Witness Pursuit Read Online Free Page A

her.
    That’s why she needed to get out of town, to explore other places in the world where people didn’t know her as Baby McBride with the strange autoimmune disease.
    â€œCassie?” Madeline pressed.
    â€œI’m fine,” she said, closing her eyes.
    â€œYou’re not fine. Do you want to talk about it?”
    â€œNothing to talk about.”
    â€œFinding a dead body—”
    Cassie’s eyes popped open. “So she was dead?”
    â€œYou didn’t know?”
    Cassie shook her head.
    â€œI’m sorry.” Madeline patted Cassie’s shoulder.
    It was just the beginning, Cassie thought, the beginning of her family and friends smothering her until she could no longer breathe.
    God, please help me cope.
    She suspected all the prayer in the world wouldn’t change the way people looked at her: like a fragile doll, a sick little girl who could barely manage on her own. But she wasn’t a little girl anymore, and she’d outgrown her illness, although the technical term was remission .
    That fact wouldn’t change the way people treated her. She decided to take the offensive.
    â€œHave you assessed my injuries?” she asked her cousin.
    â€œYour arm will need a few stiches, and the ER doc will probably order a CT scan of your head.”
    â€œI didn’t hit my head.”
    â€œYou might not remember hitting your head, but you’re exhibiting symptoms of head trauma.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œObsessing over a random dog.”
    â€œAn orphaned dog.”
    â€œAnd you’re anxious.”
    â€œRocky’s driving too fast.”
    Madeline shook her head and bit back a smile. “Rocky, this is base, over,” a voice said over the radio.
    â€œGo ahead.”
    â€œChief Walsh has the dog, over.”
    â€œYou hear that, Cassie?” Rocky said over his shoulder.
    â€œYeah, thanks.”
    â€œOkay?” Madeline said.
    Cassie nodded and closed her eyes, wanting to avoid arguing with her cousin. She’d save her energy because she knew there’d be more discussion, more arguments about her choices today as she defended herself to her mother, older brother, sister and whoever else jumped on the “help Cassie” bandwagon.
    She thought about her bank account, now up to two thousand dollars and change. It wasn’t enough to support herself for six months to a year overseas, even if she stayed in hostels. After tonight’s fiasco, she might lose the awesome-paying property manager job. At the very least, her family would forbid her from going anywhere by herself for a while.
    They reached the hospital, and Rocky and Madeline wheeled Cassie inside. Once transferred to an ER bed, Madeline slid the curtain closed.
    â€œThe doctor will be here shortly. I think Dr. Rush is on duty. You’ll like her,” Madeline said.
    â€œI need to speak with Chief Walsh.”
    â€œOh yeah?” Maddie said with a raised eyebrow.
    â€œStop fooling around. It’s important.”
    â€œI think he’s at the cabin managing the investigation into the woman’s death.”
    â€œOh, right.” Cassie wanted to call and give him a description of Shovel Man. She reached into her pocket. “Where’s my phone? Can you check the ambulance?”
    â€œSure, if you promise to stay here and wait for the doctor.”
    â€œAs opposed to going dancing?”
    â€œSee? Sarcastic. That’s not like you, which is why I suspect a head injury. So relax. I’ll be right back.”
    Cassie laid her head against the pillow and closed her eyes. She knew she didn’t have a serious head injury, and was upset that her cousin wasn’t listening to her. Cassie needed to call Chief Walsh and describe the man who’d stalked her. She could still picture those heavy eyebrows and thin lips. He reminded her of Mr. Gruner, a curmudgeon who used to yell at Cassie and her friends whenever they’d