Armed With Steele Read Online Free PDF Page A

Before, the notion that someone had searched through her purse for something was just that—a notion. But after seeing the thin strip, its jagged edges wedged among the spiral metal loops, I knew: Grace, with her semi-OCD tendencies who never left a paper crinkled and who never, ever, left a sliver of paper in her spiral binding, had not been the last one in her planner.
    Someone else had been, and they’d taken something from it.
    There was more to this accident than Officer Steele had concluded. And then a different kind of knot formed in my stomach as I realized he might be my only hope in uncovering what had really happened to Grace on that fateful car ride home.
     

 
    Chapter 3
     
    “Good morning, Miss Hartley.”
    I closed my car door and spun around to find Officer Steele approaching, a smile on his face, navy uniform pressed to perfection, and sunglasses tucked neatly into his left breast pocket. My heart began to race, and not from being startled. Damn those deep blue eyes. A woman could surely drown there.
    But not this woman, I reminded myself. Not today, or any day.
    “Why, good morning, Officer Steele. What, not enough speeders out there today?” I tipped my head toward the main road. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and find a few reckless wheelchair drivers here in the parking garage.”
    He chuckled, the smile playing at the corners of his eyes. “No, apparently all the speeders are in here today.” My cheeks warmed, and he worked to conceal a grin. “No, actually I’m here to interview another accident victim. I thought I’d swing by and check on Miss Sullivan while I was here.”
    I glanced at the hospital entrance and wrung my hands together. “Last I heard, she was still out. I was really hoping to walk in and find her awake, though.”
    “Only one way to find out.” He smiled and waved his hand toward the hospital’s sliding glass doors. “Shall we?”
    I was torn. The guy was a little bit intimidating and whole lot tempting. Then again, a walk with Officer Steele might provide me just enough time for a little interrogation of my own. In the end, logic prevailed. At least that’s what I told myself. “Sure.”
    We passed through the doors, and were instantly greeted by the overpowering smell of disinfectant. I made a quick mental note to buy lemon-scented everything our next shopping trip. If I didn’t smell this scent again for twenty years it’d still be too soon.
    My tour guide paused then to allow passage for small group of women all bubbling and gushing about some adorable newborn they’d just seen. Once they caught sight of Officer Steele, though, the gushing turned to giggling.
    He gave them a small nod. “Ladies.”
    “Officer,” one answered, her tone coy. More giggling ensued.
    I rolled my eyes and commenced walking. Officer Steele turned from his admirers and followed. “So, did you come up with anything else on Grace’s accident?”
    He shook his head. “Nope. Nothing new turned up.”
    We rounded a corner, and dodged a janitor pushing some sort of oversized laundry cart. “You’ve been doing this a while, right?”
    “A few years now.”
    “Then you probably have a good idea of how fast she had to be going, you know, to make her car flip like that?”
    “Well, speed is just one component. I mean—”
    “Excuse me.” A little old man walking in the opposite direction cut in. “Can either of you direct me to the nearest restroom?”
    I bit back the location I wanted to suggest—which sounded an awful lot like thanks for rudely interrupting us, you old crow —while Officer Steele calmly pointed him in the direction of the main lobby. Thank goodness I hadn’t picked law enforcement as a career. I sure as heck didn’t have the patience for it.
    As soon as our elderly interjector headed off to find the potty, I resumed my line of questioning. “You were saying?”
    He looked at me, confused for a moment. “Saying? Oh, right. Speed. Well, yeah, there are other