Christmas Angel by Amanda McIntyre Read Free Book Online

it.”
    “It’s okay. Take your time,” he reassured her. “Did you have a purse, maybe a wallet with some form of ID?”
    She frowned. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘ID.’”
    Detective Jackson shot the other man a strange look and then returned his attention to her. “Okay then, let’s see if we can focus on the hotel. Tell me everything you saw.”
    “There was someone who held the door open for me.” She paused. “I was walking across the lobby when I noticed a big man standing in an open doorway.” Her mind replayed the flash of the scene that came next and she gasped. “There was shouting and as I tried to see what the ruckus was about, the man stepped aside and I saw….” She stopped and clutched her chest to steady her heart.
    “Another man inside the room… there was blood, and then he fell to the floor.” She looked at Detective Jackson. “I wanted to do something, but I couldn’t move. Then the big man grabbed me. I thought he was going to kill me, too.” She stared at the sheet as she recalled bits and pieces of what came after. “I fought him, tried to call for help, but he had his arm over my mouth. He was so strong. I thought… I thought I was going to die.”
    “Okay, it’s okay. That’s very helpful.” He patted her hand. “How about the doorman? Did you see what happened to him?”
    Her mind was a blur. Snippets of memory popped in at random intervals. She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Oh, I saw a blur of another person running from the room as I was struggling, but I didn’t see his face.”
    “No problem. It will come to you. What happened before you went inside?” her blue-eyed friend prompted. “Do you remember us meeting?”
    “Yes, I do.” She held his gaze, sensing, as she had then, the sparks between them.
    “Anything before we met?” he asked.
    She nodded, wincing a little at the movement. “There was this nice man who gave me a coat.” She pushed to her elbows and looked around her. “Where is it?
    He loaned it to me from his boss.”
    Detective Jackson took her hand in his and her heart skipped a beat. “We’ve got it. It’s hanging in the locker. Did you know the man who offered you the coat?
    Where did you meet him?”
    “I don’t know. There was another man who called him his brother , but in truth they didn’t appear to be related.”
    “Why do you say that?” he asked.
    Angel looked from one man to the other. “One had dark skin and the other didn’t.”
    There was a brief silence before the detective spoke. “Where did you speak with the man?”
    “I don’t know.” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t know where I was. It was a large building with lots of people. More than I’ve ever seen in one place. A man was playing piano on a big stage. People were clapping and singing.” “The musical,” the other man quietly interjected.
    Detective Jackson’s gaze never left hers. “And what about before that? Who were you with before the musical?”
    She pressed the heel of her palm to her forehead. “Nothing is clear. It’s like a muddy pond in my head. I’m sorry.” Her stomach growled plaintively. “I don’t even recall the last time I ate.” Her hunger was the first sign of something normal.
    “We’ll get you something to eat as soon as we have the okay from the doc.” He glanced at the doctor. “She’s going to be okay. We can get her something to eat soon, right?”
    The softness in his voice caused her eyes to well. So much had happened, she didn’t understand. It would be nice if she could find someone who could explain to her where she came from. Nothing made much sense.
    “I’d like to check the results of her scan first. My first reaction is to say she can go ahead and get something to eat. And if her tests come out okay, she should be able to leave on her own. I’m afraid all of our beds are full. I can see about transferring her for psych observation.” He offered a raised brow. Angel had the strange