“You should throw him in front of a speeding car,” Jayden said with conviction.
Aiden stopped pacing and nodded. “I like that plan.”
“No, that’s not what should be done,” Cordie said. “We follow the laws here.”
“Most of the time we do,” Aiden said.
The boys weren’t as skittish now, Alec thought, because they were no longer eyeing his gun. “I’d like to ask a couple of questions,” he said.
“About what?” Sean looked worried.
“About the accident,” he explained.
“What else would he want to talk about?” Jayden muttered to Sean before addressing Alec. “Go ahead and ask your questions.”
Alec wanted to know what the boys had noticed before they spotted Cordie. How observant had they been about the people around them? What were they doing on that corner? A couple of questions turned into quite a few, and he kept circling around to the minutes before the accident.
“I just remembered,” Jayden said. His voice became animated. “I saw Miss Kane before she reached the light. I didn’t know it was her at first because she was far away, but I was watching her walk down the street.”
“Why were you watching her?” Alec asked.
“Well . . . you know . . .”
“Go ahead and tell me.”
The kid’s face turned red. “She was wearing a dress, and I noticed . . . you know . . . her legs.”
“Yeah,” Sean said as though the light had just dawned. “I noticed them, too. And the guy walking behind her sure was noticing.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Jayden said. “I forgot him. He was looking down. He definitely was interested.”
“This guy . . . did he follow Miss Kane to the corner?” Alec asked.
“I don’t know,” Jayden answered. “There was a crowd of people squeezing into that corner, and I didn’t see Miss Kane again until she was waiting for the signal.”
The kids had seen a lot more than they’d realized. “That’s a big help,” Alec told them.
“If you’re finished with your questions . . . ,” Cordie said. When Alec nodded, she turned to Jayden. “How is your mother doing?”
“She’s much better since the surgery.”
“Please tell her I said hello. Sean, what about your family?”
“Everyone’s good. We should probably go now, Jayden. I’ve got to get home before Mom does.” Turning to Cordie he explained, “I’m grounded.”
Cordie struggled to stand so she could walk the boys to the elevator. Sean rushed forward to help, and immediately she thought, oh no. If he yanked her or pulled on her, she’d probably pass out. Fortunately, Aiden got to her first and helped her up. He must have seen the panic in her eyes.
“Thank you so much for keeping my purse safe. All my identification was inside.”
“And forty-two dollars,” Sean reminded her.
“I think I should treat you to dinner. I’ll just get my—” she began, but Aiden stopped her.
“Let me,” he offered.
“Oh, you don’t have to . . . ,” Jayden started to protest, but Sean elbowed him.
Aiden pulled out his wallet and gave them enough cash to eat for a week, suspecting that most of it would go for video games or something other than food.
“Do you miss your dad?” Jayden asked Cordie as he stuffed the bills in his pocket.
“Yes, I do,” she answered.
“I miss him, too.”
“So do I,” Sean said.
“Could I ask you a favor?” Jayden asked, stepping closer.
“Yes, of course.” She realized she was leaning into Aiden and tried to pull away, then decided it was just easier to stay where she was.
“I got a new car,” he said. “It’s not really new. Your dad would call it a clunker.”
After glancing up at Aiden, she turned to Jayden and whispered, “How did you get the car?”
“I paid for it. Honest,” he said. “I saved up, and your dad . . . he gave me a little money for my birthday.”
Another nice thing her father had done and never told her about. “What’s the favor?” she asked.
“I was wondering if you would go for a ride and tell me what you think, maybe next week, when . . . you know . . . you look better.”
She smiled. His assessment of her appearance may have been a little harsh, but she couldn’t fault the accuracy. She knew she looked as if she’d been in a fight with a wrecking ball. After agreeing to the ride, she said good-bye, and Aiden walked the boys to the elevator.
As soon as the doors were closed, he said, “You were worried he might have stolen the car, weren’t you?”
“Maybe a little,” she admitted.
“I’m out of here,” Alec said as he stood to leave. “I want to see what that street camera got, check out the crowd around you.”
“I should look at the crowd, too,” she said. “I might recognize someone . . . if I was pushed,” she qualified. As she began to take slow steps back to the bedroom, she looked over her shoulder at Aiden and asked, “Will you take me home this afternoon?”
“No,” he answered.
She refused to let him irritate her. “Okay,” she said. “When will you take me home?”
He couldn’t resist. “Maybe next week when . . . you know . . . you look better.”
? ? ?
By seven o’clock that evening Cordie was convinced she was never going to get out of there. No one was willing to drive her home, not even Regan. Apparently they all thought they knew what was best for her. Or they were following Aiden’s instructions, which seemed more likely. She thought about asking the doorman to get her a cab, but in order to get to the door, she’d have to cross the lobby in her socks. The tennis shoes Regan had brought her from the house had mysteriously disappeared. She even threatened to call the police, which Aiden thought was hilarious. He had a good laugh while Spencer put the sign back on her door.
Around seven thirty she came to the realization that she was acting like a spoiled ten-year-old. She should be thankful she had such good friends who wanted to take care of her. And at the Hamilton she was pampered. Earlier Regan had sent up a member of the spa staff to wash and blow-dry her hair. After she’d taken a lovely bath, the nurse came in to help her change and fix the sling for her cast. She was feeling so much better thanks to all the support she was getting.
Aiden knocked on her door to announce that he had ordered dinner and asked her to come out to the table.
“I really can take care of myself,” she told him as he pulled the chair out for her and put the napkin in her lap.
“Yes, you mentioned that a couple of times earlier today.” He lifted the silver plate cover to reveal filet mignon, asparagus, and baby red potatoes.
She stared at the mouthwatering steak for several seconds, then said, “You did that on purpose.”
“Did what?” he asked innocently.
He knew she couldn’t cut the steak, and that was why he’d ordered it, to prove to her she wasn’t self-reliant just yet. He took the steak knife and fork and cut the meat into bite-size pieces.
“Want me to feed you?” There was laughter in his voice.
“That’s not necessary,” she grumbled as she picked up the fork with her free hand.
He sat across from her and uncovered the same meal on his plate. She was surprised he was having dinner with her because she knew he usually went out every evening, sometimes for business, sometimes for pleasure.