She cleared her voice. “I’m sorry, but could you hand me some paper?” she asked the woman in the next stall. “I’m all out over here.”
Without a word, the woman pulled off some paper and handed it under the side of the stall. Mo saw the freshly painted fingernails as she took the rolled up paper. Nothing like the chipped ones she’d seen on Natalie’s hands in the hospital.
“Thanks,” she said, dropped it into the toilet and flushed before she pushed open her door. She was washing her hands when the woman came out of the stall and swore.
Mo saw her looking around. “Lose something?”
“My purse. I left it right there.” She shook her head, exasperated. “I hope my friend picked it up for me.”
“Any chance you had your car keys in it?” Mo asked. The woman’s eyes widened in answer.
As they walked out of the bathroom, she told Brick what had happened. He stepped outside with the woman who’d lost her purse—and her car, as it turned out. He called it in to the marshal’s department.
Mo was considering getting a drink while she waited for Brick to return when a male voice said, “Bartender, give that woman a beer on me.” She turned in surprise as she recognized the voice.
“Shane, what are you doing here?”
Shane Danby laughed. “Same thing you are, I would imagine. Thought we had come to take Natalie Berkshire back to Billings. But got here too late. The nurse nanny got away. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? Maybe it had something to do with you being on the wrong side of the law?”
His laugh told her that he knew about her being arrested. “Sorry, but I’m not interested in discussing it with you.”
“Not interested in discussing it with me?” he mocked, his voice rough with anger. “You always thought you were better than the rest of us, didn’t you, Mo? Well, you aren’t the only one looking for Natalie. There’s a bounty on her head. That’s right, some father of a kid she killed is offering a reward to anyone who brings her in—dead or alive. Everyone in four states is looking to collect. If I find her first I’m going to shoot and ask questions later.”
Mo feared it might be true. “And what if she’s innocent?” she demanded. She realized that she was starting to sound like Brick. But she couldn’t bear the thought that some trigger-happy lawman killed Natalie before she could get to the truth when it hadn’t been that long ago that she’d thought that was exactly what she’d wanted. “She deserves a trial.”
Shane scoffed. “The crazy psycho deserves the same treatment she gave those patients under her care.”
“No wonder you didn’t make Homicide.” She started past him, but he grabbed her arm and dragged her into an alcove away from the people at the bar. When she started to fight back, he grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall, holding her there with his body.
“Assault, Shane?” she asked around the pain in her throat. “I’m still a homicide cop.”
“Are you? That’s not what I hear. I heard you went after Berkshire to put her down like a mad dog. Now I’m wondering if you’re trying to help her slip the noose.”
Just the reminder of how her sister had died brought up a low growl from her throat. “I suggest you let me go.”
“Oh, really? Is that what you would suggest?” he said with a laugh. “I can tell you’d like to kick my ass right now.” He was so close she could see the dark spots among the brown in his eyes and smell the onions he’d had on his burger for lunch. “The only reason you got Homicide over me is because you’re a woman. Gotta meet their quotas.” He turned his head to spit on the floor. His hand on her throat tightened. “It’s all bullsh—”
The rest of his words were lost as he was grabbed from behind and slammed into the wall next to her. Brick had several inches in height on Shane and was in better shape. He grabbed him by the throat—just as Shane had held her.
“I’m the law, you idiot!” Shane cried and swore.
“You’re not the only one,” Brick said. “Deputy Marshal Brick Savage. You think you’re tough, being rough with a woman?”
As much as she wouldn’t mind seeing Brick kick his butt, she stepped in. “Let him go. Trust me, he isn’t worth it.”
Brick let go of him so quickly, Shane stumbled and almost fell. As Brick started to turn away, Shane picked up an empty bottle someone had left in the alcove and went for him—just as Mo knew he would. She put her foot out, and the lowlife cop went sprawling. The bottle shattered in his hand. As he started to get up, Brick stepped on his hand, pressing it to the glass-strewn floor and making him cry out.
“We done here?” Brick said, lifting his boot to free the cop’s bleeding hand.
“Need a man to fight your battles, Mo?” Shane yelled as he sat back to cradle his cut hand.
She stepped around the corner to grab a rag off the bar and tossed it to him. “Shane, you just don’t learn.” As she started to turn, he kicked out, catching her in the shin. She spun on him and kicked back, catching him in the thigh. He doubled over, writhing on the floor. “Don’t ever grab me by the throat again or next time, it won’t be my boot toe. It will be a bullet.”
“That man is dangerous,” Brick said as they walked away. “From what I heard, he has a grudge against you.”
“Shane has a grudge against the world. You can’t take him seriously.”
“Mo, you need to watch
