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.He’s being transported to the hospital by ambulance now.”“Does she know?”Ira shook his head.“I thought you…”He thought Zeke could tell her.“Do you know what happened to him?”“He appears to have stumbled and fallen.He wasn’t on the path.”“What’s his condition?”“I don’t know.”“Give me three minutes.”“I’ll wait out here.”Zeke nodded and shut the door.Outside his window the clouds and dawn drizzle had vanished, leaving in their wake a beautiful blue sky.Guests were already up and at it.He could see a half-dozen doing stretches on the lawn.He dialed Sam in San Diego.“This thing’s getting even uglier.”It was still night on the West Coast, but Sam was clearheaded.“One thing I’ve learned, the past is never past.”“Find out anything about our boy Quint?”“He’s broke and out of work.”Zeke appreciated Sam’s matter-of-fact tone.Sam had never met Quint or Joe and wasn’t one to judge people.“I need your help,” Zeke said.“I’ll tuck a toothbrush in my backpack and be on my way.”“Thanks.”“What for?”“He’s asleep,” Zeke said, as he and Dani stood next to her father’s hospital bed.Dani shook her head, her small, trim body rigid with tension and fear, neither of which, Zeke knew, she would acknowledge.He and Ira had found her throwing things around her kitchen and holding back tears even as she’d cursed her father to the rafters for sneaking out on her.She took the news about her father—Zeke told her the basics, and Ira supplied the details, what few there were—without a word.Ira had stayed at the Pembroke.Zeke had driven her to the hospital.She’d wanted to drive herself, but he’d prevailed.“He’s faking it,” she said.She leaned over her father.“Pop, I know you’re not asleep.”He didn’t answer.He’d just come from the emergency room.His eyes were shut, and there was a grayish cast to his skin, except for the purple and red spots that seemed to seep from the edges of his bandaged head.He’d needed stitches on his forehead and had a bloodied nose where he’d hit a tree when he’d fallen.But Zeke was more interested in the lump at the back of his head.How had it gotten there if he’d pitched forward face-first? If the rain had continued, if he’d tripped before getting to the edge of the woods, if the night watchman hadn’t checked the grounds before going off shift…John Pembroke could have been in worse shape than he was now.“He shouldn’t have been out there.” Dani stared down at him, managing to look both irritated and terrified.“Pop, you should have gotten some sleep.People do need to sleep, you know.”Zeke touched her arm.“Dani, maybe we should wait outside.”“He’s awake, Zeke.He just doesn’t want to face me.”Under the circumstances, Zeke wasn’t sure he would, either.Her father had no health insurance, but Dani had said she’d sign what she had to sign, write a check, hock the Pembroke—the hospital should concentrate on giving him the care he needed and let her worry about the tab.Her black eyes were huge and mesmerizing, reminding him of Mattie and Naomi.And their difficult father, for they were Witt eyes.She pulled her arm free.“I give up.I’m going to get some coffee.Pop, no more games when I get back.Stitches or no stitches.I swear I’ll dump a glass of ice water on you if you keep this up.”When she was safely down the hall, Zeke said, “She’s gone.”John opened his eyes and managed a weak grin.“I knew she wouldn’t have the patience to wait me out.Think she’d dump ice water on me?”Zeke grinned.“I wouldn’t doubt her.”“Probably just what I need.I feel like death warmed over.” He cleared his throat, adjusting his position in the hospital bed, trying to pull himself up.“How close is my daughter to spinning out of control?”“Her willpower keeps her under wraps.She’s scared, John.”“Yeah.So am I.”Zeke waited for more, but John looked blankly out the window at the hospital parking lot.Finally Zeke said, “You didn’t trip.”John’s dark, hurting eyes focused on Zeke, and he said hoarsely, “No.”“Are you up to telling me what happened?”“Some jackass bonked me on the back of the head.”“Did you get a look at him?”John snorted.“Before or after I saw stars?”Zeke straightened, resisting the urge to press and press hard for information.He couldn’t tell if the man lacked the energy and focus to explain what had happened due to his injuries, or simply refused to tell Zeke—a stranger with his own agenda—anything.“Look,” Zeke said, “I have no intention of meddling where I’m neither wanted nor needed.You and your daughter can handle your own problems if that’s what you want.I’ll stay out of your way.”John grabbed his wrist.“No, Zeke.”Zeke was silent, waiting.“I went out to the rocks where Dani found the gold key.Someone either followed me or more likely was out there, too.If it had been Dani instead of me…” He inhaled, and the terror that had been in his daughter’s eyes now was in his.“Maybe she’d have been killed, maybe not.”“I’ll go out there and have a look.”“This is your business.You know you won’t find anything.”John Pembroke was a gambler and an embezzler and something of a reprobate, but he wasn’t a stupid man.Zeke acknowledged the truth of his words.And the hard knot in the pit of his own stomach.He had to pull back.He was getting too close to the Pembrokes and their reckless, personable ways.The former vice president of Chandler Hotels struggled to sit up.“Get in her way, Zeke,” he said, wincing in pain.“Get in her way and stay in it
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