When I returned to my office I found Tom, of all people, sitting by my desk. "Tom?"
"Hey, Cindy," he said as he stood up to greet me. "Listen, um...do you have somewhere we can talk?"
My mind raced with assumptions on what he wanted to talk about. "Sure, follow me." Was it about me and Lindsay? Did he see our connection? Was he here to tell me not to see her anymore?
We reached an empty conference room at the end of the hall and we both walked in. He shut the door behind me. "Sorry for just showing up on you, but I felt like I needed to let you know this face-to-face."
"What?" I asked as my stomach sank to my knees as I sat down.
"We've been chasing down a few leads from some of the witnesses at the scene and I got the lab results back from the bullet casings."
"I...I don't understand. I thought you didn't have anything."
"I couldn't tell Lindsay anything because she needs to keep her mind off this case and focus on getting better. Hell, she'd probably sneak out of the hospital to go out and interview witnesses."
I laughed because I could totally see her doing that. "So what's going on?"
"Well, you first have to promise me that everything I say stays in this room - so NOTHING gets splashed onto the front page. Understand?"
I held up my right hand, "You have my word."
Tom sucked in a breath and blew it out quickly. "The owner of the van is Adam Young."
I thought for sure my heart stopped and I immediately felt the color drain from my face. "Adam?"
"I believe you and Adam were once engaged, correct?"
"Oh God, yes. Um, about four years ago. But...but I thought..."
"He's been out of jail for about three months. He purchased a Glock 9mm from a pawn shop two months ago. Lindsay was shot with a 9mm."
My hands flew to my mouth and I thought for sure I was going to be sick.
"Do you have any idea where he might be?"
I shook my head as tears started to roll down my cheeks. "No. I...I haven't seen or spoken to him since he went to jail."
"We need..."
"He threatened to kill me, you know."
"What?"
"Before I left him he threatened to kill me."
Tom ran his hand over his face.
"Tom...I...I don't think Lindsay was the target. I was." I stood up and ran out of the room, dashing down the hall to the ladies room and quickly heaving my guts out in the toilet. I stood there for a moment as my whole world became numb. Then I washed up, splashing handful after handful of cold water on my face.
A knock came at the door. "Cindy, you alright?"
"Yeah, I said as I dried my face with a paper towel and opened the door."
He put his arm around me and led me back to the conference room. "Look, we'll put a police detail at your place. And..."
"Then he won't try to get me."
"What?"
"He knows he didn't kill me, it was all over the news. I haven't been home since this happened because I've spent the majority of my time here or at the hospital, so he hasn't been able to try to finish the job. If I go home and lure him then..."
"No. No way."
"Tom, it's the only way."
"No. Let us handle it. I don't need you getting hurt too. I'll gather the guys up and see what we can put together. In the meantime, maybe staying at the hospital isn't a bad idea. I can make arrangements for you. That way I can keep the police detail on you and Lindsay. I'm gonna go speak to your boss, tell him what's going on and that you need to lay low for a bit."
I was too freaked out to object so I just nodded as I stood up.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Fine."
"I'll have a uniform come pick you up to go to your place to get some clothes."
"Okay," I said as I walked out to my desk in a haze.
