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there? You were quite a distance from the annex and the tent.”
    She turned her head and winced. She really wanted an aspirin. “I went for a walk,” she said. It wasn’t a lie; she had gone for a walk. She just didn’t think she needed to explain why.
    “In this heat? I would think you would have wanted to go inside the annex, or walk on up to the house, or maybe even stay inside the tent near one of those air conditioners.”
    “You would think,” she agreed. “But I didn’t. I went for a walk. The heat doesn’t really bother me.” Okay, that was a lie, but it was a little one and she could live with that.
    “Were you alone when you went for your walk?”
    “Yes, I was.”
    “Hmmm.” He looked skeptical.
    “Detective, if someone had been with me, wouldn’t he or she have been knocked unconscious, too?”
    “If he or she had stayed around.”
    Before she could respond he asked, “How long were you out there?”
    “Out where?”
    “Behind the trees.”
    “I don’t know. Not long.”
    “Really.” The skepticism had moved to his voice.
    “Is there a problem?” she asked.
    “The crime scene unit found something about twenty feet away from you.”
    “What’d they find?” she asked and only then realized where he was headed. Oh my, the bump on her head had made her dense.
    “An article of clothing,” he said. “An undergarment, which was why I was wondering who was with you.”
    She could feel her face burning. “No one was with me. You’re asking me about a black bra, right? And you’re wondering if it belonged to me?” Before he could answer she plunged ahead. “It did belong to me. The ladies’ room was blocked, and I needed a little privacy to take it off. I saw the trees and I headed there.”
    “Why?”
    “Why what?”
    “Why did you want to take it off?”
    He was being extremely intrusive, she thought, and she could have told him so, but she decided to be honest instead. “It was killing me.”
    “I’m sorry?”
    Everyone inside the ambulance was suddenly interested in the topic. Riley and George were waiting for her to explain.
    “The wire . . .”
    “Yes?”
    Good Lord. “A woman would understand.”
    “But a man wouldn’t?”
    He wasn’t letting it go. She wondered if he was deliberately trying to embarrass her.
    “You try wearing one of those things for an hour, and trust me, you’ll take it off, too.”
    He laughed. “No, thanks. I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it.”
    “Are you going to write that down in your notepad?”
    He had a nice smile.
    “Are you married?” he asked. “Is there a husband I should contact?”
    “No, I’m not married. I live with my sisters.” She tried to sit up and only then realized she was strapped down. “I’ve got to call them. They’ll be worried.”
    “When we get to the hospital, I’ll call them for you.” He sat back on the bench and glanced out the back window. “We’re almost there.”
    “I don’t need to go to the hospital. My headache’s almost gone.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    From the way he drawled out the response she knew he didn’t believe her.
    “You don’t live in Charleston proper,” he said.
    “No,” she answered. She knew he could already have her address, phone number, and probably every other detail about her life. One phone call to an associate manning a computer would tell him everything he wanted to know.
    “We live in Silver Springs, but it’s a quick drive to the city. Are you new to this area?”
    “Yes,” he answered. “I just moved here from Savannah. It’s pretty laid-back here.” He smiled as he added, “. . . Usually. I’ll bet this is the most excitement you’ll have all year.”

Chapter Four
    If only.
    Kiera and Isabel rushed through the emergency room doors. Kiera looked relieved when she saw Kate and smiled. Isabel looked scared.
    The ER physician checked Kate and sent her downstairs for a scan. The techs were backed up, and she had to wait two hours before