Copyright © 2012 by Meg Leigh
All rights reserverd.
Cover Design by Zathyn Priest
Smashwords Edition
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of
this author.
Find other titles by Meg Leigh at:
~~**~~
Coffee Kisses
"I'm Senior Constable Miranda Hastings." I stood at the reception desk of the small private hospital, fixing the woman behind the desk with my most businesslike expression. "I believe that Kayleigh Roberts was brought here after the robbery in town. I need to speak with her and take her statement." I softened my look with a smile. "I cleared it with her doctor earlier."
"Oh." The woman tapped on the computer keyboard in front of her. "Yes, Miss Roberts is on the third floor. Room 36A. You can go right up."
"Thanks." I nodded to the woman and walked towards the lifts.
Kayleigh was a shop assistant at Julie's Lunch Box, a little takeaway-cum-café on the main street that had been hit by a couple of armed robbers two days before. When Kayleigh told them she didn't know the combination to the safe, the thieves bashed her. Today was the first day that her doctor would permit me to speak with her.
Walking into Kayleigh's hospital room, I pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down. Kayleigh's face was still badly bruised, one eye swollen completely shut, the skin livid purple. Her lips were cracked and broken and a white gauze dressing covered her cheek, gashed when one of the thieves had smacked her in the face with a bottle. Looking at her, I felt the familiar surge of righteous anger that I feel anytime I am faced with a victim of someone else's selfish violence.
Kayleigh turned her head as I sat down, fixing her one good eye on me. It was pale blue and a little glassy. I figured they must have her on some serious pain relief.
"Hi Kayleigh," I said softly. "I'm Constable Hastings. I need to ask you some questions about the robbery." I watched her draw a long, careful breath and let it out before she nodded. I wondered if she might have cracked ribs on top of everything else.
Kayleigh blinked and looked up at the ceiling and I flipped open my notebook. "Just take your time," I soothed, "and tell me everything you can remember."
Over the space of forty minutes, her story slowly unfolded. I jotted notes, only interrupting to ask for clarification when I needed it. Listening to her recount the events of the robbery only served to remind me why I had joined the police force to begin with. There are some desperate creeps in the world, and I wanted to be a part of the effort to get them off the streets. I was just wrapping up the interview when a nurse came to tell me I'd taxed her patient enough for one day.
Smiling, I got to my feet, "I was just about done." Six years in this job had taught me how to get a lot done in the brief window of time that hospitals allowed with injured and traumatized patients. I thanked Kayleigh and walked out of the ward with the nurse.
"Do you think you'll catch the guys who did this?" The nurse glanced back towards Kayleigh's room as she spoke.
I shot her a glance. It wasn’t unusual for medical staff to ask that question, but we both knew I couldn't give her a lot of details. Procedure can be a bitch.
"We've got a few good leads," I told her. "One of the witnesses even managed to get a partial number plate of the getaway car. We're confident that we'll make an arrest in this case."
The nurse smiled, her dark blue eyes resting on my face for a moment before she looked away, shaking her head. "Kayleigh's mother is a friend of mine," she said. "I just can't believe anyone would hurt Kayleigh. She's such a sweet kid."
"These crimes are rarely personal," I said. "Kayleigh was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."