Body Of Truth Read Online Free PDF Page A

clunky, industrial furniture, and above, the tracks for a privacy curtain. Images of the shooting flooded her consciousness—the car, the gun pointed at her, firing, Wesley’s cold, dead eyes. She closed her eyes and inhaled. Please, God, don’t let me be in Washington Hospital.
    â€œWelcome back to the land of the living.”
    Dana turned her head to the right to see Joanna sitting in a high-backed chair beside her bed. Dana licked her dry lips. “Where am I?”
    â€œMontefiore Hospital. How do you feel?”
    â€œGrateful to be alive. What about Wesley?”
    â€œThe kid who was with you? He didn’t make it.”
    Dana squeezed her eyes shut. She’d known. She’d known from the moment she’d seen his eyes that he was gone, but hearing it flat out brought tears to her eyes and a sweeping sense of sadness rushing through her.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Joanna said.
    Dana wiped her eyes with her hand. “I know.” She was sorry, too, that a young man with such potential was gone before he’d really had a chance to do anything with his life. As sure as she knew her own name, she knew she’d been getting to him. Maybe with a little more guidance . . . Her speculations didn’t matter anymore. Wesley was gone and she couldn’t change that either.
    â€œThere’s a detective outside waiting to talk to you. Do you feel up to it?”
    She nodded. If she could, she wanted to help find Wesley’s killer, though she doubted she’d be much help. “Send him in.”
    With a little effort, Joanna rose from her seat and went to the door. Through the opening she could see a uniformed officer outside her door. He nodded as Joanna spoke to him. Dana supposed such protection wasn’t out of line considering she was a material witness to a murder.
    After a few moments Joanna waddled back to her. “He’ll be right here. Are you sure you’re up to this? Maybe I should get your doctor.”
    â€œI’m fine.” Dana smiled wickedly and appealed to her friend’s nurse’s pride. “Do you think a doctor would know my condition better than you would?”
    â€œOf course not. But he is a man. You know how they tend to pay more attention to each other than they do to us.” Joanna grinned. “Besides, he’s single.”
    Dana rolled her eyes. That was Joanna, the perpetual matchmaker. “One of these days I’m going to convince you to give up on me.”
    â€œNever.”
    As Joanna spoke, the door pushed open and a tall, Caucasian man walked in. He wore his dark hair long and shaggy, as haphazardly arranged as his clothes, a dark brown suit with an askew tie. His gaze went immediately to Joanna. “I’d like to speak to Miss Molloy alone.”
    Dana’s eyebrows lifted, not because of his request, but because of his wide-legged, hostile stance at the foot of her bed. THE LAW had arrived, and he wasn’t taking any prisoners. Clearly, he expected a confrontation with her, though she wondered why. Maybe he was simply impatient to find out what she knew, but she doubted it.
    Joanna rolled her eyes comically, breaking the tension in the room. “I’ll be right outside.”
    After Joanna left, she focused on the man standing at the foot of her bed. “What can I do for you, um . . .”
    â€œDetective Moretti, 16th squad. I’d like to ask you some questions about the shooting.”
    â€œGo ahead.”
    â€œHow well did you know Wesley Evans?”
    â€œNot well. I was his grandmother’s nurse. I work for At-Home Healthcare.”
    â€œThat’s why you were at 4093 Highland Avenue this morning?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhat do you recall about the shooting?”
    Dana inhaled and let it out slowly. “I came out of the building after seeing Mrs. Evans. Wesley was outside. We talked for a few minutes when this black car came careening down the street.