smiled at him and felt the ice melt a bit.

“Katie, I’m sorry about the other night. I overreacted.”

Katie was already shaking her head. “No, I shouldn’t have read the file without talking to you. I just got so caught up in trying to figure out who killed Ellen that nothing else mattered.”

“Well, seeing Christopher tonight made me realize that this person needs to be stopped, and soon.”

Katie stepped out of the cubicle and saw John Carlson standing there looking grim.

“Who do you think did this?” Katie asked.

Carlson shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m going to go talk to a couple of people now. I broke up a fight between Christopher and Todd Talbot earlier tonight. I wish I’d arrested them both for disturbing the peace. At least Chris would have been safe.”

“What were they fighting about?” Katie asked.

“They wouldn’t say. And since all the damage was to the restaurant, I just gave them a warning and left it at that.”

“There was damage to the restaurant?” Matt asked.

“Just a few tables turned over and dishes broken. It happened earlier in the evening before they opened. One of the kitchen staff called us when the argument got physical.”

Beth must have told Todd about Marilyn’s paternity situation. If he had confronted Christopher, it may have sparked the conflict.

“Doc, Linda told me you’re still looking into Ellen’s death,” Carlson said. “I don’t want to get a call that you’re here in the ER as a patient.”

Katie started to respond, but he put up his hand.

“This is serious. Trying to follow in Ellen’s footsteps to see what she knew is dangerous. Whoever killed Ellen Riley apparently thought Christopher was a threat. Don’t give that person an opportunity to feel threatened by you as well.”

Thinking she could trick a reporter—even one that mostly worked on births, deaths, and weddings—was a mistake. Linda must have seen right through them and talked to John about it.

“You think Katie is in danger?” Matt asked. He moved closer to Katie.

“I don’t know,” John said, “but I have to assume that this is the same person. Which means I don’t want to see anyone else hurt for digging where they don’t belong.”

Matt looked at Katie with a worried expression. He seemed about to say something when the nurse called him away to talk to the transfer team.

The two EMTs from the university transferred Christopher to their wheeled gurney. The nurse took the details from Matt, and the team swooped back out to the ambulance.