I shook my head. “None of this makes any sense. Why would the kidnapper take my car and then return it?”
“We have reason to believe the perpetrator wasn’t aware the old man was in the barn,” Sheriff Wells explained. “Nelson said your vehicle barreled out of here at a high rate of speed. He tried to follow it, but lost it a few miles down the road. Once he made it back to your home and saw your Cavalier sitting in the driveway, he drove back to the barn to find out what you’d been doing out here.”
“And that’s when he found the barn on fire?”
The sheriff nodded. “He called in the fire, then found your friend and moved him to safety. Said he hadn’t even realized there was anyone else inside until the old man told him otherwise. He ran back to the barn and saw you climbing down the ladder.”
“Well, that’s just great,” Cowboy sneered, pulling off his hat and scrubbing a hand through his hair. “So on his word alone, you let the ex-convict go.”
“Didn’t have a choice,” the sheriff said. “We had nothing to tie him to the kidnapping. The only other suspects at this time are—”
“The B-Barlow b-brothers…” I wheezed, then stopped long enough to catch my breath. “It was them? They…did this?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out, ma’am.”
Cowboy sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re going to catch whoever’s responsible for this. No one’s going to hurt you ever again.” His cell phone must’ve buzzed because he stood and pulled it from his hip and looked at it. “I have to take this,” he said, leaning down to kiss my forehead before hopping out the ambulance doors.
The paramedic glanced over at Cowboy. “We’re ready to roll. If you want, Captain, you can follow behind the ambulance. Just be sure to turn on your flashers and emergency lights.”
“Follow? Are you kidding? I’m leading this parade,” he said, giving me a wink.
Chapter Nineteen
After arriving at the understaffed emergency room, I changed into a hospital gown, had a scan of my shoulder, and was eventually admitted to a room upstairs with Cowboy at my side. The nurses monitored me for any worsening signs of respiratory distress until the doctor on duty made his rounds and wheeled in a small surgical tray.
He examined me first, paying close attention to the sounds of my respirations, before moving on to my shoulder. The doctor explained how the results from my scan had showed no permanent damage, though I’d still have to wear a sling for a short period of time to promote healing. After adding a few stitches to the gash in my arm, he pushed the tray aside and told me he was keeping me overnight for precautionary observation due to the large amount of smoke I’d inhaled.
I wasn’t the least bit surprised. Been there, done that.
When the doctor finally left the room, Cowboy kissed my cheek and rubbed his calloused thumb along my jaw as he gazed down at my bandaged wrist. “I’m sorry, Anna. I wish I’d been there to protect you. I should’ve been. This is all my fau—”
I pressed my finger to his lips to silence him. “Don’t say that. You can’t stand guard over me every minute. The Barlows would have gotten to me sooner or later.”
“It won’t happen again,” Cowboy said, deadly promise looming in his threat.
The door opened and we both looked up.
Sheriff Wells stepped into the room, followed by Mandy Barlow, who was no longer in her bunker gear. Neither of them looked happy. Not that I expected her to be after hearing her brothers were going to be arrested.
“Did you pick up Joe and Clay Barlow, yet?” Cowboy asked, apparently ignoring the shine of Mandy’s teary eyes.
“No,” the sheriff said. “That’s actually what I came to talk to you about.”
They didn’t catch them?