Frank knocked, and a small voice called out to come in. After opening the door and sliding the curtain to the side, we saw Gina sitting upright in the hospital bed. One light attached to the headboard lit the space around her. When she saw us, a smile brightened her face.
“Detectives Mills and McCord!”
Frank pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down then handed her a stuffed bear. “You can call us Frank and Jesse, remember? And the bear will keep you company when we’re not here.”
“Thank you. It’s really cute.” She appeared to notice Frank’s scuffs when the light hit him just right. “What happened to you?”
“Muffler trouble.”
I grinned at Frank’s feeble attempt to shelter Gina from the truth.
She smiled. “Liar.”
“I could ask you the same thing, but I already know.” Frank patted her hand. “We got him, kiddo, and even though Richard Hill wasn’t the man who killed Leslie, he would have killed you. I can tell you now, he’ll never bother you or anyone else again. You can feel safe in your apartment, we’ll get a new doorbell set up for you, and I’m going to help you get situated with a job or a course that you’ll enjoy. After that, I know you’ll be just fine.”
Gina stared at the twine-and-zip-tie cuts that covered her wrists. “So what happened to him?”
“Richard was surrounded by us at the Ashland Street station. It was the end of the line for him, and he had nowhere to go. Let’s just say the subway and the good guys won.”
She breathed deeply. “The doctor said I’ll be in here for a few more days. They want to make sure my cuts don’t become infected and the hematoma on my head goes down. Will you guys visit me again?”
“Of course,” I said. “We’ll need to question you about what happened with Richard, anyway. Sorry, but it’s mandatory.”
She nodded. “I was so stupid.”
Frank held his finger to his lips. “Shh. You had no idea he was conning you. Don’t let him take up your brain space. Think only good thoughts. I hear hair grows back faster that way.”
She chuckled. “You just made that up, didn’t you?”
“Guilty.” Frank patted her head. “Kind of have that Amish-boy hairstyle now.”
Gina gave us a thumbs-up. “Cool.”
I dipped my hand in my pocket and pulled out that small plastic bag. “I’ve got something for you, Gina. I think you need Leslie’s memory close to you right now.” I reached in, pulled out the ring, and placed it in Gina’s hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she put it on the finger next to her own ring.
“There. Now we’ll be side by side forever.” She wiped her eyes with the tissue Frank handed her. “Thank you, Detective McCord—I mean Jesse.” She smiled. “I love you both so much.”
“Back at you kiddo. We better let you get some rest.” Frank stood and placed the chair against the wall. “We’ll bring you dinner tomorrow night. How about Chicken Shack?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I can eat food from there for a while. Bad memories, you know.”
I chimed in. “Then pizza?”
Gina grinned. “I love pizza. Can you have them put anchovies on it?”
Frank gave me a side-eyed glance, and I was sure his face turned green, but maybe it was the bruising I noticed.
“Sure,” he said. “What a coincidence that is, since anchovies are my favorite topping too.”
THE END
Thank you!
Thanks for reading End of the Line, the sixth book in the Detective Jesse McCord Police Thriller Series. I hope you enjoyed it!
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