"Oh, I forgot, the tow truck driver found it on the canal bank, must have flipped out when you overturned."
"A miracle...all my precious numbers."
"It's downstairs with your clothes, I'll have it sent up." He turned toward the door. "I bullied my way in here. They said please just thirty seconds. I guess my time is up."
"I noticed you arranged for a police guard outside my room."
"Just precautionary."
"Precaution against what? What do you know?"
"I know someone tried to kill you."
He started to say something else. She guessed it was about her leaving Florida. He walked to the door.
He turned. "Can you describe the guy?"
"It had to be Pirro. Tall and skinny, I couldn't make out his clothes. Oh, and the baseball cap."
"I got a good paint sample off your trunk lid. I'll find the bastard."
"Might not be a problem. I have a feeling, if I tell Elena Duarte what happened, she'll tell me exactly where to find him."
After he left, she reached down and touched each leg, still no feeling. She picked up the mirror, moved her head back and forth slowly, and spoke aloud, "I suppose I'm lucky at that." However, she had to consider that the rest of her life might be quite different than she had imagined.
The bedside phone rang. She shuffled around and stretched to reach it. "Hi, Miss Reid it's Sergeant Lewis. Can you talk?"
"Sergeant...Lewis...who?"
"That nice old cop who runs the visiting room at the jail. How ya doing, Philly?"
"Sarge, of course, hey thanks for calling. I feel better just hearing your voice. I really mean that."
"Don't worry, you're going to be okay. I just know it. Of course, your car's a goner."
"Makes me sick all over again, and I have places to go. Why don't you assign me a police car with a driver? Make him single and good-looking. I want the lights, the siren and all that jazz. Be sure it has a good stereo."
"That's why I called. You can use your brother's car."
"Don't think so, Sarge, it was impounded."
"Not exactly, I called over there this morning to see what it would take to get it released. Goddard should have put an Evidence Hold on it, but he didn't. His team searched the car and went over every inch. All the time there wasn't even a Hold on it. Just sitting there. I told our man over there you'd be waltzing over to pick it up."
Waltzing sounded good. "You lifesaver! Why are you doing all this for me?"